Opening Day has finally arrived but believe it or not there are players who have found their fantasy stocks already rising and falling before an official pitch has even been thrown for the 2018 season. Who are these players you may be asking? Well let’s take a look, shall we?
Rising Stock
Greg Holland RP, STL- Holland finished 2017 with 41 saves which tied him for the National League lead, but he had just a one-year deal with the Rockies and found himself looking for a job this offseason. Holland surprisingly went the entire offseason without a job before signing another one-year deal with the Cardinals this morning. The Cardinals closer situation was a bit fluid during spring training with Luke Gregerson dealing with injuries and both Tyler Lyons and Domenic Leone competing for the job. It looks like Holland will now be the Cardinals closer when he joins the team and in this role he could very well compete for the saves lead in the National League.
Scott Kingery UTIL, PHI- In a surprising move the Phillies went and signed Kingery to a six-year deal with $24 million even though he has never had a major league at bat. His extension guaranteed that he made the Phillies roster and manager Gabe Kapler has said that Kingery will play multiple positions and that he will try to fit him in the lineup when he can. Entering 2018 Kingery was the 31st ranked prospect in baseball according to Baseball America but had not cracked the Top 100 prospects list in any year prior. In 2017 between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley Kingery hit .304 with 103 runs, 26 home runs, 65 RBI and 29 stolen bases. With regular playing time he figures to offer that home run/stolen base combo that fantasy owners covet but the batting average may not be anything special. Kingery went undrafted in most standard redraft leagues but since his signing his ownership has jumped nearly 40-percent.
Jose Martinez 1B, STL- Martinez had an average ADP of 228 heading into the 2018 MLB season and is owned in just 30-percent of fantasy leagues to start the season. His solid 2017 season and impressive spring will see him begin the year starting at first base for the Cardinals and hit in the middle part of their lineup. Martinez is a big dude, standing 6’6, 215 lbs. and he uses that frame to generate a good amount of power. Last season in just 272 at bats he hit .309 with 14 home runs and an OPS of .897. If you stretch that over a 500 at bat sample size we are looking at a player who approaches 30 home runs in a full-time role. His level of production is not likely a fluke either as he showed great plate discipline, striking out just 19.5-percent of the time while walking in 10.4-percent of his plate appearances. Martinez owned a 37.2-percent hard contact rate which helped his above average 21-percent home run to fly ball rate. I think a break out season is on the horizon for Martinez and he is available to grab now before it is too late.
Falling Stock
Salvador Perez C, KC- What a brutal blow for fantasy owners who drafted Perez as the Royals catcher tore his MCL on Wednesday after allegedly slipping while picking up his suitcase. The injury is going to keep him sidelined for four-to-six weeks, but you have to wonder just how often he can be in the lineup as a catcher following such a knee injury. Reports are that Perez will likely avoid surgery which is a plus but for a player who was drafted around the 10th round in most standard leagues and is one of the top offensive backstops his fantasy owners can not be thrilled with this news.
Greg Bird 1B, NYY- Bird was a popular sleeper candidate heading into the season, but he suffered an ankle injury that will require surgery and force him to the disabled list to begin the year. Bird is expected to miss up to eight weeks as he recovers from the procedure which removed bone spurs from his ankle. Bird is no stranger to the disabled list after missing most of 2017 with a similar injury to this same ankle. Tyler Austin and Neil Walker will likely split time at first base with Bird on the shelf.
Mark Melancon RP, SF- Things were a little shaky for Melancon this spring as he recovered from pronator surgery but now it looks as though his season could be in jeopardy all together after being placed on the disabled list with what is being called a right elbow flexor strain. This injury could require surgery depending on how he the injury responds to treatments. Melancon had an ADP of 189 entering the season in standard leagues and was expected to begin the year as the Giants closer but that is no longer the case. The Giants have a few candidates to replace Melancon with Sam Dyson, Tony Watson and Hunter Strickland all possibilities.