Andrelton Simmons- (SS-ATL)
It was a much anticipated season for Andrelton Simmons after hitting 17 HR and very good contact skills in 2013. While the contact rate has remained a strong 87.2%, the power has diminished significantly and the expected gains in BA from his .247 showing last year have not materialized. Currently on the sidelines with an ankle issue, Simmons is on track for just 7 HR. The power that we saw last year has gone the way of his reduced FB%. His LD% has decreased almost 3% from last year's 18.5% rate and he has seen a jump of almost 10% in his GB rate to over 52%. At 24 he certainly has plenty of time to develop his obvious tools, but it does not appear that this year will be a step in the right direction.
Travis D'Arnaud (C-Mets)
Travis D'Arnaud hit his 8th HR of the year and drove in a run in tonight's game. With the 2 for 4 night, D'Arnaud is batting .225 but he has been much better of late. Since the end of June when he started to play more regularly again, he has recorded a .264/.302/.455 slash line. D'Arnaud is starting to display some of the promise that made him a 1st round pick of the Phillies in 2007. He has a reasonable contact rate for a young player and he lifts the ball just enough at 39.5% to expect his power production to continue. He is far from being a complete hitter and at 25 you can expect some inconsistency but D'Arnaud is well worth an investment in leagues where he would be your 2nd catcher.
Roberto Hernandez (SP-Dodgers)
With Josh Beckett heading for another DL stint and possibly out for the season, LA picked up Roberto Hernandez, the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona, to step into the rotation. He pitched a quality start today giving up 2 runs in 6 innings of work but did not factor in the decision. Hernandez had a 6-8 record with the Phillies this season with a 3.87 ERA. Even in his best year which was 2007 with the Indians when he went 19-8, Hernandez has never been known as a K pitcher. His numbers for his career are a bit above 6/9 innings pitched. His problems have always centered around a high walk rate and his 4.09/9 this year is no exception. Hernandez has consistently lost velocity since his 92.9 mph peak in 2009 and his current fastball offering sits at 90.1. While he does have a decent changeup, his 4.58 xFIP leaves very little to recommend him for anything but a deep NL only League.
Tsuyoshi Wada (SP-Cubs)
Tsuyoshi Wada pitched his 3rd quality game in a row going 6 innings of 2 run ball giving up only 4 hits and striking out 6 but did not factor in the decision. Wada was a quality pitcher in Japan and after a brief stint in the Orioles Minor League system underwent Tommy John surgery before being grabbed by the Cubs. While his 2.93 BB/9 rate is a bit high, he has a good 8.13 K/9 rate off of a very strong 11.2% swinging strike rate. Wada is 33 years old and has only 27 innings of MLB experience, but with an xFIP of 3.60 and a current ERA of 3.25, he would seem to be worth the risk as a back of the rotation starter in deeper mixed leagues especially as the Cubs start to bring their great hitting talent up from the farm.
Wilmer Flores- (SS-Mets)
Wilmer Flores will see increased playing time at SS for the Mets as Ruben Tejada moves to a backup role. Flores is not a very good defender but the Mets are looking for offense with this move. So far this season Flores has appeared in 33 games and produced 1 HR and 9 RBI's while fanning 17% of the time. He has shown more much power in the minors where he had 3 years of double digit HR's. A 22.9% LD rate and a 43% FB rate should auger well for better overall production once he gets more consistent AB's. He also makes good contact with an 86% rate. At 23 years old and with a solid 6 '3 frame and eligible at SS and 3B, Flores is worth a speculative pickup in NL only leagues but I would want to see much more before I would recommend him in deeper mixed leagues. @stevietheshu
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