Going through the comment section of this Yahoo! article that leads off discussing the awesomeness of the last start from Mike Fiers and to look for questions to answer within the comment section. One comment I see is as follows:
"hey guys, kind of unrelated but i was wondering if i should pick Mauer
up for Perez and Avisal garcia for wong? I could also pick mauer up and
drop wong because its my UTIL spot i need to fill. Thanks alot."
Lets break this down into a couple sections:
Who has more value, Joe Mauer or Salvador Perez (assuming his injury issue is not serious?
While Mauer has not had that great of a season, his numbers are somewhat deflated due to lower than usual BABIP & HR/FB rate. Even with those factored in, he's not the star he used to be as he comes in at #100 in my rankings. With Mauer, his average his projected to be at .288 with the possibility of low double digit home run totals.
#100 may not be that bad but I have Perez ranked higher coming in at #54. My projections give him a slight edge in average (.292), 20+ homer power if things break right (19) and an advantage of playing for a better team (Royals vs. Twins) which means more opportunities to score & drive in runs. Bottom line, if your going between these choices, your better off with Perez.
Who has more value Avisail Garcia or Kolten Wong?
Avisail Garcia has recently returned from injury and provided some decent returns hitting a couple of home runs and hitting .300. His ranking is at 248 but this is primarily due to an extremely limited amount of plate appearances (45) so far this year and should get better as he gets a large sample of performance data.
While he has performed better than what I think based off of BABIP & HR/FB rate results, there is at least some value .270 projected average and 15-20 home run power. Currently I have Kolten Wong ranked 95th. While his average (.275) & home run projections (15) are similar to Garcia, his value is driven up by having 30+ steal potential and playing a position (second base) where productive players are more scarce, thus the person with Kolten Wong would get the upper hand of this trade and I would also advise against anyone dropping him to pick up Joe Mauer.
Showing posts with label Kolten Wong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kolten Wong. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Friday, August 8, 2014
Trendy Waiver Wire Pick Ups: 8/8/14
Dustin Ackley:
Currently owned in 26% of Yahoo! leagues but is seeing his fantasy value go up after homering for the second consecutive game.
Ackley came to the majors with high expectations and the question to ask is whether this is the time that he cashes in on them? While he has been an improved player and his recent surge has helped him move up my rankings (205th to 177th), the only thing that would make him worth consideration is the second base eligibility.
His BABIP is right in line with his career totals, so his .257 batting average is in line with what I think he'll do but i'm not sold on his power (able to break into double digits but not much beyond that) and only the occasional stolen base. He could be the key to the Mariners getting back to the playoffs for first time since 2001 but this is far from guarantee.
Javier Baez:
Currently owned in 57% of leagues. If your gonna get your first crack at major league pitching, it doesn't hurt to have that come against the Rockies at Coors Field. While people have been rushing to pick him up over the last few days, the only thing that appears to be able to slow this down is the diminishing amount of leagues that he is available in. The only question is how many home runs does he hit down the stretch and how many fantasy leagues does he help determine the outcome of ?
Brandon McCarthy:
Currently owned in 32% of leagues. The question that is raised with him is which performance from this year is closer to his ability. His struggles earlier this year in Arizona or the resurgence he has enjoyed since being traded to the Yankees?
The answer, as always is somewhere between those two extremes. His ERA does project out to 3.49 which isn't bad since he's been pitching in a couple hitter-friendly ballparks for his home games this year. Still, he's worth picking up to see how long his hot streak lasts and for any road starts where he actually gets to pitch in a pitcher friendly ballpark.
Currently, I have him ranked 48th (out of 107 starters). He's an option worth considering, but not necessarily a no-brainer.
Kolten Wong:
Currently owned in 37% of leagues. Even with recent strong play and the accompanying uptick in ownership, I still think he is under-rated and probably contribute a lot towards either preventing or making it very difficult for the Brewers to make the playoffs (boo).
Putting personal feelings aside, his value is very strong for someone that is available in 63% of leagues. I have him ranked as a top-100 player (85), and project him out to be a .280 hitter. Alongside that, I think he'd hit about 18 homers over a full season (not bad for second base) and might even provide 40 steals. He's definitely a substantial upgrade for any fantasy roster.
Chris Carter:
Currently owned in 57% of leagues. Chris Carter's performance is the equivalent of high stakes gambling in that he is just as likely to have a multi-homer game as he is to sabotage your batting average and strike out four times in a game.
Last night, he struck gold and hit a couple of home runs. This home run outburst from last night has helped his stock as he has moved from 100th to 71st in the batter rankings. Considering the Astros get their next series at home against a couple of sub-standard pitching staffs (Rangers, Twins), he is definitely worth picking up in both standard & daily formats.
All numbers/information referenced found on either fangraphs.com or Yahoo! Fantasy
Currently owned in 26% of Yahoo! leagues but is seeing his fantasy value go up after homering for the second consecutive game.
Ackley came to the majors with high expectations and the question to ask is whether this is the time that he cashes in on them? While he has been an improved player and his recent surge has helped him move up my rankings (205th to 177th), the only thing that would make him worth consideration is the second base eligibility.
His BABIP is right in line with his career totals, so his .257 batting average is in line with what I think he'll do but i'm not sold on his power (able to break into double digits but not much beyond that) and only the occasional stolen base. He could be the key to the Mariners getting back to the playoffs for first time since 2001 but this is far from guarantee.
Javier Baez:
Currently owned in 57% of leagues. If your gonna get your first crack at major league pitching, it doesn't hurt to have that come against the Rockies at Coors Field. While people have been rushing to pick him up over the last few days, the only thing that appears to be able to slow this down is the diminishing amount of leagues that he is available in. The only question is how many home runs does he hit down the stretch and how many fantasy leagues does he help determine the outcome of ?
Brandon McCarthy:
Currently owned in 32% of leagues. The question that is raised with him is which performance from this year is closer to his ability. His struggles earlier this year in Arizona or the resurgence he has enjoyed since being traded to the Yankees?
The answer, as always is somewhere between those two extremes. His ERA does project out to 3.49 which isn't bad since he's been pitching in a couple hitter-friendly ballparks for his home games this year. Still, he's worth picking up to see how long his hot streak lasts and for any road starts where he actually gets to pitch in a pitcher friendly ballpark.
Currently, I have him ranked 48th (out of 107 starters). He's an option worth considering, but not necessarily a no-brainer.
Kolten Wong:
Currently owned in 37% of leagues. Even with recent strong play and the accompanying uptick in ownership, I still think he is under-rated and probably contribute a lot towards either preventing or making it very difficult for the Brewers to make the playoffs (boo).
Putting personal feelings aside, his value is very strong for someone that is available in 63% of leagues. I have him ranked as a top-100 player (85), and project him out to be a .280 hitter. Alongside that, I think he'd hit about 18 homers over a full season (not bad for second base) and might even provide 40 steals. He's definitely a substantial upgrade for any fantasy roster.
Chris Carter:
Currently owned in 57% of leagues. Chris Carter's performance is the equivalent of high stakes gambling in that he is just as likely to have a multi-homer game as he is to sabotage your batting average and strike out four times in a game.
Last night, he struck gold and hit a couple of home runs. This home run outburst from last night has helped his stock as he has moved from 100th to 71st in the batter rankings. Considering the Astros get their next series at home against a couple of sub-standard pitching staffs (Rangers, Twins), he is definitely worth picking up in both standard & daily formats.
All numbers/information referenced found on either fangraphs.com or Yahoo! Fantasy
Monday, July 21, 2014
Waiver Wired: Around the Lineup 7/21
A quick look at some players that are trendy waiver wire acquisitions today and whether or not they are worth a look:
Catcher:
Stephen Vogt
Current Rank: 117
Current Score: 47.8
Vogt's strong season continues as he had 3 hits in Sunday's win over Baltimore. Vogt is currently raking at a .364 average. (fueled by a .386 BABIP). Even after regression, he's still a solid bet at batting average .283. He wasn't in this weeks rankings as he only has 126 plate appearances this year. Looking at the data, I think he would project out to the following over a full season.
.283 63R, 19 HR, 83 RBI, 4 SB
This projects out to a score of 47.8 which would rank him 117. While Vogt keeping his average at .364 is extremely unlikely, even after pulling the BABIP covers, there is a player with enough value at the Catcher position to justify picking up.
Verdict: Buy
First Base:
Brock Holt
Current Rank: 209
Current Score: 38.3
Also available/eligible at third base & outfield. The majority of his value so far has been at batting average (which is being help up by a .392 BABIP). While the BABIP is making his numbers look better (like Vogt), unlike Vogt i'm not sure there is enough value when this area holds off.
Assuming his skill set includes a BABIP of around .300, his actual future average would be divided by 1.3, which gives us an average of .250 with single digit home runs and maybe double figures in steals.
Verdict: Sell
Kolten Wong
Current Rank: 59
Current Score: 55.1
While the home run power has cooled off, his bat has not as he had a very strong weekend series against the Dodgers. Even though this hot streak has moved his average up (at .251 after this weekend), this number is still artificially being held back due to a still below average BABIP.
Going forward, I think he can provide a batting average around .287, possible double digit home runs power and possibly 35-40 steals. Yet, he's only owned in 38% of leagues in Yahoo, better get him while you can.
Verdict: Buy
Third Base:
Chris Coghlan
Current Rank: 169
Current Score: 42.1
Another player who thus far has followed up a strong end of the first-half with a solid showing in the second half of the season as he got a couple of hits in Sunday's lost to Arizona. If given the chance to play full time for a year, I could see him breaking into double digits for homers and steals but he projects closer to a .255 hitter (versus his current .278 average).
Verdict: Sell
Shortstop:
J.J Hardy
Current Rank: 253
Current Score: 34.2
If Baltimore is going to hold onto first place, they will need to get more power contributions from Hardy in the second half (like they got on Saturday against Oakland.
Even though his power was non-existent in the first-half, he was lucky in getting hits as his BABIP (.330) is significantly higher than his career total (.277). Even though I like Hardy as a player (I even have his bobble head doll) i'm not sold on the average staying up (i'm thinking this is closer to .236 going forward).
The question is whether he can return to the 25-30 homer/season form he has shown in the past. So far this year his HR/FB rate has been 3.6% (compared to his 10.9% career total).
While adjusting for this helps his home run projection a little bit (taking it from 13 to 19), he still ranks very lowly on the Zeplen Dean system. He could be of use if you really, really need the power but his 2014 BABIP compared to his career BABIP indicates that he could hurt owners in the batting average category.
Verdict: Sell
Outfield:
Carlos Beltran:
Current Rank: 84
Current Score: 51
Beltran's value is down due to injuries, age and a .228 BABIP which has dragged his average down to .222 and made this season's performance look worse than it actually is.
He did break into double figures for home runs the other day. Despite being a brand-name player and playing the Yankees, the issues in the aforementioned paragraph have his ownership rate at 62%. If he's still available ( and stays healthy) he could be a valuable upgrade for fantasy owners in the second half.
If his BABIP returns to normal levels for him, I could see the batting average come in at .288. Over the course of a full (healthy) season, I think he's still capable of hitting 25 homers per year.
Verdict: Buy
Austin Jackson:
Current Rank: 133
Current Score: 45.5
Jackson had a strong weekend, getting six hits in the Tigers series against the Indians. While his BABIP this year seems high (.328) this is actually well below his career total in this area (.356). Putting this into consideration, I think he is closer to a .286 hitter but with limited value in power (8 projected home runs) and modest speed (16 steals). While his performance is not off the charts bad, there's nothing to indicate that he's going to have any performance upside (like Carlos Beltran) has as we head into the second half.
Verdict: Sell
Torii Hunter:
Current Rank: 16
Current Score: 66.7
Currently owned in 69% of leagues but still the 7th most added outfielder in Yahoo today (as of 12:37 PST).
He ended up ranking much higher than I expected with the way I put the numbers together. This is probably a mixture of me needing to tweak the numbers and also BABIP fueled metrics. Coming into today, he has a .283 BABIP (.309 career) and comes in with a .275 batting average.
Factoring out for this, his batting average could come in closer to .318 while maintaining very solid pop in his bat (13 homers so far this year/23 over a full year projected by the Zeplen Dean System.
Verdict: Buy
All research for this posting done through Yahoo! Fantasy & Fangraphs.com
Catcher:
Stephen Vogt
Current Rank: 117
Current Score: 47.8
Vogt's strong season continues as he had 3 hits in Sunday's win over Baltimore. Vogt is currently raking at a .364 average. (fueled by a .386 BABIP). Even after regression, he's still a solid bet at batting average .283. He wasn't in this weeks rankings as he only has 126 plate appearances this year. Looking at the data, I think he would project out to the following over a full season.
.283 63R, 19 HR, 83 RBI, 4 SB
This projects out to a score of 47.8 which would rank him 117. While Vogt keeping his average at .364 is extremely unlikely, even after pulling the BABIP covers, there is a player with enough value at the Catcher position to justify picking up.
Verdict: Buy
First Base:
Brock Holt
Current Rank: 209
Current Score: 38.3
Also available/eligible at third base & outfield. The majority of his value so far has been at batting average (which is being help up by a .392 BABIP). While the BABIP is making his numbers look better (like Vogt), unlike Vogt i'm not sure there is enough value when this area holds off.
Assuming his skill set includes a BABIP of around .300, his actual future average would be divided by 1.3, which gives us an average of .250 with single digit home runs and maybe double figures in steals.
Verdict: Sell
Kolten Wong
Current Rank: 59
Current Score: 55.1
While the home run power has cooled off, his bat has not as he had a very strong weekend series against the Dodgers. Even though this hot streak has moved his average up (at .251 after this weekend), this number is still artificially being held back due to a still below average BABIP.
Going forward, I think he can provide a batting average around .287, possible double digit home runs power and possibly 35-40 steals. Yet, he's only owned in 38% of leagues in Yahoo, better get him while you can.
Verdict: Buy
Third Base:
Chris Coghlan
Current Rank: 169
Current Score: 42.1
Another player who thus far has followed up a strong end of the first-half with a solid showing in the second half of the season as he got a couple of hits in Sunday's lost to Arizona. If given the chance to play full time for a year, I could see him breaking into double digits for homers and steals but he projects closer to a .255 hitter (versus his current .278 average).
Verdict: Sell
Shortstop:
J.J Hardy
Current Rank: 253
Current Score: 34.2
If Baltimore is going to hold onto first place, they will need to get more power contributions from Hardy in the second half (like they got on Saturday against Oakland.
Even though his power was non-existent in the first-half, he was lucky in getting hits as his BABIP (.330) is significantly higher than his career total (.277). Even though I like Hardy as a player (I even have his bobble head doll) i'm not sold on the average staying up (i'm thinking this is closer to .236 going forward).
The question is whether he can return to the 25-30 homer/season form he has shown in the past. So far this year his HR/FB rate has been 3.6% (compared to his 10.9% career total).
While adjusting for this helps his home run projection a little bit (taking it from 13 to 19), he still ranks very lowly on the Zeplen Dean system. He could be of use if you really, really need the power but his 2014 BABIP compared to his career BABIP indicates that he could hurt owners in the batting average category.
Verdict: Sell
Outfield:
Carlos Beltran:
Current Rank: 84
Current Score: 51
Beltran's value is down due to injuries, age and a .228 BABIP which has dragged his average down to .222 and made this season's performance look worse than it actually is.
He did break into double figures for home runs the other day. Despite being a brand-name player and playing the Yankees, the issues in the aforementioned paragraph have his ownership rate at 62%. If he's still available ( and stays healthy) he could be a valuable upgrade for fantasy owners in the second half.
If his BABIP returns to normal levels for him, I could see the batting average come in at .288. Over the course of a full (healthy) season, I think he's still capable of hitting 25 homers per year.
Verdict: Buy
Austin Jackson:
Current Rank: 133
Current Score: 45.5
Jackson had a strong weekend, getting six hits in the Tigers series against the Indians. While his BABIP this year seems high (.328) this is actually well below his career total in this area (.356). Putting this into consideration, I think he is closer to a .286 hitter but with limited value in power (8 projected home runs) and modest speed (16 steals). While his performance is not off the charts bad, there's nothing to indicate that he's going to have any performance upside (like Carlos Beltran) has as we head into the second half.
Verdict: Sell
Torii Hunter:
Current Rank: 16
Current Score: 66.7
Currently owned in 69% of leagues but still the 7th most added outfielder in Yahoo today (as of 12:37 PST).
He ended up ranking much higher than I expected with the way I put the numbers together. This is probably a mixture of me needing to tweak the numbers and also BABIP fueled metrics. Coming into today, he has a .283 BABIP (.309 career) and comes in with a .275 batting average.
Factoring out for this, his batting average could come in closer to .318 while maintaining very solid pop in his bat (13 homers so far this year/23 over a full year projected by the Zeplen Dean System.
Verdict: Buy
All research for this posting done through Yahoo! Fantasy & Fangraphs.com
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Musings, Ramblings & Other Stuff: Kolten Wong
Kolten Wong:
Gone on an absolute tear. Headed into the all-star break he had hits in six consecutive games (with four homers during this same stretch with two of these coming against the Brewers (grrrh).
What's His Zeplen Dean Score:
56.20
This total places him right below Joey Votto and right above Anthony Rendon. His average/OBP numbers are pretty uninspiring .242/.299 but this primarily is dragged down by a .248 BABIP. My instinct is that he is too fast of a runner for his BABIP and thus is average to stay that low for an extended period of time.
Adjusting for this, I think his average going forward will likely be in the .290 range. His projection over 650 plate appearances in the Zeplen Dean system is as follows:
.293/.350/..393 70R 17 HR 68 RBI 38 SB
Last year, (including the minors) he had 525 plate appearances, adjusting for this, i'm thinking Wong's final numbers would be along the lines of:
.293, 56 R, 14 HR, 55 RBI, 31 SB
Analysis:
While his perceived value is a bit inflated due to his recent power surge, in some ways I think his value is under-rated due to a batting average that is being suppressed by BABIP. Based on a combination of this improving at some point, a consistent source of stolen bases and the occasional home run, I think Wong will produce plenty of value for fantasy owners looking to upgrade at second base while also making me nervous at the same time as he's inevitably going to make clutch plays that will increase the challenge of the Brewers mission to hold of the Cardinals (along with the Pirates & Reds) for the NL Central crown.
Information, Numbers referenced found on fangraphs.com
Gone on an absolute tear. Headed into the all-star break he had hits in six consecutive games (with four homers during this same stretch with two of these coming against the Brewers (grrrh).
What's His Zeplen Dean Score:
56.20
This total places him right below Joey Votto and right above Anthony Rendon. His average/OBP numbers are pretty uninspiring .242/.299 but this primarily is dragged down by a .248 BABIP. My instinct is that he is too fast of a runner for his BABIP and thus is average to stay that low for an extended period of time.
Adjusting for this, I think his average going forward will likely be in the .290 range. His projection over 650 plate appearances in the Zeplen Dean system is as follows:
.293/.350/..393 70R 17 HR 68 RBI 38 SB
Last year, (including the minors) he had 525 plate appearances, adjusting for this, i'm thinking Wong's final numbers would be along the lines of:
.293, 56 R, 14 HR, 55 RBI, 31 SB
Analysis:
While his perceived value is a bit inflated due to his recent power surge, in some ways I think his value is under-rated due to a batting average that is being suppressed by BABIP. Based on a combination of this improving at some point, a consistent source of stolen bases and the occasional home run, I think Wong will produce plenty of value for fantasy owners looking to upgrade at second base while also making me nervous at the same time as he's inevitably going to make clutch plays that will increase the challenge of the Brewers mission to hold of the Cardinals (along with the Pirates & Reds) for the NL Central crown.
Information, Numbers referenced found on fangraphs.com
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Likely Available Waiver Wire Talent: Anthony Rendon, Kelly Johnson, Omar Infante, Kolten Wong, Emilio Bonifacio
Anthony Rendon (44% Ownership)
Rendon was the #6 overall pick in the 2011 draft and got his first taste of major league action in 2013. During his 98 games, he showed he can handle major league pitching but didn't put up superstar numbers .265/.329/.396 99 OPS+ 7 hrs.
He's one of those players that is capable of doing more. He was listed as a top 30 prospect in 2012 & 2013 and only played in 79 minor league games before going to the bigs. He basically crushed minor league pitching to the tune of .939 OPS.
Part of this seems to be helped by a discerning eye as he drew 55 walks in 326 minor league plate appearances. While I think his OBP is going to be strong, i'm not sure he's necessarily going to help owners from the batting average side. I do think he will hit for some more power in 2014 and approach the 15 home run mark.
Kelly Johnson (43% Ownership)
If Johnson is going to provide value, it's going to be from the home run side. It seems like its between Kelly Johnson & Brian Roberts in who's going to fill up the second base spot and do their best to replace Robinson Cano so it would be helpful to monitor how that competition goes in spring training.
Assuming Johnson gets a regular stream of plate appearances in 2014, he could be an inexpensive source of power. I don't think he's ever going to help on the batting average side but with a proven track record of about 15 homers per year, plus being a left hand hitter combined with that short right field porch at Yankee stadium, 25 to 30 homers isn't out of the question if things break right.
Even if he falls short of that, he's still going to do better than his top comparable through age 31, Bill Hall. He played 7 games in his age 32 season (2012) and his career seems to be done after a promising couple of seasons in 2005 & 2006.
Omar Infante (34% Ownership)
Infante is going to be starting on a 4 year/$30 million deal with the Royals. Over the last few years he's been an average to slightly below average hitter. He provides decent returns in batting average and may even throw in about a dozen homers if things break right. Out of players that may be available, he's one of the more consistent but not necessarily spectacular options out there.
Through age 31, his most similar player is Jimmy Dykes. Dykes had a solid age 32 season .327/.412/.539, I don't see Infante putting numbers up that high (especially on the slugging percentage but he could still have a few decent if not spectacular seasons ahead of him.
Kolten Wong (15% Ownership)
The one thing that Wong could be relied upon if he gets regular playing time is helping in the stolen base category as he can run and run very fast. The main question is whether he can figure out major league pitching (he had a 3 OPS+ in 62 plate appearances) and a base running blunder that ended a World Series game.
Still, that's a small performance sample size, he's only 23, he's a top 100 prospect and the Cardinals (frustratingly) know what they are doing. He's had respectable offensive numbers in the minors (.811 OPS in 280 games). If he ends up getting regular playing time, I think he'll struggle some this year but he's definitely a better hitter than his sample size from last year indicates. If you need some stolen base help and can take potential hits in average and power, he may be a viable option.
Emilio Bonifacio (10% Ownership)
The question for the Cubs is whether they are willing to give Bonifacio and his career 79 OPS+ anything resembling regular playing time. The question for fantasy owners is whether a possible 30 or so stolen bases makes up for the fact that he's an otherwise underwhelming player on offense.
His most similar player through age 28 is Alan Bannister. In his age 29 season, he had 250 plate appearances and didn't play very well in those (.641 OPS/86 OPS+). For this year, I would be surprised if Bonifacio kept a regular starting gig throught the season. If your looking for some stolen bases but willing to take a hit in performance you'd be better off taking a risk with someone with more upside such as Kolten Wong.
All numbers, comparisons, etc. found on baseball-reference.com
Rendon was the #6 overall pick in the 2011 draft and got his first taste of major league action in 2013. During his 98 games, he showed he can handle major league pitching but didn't put up superstar numbers .265/.329/.396 99 OPS+ 7 hrs.
He's one of those players that is capable of doing more. He was listed as a top 30 prospect in 2012 & 2013 and only played in 79 minor league games before going to the bigs. He basically crushed minor league pitching to the tune of .939 OPS.
Part of this seems to be helped by a discerning eye as he drew 55 walks in 326 minor league plate appearances. While I think his OBP is going to be strong, i'm not sure he's necessarily going to help owners from the batting average side. I do think he will hit for some more power in 2014 and approach the 15 home run mark.
Kelly Johnson (43% Ownership)
If Johnson is going to provide value, it's going to be from the home run side. It seems like its between Kelly Johnson & Brian Roberts in who's going to fill up the second base spot and do their best to replace Robinson Cano so it would be helpful to monitor how that competition goes in spring training.
Assuming Johnson gets a regular stream of plate appearances in 2014, he could be an inexpensive source of power. I don't think he's ever going to help on the batting average side but with a proven track record of about 15 homers per year, plus being a left hand hitter combined with that short right field porch at Yankee stadium, 25 to 30 homers isn't out of the question if things break right.
Even if he falls short of that, he's still going to do better than his top comparable through age 31, Bill Hall. He played 7 games in his age 32 season (2012) and his career seems to be done after a promising couple of seasons in 2005 & 2006.
Omar Infante (34% Ownership)
Infante is going to be starting on a 4 year/$30 million deal with the Royals. Over the last few years he's been an average to slightly below average hitter. He provides decent returns in batting average and may even throw in about a dozen homers if things break right. Out of players that may be available, he's one of the more consistent but not necessarily spectacular options out there.
Through age 31, his most similar player is Jimmy Dykes. Dykes had a solid age 32 season .327/.412/.539, I don't see Infante putting numbers up that high (especially on the slugging percentage but he could still have a few decent if not spectacular seasons ahead of him.
Kolten Wong (15% Ownership)
The one thing that Wong could be relied upon if he gets regular playing time is helping in the stolen base category as he can run and run very fast. The main question is whether he can figure out major league pitching (he had a 3 OPS+ in 62 plate appearances) and a base running blunder that ended a World Series game.
Still, that's a small performance sample size, he's only 23, he's a top 100 prospect and the Cardinals (frustratingly) know what they are doing. He's had respectable offensive numbers in the minors (.811 OPS in 280 games). If he ends up getting regular playing time, I think he'll struggle some this year but he's definitely a better hitter than his sample size from last year indicates. If you need some stolen base help and can take potential hits in average and power, he may be a viable option.
Emilio Bonifacio (10% Ownership)
The question for the Cubs is whether they are willing to give Bonifacio and his career 79 OPS+ anything resembling regular playing time. The question for fantasy owners is whether a possible 30 or so stolen bases makes up for the fact that he's an otherwise underwhelming player on offense.
His most similar player through age 28 is Alan Bannister. In his age 29 season, he had 250 plate appearances and didn't play very well in those (.641 OPS/86 OPS+). For this year, I would be surprised if Bonifacio kept a regular starting gig throught the season. If your looking for some stolen bases but willing to take a hit in performance you'd be better off taking a risk with someone with more upside such as Kolten Wong.
All numbers, comparisons, etc. found on baseball-reference.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)