Delmon Young OF (MIN) - While Young has certainly been a bust this season, I maintain he has value in standard mixed leagues going forward. When I told this to a friend in a discussion earlier today, he simply asked why? The answer is it really is a combination of things. For starters, Young's plate discipline and types of balls he has put in play haven't fallen off dramatically. His .28 EYE is bad, but then again it's still better than his career .24 mark, which hasn't prevented him from being a .289 career hitter in over 2,500 bats. His LD% of 18.3% is right in line with his career mark, and his 35.4 FB% doesn't match last year's mark but is still two percentage points higher than his career mark. That's a good sign for his power numbers going forward. Secondly, I have to look at Young's age (25 YO) favorably. His current ISO of .094 is well below his career mark of .137. That's something I might expect out of a player who is suffering from age related decline or whose plate discipline has completely gone out of the window; neither of those possibilities describes Young. Expect Young' current HR/FB% of 4.6 (double digits the past two seasons, career mark of 8.7%) to normalize leading to a rise in his ISO. Thirdly, Young has shown signs of life lately with a batting line of .278/.330/.433 since the All Star break. Perhaps I'm in denial, but I continue to have faith.
Garrett Richards SP (LAA) - Richards is being called up to start today by the Angels. Unfortunately for him, his first big league start will come at Yankee Stadium versus the Yankees who clearly have an elite offense. It's not clear how long the 23 YO will stick around. He may just make one start (with Weaver being suspended). Even if he does stick around for some more starts, though, I'm not sure how valuable he will be. At age 23, Richards has seen a disappointing drop in his K rate as he moved from high A ball to AA this season. His K/9 fell off from 8.97 in 19 A starts and 10.64 in 7 A+ starts down to 6.38 in 21 AA starts this year. Some may look at Richards' record (12-2) as evidence he may be of fantasy use, but you guys should know by now that a pitcher's record is a horrible evaluation of his skill. Unless Richards wows me in his first couple of starts, I'm staying away as I think adding him would be taking an unnecessary risk that comes without much upside.
Colby Rasmus OF (TOR) - I think now is the time to buy low on Rasmus in keeper leagues. About to turn 25 (tomorrow actually) Rasmus has all the tools scouts rave about. Yes, he's been a bit of a disappointment this season, but his EYE has increased modestly every year: .38/.43/.54. Plus, he already has a 4 plus WAR season, .200+ ISO season and 2 double digit walk rate seasons under his belt. With the trade to Toronto, Rasmus finds himself in the middle of an offense that has the chance to be one of the league's best this season. He also finds himself in a better environment, both from a stadium standpoint (Rogers Centre a much more favorable hitter's park than Busch Stadium) and from a he doesn't have to deal with Tony LaRussa's shenanigans standpoint.
Evan Longoria 3B (TB) - Longoria drove in 4 runs last night as he collected 2 hits including a homerun. I know the numbers haven't completely backed it up (low HR total last year, poor average this year) but Longoria is really elite. At age 25, his EYE is already in a state of constant improvement: .38/.51/.58/.72. His power has returned this year as his HR/FB% has come into line with his career mark. But, ugh, that .225 average. What's up with that? Well, as I said, it's not a lack of plate discipline as Longoria is actually improving in that area. In fact, he is posting a career best contact rate. It's not a lack of power as Longoria's ISO of .215 is solid. Frankly, it's just been some rotten luck. Longoria's current BABIP is a lowly .229. His previous career low in three seasons is .309, and his career mark (including this year) is .305. Look for Longoria to have a monster end to the season as his BABIP is likely to normalize.
Bobby Abreu OF (LAA) - Bobby Abreu blasted 2 homers last night. Unfortunately for owners, it was just his 5th and 6th homers of the year. Abreu's HR/FB% has been extremely low this season but given his age (37) and LD and FB percentages below his career marks, I'm not optimistic his HR/FB% will normalize despite last night's power outbreak.
