Mike Zunino reached the majors in 2013 with just 208 plate appearances in the upper minors on his resume. It’s not as if he raked his way to The Show, either. In 47 games at the Double-A level, he tallied a .238/.303/.503 line with a 105 wRC+. He also struck out a ton (28.4%) while walking at a low rate (6.7%). Alas, the M’s brass didn’t seem to care about his shortcomings at the dish.

Big leaguers exploited him, and he tallied a .214/.290/.329 line with a 77 wRC+ and a 25.4% strikeout rate. He spent the entire 2014 season in the majors and smacked 22 homers. That’s where the offensive positives end. His power was dragged down by a 33.2% strikeout rate and .199/.254/.404. He also grew more impatient and walked in just 3.6% of his plate appearances. Remarkably, things got worse for Zunino in 2015, yet he remained in the majors until the end of August. At that point, the Mariners finally sent him down to the minors for more seasoning.

His 47 wRC+ and 34.2% strikeout rate in 386 plate appearances in 2015 were dreadful, and not even his strong work behind the dish could make up for his truly dreadful offense. In general manager Jerry Dipoto’s second year with the Mariners, he and the rest of the M’s brass made the wise decision to start the year with off-season acquisition Chris Iannetta starting at catcher and 25-year-old Zunino starting at the Triple-A level.

Even after a fast start, the Mariners exercised patience and allowed the previously-rushed top-five pick the opportunity to hone his craft with the lumber in the minors, and he thrived (17 homers, 10.7% walk rate, 21.1% strikeout rate, .286/.376/.521 and 138 wRC+ in 327 plate appearances). His improvements in the minors resulted in a strong showing from July through the end of the season in the majors. What’s on the horizon for the still young backstop? Read the rest of this entry »

I always enjoy making bold predictions prior to the season. The 10 Bold Predictions series represents the culmination of grinding through pre-season rankings and are published shortly before the regular season. This year, my predictions were published on March 18th, and you can view them here. With the regular season, and thus the fantasy season completed, I can now look back on those picks and assess whether they hit or missed. Overall, I was pleased with the results. Read the rest of this entry »

The regular season ends Sunday, and most gamers are looking ahead toward next year at this point. Gamers in keeper leagues and dynasty leagues have the joy of managing their teams year round, and this post is largely directed at them. Of course, there’s info in here that will help those in re-draft leagues, but we’re months away from drafts. Back in early August, as one of my keeper league teams (closer to a dynasty league format with the ability to keep up to 15 players) languished near the bottom of the standings thanks in large part to being ravaged by injuries, I headed to ESPN’s free-agent pool to see who was available. I stumbled upon Gaby Sanchez — who last played in MLB in 2014 but spent the 2015 season in NPB — and the wheels began turning. I had no interest in adding Sanchez, but if he’s available, surely another former MLB player who headed overseas to revive his career would be, right? Nope. Eric Thames isn’t in the ESPN player pool. He’s not in Yahoo!’s, either. Alas, I couldn’t beat my savvy league mates to a potential steal of a keeper. If you play at another fantasy baseball provider, perhaps he’s available in the player pool there. Read the rest of this entry »

There are only so many stones to overturn with waiver wire suggestions for the stretch run and only so many strategical quirks to point out, too. With that in mind, I’m going to turn my attention to 2017 — sort of. As Jeff Zimmerman recently pointed out, Kevin Gausman is shoving in the second half. Jeff noted the biggest change between halves is an improved LOB% and a drop in HR/9. Combing over his PITCHf/x data, there’s something I’ll be keeping tabs as the season winds down. Read the rest of this entry »

The calendar has flipped to September, and in roto leagues, that means many gamers are rapidly approaching innings pitched limits for the season. If you’re up against the innings limit but in the mix to gain some points in the strikeout category, every inning and punch out is of the utmost importance. The good news for those gamers is that there are low-owned relievers who are capable of helping immensely. A quartet of relievers listed below are owned in under 5% of most leagues across the industry. Missing the cut were higher owned relievers such as Shawn Kelley, Jason Grilli and Hector Neris. That trio was owned in more than 10% of leagues across the three major fantasy baseball providers. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re getting down to the nitty gritty of the fantasy baseball grind, and while the non-waiver trade deadline has passed for MLB, a trade this week enhances the value of a shortstop changing leagues. Gamers who are in the hunt and those out of it in dynasty leagues should take note of a Philly who is likely going to be summoned from the minors when rosters expand on September 1st. Finally, wrapping up the suggested adds in this week’s piece from me is a lefty who’s come on strong over his last seven starts. Read the rest of this entry »

This is the weird part of the fantasy baseball season. Trade deadlines are rapidly approaching or have recently passed in leagues. Gamers in keeper and dynasty leagues range from pushing their chips in the middle to chase the crown this year to playing for future seasons. As the season winds down, I love looking at recent performance. This is especially true in keeper leagues. Who’s playing well down the stretch? Have these hot performers made tangible and sustainable changes that could improve their stock going into 2017? Is a youngster getting a look and playing well? Let’s pick through the data together. Read the rest of this entry »

A couple weeks ago, I sung the praises of Sean Manea. He’s done little to disappoint since then, yet his ownership hasn’t risen that much, so I’m going back to the well to suggest adding him this week. The lefty is joined by a pair of outfielders who play in hitter-friendly home ballparks who deserve a look as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Lately, my articles have been pitcher-happy. This week, I have no pitchers to suggest adding. Instead, I’m turning my focus to a quartet of hitters who are 25 years of age of younger. Three of the hitters are currently in the minors, but now’s a good time to be proactive and nab them in deeper leagues as opposed to getting sniped by someone with a higher waiver claim or more FAAB dollars available when they are summoned to the parent club. Read the rest of this entry »

His rookie season didn’t get off to a good start, but Sean Manaea has pitched much better since making a change to how he throws his changeup. Eno tweeted a pic of the old and new grip in late May. The lefty’s 5.24 ERA is bloated due to his first three starts prior to throwing his new changeup, but he’s been fairly good since. Dylan Bundy has battled injuries and totaled 65.1 innings — this total includes his Arizona Fall League work in 2015 — from 2014-2015 after undergoing Tommy John surgery on June 26, 2013. The righty isn’t likely to be a major impact player the remainder of the year, but he could help a bit and his keeper-league stock is up. Read the rest of this entry »