Josh Donaldson(3B, Dh-Cle): JD went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double, and two runs against the Royals. Donaldson will be a quite a divisive name come drafting season, with the injury history piling up and uncertainty regarding his future and role. However, he is enjoying a renaissance with Cleveland and continues to show the elite plate discipline that helped make him a star. With continual improvement in health, we should see the fly ball rate return to previous levels and with that, the power. I think there is plenty in the tank at age-32, and if he plays 130 games next year, he'll likely deliver plenty of value.
Luke Voit(1B,Dh-Nyy): Voit went 1-for-4 with a solo homer and a walk against the Red Sox. The 27-year-old is receiving his first extended look in the majors, and he's taking it and running with it. He now has 14 homers in 157 plate appearances with 34 RBIs, 29 runs, and a .317 AVG. Is this for real? Does he have a shot at full-time at-bats next season? I see this as somewhat real, but the .357 BABIP and 40 percent HR/FB rate are obviously unsustainable. Yet, he has walked nearly 11 percent of the time, and is only chasing 28 percent of the time while posting a 47 percent hard hit rate. Given what he showed in the upper minors, I believe he can produce enough to stay in the lineup on a consistent basis and deliver solid CI value in standard leagues. Keep an eye on his contact rate and swinging strike rate moving forward to gage just how far he can go.
Willy Adames(SS-Tb): Willy Adames went 2-for-4 with one run, one RBI, and one walk vs. the Blue Jays. While Adames has enjoyed some batted ball luck, he has also impressed with a solid batted ball profile (especially the GB and HH rates) and the plate discipline (27 percent chase rate, 74 percent contact rate). The power is a bit overstated with an inflated HR/FB rate, but I believe 15-20 homers and 10-15 steals are in the offering in 2019 with solid contributions across the other categories. At 23, he just beginning his development, and I'm excited to see where it takes him.
Trevor May(Rp-Min): May earned his second save after striking out two in the ninth vs. the White Sox. A 34:5 K:BB ratio over 24.1 innings, nine earned runs in 24 innings? Yes, May has quietly been putting up video game numbers, and the underlying numbers support the dominance (15 percent swinging strike rate). If he's out there and saves are needed over the weekend, go get him. And etch him into the kitchen counter as a guy who could seize the role heading into 2019 and run with it.
Rafael Devers(3B-Bos): Devers look like a strong play today on DraftKings for his matchup against Lance Lynn in Yankee Stadium. Lynn has allowed a .444 slugging against LHH's with a 48:41 K:BB ratio. He has also struggled at home against some mediocre offenses. Enter the red hot Devers, who has hit 18 homers and slugged .470 vs. RHP's. The price is rising, but today, I think the Sox bats are worth it.
Thank you all for a fantastic season at Fantistics! May your teams finish strongly and take home those titles!
