Few fantasy analysts can take the heat – and deliver – like Dalton Del Don. He brings his fantastic fantasy baseball footage here every week, to help you keep the fire burning in your leagues. And speaking of fire…
Now go get Ben Brown
Ben Brown had a dominant performance on the road Tuesday as he recorded 10 strikeouts while holding a top-three Brewers’ offense (114 wRC+) hitless over seven innings; Shota Imanaga allowed more earned runs (seven) the next day in Milwaukee than he had in his previous nine starts (five) to start his MLB career.
Brown posted impressive strikeout numbers in the minors and has emerged as one of baseball’s more intriguing pitching prospects.
Brown has a 1.80 ERA (2.49 FIP) and a 0.90 WHIP over 30.0 innings as a starter with the Cubs this season, compared to a 4.41 ERA and 1.35 WHIP as a reliever. Brown’s 19.3 starting K-BB% would rank in the top 25 among qualified SPs, and his CSW would rank in the top 10. Brown’s control needs work like most young pitchers, but his ball% has shown real improvement, and he ranks second in SwStr% over the last month.
Brown only throws two pitches, but his knuckle curve might be the best pitch in baseball right now. It has delivered a ridiculous 50.4 Whiff% and a whopping 27% SwStr%, while limiting both right and lefties.
Brown remains available in 68% of Yahoo leagues, in part because there is no guarantee he will remain in Chicago’s rotation once Jordan Wicks returns from the IL. But Brown will get another chance to impress this weekend with a favorable home start against the Reds, and he would be worth including in all fantasy leagues if his stay in the rotation becomes permanent. The Cubs have a terrible defense, so Chicago needs a pitcher who misses bats.
Brown possesses far more fantasy upside than most pitchers available on waiver wires.
Don’t lose hope for Michael King
Michael King has had a strange year as he transitioned to a full-time role as a starter. He has posted a 5.06 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP at home, compared to a 3.43 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP on the road – including starts at Coors Field and Cincinnati and an appearance at a game in Korea that totaled 26 runs. Petco Park remains very favorable to pitchers, and King’s K% has risen to 31.4 at home, so his splits seem particularly fluctuating.
Matchups were also unpredictable regardless of location, as King became one of only three pitchers to hold the MLB-best Dodgers offense scoreless through seven dominant innings (10 Ks) while on many fantasy benches during a start earlier this month; he gave up six runs against the Rockies’ lowly offense in Petco his next time out.
All things considered, King’s transition to starter ultimately seems like a success, even if his stats don’t fully reflect it. His ERA (2.40) actually improved dramatically when he faced lineups for the third time this season, compared to the first (3.94) and second (4.29). And while his K% and BB% have taken a hit with the move into the rotation, King’s CSW (31.4) ranks seventh among all qualified starters this season.
King has had some bad luck at Petco Park and remains a breakout candidate.
Hunter Brown’s revival seems real
Hunter Brown was dropped from most fantasy leagues after finishing April with a 9.78 ERA and 2.22 WHIP, but he has lived up to his preseason expectations since the introduction of a sinker in May. Brown has recorded a 3.42 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 29 Ks over five starts (26.1 innings) this month, and his new pitch is getting more ground balls. Brown’s ERA of 6.39 comes with an MLB-high .353 BABIP and a SIERA of 3.96, and his once weak spot in Houston’s rotation is safe with Christian Javier (forearm) on the IL.
Brown looks like a different pitcher in May and is available in two-thirds of Yahoo leagues.
Patience can be a virtue with Blake Snell
Blake Snell has been a fantasy disaster thus far, posting a 10.42 ERA and 2.00 WHIP without a win over five starts. He has undoubtedly struggled without the benefit of spring training, with a career low of CSW (25.7%). But Snell’s velocity has been fine, and his inflated ERA is paired with a 4.04 SIERA and a .414 BABIP that is more than 60 points higher than any qualified starter this season. His career BABIP is .292, and the Giants have one of the league’s best defenses (including the game’s best pitch framer), so Snell has been particularly unlucky with balls in play.
Snell has always been streaky and should improve once he finally gets into a regular routine – he has spent time on the injured and paternity lists following his deferred contract in San Francisco. He sparked some chases in his last outing against an elite Phillies offense, but Snell could become an even better buy-low candidate after his next start against a Yankees team that leads the MLB in wRC+ (122). Oracle Park is absolutely destroying power this season, dropping home run numbers by 34% in the MLB, but Snell’s HR/FB% (15.0) is above his career level (11.6%).
Regression is coming, and fantasy managers are probably fed up with him.
Snell could be a roller coaster, but there remains a top-10 fantasy starter in the future.
MacKenzie Gore is steadily becoming a top performer
MacKenzie Gore has a 2.19 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP with a 30:6 K:BB ratio over his last four starts (24.2 innings). Three of those four outings took place in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Fenway Park, so his escape has become official. Gore somehow has a 2.91 ERA despite having the highest BABIP (.353) of any qualified starter, and his SIERA of 3.07 ranks in the top-15, ahead of Cole Ragans, Zack Wheeler, and Shota Imanaga . Pitching for the Nationals won’t help Gore win, but the former top-three pick is developing into a full-fledged prospect despite a tough schedule.
Gore is going to be a top fantasy starter, yet he’s still somehow available in 45% of Yahoo leagues.
BONUS — TV/Movie Talk: “3 Body Problem” is definitely worth checking out if you like science fiction. It’s from the same show creators as “Game of Thrones”… “Hacks” just had a strong third season, as it remains one of the best comedies on television… “Tires” has a hilarious (and predictable ) large gap between its critics ( 43 % ) and audience ( 91 % ) Rotten Tomatoes scores. It’s not exactly ‘Louie’, but I’m more on the side of the plebeians… Speaking of a pleasant audience, The beekeeper delivered exactly as promised.
