Xander Bogaerts (SS-BOS): Xander Bogaerts continues to heat up at the plate. The Aruban sensation went 3 for 5 with 1 run and 1 RBI to lead the Red Sox to their 4th straight victory. He has pushed his season line to .296/.388/.425 with 3 homers, 25 runs, and 12 RBI, and looks to have solidified his place in the 2-hole. Bogaerts is showing a disciplined approach at the plate, as he has significantly lowered his chase rate while solidly improving his EYE. He is hitting more flyballs as well, and his 5% HR/FB rate is well below where it will be by season's end. Bogaerts looks primed for a huge finish to 2014. Buy.
Adam Lind (1B/DH-TOR): While Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion continued to grab the headlines by dropping bombs, Adam Lind quietly logged a 2-for-4, 2-run night to push his season line to .341/.426/.557. Lind has elevated his ISO back over .200 while maintaining a solid approach at the plate, swinging and missing in the zone and chasing out of the zone less than at any point in his career. His struggles against lefties have continued, however, as he is 2 for 16 against them so far, so he should continue to sit against the majority of lefties. Play the matchups wisely in weekly and daily setups; there is a significant amount of fantasy value to be unlocked with Lind.
Joe Nathan (RP-DET): Joe Nathan struggled yet again, hanging on by a thin thread to pick up his 13th save of the season. The 39 year old allowed 2 earned runs on 3 hits and 1 walk in an inning of work a day after allowing the dramatic walk-off homer. Nathan has experienced a precipitous drop in his strikeout rate (29% to 23%), undoubtedly fueled in part by his continuously declining velocity (92 MPH to 91 MPH according to consensus readings). He is now a league average pitcher in terms of swinging-strike rate! He has already blown 4 saves this season, and while he has some leash remaining, the Tigers are primed to win now and may be forced to make a change if this continues. Joba Chamberlain picked up his 11th hold in a scoreless 8th and has been very solid in May. Nathan owners will want to handcuff immediately just in case.
Michael Saunders (OF-SEA): Michael Saunders hit his 3rd homer of the season as part of a 1-for-4, 2-run, 3-RBI night. His line now sits at .276/.331/.431 with 24 runs, 20 RBI, and 3 steals in 46 games. Lloyd McCLendon recently said that Saunders will sit every 4-5 games, making the lefty a high-upside #5 OF in standard mixed leagues. However, I like the gains he is showing with his contact rate (now up to 85%), and his depressed HR/FB ratio so far suggests more power is coming. Even with the days of rest, he should post a 15/15 season with a respectable AVG.
Mike Trout (OF-LAA): Mike Trout went 3 for 3 with 2 RBI and 1 BB to lead the Angels over the Mariners. While there has been some discussion of a Trout regression this season, I don't buy it as anything systematic. Trout has been making better contact recently and walking more while maintaining a career-high .246 ISO. His BABIP continues to climb to previous levels and should bring his AVG to the .300-range by season's end. The only concern that I see as legitimate is with the speed; Trout has only 5 steals in 5 attempts so far, although he should easily exceed 20 swipes as his OBP continues to improve. If an owner in your league is disgruntled by early returns, put a package together and pounce.
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