MLB Week 16 FAAB Insights

Welcome back to another FAABulous Sunday as we have reached the 2022 All-Star Break! Yes, we can get a bit of a break from the six-month grind, but make sure your teams are prepared for the upcoming short week and beyond. It’s nice knowing we don’t have to set lineups until Thursday, but FAAB still runs tonight! Let’s get to some names!

 

Catcher

 

Jose Trevino (96% ME, 82% OC, 15% Yahoo) and Kyle Higashioka (4% ME, 2% OC, 2% Yahoo) – The Yankees are one of three teams with five games this week, including a doubleheader on Thursday. It’s a safe assumption that Trevino and Higashioka each start a game Thursday, and pretty likely that Trevino will start two and Higashioka one of the three over the rest of the weekend. Trevino is definitely an add in two-catcher leagues where available and viable in one-catcher leagues for the week. Higashioka is a possibility in two-catcher leagues if you’re in need – his .171 BA won’t hurt much for a couple of games, and all five of his home runs have come since June 12.

 

First Base

 

Carlos Santana (77% ME, 9% OC, 9% Yahoo) – Santana had a much better June for Kansas City than he had started the season and has really taken off since being traded to Seattle on June 28. As a Mariner, he’s hit .241 with 4 HR (all since July 9), 8 RBI, and 11 R in 65 PA. He hits third or fourth in the lineup as Seattle’s everyday first baseman (DH a couple of times the past few days).

 

Second Base

 

Matt Carpenter (83% ME, 23% OC, 45% Yahoo) – The following is from last week – “(13% ME, 2% OC, 8% Yahoo) – OK, this isn’t funny anymore. I wrote a few weeks back that it would be negligent not to pay attention to what Carpenter was doing in New York. Six of his past seven appearances had been for a single AB as a pinch hitter as recently as a week ago. Well, Aaron Judge missed a day, Anthony Rizzo missed a handful, and Carpenter has hit .421 this week with 1 HR, 3 RBI, and 2 R in 21 PA bringing his season total to 9 HR, 20 RBI, and 15 R while hitting .328 in just 73 PA. He’s slugging .820! We can’t add those totals to our fantasy rosters now, but it’s to the point where it would be negligent for the Yankees not to get him into the lineup most days, and they did just that with both Judge and Rizzo back on Saturday. I’m not just paying attention anymore, I’m adding him and gambling on playing time as the Yankees are home for six games as we head into the break, and they are one of three teams to have five games in the first scoring period after (most have three).”

By Saturday of this week, Matt Carpenter has a double and three more home runs in 15 PA and is back in the lineup on Sunday. He’s now slugging .933 for the season. The Yankees have five games this week, all projected to be against right-handed starters.

 

Third Base

 

Brian Anderson (47% ME, 2% OC, 1% Yahoo) – The injury to Jon Berti solidifies what was already pretty safe playing time for Anderson. He’s been okay, not great, since returning from the IL in late June, but he seems to be trending in the right direction – his HC% is on the rise, and his GB% rolling graph is on the decline. That’s a nice combo to see. Miami gets four games this week.

 

Shortstop

 

Mauricio Dubón (2% ME, 0% OC, 0% Yahoo) – 2B, OF – In 57 PA vs. lefties this season, Dubón is hitting .264 with 2 HR, 11 RBI, and 7 R. He’s hit leadoff his past couple of starts for the Astros who play the Yankees in that Thursday doubleheader I keep bringing up, giving Houston five games this week as well. Houston looks to face a lefty starter in one of Thursday’s games and two more over the weekend.

 

 

Outfield

 

 

Esteury Ruiz (0% ME, 0% OC, 44% Yahoo) – Ruiz’s first MLB stolen base on Thursday was his 61st of 2022 in his 80th game of the season! He also had 13 HR in his 77 minor league games combining AA and AAA. His most impressive stat (ok, not most, 61 SB is most) is his K% improvement since 2019 – from 26.6% at A+ to 20.7% at AA in 2021 to under 18% at both AA and AAA this season. The problem is Jurickson Profar returned Friday, Wil Myers is on a rehab assignment, and Fernando Tatis Jr has begun hitting and may play in the outfield upon his return. Ruiz will have to get on base and score runs over the next several games to remain in the lineup, or even in San Diego.

Lars Nootbaar (0% ME, 0% OC, 0% Yahoo) – The 2022 National League version of Edward Olivares in terms of frequent flyer miles, Nootbaar has an excellent opportunity this week – three games all vs. right-handed starters at Great American Small Park. With the injury to Juan Yepez, Nootbaar should be in the lineup for most of the weekend.

 

Pitcher

 

Max Meyer (17% ME, 4% OC, 37% Yahoo) – Will the 5 ER in 5 1/3 IP with 2 HR and Meyer probably won’t pitch this week (for the Marlins anyway) keep his FAAB price down tonight? Highly unlikely. He’ll be the top target of the week, especially for those needing starting pitching. However, this is a situation where we should all have bids on Meyer even if we don’t expect to get him – he’ll fall through the cracks of break weekend and so-so performance in a league or two.

Braxton Garrett (92% ME, 12% OC, 6% Yahoo) – After only making it through 5 IP in one of his first five starts, Garrett has gone 7 1/3, 5 2/3, and 6 IP in his last three giving up just 4 ER with 18 K in those 19 IP. He gets Pittsburgh this week, who he just went six scoreless against with 11 K.

Garrett Hill (0% ME, 0% OC, 1% Yahoo) – Oakland is the worst hitting team in the league vs. right-handed pitching (.593 team OPS). Hill has been good in one start but not so good in the other. He only had 4 K in 11 combined IP in the two starts but had 98 K in 69 2/3 IP in the minors this year.

Matt Brash (6% ME, 3% OC, 4% Yahoo) – Popular late in the draft season when named to the rotation and a high dollar FAAB add in leagues that drafted earlier, Brash began the season for Seattle with two 5 1/3 inning outings with 2 ER in each and 11k in the 10 2/3 IP. Then he gave up 3 ER in 4 1/3 IP, 6 ER in 2 IP, and 4 ER in 3 IP before being sent back to AAA Tacoma, where he had 41 K in 26 IP as a reliever with a 3.46 ERA. Brash is intriguing in a week that I’m filling pitching spots with relievers.

Jakob Junis (100% ME, 44% OC, 22% Yahoo) – He’ll head back into the Giants rotation. It appears we won’t see him until July 25, which would give him two starts that week – @ Arizona and back home vs. the Cubs.

 

Keep grinding, good luck tonight, and enjoy the games!

 

 

Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter)