Last week, I looked at starting pitchers who have been trending both positively and negatively, by examining their last 30 day SIERA marks. Today I jump over to the hitters and check on the surprising ISO (isolated slugging percentage or SLG minus AVG) positive trenders.
Ben Sheets has returned with a vengeance. In his first start since July 2010, Sheets made a big statement. Sheets pitched six innings, striking out five batters against the New York Mets on Sunday. He did not allow a run. With the Braves in need of some stability in their rotation, Sheets could parlay this opportunity into a full-time role. If his first start is any indication, it looks like he might have some value in fantasy leagues.
One infielder, one catcher, one pitcher. What more could you want, really?
Bryan LaHair is an All-Star. At a time where his fantasy value has taken a hit, LaHair has made the NL All-Star team. LaHair got off to a great start, but he’s tailored off in the month of June. And with Anthony Rizzo now up, LaHair has been moved off his original position. His slash line of .284/.364/.526 is solid, but it doesn’t tell the entire story. Even though he’s losing value in fantasy leagues, LaHair still has value.
While big-time prospects like Trevor Bauer, Anthony Rizzo and Martin Perez got called up this week — you can find takes on those three here, here and here — these three lesser-knowns should be making their way to a ballpark near you soon.
Kevin Youkilis needed a change of scenery. With the White Sox desperate for help at third, they happily obliged. While the 33-year-old third baseman carries a strong career line, Youkilis is batting just .233/.315/.377 this season. But Youkilis will also be moving into a better situation. He won’t have to worry about losing playing time to anyone, and will be moving to a more homer-friendly park. Even though Youkilis will be an upgrade for the White Sox, it’s unclear whether his performance will be strong enough for fantasy teams.
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No, that’s not the name of a law firm. Rather, those are the last names of three under-the-radar pitching prospects who made their MLB debuts in the past week. Click below to take a closer look at the trio, and as a bonus you’ll get not one, but two more minor leaguers nearing the bigs.
The Chicago White Sox’s pitching staff isn’t living up to expectations. For a team that was so reliant on hitting in the early 2000s, the White Sox’s pitching has carried them in recent years. This year, however, things are a bit different. They’ve received surprise performances by Chris Sale and Jake Peavy, but their normal rotation stalwarts — John Danks and Gavin Floyd — have floundered. Danks eventually went on the DL with a shoulder injury. In his absence, José Quintana has been fantastic. In 35.1 innings, the rookie has an exceptional 1.53 ERA. With the team’s rotation still in shambles, Quintana may keep his job longer than anticipated.
Let’s break from the usual three-player Mining the Minors write-ups to cover more ground (or if you prefer, more bases — this is a baseball site after all). This time, we’ll hit on three pairs, with one of each position — starting pitcher, outfielder and reliever — coming from each league.
What do two rehabbing big leaguers and a hot shot closer-of-the-future candidate have in common? That’s right: All three are in this week’s episode of Mining the Minors.
