Max Scherzer capped off his 2020 with a win in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Mets, allowing three runs on six hits (two homers) and two walks with seven strikeouts over six innings. After going 1-3 over his last four starts, Scherzer bounced back with a victory to close out the season despite allowing two more homers, giving him nine long balls allowed over his final eight starts. Coming off seven consecutive top-5 NL Cy Young finishes, Scherzer seemed to take a step back in his age-36 season. While his 92:23 K/BB ratio in 69 1/3 innings was still excellent, his 3.74 ERA and 1.38 WHIP were less than dominant, indicating that his days as one of the NL's top pitchers may be behind him. Accordingly, fantasy owners should be careful not to overpay for his services in 2021.
Jacob deGrom closed the book on another dominant campaign on Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts over five innings in a no-decision vs. the Nationals. deGrom proved once again why he's one of the best pitchers in baseball, notching double-digit strikeouts for the fifth time in 12 starts this year and giving him 104 overall in 68 innings (NL-high 13.8 K/9 rate). While the outing increased his ERA to 2.38, deGrom still figures to get plenty of votes in his bid for a third straight NL Cy Young award. Even if he falls short, fantasy owners should continue to invest in his elite strikeout rate and overall skill set, making him a premier fantasy arm.
Pete Alonso went 2-for-2 with a two-run homer, a walk and a stolen base in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Nationals. Alonso took Anibal Sanchez deep in the fourth to put the Mets on the board, giving him eight home runs in September and 14 on the season. He also notched his first steal of the year, matching his total from last year. The two hits only raised his average to .222, however, well below last season's .260 mark. He also showed little power outside of his home run ability with just five doubles this year, another indication that he wasn't the same hitter this year that he was last year. While still an elite power source, Alonso has seen his stock take a minor hit in 2020 and will have to prove he still deserves consideration among the game's best hitters next year.
Trea Turner went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader with the Mets, lifting the Nationals to a 5-3 victory over their division rivals. Turner contributed to Washington's five-run third inning with a solo shot off Rick Porcello, giving him 11 homers on the year and four in September. While his bat has cooled off a bit this month (.284 average), he still leads MLB in hits while batting .333 with a .970 OPS overall. Throw in his power and speed (12 steals) at the shortstop position, and Turner has been an elite fantasy option in 2020 at age 27. It's been hard for fantasy owners to figure out which Turner is going to show up, however, as he managed a good-not-great .797 OPS from 2017-19 between his superlative 2016 and 2020. Turner has the potential to be one of the best players in baseball if he stays healthy and continues to be a five-tool player, but it remains to be seen if he can sustain elite performance over the course of a full season.
Andrew McCutchen scored all three Phillies runs in their 4-3 loss to the Rays on Saturday, going 4-for-5 with a double and a solo homer. McCutchen saved his best for the penultimate day of the regular season, registering his first four-hit game of the seaosn and falling a triple shy of the cycle. The four hits raised his average to .258 and the long ball was also his sixth of September, giving him 10 on the year. The former NL MVP has picked up the slack since getting off to a terrible start, hitting .282 with all 10 of his homers over his last 42 games. He's also been a bit of a factor on the bases with four steals in four attempts, proving he's still a relevant fantasy outfielder in the majority of formats.
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