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.
Ben has been at RotoGraphs since 2012 and focuses most of his fantasy baseball attention toward dynasty and keeper leagues.
First stolen base attempt this afternoon, though really it was Izturis missing a hit-and-run sign
And he was caught stealing…
His strikeouts have really dropped in the last 2 weeks. He also seems to be attempting to hit the ball the other way.
This guy has lost his luster, imho. Will he ever be relevant for an entire season?
When I’m seeking out waiver wire adds, the first attribute I look for is an ability to be “extremely droppable”. Is there a Droppable Above Replacement stat that is somewhat easy to calculate?
No, he is not. His skills have materially regressed every year. He’s someone who has a superb 2-3 week stretch every year, which is surrounded by a 1-2 month stretch of producing like a pitcher.
He strikes out way too much. He walks way too rarely. He can’t hit lefties.
But he can hit his brother!!
…and yet he is on pace for a 4 WAR season
oops meant 3 WAR. We are approaching the 1/3 mark into the season in a week or so.
Mostly built on playing slightly above average CF defense.
However anyone who has seen him play much defense will tell you that he has good range, ok instincts, and a terrible arm.
So if you add up being a replacement level hitter, a poor baserunner, and a passable defender at a premium defensive position and that equates to 3 WAR, then more power to him.
Ian, you do realize he has a 101 wRC+ after today’s game, right? Not that I want to defend Rasmus, but he’s a little better than a replacement level hitter.
Copy this column and read it at about this time for the next 5 seasons. The basics will stay the same.
Very drop-able … in fact I just dropped him today!
Rasmus is very streaky and overall under-appreciated by the fantasy community.
I could have dumped Moss, but my league is way more likely to nab a Moss off the WW as opposed to Rasmus so I gambled and dumped Colby.
FWIW I consider them both OF5’s.
LOL
O, I see. The difference is droppability.