C.J. Abrams-Nationals-SS
C.J. Abrams was 1-4 with 1 R, 1 RBI, and 1 BB against the Rockies. Abrams has had a strong July (.342 AVG with 3 HR, 19 R, 7 RBI, and 11 SB). He turned his season around with this hot streak. Abrams is now hitting .256 with 10 HR, 50 R, 41 RBI, and 20 SB. He has an aggressive approach at the plate (4% BB and 40% O-swing) but pairs that nicely with the ability to make contact (21% K). He is hitting the ball harder than he has at any point in his carer (6% Barrels, 34% Hardit, and 112.5 mph maxEV). Abrams is also hitting more fly balls (37% FB) which is a great sign for his power development. He is on pace for a 15 HR/30 SB season with a respectable average. Abrams is in his age 22 season so there is still room for growth.
Wander Franco-Rays-SS
Wander Franco was 0-4 with a strikeout against the Marlins. July has been a struggle mightily in July. He is hitting .171 AVG with 2 HR, 5 R, 7 RBI, and 2 SB with an increased strikeout rate (22% K). On the year, he is hitting .264 with 11 HR, 51 R, 47 RBI, and 28 SB. Franco has elite plate skills (8% BB and 14% K) but has continued to struggle to hit for power consistently. His biggest issue is the ability to get the ball in the air (29% FB). He hits the ball hard enough (40% Hardhit and 111 mph maxEV) but not at the right angles. Franco has all the ingredients to be a superstar but that might take the next couple of seasons to slowly make that transition. In the meantime, he is a very well-rounded fantasy player on the cusp of greatness.
Amed Rosario-Guardians-SS
Amed Rosario was not in the Guardians lineup because he was traded to the Los Angelos Dodgers. He should be their everyday shortstop moving forward and this is a boost to his overall value due to the strength of the Dodgers lineup. Rosario started the year in a slump but has performed well since the beginning of June (.301 AVG with 2 HR, 27 R, 27 RBI, and 1 SB). On the year, he is hitting .265 with 3 HR, 51 R, 40 RBI, and 9 SB. He continues to hit for average due to his ability to make contact (19% K) but has struggled at times due to his aggressive approach (5% BB and 43% O-swing). The biggest drop in his fantasy value this year has come from the lack of power. He hit 11 HR in back-to-back years but is going to have to go on a power streak to reach double-digits this year. His barrel rate is down (3%) and his maxEV is down significantly (109.9 mph) from the last year (115.8 mph). Rosario has gone from someone that you would feel comfortable with as your starting shortstop to someone that is a backend MI in mixed leagues.
Bryce Miller-Mariners-SP
Bryce Miller went 5.2 IP and gave up 6 ER on 8 H, 0 BB, and 4 K's against the Twins. He was crushed by the long ball today (4 HR). Miller has a 3.96 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through 75 IP. He has shown excellent control (6% BB) with just enough strikeouts (24% K) to make it work. He has benefited from a .247 BABIP but he is going to run lower BABIPs because of his high fly ball rate (45% FB) so a major crash isn't coming. However, there is going to be some regression (4.07 SIERA) especially when it comes to home runs (0.91 HR/9) given his profile unless he can unlock more strikeouts. Miller has a great fastball and slider which he throws a combined 94% of the time. This is why he also has platoon split issues (.234 wOBA vs. R and .298 wOBA vs. L). He has trouble putting left-handers away (16% K) which could lead to even starker platoon splits in the future without the addition of a true third pitch. Three of the four home runs given up today were to left-handed batters. With all that being said, he is still an above-average major-league starter with a very strong foundation.
Joe Ryan-Twins-SP
Joe Ryan went 3.2 IP and gave up 4 ER on 7 H, 2 BB, and 7 K's against the Mariners. Ryan has a 4.06 ERA and 1.09 WHIP through 21 GS. Ryan has been struggling since the beginning of June (5.23 ERA) but his underlying skills paint a different picture (30% K, 4% BB, and 3.95 xFIP). The biggest issue has been home runs (2.2 HR/9) which continued today (2 HR). This is not a surprising trend because he is an extreme flyball pitcher (50% FB) and has had issues with home runs in the past (career 1.33 HR/9). Ryan should see the home run normalize and his ERA should come down with it. It hasn't been great of late but Ryan still has the skills to be an above-average starter.
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