Slumping Hitters

As we move past the first third of the 2015 season, some stars are finding their way into month-long slumps. After extremely hot starts in April from Joey Votto, Matt Kemp, and Hanley Ramirez, the month of May has brought them down to earth. David Ortiz, Robinson Cano, and Troy Tulowitzki have found themselves in trouble trying to match their typical career production. Talented hitters will go through slumps throughout the long baseball season. It’s your job to find those slumpers in your lineup and choose short-term starters while you wait it out.

David Ortiz- Boston Red Sox

Big Papi has had a season he most likely would want to forget. To date, 2015 has been one of his worst seasons out of all his 18 years in the league. We’re talking about a hitter who has hit for a .300 batting average or higher for 7 seasons in the MLB, yet this year is hitting a pitiful .223. Ortiz has surpassed 100 RBI’s in his last two seasons, but only has 18 through April and May. After back to back seasons with 30 or more home runs, he has only launched a disappointing 6. Ortiz should get some slack because he’s 39 years old, but fans aren’t accustomed to this production from their team’s power threat. Ortiz’s last 35 at bats has resulted in only 5 hits. The slugger has had a rough start to the season and will need to pick the pace up fast before fantasy owners start to cut him loose. If his slump continues and you own him, you may want to find a replacement.

Joey Votto-Cincinnati Reds

Votto proved all the doubters wrong to start this season after his injury plagued his 2014 season. I owned him in one league in 2014 and I passed up on him this season.  Initially his hot start made me regret that decision, however, as the season has progressed, Votto has slowed down. Votto’s April numbers included a .317 batting average, .646 slugging, 7 home runs, and 17 RBI’s, yet in May he’s only delivered .250 average, .359 slugging, 2 home runs, and 7 RBI’s. Before the 29th of May, his last 46 at bats only resulted in 9 hits, 2 runs, 0 RBI’s, and 0 home runs. I like Joey Votto and I think he is a great player, but get ready to bench him again if he goes into another power slump. 

Robinson Cano- Seattle Mariners

I’m not sure anyone saw this kind of poor start from the top fantasy second baseman. The 32-year-old has a .257 batting average, 22 runs, 2 home runs, and 15 RBI’s. As crazy as it sounds, yes, this is the same player who hit 27 home runs, 107 RBI’s, and a .314 batting average two years ago in New York. It wasn’t a surprise that Cano lost some power last year in Seattle because of the shift from a hitter’s park in Yankee Stadium to the pitcher’s park of Safeco, but his hits and average have reduced as well. Cano is the 18th ranked second baseman in my fantasy league, behind a no-name Astro second baseman Luis Valbuena, who has 19 less at bats than Cano. No fantasy member who takes fantasy baseball seriously is going to cut this veteran, but adding a hot backup may be necessary.

Matt Kemp- San Diego Padres

Kemp was off to a hugely effective start in April by slashing a .326 batting average with 16 RBI’s. However, May has been a completely different story. Kemp’s May stats include a .171 batting average along with 31 strikeouts (15 more in May than April). In 2015 overall, Kemp has a .244 average, 27 runs, 1 home run, and 26 RBI’s. He’s also only been 19 for his last 109 at bats with 0 home runs and 31 strikeouts. While his slumps are frustrating to fantasy owners, that’s the risk everyone takes when drafting or adding Kemp. Kemp’s inconsistent play requires you to be patient and have a reliable backup.

Key Adds

Everyone in baseball has been watching and following the incredible evolvement of Bryce Harper and pure power from Nelson Cruz, which to be honest has been pretty exciting to see. However, if you’re in a fantasy baseball league, you need to make sure you don’t only focus on the top tier players, but the underrated performers as well. The key to winning a fantasy baseball league is to have depth across your starting lineup. This week I will be writing about 4 players who are starting to heat up as the 2015 season has developed and can help you get consistent fantasy points day to day.

Brandon Phillips- Cincinnati Reds second baseman

I’ve always been a big fan of Phillips and usually draft him because of his every season consistency. However, I wasn’t sure if his horrific 2014 season was a sign of his stats starting to slip. As of 2015, this decline does not seem to be particularly true. Phillips has a .312 batting average, 18 runs, 2 home runs, 18 RBI’s, and 5 SB’s. Most of his power seems to be vanishing though, since he’s totaled only 10 home runs in his last two seasons combined, compared to 18 in each of his prior four seasons. He also only has 3 doubles so far this season. Nevertheless, Phillips is a solid player who has been 7 for his last 22 at bats with 4 runs, 1 home run, and 3 RBI’s. If you’re in an ESPN league that is not the 63.8% that has him owned, you may want to take him for depth.

Chase Utley- Philadelphia Phillies second baseman

I know what you’re all thinking right now, “Why in the world does he want me to add this old 36-year-old player who has had a horrendous season and will probably retire soon?” Coming off of a strong 2014 season, Utley has a weak .179 batting average, 3 home runs, and 18 RBI’s in 2015. However, Utley has started to pick his game up by slashing 11 hits out of his last 24 at bats (.458 batting average) along with 5 runs and 3 RBI’s. Utley is a veteran hitter who is out of his prime, but can still produce great fantasy numbers when on his game.

Josh Harrison- Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman

Harrison was one of my top sleepers coming into the 2015 season because of the quiet breakout season he had in 2014 and his multi-position flexibility. I was able to snag Harrison late in the draft in my Yahoo league, but I eventually dropped him because he was playing extremely poor. However, something clicked with this 27-year-old and he’s hit a hot streak lately. Harrison has hit a crazy 19 out of his last 39 at bats with 8 runs, 2 home runs, and 5 RBI’s. If Harrison is available in your fantasy league, I would take him immediately before other members put in their waiver claim.

Torii Hunter- Minnesota Twins outfielder

Hunter has continued his stunningly stellar career with a great 2015 season so far, consisting of a .281 batting average, 6 home runs, 22 runs, and 24 RBI’s. These are extremely impressive stats for a 39-year-old in his 19th season in the MLB. Hunter regrouped with the team he was drafted by and played for in his first 11 seasons in the majors, the Minnesota Twins. As crazy as it sounds, in my fantasy league, Hunter has more fantasy points than Matt Holliday, Andrew McCutchen, and Matt Kemp; three top shelf outfielders in their prime. Torii has also been proving his loyalty lately hitting 15 out of his last 43 at bats (.348 batting average) along with 10 runs, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI’s. Don’t count on Hunter producing these kinds of power stats all season long, but it’s worth adding him in leagues with more than 8 members.

Top three producers in (3B, SS, OF)

This week I will be writing about the top 3 players for third base, shortstop, and outfield. Most of these players aren’t completely unknown, but are usually not this high on fantasy experts rankings. You’ll notice most of these players have serious pop in their bat, which sends a clear message to fantasy members- make sure you draft enough power hitters.

Third Base:

Josh Donaldson-Toronto Blue Jays

Donaldson was a relatively standard player until he had a stunning breakout season in 2013 for Oakland. He then went on to end his career in Oakland with a year built on raw power in 2014. Fantasy owners were hoping to see a better average in 2015 as it dipped from .301 in 2013 to .255 in 2014. Donaldson landing in the “power centre” in Toronto, made this hope seem very possible. In 2015, Donaldson has a .311 batting average, 28 runs, 8 home runs, and 25 RBI’s. He leads all third basemen in singles and hits, and ranks 2nd in RBI’s. There is no doubt he’ll keep this great play up the entire season.

Matt Carpenter-St. Louis Cardinals

To be honest, I didn’t think Carpenter was going to have a good season in 2015. One reason was because his play in 2014 was weak compared to his breakout season in 2013. His average, RBI’s, triples, doubles, hits, home runs, and runs all dropped significantly year over year. Another reason is that he would only be eligible to play third base in 2015, which is a power position. However, Carpenter proved my prediction wrong starting this season with a .323 batting average, 7 home runs, 24 RBI’s, and 28 runs. These stats are undeniable – now let’s see if he can continue to play at this level all year.

Todd Frazier-Cincinnati Reds

Frazier has had a similar career so far to Josh Donaldson. Frazier had a huge breakout season last year and has now followed it up with a power season in 2015. His stats stand at a .244 batting average, 25 runs, 12 home runs, 23 RBI’s, and 6 stolen bases. While his average isn’t great, all other stats are fantastic and rank in the top 5 for third basemen. Frazier should definitely keep this up, especially playing home games in a hitter’s ballpark.

Short Stop:

Marcus Semien-Oakland A’s

It’s been a huge surprise to see this unknown name at the top of the short stop rankings. Semien is even worth more to fantasy owners because he is eligible to play many positions. This young player could be a perfect pickup for fantasy teams who have Ian Desmond, Troy Tulowitzki, and Alexei Ramirez, who are under performing this season. Semien has a .309 batting average, 21 runs, 6 home runs, 15 RBI’s, and 6 stolen bases this season. His age is intriguing (24 years old), but watch for slumps and make sure he still gets enough at bats with Ben Zobrist coming off the DL soon.

Hanley Ramirez-Boston Red Sox

Hanley is no surprise to be ranked this high for shortstops. Hanley regrouped with the team who drafted him and foolishly traded him away (although winning the World Series was a nice consolation). Ramirez has cooled off lately, without a home run or an RBI after he returned from his injured shoulder. He has a .272 average, 20 runs, 10 home runs, and 22 RBI’s. The usual top shortstop performers include Tulowitzki, Alexei Ramirez, Desmond, and Hanley Ramirez. Hanley has been the only one to back up his ranking to date. 

Brandon Crawford-San Francisco Giants

Crawford has always been an okay player in his career, but his name started to show up in fantasy box scores more last year.  The 28-year-old has continued to improve in 2015. He has a .277 batting average, 17 runs, 6 home runs, and 24 RBI’s. His great play lately led me add him on to my roster in my Yahoo league a few days ago. Crawford has gone 15 for his last 44 at bats with 5 doubles and 12 RBI’s. He doesn’t bring enough to the table to be a long-term starter, but he’s worth owning if available.

Outfield:

Bryce Harper-Washington Nationals

I have never drafted Bryce Harper in a fantasy league because I’ve felt his hype is greater than his production, yet I’m speechless with Harper’s insane 2015 season so far. It appears baseball has found their upcoming stars of this generation in Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. Harper has exploded into the 2015 season with a .326 batting average, 33 runs, 13 home runs, and 33 RBI’s. The kid is incredibly only 22 years old (younger than hyped up rookies Kris Bryant and Jorge Soler) and ranks 1st in runs, 2nd in home runs, 2nd in RBI’s, and 1st in walks out of all major league hitters! If you are in a keeper league, DO NOT ever let him go!

Nelson Cruz-Seattle Mariners

Cruz proved millions of doubters wrong in 2014 after hitting an incredible 40 home runs for Baltimore. However, there were still plenty of doubters coming into the 2015 season after he was traded to Seattle, a difficult hitters park where it is a lot tougher to hit home runs (ask Robinson Cano). Yet, here we are and Cruz is leading the league in home runs once again with 15! Cruz has a .348 batting average, 24 runs, 15 home runs, and 30 RBI’s. These are MVP- like numbers. The inferred message from Nelson Cruz is, “Never doubt me because I’m going to prove you wrong every time”.

Mike Trout-Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout may be the most popular name in the baseball world. The 23-year-old stud made a name for himself with his MVP worthy rookie season in 2012 and he’s yet to disappoint since. 2015 has seen a .300 average, 28 runs (T-3rd in MLB), 10 home runs (T-5th), and 21 RBI’s from the reigning MVP. There’s not much else to say other than, never give him away. Ever!

Top three producers in (C, 1B, 2B)

This week, based on my league’s hitting scoring systems, I will be writing about the top three players per position for catcher, first base, and second base. Most of the players mentioned below were not on many fantasy expert rankings coming into the season and are big surprises. The question is who is going to continue to stay hot and who is going to go cold.

Catchers:

Stephen Vogt- Oakland Athletics

Vogt has been arguably one of the biggest surprise breakout candidates this season. Vogt, who started his career in Tampa Bay, didn’t see any legit playing time until last year when he had 269 at bats. This season is his first year in the starting job and he’s made a name for himself. He’s had the most fantasy points out of all catchers. Vogt has a .322 batting average with 7 home runs and 25 RBI’s. Even with his great start, pitchers will adjust. Recently, Vogt has been 0 for his last 12 at bats along with 6 strikeouts. If you have him in your league you’re going need a productive backup in case he falls down in the rankings.

Russell Martin- Toronto Blue Jays

As surprising as it sounds, Russell Martin has the second most fantasy points for catchers. This 9 year veteran needed a little time to adjust to the ballpark in Toronto, but he’s finally settled in. Toronto seems to make every hitter a superstar when they play in the Roger Centre, and it’s continued with Martin. Martin has a .293 batting average with 7 home runs and 22 runs so far this season. He’s also been 18 for his last 27 at bats with 4 home runs, 6 RBI’s, and 9 runs. Martin is a player that you can trust to continue crushing the ball at the plate because he’s in a hitter friendly ball park and because he’s an experienced slugger.

Salvador Perez- KC Royals

Perez had an insane start to the 2015 season, pleasing his fantasy owners. It’s no surprise this KC catcher has been dominant to start the season as he’s already shown he can do it in the past few years. While he’s cooled off slightly, he’s still batting .306 with 4 home runs and 18 RBI’s. Perez has also been 3 for 9 with a home run and 3 RBI’s is his last two games. Perez is definitely a player to rely on for a full year in fantasy baseball.

First Base:

Adrian Gonzalez- LA Dodgers

“Gonzalez, he’s way too old, he’s done.” I feel like many people have thought this way the past few years, yet every season fantasy members wait for him to slow down and it never happens. Even in his 11th season in the majors he’s still breaking ‘beginning of the season’ records. Gonzalez has continued to stay hot in 2015 by hitting .373, 23 runs, 9 home runs, and 25 RBI’s. Here’s a lesson sports fans, never doubt a player because of his age. In baseball you can remain a superstar longer than in other sports.

Paul Goldschmidt- Arizona Diamondbacks

Sorry, but not every top ranking fantasy player is a surprise because Goldschmidt is as predictable as it gets. This 27-year-old has played at a high level ever since his second year in the league. This elite level of play has continued into this season. He has a .355 batting average with 9 home runs and 27 RBI’s. Goldschmidt is a natural baseball player who will continue to produce all season.

Mark Teixeira- NY Yankees

Teixeira has been a power machine this season so far. The 35-year-old veteran isn’t much of a fantasy threat anymore because he can’t hold a steady batting average, but he can sure still hit home runs. In one of my fantasy leagues Teixeira is ranked 3rd in fantasy points for first basemen, which I and many of you most likely did not predict coming into the year. The slugger has a total of 10 home runs, which ranks tied for 3rd in the majors. He also has 25 RBI’s, which ranks tied for 5th. Teixeira may have lots of power and has been playing great, but this most likely won’t continue.

Second Base:

Jose Altuve- Houston Astros

This reigning hit leader has continued his dominance into 2015. The 25-year-old simply knows how to hit the ball consistently and has done it in all of his 5 seasons in the majors. Altuve has a .349 batting average (7th in the league), along with 21 RBI’s and 45 hits (2nd in the league). He’s clearly the most reliable second basemen and will continue to produce unbelievable contact stats throughout the season.

Dee Gordon- Miami Marlins

Gordon has been a huge surprise this season. His first season in Miami has resulted in a .437 batting average (1st in the majors), 52 hits (1st in the majors), and 18 runs. Obviously his average won’t remain an insane .437, but I still believe this is his breakout season because he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down (24 hits out of his last 42 at bats). He also leads the MLB in multi-hit games and ranks second in stolen bases.

Devon Travis- Toronto Blue Jays

Travis is easily the top rookie producer at the plate so far this season and ranks third in fantasy points for second base. Travis has a .287 batting average, 21 runs, 7 home runs, and 24 RBI’s. While all signs are pointing upward on his career since he’s only a rookie, make sure you have a reliable backup in case it’s just beginner’s luck. Travis has started to cool off a bit dropping his average down to .287. Travis is a young player you want to own, just watch for slumps and have a decent backup.

Two add; Two drop

Add

Eric Hosmer- Kansas City Royals

Hosmer has done a fantastic job by bouncing back after a rough 2014 season. His stats dropped significantly from 2013; .302 avg, 17 HR’s, 79 RBI & 86 runs, to 2014; .270 avg, 9 HR’s, 58 RBI & 54 runs. Out of all first basemen in 2015 to date, Hosmer ranks 6th in hits, 9th in runs, 6th in singles, and 9th in walks. He also has a stellar .315 batting average. It’s been a great start for Hosmer’s fantasy owners so far. He’s an intriguing first baseman because of his young age (25 years old) and his hot offensive team in the Royals. With 9 hits out of his last 25 at bats, 6 runs, 2 home runs, and 5 RBI’s, Hosmer is on a hot streak. Hosmer doesn’t bring unreal power like Mark Teixeira, Ryan Howard, or Jose Abreu, but he’s a daily producer with great upside.

Joe Mauer- Minnesota Twins

To be honest, I was a Joe Mauer doubter coming into this season because he’s out of his prime, his lack of production in 2014, and becoming only eligible at first base in fantasy leagues. Mauer has been in the league 11 years and he has kept an above batting average every season except 2014 (.277). While his at bats slightly rose in 2014 compared to 2013, his hits dropped and he only hit a lowly 4 home runs. However, Mauer has started the 2015 season on a great note. He’s batting .308 with 7 runs and 13 RBI’s. Although he’s hit 0 home runs this season, out of all first basemen he ranks 8th in hits, 2nd in singles, and 7th in doubles. Mauer also has as many RBI’s as Edwin Encarnacion and has more RBI’s than Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols. He’s also been seeing the ball very well over the past two games going 7 for 16 at the plate with 3 runs and 4 RBI’s. Mauer is a perfect pick up for a fantasy team who has lots of power and not enough hits.

Drop

Victor Martinez- Detroit Tigers

Martinez’s 2015 struggles have continued in his return from knee surgery. Martinez is coming off an insanely good 2014 season with a .335 average, 32 home runs, and 103 RBI’s. However, 2015 has been a completely different story. He has a .208 average, 0 home runs, and 9 RBI’s. This player’s not only having trouble generating power, but he’s having trouble getting simple hits. Another disappointing stat is that he’s hit 14 singles and only 1 double. The position of first base is built up of lots of power, so unless he’s racking up hits left and right, he’s useless. A player like Martinez is not easy to cut, so I would definitely try to trade him first, but if that doesn’t work and he’s losing you a lot of fantasy points, then you may want to think about cutting him. Some players to target in free agency are Eric Hosmer, Joe Mauer, and Chris Davis.

Jason Heyward- St. Louis Cardinals

The intriguing hot start to this young 25 year old in 2015 has cooled down significantly. Heyward was expected to become a great power performer, but his last two seasons have been unsatisfying to fantasy owners. Heyward’s average has dropped down to .221 and he’s only delivered a disappointing 2 home runs and 4 RBI’s. Along with his rough 2015 campaign so far, he’s added a frustrating 18 strikeouts. This Cardinal only has 1 hit more than he has strikeouts this season, which is not fantasy baseball roster worthy! This kid has shown he can hit the ball, but not consistently. At this point, Heyward should be cut from your roster.