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Logan’s Run

Logan Gilbert

Logan Gilbert

Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

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In recent years, we’ve been inclined to jump in fantasy leagues whenever an intriguing prospect gets the call in the majors. This year, though, has caused us to make some adjustments in our standard routine. The gap between Triple-A and the majors seems significant right now, with the lack of a 2020 minor league season undoubtedly playing a part. It’s easier to justify taking a chance with someone like Jarred Kelenic (even with his struggles) or Wander Franco and Vidal Brujan, but what about this week’s call-ups Jesus Sanchez and Matt Manning?

For now, I put them in the “wait and see” category outside of deeper formats where nearly anybody is worth a flier. Sanchez cooled off after his red-hot start to the season in Triple-A (two homers, .639 OPS over his last 22 games) and looked completely overmatched in a small sample last year. He hits the ball hard (as evidenced by 100-plus MPH exit velocity) this week, but he has to earn consideration in standard formats. The same goes for Manning, who has scuffled with an 8.07 ERA across seven starts in Triple-A this year. The secondary numbers (36 strikeouts, 10 walks in 32 1/3 innings) look good, but he’s been blasted for 11 homers. Still, the Tigers were encouraged enough by his last start to have him make his major league debut Thursday against the Angels. Manning was a consensus Top-50 prospect for a reason, so he’ll be exciting to watch at the very least.

Have specific questions about your roster? Ask @djshort on Twitter.

MIXED LEAGUES

(Players rostered in under 50 percent of Yahoo leagues)

Note: Percentages are from the morning of Thursday, June 17th

Jake Fraley OF, Mariners (Yahoo: 32 percent rostered)

While the Mariners’ outfield hasn’t exactly worked out as planned this season, Fraley has been a nice surprise in a small sample. Through 20 games, he holds a ridiculous .254/.463/.492 batting line with four homers, 16 RBI, four steals, and 13 runs scored through 82 plate appearances. Eight of those walks came in the first week of the season, but he’s still getting on base at a .444 clip since returning from the minors at the end of May. Fraley has produced four barrels this year, but he doesn’t hit the ball especially hard, so it’s unfair to expect him to continue at this pace. Still, there has been some pop and speed in his game in the minors and the opportunity should be there with all the injuries in the M’s lineup. Fraley has hit second in each of the last three games.

Josh Rojas 2B/SS/OF, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 47 percent rostered)

Things are terrible with the Diamondbacks right now, but at least Rojas is perking up with the bat again. After a recent 5-for-47 (.106) slide at the plate, he’s hitting .375 (9-for-24) with two homers and a double over his last six games. While he’s had some dramatic peaks and valleys this year, one thing we have seen is a more discipline hitter who is chasing fewer pitches outside of the strike zone. He still hits a lot of ground balls, but he’s been able to barrel up pitches at a career-best rate. Rojas is hitting leadoff for Arizona and qualifies at three different positions, so it’s time to make sure he’s rostered. Jonathan Villar (Yahoo: 48 percent rostered) also comes highly recommended as the Mets’ regular leadoff man. HIs playing time shouldn’t be impacted by Jeff McNeil’s return.

Joey Votto 1B, Reds (Yahoo: 27 percent rostered)

Votto was hitless in his first two games after coming off the injured list, but he’s slashing .296/.367/.630 with three homers and 11 RBI over his last seven games. This isn’t the Votto of the past, as he’s been very aggressive this season, most notably on pitches inside the strike zone. Still, he’s hit the ball exceptionally hard and has actually underperformed by xBA (.269) and xSLG (.540). Hitting in the middle of the Reds’ lineup while playing half of his games in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in the sports, it’s very possible he can be a respectable corner-infielder option the rest of the way.

Brandon Nimmo OF, Mets (Yahoo: 20 percent rostered)

The Mets might be losing Jacob deGrom for a while, but their lineup is getting healthier. Jeff McNeil and Michael Conforto should be back from their hamstring injuries within the next week and Nimmo might not be far behind. The 28-year-old has been out since May 2 with what was believed to be a nerve issue in his left index finger, but it turns out that it’s a small ligament tear which should heal on its own. This is actually good news for him, as he hopes to begin a rehab assignment next week. The Mets have had a number of players step up during his absence, but Nimmo holds a .290/.411/.472 batting line over 76 games dating back to the start of last season, so he should see steady at-bats at the top of the lineup against right-handers, at the very least. Feel free to stash if you have the roster space.

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Deeper Dandies

(Players rostered in under 10 percent of Yahoo leagues)

Daniel Vogelbach 1B, Brewers (Yahoo: 5 percent rostered)

Vogelbach generally isn’t a reliable option in mixed leagues, but he has some value if used correctly. And you couldn’t think of a better scenario than a four-game series against the Rockies in Colorado, beginning on Thursday. The 28-year-old has shown some life with his bat this month and holds a .783 OPS against right-handers this season. The Rockies will throw right-handers in three out of the four games in the series. Vogelbach takes his walks and rates well in terms of hard-hit percentage and average exit velocity, so he could put up some useful counting stats this weekend. Just look at this as a short-term arrangement.

Zach McKinstry 2B/OF, Dodgers (Yahoo: 8 percent rostered)

It’s been a season of dramatic ups and downs for McKinstry. The 26-year-old was an early-season waiver wire gem before going down with an oblique injury on April 20. He was forced to miss more than a month and went just 2-for-23 over his first 10 games back from the injured list before delivering a couple of multi-hit games in recent days. With Cody Bellinger on the injured list, the chances should continue to be there for him. McKinstry isn’t overly flashy, but he hit for contact in the minors and can do a little bit of everything, including playing all over the diamond. He’s a useful plug-and-play for now.

Matt Beaty 1B/3B/OF, Dodgers (Yahoo: 4 percent rostered)

The same goes for Beaty, who should get a chance to play a bunch as long as Max Muncy is on the shelf. The 28-year-old has been productive when called upon this year, knocking in 27 runs in 54 games while posting a .278/.366/.389 batting line in 123 plate appearances. Beaty boasts an .801 OPS against right-handers in his career and has been seeing at-bats in the middle of the Dodgers’ lineup of late, so he’s another worth short-term pickup in deeper formats, especially considering that he qualifies at three positions.

Cal Raleigh C, Mariners (Yahoo: 1 percent rostered)

There are better prospect catchers than Raleigh, but he’s the clear choice in terms of which one has the best chance to make a real impact in mixed leagues this year. And he’s making a strong case for that to happen very soon, maybe even a matter of days. The 24-year-old has hit safely in 22 straight games for Triple-A Tacoma and is now slashing .354/.404/.655 with six homers through 29 games overall. He packs a punch from both sides of the plate, but the most encouraging thing about his season so far is that he’s struck out just 12.5 percent of the time compared to 22.9 percent between High-A and Double-A in 2019. The jump to the majors has been tough for a lot of players this year and catchers have a lot on their shoulders, but Raleigh is a name worthy of stashing.

DeGrom/Glasnow/Bieber/Scherzer Commiseration Corner

Shallow league replacements

Logan Gilbert SP, Mariners (Yahoo: 37 percent rostered)
Tarik Skubal SP, Tigers (Yahoo: 47 percent rostered)
Zach Davies SP, Cubs (Yahoo: 38 percent rostered)

Gilbert and Skubal are two young pitchers on the rise who really shouldn’t be available in any fantasy league worth their salt. After some initial struggles, Gilbert holds a 2.04 ERA and 18/6 K/BB ratio in 17 2/3 innings across his last three starts. Skubal won his third straight decision on Wednesday against the Royals and now owns a 3.00 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 33 innings over his last six starts while not allowing more than three earned runs in any of them. Davies has allowed just three hits in 12 scoreless frames over his last two starts and comes recommended against the Marlins on Friday. He actually has a 1.83 ERA dating back to May 7 (eight starts), though his secondary numbers don’t necessarily back it up. Still, he’s interesting in certain matchups.

Medium Size league replacements

Shane McClanahan SP, Rays (Yahoo: 31 percent rostered)
Vladimir Gutierrez SP, Reds (Yahoo: 28 percent rostered)
Kwang-Hyun Kim SP, Cardinals (Yahoo: 20 percent rostered)

Among pitchers with at least 30 innings pitched this season, McClanahan ranks third in the majors with a 17.5 percent swinging strike rate. Only Corbin Burnes and Jacob deGrom have been higher. It would be nice to see McClanahan work deeper into games, but the upside is off the charts. Gutierrez has provided a nice boost to the Reds, posting a 2.74 ERA through his first four starts. He’s netted double-digit swinging strikes in each of his last two starts and has done a great job limiting hard contact so far. Kim tossed six innings of one-run ball in his return from a back injury Tuesday against the Marlins. While he walked five batters, he settled down as the game moved along, retiring 12 out of the final 13 batters he faced. The Braves are dangerous on Sunday, but Kim gets the Pirates next week.

Deeper league replacements

Patrick Sandoval SP, Angels (Yahoo: 12 percent rostered)
Joe Ross SP, Nationals (Yahoo: 12 percent rostered)
Ross Stripling SP, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 9 percent rostered)
David Peterson SP, Mets (Yahoo: 6 percent rostered)

You know how I just mentioned McClanahan’s swinging strike rate? Well, Sandoval ranks fifth in the majors among pitchers with at least 30 innings pitched. We’re talking about some impressive company here, with Tyler Glasnow just ahead of him. He’s an easy call against the Tigers this weekend. Ross completed seven innings for the first time since 2017 in his most recent start against the Giants. His swinging strike rate is on the rise and he’s also inducing more called strikes than we’ve seen in four years. Maybe the year off was exactly what he needed. Stripling has a 2.45 ERA over his last five appearances and Peterson answered some serious questions with his brilliant start against the Cubs this week.

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AL ONLY

Chas McCormick OF, Astros (Yahoo: 1 percent rostered)

McCormick went deep Wednesday against the Rangers and now has eight homers and four doubles through just 104 plate appearances this season. The 26-year-old is seeing part-time duty in the Astros’ outfield, but he should see more playing time while Kyle Tucker is on the injured list. McCormick has shown good plate discipline in the minors with useful pop and speed, so he’s a must-pickup in deeper formats right now.

Edward Olivares OF, Royals (Yahoo: 3 percent rostered)

Olivares shouldn’t have been sent down to the minors in the first place, but he’s back now with Andrew Benintendi sidelined with a fractured rib. He’s been out of the lineup the past two days, which is frustrating, but he doesn’t have much more to prove in the minors and is much more likely to be part of the Royals’ next winning team rather than Michael A. Taylor. Acquired from the Padres in the Trevor Rosenthal deal, Olivares boasts elite sprint speed and some useful pop as well. Hopefully he gets a fair shake.

UPDATE: The Royals sent Olivares down again early Thursday, which is a bummer. Hopefully he gets another chance soon.

NL ONLY

Nick Maton 2B/SS, Phillies (Yahoo: 1 percent rostered)

Brad Miller is a must-pickup if he was dropped for some reason, but Maton is also worth a look now that he’s back in the majors following Jean Segura’s groin strain. Segura is expected to miss about three weeks and the Phillies will mix-and-match during his absence. Maton really struggled prior to his demotion, but approach has been a strength for him in the minors and he’s displayed an ability to spray line drives this season. He’s an interesting speculative play.

Sean Reid-Foley RP, Mets (Yahoo: 0 percent rostered)

With the Mets slated to have three doubleheaders in the next week and a half, Reid-Foley should be a no-brainer pickup now that he’s back in the majors. Odds are the club will lean heavily on him, especially in light of Jacob deGrom’s shoulder soreness. Reid-Foley threw 38 pitches in two innings of relief after deGrom left Wednesday’s game and holds a 2.30 ERA and 20/6 K/BB ratio over 15 2/3 innings with New York this season. Robert Gsellman (Yahoo: 0 percent) is another option to be used in an opener or bulk-inning relief role. Thomas Szapucki (Yahoo: 0 percent) figures to make his major league debut during this stretch and warrants monitoring, but he’s been too erratic in Triple-A to trust in most fantasy leagues.