Stock Rising- Moustakas

Mike Moustakas is finally mashing this year after months of disappointing play.

Analysis: Over his last seven games Moustakas has 3 home runs, 11 hits, 8 runs batted in and 4 runs. He’s been the 11th best fantasy third baseman over the last month and the 3rd best over the last week. He is batting just .234 this year but do not let that stat be a deterrent. His BABIP this year is .237 which is the third lowest in baseball. Keep in mind that Moustakas posted a .274 BABIP last year and a .296 BABIP in 2011. His batting average will continue to pick up the rest of the season.

Moustakas is available in 40-70% of fantasy leagues. He is a talented hitter who projects as a second tier fantasy third baseman in the future but as for this season he remains a solid waiver wire power bat. Although his fantasy stats are not pretty this year he is doing some positive things at the plate. His strikeouts are down 6% from last year and his walk rate is up just a bit. It’s August now and the stock of both the Kansas City Royals and Mike Moustakas is finally on the rise.

Mark Buehrle Is Surging

Mark Buehrle has not allowed a run over his last 20 innings pitched. Although the Blue Jays are tanking, Buehrle is surging.

Analysis: Buehrle has not allowed an earned run in three of his last five starts. He is the 12th rated fantasy starter over the last two weeks and the 21st best starter over the last month. Keep in mind that Toronto is the seventh highest scoring team in baseball which only adds to Buehrle’s value.

The thirty-four year old lefty is having a decent season. He’s sporting a 1.30 WHIP, a 4.18 xFIP and has pitched 139.0 innings which is 29th most in baseball. In some fantasy cases it is better to have a reliable ERA over many innings than a good ERA over a short span. Currently, Buehrle is available in 60-90% of fantasy leagues. His velocity may continue to fall off but his changeup keeps getting better and his cutter remains more than serviceable.

Not many people are paying attention to the Blue Jays at this point and even Mark Buehrle for that matter, but to his credit Buehrle is pitching well and isn’t just a deep league fantasy option.

Buying Low- Michael Morse

Seattle did not move Michael Morse at the trade deadline but he still makes a viable fantasy option going forward.

Analysis: Morse now has two games under his belt since returning from the disabled list with a strained quad. Morse is 0-9 in those two games but that isn’t the point. He has 11 bombs, 23 RBI and 24 runs in 58 games this year. He will see plenty of RBI opportunities the rest of the year hitting fifth or sixth and he is playing for a new contact which means if he stays healthy he will continue to mash.

Morse is available in 35-50% of fantasy leagues primarily because of his most recent stint on the disabled list. His kind of power isn’t common on the wire at this point in the season. In addition to Morse there are a few other power bats available on the wire that are of note- Carlos Quentin, Dayan Viciedo, Brandon Moss.

With all the hype surrounding the trade deadline Michael Morse is not getting the fantasy attention you would expect coming off of the DL. Expect 7-10 home runs and a .270 batting average the rest of the way.

No Love For Cole?

Gerrit Cole is nine starts into his young career and he has yet to disappoint.

Analysis: Through nine starts Cole has put up a 3.56 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Cole’s 1.13 WHIP is better than some of the bigger names out there like Matt Cain, Zack Greinke, RA Dickey and Cole Hamels. His 3.65 xFIP certainly indicates that his numbers are the real deal. He is getting by throwing his fastball 70% of the time which is 18th highest in baseball(min 50 IP). Cole’s average fastball velocity is 95.9 MPH which is 3rd highest in the bigs(min 50 IP) but his change and slider are plus pitches as well.

Gerrit Cole is currently available in 15-40% of fantasy leagues. His ERA and WHIP may bump up a bit but they will certainly be an asset in roto leagues. His strikeout rate is only 5.9 K/9 IP but it is still respectable and projected to increase. Keep in mind that Cole has yet to give up more than three earned runs or three walks in all nine of his starts this year. The future is bright for the twenty-two year old and it’s time for everyone to start showing Gerrit Cole some love.

Buying Low- Juan Nicasio

Juan Nicasio is having a great month yet the fantasy world is not taking notice.

Analysis: In three starts this month Nicasio has pitched 19.0 innings and has only allowed 1 earned run on 8 hits. He’s only walked 4 batters this month but that should not come as a surprise since the twenty-six year old has never had any major command issues. He’s the 29th rated fantasy starter in July yet guys like Alex Wood and Dan Straily get all the attention on the wire among lower tier pitchers.

Currently Juan Nicasio is available in 90-95% of fantasy leagues. His next scheduled start is in Atlanta on Tuesday. Keep in mind that Nicasio is not a high strikeout starter but he has averaged 6.3 K/9 this year which is respectable. He had an 8.3 K/9 clip going for him in 2012 through eleven starts. The upside is there especially with his ability to limit base runners despite having an ERA north of 4.00 at the moment. Jon Lester, Tim Lincecum, Edwin Jackson and Justin Verlander all have a higher WHIP than Nicasio’s 1.31 this year. One more great start and the fantasy world will have to take notice.