It’s Saturday, which means it’s time for another edition of Category Impact! There are some guys in this edition that could lose playing time due to injury or a player returning from injury. There’s one who could make for a valuable trade-high piece and there is one guy who should post the best season of his young career. During the course of the fantasy baseball season, it’s easy to lose track of setting a lineup here or there, but I urge you to do otherwise. Believe it or not, everyday does matter. One of the worst feelings is losing a week-long matchup when there was a way you could have prevented it. Anyways, what else is there to be said? It’s Saturday, the day of this article and a perfect day to kick back with a cold one and enjoy the good times.
As always, hit me up on Twitter (@colbyrconway) if you have any questions.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C DET— Salty has filled in admirably for James McCann, who is currently on the 15-day disabled list. McCann is expected to take back the starting duties when he returns, however, the decision may not be as clear cut as everyone thinks it is. Salty has been raking, especially over the past seven days. He’s hitting .333 with three home runs, six RBI, and five runs scored. Salty has always had some nice power from behind the dish during his career, and this recent hot streak could make it tough for Detroit to take his stick out of the lineup. He has been an offensive upgrade, which isn’t entirely surprising seeing as McCann was hitting just .133 before spraining his ankle. McCann may be five years younger and the catcher of the future, but the Tigers have an offense that can win now. With an offense featuring Ian Kinsler, Justin Upton, Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez, the team can win now with that offense. Even if McCann does return to start, given Salty’s pop during his absence, expect McCann to not necessarily have the longest of leashes. It’s still unsure when McCann is going to come back, but for now, Saltalamacchia is worthy of an add behind the dish.
Yasmany Tomas, OF ARI— Tomas’ ownership is starting to increase, and it rightfully should. It seems as if the Diamondbacks are set on giving him some regular at-bats in the outfield and the 25-year-old isn’t disappointing. For the season, he’s hitting .288 with three home runs, nine RBI and nine runs scored. The Cuban has hit safely in his last seven, hitting .379 (11-for-29) with three homers, five RBI and eight runs scored. Yes, it’s early in the season, but his numbers are up across the board. His isolated power is way up, his BB/K ratio is up, and the fact that his BABIP is lower than last season shows that a regression in batting average may not be in the cards for the outfielder. Arizona should continue to get him at-bats, and he is definitely worth a roster spot. Like I said a few sentences ago, his ownership is driving upward, so don’t miss your chance on Tomas.
Mat Latos, SP CWS— What do Matt Harvey, Carlos Carrasco, Corey Kluber and Max Scherzer all have in common? If for some crazy reason you guessed that they all trail Mat Latos on the player rater, then you are right. Latos ranks eighth on the player rater and has been one of the biggest surprises here in the early going of the 2016 campaign. The veteran right-hander is 3-0 with a 0.49 ERA and 0.60 WHIP through the first 18.1 innings of the season. However, Latos has only punched out 11 batters in those innings. Wow, Latos, how could you? You’re terrible. He may not be striking guys out, but he’s excelling in all other facets of the game. Latos is going to regress at some point, but as long as he’s filling up the strike zone like he is, he should be able to have a productive campaign. Don Cooper seems to have revived another pitcher. If Latos is still available in your league, go get him. He could end up being a valuable trade high asset.
Michael Saunders, OF TOR— He missed yesterday’s game with a hamstring issue, but hopefully it isn’t serious. He’s recently ascended to the top of the Toronto lineup, which has the potential to be more lucrative than words can explain. He’s currently riding a five-game hit streak, which has seen him record three multi-hit games and scoring at least one run in four of them. Saunders’ injury history is worrisome to begin with, but missing yesterday’s contest due to injury has to leave owners worried. However, when he is on the field, he has the ability to produce, especially atop the order. If he ends up on the DL, that’s a tough blow to Toronto and his fantasy owners, but if he is able to play soon, he should remain at the top of the lineup. If this guy is available in your league, wait to see whether or not he’s healthy, and if so, go ahead and add Saunders. You won’t regret it.
Ben Paulsen, 1B COL— Paulsen is off to a hot start in 2016, hitting .324 with one homer, nine RBI and two runs scored in 13 games. The guy has the ability to provide his owners with some pop, RBI and help in the batting average department. In 2015, Paulsen hit .277 in 116 games. Sure, he isn’t going to play every day, and he is going to require paying some extra attention when setting your lineup, but he can pay dividends. Paulsen isn’t going to be the sexy pickup, but he can be the reliable one that quietly, yet effectively, betters your team in the necessary categories. It goes without saying, but his home park is Coors Field, so yeah, y’all know what that means. His batting average is 35 points higher at home, but for his career, he’s hit two more home runs on the road than at home. Like I said, Paulsen isn’t the sexy pick, but he’s the reliable one that will better your team.