What is up party people? Now that we have all enjoyed the All-Star game it is time to look ahead to the second half. Obviously, I am very interested to see if my All-Star team will continue their success in the second half but they are hardly the only ones I will be keeping an eye on.
Aaron Judge – Yes, I featured him last week and, while his quest to set an AL home run record is certainly one to watch, that’s not what I’m really interested in. So far he has been smacking home runs all over the place and that’s great but the most impressive part is the over .300 average. That combo has made him one of the best points league hitters on the season.
Wyatt Langford – It wasn’t the best way to close out the first half with an 0-fer in his last five games but he was really starting to come alive in June. It’s no secret that his performance hasn’t quite lived up to the hype but that doesn’t take away the reason he was widely talked about for Rookie of the Year. We haven’t really seen much in the way of power but it’s coming. If he keeps bringing his average up and starts knocking it out of the park he’s looking at a strong second half. He’s still the betting favorite but I would love to see him go out and win it.
James Wood – With only 53 at bats under his belt we don’t have enough of a sample size to really judge him. His minor league numbers prior to his call up were excellent and there is big time upside here. Strikeouts have been a problem early but we may just have to accept that and trust that he has enough talent to make up for it. He hasn’t been allergic to taking a walk, which is a positive sign and I’m hopeful that his strikeout rate will come down a bit even if it may be on the high side. Power will be there along with speed as well as a solid batting average. There’s never a sure thing when it comes to prospects, but Wood feels a matter of when not if. The question is whether it all comes together this season. There will definitely be flashes of his talent this season but I would be willing to enjoy the ride with him on my roster.
Heliot Ramos – He looks like an entirely different player this season. Granted it was only a handful of games over the past two seasons, but the results were not good. This year he has hit for both power (14) and average (.298) in only 60 games earning him a trip to the All-Star game. Playing time won’t be an issue and I’m really loving the power potential. If he played 162 games he’s on pace for 37 home runs but he realistically has a chance to top 30 bombs. That may not sound like much of an achievement but the Giants haven’t had a 30 home run hitter since forever.
Colt Keith – I’ve been adding to his hype for a minute now. He’s got talent and it’s starting to show. I regret not making a trade for him in a dynasty league and I think he is about to blow up. What I’m saying is that I want him on my team.
Corbin Carroll – There’s no way around it, he has been a disappointment. He broke out last season but this year he has fallen off the face of the earth. His average has dropped off and so has his power. The only part of his game that hasn’t gone away is his base stealing. Speed don’t slump as they say. I want to believe that there is second half bounce back, but honestly, I’m not sure what’s wrong with him. He’s not hitting for power or average. I want there to be a bounce back but he needs to figure some things out. You can’t trade him at this point so you have to ride it out. He didn’t forget how to hit, or at least I hope that’s not the case, but we shall see.
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