What’s The Point: We Are So Back

What is up party people? The action is in full swing and there is nothing better than seeing one of your preseason favorites putting up a great performance. A perfect example of that is Yordan Alvarez because yes, this is the kind of performance we were expecting from him, 4 dongs and a .458 batting average. Ok, the batting average is obviously inflated due to the small sample size but the man has legit 70 bomb power. Love to see it.

Shohei Ohtani – Even just as a hitter, he has incredible value. That’s not news to anyone who frequents Razzball but it sure is nice to see him start to go on a run.

Elly De La Cruz – I was out on him going into the season because I felt like he was being drafted too early but I do love him as a player. He’s so fun to watch especially when he does stuff like this. He still strikes out too much with 8 in the past week and 17 on the season. I think he can improve on his 37% strikeout rate from last season because he’s young but he will need better contact to become a fantasy star.

Spencer Steer – Had him right on the edge of my top 100 and right now it looks like that was way too low. As I write this, he is the second best hitter for the season on both CBS and ESPN. He’s got big time potential and I will be watching the rest of his season very closely. He’s not as flashy as some of his Reds teammates but he can do a bit of everything and that could just land him at the top of the group in points leagues.

William Contreras – This is why you don’t need to pay up big for a catcher. He will play every day, or darn near close to it and the points will follow.

Mike Trout – Sure feels good to see his name back near the top performers. If he didn’t only hit solo shots we would really be in business. It blows my mind that 63% of his home runs have been solo shots. The Angels really have squandered the career of one of the best talents we’ve ever seen.

Zack Gelof – He got some buzz after putting up 14 home runs while batting .267 and adding in 14 steals in 69 games (nice). Unfortunately, he also struck out 82 times in that same stretch. (not nice). Even more unfortunately, the strikeouts have carried over to this season as well with 16 in 12 games. Obviously, that’s an incredibly small sample size but that’s not what we were hoping for. In spite of that, he has still managed to turn into a strong week, and if he can cut down the K rate he could be very, very good.

Illdemaro Vargas – Deep leagues only but maybe there is something there. His best attribute is his defensive utility which gives him a path to at bats. It’s been a strong start to the season but I don’t think it will last.

Garrett Crochet – I like 18 innings in 3 starts this early in the season. I am also a big fan of the 21 Ks. He was certainly not someone I had on my fantasy radar but he’s the hot name now. There is big time potential here, especially in the strikeout department with his velocity. Will he be an innings eater? There’s no reason to expect him to be this season with only 91 in his professional career. He may lack the volume but the quality could be exceptional. Grab him while you can and enjoy the ride as long as it lasts.

Cody Bradford – Innings pitched are king and Cody is right near the top at this point in the season. His point total is also inflated by his wins. Of course, we would all like more Ks (only 17 in 19 innings). That’s not a great total, but it’s one you can work with. Well worth the pickup in the short term and see where the night takes you.

Jason Foley – I don’t often talk about pitchers and it’s even more rare that I bring up a reliever. They don’t have the innings to rack up points but I know that there are leagues that require you to start RPs or that reward saves, such as RazzSlam. Either way, Foley has had a very impressive week and it looks like he is the Tigers preferred option for the ninth inning. Or maybe they will go back to Alex Lange but who is to say? Foley is up to 3 saves on the season along with 7 Ks. That’s not crazy impressive given that it’s over 8 innings but you can’t deny the points.

Ronel Blanco – When a guy puts up 15 innings with a 0.00 ERA you have to take notice. He’s the hot name on the mound right now but don’t get yourself over excited. He doesn’t have the Ks to back it up and he’s being carried by the no hitter in his first start. Might be worth a spot start here and there but I will defer to Streamonator for that.

As always, find me here or on X for all your fantasy needs.