Carlos Martinez (SP-STL): Martinez--pitching with a heavy heart on Oscar Taveras Day--tossed 7 scoreless innings and struck out 8 to pick up the W against the Dodgers. He has been inconsistent, but after his recent hot streak Martinez has moved to a 3.13 ERA/3.29 xFIP with a 25% K-rate and 55% GB rate. The next frontier for youngster is twofold: shoring up the control, as his 10% BB-rate is well above league average, and finding the secondary pitches to battle lefties, as he has allowed a .367 wOBA against them. There will be growing pains, but the numbers will be there by season's end. Buy.
D.J. LeMahieu (2B-COL): D.J. went 3-for-4 with 2 Runs and 2 RBI, hitting his 3rd homer of the year. While negative regression is expected with the .389 BABIP, I'm still buying; the 28% LD rate is absolutely elite, and couple this with his above average speed and 20% FB rate, and we can see his BABIP remaining well-above league average. He continues to improve his peripherals across the board, and he's gaining confidence as a full-time player. If he can earn more AB's in the 2-hole, his stock will rise even more.
Todd Frazier (3B-CIN): Frazier continued his MVP-type season on Sunday, going 3-for-4 and hitting his 16th homer of the year as the Reds torched the Nationals' pen. Frazier is validating his breakout 2014 across the board, as his swinging strike, contact, chase, walk, and strikeout rates are all trending in the right direction. His HR/FB rate of 25% is slightly inflated due to his speed off bat mark of 103.7 MPH, but the favorable home park and his proclivity towards pull power ease my concerns of a significant regression.
Michael Taylor (OF-WAS): Taylor--the new favorite for AB's with Jayson Werth on the shelf--went 1-for-2 with 2 RBI and 1 BB. Be careful with your bidding and usage of Mr. Taylor. The 30% gap between his K and BB rates signifies that he is overmatched and could use more seasoning in the minors. He does have 4 homers and 4 steals, which does put him on a near 20-20 pace. If you can withstand the AVG hit, he works at a #5 OF in deep ROTO leagues. Points leaguers are advised to stay away.
Jason Hammel (SP-CHC): Hammel (finger) will make his start tomorrow against the Marlins. At $7800 on DraftKings, he makes for a great play as a SP2. Hammel has posted a 2.98 ERA/3.01 xFIP with an elite 58:7 K:BB ratio through 60 innings. He has been better on the road this time around as well, posting a .266 wOBA with a 36:4 K:BB so far. Miami is 27th in offense against righties so far in 2015 and they are 4th in K's against them.
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