Archive for Chris Johnson

As our own Zach Sanders astutely pointed out recently, the current state of the waiver wire, relative to quality hitting, is pretty grievous. Indeed, I find myself playing far more platoons with my offense and frequently scouring the rough in desperate search of that proverbial diamond. With this in mind, I wanted to highlight a couple players readily available in most standard formats that might be able to help your squad out: Ben Revere and Chris Johnson.

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I’ve done a fair amount of reading on third base rankings headed into the 2011 fantasy baseball season. While most prognosticators and enthusiasts recognize some elite talent at the tippy-top of the list, references such as “terrifying,” “black hole,” and, ahem, “talentless batch of hackers” have described the rest of the list, which I might venture to simply call not terribly deep. Third base will present many managers with a challenge, but I’m not so sure there aren’t some gems to be had in this list.

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Want to know about three random third baseman? You’re in luck!

Bill Hall | Red Sox | 2% Owned

Once a fantasy darling, Hall is now most valuable for his eligibility at multiple positions. Hall has brought his BB% up to his 2005 (35 HR year) levels, and is flashing good power. His batting average is still a big hit, but he’s hit 10 homers and stolen 4 bases in less than 225 plate appearances. Usually this is the part where I tell you to pick up the player in certain leagues, but I’m not going to do that. If you have Hall, don’t drop him, but try to deal him. Ellsbury is starting a rehab stint right now, and Pedroia will be back quickly, so Hall isn’t going to get much PT when those two return.

Jerry Hairston Jr. | Padres | 10% Owned

I love guys who can fill in at both the CI and MI positions, so Hairston is a favorite of mine. He’s currently has 2B/3B/SS/OF eligibility in Yahoo! leagues, and he’s one of the few guys with that sort of flexibility AND playing time. Hairston is having a season on par with his career numbers, but his combo of small power and speed contributions (7 HR, 7 SB) makes him a valuable asset. I picked him up yesterday, and you should think about doing the same if you are in anything deeper than a 12-team standard league.

Chris Johnson | Astros | 3% Owned

Johnson may be one of the many guys who are better fantasy players than they are real baseball players. In the 116 times he’s walked to the plate for Houston this year, Johnson has hit 3 homers and is hitting .315. His BABIP is very high (.390), but his high line drive rate will help him keep the batting average at a reasonable level. Here’s where it gets tricky: He walks less than Miguel Tejada, making him close to worthless in OBP leagues. He’s a good buy in NL-only leagues that have held onto AVG this year, and has some added value in keeper leagues.

Toronto Blue Jays recalled INF Jarrett Hoffpauir from Triple-A Las Vegas.

A former St. Louis Cardinals farmhand claimed off waivers by the Jays during the off-season, Hoffpauir can hit. He’s a career .288/.366/.427 batter in the minors, including a .293/.365/.448 line in nearly 1,400 PA at the Triple-A level. Hoffpauir draws a decent number of free passes (10.4 BB%), rarely punches out (9.2 K%) and while no one will mistake him for a power hitter, he manages not to get totally bullied at the plate (.133 ISO). Prior to 2010, ZiPS projected a .264/.331/.394 showing at the major league level (.323 wOBA) for the 27-year-old, while CHONE had a .272/.349/.402 forecast (.332 wOBA).

If Hoffpauir could capably man an up-the-middle position, a league-average bat could make him a passable starter. However, the 5-10, 190 pounder isn’t well-regarded with the leather by either scouts (Baseball America called his speed, range and arm fringy in 2008) or the stats (Total Zone rates him poorly at second base). Hoffpauir also played some third base with the 51’s this season, and that’s the position where he’ll try to crack the lineup with Toronto following the club’s decision to DFA Edwin Encarnacion. He could have some short-term fantasy value in AL-only leagues if the Jays opt against moving Jose Bautista to third more frequently.

Houston Astros recalled 3B Chris Johnson from Triple-A Round Rock.

Houston’s fourth-round pick in the 2006 draft, Johnson will mercifully take over for Pedro Feliz at the hot corner. Feliz, 35, has been a black hole on a roster full of them — with his normally stellar D rating poorly and his slack bat entering a whole new realm of futility (.237 wOBA), Feliz has been nearly a win and a half worse than a replacement-level player.

Which brings us back to Johnson. To say that he’s Houston’s best internal option at third base is sort of a backhanded compliment, akin to being the most articulate Hilton sister or the most popular BP executive. The 25-year-old holds a career .277/.315/.429 line in 1,800+ PA in the minors. Johnson doesn’t work the count much (5.1 BB%), and he has generally shown just mid-range power (.152 ISO).

To be fair, he has hit with some force at Triple-A this season (.329/.362/.570 in 163 PA), but his overall performance record just doesn’t offer much to get excited about. According to Minor League Splits, Johnson’s 2008 season split between Double-A Corpus Christi and Round Rock translates to a .246/.276/.351 big league triple-slash. His ’09 season in the PCL equates to a .239/.271/.379 line, and even that 2010 work comes to .272/.297/.429. Johnson’s rest-of-season ZiPS projection (.245/.280/.360) is similarly bleak. Even if you’re desperate, you’re best off looking elsewhere.