Another fortnight, another group of low-owned speedsters! Yes, readers under 20 years old, fortnight is a real word, it’s not just the name of an insanely overrated video game. Right now, the runaway SB leader is an old favorite: Whit Merrifield with 12 SBs. Then there’s a handful of guys with eight (Jazz Chisholm Jr., Garrett Hampson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Ramon Laureano, Dylan Moore) and then a few more handfuls of players with seven. One of those handful is tied for the lead in SBs over the last two weeks: Niko Goodrum. Here is who else has contributed in that column in the last 14 days:
Fortnight stolen base leaders:
4 Stolen Bases:
- Niko Goodrum, 2B/SS, DET, 11%: Goodrum actually has the slowest sprint speed of his career, however, there are a few other things contributing to Goodrum’s latest speed boon. The first is just getting the chance to look at second base from 90 feet away instead of from the dugout. Goodrum has never been a high contact player, his career batting average is .233. However, every year since his debut in 2017 Goodrum has increased his walk rate leading to this year’s 10.7%. That carries his .226 AVG to a .321 OBP which isn’t far off from his career-high .322 from 2019. That year he grabbed 12 SBs in 472 ABs. You don’t have to be a mathematician to see that if Goodrum keeps up this pace he could exceed 20 SBs on the year. Pair that with the 4 HRs he has on the season and you might have yourself a sneaky 15/20 dual threat from the most unlikely of places, Detroit. Worth your dime: Yes in 12+ team leagues he’s not a bad MI/UTIL option.
3 Stolen Bases:
- Jonathan Villar, 2B/SS/3B, NYM, 18%: So much not to like about Villar this year, but I guess his owners will take the three SBs/two HRs from the past two weeks. But those were actually the only HRs and SBs he’s accumulated this year so that should paint a picture of how unownable Villar has been. All in all, it’s not a pretty picture — he’s bottom 11% in xBA, bottom 3% in hard contact rate, bottom 8% in average exit velocity. Worth your dime: In NL-only leagues only, especially now that every Met is injured. Every one of them.
2 Stolen Bases
- Yonathan Daza, OF, COL, 6%: Never heard of him? Neither have I. Daza only made his debut in 2019 as a 25-year-old after spending 9 seasons throughout the Rockies minor league system. He was actually quite a good contact hitter in the minor leagues hitting .318 over 2,863 ABs. For the purposes of this article, he stole 31 bases in 2017 in 125 games. Here’s the facts for this year though — he’s got a bottom 1% average exit velocity and hard contact rate. This is a common trend throughout his minor league career as his career-high in HRs is 11 in 2019 when he played in the Pacific Coast League — an infamous hitter-friendly league. Even in Coors Field, 6 HRs could be the ceiling. But with ABs and continued solid contact numbers (he’s hitting .337 so far) he could reach 15 SBs. Worth your dime: In deep NL-only leagues he just might be. Keep an eye on his playing time and his BABIP (.416 right now.)
- Billy Hamilton, OF, CHW, 1%: It’s Billy Hamilton. Worth your dime: In AL Central-only leagues: no. In Chicago White Sox-only leagues: even then…probably no.
- JaCoby Jones, OF, DET, 1%: I was hoping to be able to really find you a deep league gem here, but a slash line of .165/.200/.253 isn’t good regardless of the order. .253/.200/.165. No. .200/.253/.165. No. There’s nothing here. Worth your dime: No way.
- Nicky Lopez, 2B/SS, KC, 5%: He’s got a little bit of speed in him with a career-high of 24 SBs in his first minor league season (2016,) and could be a solid batting average contributor (.296 AVG in 1,368 minor league ABs,) but he hasn’t shown much of either with the Royals (5 SB, .228 AVG in 658 ABs.) Worth your dime: Not at all. Take that dime, go see a Star War.
- Brad Miller, 3B, PHI, 1%: The 30 HR/81 RBI version of Brad Miller from the 2017 Rays seems like a distant memory, however, he has been hot in limited action this year. In his last 21 games, he’s got 18 hits, 11 runs, three HRs, nine RBI, 2 SB, and an .848 OPS. I wouldn’t bank on him for more than 5 SBs (career-high: 13, next highest: 6.) Worth your dime: Not yet. I don’t think he’ll get enough ABs to be relevant, but keep an eye on this team for injuries at any position. Seriously, he’s played at every defensive position this year except for catcher and center field.
- Brett Phillips, OF, TB, 1%: I feel like I’ll be writing about Phillips here every two weeks. Here’s what I said two weeks ago about him: “He’s got a nifty 17% BB% so far on the year. That’s on par with his breakout 2019 AAA season when he hit 18 HRs and stole 22 bases. Yea, it was in the Pacific Coast League where I’m a career .280 hitter, but park factors can’t affect your eye and legs. With ABs: 15 SBs.” Here we are two weeks later and he’s up to 5 SBs, although the BB% is now 10.3%, and his 41.4% K% is the second-worst among players with at least 80 plate appearances. Worth your dime: Nah, unfortunately not. I want him to be, but he ain’t be.
