Did Chris Sale just get another start? Did Spencer Schwellenbach just pick up another start? Who goes on Friday? Who on Sunday? Does any of this matter? Does anything matter? I don’t know, tee bee aitch, but let’s see where we’re at. Braves/Mets series was cancelled and they’re tentatively scheduled for a Monday doubleheader. That means Braves/Mets just either lost two games from your fantasy week or you’re getting one more day on Monday. I know in some of my leagues, the season ends Sunday. That’s it. In other leagues, Monday is counting. In our RCL leagues, Monday counts. If Monday counts, I would immediately pick up Luis Severino and Jose Butto if they were cut, and even David Peterson. Maybe Charlie Morton. Every Mets and Braves pitcher and hitter is worth it, if you’re in a tight matchup. I wish these games didn’t count. It sucks to lose guys if you have them, but you lost guys to injuries and rainouts all year. Shizz happens. My long-term fix is MLB schedule should be 154 games long and give everyone a week to makeup games, rest, etc., but I’m being told I’m not MLB commissioner as I stand outside their corporate offices. Let me in! This sink is heavy! Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Yusei Kikuchi – 6 IP, 0 ER, 5 baserunners, 8 Ks, ERA at 4.05. I needed him to pitch well so badly. To distract myself, I even left my desk and went into the kitchen to make sauerkraut (I’m on a fermentation kick, don’t ask). When I returned, I opened the box score to see 8-1, and now I have Ticker Shock Syndrome. Any hoo! Yusei seemed to pitch well, I have no idea.
Julio Rodriguez – 1-for-5, 2 RBIs and his 20th homer, hitting .274. JRod became the inaugural member of the “How Is It That I Hate This Guy So Much After He Went 20/20” Club.
Mitch Garver – 2-for-4 and his 14th homer. Mitch don’t kill my vibe!
George Kirby – 6 IP, 1 ER, 5 baserunners, 6 Ks, ERA at 3.53. At some point this offseason, I will decide if Kirby is an “always number two that seems better” or an “unlucky ace.” Think it’s the former, but I don’t know my formers from my latters.
Steven Kwan – 2-for-4, 2 runs and his 14th homer, as he was activated from the IL, hitting .292. I legit forgot he existed. Member when it looked like he might hit .400? He might not hit .300.
Jose Ramirez – 3-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and his 38th homer, hitting .279. It’s so fitting JoJoRam could be the quietest 40/40 ever. Everything he does is overlooked.
Jakob Junis – 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 baserunners, 3 Ks, ERA at 2.69. Like to see the Reds commit a rotation spot to Junis, then watch him be ignored everywhere and draft him in my NL-Only leagues.
Freddy Peralta – 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 baserunners, 7 Ks, ERA at 3.68. If only there was some way to succinctly explain FreddyKBB’s disappointing season. Something like him being out-pitched by Luis L. Ortiz (7 IP, 1 ER, 5 baserunners, 5 Ks, ERA at 3.32). Shame there’s no obvious thing like that.
Junior Caminero – 2-for-4 and his 5th homer, as he hits third. I’m Mr. Promote Your Rookies, but it is still very confusing why they didn’t let Caminero keep his rookie eligibility for next year. Wish he had more speed, because I can only get so excited for 20/5/.275, which I imagine his 2025 projections being near.
Spencer Torkelson – 2-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and his 10th homer, 2nd homer in three games. Could be a quick, fast schmotato this final weekend.
Parker Meadows – 3-for-5, 2 runs and his 9th homer. If the Tigers see playoff games, well, I am looking at their lineup and it is very, very sad, and watch them beat the Yanks. Baseball, man.
Jake Burger – 2-for-5, 3 RBIs and his 29th homer, and 2nd homer in three games. Call him Teri Yaki, because that Burger is sweet!
Byron Buxton – 2-for-4 and his 18th homer. Buxton reached 100 games played for the first time since “He’s always great, he’s just never healthy,” and, let me tell you, times have changed. He figured out how to stay healthy, I guess. By not being good.
Kevin Gausman – 6 IP, 1 ER, 7 baserunners, 3 Ks, ERA at 3.83. Here’s May Grey of next year, “Yeah, that stinks that you drafted Gausman. Well, I told you not to, but, yeah, too bad he has a 5.50 ERA. No one could’ve seen that coming. Except me, I guess.”
Jonatan Clase – 3-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs and his 1st homer. Grabbed him in my RCL league because I saw him hitting leadoff and I know he’s fast and I desperately need steals. Here’s me not winning.
Richard Fitts – 5 IP, 4 ER, ERA at .174. Fun fact! Robbie Ray says this guy’s name when he finds the right pants.
Marcus Stroman – 3 1/3 IP, 6 ER, ERA at 4.31. Yanks looking very solid in this playoff teaser vs. the O’s. Showing all their WMDs. Weapons of Mass Disappointment.
Aaron Judge – 2-for-4, 3 RBIs and his 57th homer, hitting .324. Okay, I take that back on WMDs. O’s and Yanks showing each other their various holes like they’re at an orgy. “You aint got no starting pitcher?” “Sweet, check out our relievers who suck!”
Nestor Cortes – Hit the IL with an elbow strain. Yanks and Dodgers losing their 1st round playoffs matchups is going to be so predictable.
Juan Soto – 2-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and his 41st homer. Give him a bajillion dollars and bring him back to the Yanks. No, not a Yanks’ fan, but one of the top players in a big market is good for baseball. Sorry, not sorry.
Adolis Garcia – 2-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 24th homer. Saw his homer and he celebrated after and I’m not against players celebrating because who cares, but it did stand out to me. Here is this guy having a terrible season on a team that is not good and he’s pumping his fist vs. the A’s like they’re going back-to-back in the World Series.
Wyatt Langford – 2-for-5, 2 RBIs and a slam (14) and legs (17), and 2nd homer in three games. Wyatt Langford: Good in March and September.
Zac Gallen – 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 baserunners, 11 Ks, ERA at 3.65. Pitching absolutely matters in the playoffs. It might be the only thing that matters. If Gallen gets hot at the right time, watch the DBacks get back to the World Series. Unless they lose to the Brewers, please.
Erick Fedde – 7 IP, 1 ER, 7 baserunners, 10 Ks, ERA at 3.30. The Coors Field Humidor is juicing. The Coors Field Humidor is cycling androstenedione. Someone piss test The Coors Field Humidor.
Brenton Doyle – 1-for-4 and his 23rd homer. I told you he didn’t retire in August. You silly!
Nico Hoerner – 2-for-4, 4 RBIs and two homers (6, 7). If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it thousand times: Nico Hoerner is a 40-homer hitter if all games happened on September 25th.
Nick Castellanos – 3-for-4, 3 runs, and his 23rd homer. Am I sniffing my own brain fart or did he once go by Nicholas?
Trea Turner – 2-for-5 and his 20th homer. Castellanos hasn’t missed a game all year; he has three more homers than Treat Urner who missed six weeks.
Cristopher Sanchez – 4 2/3 IP, 3 ER, ERA at 3.32. He was one out from an easy win, and from the hell that is trying to get a win the final week comes the Streamonator with my face directly planted on it.
Korey Lee – 2-for-2, 2 RBIs and his 12th homer, as the White Sox stave off MLB’s most losses for one more day. Ya know, would be nice to see the White Sox take the negative of losing the most games in MLB history and turn it into a positive by rehiring Tony La Russa.
