Todd Frazier stole his 15th base of the season yesterday afternoon. With 19 bombs, over 50 runs and RBIs, and a plus-average, he has proven to be the only five-category contributor at his position.
Reds Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto are injured, yet Frazier continues to fill the stat line. His 23.2 percent LD% correlates with his .323 BABIP, and suggests there aren't glaring signs of regression ahead. In the heart of the Reds' lineup, Frazier will continue to get plenty of RBI opportunities.
Although, everything checks out and Frazier is having a fantastic season, the Reds' lineup can be had. Frazier's year-end numbers will be high-end, but expecting him to continue his current pace could be asking a lot. If there is an opportunity to move Frazier and improve your team, you should be exploring all options.
Matt Adams kills right-handed pitchers. This season, he is slashing .360/.373/.569 against righties, and his career line is .321/.358/.530. Yesterday afternoon, Adams launched his 12th home run off right-hander Zack Greinke, which was his ninth since returning from the disabled list Friday, June 13.
Adams suffered a calf injury and missed a chunk of games to begin June. He revised his swing and approach to help recognize breaking balls during his rehab assignment, and the results are speaking for themselves. Additionally, Adams' strikeout percentage is down six percent from last season.
The Cardinals' lineup is in constant flux, but Adams is going to see enough at-bats to reward owners with a huge second half. He has plus-power, a commitment to being a better hitter, and the Cardinals' lineup is due to heat up after a disappointing first half. Adams is unlikely to play everyday, but he will get enough playing time to be productive.
Brett Anderson pitched an excellent game Saturday night. It was his first outing since Saturday, April 12, when he left his start after injuring his left index finger while at-bat. He struck out eight batters in seven innings, allowing an earned run on four hits and issued a walk.
Anderson is returning at the right time for the Rockies. Tyler Chatwood is having Tommy John surgery, and Jhoulys Chacin is also likely finished for 2014. Anderson has flashed potential during his career, but he has only made 15 starts since the beginning of 2012. He has a career 7.00 K/9 mark, which is below average, and he doesn't have a friendly home ballpark, so the upside is limited.
However, Anderson is worth considering in deep formats. He showed Saturday night, against a good Pirates team, he can navigate a tough lineup. The Rockies should provide the run support to put him in position to win games, and he can pitch well enough to win a few on his own. Keep your expectations in check, but Anderson can reward, at least in favorable matchups.
Chase Headley has returned to his natural batting grip. It is a grip where he overlaps the pinky and ring fingers of his top batting hand over the index and middle fingers of his lower hand. The results have been solid. Entering last night's game, Headley was slashing .304/.324/.406 since the change. Hardly a beastly line, for sure, but it is well above the mark he had been hovering around since the beginning of 2013.
Headley suffered a broken bone in his right hand during spring training last season and couldn't use his preferred grip. He had another two hits, a run and RBI Saturday night, so hopefully his season is on the up swing.
Headley could also land in a new lineup before the trade deadline, as there are multiple teams interested in him. Fantasy owners should target Headley if available and take a speculative risk on him. He has the potential to reward.
Pablo Sandoval had a difficult month of April, but since, he has been swinging a hot bat. Entering last night's game and excluding April, Sandoval's pace would be 75 runs, 25 home runs, 90 RBIs and a .313/.350/.490 slash line. Those are the numbers we expect from Pablo, at least when he is healthy. Last night, Sandoval had three hits and two runs.
In April, Sandoval struck out 20.6 percent of the time, while his career mark is 13.4 percent and has never been higher than 14 percent for an entire season. He was a prime candidate for improvement; given his April BABIP was an unsustainably low .208, and especially because he posted a 20.3 percent LD%. He was unlucky.
Sandoval's biggest issues in the past have been his annual trips to the disabled list. He has avoided the DL thus far; however, there have been a few scares. Continue to consider Sandoval a low-tier starting third baseman in standard leagues. He can help down the stretch as the Giants look to win the NL West.
