The Baseball Effect

2019 has been a long journey, yet at the same time it seems as if Opening Day was just last week. I guess the saying holds true, time really does fly when you are having fun. Over the past six months, dozens (or more) decisions have been made on who to start, who to sit, who to pick up, who to trade, who not to trade and so on. But if you are like me and had Yelich and Tatis Jr. on the same team, the decisions you make this week will make or break your fantasy year. With that said, whether you are in a battle for first or just trying not to be last, here are a few players who could help you win the last week of the 2019 fantasy baseball season.

Trent Grisham – (MIL) OF

This might be an obvious pick after mentioning Yelich in the introduction but Grisham is a legitimate option to help win your final head-to-head matchup or give a boost to that one roto league in the portfolio. So far in September, Grisham is hitting .306/.413/.516 with an OPS of .929. Granted this is over only 62 ABs but when it comes down to the last few weeks of the season, sometimes it’s best to ride the hot streak while you can. Aside from his last 62 at-bats, Trent displayed his combination of speed and power in the minors by hitting 26 homeruns (13 in Double-A, 13 in Triple-A) and stealing 12 bases (6 in Double-A, 6 in Triple-A) between the Southern League and the PCL. The fact that Grisham was able to duplicate his Double-A totals in Triple-A in almost half the at-bats shows he has the potential to make a big impact in a short amount of time. Not to mention his sprint speed is in the top 6% if the league. Stolen bases anyone?

Adam Eaton – (WSH) OF

The six year veteran has been surprisingly consistent over the coarse of 2019, up until September. In both the first and second half Eaton’s line was almost identical.

1st Half: .281/.368/.383
2nd Half: .287/.365/.511

The power increase is always nice and it seems he is warming up for another hot streak as we has hit .350 with two homeruns and a stolen base over the last seven days. Eaton has never been a huge source of one specific category but there is a lot of value in being able to do a little bit of everything and that is exactly what you can expect from Eaton over the next week or so. A couple homeruns and a steal can go a long way when you are in the final week of a season, not to mention Eaton’s .280 batting average is a solid bet in a league that is hitting .253 as a whole. If you need a compliment to add to your final lineup, Eaton has the potential to give you a bump in every category.

Sam Hilliard – (COL) oF

Sam who? Hilliard hit 35 homeruns this year for Triple-A Albuquerque and it seems he is continuing his progress in The Show. Sam has hit six homeruns in his first 60 plate appearances with the Rockies. The power is obviously there but Sam has also shown that he has a tendency to strikeout more than some might find acceptable. Over the past five seasons, Hilliard has struck out at a rate over 25%. Ironically, that number is at its lowest since getting the call, so just maybe the hot streak will last for another week. The Rockies do play a series at San Francisco starting today, so this may be a weekend pickup in the hopes the 25 year old has one final power surge in his home park. This is a riskier streak to chase, but hey, no risk, no reward, right?

Willy Adames – (TB) 2B,SS

Okay enough with the outfielders. Willy Adames started 2019 with a little bit of hype and multiple appearances in the annual “sleeper” articles that circulate wildly in early March. Since then, Adames has been…let’s call it underwhelming, but there is a silver lining. In August, the 2019 sleeper hit .304/.366/.467 with four homeruns and ten RBI. In September, it’s more of the same as he is hitting .270/.338/.492 with three homeruns in thirty less at bats. Adames has been very hit or miss over the course of 2019 but he has been more than productive over the past two months. Add that on top of the .316 batting average and a 1.004 OPS in the last seven days and you can start to see the impact Adames can have on any team during the last few days of the season. Oh and did I mention those three homeruns in September were all hit in the last seven days as well? Ride or die.

P.S. This is where the Tatis Jr. owners come in.

Nico Hoerner – (CHC) SS

If you were an owner of Javy Baez, there’s a chance you have already picked up Nico Hoerner. Over his last 11 games, Nico has at least one hit in 9 of them, not to mention three homeruns, two of which came off of right handed pitching. Nico accomplished the rare feat of being sent to the Arizona Fall League the same year he was drafted and proceeded to perform as one of the leagues best by slashing, .337/.362/.506. Hoerner is also known for his plus speed and with there being a shortage of stolen bases, he is another good option to steal a category in the final week, while potentially adding to all five offensive categories.

Note: Hoerner is going on the road after his less than expected 11 game run, so keep an eye out to see if being away from the home crowd has an affect on the rookie shortstop.

Starlin Castro – (MIA) 2B,3B

Is there any player as boring or overlooked as Starlin Castro? While typically very good at being average Castro has hit 21 homeruns this year while still keeping his batting average at a respectable .271. I guess he too has benefited from the new baseball that still has everyone in a daze, but more importantly for this instance is Starlin also has three homeruns in the last seven days. In the same time frame Castro has a .264 average and an OPS of .864. His current schedule has him at Citi Field over the next three days, before heading out to the city of brotherly love. The fact that Castro is set up to face Syndergaard, DeGrom, and Wheeler means this might be another “wait until the next series” pick up. At the very least Castro can help keep the batting average afloat for a week, so if you are really hurting at a MI or CI spot, this just might be the play for you.

Honorable Mention

1. Mike Yastrzemski – Yet another OF, but Yas 2.0 is on another hot streak hitting .310 with 1 HR and 1 SB over the last seven days. It definitely runs in the family.
2. Todd Frazier – Frazier has had his up and downs but the last seven days have looked like the Frazier of old hitting .344 with 3 HRs and a 1.120 OPS. If you need pop, give Todd a shot.
3. Nick Solak – Solak has contributed heavily in all categories except stolen bases over the last seven days, although he did not start 2 out of the last 3 games.
4. Kyle Tucker – Tucker has been hyped all season and is finally getting a chance to showcase his skills. The potential to impact all categories is still there, even in the short time frame left. Currently hitting .306/.333/.531 with 2 HRs and 4 SBs since being called up from Triple-A.
5. Jason Heyward – Heyward showed signs of a renaissance a few time this year but was never really able to put it all together. Luckily there is another week left and J-Hey has been as productive as ever. Over the last seven days, Heyward is hitting .295 with 2 HRs and a .907 OPS. Now is as good a time as any to trust a veteran on a tear. He also has 11 runs and 11 rbi to go along with the two bombs.
6. Jose Ramirez – Dropped in a lot of leagues at the time it was announced he would miss the rest of the season, Ramirez is starting today and batting 6th. The slugger from a year ago would be a great addition in any format for the last week of the season. If he is available, go grab him!

Hopefully this short article was able to alleviate some of the pain associated with scouring the waiver wire for that all important final week. Best of luck to all the teams out there chasing a trophy, and to all that didn’t quite get there in 2019, 2020 is just around the corner.