Francisco Lindor (SS-CLE): Lindor continued to show that his "bat" is rapidly approaching his "glove," as the rookie went 3 for 4 with 1 run and 3 RBI to push his season line to .306/.341/.433. He is posting marks close to league average in the swinging-strike and chase-rate departments and is hitting both lefties and righties well. The power numbers are likely to drop, as his 102 MPH avg. speed off of bat on his homers won't sustain a 13% HR/FB rate, but he should continue to improve his stolen base efficiency to offset those losses.
Carlos Gomez (OF-HOU): Carlos Gomez woke up, hitting his 2nd AL homer as part of a 2-for-4, 2-run, 4-RBI night. What a disappointing season it has been for Gomez, who has posted a .245/.305/392 line with 10 homers and 12 steals in 97 games. While his BABIP is well below the baseline he had set in his breakout seasons with the Brewers, Gomez has nearly doubled his soft contact rate from 2013, with a linedrive rate that now hovers at 17%. The injury bug may be the culprit here; and with a favorable lineup and park around him through 2016, Gomez should make a great value pick in drafts--as long as Joe Girardi doesn't take him down MMA-style.
James McCann (C-DET): James McCann hit a 2-run homer, his 6th of the season, but the Tigers' bat failed to score enough to cover the struggling Alfredo Simon. McCann has posted a 24% linedrive rate so far, which backs up his inflated BABIP, but he'll need to clean up his plate discipline--looking at you chase and walk rates--in order to take the next step in 2016. There is power in his bat, but he'll also have to increase his 25% flyball rate in order to tap into it fully. Remember: the vast majority of catchers take several years longer than other position players to develop offensively.
Miguel Sano (3B/DH): Miguel Sano hit a 3-run shot, his 12th of the season, to lead the Twins barrage against Nate Karns and the Rays. Yes, his AVG will fall, as his .418 BABIP will not last. And yes, his 35% K-rate is problematic. But Sano, who displayed elite power potential in the minors, is quickly turning into an elite power threat in the Bigs. His 25% chase rate and 16% BB-rate indicate that Sano has the goods to put it all together in a hurry and weather any adjustment period. While the AVG may settle into the .250's next season, he could turn into the AL's version of Kris Bryant without the stolen bases.
Justin Verlander (SP-DET): Against stiff competition, Justin Verlander has allowed 1 earned run in his last 20 innings with a 22:6 K:BB ratio. Looking at his deployment chart from Brooks Baseball, Verlander has dramatically increased his four-seam fastball usage while greatly diminishing his reliance on the curve ball. Perhaps the fickle Verlander also found something with his mechanics. Whatever the case may be, at $8200 and with a decent matchup at home against the Angels (who are 21st in the Majors against righties) JV makes for a solid play as a #2 SP at Draftkings.
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