If you are of a certain age, the title of this report likely prompted fanfare from the 1986 Europe song appearing in your mind. If it doesn't come to you, that's what the Internet is for.
We are now a couple of days away from games that count being played in Seoul. For teams that aren't the Dodgers and Padres, we are about 10 days away from Opening Day. Late drafts are happening every day and it's vital to keep up with what's going on. The Draft Advisory Software will direct you to filling your needs and also identifying bargains based on the ADP (Average Draft Position) and FDP (Fantistics Draft Position.) Here are some players that have had things happen that can play into your evaluation.
Kyle Stowers- OF- BAL- Stowers took the Grapefruit League homer lead by slugging 3 long balls yesterday. He has 7 total this spring, in 37 ABs. Stowers hit 17 homers in 283 PAs for AAA Norfolk in 2023. In a small sample size with the Orioles he failed to homer in 33 PAs but struck out 12 times. Stowers has struck out 11 times this spring so plate discipline still seems to be an issue for him. He is challenging for a roster spot, but despite the prodigious power numbers, Stowers seems to need more seasoning in the minors.
Jose Urquidy- P- HOU- Urquidy had an MRI on his elbow Saturday. The Astros are waiting on the results to see how much time he will be out. Manager Joe Espada said that Urquidy's pain level went down some on Saturday, but we'll see what the doctors say. There were reports that this has increased Houston's interest in free agent Blake Snell, but there are other reports saying that Snell's signing there is unlikely.
Orlando Arcia- SS- ATL- Arcia is day-to-day after being hit on the hand by a pitch yesterday. X-rays were negative. At this point it doesn't sound like anything that will threaten his Opening Day availability. Arcia hit a career-high 17 homers last season and is projected to bump that to 18 in 2024.
Ian Happ- OF- CHC- Happ went 1-for-3 with an RBI yesterday. It was his first Cactus League since February 29. Happ has been sidelined with a mild hamstring strain. He slashed .248/.360/.431 with 21 homers and 14 steals in 2023. Happ is projecting to come close to that this season, hitting .251 with 20 homers and 12 steals. His ADP is 14.02, while hid FDP is at 9.07, so he has been undervalued.
TJ Friedl- OF- CIN- Friedl has been diagnosed with a wrist fracture, suffered on a diving catch Saturday. He is in a soft cast and will be evaluated in 3-4 weeks, so he will be out for an extended period of time. Friedl slashed .279/.352/.467 with 18 homers and 27 steals in 556 PAs in 2023. He was projected to repeat his homers and still steal 20 bases this season but that won't happen now. The primary candidates to take over CF for the Reds at this point are Stuart Fairchild and Will Benson.
Eury Perez- P- MIA- The broken nail that forced Perez out of his start last Wednesday has become a minor story in the injury department for him. On Saturday the Marlins said Perez informed them on Thursday that he was experiencing elbow soreness. Perez will be examined and have imaging done by Dr. Keith Meister in the next few days. More will be known after results come in. Perez posted a 3.15 ERA and 10.64 K/9 after jumping from AA to the majors during 2023. With Sandy Alcantara out for the season, Perez was expected to have a prominent role in the Miami rotation. His draft positions (7.09 ADP, 7.11 FDP) reflected that. There are big doubts about that now.
Tanner Houck- P- BOS- Houck is closer to nailing down a spot in the Boston rotation. He posted a 5.01 ERA in 2023 but his xFIP was 4.07. Houck also had an 8.41 K/9 across 106 IP. In the Grapefruit League he has 16 Ks in 15 IPs. Houck is projected to have a 4.00 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 2024 with 142 Ks in 145 IPs. His ADP is at 33.12 while his FDP is at 28.02 so he can be a late round bargain.
Sam Hentges- RP- CLE- Hentges has experienced swelling in his left middle finger. He will not throw for at least a couple of days. In leagues that count holds, Hentges had value last year as he had 15 holds and posted a 3.61 ERA. In 2024 he is projected to put up a 3.21 ERA and strike out 62 in 63 IPs.
J. D. Davis- 3B- OAK- Davis went 1-for-2 with a double in his A's debut. He made the move across the Bay, signing with Oakland on Saturday after the Giants released him earlier in the week. Davis hit 18 homers in 546 PAs for San Francisco last year. Oracle Park and Oakland Coliseum had identical ballpark homer factors over the past 3 seasons so Davis probably won't get a boost from getting out of San Francisco as his home digs.
DJ LeMahieu- 2B- NYY- LeMahieu had x-rays come out negative after fouling a ball off his foot on Saturday. This should not affect his availability for Opening Day. LeMahieu suffered a decline in most of his production in 2023, except for homers. His 15 long balls tied for the second-most of his career. LeMahieu projects to be back closer to his career norms this season, with a .268 average and 12 homers in 522 ABs.
Jackson Chourio- OF- MIL- Chourio is poised to be a power and speed threat in his rookie season. He went 1-for-3 with a run and RBI in the Sprong Breakout game against Kansas City prospects. Chourio hasn't homered yet in the Cactus League but has warmed up, hitting .303 in March games. He is projected to slash .243/.286/.434 with 27 homers and 22 steals in 533 ABs. Chourio's ADP is 12.06 while his FDP is 11.04, so he is going at a bargain in many drafts.
Cole Ragans- P- KC- Ragans gave up 4 runs for the second straight Cactus League start. However, he only allowed 5 hits and a walk while striking out 6 in 4.2 IP against the Brewers last night. Ragans has struck out 16 and walked 3 in 13.1 IP this spring. There isn't anything in his small sample size this spring that indicates he won't pick up where he left off in his breakout season of 2023. This season, Ragans is projected to have a 3.40 ERA, 12 wins, and 198 Ks in 182 IPs.
Bryce Harper- OF- PHI- Harper will miss his fourth straight Grapefruit League game today. He has been feeling back stiffness. This may be a recurring issue for Harper. He hasn't hit the IL due to his back, but it has cause him to miss the occasional game and put him at DH instead of playing the field. Harper has missed at least 20 games in each of the past 3 seasons. He is projected to slash .284/.388/.503 with 28 homers and 13 steals in 548 ABs across 151 games.
Josh Lowe- OF- TB- Lowe will not be ready for Opening Day, after suffering an oblique strain last week. He had been working his way back from hip inflammation, which had shut him down late last month. Lowe had been projected to slug 22 homers and steal 28 bases while hitting .263. The nature of the injuries that have dogged him this spring will likely reduce his 2024 production.
Cody Bradford- RP- TEX- Bradford has been named part of the Texas rotation. With several big-name pitchers like Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom coming back later this year, Bradford's spot may not be permanent. He served as a swing man in hos rookie season last year, tossing 56 IP across 20 appearances, which included 8 starts. Bradford was inconsistent in those starts, giving up 6 runs in 3 of them. He allowed fewer runs in the rest. Out of the bullpen, Bradford posted a 2.82 ERA and 3.79 xFIP. He is projected to have a 4.15 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 2024. Bradford is projected to strikeout 145 in 155 IPs. That gives him a little value in deep leagues. Bradford's ADP is way down at 57.11 while his FDP is 29.12.
