Author: TJ Streett

Under The Radar- Alcides

Alcides Escobar is the 9th rated fantasy shortstop as we head into the month of May.

Analysis: Alcides continues to be one of the most underrated fantasy options at shortstop. He’s currently batting .287 with 5 stolen bases, 13 runs scored and 10 runs batted in. The 5 stolen bases is 2nd among shortstops this season. Escobar’s isolated power is up this year- he ranks 7th among major league shortstops in extra base hits. His walk rate is up to 7.5% this year as opposed to his career mark of 4.4%. We are still in the early stages of the season but these are all very good signs.

Even in an off year Escobar still managed to finish in the top 20 among fantasy shortstops last season. He’s off to a fast start and we may see him outperform his 2012 season- .293 batting average, 35 stolen bases, 5 home runs, 68 runs. Regardless, he’s playing better than some of the bigger names out there like Derek Jeter, JJ Hardy, Asdrubal Cabrera and Everth Cabrera.

Alcides Escobar is available in 50-60% of fantasy leagues. Expect top 15 fantasy shortstop numbers going forward.

Last Call On Morse

It’s about that time of year where we give Michael Morse some love before he gets injured and frustrates fantasy owners nationwide.

Analysis: Michael Morse homered and knocked in 2 runs Friday night against the Indians. Morse now has 6 home runs and 17 RBI this year. He currently ranks 8th in baseball in home runs and 14th in runs batted in. This does not come as a surprise but as we all know he does land on the disabled list quite often so play him while you can.

When healthy there are zero concerns regarding Morse’s fantasy value. He remains a must own power bat capable of 30 home runs and 100 RBI. As for the negatives which are well documented- he has only played an average of 95 games over the last two years. In addition, his walk rate(6.8%) is extremely low for a power hitter. His isolated power over the last few years is a concern but he is mashing thus far this year.

Michael Morse is available in 12-20% of fantasy leagues. He currently ranks as the 21st best fantasy outfielder this season.

Volquez Strong Again

Edinson Volquez had another strong start Tuesday night in a loss against the Reds. Volquez pitched 7.0 innings and allowed 2 earned runs on just 5 hits and 1 walk.

Analysis: Volquez has 28.0 innings under his belt this year and thus far he’s sporting a 1.93 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and he has 16 strikeouts. Yes, his strikeout rate is down a bit from past years but his walk rate has improved a ton. Volquez has a 1.7 BB/9 rate this year compared to a 4.0 BB/9 rate last year and a 4.7 BB/9 rate for his career. Simply put- he’s throwing more strikes and avoiding deep counts.

We haven’t seen enough of Volquez to determine exactly where he fits in from a fantasy perspective, but he is a must own right now. Obviously, his ERA and WHIP will level out but it may settle into a middle to low tier fantasy starter range. He does need more help from the Pittsburgh bats but Cutch and Pedro are not playing up to potential thus far this season.

Currently, Edinson Volquez is available in 50-80% of fantasy leagues.

Selling Alfredo

Alfredo Simon is 4th in the major leagues with a 0.86 ERA and 7th with a 0.81 WHIP.

Analysis: There are plenty of red flags to consider in regards to Alfredo Simon. He does have that 0.86 ERA but he is sporting a 3.91 xFIP this year through three starts. Simon’s career ERA is 3.92, his career xFIP is 4.20. We also have to consider that Simon’s strikeout rate is down this year to a 5.57 K/9 mark. His walk rate is surprisingly low at 1.71 BB/9. So, is he turning into the next Bartolo Colon with his sudden new found command as he ages?

What we do know is that Simon has always been inconsistent. Expect his ERA to shoot up in the coming months as his LOB% starts to come back down to reality. He’s stranding 90.4% of baserunners at the moment which is 11th in baseball this year. His career strand rate is 74.7%.

Currently, Alfredo Simon is available in 50-75% of fantasy leagues. There are plenty of solid, consistent lower tier options available on the wire that are not capable of Alfredo-esque implosions. He has the talent but can he be trusted?

Last Call On EY2

Eric Young Jr has been a top five fantasy outfielder thus far this season.

Analysis: EY2 is 2nd in all of baseball with 9 stolen bases and he has yet to be caught stealing. He also ranks 6th in runs with 12. Young is even drawing walks at a 10.6% clip, up over 2% from his career average and 3% from last year. His current .344 OBP is yet another positive sign from the twenty-eight year old burner.

If EY2 continues to steal at this pace he would record over 90 stolen bases this year. Obviously, that mark is highly unlikely but it goes to show how great of a fourteen game stretch he’s on. He needs to limit the strikeouts but other than that he should be fine if you’re okay with a mediocre batting average.

Currently, Eric Young Jr. is available in 60-70% of fantasy leagues. Even if he falls off his current pace he will remain a must start fantasy outfielder who will dominate the stolen base department and score tons of runs.