Four weeks into the 2019 MLB season and we don’t truly know anything yet. Sure, we know some players have gotten off to a hot start and some players, not so much. We know there have been a number of players put on the injury list (Yankees have an all-star team on that list all by themselves). What is my point with this? Patience. Some players don’t hit or pitch well in April. They may not perform up to expectations until the weather warms up and that may not be until June. Everything is a small sample size right now. Make sure you think things through before you waive a productive player in past seasons off of your roster.
Risers
Clint Frazier, New York Yankees: If you’re looking for a silver lining to all of the injuries the Yankees have suffered, Frazier is it. With Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, and Aaron Judge on the IL, it has given Frazier all of the at-bats he has needed to prove he can hit at the MLB level, and that’s exactly what he is doing right now. Frazier has the power to hit 30+ HRs in a full-time role and that comes with an AVG that wouldn’t hurt your fantasy team. His OPS right now is 1.019. If he’s still on your waiver wire, go and get him.
Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers: The fact that Gallo already has eight HRs is not a surprise, that’s what he does. The fact that those HRs are coming with a .281 AVG is a surprise if not a shock. Gallo has never batted above .209 in a season and it’s probably wishful thinking that he will continue to hit anywhere near .280 this year. That being said, his K rate is down and his contact rate up. Perhaps he is seeing the ball better and becoming a more patient hitter. The power is legit, we all know that, but if he can keep his AVG around .250, that would be a huge plus for fantasy owners. I’m still selling though if I don’t need the power.
Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays: More has always been expected from Stroman. His 5.54 ERA from last season certainly scared off fantasy owners this season, especially when you consider that the Jays are rebuilding, and wins can be tough to come by even if the starting pitcher does well. Still, Stroman has been much better than expected and we need to remember that the Jays tried to move him during the offseason to a contending team. They weren’t offered much then, but they certainly will be as the season rolls along should he continue to pitch this well and the team that acquires him will more than likely play in a more pitcher-friendly environment and probably be a much better team.
Marco Gonzales, Seattle Mariners: Yeah, only his immediate family or a fan of the Mariners saw this start for Gonzales. He already has four wins with a 3.32 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. This for a team that was supposed to be rebuilding and playing for 2021 or 22. Gonzales screams sell high. I’m not saying to dump him for anything you can get, but his numbers will regress to a 4+ ERA, it’s just a matter of time. Let someone else bank on a career year.
Nick Markakis, Atlanta Braves: You’re not going to get much power or speed out of Markakis, but what you will get is AVG and over the past couple of seasons he has come to the plate more than anyone else with runners in scoring position. Sure, the RISP is more luck than anything else, but he does hit in a good offense, so I wouldn’t say it’s all bunk. As for AVG, that is the one stat we seem to forget about in rotisserie leagues, but it has the same weight as any of the others. If you don’t own him and your AVG is suffering, Markakis is a player you may want to target via trade.
Fallers
Robinson Cano, New York Mets: Cano was the price the Mets had to pay to acquire Edwin Diaz over the winter. It’s not that Cano is washed up, he still has value, but I’m always wary and extremely cautious when a player changes leagues. We forget that players are human, and it can take a bit for the adjustments to be made. Sure, there is interleague play now, but players still know their own league much better than those teams they would only face once every three years. There is also the chance steroids might have played a part in his success as he was suspended for using them. There are just too many question marks here for me to trust him as anything more than a middle infielder
Rick Porcello, Boston Red Sox: If not for how awful Chris Sale has pitched to open the season we would be talking and complaining about Porcello. His ERA is still north of eight. Porcello was never going to be an ace, but we liked him pitching for the Sox as we trusted him to have a plus ERA and WHIP with a good chance at wins with that offense. Well, that has all come crumbling down this season. You can’t move him now as no one is giving you anything of value, but he shouldn’t be in your lineup until some improvement is seen.
Jesus Aguilar, Milwaukee Brewers: There is a reason that I refuse to draft players that I term “one-year wonders”. Aguilar fits this to a tee. He had a fantastic season last year with 35 HR and 108 RBI. This despite the fact he only had 16 HRs the year before. Sometimes I get bit avoiding these types of players, but I like to be able to have a pretty good idea of what a player is going to do when drafting him and with Aguilar, I just didn’t know. Plus, with Ryan Braun, Lorenzo Cain, Christian Yelich, and Eric Thames also on the team, someone was going to have to sit every game. So far that person is not Aguilar, but that is only a matter of time if he keeps hitting .136.
Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants: I hate catchers. Well, I don’t hate the actual player, I just dislike spending major draft capital on that position. They get hurt more than any other offensive position due to the fact that they get hit by balls, bats, runners, and have to crouch about 100,000 times during the season. Posey is another name player who was once a major offensive threat but who looks like the position has taken away his stardom. If you can still find someone willing to pony up for him, I’d let him go or just about any other catcher in a heartbeat.
