After last week’s variation of the American League Outfield Rankings, I decided to write about the final eight or so games in a similar fashion. Just like last week, the following criteria are in mind:
– A sub 50% ownership rate in either Yahoo! or ESPN
– Favorable matchups, either via ballpark or opposing starting pitchers
Today is National Comic Book Day! In honor of that, here is a link to the primary comic influence in my life: Calvin and Hobbes. The amount of hours that I spent reading, re-reading and thinking about this comic in my youth can’t be measured. Without being hyperbolic at all, it is safe to say that Bill Watterson was one the primary architects of my imagination and writing.
• Eric Chavez clubbed his 14th home run of the season last night during his 3-for-4 day. All told that brings him up to 14 on the season — his most since his days in an Oakland A’s uniform. He has appeared at both first and third base this year and has proven to be a small asset in very deep mixed leagues or AL-only formats. He only has 300 or so plate appearances, but his overall line is a very respectable .284/.341/.487. Chavez is owned in less than 5% of both ESPN and Yahoo! leagues.
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This may come as a surprise to you, but I consider myself to a fairly adept computer nerd. Sure, I ‘m not A+ Certified, but I know my way around a mobo. Yesterday I attempted to water cool my machine. It didn’t go very well. Actually, that is an understatement. It didn’t go at all. I’ll have to try again next weekend. Until then, the Roto Riteup will be brought to you by my seven different fans that I had to re-install.
• As the brilliant Jeff Sullivan pointed out last week, Cameron Maybin and his coaching staff have re-tooled his swing. Thus far, the results are standing up. Over his past 30 days, Maybin his hitting .333 with 13 runs and three steals. Maybin went 2-for-4 yesterday afternoon and ran once, although he was caught stealing. The fact that he was running was a good sign however, and Maybin could reach 30 steals with a final big push. He is owned in 41% of both Yahoo! and ESPN formats despite his ability to produce runs and a high, albeit somewhat empty, batting average. I’d grab him if you can, and I would actually ponder keeping him for next year.
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Despite the postponed (and yes, I almost typed “post ponied”) game, today’s Roto Riteup is not postponed at all.
• Catchers that posses even a modicum of hitting ability at the major league level is a rare and glorious event. Furthermore, for those catchers to be available in over 50% of both ESPN and Yahoo! leagues is unheard of. Well, except in the case of Jonathan Lucroy. Yesterday’s home run makes for 10 on the season now, and those 10 have come in just 312 plate appearances. He is still riding a career high BABIP this season, but his career BABIP is .318. There hasn’t been a significant change in his batted ball rates, so don’t expect the .321 batting average to be around for much longer. That being said, there aren’t many games remaining for Lucroy. If you’re in need of catcher help, and I know I am, then Lucroy is your guy.
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Today’s Roto Riteup is dedicated to that awkward moment (that happens to me at least five times a day) when all of your co-workers are asking you for fantasy football advice, and you say only write about baseball.
• Even before last night’s excellent 3-for4 game with a steal, Carlos Gomez has been turning it on as of late. His past week’s worth of games has him hitting at a .294 clip with two steals. He is up to 35 steals on the year, but has just 66 runs to show for them. His poor OBP is what really drives down his stolen base opportunities, and his walk rate his lowest since his 2008 season. For the short term, Gomez has the speed that can help push you to winning the stolen base category and thus he deserves to be owned. He is available in about half of all ESPN leagues and over 60% of Yahoo! leagues.
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If my nickname of “Professor Pony” sticks, I think I’d be 100% okay with that. Season three is just around the corner — at least I think it will be soon, no one really knows — and it should be the best season yet.
• Brett Anderson is sidelined once again with a right oblique strain. Assuming the injury is similar to the average oblique strain, this all but puts a wrap on Anderson’s 2012 season. Sigh. Just about all that I want in life is to see Anderson have a healthy career. As far as fantasy baseball is concerned, Anderson should be dropped in all leagues.
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Instead of the (somewhat) typical post of ranking and stock watch, this American League Outfield article is in regards to excellent stream candidates. The basic criteria is:
– A sub 50% ownership rate in Yahoo! or ESPN
– Favorable matchups, either via ballpark or opposing starting pitchers
Matt Joyce – Joyce has six straight games in a row against the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. Both of those pitching staffs rank in the bottom half of away pitching FIP. The Jays are actually fifth worst, at 4.70. Following that favorable home stand, the Rays are on the road at Boston and then at the Chicago White Sox. Between the home parks and the quality of opposing pitchers, expect Joyce to have an excellent final two weeks. Joyce’s ownership rate is below 40% in Yahoo! and hovering at 43% in ESPN leagues.
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With apologies to the Pirates and Cubs fans, I am writing this Roto Riteup before that game is over. To be fair, the first pitch was at 11:38 and I’m an old man who needs his sleep.
• My preseason hopes for Domonic Brown haven’t come to fruition, but he is hitting better as of late. After his 2-for-4 game yesterday — that included another home run — Brown is up to a .340 on-base percentage and a 103 wRC+. Ideally over the course of a full season Brown could hit double digit home runs, plenty of doubles and triples as well as stealing enough bases for it to matter. As for this season, Brown should be free to grab in almost every league.
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As much as I love fantasy baseball, I don’t much care for the stretch run.Too much stress on my mental frame. On a not totally unrelated note, I don’t care much for stretching or running either. Too much stress on my physical frame.
• Norichika Aoki is quickly becoming one of my favorite mid-season pick ups. Over the past month Aoki is hitting .294 with two home runs and eight steals. He’s scored 19 runs and driven in 13 over that time frame as well. Yesterday he cranked two doubles and then nabbed two more steals, bringing his season total of stolen bases up to 26. Honestly, it is hard to find a flaw in his game. He has 41 BB’s on the year against just 47 strikeouts. He has a shot at a 10 home run, 30 steal, .290 season — that is something I’ll happily take from one of my second basemen outfielders any year. Aoki is somehow owned in less than 30% of Yahoo! leagues. As of last week, his ownership rate in ESPN leagues was a mere 35%, but that has skyrocketed to 69%. If for some reason he is still available then go and grab him for your team’s final push. The Brewers are on fire as of late and Aoki has been on fire since July.
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I’m kind of confused. Yesterday was a big day in baseball, but if my twitter feed was accurate, most people spent the day watching something called “college football.”
• Waiver trade acquisition Stephen Drew popped just his second home run in an Athletics uniform last night. He is still having a disappointing and injury plagued season, but a few weeks worth of production here in the head-to-head playoffs or stretch run of rotisserie leagues could be on his horizon. Drew has batted everywhere in the lineup from lead-off to eighth, so it’s hard to predict exactly where Melvin will plant him going forward. For now, Drew makes for a solid pickup in deep leagues or AL-only formats. He is owned in roughly 20% of both ESPN and Yahoo! formats. I’ve written about (and gotten burned by) him in the past, but fool me seven or more times, and shame on me.
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