Carlos Correa was 2-for-4 yesterday and is now batting above .200. Correa is a fantastic buy-low candidate at this point. His numbers are abysmal, but there's very little to suggest that he can't turn things around. His LD% is mind-numbingly low, but his contact rates and K% are in line with historical averages, leading me to believe that it's only a matter of time for the 22-year old to break out.
Midway through last night's game, Jose Bautista was 1-for-3 with a run scored. I found the lack of interest in Bautista quite astonishing in the offseason, but it's abundantly clear why at this point. Bautista is striking out at over 30% (18% career average) with a 69% contact rate (career 80%). These are far from good signs. Bautista has gone on droughts in the past, but when you're 36, people will start to wonder if he'll ever come out of it. Looking at 2016, there were certainly some red flags with Bautista, but not as much as we're seeing now, which leads me to believe he'll see some better days in the future, but no more .900 OPS.
Michael Brantley connected with his 4th HR of the season yesterday off of Dallas Keuchel. Brantley has greatly rewarded owners that took a chance on a rebound. So is he officially back? That's a loaded question. Through the first month, Brantley's skill set has altered pretty significantly, as his K% has increased while we've seen a decrease from his normally elite 90%+ contact rate. It could just be the small sample size (less than 70 PA), but it will be an interesting piece to monitor going forward. Either way, I'm buying Brantley.
Dallas Keuchel is putting on an absolute clinic, as he went 9 innings with 2 ER against the potent Indians offense yesterday. Keuchel entered the game with a 70% GB rate, which is completely insane. He's outperforming his SIERA and xFIP big time (an ERA under 1.00 will do that), partly because of good fortune and the excellent defense behind him with Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve manning the middle of the infield. Keuchel is a fantastic option going forward; his value is lessened only by the lack of strikeouts. He K's a pedestrian 7 per 9, but he should make up for it with a strong WHIP, ERA, and -- with the way he's been playing - wins.
Wade Miley brought his 1.89 ERA against the Rays yesterday, and dodged his way to a 7 inning, 2 ER performance despite allowing 6 free passes. Miley has impressed early this season, but is heavily aided by a 91.6% LOB rate (before yesterday). It could've been a much worse day for Miley yesterday, but he managed to get outs when he needed them most. Perhaps most importantly, he struck out 8 and maintained his greater than one K per 9, something he's never entertained before. Call me a cynic, but I just don't see that lasting. He's added about 1.5 MPH to his fastball, but it's worth remembering that we're still in April. I'm okay with Miley making up the tail end of your rotation, but not much more than that.
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