Is Colby Rasmus Relevant Again?

He is owned in just 16% of Yahoo! leagues and has posted consecutive seasons of a sub 100 wRC+, but Colby Rasmus is attempting to march towards relevance once again. He made a similar move at the start of last year when he hit 16 home runs in his first 327 plate appearances. His relevance then faded over his next 298 plate appearances, hitting just seven home runs and recording a .256 on base percentage.

For many, that was all they needed to cast Rasmus off in a Liriano-esque nature. I have always liked the talent in Rasmus, which is especially evident on some of the mammoth home runs he hits in the Rogers Centre. He currently has a line of .244/.311/.450, and his ZiPS rest of season projection has him at .243/.311/.440 so he is essentially expected to produce at the same level he has for the season. Along with that line, ZiPS has him adding 16 home runs over the remaining third of the season, which is a pretty quality number.

What’s good about Rasmus is that he is extremely droppable. If you have a guy you see available, dropping him isn’t a problem and you can ride his hot streak for as long as it lasts until you find you do not need him much anymore. He is not a guy, say like B.J. Upton, where you are essentially obligated to ride through an elongated slump. With Rasmus, you really only have the upside and the downside is you move on from him without much of a cause for concern.

While that is not exactly a great reason to grab Rasmus, it is a helpful boost to a guy who is projected to hit 24 home runs for the season. It would certainly be a bigger help if he started to run a bit, as seeing his stolen base attempts at 0 is rather frustrating. But if you are in a daily league where you have the ability to start the free swinging center fielder against only right-handers (116 wRC+) then you should be able to take advantage of his skillset in the most optimal manner.

Rasmus is not the type of guy who is going to save your season, but if you need a power boost he is a quality option who is widely available in standard formats. When he starts to slump ditch him for another hitter. Until then, ride his hot streaks and enjoy the cheap power.