Robert Gasser (SP - MIL) - Gasser went zero for zero with Justin Steele for 6 innings on Monday, allowing just 3 singles and fanning 7. Once again he didn't walk a batter, and for a guy that showed his lack of control in the minors to issue only 1 free pass in his first 23 major league innings is.......something. Featuring a sweeper-heavy repertoire on Monday (31% usage) brought the whiffs back into play as well, with 12 swinging strikes on just 81 pitches, and his exit velocity allowed his been preposterously low through his first 4 starts. All in all, I'm really intrigued. The control improvement is the key here. I think he's going to miss bats at an above-average clip, and all of his minor league data (plus the first 23 innings in MLB) make it seem that he'll be better than average about keeping the ball in the park. If the control can even be average, I think there's a very solid SP here, and so far it looks like it may be even better than average despite an awful lot of minor league evidence to the contrary. Gasser is a young pitcher that I'm willing to gamble on, understanding fully well that he's still in the honeymoon period right now. I believe he gets the White Sox and Tigers next too, which adds to the excitement.
David Fry (C/1B/3B/OF - CLE) - Fry started again (LF this time) on Monday, picking up a single and a HBP along with a R and RBI in the 8-6 loss to the Rockies. We talked about this a few weeks ago, but Fry is a player that has gone from around 10 PAs a week at the beginning of the year to around 20 PAs a week now, which is roughly 75-80% playing time. He should have eligibility at C, 1B, and OF already, and might qualify at 3B at some point as well. Yes, the AVG is most definitely going to come down with that .410 BABIP and better contact ability than he's ever shown before, but there's some pop here, and the improved patience bodes really well for basically every part of his offense. He's walked more than he's struck out over 63 May PAs with a 378/525/733 slash line. At some point, you just need to add him and ride him at least until he cools off. He's reached base in 15 straight, has 2 more games in Colorado, and is scheduled to face 4 LH in the next 11 games (he's hitting 421/610/842 against LHP). There are clearly a lot of reasons to pick this guy up right now if he's still available in your league.
Joe Ryan (SP - MIN) - Ryan was brilliant on Monday, going 7 innings against the Royals and allowing 1 run on 4 hits with 9 K's and 0 walks. Ryan continues to add velocity (he was up 1 mph from '21 to '23, up another 1 mph this season before last week, then up another 1 mph last week and a couple more tenths Monday) and increase his GB rate while maintaining his phenomenal control. He has QS in 6 of his last 7, and if anything I'm probably higher on him than most folks are right now. Nothing here looks beyond what we should be expecting at this point. He even misses the Yankees during their 3-game set next week. It's "all systems go" here.
Brett Wisely (2B/SS - SF) - Wisely has started 4 of the past 5 games, and including Monday he's gone 9-15 with 3 R and 6 RBI, picking up a HR and a SB as well. Lest you think that this is completely out of nowhere, Wisely has compiled an OBP of over .400 with 10 HR and 10 SB over 99 G at AAA the past few seasons. He appears to have leapfrogged Marco Luciano in the pecking order, and with Lamonte Wade going down with a hamstring injury during Monday's contest, the Giants IF is getting a bit thin. Expect Wisely to keep playing mostly every day for the near-term, and any "hot hand players" have to think about making a claim here. The 25 year old has always been a plus in AVG and OBP aside from last year's 50-game debut in SF, and while there isn't a ton of power or speed, there's a bit of both. Seeing him turn into a productive MI in deeper leagues wouldn't be all that surprising if he can keep the necessary playing time, and the opportunity appears to be there right now for him to do just that.
Mitchell Parker (SP - WAS) - Parker continued his surprisingly effective season on Monday, holding the Acuna-less Braves to 3 runs over 6 1/3 innings. He's gone 8 starts without allowing more than 3 runs to begin his MLB career, which is no small feat considering the schedule he's faced. 5 of his starts have come against the Dodgers, Astros, Braves, Orioles, and Rangers: top-half offenses all. The most striking development has been his control, as he's always missed bats at an above-average clip. Parker walked 128 in 224 innings in 2022 and 2023, good for over 5 per 9. Thus far with Washington he has walked only 8 in 44 1/3, good for just over 1.6 per 9. That is improvement that is almost beyond belief, and with 17 whiffs over 100 pitches on Monday, there's still the bat-missing ability that you like to see to boot. The quality of contact allowed leaves a bit to be desired, but what do you want from a guy that was an afterthought coming into the season? Cleveland and Atlanta again are up next for him, so it certainly doesn't get any easier, but he's earned a bit of trust with this excellent first 8 starts. I remain a bit skeptical, but without much reason other than GUYS DON'T MAKE LEAPS LIKE THIS OFTEN.
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