Boston Burnes It All Down On Player’s Weekend

Happy Player’s Weekend, everyone.  I’ll be honest, I didn’t realize these had stopped, but apparently it’s been a few years.  Makes sense, something fun that people enjoy and grows the games, showing the player’s personalities needs to be kept in check.  We’ve got ten minutes to shave off games and forcing pitchers to throw at least six innings every game to tackle here.  I enjoyed the nicknames on the jerseys back in the day, but that is no longer a thing.  Instead, the players get to wear custom cleats (why can’t they do this anyway?) and use custom bats.  Cool.  They also get to wear hats with their NUMBERS ON THEM!  No?  Doesn’t do anything for you?  Me either.  What does do something for me is Rafael Devers (2 or 4, 2 Runs, HR (26), 3 RBI) mashing with a freaking crayon

The Red Sox got to Corbin Burnes (4 IP, 10 hits, 8 ER, 3 BB, 7 K) in a big way Friday night as Masataka Yoshida (3 for 4, 1 Run, HR(8), 4 RBI) also took him deep.  Just an off day for Burnes who maintains a 3.10 ERA, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less as fantasy baseball enters crunch time.  Craig Kimbrel then proceeded to give up dingers to David Hamilton (2 for 4, 1 Run, HR(7), 2 RBI) and Jarren Duran (3 for 5, 3 Runs, HR(15), 1 RBI).  Man, is this guy broken.  Giving up longballs to the Sawx speedsters.  Yikes.  This is not a fluke, Kimbrel is cooked.  That said, if Yoshida is still floating around out there (I was able to add him in an RCL a couple weeks back) , Wilyer Abreu hasn’t been scooped back up, or David Hamilton has been dropped, pounce on those guys.  Maybe MLB put the bouncy balls in play for Player’s Weekend, maybe it’s the summer humidity, or maybe, these guys are just warming up.  Here’s what else I saw last night in fantasy baseball:

Gerrit Cole – 6 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, Win (4-2) – Pitched like classic Cole tonight.  It’s the Tigers, but still.  I’m still not trusting him very much, but that’s easy for me to say, I drafted him nowhere.  I guess keep rolling him out until his arm falls off.

Clay Holmes – 1 IP, 2 K, Save (26) – He’s had some rough spells, but he’s still the guy for a very good baseball team.  I’m a little shocked the Yankees didn’t trade for a top closer at the deadline, a Tanner Scott for instance.  They didn’t and if you need saves, I hope you were able to snag him as he could easily be the top save getter down the stretch.

Paul Skenes – 6 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, Win (7-2) – Looked rather mortal against Logan Gilbert (6.1 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) who falls to 7-9.  Wild that Skenes has as many wins as Gilbert already.  The Mariners are a bit of a trainwreck, huh?  Skenes did enough to win and Bednar did his best to try and blow it but held on.

Oneil Cruz – 1 for 4, 2 RBI – Left the game after rounding second and getting back awkwardly.  Reports are an ankle ailment and I don’t like it, not one bit.

Jorge Polanco – 1 for 3, HR (12), 1 RBI, 2 Runs – Ignore the .215 and go add him, Polanco is en fuego.  His last 30 has him sitting at .260 with 6 dingers, also known as more than halfway to Julio Rodriguez’s homer total.

Ian Happ – 2 for 4, 3 Runs, 1 RBI, Slam (21) and Legs (9) – As he hit leadoff which appears to be a thing in August for the Cubs.  I mean, if Schwarber can do it, anyone can, and again I say, you cannot stop the Happening.

Sean Manaea – 7 IP, 5 hits, 3 Runs, 1 BB, 4 K, Win (9-5) – Bounced back from an awful first start of the week with a pretty solid, meh against the Marlins.  Good enough for a stream, not inspiring enough to hold onto, especially since his next start is against Baltimore.  Hard pass.

Brandon Nimmo – 2 for 5, HR (17), 3 RBI, 2 Runs – Nimmo had been struggling (he’s only got one fin) but if you’re in an OBP league and someone gave up on him, this could be the start of a nice turnaround for a chronically underrated player.

Jake Burger – 1 for 4, solo shot (24) – Burger Time just continues to cook.

Ryan Pepiot – 5.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 Runs, none earned, 1 BB, 5 Ks – Didn’t turn into Miles Morales out there on the mound but did pitch quite nicely after a spider bite infected his knee.

Dylan Carlson – 2 for 4, 1 Run, 2 RBI, Slam (3) and Legs (1) – It’s really happening isn’t it?  Remember when the Cardinals had Dylan Carlson as an untouchable trade chip?  Like all the Cardinal OFs before him, this is where Dylan Carlson finally becomes a star.

Junior Caminero – 2 for 3 – Speaking of stars, not much of note, just wanted to point out the kid is hitting .300 so far.

Corbin Carroll – 1 for 5, 2 Runs, 2 RBIs, HR (12) – Carroll and Julio Rodriguez have 23 homers between them.  I’m encouraged by Carroll though, it could be the shoulder is finally alright and these last six weeks will be more like what we hoped from him.  I already wrote him off and traded my only share earlier this year, but I could see him next year at a discount.

James Wood – 3 for 3 – Also hitting near .300 (.289 to be exact).  We love to see it and I’m already excited to draft him next year and pray he’s not my 2025 Nolan Jones.

Aaron Nola – 6.2 IP, 7 hits, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K – At some point here I have to imagine Philly starters just start going 5 or 6 IP and getting out as soon as they look remotely tired, gotta save those bullets.

Trea Turner –  4 for 5, 1 Run, 1 RBI – The treats have not been urning, Trea’s last 30 sees him hitting .190 with two dingers and two steals.  Maybe this is a spark that turns him around for a big finish.  He can carry a team if he gets hot.

Vinnie Pasquantino – 2 for 5, 2 Runs, 3 RBIs, HR (18) – Speaking of hot, Vinnie is the hottest meatball in the land.  I tried many times to trade for him at the RCL deadline seeing his barrels and knowing they’d turn into dingers soon.  To everyone’s credit, no one sold, and they are reaping those rewards now.

Bobby Witt Jr. – 3 for 4, 3 Runs, 1 RBI – Another day, another multi hit game for Bobby Witt.  I can’t believe I drafted him nowhere this season.  What a dummy.

Simeon Woods Richardson – 5 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, Win (4-3)  – SWR has only given up more than three runs in a start once in his last ten games, and yet I am so uninspired.  Nice work holding the Rangers to 2 ER, but one measly strikeout.  A fine starter if you have no IP limit I guess, but anywhere else the lack of upside just kills me.  For real life, this is perfect for the Twins who can transition to their elite bullpen after 5 meh innings.  Alcala, to Sands, to Jax, to Duran, goodnight.

Gavin Williams – 4 IP, 6 hits, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks – Just when I’m ready to start believing, out goes the rug.  How’s Triston McKenzie doing?  A near five ERA in AAA you say?  Welp, maybe Alex Cobb will save the rotation…

Will Brennan – 3 for 4, 1 Run – Seems weird to have traded for Lane Thomas when you had Will Brennan this whole time.  Thomas will be a good addition to the bench I guess.

Aaron Civale – 6 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, Win (4-8) – The start of something decent?  *Looks at player page, vomits* nope, just an outlier, nothing to see here.

Garrett Crochet – 4 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 Ks – The other day for Tout we had a Tout Table question to rank Skenes, Cole, Crochet, Robbie Ray, and Blake Snell.  Skenes inclusion in this list is hilarious (I guess maybe in case they limit innings) but I had Skenes, huge gap, Snell, Ray, Crochet for K/9 only, Cole.  Of course, Crochet proceeded to implode the next start and I rage dropped him everywhere I had been holding for K/9.  I almost added him for this start but couldn’t bring myself to do it.  This could be enough that I add him and just pray for those Ks.  It’s going to cause heartburn though and you have to hope your ratios can take a hit.

Luis Robert Jr. – 4 for 5, 2 Runs, 2 HR (13 & 14), 4 RBI – Why are you throwing pitches to the only offense on this team?  Andrew Vaughn makes you nervous?  Robert must be so angry to still be on this team.

Spencer Arrighetti – 5.2 IP, 7 hits, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K – I grabbed him everywhere I could for this start, do you notice a trend?  Should have just grabbed Crochet and called it a night.  Arrighetti looked like he was turning a corner and instead turned back into a pumpkin.  Pumpkin spaghetti sounds like something served at a vegan restaurant that will give me stomach pains, kind of like Spencer’s starts.

Mookie Betts – 2 for 5, 1 Run, HR (12), 1 RBI – Mookie Best!

Michael Kopech – 1 IP, 2 K, Save (10) – I would absolutely go stash Kopech right now.  It has been said by many that he has great stuff and in this bullpen, he could take the job and run with it.

Paul Goldschmidt – 1 for 3, 2 Runs, HR (19), 2 RBI, hitting .231 – Au Shizz hit this one while blowing Laura a kiss for her article yesterday.  No amount of end of season heater can turn me around on him either though.

Masyn Winn – 1 for 4, HR (10) – Winn was dropped in one of my RCLs the other day and I have Volpe, Neto, and Mookie in middle infield spots right now and couldn’t justify adding Winn, but I think the kid is clearly very underrated hitting .275 at the top of the lineup.  I’m excited to draft him next year.  20/20 with a .270 average is awfully nice.  Zach Neto 2.0.

Matt Waldron – 5.2 IP, 9 hits, 7 ER, 1 BB, 6 K – His 1 ER in 6 IP in Coors back in April when it was freezing suckered some people into starting him in the August heat and you people are crazy.  You couldn’t pay me to start a knuckler in Coors.  You got what you deserved in this one.

Brendan Rodgers – 1 for 4, 1 Run, HR (10), 3 RBI – Then you have Rodgers and his 10 HRs, 1 SB, and .280 average rostered in every league and why is Winn being dropped?

Jackson Merrill – 2 for 4 – Just another rookie hitting near .300 (.290).  Too bad he loses SS eligibility next year, but he’ll still be someone I look to draft.

Spencer Schwellenbach – 5 IP, 4 hits, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K – In honor of Dan Pants, sweet sassy molassy, those Ks are just Schwell!  I can’t decide if Schwellenbach is going to be a wonderful sidekick to Strider or flame out like Touki Touissant, but I’m ready to be burned next year.

Logan O’Hoppe –  – 0 for his previous 29 before this homer.  We’re just going to float this body out to sea on this funeral pyre, WAIT!  HE MOVED!  HAUL HIM BACK IN!

Ben Joyce – 1.2 IP, 1 hit 1 K, Save (2) – I’m surprised they brought Joyce in for a 5 outer and even more surprised he didn’t implode.  Not even a single walk.  Not sure what kind of dividends he pays this year, but next year I’m excited for the heartburn.