We have made it through another week of the MLB season and have some early results to overreact to. Based on their recent performances and a full-season outlook, I will break down some players to buy or sell in the coming weeks. Some are just hot streaks, and some are worth buying into, so we are here to help make the right decisions for your fantasy teams.
Let’s look at a handful of players you should buy high or sell low after Week 5.
Fantasy Baseball Players to Buy High & Sell Low
Buy High
Jeremy Pena (SS – HOU)
It seemed that Jeremy Pena was one of the better draft-day values at the shortstop position, and so far, he has backed that claim up. Pena hit safely in all six games this past week with a .333 batting average and three home runs. He was barreling the ball 15.8% of the time with a 42.1% hard-hit rate. Pena raised his batting average to .241 on the season and now has six home runs to go with six stolen bases. Pena brings legit 20/20 appeal at the shortstop position while also hitting near the top of the Astros lineup while Jose Altuve is on the IL.
Matt Chapman (3B – TOR)
Matt Chapman had another monster week at the plate. Sure, he did not hit a home run, but he hit safely in all six games with a .450 batting average and five doubles. Even with no home runs, he was still mashing with a 31.3% barrel rate and 75% hard-hit rate. The most impressive thing this past week with Chapman was a 16% walk rate while only striking out 16% of the time. Chapman is now hitting .284 with five home runs and 21 RBI and may be amid a breakout season in Toronto.
Jorge Mateo (SS – BAL)
I keep waiting for Jorge Mateo to have a down week, and he obviously will at some point. But for now, he keeps mashing and has become one of the best players in fantasy so far. This past week, he hit safely in all six games for a .318 batting average with three home runs and two stolen bases. More impressively was Mateo’s plate discipline, as he only struck out 8.7% of the time. As a result, Mateo is now hitting .347 with six home runs, 10 stolen bases and a 14.8% strikeout rate.
Nathan Eovaldi (SP – TEX)
Nathan Eovaldi is having an excellent season, and it took off this past week. He made two starts, including a CGSO versus the Yankees with eight strikeouts and a six-inning quality start versus the Reds in Great American Small Park with seven strikeouts. Eovaldi now has a 3.93 ERA and 3.17 xFIP with a 23.1% K-BB. Additionally, Eovaldi is walking less than 4% of the batters he’s faced as he’s looking for a strong versus season in Texas.
Josiah Gray (SP – WAS)
I was having a hard time buying into the early success of Josiah Gray, but after this week’s two-step, I am on board with the improved Gray. He has completely changed his pitch mix, throwing fewer fastballs and more offspeed pitches. This past week he faced the Mets and Pirates, throwing six innings in each start while allowing one earned run and striking out 15. Gray now has a 2.67 ERA and 4.72 xFIP with a 22% strikeout rate. He still walks nearly 10% of the batters he faces, which is not ideal, but his improvements have been worth trusting.
Sell Low
Jorge Soler (OF – MIA)
Jorge Soler entered last week with some expectations of a bounceback season, but those expectations were quickly squashed. Soler collected two singles with a .083 batting average. Soler struck out 30.8% of the time with a 6.3% barrel rate and 18.8% hard-hit rate. Soler is now hitting .221 on the season with five home runs and a 108 wRC+. Soler can get hot at any moment and make us forget about this week, but there will likely be too many weeks like last week, which makes him a sell for me.
Jose Abreu (1B – HOU)
The 2023 struggles for Jose Abreu continued this past week as he collected four hits and a .174 batting average. He did not walk once and struck out 17.4% of the time. Abreu’s .043 ISO, .391 OPS and one wRC+ were all dreadful. He had zero barrels to go with a 31.6% hard-hit rate. Abreu is now hitting .235 with no home runs and a .035 ISO. Abreu is underachieving in a big way and is not showing any signs of improving anytime soon.
Leody Taveras (OF – TEX)
With injuries in Texas, Leody Taveras was given an early season chance at regular playing time but has yet to take advantage of it. This past week Taveras collected two hits and a .100 batting average. He struck out 43.5% of the time with zero barrels and a 10% hard-hit rate. He is now hitting .204 on the season with no home runs and a stolen base. Playing time could dwindle quickly if Taveras does not turn things around quickly.
Kyle Bradish (SP – BAL)
Kyle Bradish has been a popular sleeper in fantasy circles, but that should begin to quiet after this past week’s two starts. He pitched a combined seven innings versus the Tigers and Red Sox. Bradish allowed 10 runs with five walks and six strikeouts. Bradish now has a 6.14 ERA, 4.09 xFIP and 9.9% K-BB. Bradish is best left for the occasional stream at best.
Mike Clevinger (SP – CWS)
Mike Clevinger has not been a quality pitcher for some time, and this past week’s two starts were no exceptions. He faced the Rays and Jays and allowed eight runs over 10 innings. He allowed three home runs while walking four and striking out 11. Clevinger now has a 4.60 ERA and 5.64 xFIP with an 8.1% K-BB. Get Clevinger off all your teams immediately.
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