What is up party people? One of this season’s breakout hitters, Masyn Winn seems to still be flying under the radar. He hasn’t really stood out in a singular area but he looks like a vastly improved hitter from what we saw last season. Batting average has been his strong suit and you can’t be mad at a guy hitting over .300. The secret sauce is there might be some untapped power waiting to be unleashed. I’m not suddenly expecting him drop 50 on us, but he did swat 18 in 445 at bats his last turn in AAA so the 3 he has this season feel a little low. Even if he turns into 20-25 home runs hitter and can keep his average close to .300 he suddenly becomes a much more interesting hitter. There’s quite a bit to like here even if the power doesn’t manifest this season.
Heliot Ramos – Giving him regular playing time is looking like one of the best decisions the Giants have made all season. Heliot is hotter than the surface of the sun and even better than his batting average, has been his ability to take a walk. Come hell or high water, he is getting on base. He was a .267 hitter in his minor league career although his batting average did bounce around. More importantly, his OBP was over .340 and never lower than .305 so he should still be able to give you something even when he’s not racking up hits. He looks like a totally different player than the guy who struggled in brief tastes of MLB action the past couple seasons. You may have been burned by Luis Matos after his scoring hot start quickly evaporated but I would much rather have Heliot on my roster to see if he’s figured it out than watch him break out on another squad.
Lane Thomas – He’s on a solid two week stretch but even just looking at his last 7 days shows how volatile he can be. Thomas has his moments but a speed first guy who bats under .220 doesn’t really play in most points formats.
Wilmer Flores – When he’s locked in he can put up points in a hurry. Currently, he looks locked into a near everyday spot in the lineup, so that’s a plus. Unfortunately, he is also only batting .224 on the season. He has been a useful piece in the past despite his lackluster batting average but with the likelihood of a platoon role once his teammates get healthy, you’ll have to be smart about when you choose to move him into your starting lineup.
Riley Greene – Not exactly the name I expected to see this high up on the points leader board but here we are. Clearly, his performance has gotten the attention of many leagues because he’s almost universally rostered in CBS leagues but he is still available in almost 40% of ESPN leagues, so it never hurts to take a look at your waiver wire. As for Greene himself, it’s more than time to buy into what he is doing. He doesn’t have a great average but he does have some pop, and enough speed to score some doubles.
Giancarlo Stanton – Nice to see him in the top 10 for home runs thus far on the season. Sadly those bombs have come with a .230 batting average and a K rate approaching 34%. The strikeouts aren’t that far outside of his norm but the batting average is still concerning given that he has been trending downward in that department the past few seasons. There is also the perception of the injury bug that likely drove his draft day cost down. If you took the plunge you have to love the results so far. I’m not entirely out on him, but if the opportunity to upgrade presents itself, I think you have to explore it.
Nick Gonzales – All he has done this season is hit, hit, hit no matter what. You bat over .300 and you have my curiosity, but Gonzo has my attention. I refuse to call him Ni-Go but I will direct your attention to Grey’s fantasy’s about him. I won’t disagree with his thoughts, and I think he should be a priority add if he’s still available.
Corbin Carroll – I don’t normally like to write about first round picks here because where’s the fun in that? However, as you all know, Corbin has not been the prince that was promised. I refuse to believe that he just suddenly forgot how to play baseball but I do get the concerns about his shoulder health. However, he has shown that he is alive and it won’t be long until everyone knows it.
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