Roto Riteup: September 4, 2017

Hope everyone is having a safe and happy Labor Day!

When you remember tomorrow is part of the 3-day weekend. pic.twitter.com/O7rCTCcuFS

— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) September 3, 2017

 

On the Agenda:

1. Fun with Small Samples! (Hitter’s Edition)

2. Various News and Notes

3. Streaming Pitcher Options

 

 

Fun with Small Samples! (Hitter’s Edition)

It is time for another edition of Fun with Small Samples!

In the month of August, ten players hit double digit home runs: Giancarlo Stanton (18), Josh Donaldson (12), Manny Machado (12), Gary Sanchez (12), Paul Goldschmidt (11), Joey Gallo (11), Justin Upton (11), Nelson Cruz (10), Curtis Granderson (10), and Edwin Encarnacion (10).

Billy Hamilton and Dee Gordon were the only two players to steal double digit bases in the month of August with eleven and ten respectively, but Andrew Benintendi and Whit Merrifield both came close with nine each.

Giancarlo Stanton crushed everyone in the wOBA category during August with a .523 mark. Charlie Blackmon (.485) and Eugenio Suarez (.481) were second and third in wOBA. On the flip side of the coin, Adam Engel (.190), Ben Gamel (.196), Tommy Joseph (.218), and Rougned Odor (.228) sported the worst wOBAs of the month.

Tim Beckham had the highest BABIP in the Majors with a .458 during the month of August. Wilmer Difo (.423) and Charlie Blackmon (.413) were second and third. Curtis Granderson’s .136 BABIP was the worst in baseball for the month, but Edwin Encarnacion (.159), Ben Gamel (.173), AJ Pollock (.176), Adam Engel (.178) and Jose Bautista (.179) all joined him as the only MLB players with sub .180 BABIPs in August.

Only Joey Gallo’s 60% hard hit percentage was the only player in the Major Leagues at 50% or over in August. Domingo Santana (48.2%), Kyle Schwarber (46.9%), and Paul Goldschmidt (46.9%) were the next three. The highest soft contact percentages were Adam Engel (37.5%), Alcides Escobar (33%), and Billy Hamilton (31.9%).

The highest contact percentages in the Majors during August were: Andrelton Simmons (91.6%), Joe Mauer (90.3%), Alex Bregman (90.1%) and Yuli Gurriel (90.1%). The lowest contact percentages were: Adam Engel (61.7%), Joey Gallo (62.3%), and Keon Broxton (63.6%).

 

 

Various News and Notes

Josh Harrison was placed on the 10-day DL with a fracture in his left hand. This could potentially end his season. Harrison has hit sixteen home runs and stolen twelve bases with a .272/.339/.432 triple slash in 128 games played. Sean Rodriguez will most likely inherit the majority of his at bats until Adam Frazier returns from the DL.

According to Mike Berardino, Miguel Sano will not travel with the team on their upcoming two-city road trip. Sano is working his way back and has started to improve, but the Twins will take it slowly with him in hopes of not making the stress reaction in his shin worse than it already is.

According to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves will likely call up pitching prospect Luiz Gohara. Gohara, who was acquired in the deal that sent Mallex Smith over to Seattle before they jettisoned him to Tampa Bay, has had a breakout year, posting a 2.62 ERA, a 28.4% strikeout rate, an 8.5% walk rate, and only allowed six home runs in 123.2 innings across three levels.

Aaron Hicks has been placed on the 10-day with a strained oblique. This is the same injury that forced him to miss six weeks, but this time he suffered the strain to the other side. It is likely that he could miss the rest of the season. This will likely open up more playing time for Clint Frazier, who is recovering from his own oblique injury and could begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday.

Streaming Pitcher Options

A pitcher for today: Jakob Junis @ DET

Junis is 4-0 with a 2.86 ERA, 9.21 k/9, and has limited walks and homers in the 28.1 innings he’s pitched since the All-Star Break. He gets a struggling Tigers squad that is now without Miguel Cabrera (suspension), Justin Upton (trade), and Victor Martinez (heart).

A pitcher for tomorrow: Garrett Richards @ OAK

Really high risk. Richards is coming off of an elbow injury that has sidelined him all season. He has shown some elite skills in the past and could get some nice strikeout numbers, but will likely be on a pitch count which limits his ability to get enough innings for wins and quality starts.