I feel good about Jake Odorizzi’s start on Monday, not just because I want to be right on these prospects, but because he was able to do the same things he did well in the minors, strike guys out and not walk batters. I expect similar results from Kevin Gausman who has been called up to make his major league debut this Thursday against the Blue Jays. He should be added in all fantasy formats, like right now, before you finish reading. I’ll wait. You got him? Cool. If you missed out on Odorizzi and Gausman, A. be a little faster, and B. keep an eye on Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen, Kyle Zimmer, Gerrit Cole, and Anthony Rendon coming back to play second base. Here’s what else I saw in fantasy baseball yesterday. All ownership percentages are from Yahoo!
BJ Upton (81%) 2-4. Upton had 2 hits last night and I could really care less. His other two at-bats were strikeouts. SHOCKER. Still 81% owned, I felt like I had to say something. Honestly, he’s safe to drop in just about every league, unless your league likes strikeouts. Don’t fret though, I have 4 outfielders in this post for you.
Yoenis Cespedes (97%): 1-5, HR. The window of opportunity to buy low on Cespedes is closing as he’s gone 4/16 with 2 HRs in the last 3 games. Although not confirmed, it’s been speculated that he was playing with an injury, which could explain his performance so far. It’s encouraging that during this slump he hasn’t been striking out that much, implying that bad luck has been a factor. Owners have wisely held onto him during his slump but they may just be waiting for you to make the right offer.
Matt Garza (63%): ND, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 K, 3 BB. Garza made his first start of the year striking out 5 and walking 3 in 5 innings. He could be a big mid-season pickup but considering the Cubs bullpen and his injury history, it may be a good idea to look to trade him. Then again, the Cubs may be thinking the same thing and a healthy Garza on a team like, say Texas would be interesting. If he is traded to a contender that could be a good time for you to make the same move since I just have a hard time believing he’ll still be pitching in September.
Ben Revere (36%): 3-5, 2 R. Naturally after I wrote about Revere on Monday he went 0-4 that night. Yet Charlie Manuel, who is notoriously untrustworthy of young players, saw something in Revere to move him to #2 in the order. He responded with his 2nd 3-hit game in 3 days and could be at the beginning of a hot streak. Don’t make me look bad, Revere.
Jedd Gyorko (33%): 2-3, R. In the month of May, Gyorko is batting .295 with 4 HRs and 2 2bs. He’s been good but not great to this point, but when you consider this is his rookie season, his numbers start to look a lot better. I think we should assume he will continue to get better as the season goes on and he has a chance to finish the season in the top 15 at second base.
Dayan Viciedo (29%): 1-3, R. When I last brought up Viciedo, he had just returned from the DL and I wrote that his power potential was worth a look in most leagues but his batting average would likely hold him back. He’s been a good pickup but the exact opposite has turned out to be true, he’s hit 2 HRs but has raised his average to .302 collecting 11 hits in his last 10 games with a 5/6 K/BB. Considering he could still have a major power breakout I was surprised to see he is only 29% owned. Of all the 29% owned guys, Viciedo could really have a breakout year, especially if he can keep his average this high.
Jon Jay (23%): 1-3, 2 R, BB. He’s finally playing like the guy I thought he’d be, now sporting a .387 average in May. He already has as many Hrs (4) as last season where he batted .305 for the year. Next to Viciedo, he’s probably the best bat you could add right now. It still doesn’t make much sense to me that he isn’t more of a threat on the bases but perhaps if he replaced Matt Carpenter at the top of the order that could change.
Travis Hafner (20%): 2-4, 2 RBI. Hafner was a popular add in April after his hot start but was dropped by everybody (rightfully so) after a terrible start to May. Since he’s returned from the DL after resting a hurt shoulder, he has 5 hits in 3 games with 2 HR and 6 RBI. It’s well known he has injury problems but when healthy he has been very productive. He’s safe to add again for the time being.
Mike Leake (10%): W, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 K, 2 BB. I went back and forth on including Leake here because he’s been absolutely dominant in his last two starts: 0 ER, 10 Ks in 13.2 innings, but those came against the Marlins and the Mets. He’s a safe stream candidate right now, with the potential for a roster spot if he can keep this streak going.
Tyler Cloyd (7%): W, 7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 5 K, 2 BB. Cloyd made his second spot start of the season yesterday and had a nice game. He gave up 8 hits but only 3 went for extra bases. He got 10 ground ball outs but still managed a respectable 5 strikeouts even if it was against the lowly Marlins. It’s not clear if he will stay with the club for another start but its a safe bet he finishes the second half in the big leagues since it’s hard to imagine the Phillies not trading at least one of their starting pitchers. Deep leaguers take note.
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