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And we are under way here in the second half of the season! The All-Star break was a nice stretch where we all got a couple days to kick back, enjoy a cold one and rest our minds for the second half. Looking back on this article through the first half, I was right on plenty of players (Junior Guerra, Adam Duvall), but I also whiffed on a few, most notably Keon Broxton. Here’s to hoping for an even better second half. Cheers!
@colbyrconway on Twitter, you know the deal.
Nathan Eovaldi, SP NYY— Eovaldi’s numbers this season are atrocious, I get that. He was demoted to the bullpen for a bit, and once again, I get that. However, he’s looked good over his last three appearances and a potential trade would be incredible for his fantasy value. The Pittsburgh Pirates are reportedly interested in acquiring the New York right-hander and a move back to the National League would benefit Eovaldi. Not to mention the fact that Ray Searage, the pitching guru, is in Pittsburgh and Eovaldi could blossom under his tutelage. Remember that tatted-up right-hander named A.J. Burnett? He posted a 4.79 ERA in three years with the Yankees before coming to Pittsburgh, where he posted a 3.34 ERA. Take a look at Eovaldi’s numbers in the American League versus the National League.
LEAGUE | SEASONS | ERA | FIP | WHIP | HR/9 |
NL | 4 years | 4.07 | 3.69 | 1.378 | 0.6 |
AL | 2 years | 4.55 | 4.05 | 1.423 | 1.0 |
There is some considerable risk in adding Eovaldi, but if the trade to Pittsburgh were to go through, he could be in store for a fantasy-worthy second half. Searage knows what he’s doing and he's shown he knows how to turn around the seasons of struggling pitchers. Stay tuned to this closely, because there is some fantasy potential to be had here.
Anthony DeSclafani, SP CIN— Who would have thought a Cincinnati starter would be useful these days? DeSclafani has been solid over 42.1 innings this season, posting a 4-0 record with a 2.55 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Albeit a brief sample size, DeSclafani is ready for a great campaign. His strikeouts are slightly up, walks are slightly down and his average game score is almost six points higher than last season. A quality start percentage of 86 percent is very good, well above last year’s 55 percent. He’s throwing less first pitch strikes, but he’s continued to be effective, which is ultimately what matters. DeSclafani has fired five straight quality starts and with a next matchup coming against the Atlanta Braves, he’s poised for No. 6. At the very least, he’s an above average streaming option for this start, but he’s got the ability to be a constant producer for you in the second half.
Randal Grichuk, OF STL— After a rough first couple months of the season, Grichuk is finally showing signs of life. Over the last 15 days, he’s hitting .407 with three home runs, four runs scored and five RBI. He’s also slugging .815 over that same span. Things are finally turning around for Grichuk. Take a look at his numbers by the month.
MONTH | GAMES PLAYED | BATTING AVERAGE | DOUBLES | HOME RUNS |
March/April | 22 | .189 | 3 | 3 |
May | 29 | .253 | 5 | 4 |
June | 11 | .114 | 2 | 1 |
July | 7 | .407 | 2 | 3 |
The St. Louis outfielder has hit safely in his last seven contests and his fantasy value will stay afloat as long as the Cardinals continue to give him regular at-bats. All signs point to that happening, especially if he continues to produce at this level. His ownership is starting to climb in leagues, so make sure you get on the Grichuk bandwagon before it’s too late. A .258 BABIP is well below his career mark, signifying that he’s been extremely unlucky to date. He hit .276 last season and by no way, shape or form is he a .230 hitter. That average will continue to trend upwards, so make sure you roster him.
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Kyren Paris hit a two-run homer in Wednesday’s win for the Angels over the Blue Jays.
That’s the first homer for Paris since April 9 when he went deep twice against Tampa Bay and caused everyone to lose all sense of rational thought. The 23-year-old did also single and walk to improve his on-base percentage to .311,, while the homer bumps his slugging mark to .378. There is long-term upside in Paris with flashes that suggest he can be a fantasy option. Fantasy managers should still absolutely looking elsewhere for options up the middle.
Jorge Soler hit a three-run double in the bottom of the ninth to give the Angels a 5-4 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Trent Grisham went 1-for-1 with a game-tying two-run home run in the eighth inning of a 4-3 win over the Padres on Wednesday.
While the Yankees won this game on a walk-off in the 10th inning, Grisham’s game-tying home run in the eighth was the biggest moment. He came on as a pinch-hitter for Jorbit Vibas against the usually stout Jason Adam and smashed a two-strike changeup into the right field seats. This clutch shot will only continue to push Grisham’s playing time in the right direction after he just started eight of the last 10 games, hit either first or second in each, and already has 10 homers in 31 games played this season.
Jeff Hoffman blew a save and picked up a loss Wednesday against the Angels.
Devin Williams struck out three batters with one walk and hit another in a scoreless 10th inning to earn the win against the Padres on Wednesday.
The Yankees entrusted Williams with the all important 10th inning and the inherited ghost runner on second base after their dramatic comeback. While he loaded the bases and had some tense moments, he left the inning unscathed and opened the door for them to win it right after. It should be noted that Luke Weaver came on for what were the most important outs of this game at the time, after Ian Hamilton walked two to begin the eighth inning and Weaver allowed both of those inherited runners to score. He was called upon as the fireman though and will likely get the next save opportunity. Still, this was a massive step in the right direction for Williams.
Max Fried allowed five hits and one run with no walks and eight strikeouts over seven innings in a no-decision against the Padres on Wednesday.
Fried’s excellent season continued as he set down the Padres easily besides for a mammoth solo home run by Jackson Merrill. It was no matter though, as they rarely threatened otherwise and Fried continued to find his strikeout stuff. This was his fourth outing of the year with at least seven strikeouts, a mark he only hit 10 times last season in 29 starts. Fried with a strikeout rate that’s better than league average – which is where he’s at right now – is a clear top-10 pitcher in fantasy baseball. He’s set for a two-start week coming up against the Mariners and Mets.