Archive for Head to Head

Episode 274

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live!

In this episode, Paul Sporer and Eno Sarris talk about Josh Tomlin, Rick Porcello, Drew Smyly, J.A. Happ, Ian Kennedy, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Corey Seager before getting into their topic of the day: top 10 SPs for 2016. Any glaring omissions from either top 10? Feel free to put your top 10 in the comments.

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It is no secret that the Red Sox defense has been brutal at turning balls in play into outs this year. As a team, the pitching staff has allowed a .307 BABIP, second highest in the American League and fifth in baseball. But things are bound to improve as we have recently learned that Hanley Ramirez, currently sidelined with a sore shoulder, will never again (hopefully) play left field. Instead, he will take over first base duties when he’s healthy enough to return. While we have no idea how he will perform defensively at first, he can’t possibly cost the team as many runs there as he had done in the outfield!

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In your quest to win your fantasy league this season, a smattering of these types of players strategically added to your team down the stretch, could make the difference in your prospects for success. They will not fit everyone’s needs but will certainly help some.

The Underappreciated Performer

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It’s September call-up time! Other than Javier Baez, who is actually still owned in a whopping 48% of CBS leagues, there doesn’t appear to be any players with much of a chance to make a real impact in fantasy leagues. But there are still some names worth considering for the last month of the season that are lightly owned.

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Episode 272

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live!

In this episode, Paul Sporer and Eno Sarris dive into some of the September call-ups who could be worthwhile in fantasy leagues such as Javier Baez, Hector Olivera, Dalton Pompey, Brandon Drury, Kennys Vargas, Frankie Montas and others. Which of the three OF trades from last night has the biggest impact: Austin Jackson, Justin Ruggiano, or Alejandro De Aza? They finish with some talk about Jake Arrieta’s transformation from bust to ace. (Yes, ace.)

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Yesterday, I discussed rookie Byron Buxton and his struggles making contact with pitches outside the zone. Every hitter (I assume) makes less contact on such pitches versus those inside the zone, of course. But today I wanted to check in on those who have made the most contact with the pitches they should be making contact with — those in the zone. And to add to the fun, I’ll just check in on the leaderboard over the last 30 days, highlighting the interesting names.

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Often times, the most heavily hyped prospects flop in their first taste of Major League action. As I discussed a couple of weeks ago, this has not happened to top Twins prospect Miguel Sano. But it has to their top rated prospect, Byron Buxton. Over 86 plate appearances, Buxton has posted a paltry .235 wOBA. It would be easy to look past the surface results and consider them just some standard struggles at the plate for a youngster, coupled with some likely poor fortune. But there have been some very troubling signs behind these numbers.

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Episode 270

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live!

In this episode, Paul Sporer and Eno Sarris discuss the potential call-up status for some big time prospects like Corey Seager, Tyler Glasnow, Jose Berrios, Max Kepler, and A.J. Reed among others. Then they judge some hot Augusts and determine how much staying they have including guys like: Jackie Bradley Jr., Cameron Rupp, Franklin Gutierrez, Nick Castellanos.

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Yesterday I offered up five potential September call-ups who could be substantial power boosts to your lineup if they are indeed called up and find a measure of playing time. Today I’m doing the same thing with some speedsters. While home runs are likely the most important category in fantasy baseball as they impact everything but speed, stolen bases often offer the best route to multiple points in a short timeframe.

This isn’t always the case as your league standings may have stratified in a way where you’re 10+ SBs from even the first point, but in many others that number of stolen bases could be worth three or four points. Expecting 10+ SBs from any one of these players is likely to result in disappointment as just eight players have had a 10+ SB September since 2012, but adding 6 or 7 to your count from an unexpected source can pay real dividends.

Here are five speedy players who might be ready to deliver just that in September:

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The title of the article is an allusion to Schott’s Miscellany, which you should definitely check out if you never have and feel compelled to know that a group of larks is called an exaltation or that a member of the 32nd degree of Freemasonry is known as a Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret.

— How Much Better Would Wade Miley Be with Hanley at First?–

Wade Miley was one of the major pieces of the Red Sox’s solid depth over an ace plan for the rotation entering the season. Like many of their players, Miley has struggled. After setting a career high with 8.2 strikeouts per nine in his last season with the Diamondbacks in 2014, Miley has regressed back to 6.7 strikeouts per nine this season, similar to his 2012 and 2013 production. Meanwhile, his ERA (4.51) continues to trail his FIP (3.91) and xFIP (4.10), as they did in 2014. At a broad view, Miley is not an attractive fantasy option, even in AL-only formats.

With a closer look, Miley does start to look better. For one, he is up nearly a strikeout per nine and down half a walk per nine in the second half compared to the first half. And for another, left fielder Hanley Ramirez is expected to move to first base for 2016 and possibly even later this season.

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