Gary Sanchez (C) NYY - Sanchez hit homer number 5 before he got to AB number 50 (which was later in the game) on Wednesday, showing off his excellent raw power with a blast into the netting above Monument Park in CF. It isn't just that Sanchez is hitting homers at this pace, but the distance generated that is the most impressive thing about this.....the nearly 419-foot average of his 5 homers would place him 5th this year behind CarGo, Stanton, Mazara, and Story. That's big power, and this is from a catcher.....he's clearly a must-add, but how good could he be? The AVG is obviously a bit above his head here, as he's hitting the ball hard, but not necessarily for a lot of line drives. The contact rate isn't great but it's better than many young power hitters, and he is just 23. Hitting in the middle of what could potentially be a very good Yankee lineup in a year or two, I have to think that he's very likely to be a top-10 catcher if he can maintain eligibility there, and I do think that's likely. Stardom might be a bit beyond him, but perhaps not....in that park, he could prove to be a .270-25-90 player at catcher, which for me is a borderline star. He's obviously a must-add anywhere he's still available, both for the remainder of 2016 and beyond.
Eddie Rosario (OF) MIN - Rosario continues to hit well, picking up a single and a double in the 10-3 win over Atlanta on Wednesday. He's hitting 306/352/510 over 110 PAs in the 2nd half of the season, posting a hard contact rate of just under 40%. Still just 24, there's a solid starting OF here if he can maintain or improve this contact rate....he's on pace for roughly 20 HR and 12 SB over a full season's worth of playing time even after the awful start to the season. Some exposure to Royals RHP Dillon Gee on Thursday would be nice, and Rosario is one of the cheapest LHB for Minnesota available at $4000.
Anibal Sanchez (SP) DET - Sanchez was brilliant Wednesday, allowing 1 hit through 7 innings against the Royals, striking out 8 against 2 walks. I'm not sure what this is worth, as Comerica Park isn't necessarily a pitcher-friendly place, but Sanchez has 4 straight quality starts at home, allowing just 5 runs in 27 innings with 7 walks and 24 K's. He's slated for 5 home and 3 road starts the rest of the way, with two more home starts in a row coming up next. The first one against Boston is probably too much risk for me, but next Saturday's potential outing against the Angels at home is one that I would potentially consider. On the whole Sanchez is fairly unappealing, but as we enter playoff season every potential advantage has to be analyzed....if the choice is Sanchez vs. LAA at home or a solid mid-rotation guy in COL or BOS, I think Sanchez is the call.
Teoscar Hernandez (OF) HOU - Hernandez has come up and started 5 straight games for the Astros, going 4-19 with a 2B and a HR.......and 7 K's. It looked like the 23 year old had come to grips with his contact issues at AA and AAA this year, but in the small sample size at the big league level the early returns show it to be a potentially serious problem. Hernandez played very well in the minors this year, hitting over .300 with 28 2B, 10 HR, and 34 SB in 107 games, but we have to look no further back than 2015 to see what his performance can look like when he's struggling to make contact. There is some upside here, with potentially above-average power and speed at his disposal, but the utility of the tools is always predicated on the ability to put the bat on the ball.....he's a very high-risk add for this stretch, relevant to deep leaguers only at this point.
Ryon Healy (3B) OAK - Healy had a pair of singles Wednesday, giving him a modest 5-game hitting streak. He's 9-25 (.360) with 3 homers over the past week, and he's managed 11 XBH in his first 113 PAs hitting in a fairly tough park for hitters....at just 24 years of age and with a contact rate over 80%. He's looking like a reasonable CI in most formats for the stretch run, as the A's appear committed to playing him just about every day. There's no speed here, but you should expect a smattering of everything else with a bit of power upside, as evidenced by the 406 ft avg HR distance.
