If you haven’t already, add Wilson Ramos. I'm totally gonna take credit for recommending him as a desperation play last week, even though I didn't expect this. He is finally emerging as the prince who was promised. He made a change in his swing that is producing serious results so far. You might’ve given up on him after his struggles returning from an ACL tear, but you should never give up on good hitters, as they’re always capable of finding their stroke again. Yes, he’s had a light week in terms of opposing pitchers, but not just anyone goes 11/20 with 2 home runs, and my favorite part, three walks. It’s not a fluke either, as his hard hit% is up 9% and his soft hit rate is down 4% over this stretch. I know it’s only been a week, but the swing change explains it. And he passes the eye test as his hands definitely seem to be getting to the ball quicker. Unless you are rostering Sanchez, Posey, Realmuto, Salvy (who will be back Wednesday) or maybe Molina, I’d go with Ramos right now. He’s hotter than any other non-stud catcher right now and he could be a difference maker down the stretch for your team. Ramos did call the change a fix though, so I expect him to return closer to his career numbers. This means his 28% HR/FB% is unsustainable as is his FB%, which is significantly higher than his career numbers, but I like him regardless. I’ll discuss his schedule in the streaming section below.
Let’s recap last week:
Nice to see these catcher articles! I’ve been debating dropping Avila to add Ramos. Would you do that or is this a wait and see situation? I’ve got 3 more weeks until playoffs in a H2H 5×5 Yahoo points league with OBP…
I would. For one, Avila is virtually only usable against righties. On top of that, he’s still just not that good. His season has been a steady decline since his hot start. Ramos’s upside is far higher the rest of the way.
Thoughts on Jorge Alfaro? Back in May Nic said he could be a top 10 catcher ROS when he gets the call…then he didn’t get that call until August. Are there any reasons to feel optimistic about him at this point?
If you’re in a dynasty league, there’s still plenty to be excited about with Alfaro. But right now, his playing time is so unpredictable. He’s played 3 in a row, but played 1 of 4 before that. If I knew he was clearly the starter, I’d be more comfortable starting him, but after being burned by Castillo this past week, I’m reminded to stay away from timeshares.
Ramos or Schwarber in 7×7 Roto. Both put up good stats but I’m hesistant to switch to Ramos. I could start both and sit Carpenter or Reddick too. I lost Gallo at least this week.
I just can’t support someone who has struck out in 44% of ABs in the last 30 days, which Schwarber has. I’d drop Schwarber for Ramos personally and start the other two. They both have high upside, but Ramos has given me more to believe in than Schwarb
Mitch Garver! 7 games this week. Played 1B yesterday and today.