8 Watchlist Guys: Vol. 13

Most platforms have a feature where you can click something by the player’s name to put them on a virtual watchlist. It is smart to use this feature before the season starts because once it starts you be sorting by stats and you could miss out on someone you really want about to get a new role because you sorted by PA and he just didn’t show very high.

• Previous Watchlists

Willy Adames stayed hot with another big week, hitting .308/.455/.692 including 3 HR and 10 RBIs since his inclusion in last week’s Watchlist.

SHALLOW LEAGUES (mixed leagues – 10 or fewer teams)

Austin Hays | OF, BAL

Hays has had a huge platoon split this year with a 1.013 OPS vL and just a .604 vR but it hasn’t always been like this as his career marks are .793/.721, respectively. He is surging of late with an .892 OPS and 3 HR in his last 50 PA. I always love having Baltimore bats in the summer, especially when they are at home and the ball is flying at Camden Yards. If you are bought in on the lefty/righty thing (though you really shouldn’t give it too much credence) he does have 3 southpaws in the first 4 games next week.

Luis Urías | 2B/SS/3B, MIL

Urías entered June with a .699 OPS but promptly smacked homers in each of the first two games and jumpstarted what wound up being a fantastic month as he closed it with a 2-HR game, winding up with a .284/.365/.510 line and 5 HR in 115 PA. The 24-year-old also saw himself moved up the lineup to leadoff in Kolten Wong’s stead. He bounced between second and seventh upon Wong’s return (before another injury to Wong). Urías now has 10 HR and 3 SB and could be in the midst of his breakout season with quality plate skills and some of his best power indicators ever.

Adbert Alzolay | SP, CHC

Alzolay is hitting a lot more waiver wires of late (20% rostered at ESPN) thanks to back-to-back duds since returning from the IL and an ugly one ahead of his injury, resulting in 13 runs – 11 of them earned –  in 10.7 innings of work. He has allowed five of his 14 homers in those games along with a 16% BB rate so his command is completely off right now. I have to wonder if the blister is still bothering him in some way. Given that there seems to be a clear reason for his problems, I think he is worth keeping tabs on because once that command returns, he becomes an easy all-formats starter.

MEDIUM LEAGUES (mixed leagues – 12-14 teams)

Wilmer Flores | 3B/2B/1B, SFG

I discussed this one on the latest pod and it is pretty straight forward for me: he plays everyday in a quality lineup, has triple eligibility, and no longer carries the heavy platoon split we saw when he was younger. He is unlikely to be a major piece for your team, but he is a great 2-4 week Band-Aid.

Kolby Allard | SP, TEX

Did you realize Allard was toting a 3.46 ERA/1.08 WHIP combo in 52 IP? He has split his time between the rotation and bullpen with six starts and 10 relief appearances and looked really sharp in June with a 3.54 ERA in five starts. He went six innings in his last three starts, too. He was widely picked up in 15+ teamers a couple weeks back and with a 2-start week on deck against Detroit and Oakland (a team he has two of three 6-inning games against) heading into the break, he is sure to be a consideration in shallower leagues. Truth be told, this is more of a pickup recommendation than a watchlist one at this point, but since he is only 8% rostered in NFBC Online Championship (12-team leagues), I wanted to include him.

DEEP LEAGUES (mixed leagues – 15+ teams)

Ryan O’Hearn | 1B, KCR

After a rough start with the Royals, O’Hearn was sent down and started raking in Triple-A with a .375/.451/.931 line and 12 HR in 82 PA. In 10 games since returning, he is hitting .293/.293/512 with 3 HR in 41 PA. That’s not a typo, his AVG and OBP are matching as he hasn’t walked yet since returning which isn’t great, but the power is there and could still make the 27-year-old slugger into a fantasy relevant hitter at some point this year.

Tim Locastro | OF, NYY

Locastro was just traded to the Yankees and while he didn’t do anything special in Arizona (.491 OPS), he did have 5 SB (in 8 tries) and anyone with compelling speed has to at least be on the radar. AL-Only is probably the only format where you should consider him right now, but if he falls into some playing time then he could find himself relevant in more leagues.

Paolo Espino | SP, WAS

Espino has made three spot starts over the season and he has put up a 1.26 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in the 14.3 innings of work. He obviously isn’t that good or he probably would be an unquestioned starter for the Nats. He does get a huge start against the Dodgers this weekend and if he excels against them to complete a strong two-start week, then he could find himself in the rotation going forward.

No Minor League section this week, but keep an eye on recent White Sox call-ups Gavin Sheets and Jake Burger as well as the 9th or 10th recall of Edward Olivares, who remains remarkably intriguing to me.