Tag: Chris Carter

Chris Carter Surging

Chris Carter is playing his best ball of the season heading into the All-Star break.

Analysis: Carter has a nine game hitting streak right now. That is very impressive for a guy that is currently hitting .205 and is a career .216 hitter. Carter has 6 home runs, 10 runs batted in, 13 hits and 9 runs scored during his nine game hitting streak. Carter now has 19 home runs and 40 runs batted in this season. He ranks 5th among designated hitters in home runs and RBI. He also ranks 6th among first baseman in home runs and 20th in RBI.

Unfortunately, Chris Carter only has one walk during his nine game hit streak. His .281 OBP this season is obviously garbage. He has the highest strikeout rate in baseball at 33%, the second lowest contact percentage at 64.5% and the second highest swinging strike percentage. We know Carter has some of the best raw power in baseball but he simply needs a bit more plate discipline.

Chris Carter is available in 65-80% of fantasy leagues. Carter’s play has been great of late and we are all left to ask- is the risk worth the reward?

Deep League Help- Pena

Chris Carter isn’t the only power hitter on the Astros making some noise early on. Carlos Pena has been splitting time between first base and DH and his game seems to be back on track.

Analysis: It is good to see Chris Carter finally get some love but it did take over two weeks into the season for it to manifest. He’s only available in about 50% of leagues which is still a surprise since he could/should get to 30 home runs this year. Remember, hit he 16 bombs in just 67 games last year with Oakland.

As for Carlos Pena, well… he has kind of faded in recent years and some of it has to do with his BABIP. Pena’s career BABIP is .277 but he’s only averaged .251 over the last three years in Tampa and Chicago. His power is still there, he’s averaged exactly 25 home runs from 2010-2012. But the solid power numbers don’t mean much with a batting average well below the Mendoza Line. Flash forward to 2013 and Pena’s BABIP is up and with it his batting average. Pena has homered in consecutive days and has 9 runs in 15 games this year. He’s available in 90-99% of leagues and should have DH eligibility soon.

 

Power Bats On The Wire

There isn’t much left on the waiver wire at this point in the season but there are a few power bats to help get you home.

Analysis: Oakland’s Chris Carter is a first baseman to watch. Carter has hit 14 home runs in just 51 games played this year. He’s went yard four times with nine runs batted in over his last eight games played. Carter is available in well over eighty percent of leagues and is one of the most underrated bats on the wire at the moment.

Another option out there is Jesus Montero. Montero suffers greatly from playing at Safeco Field but he is the real deal. He’s only hitting .259 at the moment but keep in mind his BABIP is an unusually low .290. Montero has 15 homers this year with 53 RBI. He’s available in forty percent of leagues because much of his hype has died down.

A few must owns who are available in a small, small percentage of leagues include: Alex Rodriguez, Garrett Jones(23 HR) and Pedro Alvarez(27 HR).