Cesar Hernandez- 2B- WAS- Hot- Hernandez went 3-for-9 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored in yesterday's doubleheader. He is now slashing .281/.329/.357 for the season. Hernandez extended his current hitting streak to 8 games. In his last dozen games he has gone 16-49. Hernandez is providing average, but little else. He is still waiting for his first homer, after busting out with 21 homers in 2021. The 32-year-old has 2 steals, which is more than the lone stolen base he collected last season, but far lower than the mid-upper teens he reached from 2015-2018. It is not uncommon for Hernandez to have a high BABIP (.329 career) but his current .357 is higher than normal. His 5.6% BB% is well below his career 9.6% and is part of why his OBP is relatively low. Hernandez has Statcast numbers below that of 2021. His EV is 85.1, down from 87.4 and his HardHit% of 29.8% is below his 33.1% of last year. One ray of hope is that Hernandez had an xSLG of .397 coming into today, above his SLG of .347. Overall, Hernandez is giving help right now in average, but that may not continue.
Michael Harris II- OF- ATL- Rookie- Michael Harris II went 1-for-3 with a run scored in his MLB debut. He was promoted from AA Mississippi on the strength of a .305/.372/.506 slash line with 5 homers and 11 steals in 196 PAs across 43 games. Harris has gotten more loft on his balls this season, with a 37.0FB% at AA. Looking ahead, Harris is expected to provide a decent average and an above average number of steals. His power is still developing but has potential to turn more doubles into homers. Harris is a top prospect and an asset to grab.
Alex Wood- P- SF- Stats- Wood came within one out of posting his first quality start of the season. After a rough start in which he gave up 3 runs in the 1st, Wood didn't allow another run. He ended up allowing those 3 runs on 4 hits and a walk while striking out 6 in 5.2 IP. In the 1st inning he also threw 11 balls and 14 strikes. The rest of the way he tossed 50 strikes and 21 balls, so he settled down. This start came after a poor one where Wood allowed 5 runs in 3 IP. In his first 5 starts of the year he had performed well, if not for much length. Wood had one game in that span where he allowed 5 runs in 5 IP, but in the other 4 he allowed a total of 7 runs in 19.2 IP. Wood's FIP of 3.61 is well below his ERA of 4.81. A BABIP of .360 explains a lot of that. With a 9.42 K/9 and BB/9 of 2.72 Wood is a player who will be helped by regression. If he is available as a buy low candidate, he should pay dividends.
Garrett Cooper- 1B- MIA- Hot- Cooper went 2-for-4 with a walk yesterday, leaving him with a slash line of .277/.360/.418 for the season. Cooper has been solid, with his 9.1% BB% helping his OBP. He has a .360 BABIP, but that is in his normal range (.361 career.) Cooper's homer pace if off that of last year when he hit 9 in 250 PAs. So far this year he has 3 homers in 164 PAs. Cooper's EV of 91.1, Barrel% of 11.1%, and HardHIt% of 44.4% indicate that more powers could be in the offing. Cooper is a player who can provide some decent production at a reasonable cost. He is only 3% owned in Yahoo leagues.
Andrew Velazquez- SS- LAA- Hot- Velazquez had a horrendous start at the plate, hitting .141 in his first 23 games. A BABIP of .209 played into that. He did manage to steal 4 bases. In his next 16 games Velazquez hit .291, slugged 2 homers, and swiped another 3 bases. Regression to the mean kicked in hard, with a .359 BABIP over that span. Velazquez has solidified his spot in the Angels lineup by playing Gold Glove caliber defense, so he will likely get chances to add to his steals total. That will be his main contribution to a fantasy lineup. Velazquez may also boost his average to the point where it won't hurt you. His minor league track record shows that possibility as well as some power evidenced by his 12 homers in 461 PAs at AAA in 2018.
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