Paul Sporer’s Baseball Chat – May 6th, 2026

Paul Sporer: Hey y’all, thanks for coming out!!

Bums: Is Matt McLain now a boring accumulator? At least that’s what the ROS projections say. But yet 2B options are so weak. How much longer should I keep stepping on this rake in a 12 team roto. Apologies if this went thru a lot getting an error on the phone

12T H2H 6×6 OBP,SLG: Hi Paul! I finally gave up on McLain for Bazzana. Keaschall, Semien, Stott, and Angel Martinez are on the wire, would you move off of Bazzana for any of these guys?

Paul Sporer: Crazy coincidence that the very first two Qs both involve McLain!!!

Paul Sporer: Boring accumulation does appear to be on deck with him. I was among those who bought the spring power surge. But it has completely evaporated in season outside of his 2-HR game v. DET. He has 5 SBs so still viable in deeper formats. I think he’s starting to straddle the cut line in 12s and lower.

Bums: Depends who’s available, but if it’s some of the names shared by the next Q, then I think there’s merit to moving on as he’s just bludgeoning the AVG for only a bit of HR/SB juice

12T H2H: With those options, you can probably try to play some hot hand stuff. That can be a tricky game if you’re always catching the tail end of a hot streak and missing most of the juice, but I guess it’s just more that I wouldn’t wait toooo long on guys before moving on. Give Bazz another 7-10 days and if it’s not turning, you  can look elsewhere, but he doesn’t appear overmatched and a tiny BABIP is holding back a lot.

Charlotte: Shane-o-Mac looks so good after getting through his first 3 starts. Is he back-back??!!

Paul Sporer: Definitely manipulating me putting Charlotte as your name, ain’t no damn way someone named Charlotte is in my chat looool — anyway, I love Shano and was hyped for a big bounce back this year but let’s not be too quick to say back-back. I got there with Sandy earlier bc I so badly wanted him to be back and it was preemptive. For now, McClanahan is just a set it and forget guy in all formats short of a legit ace just yet

12T H2H 6×6 OBP,SLG: projections are still pretty high on McLain but eye test (and the production) just looks so brutal!

Paul Sporer: Yeah and his plate skills are way better, but he’s not hitting the ball with ANY authority. If that turns, he could really catch fire. Just hard to eat .188 too long in ANY format, let alone shallower ones where the bar for AVG is much higher

Stubbs: Austin Riley – fixable, or is this heading in a very very bad direction?

Paul Sporer: Looks fixable but his power output is down big under the hood right now. His 18% infield flyball rate is 2x his career mark and could be a sign of just being off. We’ve all seen those pop-ups where the guy barely missed tattooing it. Still has 5 HRs and he’s thrown in a sneaky 3 SB to help soften the AVG blow. I’m holding for now.

Kevin: At what point do we give up on Austin Riley in shallow leagues?

Paul Sporer: Should’ve posted those together. I’m waiting a bit longer in shallow lgs.

Maris: Troy Melton worth a pickup in AL only?

Paul Sporer: Yes, all of a sudden the rotation is decimated and instead of being help and he might be needed. I loooved Melton coming into the season before the injury so while my excitement is dimmed a bit bc of the injury, I’m still down to stash and see what he can do once healthy. He started his rehab this past wknd for those who didn’t see it and he’ll likely work his way through the minors and pile up a handful of starts given when his injury occurred so it can function as a pseudo-spring for him

Mr Redlegs: Need a Correa replacement for SS/3B. Options are Andujar, Norby, Mead, Rocchio or Ezequiel Duran. Thoughts?

Paul Sporer: At least some OK names there. I’d lean toward Andujar and Rocchio.

Jane: Hi Paul, who should replace Yainer? Realmuto, Mack or Dingler? Thank you.

Paul Sporer: Gimme Dilly Ding

Mike: Is there any chance that the Martian sticks and plays when Stanton is back.  It seems like Belli, Judge, Grisham, and Stanton would prevent him from having an impact.

Paul Sporer: Ya he could lose some PT when Stanton returns, but Stanton hasn’t been cleared for running yet and I’ll worry about that when it becomes an issue. I’m among those who paid a pretty penny for Dominguez so obv I want him to do enough to earn that back so to speak, but we can only plan so far out, especially with waiver pickups. This is still an old team, too, so things can happen

AAAstros: AL only: any interest in these new AAAstros, Whitcomb, Shewmake, Allen? Or should I stick with Schneemann?

Paul Sporer: I’d roll with Schnee

I just Cantillo: Cantillo makes me nervous, especially as weather warms. Should I be looking to trade in an AL only?

Paul Sporer: I’m a big fan so I get the nerves and share them. If you think you can improve your team trading him, I say do it. A 1.40 WHIP is reallyyy rough and will eventually push that ERA up if he doesn’t fix it so I don’t mind trying to move on before that bill comes due

Chucky: You think Caminerio’s breakout performance was in a large part due to playing half his games in a minor league park? I know it’s still April, oops can’t use that anymore, but nonetheless he hasn’t impressed me.

Paul Sporer: I think you might be selling him short. He has 9 HRs and a 131 wRC+, both are pretty good!! He was better at home last year for sure but how much of that was a .197 road BABIP? His power output was still the same on the road. I think Cami is the truth!

OW: Do you ever hold onto a guy just because he’s fun to watch? I don’t think I could ever drop Tolle for this reason alone

Paul Sporer: Oh yeah, I definitely hold onto my guys a bit more. After all, I believe in the talent and while not all my faves are inherently fun to watch, plenty are. So yeah, I’m with you. And your example is a great one, I love Tolle. He’s definitely the kind of guy I’m going to extend more leeway to if/when struggles crop up bc I believe in the talent a lot.

Kumar Rocker in the House Tonight: Is it worth holding my $1 Kumar Rocker in AL Only? He’s been a possum this year: often lifeless and killed on the road.

Paul Sporer: LOOOOOOOOOOL I don’t think we can get Nick Pollack to incorporate that into his glossary of terms for pitchers, but holy crap that’s funny

Paul Sporer: As for holding, I think a buck is still probablyyyy worth it in AL

Cold Corner: Is Royce Lewis still worth holding on to in a shallow OBP league? Does he have anything left or have injuries cooked him?

Paul Sporer: Justin just brought up on yesterday’s pod that he was close to chopping Royce. I do understand if you have to move, sometimes you just need more production in a shallower league. But I’d at least advocate shifting him to your watch list for when things come loose bc I still think he could pop off. Ks are up a decent bit to a bad 30% but at least he’s countered it with a BB gain to 10%. Hard Hit and Barrel rates are both UP. It’s still a 20/13 full season pace despite a .208 BABIP holding him down. IF – the biggest of big ifs possible but IFFFF he can stay healthy, I believe there will be a surge here so stay dialed in on him to pounce if you decide to go ahead and cut until it comes

Paul Sporer: Cut is plenty viable, though is the takeaway. Sometimes – espec. in shallower lgs where the bars are higher – you just can’t wait for the under the hood stats to come to the surface results

E: Thoughts on whether Roki will ever figure it out?  Should they send him to the minors to work on expanding his arsenal?

Paul Sporer: Eventually yes, but I’m talkin years, not necessarily within this season. He was literally off my board this year. I just haven’t seen anything yet to buy into. Raw talent is still there to become something long-term, remember he’s just 24 so he’s still a bit of a project for the Dodgers

Man-o-manoah!: Is Manoah saving the halos?

Paul Sporer: No.

Nick: Thanks for chatting! Matt Chapman has been dreadful, and the advanced metrics look grim too.  Droppable in a 12-team mixed league?

Paul Sporer: Yes.

Paul Sporer: LOL jk, I can give ya more on Chappy, but yeah it’s bleak right now. Unlike Royce, his under the hood is ugly, too. He’s a long-term vet who might still come around, but no sense waiting, especially in shallower formats. In deeper formats, his 85 wRC+ is probably still among the best available lol so I’d prob just hold but 12s and lower he gone

Phil: Is Marsee a safe cut in a dynasty points league?

Paul Sporer: Yeah bc the SBs aren’t as helpful in pts

McLame: So if we’re over McLain’s spring, are we over Coby Mayo’s?

Paul Sporer: In fairness I never jumped into that one and at least it was cheaper to buy Mayo, but yeah he can go. The .190 BABIP should eventually get better, but he’s not helping it much w/his poor contact

Colin: I have Langeliers and Dingler, and Jeffers is a FA.  Seems like I should trade Dingler and add Jeffers as my backup C, so what might a reasonable return look like?

Paul Sporer: Really tough to answer, tbh, bc it really depends who needs a C2 and if they’re willing to trade. I wouldn’t ask too much above draft price, though. If Jeffers is available, it seems no one is drowning for C so while I love Dilly Ding, temper your expectations on return and just try to fill a hole on the club

Jimmy Crooks: Got offered Emmett Sheehan for Jackson Jobe was wondering your thoughts

Jimmy Crooks: Was in a dynasty league too btw

Paul Sporer: I would take Sheehan

E: Garrgh! They pulled McClanahan at 5.2 with a low pitch count! Garraghg!

Paul Sporer: Saw that! 69 pitches… can’t let a potential ace arm go after Vlad Jr. in that spot? C’monnn

Elliott: Noelvi Marte starts out the season as a short side platoon guy, does nothing and probably with a bad attitude, now is dominating at Louisville, including stealing something like 9 bags in a couple weeks. Is this just a maturity thing he is working through or is Noelvi simply a quad-A player?

Dan: Thoughts on Noelvi marte? When does he come up? What does a stat line look like once he does? Thanks Paul!

Paul Sporer: 2nd time today that there were 2 Qs in a row about the same guy!!

Paul Sporer: Both were Reds, too!

Paul Sporer: Anyway, re: Noelvi – IF he was truly moping around bc of the lack of PT then I think we can say it’s maturity, but we don’t know. Could go another way and say he was really beating himself up over the 31 PA despite it being such a small sample so they sent him out just to boost confidence.

That would still be an issue of maturity, but with a different spin. I’m just reluctant to jump to bad attitude w/out evidence to such. At any rate, this always felt temporary bc he is so talented and just 24 yrs old. Hard to say when he comes back up but given how starved we’ve been for offense off the wire (in deeper lgs specifically), stashing makes sense!

Chucky: Tell me I’m wrong, I’ve been wrong before but wouldn’t it make sense to use the Otani SP once a week rather than the Otani bat, the other 6 days?

Paul Sporer: I’ve been on the Ohtani is a viable SP this year train all season! Obviously it depends on your team’s needs, but this just highlights the absolute beauty of Shohei. He’s a stud both ways so you can literally deploy him however he helps you most and of course you can switch throughout the year. He’s just SO damn good. But ya I’m all for using his starts.

Guest: is Teo done?

Paul Sporer: Nah he’s not really that far off of last year. One hot streak gets him right back on track. He’s mid-30s now so slowing down, but I’d be surprised if he was done

Mark: Duran is back for me. Who’s the drop: Tanner Scott, Lucas Erceg, or L Varland?

Paul Sporer: Erceg. I know he’s got the SVs volume, but his skills have paled in comparison to the other 2 and with 3 CLs, you can afford to prioritize talent over volume

Guest: Left 50+ points from Eduardo on my bench yesterday…

Paul Sporer: I’d been backing him but jumped off yesterday as the skills just weren’t appealing and of course he cooks! It happens. Wouldn’t have been a terrible start bc Pittsburgh is just mid-pack vL and the strength of their lineup is lefty but I was off him so I don’t blame you

King: Thank you for chatting!  Playing in a very shallow league, and I have DeLauter, Rooker, Buxton, and Ward all vying for one spot in a weekly lock setup.  Should I just ride Buxton until he gets hurt, and hope Rooker as fixed himself by that point?

Paul Sporer: Yeah just take all the Buxton goodness we can get. He’s so damn special. Wish we could just sprinkle some magic health dust on him for like 3 yrs. Even as this age (32), I’d take 3 full years and I bet they’d be amazing if we could magically prevent injuries

Paul Sporer: Crazy he’s 32 btw

Detroit Tigers: How worried are you as a Tigers fan? Where do the Tigers go from here? Do they buy at the deadline to supplement their pitching? Do they win the AL Comedy Central with a 5 under .500 record?

Paul Sporer: Incredibly. Home. No. Maybe.

Paul Sporer: LOL I considered making that the chat walk off, but I can’t help but to expound!!

Paul Sporer: Obv suuuper worried bc it’s not just Skubal, but already Mize and of course Olson before them. Melton coming back helps, but now he’s almost a must instead of someone you can round into form as a mid-back end rotation guy.

Rely on their system depth. It isn’t just a big name or three in their system recently, they’ve cultivated depth, too. And it’s going to be tested. He’s not a prospect, but Drew Anderson 앤더슨 really comes into focus now, too. I thought he could maybe win a spot when Melton and Olson got hurt, but then they signed Verlander. Now the door is open. Keider just doesn’t miss enough bats to think he can really be a 2-3, but we’ll take consistent 4-level production if that’s where regresses to. Flaherty melting has been brutal, too.

Depends how things look at the deadline truthfully. I doubt they push the chips in without amazing news on Skubal, though. They aren’t winning shit without him so if he isn’t recovering well, no sense doing that.

Paul Sporer: And then ya, the Central is back into joke status w/no one over .500 right now. It doesn’t look like anyone is going to run away and hide, either. That is no doubt the best think going for the Tigers in this situation. So while it is bleak, it isn’t lost. We all wrote the eulogy for Atlanta’s season before it started when they Thanos’d half their staff in the spring. Next man up! No one is going to replace Skubal 1:1 but if several arms improve incrementally, they can cover his loss.

Rick: How many poor starts would you give Strider before cutting him?  And how many decent starts would you need before you feel comfortable actually starting him in your lineup?

Paul Sporer: I kind think if you drafted him you need to be starting him already. He didn’t come cheaply enough to dilly dally around. I need sustained success (3-5 wks) before I’m going to elevate him beyond a Team Streamer. If he’s ripping 3+ BB a game for 4-5 off rip, maybe he hits the bench sooner, but cutting should be at least 9-10 starts away. I had no interest in him coming into the year, but if you did, you should see it through a bit and reassess after a bit of a sample

Chopped: Drop Greg Maddux in a 12 team roto?  ABS is killing his whip, he’s walking everyone!

Paul Sporer: LOL yeah, he’s absolutely washed!!

Relievers: Any under-the-radar long-ish relievers you would target in a  points league where saves/holds have value but not that much relative to volume (we aren’t allowed to use starters with RP eligibility in those slots)

Paul Sporer: Is Senzatela under the radar anymore? Maybe still bc he’s in Coors but he’s been ELECTRICCCC

MilwaukeeBeerJays: Is Wil Warren for real? I understand that he is a tangible living human, but right now he’s pitching like a #1. Do you expect this RoS?

Paul Sporer: Not quite #1 but I do like Will Warren. We aren’t quite seeing the skills to sustain this kind of K% but I love that he made it through 33 starts last yr. That’s always big for a young arm to show he can do it. And now he’s flashing great skills that make him an easy must start everywhere even if we’re sure of some regression coming.

Kenny: Is Jack Flaherty a buy low in Points Leagues?

Paul Sporer: Not until we start seeing some swing and miss. If he was still getting Ks w/these bad results, I’d be holding firm, but his SwStr has cratered his BB% has soared.

Paul Sporer: OK y’all, I gotta get going. Great stuff today, sorry I couldn’t get to ’em all, but back again next week!