Scooter Gennett - Gennett had a pair of singles yesterday and has now hit in 14 straight starts (he has had a few unsuccessful pinch-hitting appearances). He's shown a bit more power than expected to this point and has had a very fortunate BABIP, but there is enough that's real here to justify looking at him in formats of moderate depth or greater. There's a little bit of speed that may show up before year's end, and although the ISO is likely to be cut in half over the next 6 weeks he still should post a solid AVG at a reasonably weak position. Still just 23, there is some upside here.....from his minor league numbers, not from his current MLB batting line.
Wilmer Flores - Flores had a single and a double Monday as he continued his solid hitting filling in for David Wright. There has been talk of taking a look at Flores at 2B in the near future, which would be a huge boost to his potential longer-term value since he won't be displacing Wright anytime soon. Flores has the ability to produce above-average power and contact at just 22 years of age, making him a very interesting prospect in many formats right now. His playing time for the remainder of this year seems fairly secure barring injury, and as such he should be considered in deeper leagues and NL-only formats right now.
Andrew Cashner - Cashner was solid again Monday, allowing three runs (one earned) to the Pirates on 5 hits over 7 innings, walking 2 and fanning 3 in a 3-1 loss. Cashner has allowed 3 earned runs or fewer in his last 7 starts in a row and 12 of his last 13, so regardless of the paltry offensive support and diminished swinging strike%, he looks like a guy that should be in most people's rotations right now. He still has excellent stuff, improved control, and a solid GB rate going for him, and his 5-2, 2.51 home mark beg for at least a spot starting role in most formats.
Wilson Ramos - Ramos hit his 8th homer of the year against the Cubs Monday, and the oft-injured backstop appears to be rounding his way into health with an 11-28, 7 RBI performance over his last 7 games. He's had a ton of trouble staying on the field the past few years, but when healthy he offers a solid combination of average and power that is above-average for the catching position, and as such he should be owned and started in the majority of formats.
Ethan Martin - After a forgettable debut and two mediocre outings, Martin was rather solid Monday against Colorado, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs over 6 1/3 innings, walking 2 and fanning 6. Martin has the typical red flags of a youngster with good stuff, mixing extreme flyball tendencies with scattershot control, but he can miss bats so there's certainly upside. He's a bit too tough for me to trust in most formats, but those looking to gamble might spot start him in bigger parks or against weaker offenses to try and capture some of that upside.
