Getty Images. Pictured: Atlanta’s Austin Riley and Miami’s Jazz Chisholm.
Despite being no-hit twice each, there is still value in adding hitters from Cleveland, Seattle, and Texas. Texas has a league-average offense based on Offensive WAR and wRC+, Cleveland is slugging at a better clip than the Yankees, Padres and Mets, and Seattle has MLB’s lowest BABIP. The weather is warming up and offense should see an increase in the coming weeks.
Pick Them Up
Austin Riley – 3B/OF, Atlanta Braves
Yahoo: 60%, ESPN: 61%
There have been some ugly games and his strikeout total is not ideal, but the 24-year-old is starting to string hits together and has barely tapped into his power. His .404 BABIP is unsustainable, but he will replace some of his luck with balls leaving the park that were not earlier this season.
Jazz Chisholm, Jr. – 2B/SS, Miami Marlins
Yahoo: 79%, ESPN: 70%
He has wasted no time picking up where left off at the plate. He now has hit two 100+ mph fastballs up and in for home runs. He is one of the best young talents in the game and his play is only going to get better.
Joey Wendle – 2B/3B/SS, Tampa Bay Rays
Yahoo: 65%, ESPN: 81%
Wendle is the case where BABIP does not matter. His .352 BABIP is only 23 points higher than his career mark with more than 1,100 career at-bats over five seasons. Production will come for the veteran as he hits in the middle of the Rays’ lineup.
C.J. Cron – 1B, Colorado Rockies
Yahoo: 53%, ESPN: 54%
He spent two weeks on the injured list and returned by going 3-for-7 in his first two games back. I like him regardless of the home/road splits the Rockies are experiencing this season. Cron has not gone consecutive games without a hit since a three-game stretch from April 9-13.
Worth A Look
Brandon Crawford – SS, San Francisco Giants
Yahoo: 58%, ESPN: 55%
Another great week for the tenured shortstop. Five hits, two home runs, eight RBI and six runs scored in three games. His .303 ISO is nearly 100 points better than his career-high last season and is 156 points higher than his career average. The power will dissipate, but with the Giants are playing so well it is difficult to pass on his torrid pace if he is available.
Nate Lowe – 1B, Texas Rangers
Yahoo: 77%, ESPN: 75%
Lowe is going through one of his expected slumps. He has 14 hits in May, but only one over the past seven days. He also only has two extra-base hits this month and is in danger of seeing his slugging percentage dip below .400. Buy the dip, especially if he gets dropped in your league. Lowe is getting on base because he is walking, so he is still seeing the ball well.
Eduardo Escobar – 2B/3B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Yahoo: 69%, ESPN: 80%
Escobar has better peripherals than his stats show. The power and RBI are legit and he is doing it with an elevated strikeout rate and career-low .229 BABIP.
Miguel Rojas – SS, Miami Marlins
Yahoo: 50%, ESPN: 59%
Rojas is boring in terms of consistent production, but he hits. He has a hit in eight of his last 10 games and hit his third home run of May Thursday night. He is an average boost in a year of down hitting and is the perfect MI position player.
Short-Term Solutions
Andrew Benintendi – OF, Kansas City Royals
Yahoo: 63%, ESPN 77%
Good to see him bounce back with a strong batting average, but Kansas City has faded offensively and Benintendi was not a reason the Royals were scoring runs. It would also be nice if he were better at stealing bases (five stolen, four caught stealing).
Manuel Margot – OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Yahoo: 19%, ESPN: 36%
I had high hopes for Margot because he hits in the middle of the Rays’ order. He and the Tampa offense have been inconsistent to be nice. Margot is on a five-game hitting streak and is still only 26. Ride this wave and hope some of the production expected shows.
Austin Slater – 1B/OF, San Francisco Giants
Yahoo: 5%, ESPN 3%
Slater averages a stolen base approximately once every five times on base but he has a major issue with getting on base. Because of that, he only gets periodic starts. He has upside with the Giants playing so well.
I Am Skeptical
Kyle Seager – 3B, Seattle Mariners
Yahoo: 62%, ESPN: 74%
I want to buy the Mariners’ offensive dip including Seager, but Seager has no ceiling even with an expected bump in offense expected due to his career-worst .237 BABIP. I want other Mariners bats that have a chance to change a fantasy season. Fun fact about Seager: he has been part of nine perfect games/no-hitters in his career, tied for second-most ever.
Kyle Schwarber – OF, Washington Nationals
Yahoo: 53%, ESPN: 65%
Nice homecoming series against the Cubs, but the near 4:1 K/BB ratio is a burden for a player who historically does not hit for average.
Albert Pujols – 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Yahoo: 4%, ESPN: 5%
Good for Pujols to get playing time with the Dodgers, but do not get cute by adding the future Hall of Famer.