Every Monday I do a deep audit with my top-250 players moving forward, and we write up some of the biggest movers and shakers. Let’s unpack some of the market movement as we get ready for another week of fantasy baseball.
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Casey Schmitt, UT, Giants (19% rostered on Yahoo): Before the year I was merely hoping Schmitt could sneak his way into depth relevance for fantasy baseball, but I’m willing to raise the bar now. He’s hitting over .300 for the Giants, with some pop (four homers) and the occasional steal (two). San Francisco has also elevated Schmitt in the lineup, slotting him third or fourth over the past week. You’d like to see more walks, but Schmitt’s surface stats are data approved — an expected average of .285 and slugging of .530. And even though he swings at almost anything, Schmitt has a mild strikeout rate (19.5%).
Liam Hicks, C, Marlins (77%): While it was initially a shocker to see Agustín Ramírez optioned to Triple-A, the move makes sense. Ramirez has been struggling at the plate and is a lost cause defensively. Luckily for the Marlins, Hicks has stepped into the breach, off to a .309/.366/.557 start with seven homers; he’s also a credible defensive catcher. Hicks currently ranks fourth among catchers in banked 5×5 value.
Sean Burke, SP, White Sox (19%): Although Burke cuts an impressive figure at 6-foot-6, the righty doesn’t break the radar gun — his average fastball is in the 94.1 mph range. But Burke beats opponents by pounding the strike zone (5.1% walk rate) and keeping the ball in the park. His 2.72 ERA might be an eyelash fortunate, but FIP suggests a still-playable 3.20 number. The White Sox have proven more competitive than expected, just two games below .500.
Max Meyer, SP, Marlins (32%): It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle of the Miami rotation — Sandy Alcantara has a Cy Young Award and Eury Pérez is seen as a future star. But Meyer might be the ace of this year’s staff, holding a 2.68 ERA and 1.027 WHIP through seven starts. The timing could be right for Meyer to break through — he’s in his age-27 season — and Miami’s ballpark is a plus, as it significantly hurts power.
Logan Henderson, SP, Brewers (22%): Roger Sterling had a million memorable quips on Mad Men, including this gem: “The only thing worse than not getting what you want, is someone else getting it.” That’s how I feel about Henderson, who I drafted proactively in March then had to cut when he didn’t make the opening day roster. Injuries have pushed Henderson back to Milwaukee, and he looked sharp in his weekend tuneup (6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 8 K), on the heels of 17.2 dominant innings at Triple-A (1.02 ERA). I’m not getting the benefits of Henderson — my opponents are annoying — but maybe you can jump in, as he’s rostered in about a quarter of Yahoo leagues.
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Luis Castillo, SP, Mariners (83%): I earmarked Castillo as a boring-value vet before the year, figuring the Seattle park would hide some of his mistakes entering an age-33 season. I’m starting to regret that angle. Castillo is off to a 6.29/1.660 start, with ground balls down and line drives up. His fastball still checks in at 95.1 mph, but that’s a couple of ticks down from his peak in Cincinnati. He’s had a little bad luck, but nothing significant — his xERA is slightly below six. He’s not an automatic start against the White Sox next weekend.
Matt McLain, 2B, Reds (50%): For the first month of the year, the Reds were very patient with McLain — slotting him second basically every game, with just two days off. But perhaps the other cleat dropped on the weekend — McLain was benched Thursday, then demoted to the ninth slot Sunday. That’s all justified for a hitter off to a .195/.308/.293 start. McLain is one of those batters who doesn’t chase but still strikes out more than average, which means he’s getting beat on pitches in the strike zone. The Reds have a plethora of infielders — and Noelvi Marte is crushing in the minors — so the leash with McLain isn’t infinite.
Ryan Walker, RP, Giants (61%): Walker’s had at least a slight lead in the San Francisco save chase, but that might be expiring. He blew two save chances last week, hounded by a bloated walk rate. Meanwhile, the Giants have several other relievers with good-to-great ratios: Keaton Winn, Erik Miller, Caleb Kilian, Matt Gage, JT Brubaker. I picked up some Miller shares over the weekend, but any speculative play against Walker is recommended right now. The Giants are eight games under .500, they can’t wait forever.
