José Abreu : Abreu is flat out raking. Saturday, the Pale Hose slugger went 4-4 with 2 runs, 2 RBI and his ninth dinger. On the year, through Saturday, Jose is hitting .319 with a .382 OBP, 30 rbi, and 28 runs to go with those nine homers. Those are some strong numbers but recently, he has been even better than that. In the last 14 games through Saturday, Abreu is hitting over .400 with and OPS over 1,150. Frankly, I do not understand why this guy did not get more fantasy baseball love this winter. In each of his four major league seasons, he has hit over .290, slugged 25 or more home runs, and knocked in over 100 runs. Consistent production personified. If there is an Abreu owner in your league who thinks s/he is selling high, pay the full freight. It will be worth it. Need more proof? Well, his hard hit rate is over 41% -- the best of his career (and you know how good he has been so far!)
Daniel Mengden : Mengden was flat out brilliant Saturday pitching a complete game two-hitter against the DBacks. Mengden walked none and struck out 5 in the masterpiece. On the year, he has a 2.85 ERA with a WHIP under 1.00 and a very sweet K/BB ratio over 7/1. Over his last two starts, Mengden has looked like Cy Young – 16 innings, no runs, four hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts. Wow! The question is not whether Mengden can stay this hot. He cannot. The question is whether he can continue to be solid and productive. The BABIP and strand percentage say he has been a little lucky but not crazily so. The ground ball percentage under 40 and the swinging strike rate under nine say correction is coming (in a bad way). Moreover, hitters are hitting him hard to the tune of a 24+ percent line drive rate and 39% hard hit rate. You cannot argue with the success so far but his value will never be higher and the advanced metrics say it cannot continue. Do not give him away but see if you can get good value for him with his value at its pinnacle.
Joe Musgrove : Musgrove paid dividends in his first Pirate start this week tossing seven shutout innings, giving up just five hits while walking none and striking out seven. This is a diamond hiding in the rough. He was on the DL for the first two months this year so few have noticed him. His stats last year hardly attract attention – 4.77 ERA/1.33 WHIP. I have many reasons to be high on Musgrove. Here are few: he averaged 94+MPH in his start (well above the 92 he averaged with many of his outings being relief last year); he was unlucky in 2017 with a sub-70 strand rate and .320 BABIP; Musgrove’s 2017 advanced metrics showed real skills including a 45-percent groundball rate, 12-percent swinging strike rate and 64-percent first pitch strike rate. Oh, and did I mention he gets to face the pitcher in the National League and gets to pitch in a much better pitcher’s park? I am buying.
Nick Tropeano : Tropeano threw a gem Friday, tossing seven innings of one run ball, while striking out seven, giving up just four hits, and one walk. Loyal readers and listeners know that I have been high on Tropeano for quite some time. I am not going to change that now and will advise that you buy Tropeano while you still can. On the year, Nick has a solid 3.86 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. The advanced metrics are mixed but I really like the 11.5-percent swinging strike rate and the fact that he has been murder on righties (they are hitting just .183 against him). I am still in and would buy him for his start against Detroit because his value will likely be even higher afterwards.
Ross Stripling : In something new, I am going to quote what we wrote for the last two weeks here: “Last week we wrote: ‘Ross Stripling gave the Dodgers all they can ask for and more. Saturday the Dodger hurler went 5.2 innings giving up two runs while striking out seven. On the year, Stripling has a 2.20 ERA and is averaging almost 10K per 9 IP. With the Dodgers rotation in shambles – Kershaw hurt; Ryu hurt; Hill often hurt; Wood often hurt; Maeda hardly an iron man; Beuhler a rookie – Stripling should be on your deep league radar. In his two starts, he has 12 K and two walks in just over 10 IP (he is still being stretched out). Few noticed that last year, Stripling had a strikeout per inning, put up solid advanced metrics and pitched pretty well. NL only players should pounce on Stripling and 15 team mixer owners should be very interested.’ Well, all the Dodger righty did was go out and toss six innings of one run ball, walking none, and striking out nine. Convinced yet? If not, well I hope no one in your league is reading this! I bid on Stripling all over this weekend!” [Throat clearing noise]. Did you listen? I hope so. All Ross did was go out and strike out 10 while walking none and giving up no earned runs in his 6.2 innings of work. [Throat clearing noise again].
And now, the moment you have been waiting for -- Schultz Says: “The main goal of rotisserie /fantasy baseball is to gaze into a metaphorical crystal ball and predict the future. In fact, it's the raison d'etre of every roto-fantasy sport on the planet. Anyone can succeed in this game if they are permitted to acquire players with already accumulated, quantifiable statistics. In the absence of a Gray's Sports Almanac, the present-bound are resolved to use whatever prognosticatorial skills at their disposal. (It would be fun to travel back in time to March of 1961 and take Roger Maris over Mickey Mantle and giggle as your 11 other friends mock and taunt you for passing over Mickey Mantle. Then again, they would be mocking and taunting you for proposing that they play fantasy baseball in the first place. Harrumph. ". . . but your kids are gonna love it."
The NL stat leaders have a bit of a retro feel to them these days. Sitting atop the NL in batting average is 75-year-old Nick Markakis . Now, although it has not made its way into the column, Markakis was an oft-debated topic between Schultz and The Overlord during his uber-phenom days with the Orioles. Suffice to say, for every time The Overlord wishes to lord William Green over your faithful narrator, Schultz has had a Macedonian rejoinder. Tis a shame that the discussion did not extend to the present day as the remaining veteran on a surprisingly feisty Braves ball club is hitting better than he has at any point in his lengthy career. Everyone who sold short on the Braves after their hot start chose poorly so there's no reason to sell short on the resurgent Markakis.
The fact that Matt Kemp sits close behind Markakis atop the BA leaders should also prompt a double take and not because it's Memorial Day and he isn't on the disabled list. Dumped upon the Dodgers as part of a youth (and health) movement, Kemp didn't project to be worth more than a flyer near the end of the draft. He was either going to strain, sprain or pull something or lose time to the glut of young outfielders in the L.A. system. All of those things could still happen but in the meantime, ride the revitalized superstar while you can.”
Response: Uncle! Schultz was right about Markakis. [Yep, that hurt to type, I admit it].
Final Note: Whatever you do this holiday weekend, whether it is watching baseball, spending time with family, attending barbecues, or all or none of the above, take a moment and reflect on what Memorial Day is really all about – paying tribute to the men and women of our armed forces who paid the ultimate price to preserve the freedoms that we as Americans enjoy and hold dear.