Nick Kingham, the Bucs newest hot-shot rookie pitcher, notched his second win in a row last night pitching six and a third innings allowing just six base runners (5 hits) and striking out nine Brewers for his fourth win of the year. Back in Pittsburgh, they treat themselves post game to some of the finest foods available using only fresh local ingredients–then they put cole slaw and fries on it to make it even better. Since flirting with a perfect game in his April debut, Nick Kingham’s stock has slowly fallen, but I’m telling you now he just had a handful of fresh french fries dropped on top of him and its time to eat. We’re talking about a post post hype pick up here, folks! That’s two posts! He looked more than comfortable Friday night, coasting through the first five innings without issue before giving up solo home runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Taking on the Brewers is a tough assignment for any pitcher, let alone a n00b like Kingham, but he pitched admirably finding the strike zone consistently and working into seventh. Real talk, I’m not telling you to add Kingham because he throws strikes, it’s that 51/12 K/BB in just 50.2 IP that’s got me all “In My Feelings” like Drake. Ignore the 4.26 ERA, the 1.13 WHIP is looking pretty regal, no? If it’s not clicking let me spell it out for you. A 26-year pitcher with a 22.2 K% is locked into that number five rotation spot. That means IPs and Ks and possibly even Ws. Lots of letters, people! Kingham is available in over 80% of fantasy leagues. I’d pick Nick everywhere I needed starting pitching help for the strikeouts and the upside and if we’re lucky we might even get a handful of fries with that.
Here’s what else happened in fantasy baseball Friday night:
Aaron Judge – 0-for-3. The fans have spoken, the emails have continued rolling in (seriously guys, get a life!) and the suspicious packages have arrived on my doorstep. Back by popular demand I return to bring you my fifth annual 2018 wow-has-it-really-been-that-many Mid-Season Fantasy All-Star awards. *And the crowd goes wild!* I like to give these awards to show appreciation to the many unsung heroes that make our fantasy seasons so exciting, but mostly I like to do it so I can snub Yankees. You get nothing Aaron Judge! Lol!
Shane Bieber – 7.0 IP, 5 hits, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 5th win. I told you to buy Bieber a few weeks ago, and that was before he was engaged! Now that’s he’s ready to settle down, he could prove to be a much more consistent fantasy option going forward. Although I’m not totally convinced he’s over Selina.
Jose Ramirez – 2-for-3, run, 2 RBI. His fourth straight multi-hit game and he now has four homers and 10 RBI in the past four days! Sweet sassy molassy! Jose Ramirez easily takes home the award for Most Underrated Fantasy Player We Should All Be Talking About. So let’s talk! We talk about the Mookies and the Trouts but Jo-Ra is hitting .345 with 10 runs, 5 home runs, 17 RBI and 6 SB in the past two weeks! He’s a top five player why don’t you care!? Is it because he’s an Indian? OMG? Is this a race thing? It’s 2018, people! What do you mean, “you people!?”
Francisco Lindor – 1-for-3, 2 runs, SB (13). Speaking of talking, with the Machados and Correas and Didi and Seguras, and Bregmans and Baez’s and even Xanders are all the in best shortstop conversation, but there is only one number 1 fantasy shortstop–and that guy is Francisco Lindor.
Greg Bird – 2-for-4, run. How many blogs on picking up Greg Bird for the second half have I read this week? I’ll give you a hint, it’s more than the number of home runs he’s hit this week. Which is two. I mean, I get it, he’s available in a lot of leagues, he plays in a stacked line up, he’s got a seven game hitting streak and some raw, Tim Taylor-type power. OK, yeah you should probably add that.
Giancarlo Stanton – 1-for-4, HR (23). Giancarlo gets the award for Biggest Betrayal, after taking home the award for Hottest in the Office last year. What a complete 360. The Yankees, Giancarlo? Really? Shake my H. You can make it up to me by hitting 30 home runs in the second half. Don’t even lie. I know you can do it.
Jake Arrieta – 7.0 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 7th win. If you’d have told me that Jake Arrieta would have seven wins at this point I would have told you I’m still not drafting him. But with the Phillies looking to be big buyers at the trade deadline I could see Jake being a big winner in the second half.
Pat Neshek – 1.0 IP, SV (1). The Phillies get the award for Biggest Dumpster Fire Bullpen, which as many of you know, is a very coveted and sought after award. The Phillies were a dark horse winner because they actually have a guy, Seranthony Dominguez, who could be legitimate top-tier closer, if only they didn’t have a manager who could be a legitimate top tier mad man.
Wei-Yin Chen – 6.0 IP, 5 hits, ER, BB, 8 K. Who else is predicting a HUGE second half for the Marlins!? Just me then? OK! Lezgooo Fish! Marlins beisbol! Get hooked!
Robert Gsellman – 2.0 IP, 1 hits, ER, SV (4). These are what we refer to as tryouts for the closer role once the Mets decide to trade away all their pieces at the deadline. Gsellman looks to be the early favorite to replace Familia when/if the Mets trade him. That could make him a Gbuyman is a few weeks!
Noah Syndergaard – 5.0 IP, 7 hits, ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 5th win. Someone has to get the Sad Team award and who better than Noah who is no doubt stuck with this organization for at least another three years.
Amed Rosario – 2-for-4, run, SB (6). Drake only loves Amed and his Momma I’m sorry! SO fetch! How long have we been trying to make Rosario happen? He’s hitting .381 with 2 steals in the past week is it finally happening? I’ll let you pick him up you let me know.
Adam Eaton – 2-for-5, SB (2). Eaton, for the second time in his career, gets the very popular Don’t Get Injured Again award. Seriously though, dude, don’t get injured again.
Alex Cobb – 6.1 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, 3 K, 12th loss. Woah-za! 12 losses. That’s not easy, people. It takes more than just an Alex Cobb. The Orioles win the award for Team You Expected to Be So Bad But Are Actually Worse. And it it takes more than one player to win an award like this. Good job, everyone! #teamwork
Cole Hamels – 6.1 IP, 5 hits, 4 ER, BB, 3 K, 5th win. Here’s a player that is likely readily available to be traded at the deadline to a contender but nobody really wants him. That’s kind of like Hamels value on draft day.
Junior Guerra – 4.0 IP, 9 hits, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. Junior pitched brilliantly in his previous two starts so naturally he gets rocked in this one. It’s all part of owning Junior Guerra. You get used to it!
Gregory Polanco – 1-for-3, HR (14), 2 RBI. Gregory was almost your lede, which is crazy to say for a guy who usually sits against lefties and is hitting .234 on the year. He does have two homers and a steal in the past week and gets the Brokeback Mountain Award for players I Can’t Seem to Quit. Which is amazingly the first award Brokeback Mountain has received.
Travis Shaw – 1-for-3, HR (17). Shaw’s heating up while the rest of the Brewers are cooling off. This seems like a good time to sell high or an even better time to buy low. As soon as I know I’ll be sure to send you some offers.
Anibel Sanchez – 6.0 IP, 5 hits, ER, 0 BB, 6 K. I wrote about Anibel the first week of the season and immediately regretted recommending him. Not because he hit the DL just a day after his start but because he’s h*eckin’ Anibal Sanchez. Well I should have trusted my instincts all along. If the Braves can make Nick Markakis an All Star, imagine what they could do for Sanchez. He’s got a 2.41 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 18 Ks in his last 18.2 innings and I’m all in on Aniballin’ out of control.
Zack Godley – 6.0 IP, 5 hits, ER, BB, 7 K, 11th win. ELEVEN WINS! *Insert favorite Stranger Things gif* That’s one more win than Chris Sale–and Chris Sale doesn’t have a 4.61 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. I’d give him an award but he’s already been lucky enough.
Freddie Freeman – 2-for-4, run. The Old Reliable award. He won this award last year, too. Naturally.
Nick Markakis – 2-for-4, run. From the times we called him Sparkakis to the times we stopped calling him altogether it’s been a long road for Nick to the all star game but he finally mad it. Just try not to think about how he’s an All Star and Giancarlo Stanton and Andrew Benintendi are not.
Mookie Betts – 3-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 2 triples. MOOKIE BUCKETS! Did you see that Grand Slamy, you guys!? I’ve seen it over 50 times now. Mmm. The passion, the energy, how can you not get hype when watching someone else get that HYPE. It’s impossible. Experts are calling that at-bat one of the best in the past 50 years! Mookie is bringing home the Player I’m Most Likely to Get an Apartment with and become Best Friends Forever award for an unprecedented third year in a row! But let’s be really, really real, this is not the only award he’s getting this year. *wink wink nudge nudge saynomore* Maybe now he’ll finally agree to move in with me.
JD Martinez – 2-for-5, run. Your weekly reminder that JD was a free agent until the end of February and omg why didn’t your team sign this guy. He’s been the most productive power hitter by a lot over the past year (57 and homers in 148 games since he was traded from Detroit). He’s first in every category that matters. And he makes it look so darn JD MartinEZ. I can’t give JD enough awards–but 28, one for every one of his jumbo dingers so far, seems like it will work for now.
Rick Porcello – 2.0 IP, 7 hits, 8 ER, 4 BB, 2 K. It was one of those nights at Fenway where absolutely no decent pitching of any kind was going to happen.
Justin Smoak – 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 HR (16), 4 RBI. Smoak’d! Justin is hitting .368 with 3 homers at Fenway this year, but for a guy that hit almost 40 dingers last year, I think we can safely blame Smoak for all the BJays woes. Gotta blame someone! He’s hitting .417 with four homers in the past week, however, and could be a intriguing buy low from a team who is more than ready to unload him.
Hector Rondon – 1.0 IP, BB, SV (8). He was a BUY. And he’s the closer! For the Astros–and they’re like, the second or third best team in the league. I own Rondon everywhere because Grey told me to pick him up about a month before Giles lost the job officially official. This is why I razzball.
Alex Bregman – 2-for-4, HR (20). Six homers, 14 runs, 14 RBI and a .339 average over the past two weeks. I know we are very pro-facial hair here at RB, but to each their own. Clean-shaven Bregman is the only Bregman for me. I feel like just yesterday I was complaining he didn’t have even have 10 homers. Then June happened. He’s hit 15 home runs since the start of June with 40 RBI. I knew there was a reason I owned Bregman everywhere this year and last. I’m so happy we’re finally seeing that.
Yuli Guerriel – 2-for-4, RBI. After going to Marwin Gonzalez last year, this year Yuli gets the award for least exciting player to own on the Astros that is still a must-own player. This award sounds like a knock but in truth the Astros are just that good and this is one of the most prestigious awards I can give. Which, to be honest, is not very prestigious at all as these are fake awards and mean little to nothing at all! But Yuli’s hitting .372 over the past two weeks with 7 runs, a steal, 2 homers and 13 RBI! You earned every bit of that meaningless fake award, bro!
Nathan Eovaldi – 2.2 IP, 9 hits, 8 ER, 2 BB, K. And the award for the pitcher I most wish I never picked up two days ago…actually scratch that–you get nothing!
Jake Bauers – 2-for-5, HR (4), 3 RBI. Someone get Chloe on the phone! Jake is hitting .360 with 2 homers, 5 RBI, 7 runs and a steal in the past week! That’s a Code 6 and CTU protocol requires a complete lock down of the facility until Bauers is owned in at least 50% of fantasy leagues. Secure the perimeter–we need all tactical unit on site now! Where’s my back up!?
Joey Wendle – 2-for-4, HR (4). Rays scored 7 runs on 13 hits including a bomb from Wendle who has two homers and is hitting close to .400 in the past week. Wait–how did you get out of custody? This is a code red LOCK DOWN–I need you to drop the weapon, can you run comm? I’m going rogue!
Joe Mauer – 2-for-4, HR (3), 4 RBI. Joe Mauer home runs get me all nostalgic. Then I start thinking about Nicktoons and AIM and dunkaroos and Goosbumps and then the drugs start wearing off and I start reminiscing about my childhood and the beisbol teams and players I used to like and watch and I realize how much better off I am now with Mookie Betts in my life.
Matt Harvey – 5.0 IP, 4 hits, ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 5th win. That’s four wins in a row! Is this Batman Returns? When a movie is so bad not even Michelle Pfeiffer’s sex cat can save it. Let’s go with Dark Knights Rises–but even that movie needs to take itself a little less seriously. Go light with the superhero movies, DC, not darker! As for Harvey, he’s been very good, but I trust him about as much as I trust DC to make another good Batman movie. When are we going to get the Robin rom-com spin-off starring Michael Cera that the fans have been clamoring for!
Jose Peraza – 3-for-5, run. Peraza definitely gets the award for player I’ve told you all the pick up the most but never really feel confident in that advice afterwards. He is batting .318 with 3 steals in the past week. Maybe you should pick him up! Actually–I don’t know!
Scooter Gennett – 1-for-4, HR (16). I told you to BUY Scooter back in May and even with last year’s breakout he’s easily been one of the biggest surprises of the year with a .326/.372/.523, 59 runs, 16 homers and 60 RBI. Holy Vespa! Sounds like pretty solid I gave that one time!
Jesse Winker – 3-for-3, run, 3 RBI. He was a BUY. Hey now is that, welp–four Reds in a row?? That’s gotta be a goocher! Hide your kids! The end is nigh! Lucky for me I’ve got a billion dollar ticket on the Sea Org and ready to do back breaking work on a cruise ship for the rest of eternity! #ThisIsWhyWeScientology Winker has an eight game hitting streak hitting .500 in that stretch and should really be playing everyday but his manager still mad at him for spoiling Westworld.
Brad Keller – 2.2 IP, 7 hits, 5 ER, 4 BB, K. The fact that Brad Keller has been the bright spot of the Royals season so far should tell you everything you need to know about the Royals season so far.
Omar Narvaez – 2-for-4, HR (3), 3 RBI. I can’t tell if he’s still splitting time with Kevan Smith, but Omar is hitting .500 with a homer and 6 RBI in the past week and the other guy hasn’t made a good movie since Dogma.
Charlie Blackmon – 2-for-5, HR (19). Please never change! Blackmon gets the award for Best Beard–which has always been one of the most heated and heavily contest awards I give out–and I’ve been even more careful with my selection ever since Brian Wilson egged my house that one year, but for once Blackmon seemed like the obvious choice this year. Also, he hits home runs.
Trevor Story – 2-for-5, HR (19), 4 RBI. Trevor obv gets a comeback award this year. Sure, maybe he burned you last yeah with his sophomore slump, but if he hadn’t played poorly last year he wouldn’t be half as valuable as he has been this year, right?! Trolololol. He tanked 2017 so you could own him for cheap this year. He’s hitting .429 with 3 homers, 7 RBI and a steal in the past week and seems primed to crush all his previous career highs.
Walker Buehler – 6.0 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, BB, 5 K in his return from the DL. If someone dropped him, you should probably pick him up. I would then recommend contacting whoever dropped them and ridiculing them so they will know extra just how big a mistake they made. You will regret this, sir!
Kole Calhoun – 2-for-4, 2 HR (8). After struggling most of the year, Big Red’s hitting .300 with three homers in the past week and his freckles grow strong and greater in number by the day. That’s why you never count out a ginger, they have ancient shaman magic and they will use it when provoked.
Max Muncy – 2-for-4, HR (22), 2 RBI. Award for Fantasy Team Savior? My team would be in a very dark place right now if not for Max. First you get the Muncy. Then you get the power. Then you get the woman. Muncy’s got fifteen homers since the start of May and he’s hit five in the past two weeks. So if you got the Muncy, you definitely have gotten the power. As for the girl, show her the Muncy! And even if you don’t get the girl, Max is crushn on your fantasy team which is almost as good, right?
Madison Bumgarner – 6.0 IP, 3 hits, ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 3rd win. Mad Bum wins the Most EXTREME Gnarly Bro Who’s the Dopest *shocka emoji* Award. Three wins already! Asah! Oh word my dudes we gots to celebrate EXTREME style! Off roadin’!? Freestylin’? Parkour!? Watch me clear this mac truck in my tricked out dirt bike and break my fall with only my pitching hand. 2-E-Z.
Questions? Problems? Complaints to management? Advice, small gifts or large bribes? Please leave it in the comments below. Join us next Saturday for another Friday recap as fantasy baseball continues next week, all week long!
