Starling Marte (OF, PIT) - Marte went 3-5 with a home run, two RBI, and two stolen bases. The steals are nice to see, but as a whole he has really struggled following his return from PED suspension. Coming into the game he had just a .674 OPS including a complete lack of home runs, although he is now a perfect 10-10 in steals, which is primarily what he was drafted for anyway. Over 12 games in July his hard contact rate was a suspiciously low 13%, which had me worried. He is back up to 30% hard contact now in August though, with a 47% pull rate that should lead to more home run power coming. The hard contact should also allow his BABIP to continue to climb from his current .326 mark towards his career .356 mark as well, so the rest of the season should resemble the player that we were drafting back in March.
Rhys Hoskins (1B, PHI) - Hoskins hit a three-run homer and walked twice, bringing his home run total to four over his first 10 games. Perhaps the most encouraging thing to take away from this early performance, though, is his 5:8 K:BB ratio. He had a great 14% BB% and 16% K% at Triple-A this year, but that doesn't always translate to the Major League level. The fact that he is walking more than he is striking out early on is a terrific indication that he will be able to hold his own moving forward. The power was never in question with Hoskins, and he looks set to provide us with a nice OBP to pair with that power. He should be scooped up in all formats as he could be a difference maker over the next couple of weeks before pitchers get the full book on him and make their adjustments.
Brandon Woodruff (SP, MIL) - Woodruff only allowed one run in Colorado but lasted just 4.2 innings, walking three and striking out four before being pulled with 81 pitches. Woodruff has only one quality start in three tries with the Brewers, but he has been very effective overall with a 1.62 ERA. His peripherals aren't buying it though; a 93% strand rate and 12:8 K:BB ratio leave him with a 4.10 FIP, although his xFIP is a bit harsh at 5.25. His HR/FB is only 5.6% currently, which is indeed very low, but he could be the type of pitcher that defies his xFIP. His 48% ground ball rate is in line with his minor league numbers, and he had a knack for keeping the ball in the park throughout the minor leagues (aside from his stint at Colorado Springs, an extreme hitting environment). He is worth owning in deeper leagues, but he doesn't have a lot of strikeout upside and his next matchups are brutal, as he will be facing the Dodgers and Nationals. Those in standard mixed leagues can probably do better over the next couple of weeks.
Matt Adams (1B/OF, STL) - It's a bit strange to talk about a player homering and still give him the "value down" arrow, but such is the case with Matt Adams today. Despite launching a pinch-hit three-run homer, the return of Matt Kemp to the Braves lineup spells doom for the overall value of Adams. His playing time will take a big hit with Freddie Freeman back over at first base and Matt Kemp back in the outfield, making him waiver wire material in most mixed leagues. He had a great run while Freeman was out, but even though he has posted a solid .276/.320/.527 this season, the Braves are in the (surprisingly) enviable position of having too much talent to find him at-bats with his limited defensive profile. He could find a new home and more playing time next year, but he can be cut free in standard mixed leagues.
Scooter Gennett (2B/OF, CIN) - Gennett continued his improbable season, going 2-5 with his 21st home run and 5 RBI. He also drew a walk and was caught stealing. His slash line on the year is .292/.342/.536, and those five runs driven in bring his total to 75 in just 365 plate appearances. Kris Bryant has 55 RBI over 509 plate appearances, just for reference. There is no real change in his plate discipline backing this offensive overhaul, but what he has done is pull the ball for power. His 45% pull rate this year is 10% higher than his career average, and that has led to a 36% hard contact rate that is 6% higher than his career mark. It's still pretty unlikely that he maintains a .244 ISO, but there isn't anything else popping up at middle infield at this point in the season, so if you've been riding him to this point there's no reason to jump ship.
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