The Major League Baseball season is upon us and fingers crossed I’m writing this article next week, too! Let’s hope the cases remain low, or non-existent ideally, and that we continue to have lineups to set and improve, and money to win in daily! This week, those who need stolen bases and wins made their voices loud and clear in the category vote, which you can find each week on my twitter (@colbyrconway) so make sure you cast your vote next week!
From the look of it, you have plenty of home runs in your lineups, but you don’t have the burners or the wins to brag about! No worries! We’ll take a look at a few guys with lower ownership rates that could help you moving forward!
Without further adieu….
Stolen Bases
Jarrod Dyson , PIT – I drafted him a lot, and I haven’t gotten the returns yet, but it doesn’t mean I’m giving up on him yet! Pittsburgh has an atrocious lineup and even though Dyson is a below-average hitter, he will continue to get run in the lineup. He’s yet to steal a base, but his sprint speed, in this limited sample size is on par with recent years. If he can find a way on base Pittsburgh will need to manufacture runs, so they are going to have to let him run. Adding him to your team comes with the caveat that he will drain your team’s batting average. If there’s any sort of silver lining here, it’s that his .071 average is unlucky, considering his xBA is at .188. So, hey, maybe the grass is greener on the other side of this slump? The Pirates haven’t set many runners in motion yet, but they should, starting with Dyson.
Nick Solak , TEX – Solak is available in over 80 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues, and while he does have the unfortunate nature of only being eligible in the UTIL spot over there, there is some speed upside here. Not only did he steal two bases on Wednesday against Arizona, but he has 48 stolen bases in 435 career minor league games. Also, he swiped them at a 78.6 percent clip, which isn’t too shabby. It’s a small sample, but his sprint speed is right on par with Dyson, so that’s certainly encouraging. Texas has shown they are willing to put runners in motion and Solak is a sneaky source of steals, assuming he’s still available in your league.
Shed Long Jr, SEA – Long swiped three bags last year with the Mariners in 42 games and already has two stolen bases through the first six contests here in 2020. His batting average is subpar, coming in at .190, but three walks in six games help push his on-base percentage up to .292 on the young season. He’s not exactly a burner, but I’m encouraged that his two stolen bases have come in different contests. The Mariners are one of just four teams to have averaged at least one stolen base per game this season, so they are letting guys get those legs moving. Outside of a stolen base here and there, he won’t do much for your fantasy team, but speed is crucial, and the 24-year-old second baseman is one of just eight players with at least two stolen bases.
Wins
This category is incredibly hard, so I’m not surprised over one-third of y’all voted for this! Honestly, all of my fantasy teams need wins, too! To be frank, we are really speculating here and looking not necessarily for wins exactly, but perhaps the increased opportunity for wins. Whether it’s piggy backing off a starter, or luckily falling into the lap of a win or two, there’s a path to some wins for these guys moving forward.
Cal Quantrill , SDP – To be frank, I really like Joey Lucchesi and think that he puts the Padres into a lot of winning situations. Well, the Padres won’t let him get to go through the order a third time, which opens the door for Quantrill to come in hold down the fort in the fifth and sixth and collect a win! Work smarter, not harder, right? He boasts a solid fastball and while the strikeout rate was less than stellar last season, he does a good job at minimizing hard contact and a sub-12 degree launch angle is good enough. In his first 2020 appearance, he was a little erratic, but we won’t punish him too hard for that. He’s likely available in your league, and there’s nothing wrong with getting “piggyback wins” because they all count the same at the end of the season!
Zack Godley , BOS – There are some good things with Godley and some bad things. The bad thing is that he goes up against the Yankees in his next start, so maybe don’t start him for that one, but be looking towards the future. In his first outing, he struck out seven guys across four innings, allowing just four hits in the process. He needed just 53 pitches to do. Boston is going to move him into the rotation, but I have reservations that he sticks there. He’s a two-pitch pitcher, and not many pitchers with a limited repertoire stick in the rotation for long. Boston’s rotation is in shambles, so the move has to happen. However, ideally Godley could piggy back off a starter if Boston decides to do that, or just let him be the second guy in after four good innings from the starter, and let Godley get a good number of wins that way. Again, as a two-pitch pitcher, I’m not convinced he stays in the rotation, but he is the perfect first option out of the pen with a lead around the fifth inning for Ron Roenicke. Will it happen? Not sure, but I’ll bet on the fact that his ERA is over half of a run lower when pitching as a reliever than a starter. Let him work the fifth and move on, Boston, do it!
David Peterson, NYM – The 24-year-old southpaw defeated Boston his first time out, and despite striking out just three guys, he could be in line for some solid performances moving forward. He’s going to stick in the team’s rotation, given some injuries. And while the Braves do pack a punch, they are prone to striking out in bunches, which gives Peterson some upside. We have to speculate a bit with wins here, but he was good against righties, and that should help going against Boston’s lineup. Thinking long term here should some of the regular arms return, or they decide to shake things up a bit, Peterson could fall into a middle relief role. He can come in and mop up in the 4th-6th innings, which would put him in line for the win. Again, a lot of speculation here, but there’s a path to success.
Follow me on Twitter (@colbyrconway) to ensure you cast your vote for next week’s edition of Category Impact!