Quietly, C.J. Wilson puts consistently solid year-end numbers up. 2014 has been more of the same. He is susceptible to bad outings, but his draft value, the past two years at least, has him deemed a low-end third starting arm. Four-straight seasons of 200 innings pitched, 170 strikeouts and a sub-four ERA make him one of the most reliable arms available.
Wilson went seven strong Thursday, yielding a single run on three hits, four walks and six strikeouts. Wilson didn't factor in the decision. Wilson's stats are similar to his previous four seasons, but his K% and GB% are up, which is encouraging. His slightly improved LOB% and decreased BABIP correlate with those improvements.
If you don't own Wilson, wait until his next blowup and test the trade waters. The Angels' offense will give him opportunities to win and Wilson also creates many of his own. There are few pitchers who you can draft, leave in your lineup all season and not have to worry about, he is one of them.
Yangervis Solarte didn't play Thursday for the Yankees, and it shouldn't surprise, as he is reeling along at eight for 48 in June. Solarte burst onto the scene this season and scorched through the first six weeks of the season. However, currently his greatest asset is his positional flexibility and not his stick.
Solarte has hit just .200 since May 15 and drove in a mere five runs. His batting average has dropped 62 points. The great equalizer that is May was a little tardy, but has finally caught up to Solarte. The numbers suggest the regression pendulum may have swung a little too far, suggesting he is better than his recent slump. But Solarte isn't the hitter who mashed in April either and boasted a .385 wOBA.
Fantasy owners should consider dumping Solarte, especially considering the minimal investment it took to obtain him in the first place. His minor league numbers align with a low-end starting middle infielder, so his spiral down to mediocrity shouldn't be a surprise. Being eligible at the three-weakest infield positions and outfield are the only reason to remain patient.
Kevin Kiermaier is exactly the type of player Rays manager Joe Madden loves, and the type who often flourishes with the Rays. He plays excellent defense and has excellent speed, two intangibles that will keep him in the lineup. Yesterday, Kiermaier hit his fourth home run of the season, in only his 82 plate appearance and batted third in the lineup.
Kiermaier's minor league track record doesn't support the power. In 136 games across Class AA and AAA last season, he hit just six total home runs, but he did post 21 doubles and 15 triples. He has more gap power and excellent speed than pop, but that will do if he remains hitting second or third in the Rays' lineup.
Pump the breaks if expectations exceed low-end outfielder fantasy production, though. He does have a window to carve out a niche with the team though: Wil Myers' return is still over a month away. Expect his legs to contribute via runs and stolen bases, more than his bat via home runs and RBIs though.
Yoenis Cespedes is on track for a monster season. His current pace projected over 162 games tops off at 89 runs, 31 home runs, 109 RBIs and a .264/.314/.513 slash line. But where is the speed Cespedes flashed in his first two seasons? Don't get picky with mid-round draft picks, consider anything in the SB column a bonus.
Cespedes hit 49 home runs through his first two seasons and drove in 162 runs, so his early-2014 onslaught shouldn't surprise. He hits in the middle of a lineup that prides itself on getting on base and he gets plenty of RBI opportunities. He is rolling a wOBA of .355 and ISO of .249 this season, but most impressive are his decreased GB% and K% compared to last season, for our fake game anyway.
Everything Cespedes is doing is sustainable and although, he may finish below his current pace, his 2014 season will reward on his draft day price tag. May was a little slow, as he dealt with a nagging hamstring injury, but June has been beastly; expect a career year for Cespedes.
Nick Swisher provided the dramatics Thursday afternoon for Cleveland, launching a game-winning grand slam in the tenth inning. Swisher returned from a knee injury last Thursday, and he needed a spark to get his bat going. Even after his large showing yesterday, he has just five home runs, 19 runs and 24 RBIs on the year. His .200/.292./.329 slash line can only go up.
Swisher has been one of the most reliable bats in fantasy baseball the past nine seasons, hitting at leas 20 home runs each year. Currently, he is striking out a career-worst 24.2 percent and boasts another career-low 6.2 percent HR/FB rate. At 33-years old, regression looms, but Swisher is capable of four-category fantasy production.
Swisher is widely available in fantasy leagues: CBS 63 percent, ESPN 79 percent, Yahoo! 72 percent. You can never have too much pop and run production in fantasy baseball, so consider Swisher.
