Devin Mesoraco (CIN) - Devin Mesoraco had another big night at the plate going 3-for-4 with his 20th double and 62nd RBI. A case could be made for drafting Devin Mesoraco as the first catcher off the board next season. The Cincinnati Red is having a breakout year now that Dusty Baker is out of the dugout for the team. Mesoraco has always had the talent but failed to get regular playing time with Baker running the team. On the season, the backstop is slashing .300/.371/.586 and his .286 ISO is the highest among all catchers (with a min. 300 plate appearances) by over 50 points. He's also leading in homeruns (20) and wOBA (.412), 2nd in RBI (62), and 3rd in batting average (.300). On the surface, his .339 BABIP seems a little high but it's fully supported by his 23% line drive rate. His homerun total might be a little inflated (his highest total in the minors was 15 through 120 games) and his HR/FB ratio is an unsustainable 23% this season. However, he will be playing his home games in The Great American "Small Park". If the season ended today, I would be drafting Devin Mesoraco as my first catcher off the board next spring.
Kyle Hendricks (CHC) - Kyle Hendricks has been a pleasant surprise for both the Cubs and fantasy owners since being called up. On Tuesday, he had arguably his best outing as a Cub. The rookie worked into the 8th inning before getting pulled after loading up the bases. Pedro Strop came in and bailed Hendricks out but Hendricks finished with 7.1 scoreless innings on 6 hits, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts. The rookie has thrown a quality start in every game he has started, except in his major league debut. Hendricks doesn't have dominating stuff (as evidenced by his below average strikeout rate) but he has found success by executing his pitchers and inducing groundballs. Hendricks has a full repertoire of pitches but he's more likely to throw a ball off-speed than bust out a four-seamer. Most scouts agree that he doesn't profile to be a top-of-the-rotation arm, but if he can maintain his pinpoint control, he has an opportunity to be a back-end starting pitcher in the major leagues. What does this mean for fantasy leagues? His low strikeout rates are disappointing but sometimes there's a need for an innings eater to improve your team's ratios. With his solid control and pitch-to-contact tendencies, Hendricks works deep into games and sticks around long enough to be involved in the decision. When he's on, he's a very similar fantasy pitcher as Tim Hudson.
Bryce Harper (WAS) - Bryce Harper launched a 2-run homerun on Tuesday, his second home run in a week. Harper has been brutal since being activated off the disabled list on June 30th and there have even been rumors the 21-year old phenom would be optioned to Triple-A. Fear not, he's not going back on the farm any time soon and he has been hitting better as of late. Still, he has just 6 extra-base hits in 137 plate appearances since coming off the DL, putting his ISO at an ugly .102 during that time span. Harper is only making contact 73% of the time and his swinging strike rate is through the roof at 13.4%. His .249/.335/.363 is not what fantasy owners hoped for when drafting him in the early second round this spring. He's just another example of the dangers of drafting on speculative talent rather than tangible performance history. Harper will certainly drop in next year's draft, which could actually make him an incredible value. Thumb injuries make gripping the bat more difficult so he's likely still trying to get used to holding the bat again. Harper's value is limited the rest of the season in re-draft leagues but he remains one of the best bets for long-term success in keeper leagues.
Rafael Montero (NYM) - Rafael Montero returned to the Mets rotation on Tuesday, filling in for the recently injured Jacob deGrom. Outside of a 2-run homerun to Bryce Harper in the 2nd, Montero was pitching decently through the first 5 innings. Unfortunately, things unraveled quickly in the 6th. Rendon led off the inning with a solo homerun before Montero walked LaRoche and gave up a 2-run bomb to Ian Desmond. After the Desmond homerun, he was promptly pulled from the game, finishing with a line of 5 IP, 7 hits, 5 earned runs, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Montero struggled with his control in his first taste of the big leagues earlier this season, posting a below average 12% walk rate. He's well regarded as a pitching prospect but his fastball and changeup have just a 6 MPH difference and neither has been very effective this season. Montero has posted impressive strikeout numbers in the minor leagues but has failed to translate this success to the big league level. While he has a good opportunity to stick in the rotation for a little while, Montero doesn't offer much mixed league value at this point.
Odrisamer Despaigne (SD) - It's been an interesting first season for Odrisamer Despaigne. Pitching at home against the Colorado Rockies, Despaigne had a great game going 7 innings allowing 5 hits, 2 walks and striking out 8. The Padres pitcher is a pitch-to-contact guy but he has a large repertoire that has an enormous speed range (From a 90 MPH sinker to a 67 MPH Eephus). He essentially throws more breaking pitches than fastballs and he has great movement on all of his pitches. He relies heavily on keeping hitters off balance with his breaking pitches to induce groundball outs. Despaigne is the epitome of a "junk" pitcher but he holds some mixed league value pitching in Petco Park. I'd watch the matchups but I have no problem scooping him off your waiver wire, if he's available.
Follow me on Twitter @MichaelWaldo to get player tidbits this season. I'll happily answer any keeper or trade questions for your team. You can follow Fantistics on Twitter @Fantistics.
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