Deadline day is upon us and the baseball world could look very different this time tomorrow. However, that hasn’t stopped the games from being played. Joey Votto (60) is on some kind of tear right now. He’s here to chew bubble gum and hit dingers and apparently he’s all out of bubble gum. That’s a bomb in six straight games and thanks to a couple of multi-homer efforts he has 8 over that span. Votto has long been the type of guy who gets a boost to his value in points leagues. It’s likely that he’s already on a roster in your league, but he’s not universally rostered so I would take a peek at the wire.
Austin Riley (49) is not quite on Votto’s level but he’s been swinging a big stick as well with 4 home runs in his last three games and 6 in his last seven. He’s bringing the power along with an average approaching .400.
Eric Haase (30) has been making the most of his at-bats. He’s a catcher and he’s riding a hot streak so you should run to the wire if your backstop has been letting you down. The catcher job should be his as long as Jake Rogers is on the IL. His exact timeline for return is unclear at the moment but it could be a while before he’s back in action.
Rowdy Tellez (45) seems to be enjoying Milwaukee with another strong week. He’s been mashing since the trade and hopefully, that earns him more at-bats. Playing time may continue to be an issue moving forward, but he’s well worth a speculative add to see if he gets on the field more often.
Kyle Farmer (35) came to hit, batting over .500. The pair of bombs was nice to see after entering the week with only 7. He could be a nice short-term fill-in that turns into something more. The multi-position eligibility is also a nice little bonus.
Tyrone Taylor (35) put up another strong week that continues an impressive second half for him. A .500 average and three doubles will get the job done. Hopefully, his strong performance gets him at-bats as more than just a pinch hitter.
Ji-Man Choi (31) Not too bad for a platoon player. He should be locked in against right-handed pitchers and that gives him value in deeper leagues or if you need a fill-in. He has the power to make his limited playing time count. I like him even more in leagues with daily lineups so you can sub him out against lefties.
Jorge Soler (30) Soler power is here with 4 bombs over the past week. Power is the name of the game with him and it drives his value because it’s definitely not his batting average. He will continue to be a streaky hitter going forward, but the hot streaks will make him a valuable addition to your roster.
Daulton Varsho (30) Took him a while, but the power is finally starting to show up. I was big on him in the preseason and for a while, it looked like he wasn’t going to deliver but he’s flashing his potential. This is the best week he’s ever had in the majors but you could do worse than to add him at catcher. Ideally, he’ll hold down an everyday job in the outfield where he has to potential to put up better numbers than your average catcher.
Josh Harrison (28) I told you to add him. He’s still out there in about half of the leagues but he shouldn’t be. He’s not a sexy name but he’s been putting up points. Doubles are his main source of value and he’s been doing it all season. Even outside of deep leagues he has value.
Abraham Toro (26) He may have just found his path to regular playing time. Hitting bombs in four straight games will do that for you. He’s essentially free right now and has flashed some skill in the minor leagues. Playing time is one of the biggest changes this time of year so I would add now and see how it all shakes out.
Brent Rooker (26) Quite a week for Mr. Rooker with 3 bombs. That’s certainly enough to get my attention. Since his call-up, he’s done nothing but hit. Not sure how long it will last but definitely a guy to watch and grab if you’re in a deep league and looking for reinforcements,
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