Eugenio Suarez (CIN - 3B) - Suarez has officially caught my eye, as he hit a grand slam yesterday, his second home run of the season. Suarez displayed some power in limited time last year with a 12.1% HR/FB rate, which isn't too shabby for a 23 year old. He's in the bottom tier of 3B, but still has SS eligibility in most leagues from last season, which could make him a sneaky source of power in a shallow shortstop pool. He posted impressive numbers in the minors, and now that he's spent about a full season's worth of games at the major league level, he may pay some dividends. I don't mind taking chances on high ceiling/low risk players, and Suarez appears to be that right now.
Angel Pagan (SF - OF) - Pagan had another great day at the plate going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and 2 runs. Pagan had a down 2015, but two very productive shortened seasons prior to that. Unfortunately, the Giants have him batting 9th. That's right, ninth, as in, behind the pitcher (thank you, Joe Madden). That will limit a lot of opportunities for him, so it's best to leave him on the waiver wire unless he can move himself up the order.
Joc Pederson (LAD - OF) - It was sad seeing Joc Pederson miss the entire second half of 2015 .. oh wait I'm sorry, he played the entire second half, it's just that his stats don't give any indication of any plate appearances. Pederson is hopefully over those second-half struggles as he connected with his second home run of the season yesterday, an excellent sign for the uber prospect. Pederson was well on his way to rookie of the year last year with 20(!) home runs in the first half, but just 6 after that while batting .198. The power is obviously there, the question will be - what will his contact rate be? If we're going to over-analyze his first 13 plate appearances (why not!?), his contract rate is slightly improved over last year, but he struck out 46% of those plate appearances before yesterday. The two home runs are a good sign, but the jury is still out on Joc's 2016.
Jean Segura (ARI - 2B) - "Mean" Jean Segura took a first pitch fastball from John Lackey and crushed it to opposite field for a home run. To say that he's benefiting from a change in scenery would be a serious understatement. Even before last night, he sported a 235 wRC+, slightly above his career average of 79. Now I know it's early - I know it's very early - but he's batting leadoff in a hitters park and is showcasing some power at a shallow position. To boot, he's only 26 years old. The flaws are still there (he's yet to walk), but he's looking like a 15 HR / 30+ SB candidate.
Jay Bruce (CIN - OF) - In 2013, I thought Jay Bruce would challenge Adam Dunn for "Mr. Consistent Home Run" after he posted three straight 30 HR seasons by age 26. Then he must have eaten a bad piece of chicken, because he literally fell off the map the last two years. Yesterday was a good sign, as Bruce was 3-for-4 for two home runs and four RBIs. Bruce still young enough to turn back into the 30+ HR threat that he was, so keep an eye on him. His drop-off was one that I didn't see coming back in 2014, but if he can put the ball in the air with the same regularity he did back then, he's an affordable option for 30 dingers.
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