Each week over the next couple of months, I’ll be profiling a few players that you need to own in all of your dynasty leagues. Wait, did I just more or less repeat the title in the first sentence? I think I did. I must be really trying to drive the point home, eh? Well of course, I mean after all, what’s the point of reading along if you don’t want to be brow beaten with points. Amirite? You’re here to spend your coffee sipping hours on Sunday morning with your old buddy Ralphie. I’m like a dynasty/prospector Charles Osgood, but with less joker face, like a lot less…Now that the space filling mumbo jumbo is out of the way, let’s get into the crux of the matter at hand. We’re going to look at four players each week. One major leaguer I feel you can get on the cheap compared to where I see his value. A top 100 type bat that I just need to own. A pitching prospect with some upside you won’t pay through the nose for. Then we’ll touch on a young low minors player you can snag in the later rounds of your 18-30 team dynasty league’s first year player draft.
I’ve been compiling my thoughts over the last few weeks, as I digest the season. Well, I digested the season, some of it at least. I have my fair share of left overs. So I have more to digest, but the first taste of it was delicious. Now you’re left with the aftermath, the brown doo-doo of my thoughts digesting. Enjoy my sh*t y’all.
Major League Sh*t
Ryon Healy, 1B/3B Athletics| .300/.335/.511 11 HR, 31 RBI, 0 SB: You’ve already seen what he can do over the last two months. The same damn thing he’s been doing the entire season in the minors, rake. Grey covered him in his buy column on Friday, and I like him in both the short and long term. Following a major adjustment in his swing path and approach, Healy began hitting like a top prospect bat to begin the season in AA Midland (.338/.409/.628, 8 HR, 34 RBI), he carried that momentum along with him to AAA Nashville (.318/.362/.505, 6 HR, 30 RBI), where he nearly matched his AA production. Now he’s hit the Major League stage, and he’s continued to hit for power (11 HR, .511 SLG, .211 ISO), and should get a clear path to a starting gig in 2017. He’s been straight fire in September, slashing .338/.376/.588 with 5 homers and 14 RBIs. So why should you add him? It’s quite simple really, he’s made a major adjustment in his swing mechanics that has resulted in a spike in production. His lack of prospect status and name value, will allow you to get him at a bargain price.
Rumble in the Bowels
Tyler O’Neill, OF Mariners | .293/.374/.508, 24 HR, 102 RBIs, 12 SB: I’ve already dubbed O’Neil “King of the North” due to his Canadian heritage and kingly play. I can neither confirm or deny if he smells of maple syrup, but probably. Don’t all Canadians? Either way, O’Neill might be my favorite hitter in the minors at the moment. He hits with power to all fields, makes tons of loud contact, and significantly improved his walk rate while dropping his strikeout rate to an acceptable level. He destroyed the Southern League playoffs too slashing .448/.515/.828 with 3 homers and 9 RBI. As my colleague Michael Halpern said on this week’s Prospect Podcast, O’Neill has shown to have the clutch gene early in his career, which only adds to his allure as a dynasty player. Trade heaven and earth, before I mess around and put him in my top 10 come February.
Tossing Sh*t to See If It Sticks
Cody Sedlock, RHP Orioles | 27 Innings, 3.00 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 8.3 K/9, 4.3 Bb/9: A 2016 first rounder, and another player discussed on this week’s prospect podcast (that’s your cue to listen). Sedlock seems like a nice safe arm to snag in first year player drafts. I’m not sure he’s the most exciting arm in the draft, but if he falls to you at pick 20+ I’d happily take him. Here’s why. He fits a prototypical profile for a good mid-rotation starter. He mixes four pitches, generates lots of groundballs and weak contact, and shows some swing and miss ability. His best pitch is his sinker that sits in the 92-93 range, sometimes touching 96. His slider is his best secondary pitch, and generates a fair amount of swing and miss. He mixes a change and curveball, that grade out as average at the moment. He spent his first two collegiate seasons coming out of the bullpen for Illinois, a path much like his former teammate and fellow first rounder Tyler Jay. Sedlock’s junior season in 2016 was noteworthy as he scooped up the Big Ten pitcher of the year award, striking out 116 batters in 101.1 innings. The Orioles obviously have a checkered history with pitching prospects, but with Dylan Bundy seeing the light of day, maybe there’s hope for Sedlock yet.
Little Sh*ts
Bo Bichette, SS Blue Jays | .427/.451/.732, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 3 SB: The 2016 second round pick couldn’t have had a much better beginning to his professional career, as he hit for a ridiculous 1.182 OPS. If it weren’t for a strange medical issue he could have led the Gulf Coast League in several offensive categories. At just 18, his bat makes him an intriguing fantasy option for managers in deeper dynasty setups. He’ll most likely move off of short, and slide over to second or a corner outfield spot. Though that shouldn’t hurt his stock as his bat plays everywhere. He’s not quick and won’t offer much in terms of steals, but he has great bat speed, and makes lots of hard contact (26.87% LD rate). The story of his unusual medical condition is an interesting one, as he had appendicitis but ended up avoiding an appendectomy when his body disposed of his burst appendix. I’m not a doctor, hopefully I didn’t butcher that, but ether way his body healed itself. If only the Mets could get their pitcher’s elbows to heal themselves. This earned Bichette the nickname Chuck Norris. For those of you too lazy to check Google, and dumb enough to ask. Yes he’s the son of Dante Bichette, and brother of Dante Bichette Jr., and much like his Bichette brethren, he too has some concerns regarding his unorthodox approach, but so far the results have been anything but concerning. Not the sexiest name in first year player drafts, which means he might drop to you at a nice discount.
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