Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire
Jorge Polanco was a pretty trendy sleeper in the preseason this year, and I was right on board that train. He had made some major changes to his approach last year and I was totally on board with him being a nice, cheap shortstop option this year. But then he went and got suspended for PED use and everyone basically forgot about him. But he’s been back for a bit now and he’s been pretty solid, slashing .290/.353/.419 over the past month including yesterday’s 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI performance. Now, he’s got a .366 BABIP on the season which I would imagine will come down (though being a fast, contact-oriented hitter, maybe not a ton), but I still expect him to be solid as he’s got a .275 xAVG on the year. He’s not going to have a ton of power, but he’s never had that. What he will give you is a little bit of power, some speed, and a good average. If you’re in a deeper league or are desperate at the shortstop or middle infield position, he’s worth a grab. He’s available in 92% of leagues.
Let’s take a look at some of the other performances from yesterday’s games:
Hunter Renfroe (OF, San Diego Padres) – 2-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 4 RBI. That’s now four-straight games with a home run for Renfroe, giving him a .279/.324/.672 slashline over the past month. We know Renfroe has awesome power, he’s just never been able to put the average together. Still, even if this is just a hot streak, it’s worth riding out. He’s available in 98% of leagues.
Franmil Reyes (OF, San Diego Padres) – 3-5, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI. Since being called on Sunday, Reyes has three home runs and five RBI in four games. He’s got great power, it’s just going to be a matter of playing time and plate discipline, so keep an eye on him.
Travis Shaw (3B, Milwaukee Brewers) – 3-4, 1 R, 1 SB. Shaw had a bit of a slow start to the year but he’s been looking awesome again, now slashing .296/.376/.556 over the past month.
Neil Walker (2B/1B/3B, New York Yankees) – 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI. Walker hasn’t been playing a ton but he’s looked really good when he’s out there, slashing .317/.368/.567 over the past month. If you’re in a deep league and can handle the inconsistent playing time, he might not be a bad add.
Mookie Betts (OF, Boston Red Sox) – 4-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI. Mookie hit for the cycle because he’s basically a god. I love watching him play, even if I can’t stand the Red Sox (and I really can’t).
Eduardo Nunez (2B/3B/OF, Boston Red Sox) – 3-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB. The steals haven’t really been there like I would’ve hoped with Nunez lately (just two steals over the past month), but he’s been hitting fairly well, slashing .291/.307/.372 over the past month. But without the speed and power, he’s not worth a whole lot.
Randal Grichuk (OF, Toronto Blue Jays) – 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI.. That’s now two straight games with a home run, giving him a .309/.356/.545 slashline over the past month. I don’t really believe in the batting average, but he’s got great power and always has. This seems more like a hot streak to me but it’s worth taking advantage of. He’s available in 89% of leagues.
Mitch Haniger (OF, Seattle Mariners) – 4-5, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI. Haniger’s actually been kinda disappointing lately, especially from a power perspective, with just a .083 ISO over the past month.
Denard Span (OF, Seattle Mariners) – 3-3, 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI. Span’s playing time has been somewhat inconsistent but he’s been hitting well lately, slashing .310/.350/.507 over the past month. He’s available in 84% of leagues and is worth a look in deeper leagues.
Tyler White (1B, Houston Astros) – 2-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI. White has looked really good since being called up, slashing .361/.425/.889. If he keeps hitting like this, he’s going to get consistent playing time and might be worth a look in the 99% of leagues he’s available in.
Cody Bellinger (1B/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers) – 2-5, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB. Nice game for Bellinger, but he’s got just a .128 ISO over the past month, and that’s pretty rough.
Chris Iannetta (C, Colorado Rockies) – 3-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI. Iannetta with a nice game but he’s not playing much, there’s no fantasy relevance here.
David Freese (3B/1B, Pittsburgh Pirates) – 2-5, 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI. Freese has been pretty good lately, slashing .345/.400/.621 over the past month, but his playing time is fairly inconsistent so I wouldn’t really advocate picking him up.
