Will Giancarlo Stanton ever stop hitting bombs? I’m not so sure.
Stanton is up to 51 dingers (and counting), and most of them have come over the last couple months. He now has 18 in August, and 30 since the start of July. Even in a season where everyone is hitting long balls left and right, only 14 other guys have over 30 home runs for the year. That’s right, only 14 dudes have outdone what he’s done in two months.
And heck, some would just settle for 18 round-trippers — in their whole career. In 2,116 career plate appearances, Billy Hamilton has 16 home runs. This month, it’s taken just 118 for Stanton to reach 18.
We’re finally seeing him reach his full potential, and it sure is a lot of fun — unless you’re an opposing pitcher that is. The scary thing is he’s still just 27 years old. Props if you ignored all the injury talk and effectively bought low on Stanton in 2017 drafts. He’s a sure-fire first rounder in 2018.
This is our final edition of Depth Chart Review this season. We hope you’ve found this series helpful! Now, onto the latest news from around the league, and how it might affect your fantasy teams.
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Our Heroes Return
Owners of Clayton Kershaw and Carlos Correa can rejoice — both are finally set to return this week.
Kershaw missed over a month due to a lower back strain, but following a successful rehab start over the weekend, he’s ready to make his triumphant return on Friday against the San Diego Padres. You couldn’t ask for a much better opponent than the strikeout-prone Padres, so look for Kershaw to pick up right where he left off. Over 21 starts, he’s done his usual Kershaw things, going 15-2 with a 2.04 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 168 strikeouts. It’s all the more impressive in a season where quality starting pitching has been difficult to find.
The stars are aligning (and returning) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who also get Cody Bellinger (Wednesday) and Alex Wood (Sunday) back. For weeks there has been speculation as to who would get the boot from the rotation at full-strength, but as it turns out, it might be nobody, as the Dodgers may elect to use a six-man rotation down the stretch. This is potentially good news for those relying on Kenta Maeda and Hyun-Jin Ryu, who were the most likely candidates to get the bullpen treatment.
Meanwhile, like Kershaw, Correa is also slated for a Friday return. He’s been out for the Houston Astros since mid-July with a torn thumb ligament. This season, the star shortstop is hitting .320/.400/.566 with 20 home runs in 375 plate appearances, and should slide right back into the heart of the Astros order. After two straight campaigns with double-digit stolen bases, it’s a little disappointing he’s swiped zero bags in 2017, but at this point that’s just nitpicking. Still just 22 years old, it’s fair to wonder if this injury will hamper his production the rest of the season, but he’s nonetheless a welcome sight for fantasy owners.
Yoenis Cespedes Done for the Year
Cespedes’ recurring hamstring issues struck again last week, but this time it will cost him the remainder of the year. Cespedes was forced to leave Friday’s game with a strained hammy and was quickly placed on the DL over the weekend. The injury is expected to take six weeks to heal, and with only about a month left and nothing to play for, it effectively ends his 2017 campaign.
The nagging leg injuries leave Cespedes with just 81 games and 321 plate appearances, both career-lows in his six major league seasons. However, he was effective when on the field, slashing .292/.352/.540 with 17 home runs. He finishes the year with a solid .369 wOBA, his third straight with a wOBA of at least .367. He’ll be 32 years old entering the 2018 season and could be a buy-low opportunity in fantasy drafts if injury concerns scare owners off.
Miggy’s Balky Back
While we’ve seen Stanton’s value skyrocket, Miguel Cabrera has gone in the opposite direction. It’s been a lost season for Cabrera, and now we may know why. He’s been hampered by on and off back issues since the World Baseball Classic, but it might be a bigger problem than he’s let on, as Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus suggested it’s a chronic issue that may affect Cabrera the rest of his career. It doesn’t sound like a DL stint will be required, but he may need more frequent days off.
One of the most feared hitters in the game his entire career, now at age-34, are we witnessing the beginning of the end? Miggy is hitting an uncharacteristic .253/.339/.406 with just 14 home runs, 45 runs, and 57 RBIs — a far cry from what we’ve grown used to over the years. Between the back issues, a looming suspension from the New York Yankees brawl, and a poor Tigers season, perhaps Cabrera will be thankful to put this one behind him. Posting jus a .232/.303/.341 line since the break, while you’re not dropping him in most leagues, you may welcome the suspension and hope the rest does him some good.
Despite his struggles, there are some glimmers of hope moving forward. Through it all, Cabrera has produced an elite 44.2% hard-hit rate and .389 xwOBA, signs that maybe he hasn’t performed as poorly as his traditional numbers would indicate. If the season ended today, his .297 BABIP would be the lowest of his career, well below his .345 career BABIP. It sure appears some bad luck played a role this year, so depending on what we hear about the back during the offseason, Cabrera could emerge as a potential value in 2018 drafts. Age doesn’t look fondly on fantasy stars, but Cabrera is a generational talent, so if ever there was a guy to beat the odds it would be him. After all, we saw what David Ortiz was able to do at age 40. Let’s not write off Cabrera just yet.
Kenyatta Storin is a featured writer with FantasyPros. For more from Kenyatta, check out his archive and follow him @kenyattastorin.