It’s Thursday. I know what that means.
Each week during fantasy baseball season, we produce a stock report examining players who are rising or falling in value.If there’s a specific player you’d like me to jump into, feel free to tag me twitter.
Now, without further ado, let’s get down to business. Here are some fantasy baseball players on the rise and some on the decline.
Fantasy Baseball Stock Report (Week 8)
stock up
Brent Rooker (OF – OAK)
Brent Rooker surprised everyone last season by hitting 30 home runs with the Athletics and earning his first All-Star selection. He came out with a bang, hitting .358 in April. So far this season, he’s shown that this isn’t just a fluke. Over the past two weeks, the 29-year-old has posted his third-highest in ISO (.314) and his sixth-highest in wOBA (.418). He is up to 10 home runs a season, which puts him tied for third in the rankings. American League.
He continues to have the highest strikeout rate in the league. He averaged 30.6% for the year, which is on par with his career average of 32.3%. While he may not have as many RBI opportunities in Oakland compared to other teams, Rooker has proven to be one of the best fantasy producers in the league this year as well.
Chris Sale (SP – ATL)
Chris Sale gets better and better with every start. In his first four games, he allowed 12 earned runs, but in his last four he allowed just two. He also has at least nine strikeouts in each of his last three games.
He ranks third in xFIP (2.42) and seventh in K% (31.3%) this season. He has been outstanding for the Braves this year, silencing any critics who wondered if father time was creeping up on the 35-year-old. His numbers won’t continue to improve indefinitely with every start, but I expect him to continue to dominate in his next two expected starts against San Diego and Pittsburgh. .
Kyle Tucker (OF – HOU)
Kyle Tucker currently leads the league with 13 home runs. In my opinion, he may be the most underrated player in baseball. He has hit 30, 30 and 29 home runs over the past three seasons and is currently on pace to break that record.
In addition to impressive power numbers, Tucker had excellent overall performance. He has the league’s highest walk rate (17.1%), his second-highest ISO (.318), and his fourth-highest wOBA (.430), but only a strikeout rate He is 16.6%. He also has incredible speed. He stole 30 bases last year, 25 the year before, and six this year. Perhaps if he had a fancy nickname, people would pay more attention.
out of stock
Cedric Mullins (OF – BAL)
Cedric Mullins has been ice cold the past few weeks. Over the past 10 games, he has recorded just two hits in 30 at-bats. Since May 1st, his strikeout rate has been a very concerning 41.9%, second in the majors behind Tyler O’Neal’s 47.2%.
His wOBA this season is .257, significantly lower than his career average of .321. He won’t be an everyday player for Baltimore, as he will be facing left-handed starting pitchers. But if Mullins continues to play like this, his minutes could continue to decline, especially with all the young talent coming up.
Carlos Carrasco (SP – CLE)
Carlos Carrasco has been playing baseball for many years. The 37-year-old started his first game for Cleveland in 2009. Now that he’s back in Cleveland after a short stint with the Mets, his right-hander’s situation isn’t all that stable.
During the season, Carrasco had the fourth-highest xFIP (4.55), sixth-highest HR/9 (1.59), and ninth-lowest K% (17.2%). He also has a high walk rate (9.1%) and allows the second fewest soft contacts in the league (10.5%). There’s nothing very exciting about his profile, and he’s not the type of person that would attract anyone’s attention in a fantasy.
Javier Baez (SS – DET)
Despite signing a $140 million contract, Javier Báez has been under-performing in Detroit year-over-year and has received a lot of ridicule. Last year he was statistically one of the worst hitters in baseball, and so far this year he’s been about the same.
His ISO is just .056 on the year, fourth-lowest among eligible hitters. The most shocking thing about Baez’s profile is that his wRC+ is only his 18 points. This is his second from the bottom and he is 27 points lower than his Benintendi. He hasn’t produced any RBIs and continues to be a problem for this Tigers team, which is loaded with talented young prospects.
subscribe: YouTube | spotify | apple podcast | i heart | cast box | amazon music | podcast addiction | sound cloud | tune in
