Jaime Garcia (SP-St Louis)
With the injuries to Wainwright and now Lance Lynn, the Cardinals really need Jaime Garcia to add some stability to the rotation. So far, Garcia has pitched very well in the 5 starts since coming off the DL. He has produced a 2.06 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. Today he was masterful, limited KC to 4 hits and no runs while striking out 6 in 7 innings of shutout pitching. With an xFIP of 2.92 and a 2.90 SIERA the longer term outlook is very positive. In a small sample his swinging strike rate is at a low 7%, and he has benefited from a .247 BABIP, but he has regained his velocity and his cutter and curveball are working very well. The K rates should improve as he gets more innings under his belt. He is owned in only 68% of CBS Sports Leagues so if you are looking for some immediate help in your rotation he should be picked up right now.
Matt Latos (SP- Marlins)
The Marlins activated Mat Latos from the 15day disabled list today. He will rejoin the Marlins rotation on Saturday to pitch against the Rockies. Before hitting the DL with inflammation in his knee, he registered a very poor 6.12 ERA and 1.59 WHIP across 42.2 innings this season. However, a closer look at the numbers suggests that he has not pitched as badly as his record indicates. Latos has been saddled with a .358 BABIP and his strand rate is a ridiculously low 59.6%. His xFIP is .399 and his SIERA is 3.67. These are indicators that there are better days ahead for Latos if he can remain injury free. In his rehab work the team indicated that he showed better velocity than the 90.7 mph that he had in his starts this season. Of equal importance will be for Latos to have better command of his slider which he throws 20% of the time. It has been a very strong out pitch for him when he is going well. I would not insert him until I saw at least one or two good outings, but with half his games in the Marlins strong pitchers park, he may be a starter that will be worth adding soon in mixed leagues.
Aramis Ramirez (3B-Brewers)-$2300
Aramis Ramirez had one of his rare good games today slamming 3 doubles and driving home 5. It has been a very disappointing season for Ramirez punctuated by his announcement that he will retire after the 2015 campaign. I'm certain that Ramirez would not want to go out this way. Is there any hope for him coming off a 15 HR performance last year and his dismal showing this season? Well, hope springs eternal and for Ramirez there is no exception. He has been saddled with a very unlucky .220 BABIP so it is almost certain that he will raise that .220 BA. He does have 7 HR's which is not awful in just over a third of a season. Ramirez has a 44% FB rate and a 10% HR/FB ratio so he still could exceed 20 HR's. A look at his bat speed on HR's hit indicates that he has exceptionally good numbers and consistently long distance on those 7 bombs. He is a career .290+ hitter after the first 2 months of the year and his best HR months are July, August, and September so perhaps as the weather warms his bat will as well. Ramirez makes for a sneaky value play in FanDuel on Saturday at only $2300.
Starlin Castro (SS-Cubs)
Starlin Castro clubbed his 5th HR of the year and drove in 2 in today's game. After a 2014 season that saw him post a .341 wOBA, which was the highest of his career, he is now surrounded by a much improved Cubs lineup in 2015 so much more was expected. So far he has not delivered on this promise. Castro is batting only .264, well off his .292 pace of last season, and his ISO has dropped to .094 from last year's .146. Castro is just not hitting the ball well as his hard hit % sits at a paltry 24.5. All of the underlying indicators tell the story. Castro's LD rate is down 7%, his GB rate is up to an alarming 59%, and his FB rate is down by 8%. Looking even further, his IFFB% is up 10% which indicates that he is not squaring up on the ball. Castro is still only 25 years old, so he could rebound from a very weak May and June and catch fire like he did to start the season in April, but his inconsistency from year to year at the plate could just be who he is as a hitter right now.
Wilmer Flores (SS-Mets) $2500
Wilmer Flores clubbed his 10th HR of the season in today's game. Because of his questionable defense, he is clearly a much more valuable player in fantasy than he is as the starting SS for the Mets. Much in the mold of Jhonny Peralta, he is a power hitting middle infielder with a track record of HR production in the Minors. Flores is a very good contact hitter and his .249 average has been limited by a very unlucky .240 BABIP. While he does not walk very often he has an excellent 11.7% K rate. His bat speed is unexceptional, so it probably will cap his HR production, but a SS who hits 20 HR and bats .265 is an asset in almost any league. I think he makes a very strong FanDuel play tomorrow at only $2500.
@stevietheshu
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