Every Wednesday, Dapinder joins Pitcher List to outline the best position player buys and sells of the week. He’ll outline the hitters to trust in your lineups and who to shop while their price is high. Make sure to stay ahead of the curve and use the market to your advantage.
BUY
Tim Anderson (SS, Chicago White Sox) – If your team needs speed, Anderson is your guy. He stole 49 bases in AA during the 2015 season and 11 at AAA in 55 games. His strikeout rates in the minors were a tad high and his walk rates low. However, he is a top prospect who will get the bulk of his starts at SS and will definitely make an impact in the stolen base department.
Jayson Werth (OF, Washington Nationals) – The old man has still got it. Werth’s batting average on balls in play is slowly climbing up closer to .300. He has ten home runs already and has a good case to hit 10 more because Werth is hitting more flyballs relative to his career and pulling the ball more. The Nationals have a pretty good offence as well making Werth’s situation better.
AJ Reed (1B, Houston Astros) – It’s that time of the year where prospects are being called up to help the big club make the playoffs. Reed is the type of big impact bat that can make a difference on your fantasy team from the moment he steps onto the field. He has had some struggles in AAA, but his overall makeup dictates success in the bigs. He will be called up soon, if he isn’t already stashed, go get Reed!
Randal Grichuk (OF, St.Louis Cardinals) – Grichuk has been the victim of some bad luck so far. He has a .243 batting average on balls in play despite pulling the ball less. With a .190 ISO, Grichuk still has his power stroke. As the batting average climbs, he may find himself becoming a more valuable player. The high strikeout rate will limit his batting average upside; even then, batting .210 is unlikely to last.
Jhonny Peralta (3B/SS, St. Louis Cardinals) – The second Cardinal player to buy this week has been shifted to third base. As a career .268 batter, you can expect more or less the same. The injury may affect his power output somewhat but he’s a good hitter and should be a big boost for the Cardinals.
Tommy Joseph (1B, Philidelphia Phillies) – Joseph has taken over first base duties from Ryan Howard. Joseph should bat in the middle of the lineup giving him good opportunities in an otherwise anemic Phillies offence. Joseph was a good prospect before concussions took their toll. With 7 HR already, it is worth taking a flier on Joseph if your team needs some additional power.
Jonathan Schoop (2B, Baltimore Orioles) – Power at second base is usually difficult to find. With a starting job at second, Schoop is capable of hitting 20 HR this year. He always had the power, he struggled with contact. Schoop has been striking out slightly less than before. He occasionally bats sixth in the lineup putting him in a good position to drive in runs. It’s not easy finding 20+ HR at second.
Jefry Marte (1B, Los Angeles Angels) – In deeper leagues, Marte is the hot hand to target. He’s batting .306 with 4 HR in just under 40 plate appearances. Marte is not a touted prospect; he projects to hit for moderate power and maybe an average batting line. In 2015, he hit 15 HR in AAA which was quite unexpected. He also maintained a good minor league strikeout rate. In his 2015 call up, Marte had some poor luck on balls in play but did hit 4 HR. This past year in AAA, the power waned closer to previous levels but his average remained good. Marte is an intriguing add. He will likely finish the year batting around .250 with 10-15 HR (assuming he plays regularly). The Angels will give him a shot in the outfield as well. Whether or not he finishes as a starter, Marte is the hot hand to ride this week in deeper leagues.
SELL
Ian Kinsler (2B, Detroit Tigers) – Kinsler won’t keep up what he’s been doing so far this year. He’s currently riding the highest BABIP of his career at .335. He also has his highest ISO since 2011. Kinsler made a change to his approach to hit more dingers. While Kinsler will still likely put up good numbers across the board, they will be less than what has already done this year. The average will go down and the home run pace as well. Kinsler can fetch a pretty nice penny at this stage.
Marcell Ozuna (OF, Miami Marlins) – Ozuna should continue being a good hitter, but not this good. Ozuna is a player who can sport an above baseline BABIP partly due to him hitting the ball hard and spraying it well across the field. A .371 BABIP, is a tad high even for Ozuna. He should be able to hit another 10-12 HR but the average will end closer to .270.