Navigating the post All-Star break waters is one of the more treacherous periods for fantasy managers as it’s a turbulent sprint filled with small sample size mirages and immense roster turnover at the trade deadline. This week’s column attempts to identify a handful of talented young players set for expanded roles over the next few weeks coming out of next week’s trade deadline.
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Tyler Locklear, 1B, Mariners
Available in 98 percent of Yahoo! leagues
Locklear didn’t exactly tear the cover off the ball last month in a brief 11-game cameo for the Mariners, batting .200 (6-for-30) with two homers and one steal. However, he’s going to get some extended runway to at least showcase his power and patience profile at the highest level in the wake of Seattle’s decision to designate veteran first baseman Ty France for assignment. The 23-year-old top prospect has displayed strong plate skills in the upper minors over the last few years and can do some serious damage when he decides to get aggressive. Based on his first stint in the big leagues, there’s probably going to be an initial adjustment period here as he acclimates to everyday life in the majors. However, once he gets comfortable, there’s an opportunity for him to emerge as a certifiable middle-of-the-order force for the Mariners, which gives him some appeal for fantasy managers, especially in deeper mixed leagues. This is purely a speculative gamble based on his minor league track record and Seattle’s willingness to toss him the metaphorical car keys at the cold corner for at least the next few weeks.
Cade Smith, RP, Guardians
Available in 87 percent of Yahoo! leagues
Here’s an oversimplification: Smith has blossomed into one of the best relievers in baseball this season, posting a microscopic 2.18 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 64/10 K/BB ratio across 45 1/3 innings (45 appearances). The unheralded 25-year-old right-hander forced his way onto Cleveland’s season-opening roster and has evolved into one of the elite strikeout artists in the game, posting an absurd 42/4 K/BB ratio over his last 30 appearances. According to Lance Brozdowski of Marquee Sports Network, who is one of the elite pitching analysts in the public space these days, Smith is getting a ton of extension on his fastball, which is causing it to play up relative to expectations from scouts and evaluators, leading to an astronomical 36.4 percent strikeout rate this season in his first taste of the majors. Unfortunately, there’s almost zero path to saves for Smith with All-Star stopper Emmanuel Clase firmly entrenched in Cleveland’s closer role. However, he’s quietly morphed into a serious ratio-booster for fantasy managers and is worthy of a roster spot in all formats at this juncture.
Max Schuemann, 2B, SS, OF, Athletics
Available in 61 percent of Yahoo! leagues
The ripple effect from Athletics top prospect Jacob Wilson likely to miss at least a few weeks after suffering a hamstring strain last Friday during his big-league debut has the biggest impact for Scheumann, who once again has a clear path to everyday at-bats in Oakland. The versatile 27-year-old’s under-the-hood Statcast metrics don’t exactly leap off the page, especially from a hard contact standpoint. Yet, he’s showcased some strong swing decisions and an ability to draw free passes over the last few months, which gives him additional opportunities to run. He’s been on a roll lately, batting .391 (18-for-46) with three homers and three steals over his last 15 contests, which in tandem with everyday playing time and multi-position eligibility, at least makes him worthy of a speculative dice roll for fantasy purposes, even in shallow mixed leagues.