Mike Moustakas is finally meeting our expectations

The last week of August is in the books. It’s time for the stretch run. There will be many September call-ups in the next week, so keep tabs on them as there could be some viable fantasy options becoming available…for FREE. Who doesn’t love free things?

In this weekly column, I highlight the lower-tier players that performed the best/worst over the past week.

RISERS

• Mike Moustakas (3B – Kansas City Royals) – 14 hits, four runs scored, three home runs and 14 RBI. He’s been hitting sixth in the order behind Kendrys Morales, so the RBI opportunities have been plentiful. Moustakas has been on fire and is now hitting .283 on the season with 15 HR and 59 RBI. He’s finally delivering on the hype that’s been bestowed upon him for years.

• Francisco Lindor (SS – Cleveland Indians) – 12 hits, five runs scored, one home run, four RBI and three stolen bases (all in one game). Known primarily for his glove, Lindor has been a boon for the shallow shortstop position. On the year, he’s hitting .312 with 32 runs scored, seven home runs, 30 RBI and six stolen bases. AL Rookie of the Year?

• Stephen Piscotty (3B/OF – St. Louis Cardinals) – 12 hits, five runs scored, two home runs and 10 RBI. The 24-year-old just keeps raking. Any wonder why the Cardinals are perennial contenders? Man, they really do an impressive job of developing their young talent. He’s hitting second in the lineup, and it looks like he’s there to stay. On the year, he’s hitting .341 with four home runs, 23 RBI and one stolen base in 129 at-bats.

• Aaron Nola (SP – Philadelphia Phillies) – Two stellar outings. In Miami, he shut out the Marlins for eight innings. He allowed three hits, walked two and struck out six. Five days later, he allowed one earned on two hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out six in that game. Since being called up to the big leagues in July, Nola has a 5-1 record, a 3.26 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings. It looks like he’s getting comfortable and could be a fantasy asset in September.

• Kevin Kiermaier (OF – Tampa Bay Rays) – 10 hits, three runs scored, one home run, three RBI and three stolen bases. Kiermaier is not exciting but is a solid and reliable contributor. He’s a .260 AVG/.300 OBP hitter with double-digit pop and speed. The one negative is he hits eighth in the batting order.

• Billy Burns (OF- Oakland Athletics) – I haven’t sung it in a long time…Burn Billy Burns! Disco Inferno! Burn Billy Burns! Ah, that felt so good. 11 hits, seven runs scored, one home run, four RBI and one stolen base. On the year, he’s hitting .297 with three home runs, 60 runs scored, 31 RBI and 25 stolen bases. He’s stellar defensively, so you don’t have to worry about him getting platooned. The one knock on him is his approach at the plate. He swings at the first pitch more often than not, which results in a low walk rate.

• Eduardo Escobar (SS/3B/OF – Minnesota Twins) – Seven hits, eight runs scored, three home runs and five RBI. He’s been hot recently, which has increased his average to .254. He’s scored 34 runs, clubbed eight home runs, driven in 40 and stolen two bases. He’s essentially locked down the shortstop position for the Twins so consistent playing time shouldn’t be an issue going forward.

• Cameron Rupp (C – Philadelphia Phillies) – Five hits, four runs scored, three home runs and eight RBI. Rupp has made the most of his opportunities. Unfortunately, he does not receive consistent playing time as Carlos Ruiz is ahead of him on the depth chart.

• Tom Wilhelmsen (RP – Seattle Mariners) – Four saves last week. Allowed three hits, zero earned runs, walked one, and struck out four in 4 1/3 innings. With Carson Smith performing poorly, it looks like Wilhelmsen has locked down the closer role for the Mariners for the time being.

• Franklin Gutierrez (OF – Seattle Mariners) – Six hits, three runs scored, three home runs and seven RBI. Consistent playing time is an issue, as Gutierrez is the Mariners’ fourth outfielder. This reminds me of Alex Guerrero for the Dodgers earlier in the season. He can’t get consistent playing time. But when he does play, all he hits are home runs. Don’t count on this hot streak continuing. He’s a career .258 hitter.

FALLERS

• Matt Garza (SP – Milwaukee Brewers) – Two starts in which he allowed seven earned runs in each. In Washington, the Nationals collected eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Garza walked six and struck out seven. Against the Reds, he allowed 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings, while walking one and striking out two. Remember when Garza was good with the Cubs? Yeah, neither do I. Garza has allowed 23 home runs in 144 innings pitched.

• Jed Lowrie (SS/3B – Houston Astros) – Donuts all around. Those expecting any contribution from Lowrie should probably give up the dream.

• Mike Montgomery (SP – Seattle Mariners) – Allowed five earned runs on seven hits in 1 1/3 innings. He was then optioned to Triple-A. It was a promising start when he was called up in July, but August has not been kind to him.

• Ervin Santana (SP – Minnesota Twins) – In Tampa Bay, Santana allowed five earned runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings. Five days later, he blanked the Astros for seven innings and struck out 10 batters in the process. He will tantalize us and keep him in our consciousness with one good outing, but will stink the rest of the time. Yet, our brains keep remembering that one good start and believe the next one is right around the corner. No Mas!

• Alex Rodriguez (3B – New York Yankees) – Bagels galore. Where are your steroids now? Am I going to get in trouble for that?

Good luck to everyone this week!

Stan Son is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Stan, check out his archive and follow him @Stan_Son.