Nelson Cruz was 2-for-4 with a double yesterday. He refuses to age! While games played were down substantially, when he did play, he posted a 160 wRC+, at age 38! He set a career high for HR/FB rate, which is simply unbelievable. If MLB sticks with the new balls this season, Cruz looks like a lock for at least 30 HR next year. It will be interesting to see if the Twins pick up his option; Cruz could be highly valuable in a hitter friendly park in 2020.
Vlad Guerrero Jr. was 0-for-4, lowering his average to .272. While the uber prospect has struggled this season, there's a lot to like for next year. His 17.4% K Rate in the MLB sticks out like a sore thumb, as it is 5-8 percentage points higher than he had in the minors. Once that is improved upon, we should expect a batting average near or above .300. And the power will follow. He should remain high on 2020 draft boards.
Miguel Cabrera was 0-for-4 yesterday, as he's nearing the end of a horrific 2019. He has four more years on his contract, and is about to post his second sub-100 wRC+ in the last 3 seasons. His deterioration has been astonishingly quick; while he's horrendous at age 36, you have Nelson Cruz playing the best baseball of his career at 38. But that said, Miggy has significantly more mileage, as he debuted at age 20 and was playing full time since he was 21. It's sad to see the former best hitter on the planet play like this; while he's batting a respectable .286, he brings virtually zero power to the table in an era where backup catchers are hitting double digit HRs. It goes without saying that he warrants no fantasy consideration on draft day next year.
Luis Arraez hit his 4th HR on the season. He is very quietly putting together a great season; thru 357 PA, he's batting .344 on the year. He's shown excellent contact, and could warrant fantasy consideration in the next few years as he develops some more power. If he can put together 15+ HR, he'll be an excellent asset in 2020. Next season he will be just 23.
Christian Vazquez is arguably the biggest fantasy surprise in all of 2019. Following last year's 44 wRC+ performance with just 3 HR, he connected for his 23rd HR last night, getting him to a wRC+ right around 100. (He then left the game with hammy tightness.) Though of course, a 100 wRC+ for a catcher is quite respectable. Vazquez is a low end C in mixed leagues heading into 2019. While I won't be surprised if this ends up being the best year of his career, he gets consistent ABs in the Red Sox lineup which adds some solid value to his overall skill set.
