Deep League Landscape: Week 22

Picture credit score: © Vincent Carchietta – USA TODAY Sports activities

You already know the drill by now—we’re digging deep. We’re within the trenches. We’re making different references to displacing filth for some cause!

You additionally know that all the gamers touched upon herein are rostered in fewer than 40percentof The Nice Fantasy Baseball Invitational leagues. So, let’s get to some belongings you would possibly not know.

DJ Stewart, New York Mets (27% rostered)

Again in 2021, I assumed we had been onto one thing with Stewart.

The Orioles weren’t but the Orioles they’re at the moment, and enjoying time was out there. Enter Stewart, a bopper who’d put up a .283/.397/.550 line in 72 video games within the minors in 2019 earlier than slogging via a misplaced 2020 season on the big-league stage. In spring 2021, it appeared Stewart had an opportunity to carve out a task on an Orioles crew in search of guys to seize maintain of alternatives.

He didn’t, probably not, anyway, however I by no means forgot the hope I had for him. Flash ahead to at the moment, and Stewart is hoping to seize onto a newfound alternative on the equally adrift 2023 Mets. He’d began 10 of the crew’s previous 11 video games heading into Tuesday, and in that stretch Stewart batted .333/.381/.795 with 5 homers. That type of energy manufacturing is what’s he’s able to down the stretch, particularly if the Mets decide to him as their common proper fielder.

He’ll nonetheless sit towards most lefties so this isn’t a whole plug-and-play scenario, however few guys are at this stage of the sport. If you happen to’re available in the market for run manufacturing, have a look Stewart’s method.

Osleivis Basabe, Tampa Bay Rays (24% rostered)

Basabe was promoted the day earlier than the Rays positioned Wander Franco on the Restricted Checklist, and since that promotion he’s began all however one recreation at shortstop for the Tampa membership.

As Rays prospects are inclined to do, he’s additionally hit the bottom operating. In his first 12 video games within the majors, the 22-year-old has batted .279/.340/.419 along with his lone homer being a very memorable grand slam towards the Rockies. Energy isn’t his recreation, actually, however velocity is, which makes his zero steals in 12 video games a bit stunning, particularly given the Rays’ propensity for operating.

Assuming he does run a bit as he settles in—and assuming he’s allowed to settle in, seeing as how there’s no finish in sight for Franco’s troubles—Basabe may chip in a handful of steals to go together with a satisfactory batting common over the season’s last month. In a lineup nearly as good because the Rays’, that’s helpful.

Michael A. Taylor, Minnesota Twins (17% rostered)

There are some issues about gamers that follow you, like my early love for DJ Stewart. One other one is FSWA Corridor of Famer and Rotoworld stalwart Matthew Pouliot’s infatuation with Michael A. Taylor.

I acquired it then and I get it now. Taylor has that distinctive mixture of energy and velocity that units guys aside in fantasy leagues. Add in that he performs elite-level outfield protection and it’s a profile that, if he may ever work out the strikeouts, has the makings of a celebrity.

In fact, he by no means may work out the strikeouts, and that reality has in the end restricted his ceiling and typically relegated him to a part-time participant. The Twins aren’t precisely flush with outfield choices, although, particularly ones that play middle subject in addition to Taylor, and with an prolonged run he’s quietly put up one among his greatest offensive seasons—at the least when it comes to counting stats—thus far.

By Monday, Taylor was hitting .225/.278/.444, an uninspiring line that’s produced a 77 DRC+, however the 32-year-old has 19 homers and 13 steals in his 347 plate appearances on the yr. These 19 homers tie a profession excessive set in 2017, and if he continues to play recurrently over the season’s last month Taylor may set profession highs in homers, runs and RBI.

We don’t actually care about particular person accomplishments for our recreation, however the level is that Taylor is producing, which in flip will probably encourage Rocco Baldelli to maintain writing his title on the lineup card. He doesn’t hit for common and he bats on the backside of the order, limiting his output upside, however in case you want an outfielder who can provide you a little bit of each, Taylor is extensively out there.

Gavin Stone, Los Angeles Dodgers (17% rostered)

Stone’s first go-round within the majors—and second, and even third—was a great reminder that younger gamers don’t at all times hit the bottom operating. It’s at all times stated that prospect growth isn’t linear, and that features their growth on the highest stage.

Stone acquired one other shot with the Dodgers on Sunday and this time he fared a bit higher. Pitching behind opener Caleb Ferguson, the right-hander allowed 4 runs over six innings to select up his first major-league win. It wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops—he surrendered three homers on the afternoon—however the Crimson Sox aren’t a straightforward foe and two of these homers got here within the eighth inning as he was hitting his restrict.

It’s unclear what the Dodgers bear in mind for Stone transferring ahead, however the truth that they didn’t instantly ship him again out suggests they’ve him of their plans in some vogue. As we’ve famous with guys like Ryan Yarbrough and others, there’s worth just by pitching considerably successfully for groups that win loads of video games. If the Dodgers proceed to place the 24-year-old in spots like Sunday, all he has to do is pitch passably to fall right into a handful of wins down the stretch.

Alec Marsh, Kansas Metropolis Royals (12% rostered)

I don’t have something new to say, besides that I tried to inform you final week and but he’s nonetheless solely 12% rostered.

Michael Busch, Los Angeles Dodgers (7% rostered)

It’s uncommon to have two Dodgers featured in a deep-league piece, however Busch is one other Los Angeles participant price a glance in your leagues.

Which may not have been the case every week in the past, however J.D. Martinez touchdown on the injured checklist opened the door for Busch to make his mark within the Dodgers’ lineup—figuratively, but additionally actually, as Busch was the participant recalled in Martinez’s stead. Within the week since his promotion, Busch has began 5 of the crew’s six video games towards right-handers, all at designated hitter. He hasn’t but discovered his stride, going simply 2-for-17 in that span, however a type of hits was a homer.

That the Dodgers have caught with Busch is instructive to how the crew views him in addition to their alternate options whereas Martinez is out, so I anticipate him to proceed to function the crew’s DH towards righties for the close to future. Regardless of not having produced on the highest stage, the 25-year-old hit for each common and energy within the minors. If issues begin to click on, he might be a preferred add in fantasy leagues ahead of later.

Shintaro Fujinami, Baltimore Orioles (2% rostered)

In speculating on who would possibly take Félix Bautista’s place because the Orioles nearer, the preferred selection has been Yennier Cano.

It’s at the least price contemplating, although, that Fujinami, who the Orioles acquired from the A’s in mid-July, would possibly emerge to take the job. He’s hit some velocity bumps since becoming a member of the O’s, however the right-hander has additionally been fairly good, posting a 4.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with a 30.6% Ok% in 18 innings of labor. Cano, in the meantime, has been terrific at retaining runners off base, placing up a 1.57 ERA and 0.97 WHIP, however he’s acquired only a 23.9% Ok% in his 63 innings this yr.

Even when Orioles supervisor Brandon Hyde does flip to Cano—or DL Corridor, who seems to be like one other weapon within the bullpen—for saves, Fujinami might need utility as a high-leverage reliever anyway. The Orioles win loads of video games as of late, in spite of everything, and pitching in these pivotal spots can yield the occasional win or save extra usually than on dangerous groups. In the identical method Cano was closely rostered previous to Bautista’s harm, Fujinami might need standalone worth for the season’s last few weeks even when he’s not the capital-C Nearer.

Andre Jackson, Pittsburgh Pirates (0% rostered)

As promised, we’re leaving no stone unturned, and that search leads us to Pirates bulk reliever Jackson.

Jackson was a man who truly acquired a point out in our preseason preview of the Dodgers prospects this spring, with BP Lead Prospect Author Jeffrey Paternostro saying the right-hander “appeared like a stable multi-inning pen possibility throughout a September cameo.” Certainly.

The Dodgers designated Jackson for task in June and the Pirates rapidly traded for him, sending him to the minors for a month earlier than recalling him on August 4. Since then, the 27-year-old has registered a 3.32 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 5 appearances, two as a starter and three in bulk reduction.

It might be silly to hope for a ton of wins or strikeouts with Jackson the way in which you would possibly with Stone or others, however he’s offering innings with useful ratios if nothing else. (He’s additionally hanging out 26% of batters confronted since becoming a member of the Bucs, so it’s not like he’s a zero in that division, both.) If you happen to want innings with a non-zero likelihood of selecting up some strikeouts and the spare win, Jackson is just about free.