Kyle Freeland (SP - COL) - Let's get it out of the way up front: Freeland is due some major regression, with a strand rate and BABIP that are eye-popping right now. That said, this guy looks like a completely different pitcher not only from last year's debacle, but also from his excellent 2018 campaign. There's a lot going on here with added velocity, a brand-new slow curve, a massive reduction in fastball usage, sizable control improvement, and a major increase in GB%. The net result is 5 straight quality starts after a solid outing against Houston on Monday, and even though the schedule hasn't been overly difficult for him to this point, I still think that this new mix he's using (and the added velo and control) make him a worthwhile add in all formats. He doesn't quite have my confidence to use him at Coors against top-half offenses, but the rest of the time I'd be comfortable with him right now.
Corey Seager (SS - LAD) - Seager walked, singled, and homered on Monday to continue his hot start to the season (current slash line of 306/359/611). He's been much more aggressive this season so far with only minimal degradation in contact rate, and has exit velocity is still ranked 16th, so I'm starting to believe it a bit. He's #1 in barrels/PA, so this could certainly still just be an extended hot streak, but since this is the guy I expected to see last year confirmation bias is kicking in hard. At the very least, the 26 year old's career path, once derailed, looks right back on track.
Brad Miller (IF - STL) - Brad Miller had a nice twinbill on Monday, knocking in the winning runs with a two-run double in the first game and hitting two homers with 3 RBI in the nightcap. Miller isn't a name that comes up much anymore, not since his terrible 2017 season with the Rays, but he's just 30, has hit 30 homers in a season before (2016), and hit 13 bombs in only 154 ABs just last year. His hard contact rate continues to rise, and he'll take a walk...not to mention the fact that he can play anywhere in the infield. He has a solid little skill-set (the power is legitimate: huge FB rate and well above avg exit velo), and his situation is aided by the fact that the entire Cardinal IF is struggling mightily right now. I expect him to play against RHP at various spots right now, and I do think that he's worth a grab in deeper leagues, particularly any that weight OBP. He offers much more power than your average MIF.
Trea Turner (SS - WAS) - For anyone that was worried about Turner a week ago or so.....don't. Turner has reached base in 10 straight now, and he picked up his first steal of the year on Monday as well. The 1-4 in steals to this point would worry me, except that his sprint speed still ranks 3rd among all major leaguers, so I expect more steals are coming soon. The contact rate is at the top end of his range, the exit velo is hanging around the 80th percentile, and the runs are starting to pile up. Still one of the best players in the game.
Garrett Hampson (2B/OF - COL) - Hampson's sudden move to everyday play and the leadoff spot are mildly surprising to those of us that have been waiting for a long time for this, but he is a must-add in all formats now (finally). Let's be clear on what he is and is not though: Hampson is a more traditional leadoff hitter than we are used to in this day and age. Well below-average power that might play up to near average due to Coors, very patient plate approach with plus contact ability, and fantastic speed. He's 5th in MLB in sprint speed, and as he gets more comfortable at the level I expect the SB totals to jump into the 20-30 range at least. OBP's in the high-.300s with AVG's near .300 should be expected, and excellent run totals as well. What you shouldn't expect is much more than 15-20 homers, even at his peak.....it just isn't his game. He is still an excellent bat that appears to be fulfilling his potential as we speak, and a great addition to any squad.
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