The Hit List – July 8th

A quick at some available bats at each position for the upcoming week. Check out Nick’s piece on available pitchers, too. I’m using the FantasyPros roster rates of 50% or lower as the threshold and including a 25% or lower option at each position, too.

With a handful of doubleheaders this week, there are several teams with 8 games: BAL, MIL, NYM, NYY, PHI, and PIT.

CATCHER

Tucker Barnhart | CIN, 30%, 6 games (all vR) – The switch-hitting Barnhart is better against lefties (.949 OPS) than righties (.645), but pickings are slim for catcher! He does have solid 17% K and 9% BB rates against righties and a .260 BABIP holding him back. If you’re just going for playing time, he’s got the third-most plate appearances at the position.

Willians Astudillo | MIN, 2%, 7 gms (5 vR, 2 vL) – Everyone’s new favorite player hasn’t gotten much burn this week (last start was 7/3), but I still like him in two catcher leagues. He’s just so fascinating that I hope they’re able to find some time for him:

Ahh, almost found a gap! Love that guy. 5'9, 225 (lol… at least 240) and plays C, 2B, 3B, OF lol. 3% K rate in 2300 MiLB PA

— Paul Sporer (@sporer) July 3, 2018

FIRST BASE

Wilmer Flores | NYM, 5%, 8 gms (all vR) – Flores has been a longtime lefty-destroyer with a .969 OPS in 2015-17, but this year he’s flipped the script. After a .675 OPS against righties in the last three years, he’s up to .880 this year with a .280 AVG and six homers in 121 PA. He’s heating up of late with a .992 OPS and 3 HR in his last 10 starts (43 PA).

I recommended Yulieski Gurriel (48%) and Jake Bauers (10%) in this space last week and they’re both still widely available with seven games apiece.

SECOND BASE

Rougned Odor | TEX, 44%, 6 gms (4 vR, 2 vL) – Odor’s bottom line has been as bad as last year’s, but he might be coming out of it. Not only does he have a strong .272/.375/.481 line with 4 HR, but more importantly he has 10 walks in the 96 PA, double his career 5% mark. He also gets to close the week with three games in Baltimore.

Scott Kingery | PHI, 19%, 8 gms (6 vR, 2 vL) – Is Kingery finally showing some signs of life? He is hitting .293 over his last 20 games, buuuuut it’s been punchless with just a .373 SLG. He has swiped a couple bags in that time to go with the AVG boost. The supersized slate helps as a doubleheader gives him that extra game.

SHORTSTOP

Ketel Marte | ARI, 22%, 6 gms (3 vR, 3 vL) – Marte has shown a severe platoon split with a 324-point advantage against lefties (.930 OPS) and he gets two of his three lefties in Coors. He’s enjoyed a power surge this year, too, with a career-best .182 ISO.

THIRD BASE

Jedd Gyorko | STL, 8%, 5 gms (4 vR, 1 vL) – Third base is light this week. Gyorko has been hammering lefties this year (1.084 OPS) and only gets one of them this week. He also only gets five games, but he could also be someone to consider keeping beyond just this week if he gets going against righties.

I recommended Matt Duffy (26%) last week and he’s still available.

OUTFIELD

Avisail Garcia | CWS, 54%, 5 gms (4 vR, 1 vL) – OK, he’s not that widely available in leagues with people paying attention, but some shallow leaguers might still have a chance to scoop Garcia. He’s been absolutely on fire since returning from the DL with a .333/.348/.803 line including eight homers, 13 extra-base hits, 16 runs, and 13 RBIs in 69 very nice PA.

Stephen Piscotty | OAK, 17% 7 gms (5 vR, 2 vL) – Piscotty’s had two severe splits so far this year with his best work coming against righties (.812 OPS, +255 over lefties) and on the road (.803 OPS, +129 over home). This week sets up well for both scenarios as he gets five righties and all week on the road.

Mark Trumbo| BAL, 33%, 8 gms (4 vR, 4 vL) – Did you realize Trumbo has a 116 wRC+ on the season so far? Me neither. He might be heating up for one of the big streaks we used to see him go on with three multi-hit games out of six so far this month with three homers.