Mookie Betts (OF-BOS): Mookie Betts stayed hot, going 4 for 5 with 1 RBI and 1 SB to back Eduardo Rodriguez and lead the Red Sox' trouncing of the Royals. Betts has 19 hits in 16 June games, a run which has moved his season line to .267/.319/.415. Through all of his ostensible struggles, Betts has posted surface numbers good for a top-30 OF ranking on the NFBC rater. With his speed and the 20% LD rate, his .284 BABIP--along with his 8% HR/FB rate--suggests even more positive regression is on the horizon. With an elite 4% swinging strike rate and a ridiculously solid 23% chase rate, Mookie is ready to break out in a big way in the second half. Buy.
Alex Rodriguez (3B/DH-NYY): AROD hit his 13th homer of the season for his 3000th career hit. While he continues to perform like a top-6 3B, the question remains: can he sustain a 20% HR/FB rate and avoid significant negative regression across the board in the second half? Amazingly, AROD has only made soft contact on 9% of his balls in play. However, his avg speed off bat (SOB) on his homers has dropped precipitously the past three weeks, dipping from 110+ to 105 MPH. Additionally, his 13% swinging strike rate--a mark well above his pre-suspension norm--screams danger. Ride the hot bat, but entertain offers for 80 cents on the dollar of his current production.
Brett Gardner (OF-NYY): Brett Gardner hit his 7th homer as part of a 4-for-5 night to join in the fun against Justin Verlander, who continues to look like a shell of his former self. Gardner has made some minor improvements in his BB and K rates while increasing his GB rate over 7% from last year to 49%, a mark more suitable to his game. With a 104 MPH as his average speed off bat on his homers, the gains Gardner has made in his HR/FB look legit. Look to him consistently in both yearly and daily formats.
Byron Buxton (OF-MIN): Lord Byron went 0 for 4 with 1 K and is now 2 for his first 20 with 0 BB's and 7 K's. The upside here is tremendous, as evidenced by the universally glowing scouting reports and the 20/20+ potential Buxton flashed at AA. However, he has only played 60 games above high-A and has battled a myriad of injuries, circumstances which make him extremely raw and underprepared for Major League pitching. He may be a top-5 pick in yearly leagues as early as 2017, but be careful not to spend more than 25% of your budget in mixed leagues on upside that isn't likely to be significantly tapped into in 2015.
Brian Dozier (2B-MIN): Brian Dozier, who is slated to face the stolen base ATM in Jon Lester, makes for an intriguing Saturday play at DraftKings. Dozier has posted a .390 wOBA against lefties (.417 at home); while Lester has only allowed a .325 wOBA to righties, he has struggled against them on the road (.405 wOBA). Add to this Lester's troubles with holding men on base, an affliction which has permitted 18 steals in 21 tries against, and you can see Dozier breaking out of his relative SB drought. DraftKings Price: $4200
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