Walker is Seattle’s number one prospect, and he’ll be making his debut today against the Swingin’ Astros. The only concern is that he’s not at home, and the ‘stros do tend to wake from their slumber and inflict damage about once a week. Is he still worth a start? Well, it depends. He’s got a 2.93 ERA with 160 strikeouts in 140 innings pitched between AA and AAA. If you need a start, there is likely nobody out there with this kid’s upside, so grab him up. I’d only bench him if you’re leading the pack in ERA, WHIP. In H2H, you could probably do worse with one or two o the guys on your bench. And who am I kidding, it’s the Astros. Here’s what else I saw in Fantasy Baseball yesterday…
Torii Hunter 1/2 3RBI HR Hunter’s been absolutely on fire over the last week. He’s hitting .370 in the last week with three home runs, two doubles totaling six RBI. Hunter seems to have found a fountain of youth in Detroit in August. While he may not be available in most leagues, his performance only solidifies the argument that production comes in waves from strange places come playoff time. Keep your eyes on the hot streaks!
Brandon Moss 1/4 2RBI HR A rolling stone gathers no moss, and Moss has been just that over August, rolling. He’s hitting .311 with eight home runs and sixteen RBI. This is from a guy who started the year in a platoon. He hit .228 before the break, albeit with sixteen home runs. So, as we knew before, the power was there. The difference is he’s been making contact lately, and when he does, those balls are leaving the yard. Kudos to you if you grabbed this guy a couple weeks ago, he could very well be the catalyst to get you to the playoffs if you were hanging on by a thread.
Jason Vargas 7IP 2H 3BB 7K After crapping the bed in his first few starts back from the DL, Vargas has been quietly improving lately. His gem yesterday reminded some owners about just how effective using the right pitcher in the right situation can be. For Vargas, don’t start him outside of home or other pitching friendly venues. He’s remarkably effective in those scenarios, and can be a rock for you over the last month of the season. So long as you deploy him effectively. He’ actually someone that may be out there hanging about on waivers, so if he’s there scoop him up. As long as you’re mindful, he won’t disappoint.
Yovanni Gallardo 7IP 6H BB 5K Gallardo has had a disappointing season to say the least. He’s shown some flashes of his vintage self lately, and this late in the year, you have to gamble with upside rather that be conservative. We all know who Gallardo can be: a strikeout pitcher with some control issues. He was more valuable when Milwaukee wasn’t fielding a AAAA team, but in a league where you may be short on strikeouts look no further. In the off chance that he’s available, he’s worth a gamble this late in the year. As with Walker, there probably aren’t any guys with this kind of talent available on the wire. GO!
Franklin Gutierrez 3/4 2RBI HR Gutierrez is finally back and showing why the Mariners continue to roll this guy out every year, essentially knowing full well that they’ll probably only get a month or two out of him every season. He’s hitting .308 with two home runs in the last two days! He may be on the verge of a week long hot streak, and is definitely able to stand in for you injured outfielder at least until he cools off. And this guy is available. Get him now!
Jim Johnson IP H K SV JJ has been money over his last two appearances, with two clean saves to his name. Maybe he needed to have his job threatened, or just a mental break. The guy owns the lead in saves in the AL with 41, so it could be that the rest did him well. If Showalter has confidence, so should you. It’s a long shot, but check the wire. If someone got tired of his BS blown saves, you may have yourself a closer!
More...
Torii Hunter 1/2 3RBI HR Hunter’s been absolutely on fire over the last week. He’s hitting .370 in the last week with three home runs, two doubles totaling six RBI. Hunter seems to have found a fountain of youth in Detroit in August. While he may not be available in most leagues, his performance only solidifies the argument that production comes in waves from strange places come playoff time. Keep your eyes on the hot streaks!
Brandon Moss 1/4 2RBI HR A rolling stone gathers no moss, and Moss has been just that over August, rolling. He’s hitting .311 with eight home runs and sixteen RBI. This is from a guy who started the year in a platoon. He hit .228 before the break, albeit with sixteen home runs. So, as we knew before, the power was there. The difference is he’s been making contact lately, and when he does, those balls are leaving the yard. Kudos to you if you grabbed this guy a couple weeks ago, he could very well be the catalyst to get you to the playoffs if you were hanging on by a thread.
Jason Vargas 7IP 2H 3BB 7K After crapping the bed in his first few starts back from the DL, Vargas has been quietly improving lately. His gem yesterday reminded some owners about just how effective using the right pitcher in the right situation can be. For Vargas, don’t start him outside of home or other pitching friendly venues. He’s remarkably effective in those scenarios, and can be a rock for you over the last month of the season. So long as you deploy him effectively. He’ actually someone that may be out there hanging about on waivers, so if he’s there scoop him up. As long as you’re mindful, he won’t disappoint.
Yovanni Gallardo 7IP 6H BB 5K Gallardo has had a disappointing season to say the least. He’s shown some flashes of his vintage self lately, and this late in the year, you have to gamble with upside rather that be conservative. We all know who Gallardo can be: a strikeout pitcher with some control issues. He was more valuable when Milwaukee wasn’t fielding a AAAA team, but in a league where you may be short on strikeouts look no further. In the off chance that he’s available, he’s worth a gamble this late in the year. As with Walker, there probably aren’t any guys with this kind of talent available on the wire. GO!
Franklin Gutierrez 3/4 2RBI HR Gutierrez is finally back and showing why the Mariners continue to roll this guy out every year, essentially knowing full well that they’ll probably only get a month or two out of him every season. He’s hitting .308 with two home runs in the last two days! He may be on the verge of a week long hot streak, and is definitely able to stand in for you injured outfielder at least until he cools off. And this guy is available. Get him now!
Jim Johnson IP H K SV JJ has been money over his last two appearances, with two clean saves to his name. Maybe he needed to have his job threatened, or just a mental break. The guy owns the lead in saves in the AL with 41, so it could be that the rest did him well. If Showalter has confidence, so should you. It’s a long shot, but check the wire. If someone got tired of his BS blown saves, you may have yourself a closer!
More...
