Steve Pearce is playing above his head, but fantasy owners should be reaping the rewards while he is locked in at the plate. Pearce hit No. 2 in the Orioles' order for a sixth straight game and entered Monday's game with a .419 June batting average. Almost anyone hitting second in Baltimore's lineup will carry fantasy appeal. Need proof? Pearce scored two more runs Monday night. Pearce has shown off his pop in Class AAA throughout his minor-league career, and boasts a respectable major-league career .323 wOBA and .152 ISO. However, what are most important -- and topical -- for fantasy baseball are his recent batting stance and approach adjustments. Pearce's recent surge is unsustainable, his BABIP is .405, and a 31-year old journeyman doesn't become a force overnight, but there is value here. In the short term, Pearce is hitting in an excellent spot to compile plenty of counting stats. He has carved out a role and appears locked into it for the time being. Pearce is rolling on a red-hot steak and is worth a speculative add in deep mixed leagues.
If you can get 85 cents on the dollar for Evan Longoria, it is time to cut bait. The fish, or Ray in this case, just isn't performing to his perceived value. Longoria's bat has begun to pick up, but his current pace projects to just 19 home runs and 71 RBIs, which doesn't correlate with his price tag on draft day. Essentially, his name value soars above his fantasy value, so owners need to cash in while they can. Longoria's career ISO and wOBA are .229 and .367 respectively, but his 2014 marks, after Monday's contest are .135 and .320. Those are shadow numbers, and more concerning is his .310 BABIP, which is above his career .305 mark. Longoria is swinging at more pitches, but his contact percentages are similar to year's past, although, he is swinging and missing more than he has since 2009. The biggest issue with Longoria is the lack of offensive punch in the Tampa Bay lineup. The counting stats we've become accustomed to with Longoria aren't there. He has been better in June, but parlay that momentum and name value into trade discussions and not faith. Sticking with Longoria is settling for career-low numbers. Explore all trade options, but you obviously cannot drop him.
Brad Miller was a trendy-sleeper pick this draft season. To date, his batting average hovers around .200 and paired with his lackluster counting stats, he is unworthy of a roster spot. Miller's modest second-half numbers from 2013 seemed repeatable and thanks to a June turnaround, still may be. If you need middle infield help, Miller could perform at a roster-worthy level from here on. Nothing about Miller's 2013-second-half slash line screams unattainable: .269/.317/.424, nor does his .286 BABIP. Thus, his June 2014 slash line of .323/.375/.508 is encouraging, especially in tandem with his 2014 BABIP of .253. Miller's .271 wOBA is unsustainably low and most importantly, he has been stringing together multi-hit games of late. Monday wasn't Miller's finest performance, but he scored a run and drew a walk. Strikeouts are the problem (24.8 percent K%) and if they can be limited closer to his 2013 15.5 percent K%, the rest of his stats should align accordingly. Miller has the potential to be a low-end middle infield fantasy contributor, who chips in across all categories. A speculative add, for those in need is advised, and he is worth monitoring in all cases.
What to make of Wei-Yin Chen? His seven wins and sub-four ERA make for a low-end fantasy arm, but his lack of strikeouts hinder the upside. He started the season slowly, allowing four earned runs in back-to-back starts to open the season. However, aside from back-to-back hiccups on Thursday, May 22, and Tuesday, May 27, Chen has allowed three earned runs of fewer in every outing. Chen flashes strikeout potential, but has recorded four or fewer strikeouts in over 50 percent of his starts. He has gone at least five innings in every start this season, which limits his blowup potential, and highlights his reliability. However, he is prone to the long ball, and his 11.7 percent HR/FB is a concern, especially considering his career GB% of 37.3 percent. But, line drives and fly balls allowed have decreased in 2014 and Chen is inducing more ground balls. Ultimately, Chen is a low-end fantasy option. However, his win probability is higher than his peers in the low-end fantasy tier and his blowup potential is much smaller. Chen is a safe option to employ in all but the most unfavorable of matchups. His strikeouts are hit and miss, but at worst; he limits the damage enough to stabilize your ratios.
Is Dustin Pedroia healthy? The short answer is sort of. He has already received a cortisone shot in his left wrist Wednesday, April 15 and suffered a bruised right hand Friday, May 30. He has played through pain in the past, but at what point do the nagging hand injuries mount and limit production? Pedroia is scoring runs at his usual pace, but everything else on his stat line is lagging. Pedroia's four home runs, two stolen bases and 27 RBIs are shadows of the production associated with the perennial top-tier second baseman. The power dip began last season, but when you add the speed and RBI drops, it is significant. Pedroia's .269/.339/.384 slash line is well below his career norms too. Turning Pedroia's name value into superior fantasy production might be easier than you think. Simply put, he is currently a one-category contributor and has been in a sharp decline sine the All-Star Break last season. If you invested a top-round pick in him, you have nothing to lose, he is on pace for eight home runs, four stolen bases and 57 RBIs. That is waiver wire production at a deep second base position.
