Jose Quintana-White Sox-SP
Jose Quintana went 6 IP and gave up 1 ER on 5 H, 2 BB, and 10 K's against the Royals. Quintana has a 5.22 ERA (5.68 FIP) over his first five starts. His problem has been a doubling of his walk rate to 12%. He has also seen his a slight decrease in his strikeout rate, which wouldn't be concerning if it wasn't for his SwStr% falling to a measly 7%. His velocity is down 1-2 mph and he has ditched his two-seam fastball in favor of his four-seamer. This is a problem when you are a control oriented pitcher with league average velocity. This has resulted in a career high 36% Hard contact given up. It is just five starts, so he has plenty of time to turn it around but the underlying skills are alarming for Quintana. With that being said it was good to see the swing and miss stuff come back.
Taylor Motter-Mariners-OF
Taylor Motter was 2-5 with a double against the Tigers. Motter is hitting .262 with 5 HR and 12 RBI with a stolen base filling in for the injured Jean Segura. The Mariners designating Leonys Martin for assignment which has opened up playing time for Motter even with Segura back. Motter's true talent level may be a .250-.260 hitter with moderate power. He is striking out 24% of the time, which is going to lead to periods of inconsistency. His power, on the other hand, is legit. He is hitting 45% FB and he is hitting the ball hard (50% Hard). This is good news for his power going forward. Another underlooked aspect of his game is his speed. The past two seasons in Triple-A he stole 26 and 19 bases. At the high end of his range of outcomes there could be a 20 HR/15 SB season given a full complement of at-bats.
Eric Hosmer-Royals-1B
Eric Hosmer was 3-5 against the White Sox. Hosmer is hitting .220 with 1 HR and 5 RBI through 21 games. Hosmer's start to the year is very concerning. The batting average is down and his strikeout rate is below league average, which should be a positive going forward. However, he is hitting 59% GB and 18% IFFB. This means that the majority of this contact is weak and doesn't have the chance of producing fantasy value. The entire Royals lineup is not very good, which is also something to consider in regards to Hosmer if he does turn it around because his counting stats are going to suffer. His swing/contact metrics are all still in line with last year, so it is likely just a prolonged slump, but still hard to stomach as a fantasy owner.
Joey Gallo-Rangers-3B
Joey Gallo was 1-2 with two walks and a run scored against the Twins. Gallo is filling in for the injured Adrian Beltre. He is hitting .232 with 7 HR and 16 RBI with a surprising 3 SB. Gallo will never hit for a high average but the power is legit. The encouraging signs for Gallo are his 13% BB rate, which will allow him to have more value in OBP leagues. He has also upped his contact rate from 50% to 67%. He is also making 77% contact within the strike zone, which is going to allow his power to play at this level. If he continues to hone his control of the strike zone we could be looking at a breakout season for the 23-year-old. The time to buy is now as the price could only get higher going forward.
DFS Value Play
Ryan Schimpf-Padres-2B
Ryan Schimpf is a true three outcomes hitter. He walks, strikeouts, or hits homers. He is hitting .102 with a 33% K rate, which means he is not a cash game play. However, he will have the platoon advantage against Taijuan Walker who has given up 1.35 HR/9 to LHB. Schimpf is hitting 67% FB, which puts him in a good position to leave the yard against Walker. Fanduel: $2,600
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