Zach Eflin-Orioles-SP
Zach Eflin went 6.2 IP and gave up 1 ER on 5 H, 1 BB, and 3 K's against the Tigers. Eflin has a 3.55 ERA and 1.13 WHIP through 154.2 IP. He has demonstrated elite command this year (3% BB) which has been a big driver of his success. His strikeout rate has fallen drastically from last year (27%->20% K). Eflin has been great for the Orioles. He has a 2.37 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 25% K and 3% BB. He has made a slight change to his pitch mix that has included more cutters and changeups and fewer sinkers. This has led to more strikeouts and it looks sustainable considering he has also gotten more swing and misses (12% SwStr). His profile looks good and he is pitching for one of the best teams in baseball. Camden Yards is also very friendly to pitchers which helps increase his value. The good news is that the Orioles have him for two more years so him staying healthy is the biggest long-term concern.
Tanner Bibee-Guardians-SP
Tanner Bibee went 6 IP and gave up 3 ER on 8 H, 0 BB, and 9 K's against the Rays. Bibee has a 3.60 ERA and 1.14 WHIP through 160 IP. He has shown improvement in key categories. Bibee has increased his strikeout rate (26% K) and lowered his walk rate (7% BB). He's also seen his stuff numbers increase (100 Stuff+) and location (103 Location+). Bibee has been able to do this by locating his pitches better in the zone. He hasn't changed his pitch mix but has gotten better results. The difference maker has been a high-low approach. Bibee has been consistently getting his fastball at the top of the zone with his slider and curve at the bottom. This has created a better tunnel effect on his pitches. Bibee has been a top-25 starter this year in dollars earned.
Cedric Mullins-Orioles-OF
Cedric Mullins was 0-3 with a strikeout against the Tigers. Mullins has been red hot in the month of September (.343 AVG with 4 HR, 7 R, 9 RBI, and 2 SB). There was a period of time at the beginning of the year when it looked like Mullins was on his way out of Baltimore and was seeing his playing time disappear. He has righted the ship and is now hitting .231 with 17 HR, 61 R, 50 RBI, and 27 SB. In the second half, he is hitting .274 with 8 HR, 22 R, 19 RBI, and 11 SB. On the year, he's the #78 ranked hitter ahead of guys like Julio Rodriguez and Adolis Garcia in auction dollars earned. Mullins has gotten hot at the exact right time for fantasy owners.
Riley Greene-Tigers-OF
Riley Greene was 1-3 with a caught stealing against the Orioles. Greene has been swinging the bat well in September (.342 AVG with 2 HR, 7 R, 10 RBI, and 0 SB). He has risen his season line to a .265 AVG with 21 HR, 74 R, 66 RBI, and 4 SB. Greene has made small improvements this year by walking more (12% BB) by not chasing out of the zone (26% O-swing). This has also helped him hit the ball harder more consistently (13% Barrels and 46% Hardhit). The next step in his game is going to be to know when to be a little bit more aggressive in the zone. He has set a career-high in home runs (21) but has seen his batting average drop due to a lower BABIP than the previous year and he hasn't taken off as much (4 SB). The hope was that Greene would grow into his power and become a five-category contributor. He has increased his power but everything else has taken a step back. He is still just 23 years old so there is time for growth but he is going to need to make major improvements to become an above-average fantasy contributor. Greene is currently sitting outside the top 50 hitters.
Dylan Crews-Nationals-OF
Dylan Crews was 1-4 with 1 R and 2 SB against the Marlins. Crews is hitting .241 with 3 HR, 8 R, 8 RBI, and 8 SB in 69 PA. It is a small sample but he has shown the necessary skills to succeed at the big league level. He makes contact (19% K), draws walks (9% BB), and hits the ball hard (11% Barrels and 43% Hardhit). From a fantasy perspective, he hits for enough power (,207 ISO) to be a 20+ HR bat and he has demonstrated he can steal bases at an above-average rate. Over the course of a full season, he looks to be a 20 HR/30 SB threat with a respectable average once his BABIP rises from .250.
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