Entering the second week in May and there is a lot to break down. Pitching continues to be a main topic of discussion. This is the fastest we have ever seen four no-hitters in an MLB season. The latest, from Reds starter, Wade Miley. As the weather continues to heat up during the warmer months, pitching will regress. Ahead to this week, we will take a look at the two-start pitchers, waiver wire adds, who’s hot and cold, as well as breaking down closer situations.
Two Start Pitchers
Start em’:
Shane Bieber (CLE) – CHC/SEA
John Means (BAL) – NYM/NYY
Yu Darvish (SD) – COL/STL
Marcus Stroman (NYM) – BAL/TB
Pabol Lopez (MIA) – ARI/LAD
Lance McCullers (HOU) – LAA/TEX
Kyle Gibson (TEX) – SFG/HOU
Brady Singer (KC) – DET/CHW
Max Fried (ATL) – TOR/MIL
Madison Bumgarner (ARI) – MIA/WAS
Sonny Gray (CIN) – PIT/COL
Proceed with caution:
Alex Wood (SF) – TEX/PIT
Freddy Peralta (MIL) – STL/ATL
Adbert Alzolay (CHC/DET)
Chris Bassitt (OAK) – BOS/MIN
Robbie Ray (TOR) – ATL/PHI
Dylan Cease (CWS) – MIN/KC
Jon Gray (COL) – SD/CIN
J.A. Happ (MIN) – CWS/OAK
J.T. Brubaker (PIT) – CIN/SF
Jordan Montgomery (NYY) – TB/BAL
Luis Garcia (HOU) – LAA/TEX
Ryan Yarbrough (TB) – NYY/NYM
Casey Mize (DET) – KC/CHC
Take a shot if you need to:
Nathan Eovaldi (BOS) – OAK/LAA
Dinelson Lamet (SD) – COL/STL
Kwang Hyun Kim (STL) – MIL/SD
Justin Dunn (SEA) – LAD/CLE
Waiver Wire Adds – Hitters
Miguel Rojas (MIA – SS): 33% Yahoo!
When you think of viable fantasy options, the Miami Marlins rarely come to mind. This season, however, we can make a case for a few. After the electrifying emergence of Jazz Chisholm and the consistent hitting from Jesus Aguilar, the door is starting to open. Miguel Rojas has been on fire. The 32-year-old has a double-digit BB rate which has led to a very respectable .370 OBP. He has chipped in on steals (3), while producing runs (22). Although not a slugger, Rojas will help in your average category to go along with runs and the occasional steals.
Bobby Dalbec (BOS – 1B): 17% Yahoo!
It is finally time to jump on the train. Although he hits in the bottom half of the order and currently has a strikeout rate of 32.4%, the power is undeniable. While the numbers don’t look great right now, there are a couple of things that stand out. First, the BABIP. At just .274 (.394 in 2020), the 25-year-old slugger is running into some bad luck. Expect this number to climb. Next, take a look at his batted ball numbers. His Pull% is almost even with Cent% and Oppo%. Once the Pull% rises (and it will), his power numbers will climb as well. Last is the Hard hit rate. At just 28.1% Dalbec has seen a massive dip in barrel contact. Again, much lower than last season and a player of his caliber can/will accomplish. This is an extreme “buy low” candidate, in the sense you can just add him. Expect numbers to normalize in the coming days and weeks.
Avisail Garcia (MIL – OF): 18% Yahoo!
Now hitting a .273 average with four homeruns, 15 RBI’s, and three stolen bases, Garcia is contributing to multiple fantasy categories. With Christian Yelich back on the IL and his inability to stay healthy, playing time will remain fairly consistent for one of the better hitters in this lineup. Garcia started the season slow and had a horrific 0 for 23 stretch at the plate. Now heating up, he is a very viable streaming option going forward.
Hot and Cold Streaks
Following the hot and cold streaks are important. They won’t last forever and playing your league like the stock market will net you a huge reward. This section can translate into a “buy low, sell high” type of scenario. Here are some of the hottest and coldest players in the league over the last 7 days.
HOT:
Adolis Garcia – .464 AVG, 6 R, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 1 SB
Yordan Alvarez – .520 AVG, 7 R, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB
Miguel Rojas – .458 AVG, 9 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB
Giancarlo Stanton – .375 AVG, 3 R, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB
Andrew McCutchen – .385 AVG, 3 R, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB
John Means – 1 W, 1 CGSO, 12 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP
Wade Miley – 1, W, 1 CGSO, 8 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.11 WHIP
Zack Wheeler – 1 W, 1 CGSO, 8 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP
Huascar Ynoa – 2 W, 10 K, 0.69 ERA, 0.85 WHIP
Taijuan Walker – 1 W, 8 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.14 WHIP
COLD:
Juan Soto – .133 AVG, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB
Aaron Judge – .095 AVG, 1 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Eugenio Suarez – .000 AVG, 0 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Nick Castellanos – .125 AVG, 1 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Matt Olson – .087 AVG, 2 R, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB\
Luis Castillo – 0 W, 2 K, 9.00 ERA, 1.75 WHIP
Blake Snell – 0 W, 5 K, 7.71 ERA, 1.50 WHIP
Dylan Bundy – 0 W, 3 K, 16.20 ERA, 1.80 WHIP
Julio Urias – 0 W, 9.00 ERA, 1.60 WHIP
German Marquez – 0 W, 7 K, 12.15 ERA, 2.55 WHIP
Closer Corner
Kansas City Royals
Josh Staumont remains the clear closer in KC, with three saves on the year, to go with a 2.87 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. At only 51% ownership on Yahoo!, he is an option, if you are struggling in the category. The lack of any true depth at the position has his role quite cemented. The likes of Greg Holland and Wade Davis have the prime of their careers in the rear view mirror and are only set-up guys at this point.
Toronto Blue Jays
Jordan Romano will slot into the closer role, by default. Toronto continues to watch their relief pitchers go down as the season progresses. While Ryan Borucki may challenge platoon advantage matchups in high-leverage situations, he is not a real threat.
Final Thoughts
Watch the waiver wire closely. It was only three weeks ago Adolis Garcia was virtually unheard of. He is now a top 50 ranked player. These players pop up all of the time and being ahead of the curve will net huge dividends.
Although we are still less than two months into the season, there are a lot of viable buy-low candidates. One who is a great option to take a deep look at is Eugenio Suarez. Having a horrible season, I can imagine fantasy owners are very frustrated. This Reds lineup is quite good though. He will come around. Currently, 33% of his hits, have been homeruns.
Good luck this week. Keep in mind, although a lot has happened this season, we are still so early into 2021. There is plenty of time left to win your league even if you feel completely out of it.
Fantasy Marksmen 