I don’t know how to introduce this one, so please enjoy this haiku instead.
Fantasy baseball
Can be a frustrating game.
Alek Manoah.
Here are this week’s fantasy baseball risers and fallers. I already wrote about Manoah.
Three Up:
Texas Rangers SS Corey Seager — Just as he was before landing on the injured list, Seager has been scorching hot since his return and especially so in the past week. He has at least two hits in five straight games and in six of seven overall. During that span, he has blasted two home runs and driven in 10, giving him a whopping 25 RBIs in his last 17 games dating back to his activation. It’s a shame we missed a month of Corey Seager because he has been one of the best hitters in baseball.
San Diego Padres OF Fernando Tatis Jr. — Tatis saw his batting average drop about 40 points in the final two weeks of May, but the beginning of June has been kind to the 24-year-old. A trio of multi-hit games in his last five is a welcome sign for Tatis, who had not recorded more than one hit in a game since May 19. In his last seven games overall, he has a pair each of home runs and stolen bases, in addition to three doubles and nine runs batted in. Tatis is trending up as his OPS on the season is once again above .800.
Chicago Cubs RHP Marcus Stroman — A popular name being thrown around as fans begin looking forward to the trade deadline, Stroman has been nothing short of excellent for the Cubs this season. He last allowed an earned run in the third inning of his May 24 start, giving him a streak of 20 innings pitched without raising his ERA, including a complete game, one-hit shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays a week ago. Stroman has gone six-plus innings while allowing two runs or less in 11 of his 13 outings this season, the most such starts in baseball.
Three Down:
San Diego Padres 3B Manny Machado — After finishing 2022 as the National League MVP runner-up, Machado simply hasn’t found it this year. He did have three hits on June 5 but was 1-for-11 prior to that since returning from the injured list on June 2. His season slash line sits at .234/.285/.368 entering action on June 6, a wildly disappointing showing thus far from the early-second-round fantasy pick. Obviously, his spot as the Padres’ everyday third baseman is not in jeopardy, but Padres fans and fantasy owners alike would love an increase in offensive production.
Los Angeles Angels LHP Patrick Sandoval — It’s been a weird season for Sandoval, who has had some good outings and some not-so-good ones. His most recent was his worst, as he allowed six runs on eight hits in just 3.1 innings, walking three and striking out four. Sandoval’s strikeout rate has decreased drastically this season, which is interesting because the whiff rates on his slider and changeup have actually been slightly higher this year than last. He’s just had trouble putting guys away with two strikes and it’s showing in his results, as his ERA is now 4.14 after an impressive 2.91 a year ago.
Seattle Mariners RHP Bryce Miller — The Mariners rookie was a popular fantasy addition during a string of dominant starts following his debut. He began his big-league career with five consecutive quality starts and a 1.15 ERA. That ERA has tripled in his last two starts, as he has surrendered 15 earned runs in just seven innings pitched during that span. Granted, those outings were against two formidable offenses in the Yankees and Rangers, but Miller was flat-out bad. I still like Miller long-term, but it may take a little time to get his confidence back.