The All Star Break is a bizarre factor… everybody loves a while off, however it might probably actually mess along with your momentum. That always appears to be the case in real-life baseball, and a handful of gamers have regarded a bit dazed and confused now that motion has resumed. Mitch Keller and Lucas Giolito, as an example, returned from the break trying like they forgot which yr they had been pitching in and thought it was 2021 or 2022, offering their fantasy homeowners with ratio-crushing outings. I won’t do greater than watch baseball and take a look at numbers, however I’m feeling among the identical inertia. I’ve a number of groups the place I do know I must make a commerce or two, and a number of other the place I ought to be scouring the wavier wire searching for a pace or energy improve, however being in full-fledged summer time trip mode is making it onerous to pay attention. The very last thing I need, although, is to lose out on a cash spot come October due to a number of easy strikes I didn’t make in July, so I’m going to attempt to re-group this weekend and encourage you to do the identical for those who’re in an identical state of affairs. There’s a ton in baseball we are able to’t management, however no cause to not profit from the issues we are able to… and with that, let’s transfer on to some deep league names and information.
Trying over the stats for the final week, I’m realizing there have been a number of under-the-radar call-ups and/or enjoying time state of affairs adjustments whereas issues like Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s debut have dominated the fantasy baseball headlines. So this week as an alternative of a handful of participant profiles, we’ll do extra of an total check-in on a few of these conditions, focusing solely on the outfield this week, to see what’s been happening with gamers owned in 15% of CBS leagues or much less which may be price noticing for these of us in deeper leagues.
NL
For no explicit cause, we’ll begin in Milwaukee, the place the outfield state of affairs is a little bit of a large number however probably price a more in-depth look for many who’ll take what they’ll get in terms of at bats. The fitting-handed, 1% owned Tyrone Taylor got here off the IL a couple of week in the past, and whereas he’s executed nothing of curiosity apart from steal 5 bases in his 85 at bats this yr, he’s been enjoying towards lefties sufficient to be a blip on the deep league radar for now. Joey Wiemer has all of 1 homer and one steal for the month of July, however one would assume his protection will hold him within the lineup most days (although everyone knows what occurs after we assume). In the meantime, the switch-hitting, 1% owned Blake Perkins and the lefty 1% owned Raimel Tapia are nonetheless within the image; Perkins appeared to be fading down the depth chart however after a giant sport on Wednesday (beginning towards a left-hander), who is aware of. He hasn’t been hitting for common however has been drawing walks and has sneaky-good pace and a bit pop. Tapia nonetheless appears to be getting the majority of begins towards righties, although, and thus far this yr he’s been precisely the man we’ve come to know (although there could also be room for common enchancment this yr), with 3 homers and eight steals in 134 complete MLB at bats this yr. That’s not unplayable within the deepest of leagues, particularly whenever you throw in his 24 runs scored and 13 RBI. Like I stated, this can be a messy state of affairs, however one that will should be mined for these of us within the deepest finish of the fantasy pool.
Extra NL outfield fast hits: one by no means needs to foretell what the Rockies will do, however Michael Toglia (3% owned) could get a extra prolonged run of enjoying time relying on how wholesome Kris Bryant and Randall Grichuk, who’re each coping with presumable minor tweaks as I write this, are. I’ve additionally seen Grichuk’s title in commerce rumors already, so despite the fact that Toglia has not regarded like he has something to convey to the main league desk thus far, I’m not fairly able to utterly hand over on him long-term in NL-only. Whereas we’re speaking in regards to the Rockies outfield, I’ll admit I used to be stunned to see that Brenton Doyle (7% owned) is as much as not solely 6 homers, however 14 steals in his 63 video games/186 ABs. He could also be price a glance in shallower leagues if you’re actively searching for pace. In Washington, Alex Name (3% owned) is surprisingly excessive on the general 5×5 participant rater for the final couple of weeks, hitting .242 (however a .352 OBP) with 3 homers and three steals. I’ll additionally be aware that Mike Tauchman isn’t too far behind Name on that checklist; even with Cody Bellinger again, Tauchman has nonetheless been enjoying (and main off) at the very least semi-regularly. Though he hasn’t been working, he’s getting a ton of hits and walks (.310 common/.394 OBP during the last two weeks, and has 2 homers and 10 RBI in that point).
Shifting over to Philly, 22-year previous Johan Rojas (5% owned) continues to be up with the large membership with Christian Pache damage… Rojas is on the dangerous facet of an OF platoon at finest, however he’s one other man I don’t need to overlook about completely. And checking in with the Giants, 1%-owned Austin Slater has solely half the at bats (14) than Luis Matos does (28) during the last two weeks as I write this, however he’s been doing sufficient with them (.286 common, .375 OBP, and a couple of homers) to recommend that 1% quantity ought to be at the very least a tick larger whereas he’s comparatively sizzling. In Arizona, one other shallower-league, post-hype prospect be aware for people who haven’t been enjoying shut consideration: Alek Thomas (14% owned) has been enjoying a good quantity and is hitting .308 with 2 homers during the last two weeks, although he doesn’t have a single stroll throughout that point. (To not be outdone, 3% owned Dominic Canzone, who solely had 11 at bats on the yr, hit a 3-run HR whereas DHing Thursday as I wrote this… off of Spencer Strider, no much less.)
AL
Let’s begin in Oakland with what has been one of many extra jumbled OF conditions all yr, now much more jumbled with each Esteury Ruiz and Ramon Laureano (to not point out Ryan Noda) at the moment IL’d. Essentially the most fascinating factor happening right here in my view is the pops of potential we’re lastly seeing from the 7% owned JJ Bleday. He’s solely hitting .250 during the last two weeks and has struck out 13 occasions in 36 at bats throughout that point so he’s not precisely on an all star tempo proper now, however his OBP is .357 and he hit homers in again to again video games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Simply one thing to notice for these of us who utterly wiped him off our radars ages in the past, no matter league dimension. Tony Kemp (8% owned) has a 7-game hitting streak and has been making tons of contact, which exhibits you simply how horrible he’d been on condition that he’s nonetheless as much as only a .210 common. He’s lastly made it to double-digit steals on the yr although, and I discover myself turning to him each every so often in even a shallow RCL in hopes of catching some SB lightning in a bottle for a day or two when he’s main off. We additionally abruptly have the left-handed, 28-year-old, 0% owned Cody Thomas within the image. He doesn’t even seem on many OAK depth charts, however he seems on my private super-deep league depth chart just by beginning having an excellent sport on Wednesday (2 hits together with a homer), which introduced him as much as a grand complete of 14 at bats on the yr.
In Kansas Metropolis, 1% owned (and 30 yr previous) Dairon Blanco has not been superb as he’s struck out 17 occasions in 54 at bats, however he did have a giant 4-hit, 3 RBI sport on Tuesday. Of most curiosity to us fantasy people, he now has 7 steals; if he retains getting enjoying time I may see his possession rising simply as a pace seize for these in barely shallower leagues who’re flat-out determined. This outfield continues to be disappointing throughout the board, however we must always at the very least be aware that Kyle Isbel (1% owned) is enjoying fairly commonly (if not inspiringly) towards right-handers, and the 8% owned Drew Waters, who we’ve talked about lately, continues to have his occasional moments.
Shifting to Boston, I’m additionally going to offer Rob Refsnyder (additionally 1% owned) a fast shout out; there’s clearly nothing significantly fascinating about him from a fantasy perspective, however he’s nonetheless getting begins towards lefties for the Purple Sox for those who’re searching for counting stats anyplace you will get them (and he’s as much as 7 steals on the yr, at the very least). And it’s additionally time for our semi-regular extremely deep league Franchy Cordero alert; he’s again with the Yankees for the second and returned with an enormous sport towards the Angels on Monday (3 hits together with a homer). Trying on the Angels, we’ll shut with a (4% owned) Trey Cabbage shout out. He’s moved up on their OF depth chart with Jo Adell damage, and he had his first three main league hits final weekend after mashing (23 homers) in triple A this yr. He might not be a game-changer, but when he retains seeing at bats towards righties, he could have some deep-league promise over the approaching weeks.
