Dansby Swanson, SS (CHC)
The Padres are going to have nightmares about Dansby Swanson. Swanson had a series to remember against San Diego, capped off with a career performance in Wednesday's finale. The slick-fielding shortstop hit three home runs, scored four times and drove in eight of the Cubs' 23 runs. This comes one day after hitting two homers. He finished the series 8-for-13 with 5 home runs, 7 runs and 11 RBI's. He entered the series with a .649 OPS and leaves the series with a .731 OPS, an 82-point improvement in three games. Swanson's batting average is still a disappointing .210, but he does have 16 home runs, 10 stolen bases and actually leads the Cubs with 57 RBI's. The counting stats are actually pretty darn good, and the reality is his batting EYE is as good as it's been in years while his quality of contact metrics are solid. In three seasons with the Cubs, Swanson has hit .244, .242 and .244. In all likelihood, he ends up right around that number with solid counting stats in a good lineup. You're probably a bit too late to get in on him now, but if he's available, time to pounce.
Dean Kremer, SP (BAL)
Kremer made his triumphant return from a long stay on the injured list on Wednesday. Kremer landed on the injured list in April with a quad injury, and he returned to the Orioles rotation with six strong innings against the White Sox. Kremer threw 79 pitches, allowing one run on a leadoff home run by Sam Antonacci. He allowed four hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Kremer took advantage of weak contact and an overly patient White Sox offense en route to his first win of the season. The 30-year-old has never been much of a strikeout threat, but he limits walks and manages opponents' quality of contact. Kremer has consistently posted ERA's in the low 4's and is efficient enough to go deep into games, allowing him to snag more wins than most pitchers in his fantasy tier. He is lined up to face the Cubs in his next start, which isn't a great matchup, but he should be rostered in most fantasy formats.
Noah Schultz, SP (CHW)
Schultz lost the battle of two pitchers coming off the injured list. The rookie southpaw outdueled veteran Dean Kremer for four innings, but the Orioles got to him in the 5th, cutting his night short. Schultz spent more than a month on the injured list with a knee injury and began Wednesday with four scoreless innings, capped off with striking out the top of the Orioles lineup in the 4th. The 5th inning, however, did not go well. He allowed a solo home run to Tyler O'Neill. Then, after striking out Leody Taveras, Schultz allowed the next two hitters to reach base before being replaced by the bullpen. He finished with 87 pitches thrown in 4.1 innings, allowing three runs. He struck out seven and only allowed two hits, but he walked four. It was the fifth time in nine starts that Schultz has surrendered at least four walks. That is the biggest hurdle he will need to overcome in order to evolve into a top-of-the-rotation arm. Because of the control issues, Schultz is a risky option any time he's on the mound, but the upside is still very high.
Troy Melton, SP (DET)
Melton dominated a slumping Yankees lineup on Wednesday, completing 6.1 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. He allowed only two hits and one walk but had to settle for a no-decision as his bullpen surrendered a two-run lead in the 9th. Melton generated a 38% CSW-rate on his 4-seam fastball, which was sitting close to 98 miles per hour in the 1st inning. It dipped to 94 before he exited the game, but his final numbers were excellent. Fantasy owners have to wonder whether his 4.24 xFIP is more indicative of where he is than his 2.05 ERA, but he has allowed two or fewer runs in all but one start this season. The delta between his xFIP and ERA is partly due to a manageable 13.5% HR/FB rate while more than half of all batted balls against him are in the air. When those flyballs leave the park, as they did when he gave up four home runs on June 9, his numbers will regress. For now, it's best to just ride the wave.
Garrett Mitchell, OF (MIL)
Making his second-straight start in center field, Garrett Mitchell had one of the best games of his career on Wednesday. The former first-round pick totaled eight bases with the first four-hit game of his career. He had two doubles and a triple as the Brewers doubled up the Reds, 4-2. Three of Mitchell's knocks were hit over 105 miles per hour, helping lift his BABIP over .400. Yet he's only hitting .264, due in large part to an ugly 34% strikeout rate. It feels like there's star quality in Mitchell, but his contact issues are holding him back from greatness. His power and speed are elite. His walk rate is very good. His strikeouts are a real problem. The talent upside is so enormous that it's worth a low-level flyer in deep dynasty leagues, but he simply must improve on the K's.
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.
