Fantasy Baseball June 15 Round Up: Miles Mikolas Falls One Out Short of a No-Hitter
The massive 16-game slate on Tuesday was full of action for our fantasy teams. We had near no-hitters, massive offensive games from some under-the-radar players, and injury updates for some of the game’s biggest stars. It also looks like we have a new number one fantasy catcher this season. Don’t forget to check out our updated June fantasy baseball player rankings and be sure to check out the latest MLB injury report and fantasy baseball waiver wire top targets to remain one step ahead of your friends and foes in your fantasy baseball leagues.
Tuesday’s Fantasy Baseball News
Miles Mikolas and the Near No-No
Before Tuesday night, the most pitches Miles Mikolas had ever thrown in a game were 109. He bested that by 20 pitches in his oh-so-close bid to earn a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He gave up a single with two outs in the ninth to lose it but still twirled a masterful performance.
Mikolas has been excellent this season with a 2.93 ERA, just 1.83 BB/9 innings, and even a respectable 7.33 strikeouts per nine innings. It will be interesting, however, to see how the Cardinals treat him after 129 pitches. Does he miss a start or get pushed back a few days? Watch him carefully in the days to come.
Tyler Mahle’s Sublime Start Wasted
One of the best starts of the season by a starting pitcher this year did not go down as a win for Tyler Mahle after the Reds could not score a run until the 10th inning in their eventual win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. That failure to get the win puts Mahle in the record books.
Fantasy managers who are still holding on to Mahle were rewarded for their patience with nine innings with 12 strikeouts and no walks or runs. It’s been quite the turnaround for a pitcher who had a 6.45 ERA at the end of April and was allowing 4.5 walks per nine innings. In June, Mahle how has a 1.71 ERA, 28 strikeouts in 21 innings, and just four walks.
Tony Gonsolin Just Keeps on Winning
I’m not sure who predicted Tony Gonsolin would be the Dodgers pitcher who would be 8-0 heading into mid-June, but here we are. With Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler injured and Julio Urías a roller coaster of production, it’s been Gonsolin who is the stabilizing force in this Dodgers’ rotation.
He threw another gem on Tuesday, allowing no runs and just one hit across 6.1 innings. In addition to the 8-0 record, Gonsolin has an elite 1.42 ERA (now the best in baseball) to go along with 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He has been the second-best pitcher in rotisserie formats over the last 30 days
If you’re starting to think about supreme value in a Cy Young futures bet, Gonsolin’s odds are still around +3000 in many books.
Willson Contreras: The Undisputed #1 Fantasy Catcher
In what has been an awful year for fantasy catchers, Willson Contreras stands head and shoulders above the rest in 2022. After two more home runs on Tuesday, plus a double and three RBI, Contreras’ OPS is at .949, top-ten among all major league batters. To put that in perspective, only one other catcher since 2016 has had at least a .950 OPS with a minimum of 220 plate appearances.
Taking full advantage of the new National League DH rule, Contreras has played just 36 of his 51 games at catcher. That should keep him fresh and in the lineup all year so if you grabbed Contreras around pick 100 in your offseason draft, he should pay off a healthy dividend all season.
Michael Harris II Showing Signs of Life
Stud prospect Michael Harris has been nothing short of amazing recently now that he is getting consistent playing time with the Braves. After going 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI on Tuesday, the signs are there that he is really starting to heat up.
Somehow, Harris is available is still available in 69% of Yahoo fantasy leagues as of Tuesday morning. The next step will surely be a promotion from the ninth batting spot at some point. That could come very soon with the news that Ozzie Albies will be out at least two months with a broken foot.
Rhys Hoskins Double Dongs but Phillies’ Bullpen Blows It
Another player who has been white-hot lately is Rhys Hoskins. After two home runs on Tuesday, he has given us a .354 average, five home runs, and 12 RBI in the past two weeks, good enough to be the sixth-best fantasy first baseman in that span. On the season, Hoskins has now climbed into the top-10 first basemen overall and he is trending upwards at the weather heats up at Citizens Bank Park.
That effort was wasted by another predictable and epic collapse by the Phillies’ bullpen. This being in Philadelphia, the crowd certainly took it well:
MLB Injury Update
Fernando Tatis Jr. Timeline Pushed Back
San Diego Padres’ president of baseball operations A.J. Preller revealed on Tuesday that the recovery for Fernando Tatis, Jr. has not gone as well as had hoped. He has not resumed swinging a bat and is now progressing at a “week to week” pace when this was thought to be the time he would start ramping up activity. There’s nothing more fantasy managers can do but keep holding and hope you get a strong second half from Tatis.
Walker Buehler has Bone Spurs Removed
Although it will not impact his recovery from a right flexor strain, Walker Buehler also got bone spurs removed from his elbow while he sits on the shelf recovering. The timeline has not changed for his return, and the Dodgers are hopeful to see him back on the mound in around 10-12 weeks.
Hyun Jin-Ryu Will Have Season-Ending Surgery
Former Cy Young winner Hyun Jin-Ryu will miss the rest of the season as he will undergo surgery to repair an issue with his ulnar collateral ligament. It will be determined soon whether or not he needs Tommy John surgery which would also likely wipe out his 2023 season as well. At 35 years old, Ryu is a clear player to drop in redraft and in dynasty formats.
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