There’s nothing better in the world than playing catch with your dad. At least, I thought there wasn’t until last summer.
My kids were playing T-Ball for the first time and it was their introduction to the world of baseball, more or less. At the time, the twins were four-years old and looked like little baby giraffes out in the field, tripping over their teammates and throwing haphazardly all over the place. Being twins, they both have an inherent competitive streak, always wanting to be faster or better than the other. So I’ll assume they weren’t happy with their personal performances in their recent game. The two of them were scheming together in the corner of the family room and came over to me with big silly grins.
“Dad,” they said in unision, “Do you want to play catch?”
There’s nothing better in the world than playing catch with your kids.
Happy Father’s Day, Pitcher List family.
Let’s take a look at the landscape of the league and find some players to spend our FAAB on this weekend while we’re hanging out in the hammock, hoping to improve our teams at the near midway point of the season.
As a reminder, we’re focusing on players who are between 20-25% rostered in most 12-team leagues and/or 25-50% rostered in 15-teamers. Every league is different, so we won’t be labeling player bids with any sort of recommended dollar amount but instead will use a four-tier investment rating system, ranging from a minimal spend to a potential difference-maker (or LEAGUE-WINNER, if you will).
Investment Rating System
Only three teams are scheduled for a full seven-game slate from June 17-23, with the Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres each looking at a full week. And oh by the way, the Rockies are at home all seven games. Everybody else has six games, including the Los Angeles Dodgers who have a weird off day on Sunday.
SEVEN GAMES: COL, MIL, SD
Batters
Outfielders
Pete Crow-Armstrong ($$): PCA is an acquired taste. He’s not for everybody. But stolen bases are and Crow-Armstrong has gotten them by the boatload. Since June 1, Crow-Armstrong is tied for the MLB lead with six stolen bases in 12 games played, despite jitting just .129 over that span. He’s the new Dairon Blanco, except he’s getting near everyday playing time.
Ezequiel Duran ($$): If I didn’t know any better, I would say Duran has been keeping voodoo dolls of his teammates in his locker. Anyone who has appeared as a threat to his playing time has gotten injured, and the Rangers have been forced to keep Duran in the lineup. He’s eligible almost everywhere and has posted a .264 batting average so far this year. He’s not exciting, but he play everyday. There’s something to be said for consistency.
Randal Grichuk ($$): His playing time has been spotty, but he’s made the most of his opportunities this season, batting .311 so far this season with two home runs in just over 100 plate appearances. His batted ball metrics are all very good, including a 37.7% hard-contact rate. With Arizona due to face three lefties this week, he’s a sharp streaming add in deep leagues.
Mauricio Dubón ($): Until Kyle Tucker returns, it appears that Dubón is going to get everyday playing time. Shoot, he even played first base in a game this week. He makes contact at an elite level and has posted a .302 batting average this season, though with an xAVG of .269 he’s likely due for regression.
Chris Taylor/Kiké Hernández ($): The Los Angeles Dodgers are scheduled to face four left-handed starting pitchers this week, including two of them in Coors Field. There’s never been a better time to roster either of these guys.
Jake Cave ($): An everyday outfielder for the Rockies, who play at home all week.
Infielders
Spencer Horwitz ($$$): It seems like the Blue Jays jettisoned Cavan Biggio specifically to get Spencer Horwitz into their lineup every day. He’s started in every game that the Jays have faced a right-handed starter, showing elite plate discipline and contact skills in the leadoff spot. He’s looking kind of like a poor man’s Luis Arraez, which has me interested in all 15-team formats.
Blaze Alexander ($$): Though the return of Geraldo Perdomo off the IL could put a damper on his playing time, the Diamondbacks will likely face three left-handed starters this coming week, making way for Alexander to get more at-bats than usual. Alexander is batting .350 against left-handed pitching this season.
Tyler Soderstrom ($): Soderstrom is a legit power bat but has a lot of swing and miss in his game. He could pop off for three home runs in five games (like he did this past week) or he could strike out in 50% of his plate appearances (like he did in late May). With Oakland facing some homer-prone pitchers this week cough BAILEY OBER *cough** Soderstrom could provide some cheap power at the corner infield position.
Elehuris Montero ($): He’s started the last four games for the Rockies, three of them at first base. With seven home games this week, managers can get some cheap Coors Field exposure as Montero looks poised to receive 20-25 plate appearances.
Miguel Rojas ($): See “Chris Taylor/Kiké Hernández” above. Rojas has actually been the best hitter of the three so far this season and is the least-rostered.
Catchers/UT
Freddy Fermin ($): Players in two-catcher leagues should be considering Fermin as a replacement-level guy. He’s 8-for-28 (.286) over the past two weeks, spelling Salvador Perez behind the plate for the Royals. He’ll only get about half the plate appearances of an everyday player, but in deep leagues, that might be the best managers can do.
Jacob Stallings ($): Elias Díaz was just sent to the IL and the Rockies play seven games at home this week. As of Saturday, the Rockies don’t have another catcher on the 40-man roster. Of course that could change, but Stallings could get 25-30 at-bats in Coors Field this week, which is worth a pickup.
Rafael Marchán ($): A switch-hitting catcher who batted at a .297 clip in AAA last season, it wouldn’t take much for Marchan to outperform Garrett Stubbs in a potent Phillies lineup. It might be worth a flyer to those desperately searching to replace JT Realmuto.
Cooper Hummel ($): It’s a very speculative add, but Hummel was called up by the Astros last week to potentially help out with first base duties in the absence of José Abreu. In 45 AAA games, Hummel batted .301 with seven home runs and eight stolen bases. He’s been egregiously bad over a small MLB sample size, but maybe he figured something out in AAA this year? Formerly a catcher, if Hummel retains his catcher eligibility, he becomes an interesting piece in deep two-catcher leagues if he stays with the big league club.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
Tobias Myers ($$$): With two starts this week, one at the Angels and his second at the Padres, Myers makes for an interesting arm. Don’t come in expecting strikeouts, he’s only posted an 8.8% swinging strike rate. Managers can hope for weak contact though. Myers has posted a 1.16 WHIP and has won each of his last two starts, combining for one earned run over 14.0 innings pitched. He’s got a really good lineup backing him and could be an under-the-radar add this week since his numbers don’t really pop off the page.
Drew Thorpe ($$$): Thorpe made his debut last week against the Mariners, allowing just one earned run in five innings while ringing up four strikeouts. Relying heavily on a fastball/changeup combo, with a get-me-over slider to back it up, he might remind White Sox fans (are there any left?) of Lucas Giolito slightly. Thorpe gets a matchup with the soft-hitting Tigers in Detroit and should be thought of as a streaming option this week with a decent chance to stick on the roster.
Carson Spiers ($$): A two-start pitcher for the Reds this week, Spiers has allowed a 1.19 WHIP with 15 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched. He’s matched up with the Pirates in Pittsburgh and then gets the Red Sox at home. Managers can hope for Spiers to continue building on his last two performances, a combined 9.0 innings pitched while allowing just one earned run on seven hits and one walk. He rung up 10 strikeouts over that span, and that came against the Dodgers and Cubs, not exactly pushover competition.
Casey Mize ($$): Fantasy managers should not be nearly as scared of the Atlanta lineup as they have been in the past, and Mize lines up against Spencer Schwellenbach who has been very hittable so far this season. Fresh off a quality start, Mize will be looking for his first win since April, but that isn’t necessarily indicative of his performance this season. It wouldn’t shock me to see him post a second-consecutive QS on Tuesday at Atlanta. He’s worth a flyer in 15-team leagues.
Cal Quantrill ($): Do NOT put Quantrill in the lineup this week. He’s got two starts in Coors against the Dodgers and Nationals, and could put a hurting on your ratios. However, Quantrill has tossed 11.0 consecutive scoreless innings and lines up against the White Sox in two weeks. Put a single-digit bid on him, bench him this week, and roll him out as a streamer the week after.
Ryne Nelson ($): Recommending Nelson gives me “the Ick,” but he has tossed a pair of quality starts in his last three outings. His next three starts come at Washington, against Minnesota, and against Oakland. The 6.00+ ERA and 1.60+ WHIP are both gross, but most of that comes from being blown up in a couple starts. I’m willing to risk a single-dollar bid for his start Wednesday against Washington and his two-step next week.
Relief Pitchers
Ryne Stanek ($$$): Back-to-back converted save opportunities should be piquing the interest of fantasy players everywhere, especially with Andrés Muñoz back healthy and pitching in the eighth inning in front of Stanek. Let’s be real, it’s quite hazy what the roles truly are in the Seattle bullpen, but Munoz isn’t on the waiver wire. Stanek might be. And for save-needy teams, even having just a piece of a closer-by-committee could help the rest of the way.
Tyler Kinley ($): Kinley served as Colorado’s closer this week. That’s probably the most ringing endorsement I can give. Bad team. Hitter’s park. Tough schedule outlook this week. It’s not pretty, but saves are saves I guess.
Andrew Kittredge ($): The Cardinals are still in contention in a mediocre NL Wild Card race, but for how much longer is anyone’s guess? Closer Ryan Helsley has been floated as a top trade candidate, which means that St. Louis could be looking for a closer in the second half. Kittredge fits the bill and got his first save of the season this past week. He might be worth a speculative add as trade talks begin to heat up.
Michael Tonkin ($): Holds league players might already know about this guy, but Tonkin has been stellar over the last two weeks, tossing 8.2 innings of shutout ball. With a 0.00 ERA, 0.58 WHIP 12 strikeouts, a win, and a save in that span, Tonkin can be helpful across the board if he continues to lock down late innings for the Yankees.