C.J. Cron and Miguel Andujar crushing the rock highlights this week’s Week That Was.
C.J. Cron : Before the games Sunday, I penned this portion of the article: “C.J. Cron went 2-4 with two dingers, two runs and four RBI in the big win Saturday. In the week ending Saturday, Cron was hitting a cool .357 with three dingers and eight RBI. Not too shabby. The window is inches away from closing on this breakout hitter. He has hit 16 dingers each of the last three years despite averaging only 374 AB over that span. Simple math would say that he will hit in the high 20’s just by virtue of playing full time. I will take the over. Check out these advanced metrics: hard hit rate way up (over 40%), flyball rate up; oppo/middle way up (showing a more mature approach). I am in. Who is with me?” Well, thanks C.J.! All he did Sunday was go 2-5 with a run, a dinger and two RBI. Now are you with me?
Miguel Andujar : Also, before the games Sunday I penned this portion: “I am as excited as anyone about Gleyber Torres arriving in the Bronx but let’s not forget about the “other” rookie, Miguel Andjuar. Yankee “Miggy” is raking. Saturday, he went 2-4 with a run and three RBI ending a seven day stretch in which he hit .450 with two dingers, six runs and six RBI. He is only hitting .250 but a depressed BABIP should rise and bring his average to the .270 range and potentially beyond (the 80+% contact rate further supports this prediction). Oh, and if you want some further advanced metric support for my advice, check out the almost 40% hard hit rate and the 90+% contact rate in the zone. The focus on Torres could reduce the Andjuar price. Take advantage if it does.” Thank you Miguel! All he did Sunday was go 4-4 with a run and a rbi to raise his batting average on the year not only over .270 but over .300 to .308. He also raised his OPS to .923. The future looks blindingly bright.
Hyun-Jin Ryu : Ryu was masterful Saturday night tossing seven shutout innings to beat Stephen Strasburg and the Nats. Ryu struck out eight while giving up only two hits and walking three. Plus, he just looked nasty. On the year, the Dodger lefty has these gaudy figures: 1.99 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 10.7 K/9. He also has these dynamite supporting metrics: 53% GB and 11% swinging strike rate. The Dodgers will win games and Ryu will get to pitch in a good home park and favorable road parks in SF and in SD. Plus the Dodgers will play the 10 day DL game to do all they can to keep him fresh and healthy. Buy with confidence but do no overpay as the health is still a lingering question
Daniel Robertson : DRob (yeah, I made that nickname up for him I think) was en fuego Sunday going 4-4 with a run scored. With his recent hot streak, his average is up to .318 and his OPS a sparkling .997. Is he this good right now? Probably not. Is he showing a much more mature approach at the plate? You bet. He has walked more often than he has struck out on the young season. Is he a quality add in both mixed and only leagues? Yes, but you better act fast.
Logan Morrison : The Twins DH got a hit Sunday going 1-4. That should not be news but it is. Even with that hit Morrison is more than 100 points below the Mendoza line and sports a putrid .203 OBP. Is he this bad? No. Can he repeat last year? No. To be fair to Morrison, he has been incredibly unlucky with one of the lowest BABIPs I have seen despite having a similar contact rate to that he posted last year. In the end, two things are conspiring against Morrison. First, he is not the player he showed last year but people want him to be that player. Second, he is adjusting to his new home, new teammates, etc. If you are a Morrison owner, hold as you can get very little for him but as you plan, keep your expectations in check.
And now, the moment you have been waiting for -- Schultz says: “With every click on every link to a column offering enlightenment on the vagaries of rotisserie sports, a roto-player seeks to quench their thirst for knowledge and gain an advantage over their roto-brethren. Often those efforts are rewarded as you learn that a seemingly unproductive former prospect is about to turn 27 and thus become a superstar or that a sleeper that everyone is oxymoronically raving about isn't quite the sleeper that everyone suspects. Other times, things just seem to slip through the cracks.
Christian Villanueva is presently hitting .345 with 6 home runs, 14 RBIs, 12 runs scored and has even stolen a base. If anyone wrote about him in the pre-season, it was because they confused him with Luis Valbuena and the editor fell asleep at his keyboard. Setting aside the fact that Villanueva's current 2018 stats do not differ greatly from his modest 12 game stint in 2017, it's worth keeping in mind that in roughly 7 - yes 7 - minor league seasons, he's a career .270 hitter that only recently developed a power stroke.
Jarlin Garcia presently sits with a .86 ERA and .81 WHIP after four appearances, two of them as a starter. Everyone passed over Jarlin the Marlin in the pre-season, mainly because he was a Marlin and to a lesser degree because it was overlooked that Jamie Garcia was actually pitching in Toronto and that Jarlin wasn't him. While he is unquestionably the highlight and superstar of the Miami rotation, over 6 minor league seasons, he put up a modest 3.68 ERA and 1.23 WHIP.
Ryan Flaherty is hitting .362 and the Braves infielder sits atop the batting average leaders in the National League. At age 31, Flaherty is a career .223 hitter over his previous 6 seasons with the Orioles. Unsurprisingly, no pundit every wrote the sentence "Ozzie Albies , Ronald Acuna and Ryan Flaherty . . ."
There is no reason to believe any of this continues throughout the regular season. Then again, no one thought any of this would happen at all. If you're already invested, ride the wave until it peters out, who knows maybe it lasts until October.”
Response: For what it is worth, I think Villanueva remains productive most of the year, Garcia tires and wins very few games in Miami and Flaherty returns to 25th man status very soon.