We have made it another week through the MLB season with some great and rough performances. This weekly column will help highlight some hot and cold players, risers, and fallers for fantasy purposes. Some players are already rostered in many places, so that trades may be in order. Other players may be widely available, making a potential waiver wire claim in the cards. So this week, Each week I will try and highlight some known and lesser-known players. So let’s see some of the risers and fallers for fantasy baseball Week 12 (6/20-6/26).
Risers
This past week was Isaac Paredes’s world, and we were just living in it. This past week Paredes hit safely in all five games with three hits in three games. Paredes had five home runs with two doubles and an impressive strikeout rate below 12%. In addition, he had a tremendous hard-hit rate of 57%, which plays well when one has a Z-contact over 90%.
Paredes has had an up-and-down go with the Rays regarding batting average, but he has always brought some power to the lineup. After Sunday, he is hitting .255 on the season with ten home runs, 17 runs scored, and 21 RBI while only striking out 15 times. For a player that hits the ball as hard as Paredes does and does not strike out much, his .203 BABIP should show some positive regression in due time. For now, as he continues to play most days, Paredes is worth an add in all 12-team and deeper leagues.
It feels so good to write something positive about Baez for once. This past week he hit safely in five of six games with six extra-base hits, three being home runs. Baez was still free swinging with an O-swing over 45%, but he only struck out three times and proved he can be very productive when he puts the ball in play. This past week, a lot of the production was thanks to a 21% barrel rate. We all know Baez can be streaky and will strike out a ton from time to time. For now, he is on a hot streak, and when he gets hot, he can put up monster numbers. Ride with Baez while you can.
First, there’s a good chance Winker will get suspended after his extracurricular activities on Sunday, but for now, let’s talk about the monster week he had. Heading into Sunday, Winker hit safely in four of five games, with multiple hits in each game. In addition, Winker hit two home runs while walking 25% of the time with a 1.569 OPS and 337 wRC+. Winker is now hitting .230 on the season with a 111 wRC+ and if he can start hitting consistently, watch out for a monster second half of the season.
While everyone is talking about Oneil Cruz, and rightfully so, the Pirates had another talented call-up this past week in Madris. He hit safely in five of six games with four doubles and a home run. Madrid even stole a base with his 1.048 OPS and 192 wRC+. Through Madris’s 46 games in the minors, he hit .304 with six home runs and a stolen base so he may be playing slightly above his skis, but it is worth looking into in deeper leagues.
A trip to the COVID IL woke up Correa’s bat, and he had a big week this past week. Correa hit safely in all six games with two home runs, a 1.045 OPS, and 199 wRC+. Since coming off the IL on the 8th, Correa is hitting .349 with four home runs. In addition, he is barreling the ball nearly 15% of the time with a 42% hard-hit rate and a 180 wRC+. Correa is finally producing more like the player the Twins paid big dollars to this offseason and is a locked-in starter in all formats.
Fallers
Many of us were excited when the Nats called up Garcia, and after a decent start, he has cooled down quite a bit. This past week he collected three total hits, two coming on Sunday. Garcia did not score a run this week, did not collect a walk, and had a negative wRC+. He is still hitting .319 on the season with two home runs, but this past week was quite the eye-opener and remembrance of the struggles Garcia showcased last season. He needs to turn things around quickly, or he will find his way back to Triple-A in no time.
Duvall appeared to be turning things around at the plate, but this past week, he quickly returned to being a fantasy drain to your rosters. Duvall collected three hits while striking out 45% of the time. Duvall had a 40% O-swing, 66% contact rate, and 18.8% SwStr, which will bury almost any hitter offensively. However, Duvall still barreled the ball around 10% of the time with a 40% hard-hit rate which is not bad but not quite Duvall standards. It is time to let Duvall go back to the waiver wire.
Varsho hit a much-needed home run on Sunday but was struggling mightily heading into today’s game. He had only three hits with zero walks and a strikeout rate of 23%. Varsho’s .372 OPS and three wRC+ are dreadful, as well as his 0.0% barrel rate. Varsho is hitting below .200 in June with two home runs and a 25 wRC+, a far cry from his excellent start to the season. He is not concerned about leaving playing time, but his production makes it much harder to start Varsho regularly in single catcher leagues.
Lowe was recalled at the start of the week and finished with hits in four straight great games, but he is still striking out far too much. Lowe struck out over 40% of the time, a continuation of his previous stint with the Rays and his time in the minors. Lowe has still hit well in Triple-A, but it has not translated yet with the Rays. I hope I regret writing this section on Lowe, but for now, I am very nervous about starting Lowe as he continues to strike out so much.
Gurriel picked up two hits on Sunday but continues to struggle overall. He hit close to .200 this past week with no home runs yet again and only one RBI. Gurriel continues to strike out far too much this past week, over 23% of the time, which is very abnormal for a player that thrives on making contact. Gurriel is now hitting .223 on the season with five home runs and an 86 wRC+, which will not cut it, even on a good offense like the Astros.
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