It may be a bit chillier than expected in San Fran, where I currently am, but hopefully your fantasy teams are hot or heating up. Sure, that was corny, but the message applies. The fantasy baseball season is coming towards the homestretch, which means your fantasy teams need to be strapped and ready for the playoffs. As I said in recent articles, this is when bold moves can make or break you. So bold that you can baste ribs, as Howard Bender says. Here’s a trio of guys that can help your fantasy team right now.
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Aaron Judge, OF NYY— Welcome to the bigs, Mr. Judge. He’s provided some life to an otherwise quiet Yankee offense that has really sputtered in 2016. The departure of Alex Rodriguez has stolen many of the headlines the past few days, but Judge is certainly deserving himself. He’s 5-for-10 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored through his first three games as a Bronx Bomber. Given the situation of the New York Yankees, Judge is going to play every day and has immediate fantasy appeal. In 93 games he played in the minors before getting the call, Judge was hitting .270 with 19 home runs, 65 RBI and five stolen bases. He also posted a quality 11.5 BB%, but that 23.9 K% is far from quality. He’s going to take his lumps, but the 6-7 outfielder has shown plus pop early on in his career. Judge is worth the add in most formats, and with the fantasy season winding down, this could turn out to be a pivotal move.
Joe Musgrove, SP HOU— I’ve held off on putting Musgrove in this article, because I found it hard to buy into the hype. Well, I just can’t hate anymore. The guy has done his job out in Houston. In 18.1 innings this season, he’s 1-0 with a 1.47 ERA and 0.76 WHIP. Not only is he striking batters out (10.31 K/9), but he’s hardly walking batters, posting a 0.98 BB/9. Musgrove has walked only two batters this season, thanks to an impressive 65.6 strike percentage. He lights up the zone consistently, which is always a plus for any young pitcher. Opposing batters have yet to record a hit off his curveball, while posting a measly .160 average off Musgrove’s heater. The Houston offense may sputter here and there, but that powerful lineup should be able to give Musgrove better run support moving forward. As long as the strikeouts are up and the walks are down, he’s starting in your fantasy lineups. Go ahead and add this guy before his next start.
Alex Reyes, SP STL— Reyes has only thrown four innings as a reliever with the Cardinals, but boy does he look good. He has a lively fastball with a filthy curveball that will buckle plenty of knees. He’s averaging a strikeout per inning thus far, while walking only one batter. That one walk is solid for Reyes, seeing as he posted a 4.41 BB/9 through 65.1 innings in the minors before getting promoted. However, that 12.81 K/9 is enticing to every single fantasy owner out there. He isn’t starting for the team at the moment, but even as a reliever, he has plenty of fantasy value. The haters are going to say that even though some of those numbers are plenty good, he posted a below-average 4.96 ERA. Well, let’s nip that in the bud. He was on the wrong end of a .365 BABIP and his 3.75 FIP shows that he was much better than that 4.96 ERA. Reyes, even as a reliever, can be a quality boost to your team’s K/9 and pitching ratios.
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