The fantasy baseball seasons draws near an end, and it’s been one hell of a grind. It’s been an honor to share another fantasy baseball season with each of you members of #FANation. All in the #FAmily as they say! Just like last week, we are doing a grab bag of categories here in this week’s Category Impact. Some of these guys are far from household names, but don’t, and I mean not for one second, undermine the potential impact of these guys listed below.
Without further ado…
STOLEN BASES
Garrett Hampson , IF/OF COL – What a blast from the past! And the past is just the beginning of the season. Hampson’s upside, especially in Coors Field, intrigued many, but those who thought they were keen by grabbing him earlier than most expected, turned out to backfire exponentially. However, with an ownership rate of under 10 percent in ESPN fantasy baseball leagues, Hampson is ready to make amends and deliver when it matters most for those fantasy owners that are still playing for something in late September. Over the last week, thanks to a .444 batting average, Hampson has stolen three bases, and scored nine runs, but he offers upside in other categories as well. His overall numbers for the year certainly don’t live up to where he was being drafted in February and March, but he has the opportunity to be one of your biggest contributors over the next 10 or so days. Play him with confidence and reap the rewards.
HOME RUNS
Kyle Lewis, OF SEA – Lewis has five home runs in his past nine games, which is excellent. In 122 games at Double-A this year, he hit 11 long balls, but he did have 25 doubles and two triples to boot. Interestingly enough, Lewis is making pretty hard contact against all pitches, but against fastballs in particular, he’s making hard contact with great frequency! This month, he’s making hard contact against fastballs a whopping 75 percent of the time! Do not throw this guy a fastball, as it is a deadly mistake. He’s struggling against non-fastballs, to the tune of a .231 average against breaking pitches, and a goose egg against offspeed. Wow. Down the stretch, he will contribute, but until he can learn to hit non-fastballs, there’s some long-term concern with Lewis, but he’ll continue to see fastballs down the stretch, which means he’ll continue to demolish the opposition! Bombs away!
STRIKEOUTS
Brad Wieck , RP CHC – Of the last eight outs Wieck has recorded, seven have come via the strikeout. SEVEN. SEVEN. SEVEN!!! Take a look at the chart below, in terms of Wieck’s ability garner swings and misses.
Look carefully. Upper-right hand corner. Yep. That’s where his fastball and curveball are sitting in the month of September. Can you say elite? E-L-I-T-E!! He’s elite right now, folks. Per Baseball Savant, his fastball and curveball have a strikeout percentage of 62.5 and 75.0 percent respectively. The Cubs need to ride any hot arm they can, and Wieck is that guy right now. Start him with confidence, ladies and gents, and watch the strikeouts skyrocket!
SAVES
Brandon Workman RP BOS – Workman has three saves in the past week of work, which is relevant in and of itself. Over his last 4.1 innings of work, he’s punched out six batters and allowed just two hits. The Boston offense should continue to get him some save opportunities down the stretch, which is key for fantasy owners looking to rack up as many saves as possible as the season winds down. With series coming down against the Rangers and Orioles, I’m thinking another handful of saves will end on Workman’s ledger. Ride it, ladies and gents! Don’t overthink it. Numbers are numbers, and Workman’s are good, so trust it. Hey, at the very least, his numbers on your bench are better than in your opponent’s starting lineup! Think about that.
Joe Jiménez , RP DET – Jimenez might have just one save over the past seven days or so, but he’s looked somewhat sharp during this recent run. Sure, he’s allowed four hits in last two innings of work, with just three strikeouts, but he does have one save, and if the Detroit Tigers continue to give him chances to rack up saves, Jimenez will be the guy closing it out. He’s seven for his last eight in save opportunities, and has allowed just four earned runs since August 8th (12.2 IP). Jimenez is certainly not the flashiest pickup, and for more than just being a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, but he has the opportunity to notch you another save or two before the 2019 Major League Baseball season comes to an end.