New Everyday Players — Aug 14, 2023

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.

J.P. Martinez | TEX OF

Josh Jung’s injury and Travis Jankowski going on the Paternity List has opened up some playing time for new faces in the Rangers lineup. One of the current beneficiaries is Martinez, who has started three straight in a corner outfield spot since his recall. The 27-year-old is no prospect and was last ranked 12th on the team all the way back in 2019.

But, there’s a lot to like in his minor league profile, especially his time at Triple-A this year. He has always possessed excellent plate patience, walking at a strong double digit clip at nearly all his stops. This year, he posted a personal best 15.3% walk rate, which means he could be a nice value in OBP leagues. He also cut his strikeout rate to a personal best, driven by his lowest SwStk%.

Next, he has posted some lofty BABIP marks at times, including a .396 mark this year. That was supported by an elite LD% and better than average IFFB%. It’s actually a really nice overall batted ball profile that could yield both a high BABIP, while not hampering his home run potential.

Finally, he posted a career best HR/FB rate and ISO mark. However, the HR/FB rate spike should possibly be taken with a grain of salt, as his maxEV of just 106.5 MPH is weak.

Perhaps most exciting here is his stolen base potential. He had already swiped 33 bases in half a season, while getting caught just four times. So he’s a big base-stealer that also has some pop and has enjoyed career bests in multiple metrics? Sounds like a prime guy to speculate on in deeper leagues.

Luis Urías | BOS 2B

After some decent offense with the Brewers over the last two years, the team gave up on the 26-year-old after he posted a .260 wOBA in just 68 PAs. Talk about impatience! The Red Sox swooped in and have started him nearly every day since acquiring him.

He has always walked at an above average clip and that hasn’t changed this year. He has also kept a single digit SwStk% every season of his short career, generally maintaining a low-20% strikeout rate. That’s all pretty solid. His batted ball profile tells me he hits a high enough rate of fly balls to take advantage of any power he might possess as well.

But that power has been in freefall. His HR/FB rate has slipped since peaking in 2021, driven by a falling maxEV and Barrel%, but is bad news given that his BABIP has been below average for the majority of his career. So he’s not getting on base a whole lot with a below average BABIP and also not hitting for a whole lot of power. Oh, and he doesn’t steal bases to at least contribute something for fantasy owners.

On a new team and a good park for BABIP, he’s definitely worth a shot, especially in OBP leagues. There’s definitely upside here, but with no speed, he’s not going to be a difference maker.

Stuart Fairchild | CIN OF

Injuries have opened up opportunities in the Reds lineup and have helped alleviate some of the glut, with too many exciting young players and not enough lineup spots to accommodate them all!

Fairchild was recalled at the end of July, seemingly to serve on the short-side of a platoon. But now, he has started five of the last six games against right-handers too. So it looks like he’s a regular, at least the vast majority of the time.

The 27-year-old isn’t a prospect and has been the very definition of a journeyman, though one who hasn’t had much MLB experience. He’s been on four different teams since 2019, plus the Reds twice.

He’s accumulated around a half season’s worth of PAs, going a nice even 9/9 in homers and steals, equating to 18/18 over a full season. That’s fun! It comes with a .232 batting average, which isn’t as fun, but a .324 OBP, which means his value increases in OBP leagues.

He has shown more home run power in the minors, posting 20%+ HR/FB rates at several stops, though the maxEV marks have been unimpressive. I can’t tell you how long he’ll hold a starting job, but he’s worth a shot in deep leagues for some potentially all-around contributons.