The Moment of Zen:
This season, we’ve gotten the chance to discuss some of the basic practices of Zen Buddhism while also getting a sampling of Buddhism as a broader concept. Like any religious or spiritual approach, Buddhism can be as complex as we make it, but it can also rest on the simplest of principles.
The extent to which Buddhism can be simple probably comes down understanding the Four Noble Truths, especially when we consider the four truths in layperson terms:
- Suffering is a thing that exists.
- We cause much of our suffering by chasing our cravings and attachments as though the pleasures could be permanent.
- By letting go of those cravings and attachments, we can help suffering end.
- There is a practical method of going about summarized by the Noble Eightfold Path.
That’s it. Going through such a simple list helps me immensely because it helps remind me to do something important: appreciate whatever is happening right now. If I am appreciating (which, by the way, doesn’t necessarily mean liking – simply experiencing fully) the moment I’m in, then I’m not looking for the now to change. I am simply in it, for all of its joys, challenges, heartaches, whatever.
How in the world does this apply to fantasy baseball?
In terms of connecting to fantasy baseball, the simplicity of the Four Noble Truths reminds me to ask myself a question: Am I enjoying this game?
Does fantasy baseball help me better enjoy a sport I already love? I can honestly say my answer to that is “yes,” but it hasn’t always been. I am a competitive person; I do want to win. And winning used to drive my fantasy enjoyment – which means with a bad season of results probably came a lack of enjoyment in the game. Not good. That is suffering I created for myself.
Fortunately, now, I’m more concerned with just enjoying the fact that I’m playing a game. And watching a game. And writing about a game. So this week, to celebrate, I want to write about one of my favorite fantasy topics: under the radar finds who can contribute to our lineups.
As we head into our final two weeks of play, let’s focus on two players who are quietly having strong second halves and may be able to give us ever-the-slightest nudge in a couple of categories that may help us close out our seasons on top.
Steven Kwan, OF, CLE
Steven Kwan has established himself in recent years as a fantasy mainstay – for managers in search of help in certain categories at least. If looking to Kwan for help in homers or RBIs, you’ve come to the wrong place. But he has proven year-in and year-out to be a good source of BA (.272, .292, .268, and .298 the last 4 seasons), R (81, 83, 93, and 89), and stolen bases (21, 12, 21, 19). Add to that the fact that he’s even hit 11+ HR each of the last 2 seasons and that he’s had OBPs that range from fine to strong in all 4 of his previous seasons (.330, .368, .340, .373). It’s easy to see why Kwan was safely being drafted just outside the top 10 rounds in 15-teamers and still well inside the top 15 rounds in 12-teamers. Based on my own SGP pre-season calculations, I had him marked as a $17 player in 15-teamers and $15 player in 12-teamers.
Then, 2026 happened, and it was bad. Really bad. Through the end of June, Kwan’s numbers made him virtually unrosterable: At that point, he had put together 318 plate appearances of category pain, with a .212 BA, .318 OBP (not terrible, not Kwan-like either), just 1 HR, 33 R, a hard-to-do 13 RBI (Is .04 RBI per PA good? Oof.), and only 3 SB. He wasn’t giving his fantasy managers help anywhere. And if you were like I am, enough was enough. I cut him and never looked back.
And then he became Steven Kwan again, practically the next day. If you somehow stuck with him, here’s what you’ve received since July 1st: 264 extremely helpful plate appearances of a .348 BA, a robust .430 OBP, still just 1 HR, but 40 R, a still-not-great-but-better 15 RBI, and a much-more-appealing 7 SB. Over the past 30 days, Kwan ranks 6th in the MLB in runs, 8th in hits, 20th in BB, 25th in OBP all while ranking 8th in PA (giving him plenty of opportunity to give you fantasy goodness).
While the high stakes players have caught on to Kwan’s massive turnaround (he’s at 100% rostership in NFBC 15-team and 12 team leagues, 88% in Fantrax), players in non-high stakes leagues are still largely missing out (only 67.3% rostership in ESPN despite a .430 OBP that would be points-league gold, and 60% in Yahoo). Anyone looking for a last-second bump in BA, OBP, R, and maybe even SB: go get him.
Edgardo Henriquez, RP, LAD
Another player who has been getting my attention of late is one who, unless you’re a Dodgers’ fan or a prospect or bullpen analyst, it’s quite likely you’ve never heard of: Edgardo Henriquez. But he’s doing some impressive things in LA. In 58.1 extremely under-the-radar innings, he’s put together a 2.58 ERA (with an even more impressive 2.42 xERA) and a 0.98 WHIP. His 100+ mph velo has helped him to a legit 29.7% K% – which mostly makes up for his less-than-stellar 10.2% BB% (after all, a 19.5% K-BB% isn’t too shabby). His HH% allowed is a very impressive 26.5%, and he’s even picked up 2 SV, one of which was this past week (Sunday, September 6th). He’s also picking up semi-regular holds.
Oh, and according to Statcast, he’s pretty good:
By the way, red is good – and red in this 90th percentile is crazy good. This guy is utterly dominant. And now you’ve heard of him! And if you need Ks down the stretch with an outside shot at saves, he’s definitely worth some attention.
May your final stretch push go as well as you hope. Until next time. –ADHamley
Perfect! Thanks for sharing such impressive principles!