It’s a tale of two cities. Two pitchers, actually. Los Angeles. San Francisco – with a stopover in Phoenix. Clayton Kershaw. Madison Bumgarner.
These two lefties have been among the best pitchers in baseball over the past 15 years and have had a very eventful last week. Though in polar opposite directions. Kershaw debuted in 2008, and Bumgarner a year later. Kershaw has the individual hardware advantage, with three Cy Young Awards and an MVP – even a pitcher’s Triple Crown. Bumgarner has three World Series rings, to Kershaw’s one. Both have anchored not only their Major League staffs, but fantasy teams.
They locked horns 12 times over the years, the most recent being a 10-1 Dodger victory on April 1. Kershaw fired six innings of one-run ball, striking out nine. Bumgarner was thrashed for five runs in four innings that night, which was foretelling things to come.
Back to this week, Kershaw was masterful in tossing seven shutout innings, allowing three hits, and punching out nine against a streaking Mets team on April 18. That marked his 200th career win, just the sixth pitcher to hit that illustrious mark before losing 100 games. The other five pitchers, most recently Pedro Martinez, are in the Hall of Fame. Kershaw will join them one day.
Bumgarner has had a different week. After that rough start in LA, he dropped to 0-3 with a 10.46 ERA and was designated for assignment on April 20. This is not to in any way denigrate Bumgarner’s greatness, as he will forever be considered one of the best postseason pitchers ever. It’s more to show how greatness can be fleeting, and when someone sustains it like Kershaw, it needs to be appreciated like a masterpiece in the Louvre. Call it the Statue of Kershaw.
There’s no easy way to segue into Deep Sleepers from that, so I’m not even going to try. Here’s a look at players with FantasyPros ECR greater than 200. Several of these hidden gems are way over 200 and can help fantasy teams either immediately or later this year.
Deep Sleepers & Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 4 (2023 Fantasy Baseball)
Andres Munoz (SEA – RP) | ECR: 212
This is a bench stash for when he’s healthy, as Andres Munoz is on the IL with a sore shoulder. That’s a byproduct of flamethrowers who regularly hit triple digits. Munoz is in the Mariners’ closer mix with Paul Sewald, though coming off a season with 96 Ks in 65 innings, the young right-hander is more the prototypical closer. If you have an IL spot, Munoz is someone to stash, as he’s begun to throw. It could be weeks, but with patience could be the reward of finding a saves player for the latter portion of the season.
Harold Ramirez (TB – 1B/OF) | ECR: 348
A player usually batting fifth in a Rays lineup that is one of the best in the Majors, yet they’re still available in 78 percent of Yahoo leagues? It’s true. Harold Ramirez is breaking out at age 28 with a .354 average and 1.008 OPS, banging out three homers. He’s started 14 of 19 games, so he’s more of a factor in daily leagues. But when he’s in there, he’s produced.
Victor Robles (WAS – OF) | ECR: 349
A few weeks shy of turning 26, is Victor Robles finally rewarding those who have been patient with him? He teased the fantasy baseball community by hitting 17 homers and stealing 28 bags in 2019 but has been a big letdown ever since. His six walks are close to the eight strikeouts he has registered thus far this season. Robles has mostly hit either eighth or ninth, but if he maintains the .288 average and 9.7% walk rate, he’ll rise up in the lineup for a Nationals team that won’t have much to play for this season.
Brett Baty (NYM – 3B) | ECR: 354
The young third baseman got the call to the big leagues on Monday and delivered an RBI single against the Dodgers. He doesn’t appear to have anything left to prove in the Minors, as he destroyed AAA with five homers in nine games, sporting a ridiculous 1.386 OPS in that small sample size. With Eduardo Escobar hitting a paltry .145, Brett Baty could take over the job for good with a hot start in the Majors.
MacKenzie Gore (WAS – SP) | ECR: 381
The lefty was one of the most ballyhooed prospects in baseball from the time he was drafted out of a North Carolina high school with the third-overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft. Because he did not dominate in his debut in 2022 and was traded from San Diego to Washington in the Juan Soto deal, it was almost forgotten that he’s still only 24.
Mackenzie Gore shined at mile-high elevation in Colorado during his second start this year, tossing six innings with an equal number of strikeouts and allowing two runs. That put him on the radar for this feature. Gore has 25 strikeouts in 21 innings and has allowed 14 walks over that span. That does raise an eyebrow, but the stuff is there. His ERA is a respectable 3.43. Still, if you can sacrifice wins, the other numbers could help in fantasy.
Mason Miller (OAK – SP) | ECR: N/A
The No. 3 Oakland prospect, according to MLB.com, Mason Miller is purely projection but fun if you like burly flame throwers. The 6-5, 200-pound right-hander made his big league debut on April 19 with 4.1 innings and five strikeouts. He reached 102 MPH in that game. This came on the heels of throwing just 28.2 Minor League innings, though he did strike out 53 hitters in those frames. He may be a short-term pitcher, often being pulled after five innings as he builds up innings. But the Ks could pile up in the process on an A’s team that could use any upbeat news.
Whether you’re new to fantasy baseball or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Baseball 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with our Sabermetrics Glossary or head to a more advanced strategy – like Maximizing Your Potential in Multi-Lineup Contests – to learn more.
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