Corey Kluber (CLE) - Corey Kluber was rocked by the White Sox on Wednesday and chased from the game in the 4th inning. Kluber wasn't sharp in this one, giving up three runs in the 1st inning, a run in the 2nd and a pair of runs in the 3rd. He even managed to walk in a run in the 1st inning. Kluber has been far from dominant the last two season and this season continues to be a troublesome sign for the almost 33-year old. From an innings perspective, Kluber has just a touch over 1,300 at the major league level, but that's in addition to nearly 800 at the minor league level, exceeding the threshold of 2,000 innings where we sometimes see performance regression from starting pitchers. The most concerning part of Kluber isn't just the declining strikeout rate, it's the increasing walk rate, which used to be one of his primary strengths. With his value spiraling downward, he's a firm hold right now unless you find someone living under a rock who is willing to buy.
Adalberto Mondesi (KC) - Adalberto Mondesi registered another triple on Wednesday, his third of the season. While that probably sounds like good news to fantasy owners, it's actually the worst possible outcome for a player of his speed. If Mondesi is on third base, it prevents him from stealing bases, one of the core reasons he was drafted in the 3rd round this draft season. Nonetheless, Mondesi continues to prove that his talent is for real and he should be a staple in fantasy circles for many years to come, representing one of the top stolen base threats in fantasy baseball with Trea Turner sidelined. The best part? His underlying hard hit metrics continue to support his power, making him a rare dual power/speed threat.
Randall Grichuk (TOR) - After signing an extension with the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Randall Grichuk slugged two home runs for the Blue Jays against the Orioles on Wednesday. Grichuk now has 3 for the season and will continue to see regular playing time in key spots in the Blue Jays lineup. Grichuk is an excellent source for power and based on his 47% flyball rate, 12.4% barrels per plate appearance and 41% hard hit rate on his flyballs, Grichuk's HR/FB rate was understated by 3% in 2018. Look for Grichuk to once again provide 20+ home runs this year. Unfortunately, he's not a recommended DraftKings play on Thursday with a difficult matchup against Trevor Bauer and a high $4,300 price point.
Matt Boyd (DET) - Matt Boyd struck out a career high 13 batters against the Yankees lineup on Wednesday. Boyd now has an incredible 23:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 11.1 innings pitched. Boyd was on the verge of breaking out in the first half of 2018 before coming back down to earth a bit in the second half. With his slider more effective than ever, Boyd is once again providing excellent value for mixed leaguers who took a shot on him. He's probably already owned in your league, but he's now relevant in any format and any size.
Trevor May (MIN) - Trevor May was called upon in the 8th inning of a tied game against the Royals on Wednesday, became the pitcher of record as the Twins took the lead in the top of the 9th inning, and was left in the game to hold off the Royals in the bottom of the 9th. After retiring the first two batters in the ninth inning, Blake Parker was called upon to get the final out and the save. The Twins closer situation continues to evolve and, as promised by manager Rocco Baldelli, many different relievers will share closing responsibilities. May remains the best arm in the bullpen, but he probably won't win the job outright anytime soon. It's a frustrating situation to monitor for fantasy purposes and best avoided unless you already own May. In that case, he remains a hold for the foreseeable future, or until a more "sure thing" becomes available on the waiver wire. Interestingly, May is yet to strike anyone out this year.
This is just a small sample of our daily analysis, join our member area for over 80 daily player updates sent to your inbox every morning and track your team online. Click here for details: https://www.insiderbaseball.com/baseballsample.htm
Click here to register: https://www.fantistics.com/salesbaseball.php3
