Ike Davis & Trevor Bauer: Waiver Wire
Two youngsters this week, one a corner bat off to a dreadful start and another a starting pitcher yet to throw a big league inning…
Ike Davis | 1B | Mets | Owned: 38% Yahoo! and 27.0% ESPN
Things seem to be slowly coming around for Davis, who at -0.8 WAR, is no longer the worst player in baseball (Brennan Boesch at -1.1 WAR). He has a neat little eight-game hitting streak going that includes a monster three games against the Rays — 6-for-11 with a double, a homer, three walks, and two strikeouts — and has raised his OPS nearly 100 points. More importantly, his batted ball profile is starting to look like a power hitter’s…
It’s hard to hit for power when you’re beating the ball into the ground like Ike was earlier this season.
Now obviously an eight-game hitting streak doesn’t mean he’s cured of all ills, but the 25-year-old first baseman is starting to show some positive signs. Given his talent and the kind of production he’s capable of — .280-ish average, 30+ homers, 100+ RBI in a 5×5 league over a full season — he’s worth keeping an eye on just to see if this is the start of Davis getting back to being himself. ZiPS projects an unsightly .239/.323/.417 line the rest of the season but I think Ike can do quite a bit better.
Trevor Bauer | RHP | Diamondbacks | Owned: 19% Yahoo! and 3.4% ESPN
Mike Trout is a top-12 producer in WAR (2.9) and Bryce Harper is making headlines for every reason imaginable, leaving Bauer as the next uber-prospect in line for a promotion to the big leagues. The 21-year-old right-hander followed up his eight dominant (2.72 FIP) starts in Double-A with six equally dominant (2.82 FIP) starts in Triple-A, and he’s starting to get his walk issue under control — two walks or less in three straight starts and in five of his last seven starts.
Bauer is a strikeout machine (career 11.9 K/9 and 30.7 K%) and should post lower than usual BABIPs as a fly ball guy — he’s admitted to preferring fly balls over ground balls on Twitter, so it is a conscious thing — the perfect combination for a division with some huge parks and offensively challenged teams. The D’Backs are going to call Bauer up at some point in the coming weeks — the only thing standing is his way is Joe Saunders or an injury — and you’re going to want to have him on your roster and ready to go right from the first start.
Mike writes about the Yankees at River Ave. Blues and baseball in general at CBS Sports.
Ike has been drawing walks of late, too. Strikeouts down. All good signs.
I’m on board with Trevor Bauer, he’s waiting for his call.
When does Danny Hultzen see the bigs? He’s another uber prospect, also dominating. Not as many strikeouts, though.
Yeah, I don’t think Daniel Hultzen has the same kind of upside that Trevor Bauer does. He’s more of a middle of the rotation type probably – think a slightly more talented version of what some folks thought Mike Minor was supposed to be.
I think Hultzen’s ceiling – while lower than Bauer’s – gets underrated. I know Newman really likes Hultzen and I think Mike knows his stuff, especially because he has seen him and analyzed him.
I see more of a strong #2, who will benefit from Seattle’s park, and who will perform pretty solid from the jump.
On the chart, which color represents what?
Green = ground balls
Blue = fly balls
Red = line drives
Davis is approaching 1000 PAs at the major league level. Isn’t it possible he’s just not the guy people hoped he would become?
I’m not sure where this question is coming from. First year in the bigs (2010), Davis hit .264/.351/.440 in 600 PA…2nd year (2011) on pace to do even better, .302/.383/.543 in 150 PA before injuries cost him the season. His 2011 pace numbers were 28/80/100/.280, pretty much exactly what Mike stated.
The only negative numbers I see are from his 200-PA start to this season. I wouldn’t throw those numbers out, but his potential alone makes him worthy of a pickup. I just grabbed him in my weekly 12-team mixed; better to get in at the first signs of a turnaround than wait for the breakout and then get in queue with everyone else.
GOT YA, IKE.
Ike Davis or Mark Reynolds the rest of the way (point league)?
no mention of Tulo getting a HR and single off Bauer his 1st two ABs of his rehab before he left the game? Hmm. I wouldn’t be so sure about him being MLB ready.
Yeah, because every major leaguer hits like Tulo.
while I agree with Elias’s reply… I found the note about Tulo interesting
I agree it’s interesting, but the last part of the comment is beyond idiotic. He has nothing left to prove in the minors… it’s time!