Tyler Wells took down another AL East rival on the road! (Do the Orioles even have rivals?) Did any of you dare to start him? It was a tough one to pull the trigger on, but with the way he’s handled divisional opponents this season (eight runs and 20 hits allowed over his last eight divisional games), for those gambling types, it was worth the risk.
A few other characters discussed last week had stellar performances as well. Spencer Strider struck out 11 Nationals while limiting them to just one hit. Jon Berti ridiculously stole four more bags. And Tanner Houck racked up three saves. A few guys didn’t perform as predicted but probably the most disappointing was Jake Burger. He was absolutely demolishing baseballs until he got hit on the hand by a pitch and missed most of the week. Hopefully, he’ll get back on track soon because before the injury he was producing like an All-Star.
For this week’s piece, I’ve discovered 17 new players that can help boost your abysmal totals. While I try not to repeat players throughout the season, three of these guys I have mentioned before. They’re under different categories this time around, however, and are still very much available.
These 17 players are all rostered in 52 percent or less of Yahoo leagues and can help you in at least one major category. Many of these players will help you in more ways than one, with their primary contributions coming in the category under which they are listed.
RBI
Orlando Arcia (OF/2B – ATL): 18%
Orlando Arcia for RBIs? That’s right. Hitting behind Atlanta’s talented core, the Braves’ new everyday second baseman should have plenty of RBI chances on a nightly basis. After driving in 13 over just 70 at-bats last season, he’s off to a similar start knocking in 12 in just 60 ABs.
The veteran infielder isn’t just getting lucky either. He is driving the ball with authority and with some decent lift. Arcia already has eight extra-base hits, including three home runs. He also hit for power last year in Triple-A registering a .516 SLG. With Ozzie Albies out long-term, Arcia will be given a long leash to pick up the slack and so far has looked every bit the part.
Christian Bethancourt (C/1B – OAK): 30%
Bethancourt had a nice series against Cleveland but I wouldn’t put too much stock into the temporary hot streak. Qualifying at catcher does make him worthy of discussion, however, and he is batting in the middle of the Oakland order. So if you roster Mitch Garver or Tyler Stephenson, you may want to take a flier on him. (I actually like Jorge Alfaro better if you’re looking for catchers.)
Runs
Michael Harris II (OF – ATL): 51%
Two weeks ago, I named Harris as someone who could help boost your stolen base total. While that was based merely on ability (he had yet to steal a base), Harris has now overwhelmingly performed at the big league level and is well-deserving of this week’s top add for runs scored.
Batting ninth is never ideal, but with the top of the order on deck and Harris’ ability to run and get on base, the runs scored should continue to pile up. After a bit of a slow start, over the last nine games, the Braves’ top prospect has scored eight times. He’s hitting .319 for the season after batting .305 to begin the year in the Minor Leagues.
With decent pop, blazing speed, and great bat-to-ball skills, Harris Jr. should be rostered in all leagues. He won’t qualify for this list again so make haste when adding him.
Home Runs
Luke Voit (1B – SD): 47%
Voit is finally healthy and his production has followed suit. Since becoming a full-time starter once again in mid-May, the former Yankee has produced eight home runs and nine doubles to accompany a serviceable .261 average. He’s been especially hot of late launching three home runs while driving in 11 over the last week. Batting fourth in the Padres lineup should lead to a plethora of RBI opportunities to go along with all the homers he’ll continue to hit. Voit led all of MLB in dingers during the shortened 2020 season and now being fully healthy, don’t be surprised if he passes the 25 home run mark for the first time in his career.
Oneil Cruz should be up within the next few weeks if not days. He is past the service time manipulation period and his skills place him in the ranks of Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr. If he is still available in your league, make sure to add the top prospect now as his light-tower power deserves attention in all leagues.
Stolen Bases
Amed Rosario (SS/OF – CLE): 46%
Not to be outdone by his MVP-candidate teammate, Rosario has been a boon of his own of late. Since the end of May, he has racked up seven multi-hit games while also stealing four bags. The Guardians love to run early and often and show no signs of slowing down. They have some tougher competition on the horizon but expect the steals to continue. Add Rosario wherever you lack speed.
Greene is finally on his way to Detroit and should be added in the majority of leagues. The Tigers’ highly- prized prospect could be a solid five-category contributor similar to Alek Thomas.
And I have no choice but to mention Ruiz. This young man has been on another planet in the Minors this year putting together not just 46 stolen bases already (yes, you read that right), but also an OPS close to 1.100. He’s the hottest hitter in all of baseball right now and with San Diego fighting with the Dodgers for top honors in the NL West, it seems only a matter of time until Ruiz is called up.
The young phenom has solely played in the grass over the last two seasons but did start his career as an infielder. With a bit of flexibility, management may find some creative ways to get him into the lineup.
The Padres have been fantastic of late and with Tatis Jr. still a ways away, Ruiz may just be the piece that puts them over the edge. Now is the time to obtain his services, especially if your league allows for Minor League stashes a la NA slots.
Batting Average
Ezequiel Duran (2B/3B/SS – TEX): 34%
I was bummed when I missed out on Duran because I love his five-category potential. The Rangers’ fourth-ranked prospect has only played in 13 games but adjusted to a 150-game season the 23-year-old rookie is on pace to produce a 20/20 season to go along with 100 RBIs, 100+ runs, and a .308 batting average. It’s obvious a small sample size but after putting up similar numbers in Triple-A, you have to like his chances at continual success.
Mazara is also someone to consider as he has been extremely productive in San Diego. After putting together a fine .367/.454/.641 slash line in Triple-A this season, Mazara has kept the hot bat going producing a .341 average over his first 13 games. The veteran outfielder is still just 27 years old and was once thought of as a can’t-miss prospect. He’s worth a flier in 14+ leagues to help boost your BA and RBI.
Saves
Brad Hand (RP – PHI): 16%
Seranthony Dominguez (RP – PHI): 29%
Knebel is out as closer and while Dominguez has been great, Hand has experience working in his favor. Both pitchers will likely see save opportunities based on lefty/righty matchups. (Hand is a left-hander)
Kendall Graveman (RP – CHW): 52%
Graveman will likely see the bulk of the save opportunities in Chicago with Liam Hendriks nursing a forearm injury. The White Sox’s newest closer has been fairly good this season limiting teams to just eight earned runs over 28.2 innings (2.51 ERA). His FIP and SIERA are a bit higher but he should be decent enough to score you a few saves while you wait for Hendriks to get back. Add the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder now to help boost those saves.
Strikeouts
Alex Cobb (SP – SF): 39%
Cobb will be activated today for the Pirates game and while you won’t have time to add him before then, he should be a fine pickup for the rest of the season. His ERA is ugly at 5.73, but with a low 2.63 FIP, Cobb is a classic case of the buy-low strategy. His 27.8 K% is a career-high and considering how the Giants seem to get the most out of their starters it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that trend continue.
Cobb’s been extremely unlucky with a BABIP over .400 and a strand rate at nearly 50%. Those numbers are comically high and are destined to come down. His splitter has been a weapon – racking up the whiffs, just as it has been throughout his career. The Giants’ lefty is a perfect addition to any roster and won’t be available for long.
ERA
I never like to put a relief pitcher here but A.J. Minter has been downright masterful. He just gave up his first earned run since April 24th and has been a strikeout machine on the bump. His ERA sits at 1.26 for the season and his K-rate is a mind-blowing 35.2%. Minter registered an ERA south of 1.00 in 2020 and has shown other stretches of utter dominance in the past. He’s up to nearly 30 innings on the year and while he won’t earn you more than a handful of wins and possibly a save or two, Minter will help bring down those lofty ERA and WHIP totals.
WHIP
Ross Stripling (SP/RP – TOR): 30%
When the news broke that Hyun Jin Ryu needed surgery there was a rush to add Stripling. Going through a major overhaul in pitch selection this season, the ex-Dodger has been very productive maintaining a low 1.07 WHIP. Still available in two-thirds of leagues, Stripling is an excellent candidate to help lower your numbers. He’s only given up three homers all season all to go along with just 10 walks allowed over 46.2 innings.
Stripling made the simple change of throwing his least productive offerings less while throwing his better ones more. The Blue Jays have benefited greatly as they are 10-6 in games he has pitched in. He ran into a buzz saw that is the Yankees in Yankee Stadium on Friday but still managed to keep his team in the game (and then the bullpen got destroyed). He should be useful going forward, just sit him in matchups against the top offensive teams.
Wins
German Marquez?! I know, just hear me out on this one. After an atrocious start to the season, things are finally starting to go Marquez’s way. He’s coming off of back-to-back wins against tough division rivals in the Padres and Giants. And in his latest start on June 12th (I’m writing this as he warms up to pitch against the Padres again Saturday night), he shut down a lineup that had been extremely hot and did so without issuing a single walk.
Marquez’s HR/FB rate has been extremely high all season. His career average is a full 4% lower than what he’s allowed. He’s also been hurt by a high BABIP rate and a low strand rate. Obviously, pitchers who have been shelled are usually met with a bit of bad luck, but considering most of the high numbers are career worsts for Marquez, you have to figure it’ll eventually level out. His ground ball rate has been right around his career norm at 50% and while his K’s are slightly down so are his walks. Marquez’s xERA (expected ERA) is nearly 1.5 points lower than his actual one and his fastball velocity is the same as it’s been in years past. He even reached 100 in yesterday’s start.
The Rockies’ ace is squaring off against the Twins in a road matchup (where he’s pitched much better) on Friday and I love his chances at earning another win. Minnesota will counter with Dylan Bundy, who has been awful of late and who the Rockies offense should have no problem teeing off against. Take a chance on the once productive Marquez and hope for the quality outings to continue.
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Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.