It is still early in June, but Andrew McCutchen is raking. The first-round talent hasn't been the fantasy dynamo owners banked on during draft season to date, but scorching hot months are part of the package. Cutch is a professional hitter, but the power comes and goes at times. When it comes, it is bonkers and six or seven bombs in a month are attainable. His three June bombs through the first week point to a power onslaught ahead. One of the only true five-category contributors in baseball, McCutchen appears to be getting hot. Daily gamers take note. Seasonal players test the trade waters. Historically, June and July are his best months, with slash lines of .318/.391/.522 and .314/.387/.535 respectively. Folks, those numbers pay the fantasy bills ... gratuity included.
Jay Bruce is in a major funk. He has more stolen bases than home runs and is slashing .211/.315/.349. Both his strikeouts and walks are up, and outside of the swipes, his fantasy production is way down. The consistently-inconsistent Bruce is a hot surge away from doubling his home run total in a single series though. Bruce dealt with a torn meniscus in his left knee already this season and the entire Reds' offense misses their main-cog Joey Votto. Therefore, the buy-low window is wide open; frustrated owners might never part ways with the proven slugger so cheaply. Over the past four seasons Jay Bruce has averaged 30 home runs, 94 RBIs, 86 runs and slashed .262/.337/.489. There is no better time than now to invest in Bruce. You might even get top-end results from here on at a flea market price.
Things are getting better for Curtis Granderson. April was a disaster. May was better and June 8 went to the tune of 10 total bases. Granderson sports a disappointing .220/.329/.381 slash line, but his 30 RBIs and eight round trippers keep him on the low-end fantasy radar. Curtis Granderson's ceiling and floor are well established at this stage in his career. Hitting above .250 isn't likely and he doesn't steal anymore. But a hot stretch puts 30 home runs in play and finding that kind of power in 2014 isn't easy. With the weather heating up, Granderson's bat should too. If you're looking for power he is an ideal buy-low candidate, but last night's power burst might drive the price up in the short term. The best thing about Granderson is you know exactly what you're getting, so pay accordingly and be patient because his year end power numbers will be there.
Going the distance wasn't enough for Jordan Zimmermann; he had to strikeout a career-high 12 batters along the way. The Nationals pitcher improved to 5-2 on the season. In the process, Zimmermann extended his scoreless-innings streak to 17, improved his ERA to 3.17 and WHIP to 1.24. Well done Zimmer and RIP Don. Zimmermann's strikeouts have been on the up this season, without much change in pitch selection or velocity. It could be as simple as another step in perfecting his craft. What's most impressive is his success with a .332 BABIP though. Zimmermann's career mark of .294 suggests there is a lot of room for opposing-hitter regression. Following up a 19 win season is a tough task. The fantasy community somewhat integrated regression into Zimmermann's draft stock, and therefore, he has the potential to be a league winner. Everything is pointing up for Zimmerman.
Looking for a deep-league flier? Wade the water on Junior Lake. The Cubs youngster doesn't have the positional eligibility he had last season, but his game is coming together and he is seeing more playing time. There is a serious feast or famine risk with Lake, but a 20/20 season is well within reach. He appears locked into the top of the Cubs lineup and boasts a large .205 ISO. Obviously due to regress, but his .411 minor league slugging percentage suggests the drop off might not be substantial. Lake's run and steal potential is on the up hitting higher in the batting order and his pop is legit. His atrocious 33.5 K% has to improve, and limits his ability to hit for a decent average. There is upside here and power-speed combos are fantasy gold.
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