All judging aside, Yankees’ right fielder, Aaron Judge, is loudly (opposite of quietly) making a name for himself. As if his 6’7″, 282 pound frame wasn’t enough to garner attention, how about a league leading twelve home runs in just 99 plate appearances. Having played in all but one game this season, Judge has granted his owners 107 fantasy points in 24 games. During that span he has 26 hits, 12 of which were long balls. That sounds like the name of a porn starring six old men. While Aaron also has 24 strikeouts, he is still sporting a .313 batting average. Personally I have a soft spot for Yankees right fielders as Big Dave Winfield is my favorite player of all time. Well it seems the Yankees have found an even bigger dude to man right field. I think Judge might project to Winfield-like stats, and considering he was a 12-time MLB All-Star, that’s a considerable comparison. He should be owned everywhere. I realize that’s a obvious Captain Obvious statement, but his ADP was greater than 200, so he was likely available for the pickings in most leagues earlier in the season.
Better get Miguel Sano some Proactiv because he’s breaking out. The highly regarded Twins prospect is showing everyone why he was so highly regarded. He’s likely going to strikeout a bunch, but if he can keep his batting average in the .270 range, and hit nearly 30 bombs, I think he’ll be alright. Despite having 21 fewer plate appearances he is tied with Charlie Blackmon at 90 points. Did I mention he owns both 3B and OF eligibility? So does Kris Bryant, but he only has 85 points (in 21 more plate appearances than Sano).
Hey, didn’t the Twins have another can’t miss hitting prospect making his way to the Majors? What was his name again? Oh yeah, Byron Suckston. Here’s what I said about his last year. I could probably just change a few names and re-release it.
Among players with at least 40 plate appearances, Ryan Zimmerman has the best points per plate appearances (1.18). This number will vary from league to league based on its scoring system, but regardless, he’s up there. If I said I saw this coming I’d be lying. And even though I’m comfortable with lying, I still can’t say I saw this coming. If it were me I’d sell high. He’s bound to find his way onto the gloriously overused 10-day DL. But as Grey would say, I wouldn’t sell him for a used Squatty Potty and a pack of wet wipes, but I’d certainly explore my options.
The top two hitters in points leagues thus far have been Bryce Harper and Freddie Freeman. Harper leads all hitters in points (134), while Freeman trails only Harper and Zimmerman. The reason I chose these two is simple. They both have the pedigree to maintain their current level of production. Mike Trout is a very close third.
Last week I scooped up Avisail Garcia in a handful of my leagues. If he’s somehow still available in your league I suggest you do the same. He currently has 77 points and a 0.79 PPPA. As a point of reference, Nolan Arenado has 88 points with a 0.77 PPPA. And Corey Seager has 84 points and a 0.72 PPPA.
I’d also look to buy low on Kyle Seager. Go look at his stats for the last five years. He is almost certainly going to finish the season with 25+ home runs, 80 runs scored, 85 RBIs, 5 stolen bases and a .268 batting average. He’s underperforming right now, and that’s when the “buy low” opportunities flourish.
My list of mosts.
Most Points: Bryce Harper: 134
Most Runs: Bryce Harper: 33 (134 points)
Most Hits: Ryan Zimmerman: 39 (119 points)
Most Singles: Starlin Castro: 27 (78 points)
Most Doubles: Mitch Moreland: 13 (58 points)
Most Triples: Zack Cozart: 4 (61 points)
Most Home Runs: Aaron Judge: 12 (107 points)
Most RBIs: Ryan Zimmerman: 29 (119 points)
Most Walks: Bryce Harper: 24 (134 points)
Most Strikeouts: Trevor Story: 42 (38 points) – So glad I acted like he didn’t exist this draft season!
Most Stolen Bases: Billy Hamilton: 15 (42 points)
Most Hit By Pitches: Anthony Rizzo: 7 (84 points)
Most Extra Base Hits: Ryan Zimmerman: 20 (119 points)
Most Plate Appearances: Jonathan Villar: 125 (46 points) – Another one I completely ignored on draft day.
Most At Bats: Wil Myers: 117 (76 points)
Aaron Judge just hit his 13th home run!
