Logan Webb-Giants-SP
Logan Webb went 6 IP and gave up 2 ER on 7 H, 1 BB, and 7 K's against the Cardinals. He has now made six starts and has a 4.10 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. The ERA doesn't match the WHIP which is why his SIERA of 2.67 gives an indication that Webb has been better than his results show. He has been hurt by a .333 BABIP and 70% LOB. He has shown elite strikeout (30% K) and control (3% BB). Webb also has an elite groundball rate (60%) which means that better times are coming for the right-hander. He has the package of an elite starter and the results will follow. He gets a tougher matchup next time out against the Astros on the road but fantasy managers should continue to start him no matter what.
Ronald Acuna Jr.-Braves-OF
Ronald Acuna Jr. was 0-3 with 1 RBI and 1 BB against the Marlins. Acuna Jr. is hitting .352 with 4 HR, 22 R, 12 RBI, and 13 SB. He has been an elite player to start the year. His plate skills are great (13% BB and 14% K) to go along with hard contact (14% Barrels and 52% Hardhit). The only quibble someone could have is his inability to get the ball in the air (57% GB and 27% FB). The concern is that this was a trend last year when he came back from injury (48% GB and 34% FB). Even with a lower flyball rate Acuna Jr. is still elite but we should probably lower our expectations for his power numbers. He is currently on pace for a 25 HR/40 SB season with plus counting stats and batting average so there should be no complaining about his production. It's just not the 40 HR/40 SB potential some saw coming into the year.
Rodolfo Castro-Pirates-2B
Rodolfo Castro was 1-2 with an HR (3), 1 R, and 2 RBI against the Dodgers. Castro is playing regularly for the Pirates since O'Neill Cruz went down with an injury. He is hitting .279 with 3 HR, 10 R, 12 RBI, and 1 SB. He hits the ball hard (13% Barrels and 47% Hardhit) and has shown good plate skills so far (10% BB and 25% K). The biggest issue for Castro in his young career has been platoon splits. He is a switch hitter but has a career .207/.282/.332 against RHP compared to .284/.347/.597 against LHP. The concern long term is that he is going to see the majority of his plate appearances against right-handed pitchers. Over the course of a full season, he is likely a .230 hitter with 15-20 HR and 5-10 SB which has a place on most rosters but the downside is that he doesn't figure it out against RHP and his defense doesn't do him any favors either.
Nico Hoerner-Cubs-2B
Nico Hoerner was 1-4 with a run scored against the Padres. Hoerner is hitting .336 with 2 HR, 21 R, 15 RBI, and 10 SB. He has been thriving at the top of the Cubs lineup. Hoerner has a ridiculous 6% strikeout rate. He is making elite contact which has allowed him to maintain a .377 OBP with limited walks (5% BB). This has translated to him running wild on the bases (10 for 12 on stolen base attempts). He isn't going to hit for much power given his 3% Barrel and 38% Hardhit rates but repeating last year (.281 AVG with 10 HR, 60 R, 55 RBI, and 20 SB) is reasonable but with more stolen bases. He is currently on pace for 40-50 SB which will be insane value if he continues his current pace. It is unlikely, but he will exceed last year without an injury.
Jazz Chisholm Jr.-Marlins-OF
Jazz Chisholm was 1-4 with 1 R, 1 RBI, and 2 SB against the Braves. Chisholm Jr. has been the Marlins primary leadoff hitter this year when they are facing a right-handed starter and dropping to 6th when facing a lefty. He is hitting .221 with 5 HR, 10 R, 11 RBI, and 9 SB. Everything is what you expected from him except for the batting average. He is striking out a career-high 38% of the time. He isn't chasing out of the zone (25% O-swing) which is a positive. The downside is that his overall swing rate is down which means that he is watching too many pitches and not being aggressive enough. This is a fairly easy change and one that we should keep an eye on over the next couple of weeks. He was never going to be a high-average guy but .220 is lower than expected. However, the 5 HR/9 SB is still valuable.
This is just a small sample our daily analysis, join our member area for tools that will help you win your fantasy championship. Click here for details: http://www.insiderbaseball.com/baseballsample.htm Click here to register: http://www.fantistics.com/salesbaseball.php3
