Things aren’t always what they seem.
Fireflies are beetles, not flies. Tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables. Bald eagles are not bald. LeBron James is Michael Jordan, not the GOAT.
All Roto Rage is trying to point out is this: baseball season kicks off in just over a week, and not every hot or cold start we’ve seen has gone as planned.
The most added player in the ESPN league this week? If you guessed 34-year-old Adam Duvall, a career .232 hitter, you’d be right.
Duvall entered the majors in RBIs (12), runs (8) and WAR (0.8) for the Red Sox on Friday. He was second in home runs (3), OPS (1.577), slugging percentage (1.042), fourth in batting average (.458), and ninth in on-base percentage (.536).
A red-hot start for Duvall, but believing the veteran could suddenly become a .458 hitter or maintain a 14.3% strikeout rate would be a slam dunk with John Ritter and Don Knotts dead for the “Three’s Company” reboot. Almost as likely to be revived from .
Duvall finished the season batting above .249 in his career. I never have His strikeout rate was below 25.8%, so it’s hard to believe he won’t start whiffing more at some point. The other number that stands out is this: .533, which is Duval’s unsustainably high BABIP and shows that luck was on his side over his first week of the season. increase.
Does Duvall offer future fantasy value? Yes, especially in the power sector. Fenway Park is perfect for his pull-side heavy home run, and it doesn’t hurt that he should continue to get consistent playing time while batting in the middle of Boston’s lineup.
Duvall’s key is to moderate expectations. We’ve seen what the 2016 All-Stars look like, but it’s not the .458 batting average that leads the league in multiple categories.
See some other hot and cold starts.
Kansas City’s Vinnie Pascantino got off to a slow start, going 0 homers, 2 RBIs and .470 OPS in 21 3 at bats (.143) in the first seven games. Fantasy he’s not the start his manager wanted, but it’s still early days.
just be patient. Pascantino, who had a .191 batting average, 2 homers, 3 RBI, 11 strikeouts and .612 OPS in his first 18 games last year, finished with 8 homers, 23 RBIs, a 23-26 strikeout percentage and a .904. Remember when you hit .328? OPS in his next 54 games.
Like Duvall, Toronto third baseman Matt Chapman isn’t a .481 hitter and won’t strike out in just 17.2% of his at-bats this year (his all-time record is 26.9%). His .591 BABIP shows he’s going to be cool, but the 29-year-old has a lot to offer. He was third in the majors in average exit speed, sixth in hard hit percentage, and fourth in barrel-per-plate appearance percentage. He’s also hitting a cleanup for the Blue Jays’ packed lineup, so there should be a nice middle ground he can find. finally Back in 2019 All-Star form.
Milwaukee’s Brian Anderson was the third most added player in the ESPN League this week with a .500 batting average, 3 home runs, 10 RBIs, 7 runs and . His .545 BABIP shows that this is all a mirage, so run his hot streak for as long as it lasts.
Cleveland’s Josh Bell was the fourth most dropped first baseman in the ESPN League this week with . It’s too early to panic as he’s getting used to his new team and new surroundings. His .125 BABIP is a good sign things are about to get better.
Don’t panic about Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. Hitting .154 in seven games isn’t something you want to see, but the 22-year-old hits the ball hard and his .150 BABIP shows a lot of bad luck. The same advice can be given to Baltimore youngster Gunnar Henderson.
big hit
Jorge Mateo SS, Orioles
313 batting average with 2 homers, 5 RBIs, 6 runs and 1.109 OPS on Friday, which comes in a tie with the second-most stolen bases (4) in the majors.
Jesus Luzard SP, Marlins
He has struck out 31.3% of the hitters he has faced in his first two starts and has a swing-strike rate of 17.4%. He owns his 0.71 ERA and his 0.93 WHIP, and opponents are hitting .163 against him.
Brian Reynolds OF, Pirates
Leading the majors in home runs entering the weekend, he went 10-for-24 (.417) with 7 RBIs, 6 runs and 1.444 OPS in his first 6 games.
Pablo Lopez SP, Twins
In his first two games, he boasts a 0.73 ERA, a 36.4% strikeout rate, and a 16.8% strike rate. Opponents are hitting .128 against him.
bigwif
Zach Garren SP, D’backs
He posted the fourth-lowest ERA (7.59) in his first two starts, batting 8.44 9-9 and walking 3.38 9-3. 289 against him.
Max Muncy 2B/3B, Dodgers
196 in 2022, he had 1 home run, 1 RBI, 12 strikeouts, and 3-for-23 (. 130) in .
Miles Mikolas SP, Cardinals
Despite his 11.57 K/9 and 0.96 BB/9, he possesses a 9.64 ERA and opponents are .404 against him in his first two starts.
Phillies’ Nick Castellanos
182 with no homers and a .598 OPS.
check swing
- Guardians’ Myles Straw not only entered the weekend alongside league leader Gleyber Torres in stolen bases (5), he also batted .364 with 6 runs, a 20% walk and a .517 on-base percentage. .
- In two starts, Lance Lynn allowed a league-worst 10 earned runs in 10 innings (9.00 ERA) for the White Sox. He’s walking 6.30 per nine innings, and his opponents are batting .
- Jared Kelenic had an amazing spring (.353, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 1.095 OPS), but in his first five games, he had 15 3 at-bats (.200) with no homers, RBIs, no runs, and no OPS. It was 517. for the Mariners. Further Proof Spring stats mean nothing.
- The Dodgers’ Trace Thompson went 0-for-8 with 4 strikeouts and .
- Jonathan India is off to a quick start with the Reds and could give hope to the fantasy manager. He had 1 home run, 2 RBI, 7 runs scored, 1 stolen base, and his 7-for-18 (.389) with 1.167 OPS in his first five games. His walk rate was 13.6% and his strike rate was 9.1%. 400 BABIP shows early luck, but it still bodes well for a second baseman.
team name of the week
Betts, Bass, Yoann
Submitted by Steve Babyak
