Ryan Zimmerman (3B - WAS) - The All-Star break was no obstacle to Zimmerman's hot streak, as he hit his ninth home run (sixth since June 26) as part of a 3-4 night to raise his line to .250/.314/.401. His numbers aren't up to his usual standard yet as his .276 BABIP is almost 40 points below his career average, but his peripherals are right around what he usually puts up and he's put up 88 more points of OPS in the second half in his career. If it's not too late, buy low before the price quickly becomes too high.
Jordan Zimmermann (SP - WAS) - Zimmermann was fantastic against the Marlins, shutting them out on four hits in six innings while striking out six with just one walk. The righthander has become a rock of consistency as his ERA has never been above 2.92 all season, as it currently stands at 2.48. He doesn't miss as many bats as he did before his Tommy John surgery, but his elite control and solid groundball tendencies allow him to be successful. He is worth exploring selling high, as his FIP of 3.59 is more than a run higher than his ERA and he's carrying a .267 BABIP despite a 22.3 LD%. Although he's borderline-unbenchable, he has a tough matchup at home against the Mets Wednesday.
Josh Johnson (SP - MIA) - Johnson was knocked around by the Nationals for five runs on 11 hits (one home run) in just 5 1/3 innings, although he struck out six with no walks. That was a microcosm of the season so far, as Johnson was badly victimized by balls in play which raised his BABIP to .352. Unfortunately, most of that is his own doing as he owns a hideous 25.2 LD%. He's only an option in bigger parks or against lineups without much left-handed punch, making him a borderline option against the Cubs on Wednesday at Wrigley Field, as Chicago's lineup has become much more formidable with Anthony Rizzo.
Todd Frazier (3B - CIN) - Frazier hit his 10th home run in just 182 at bats and also walked to raise his line to an outstanding .280/.350/.571. The former supplemental-round pick has a solid minor league track record, but didn't knock the cover off the ball the last two years in AAA at ages where he should have if he was going to be a good hitter in the big leagues. His .339 BABIP appears high, but he has an outstanding 26.9 LD% and is hitting fly balls when he's not hitting line drives, as his 23.8 GB% would be the lowest in the majors by a significant amount if he qualified. He's worth selling high if someone will pay for this performance as he's likely playing well above his true talent level, but he still should be a very solid contributor going forward.
Alfonso Soriano (OF - CHC) - Soriano started off the second half with a bang, going 4-4 with two home runs and two doubles to raise his line to .275/.331/.503. He has also hit all 17 of his round-trippers since May 15. Soriano is prone to streaks like this, but he's also prone to long droughts like he had to the start the season, plus he doesn't provide baserunning value anymore. He should be sold high as soon as possible, especially since he may be traded out of the mostly small ballparks of the NL Central.
There are over 100 player news blurbs posted in the member area each morning. Members can read the rest of today's player news by clicking here. Not a member? Join today.
