Roto Riteup: May 29, 2015

I hope everyone else enjoyed yesterday’s spelling bee as much as I did.

On today’s agenda:
1. Consider Adam LaRoche
2. Jose Iglesias’s improved plate discipline
3. Streaming Pitching Options

Consider Adam LaRoche
After launching his fifth home run as part of his four-hit double-header day, LaRoche now owns a .241/.371/.393 line. The uninspiring triple slash is being dragged down by a poor April where he hit .191. LaRoche is known as a slow starter and for his career he owns a 104 vs 124 wRC+ split between the first and second halves. Once again as the weather warms up, so does LaRoche’s bat and count on him being a steady source of counting stats. He’s hit cleanup for the majority of the season, directly behind someone who typically gets on base in Jose Abreu. A repeat of LaRoche’s 26 home run season last year may not be terrible likely, however don’t overlook the 35-year-old slugger. He’s most valuable in OBP leagues where his double-digit walk rate shines yet still holds in own in standard 5×5 formats thanks to what should be ample RBI opportunities. LaRoche is owned in 67 percent of CBS formats but just 53 percent of Yahoo! leagues and 40 percent of ESPN formats.

Jose Iglesias‘ improved plate discipline
I almost merely glanced at Iglesias’ improved walk rate — it’s up to 7.1 percent compared to his 4.7 career rate — but he’s also cut his strikeout rate nearly in half. Unsurprisingly Iglesias has trimmed down his swinging strike rate to 3.9 percent before yesterday’s game, a mark tied for 10th best in baseball among hitters with at least 120 plate appearances. It’s hard to fully buy into his .360 BABIP this season, though he does own a .334 career BABIP. Given that we’re past the point of stabilization for both walk and strikeout rates, it could be a genuine change for Iglesias. Don’t count on too much power from him as he .095 ISO isn’t going to turn many heads nor will his RBI count be too high due to generally hitting in the bottom two spots of lineup. Still, for a shortstop who provides solid rate stats and a few steals, he deserves to be owned in most formats. CBS managers have already picked Iglesias up in 53 percent of leagues. Owners in ESPN and Yahoo! leagues have been a little more reluctant to buy into his success as he is free to pick up in 56 percent and 66 percent of leagues respectively.

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Streaming Pitching Options
If you enjoy streaming pitchers, tune into the Roto Riteup for recommendations each and every day.

A pitcher for today: Chad Bettis at PHI (Cole Hamels)
Citizens Bank is a tough place to pitch, but Bettis has limited the walks this season and sports a decent enough 3.87 xFIP. The Phillies rate late in baseball against a right-handed pitcher as per wRC+ and Bettis should post a quality start. He’s free to pick up in almost any league as his highest ownership rate is two percent in CBS formats.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Aaron Sanchez at MIN (Kyle Gibson)
Sanchez hasn’t lived up to the hype just yet this season, however he could turn things around tomorrow. The Twins rate in the bottom five of the league when facing a righty and also own the fifth highest strikeout rate and are tied for the sixth lowest walk rate. Sanchez is available in more than 60 percent of CBS formats as well as over 70 percent of Yahoo! and ESPN leagues.