Spencer Jones (OF - NYY) - Jones homered again on Sunday (11)....and also struck out twice (97 and 98). The power/speed combo is indeed enticing, and there have been times this year where he actually looks like a legit major league hitter, but most of the time he simply cannot make the contact required. Swinging strike rates of 18%+ are just untenable, and Jones has been at that level since AA and it isn't getting better. He also doesn't even have the solid plate discipline that many contact-challenged hitters have, and he probably isn't even quite an average defender, so he can't count on earning more reps that way. I really feel like Jones should be a sell-high (or sell-medium, really) candidate in dynasty formats, because I do not see a path to him being a consistently productive major leaguer, and I say this fully admitting that he's been better than average offensively so far this season.
Emmanuel Rodriguez (OF - MIN) - Rodriguez doubled in 4 trips on Sunday, finishing off a first 9 games where he went 6-33 with just 1 BB and 12 K, but 2 2B, a 3B, and a HR have shown some of the power potential that he has. He does look very raw with a ton of swing and miss, but he is absolutely one of those "oozing potential" guys. He'll turn 24 over the winter and, although he could possibly use a little more seasoning at AAA, the fact that he's managed over a .400 OBP in 101 G there over the past two seasons makes me think that the Twins may let him compete for a job in spring training. Walker Jenkins is probably still a bit ahead of him on the depth chart, but it's possible that both could make the team, and both would be excellent late-game, high-upside targets if that comes to pass.
Sam Antonacci (2B/OF - CWS) - Antonacci singled, doubled, and stole a base (19) in the 8-1 win over Detroit on Sunday. He's been a nice little player for the Sox almost all season, showing excellent plate discipline and contact ability to go along with good speed (plus 2B/OF eligibility). He's just 23 of course, but there's very little power here and the approach doesn't lend itself to the development of more. He has a little bit more raw power than Steven Kwan, but he doesn't hit the ball in the air as often as Kwan so that's the sort of player we're talking about. He's a little faster than Kwan but the contact ability is slightly less great....and Antonacci can play 2B. I do believe that there's a place for 10/20 guys that can play 2B/OF with excellent contact ability, but it would need to be the right fit. There isn't a great ceiling here, but there should be a pretty solid floor.
Rafael Flores JR (C - PIT) - Flores walked, doubled, and homered (#10) in the 4-3 comeback win over the Royals on Sunday, and he's now hitting 286/354/556 through 147 PAs with the Pirates this year. He has taken over the starting catcher's spot for about the past month, relegating the perpetually disappointing Henry Davis to the backup job once again, and at this very early point you'd have to favor Flores for the job again in the spring. The two are very similar players offensively, with high pull and FB rates while showing contact issues, but Flores does have a better handle on the strike zone (but quite possibly a worse overall contact ability by a touch). He's been very hot this month, but I think ultimately the AVG will be an issue, and the power is merely "good". He should be a reasonable three true outcomes bat as a 2nd catcher in standard formats if he does indeed win the job in March.
Emmet Sheehan (P - LAD) - Sheehan was the bulk reliever on Sunday and was outstanding again, as he was the last few times he's been called upon. He went 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Giants (yes I know that's a AAA lineup right now) and allowed 1 hit and 1 walk, striking out 9. He has only pitched 3 times in September because the Dodgers have two rotations worth of SPs, but the tally for the month is: 17 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 24 K. On the season, what has been true of Sheehan all along remains true. The control has improved to above average, he misses bats at an excellent clip, and although the GB rate is low he doesn't allow a ton of hard contact. He has been very unfortunate this season, and I really do hope that he gets a run somewhere next season (be it in LA or elsewhere), because I think that he could easily be a capable mid-rotation starter. The advanced ERA metrics all show between 3.50 and 3.80, which is clearly better than league average, and the chase and swinging strike rates are somewhere between good and excellent. The improvement in the walk rate has been the most impressive thing, because he had never been below 3.5 walks per 9 prior to TJ surgery a few years ago, and he's always been below it (and usually well below it) since. That's extremely unusual, which is perhaps why he intrigues me so much, but I really would like to see this kid get some steady run without looking over his shoulder to see what trade might happen next.
