It’s Saturday, woohoo! Hopefully you’re not at work, sitting poolside and reading this new edition of Category Impact. The scoring week is coming to a close and these are some guys who could potentially help you steal a category. Pun intended for the speedy Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson. You know, it’s been a big week. New seasons of "The League" and "Orange is the New Black" are on Netflix, the other Chicago baseball team called up Wilson Contreras and Michael Saunders is finally staying healthy. Let’s get into impacting categories.
Michael Saunders, TOR OF— Saunders was a .239 career hitter with injury problems coming into this season. So, I ask you, what’s more surprising – the fact that he’s missed just nine games this year, or that he’s hitting .314? Saunders has always been look at as a solid outfielder with potential, but injuries derailed his career. He’s played in 100 or more games just three times in his career, all of which were during his time with the Seattle Mariners. A healthy campaign with a good ballpark has been instrumental to his success this season. He’s hitting .314 with 15 homers and 32 RBI. Those numbers saw a nice increase after homering three times and driving in eight runs last night. His walk percentage is slightly up and his ISO is almost 100 points higher than his career mark. Saunders’ .387 BABIP is inflated, so that his batting average will likely see some regression with time. Also, it always helps when you aren’t chasing pitching. His 24.5 O-swing percentage is just under two percent fewer than his career mark. He may not be available in your league, but he’s still owned in under half of the fantasy leagues out there. Add him if he’s there.
Willson Contreras, C CHC— After hitting .350 with nine home runs, 43 RBI, 40 runs scored and four stolen bases at Triple-A, the Cubs called up the 24-year old backstop. He also had a 20-game hitting streak before his call up. He stopped chasing pitches out of the zone and his path to the baseball is much better. Listen, you’re going to see comparisons to Buster Posey floating around on the world wide web, but don’t buy into that immense hype at this juncture. Sure, with time he could develop into something like that, but for now, he’s more of a Francisco Cervelli guy. He’s a gap-to-gap guy who looks like a 12-15 home run guy. The Cubs are going to find a way to get him in the lineup, even if it’s not behind the plate. In 10 or 12 team leagues, you can make the case for adding him, or leaving him on the waiver wire. However, with anything past 12 teams, you need to add this guy. Sure, playing time is uncertain right now, but the potential is just too good to pass up.
Tim Anderson, CWS SS— Anderson is hitting an even .300 through his first week of big league action. He isn’t going to be a home run guy by any means, but he has displayed a propensity to drive the ball for some extra-base hits. The Chicago shortstop is known for his speed, but unfortunately he only has one stolen base on the season, which came last night. The steals will come with time, and hitting atop the team’s lineup gives him the best chance to succeed in fantasy baseball. Shortstop isn’t exactly a deep position, so if you need some help, Anderson is worthy of a roster spot on your team. Anderson was striking out nearly 23 percent of the time in Triple-A before getting the call, but in his first week at the big league level, his mark is down to right around 16 percent. In any league past 10 teams, he is essentially a must-add. His potential for stolen bases can help you win that category almost every week. The steals are coming, just give it time. In short, add Anderson.
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