Ryan McMahon-Rockies-3B
Ryan McMahon was 2-4 with an HR (13) in the Rockies loss to the Dodgers. McMahon is hitting .274 with 13 HR, 40 R, 40 RBI, and 1 SB. He has cut his strikeout rate this year (28% K, -4%) which has resulted in a higher batting average with the help of a .350 BABIP. McMahon is also hitting the ball harder than at any point in his career (14% Barrels and 53% Hardhit). He is on pace to put himself in a position to set career highs in HR, R, and RBI. The only downside to McMahon is that his name is being brought up in trade rumors which a move away from Coors Field will be a hit to his fantasy value.
Lane Thomas-Nationals-OF
Lane Thomas was 1-4 with an HR (8) against the Diamondbacks. Thomas is hitting .229 with 8 HR, 23 R, 24 RBI, and 16 SB in 45 GP. His average is down from a year ago (.268 AVG) and that is largely due to a .250 BABIP compared to .325 last year. The rest of his skills look very similar (22% K, 8% BB, 8% Barrels, and 41% Hardhit). Thomas is a buy-low if someone is scared off by the .229 AVG because everything else looks good. He is projected for a .250 AVG with 10+ HR/10+SB rest of season.
Cedric Mullins-Orioles-OF
Cedric Mullins was 2-6 with an HR (7), 3 R, and 2 RBI in the Orioles blowout win against the Yankees. Mullins is hitting .197 with 7 HR, 34 R, 25 RBI, and 15 SB. The power and speed are right along with what one expected coming into the year but the .197 AVG is a killer. It is actively hurting him by cutting into his playing time. He is on the strong side of the platoon. The good news is that despite how bad it has been for him there are a few bright spots. His strikeout rate is in line with recent years (23% K) but his BABIP is not (.225 vs. career .289). He isn't chasing more out of the zone and has barrel rates and hard-hit rates similar to the past two years. There is concern that the Orioles make a move for an upgrade in the outfield before the trade deadline which would hurt Mullins the most.
Seth Lugo-Royals-SP
Seth Lugo went 6.2 IP and gave up 2 ER on 6 H, 3 BB, and 8 K's against the Athletics. Lugo now has a 2.42 ERA and 1.07 WHIP through 104 IP. He has been everything that the Royals and fantasy owners could have expected this year. He doesn't miss many bats (20% K) but he has above-average control (5% BB). Lugo also has a true six-pitch mix (FB, CT, SI, SL, CU, and CH). He doesn't throw any pitch more than 26% of the time which keeps hitters off balance because they cannot guess what is coming next. This allows him to make the most out of average stuff. His 3.91 SIERA screams regression but that is expected given the gap between ERA right now and his underlying skills. It would still leave him as an above-average starter. Enjoy the hot start to the year.
MacKenzie Gore-Nationals-SP
MacKenzie Gore went 5 IP and gave up 4 ER on 10 H, 2 BB, and 7 K's against the Diamondbacks. Gore has a 3.49 ERA and 1.39 WHIP through 80 IP. A quick look at his ERA and WHIP would suggest that his ERA should be higher given his 1.39 WHIP. However, he has shown good control (7% BB) which means that his WHIP is high due to giving up too many hits. The good news is that it's not a stuff issue because his .376 BABIP is high and should regress as the season goes on. This means that his ERA should stay in the same range (3.26 SIERA) but we should see his WHIP come down. His next start will come against the Padres in San Diego.
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