With only like a month and a half left of the season to go, the name of the game right now is to accumulate as many plate appearances (hopefully good PAs!) as possible. So let’s continue perusing lineups to identify the new names now appearing in them regularly.
Time to meet some more new players recently joining the starting lineup!
You had a decision to make recently, didn’t you? You had two starting outfielders in good matchups and you just didn’t know who to choose to start the game. It’s ok. It’s ok. It’s part of the fun. Those micro analyses that bring together all of your understandings of the game of baseball are a lot of fun. At this point in the season, maybe you’re on auto-pilot and you just choose the player who has the highest roster rate in your format because, well heck, everyone else is starting him.
Maybe you’re on the opposite end of the spectrum and you pay too much attention, focusing on minute details such as park factors, hitter/pitcher historical matchups, xwOBA, and more. Whichever style you have held recently, it’s likely that you make good and bad decisions. It’s part of the game. For all the predicting and analyzing we do, baseball is, fairly unpredictable. Let’s go through a few case studies so we can all get some practice. I’ll take two players who appeared at the same position (or position eligibility) and you decide which you would start. Then, we’ll go back and see what actually happened. Let’s get started.
There are so many new faces to introduce you to and so little time to do so! Today, I continue to discuss a trio of new names finding themselves written onto starting lineup cards on a regular basis (or near regular for those lefties on the strong side of a platoon).
Let’s keep on trucking along the new everyday player route. Today’s edition is another one team only version. Welcome to the Mariners’ new regular faces!
With the trade deadline now in the rearview mirror, all the wheelin’ and dealin’ has created a domino effect on the teams involved. It’s not just the players involved in the trades, but also potentially multiple players on these teams that weren’t traded. Some players are now seeing new opportunities with playing time opened up. So let’s revisit the new everyday players series and return to our rundown of hitters who have become regulars recently.
Angels
• C.J. Cron started four straight at 1B while hitting third (all against righties).
• Randal Grichuk also started four straight since the trade while batting from 5th to 7th. Read the rest of this entry »
I ranked all trade deadline-affected batters (Paul is doing the pitchers) by how much their 2023 redraft league fantasy value increased or decreased (NOT OVERALL VALUE). The list includes every traded hitter (back to July 21st) and those guys who saw changes in value but stayed with their team.
Jeimer Candelario (WSN->CHC): Team and park upgrade along with him playing first base.
Jeimer Candelario will play 1b on a regular basis with the Cubs, per David Ross.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) August 1, 2023
Carlos Santana (PIT->MIL): Milwaukee’s first base job is his. Read the rest of this entry »
Let’s flip back to the rookie hitters and discuss another four recent recalls.
Angels
• Zach Neto has led off for six straight games.
• Mike Moustakas has started in nine of the last 10 games.
• Trey Cabbage has started in three of the last four games, all against a righty.
• Twenty-seven-year-old Michael Stefanic (.349/.445/.441, 2 HR, 6 SB) has started the last two games at second base. Read the rest of this entry »
