Author: TJ Streett

Jason Castro Is Surging

Jason Castro has been stuffing the stat sheet lately but he still isn’t getting much love as a fantasy catcher on the worst team in the American League.

Analysis: Over the last two weeks Jason Castro is the second best roto catcher. He has 3 home runs, 5 RBI, 7 runs and 14 hits over his last eight games. He now has his batting average up to .284 with a .335 OBP. Castro is also hitting third in the Houston batting order which means his run and RBI totals should fair better than guys like Nick Hundley and Chris Iannetta. Despite his recent hot streak Castro is available in 60-90% of fantasy leagues. He is currently the 11th rated roto catcher in 2013 which means he’s fine in deeper leagues, two-catcher formats and AL-only leagues. His BABIP will come down a bit and cool off his batting average some but he has every opportunity and enough power to stay fantasy relevant.

Keep in mind that Castro may gain DH position eligibility at some point in the future which means greater fantasy roster flexibility. When you get past the top 6-8 fantasy catchers there isn’t much reliable talent out there. So, picking Castro up who hits third in the Houston batting order shouldn’t be that big of a reach.

Stock Rising- Travis Snider

Travis Snider has looked good at the plate over the last few weeks hitting second in the Pittsburgh Pirate’s lineup.

Analysis: The best place that Travis Snider can be… he is, sandwiched between Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen in the Pirate batting order. Snider has 2 home runs, 8 RBI, 5 runs and 1 stolen base over his last ten games. We have to remember that Snider is still just twenty-five years old and that he has plenty of power potential. Most of that potential is against right handed pitching but he has it nonetheless.

At the moment Snider is available in 92-99% of fantasy leagues. He may not even be a deep league or NL-only league add yet but we cannot ignore what he has done with his bat recently. And we cannot ignore that his strikeout rate is at a career low level right now. He’s not a fantasy game changer but his performance over the next few weeks should be monitored. He’s in a great situation hitting second, he has the power potential and just enough speed to intrigue deep league owners. Add him to your watch list.

Ubaldo Watch

Ubaldo Jimenez has gained some serious steam in the fantasy world but is he a safe fantasy option or will he blow up your ratios?

Analysis: The bad news is that Ubaldo got touched up for six earned runs Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers. The good news is that up until last night he started four consecutive games and did not allow more than two earned runs in those four starts. So what is going on here?

Ubaldo’s ERA is north of six, there is no getting away from that. On a positive note he is striking out over nine batters per nine innings pitched. His xFIP is south of 4.00 which does come as a surprise. But we must consider that Ubaldo’s fastball velocity is taking a hit for the fourth straight year. Ubaldo’s HR/FB rate will fall(second worst in baseball and well above his career average) and his strand rate should tick up a bit which means a lower ERA. However, there doesn’t seem to be enough of a reward with Ubaldo as opposed to the risk- nine starts, three of which he has allowed six plus earned runs.

Let The Profar Hype Begin

With Ian Kinsler heading to the disabled list the top prospect in baseball will start his second stint in the majors.

Analysis: Jurickson Profar may be the top prospect but he won’t be lighting the league on fire like many are projecting. This year in Triple-A Profar’s line looks like this- .278 batting average, 4 home runs and 6 stolen bases in 166 plate appearances. That is a solid line but remember that last year in the bigs there was not enough of a sample size- 3 hits in 17 plate appearances.

Currently, the twenty year old Profar is available in 60-90% of fantasy leagues. He makes a fine lower tier power/speed combo and he should post a mediocre batting average in the .250 plus range. He is by no means a fantasy savior but he will at least in the short term get a chance to make a statement. He makes a better sell high option because fantasy owners these days love new shiny things as they quickly disregard guys who always have the numbers by the end of each season like Alfonso Soriano and Rickie Weeks.

Last Call On Francisco Liriano

Francisco Liriano is two starts into his 2013 season and he has been impressive.

Analysis: Through two starts Lirano has posted a 1.64 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 11.0 innings pitched. Liriano’s fastball and slider velocity early on has been fine and he seems to be healthy and ready to make an impact. We all know that he has been inconsistent over the past few years but the high strikeout rate should give owners confidence. He has sported a K/9 rate over 9.4 two of his last three years so the strikeouts should be there especially in the National League. It is worth mentioning that Liriano pitched lights out in three Triple-A starts prior to his debut on May 11.

The twenty-nine year old lefty is available in 40-60% of fantasy leagues. His next scheduled start is against the Chicago Cubs on May 22.

Owners do have to be aware that Liriano has allowed 17 baserunners in his 11.0 innings pitched giving him a 1.55 WHIP. His strand rate is 18% above his career average thus far so expect a high strikeout, moderate ERA, high WHIP lower tier fantasy starter going forward.