Hey there, Jon Impemba here stepping in for Howard as he is off representing Fantasy Alarm at the FSTA Fantasy Football Draft.  I know, right?  Fantasy Football is already quickly approaching but for most of us It’s Week 12 of the fantasy baseball season and we are now half way through the year in standard leagues.  Now is a time where I tend to look around the league and see what players are potential second half bounce back candidates as I look to position myself for an eventual playoff push.  During this research is when I start taking notice of some players who are really coming on strong after some slow starts and while it may be too late to get them on the cheap that does not mean they cannot be had at all, especially if their poor starts have their current owners in less favorable positions in the standings. 

The biggest name that is coming on strong is Edwin Encarnacion.  In my Stock Watch article posted back on May 30th I highlighted Encarnacion as a Buy Now candidate as his slow start was likely frustrating to his fantasy owners but he had all the peripheral numbers to suggest a surge was coming.  Since June 1st Encarnacion is hitting .370 with 15 runs, six home runs, 14 RBI and an OPS of 1.287.   He has raised his batting average from .234 on May 31st to .263 today, nearly 30 points over the past 16 games.  Edwin is healthy as is the Indians lineup and he is starting to look like the big-time slugger the Indians had hoped they were getting when they signed him this offseason.

Andrew McCutchen, that’s right the Pirates outfielder that many of you likely left for dead back in May when his batting average dropped to .200 is scorching hot as we hit mid-season.  Since May 23rd , when his average dropped to .200, McCutchen is hitting .380 with 19 runs, six home runs, 17 RBI and one stolen base.  His seasonal numbers are up to .258 with 39 runs, 13 home runs, 39 RBI and six stolen bases.  A quick look at his numbers and you will find that they are much more in line with his 2014 season since May 23rd than his previous two years where questions regarding McCutchen’s ability were starting to be brought up.  If you bought into a bounce back season from Cutch and held onto him then you are being rewarded.  If you think there is a chance you can grab him from an owner then I am not shying away from what could be a big second half from the former MVP.

Finally, on the pitching side of things one of my favorite pitchers to target is Chris Archer.  The man is a strikeout machine that has all the peripheral numbers of a fantasy “Ace” yet last season his troubles with the home run ball and poor offense saw him finish the year with a 4.02 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 19 losses.  Now hopefully you don’t play in a league that counts losses because not all 19 of those were Archer’s fault.  Archer’s plus stats come in the form of strikeouts as he owned a 10.4 K/9 last season and his xFIP which was 3.41 and his SIERA which was 3.50.  Those numbers are over a half run better than what his actual ERA was.  Archer was getting a bit unlucky.  Which brings us to 2017 where many had expected Archer to run into some better luck and while his 10-percent HR/FB rate is right where you want it to be he is still finding himself with an ERA of 3.75 which is below average at best.  Once again, a look into his peripherals tell the tale of a much more dominant starter.  First off, Archer is boasting a career best 11.17 K/9.  He also owns a 2.88 FIP, 3.32 xFIP and a 3.38 SIERA.  All those numbers reflect a pitcher who is better than his 3.75 ERA would indicate.  Look for Archer in the second half as he should continue to be an elite strikeout pitcher and I expect that ERA to slowly make it’s way back down to the low-three ERA’s he had posted from 2013-2015 for Tampa.

Now maybe you own those players or maybe you just aren’t interested in them but I urge you to take notice.  Look around the league and see what players can be had as it is never too early to start planning for what will put you in the best position to succeed come playoff time.