We have made it another week through the MLB season, and there have been some great performances and some rough performances. This weekly column will help highlight some hot and cold players or risers and fallers for fantasy purposes. Some players are already rostered in many places, so trades may be in order. Other players may be widely available, making a potential waiver wire claim in the cards. So this week, I am highlighting some lesser rostered players on the rise and some heavily rostered players that are falling over the past weeks. So let’s see some of the risers and fallers for fantasy baseball Week 7 (5/16 – 5/22).
Risers
Going into the week, many were highly concerned with Story and wondered if he would ever get going at the plate. I think it’s safe to say he is doing just fine. After another home run on Sunday, Story hit six home runs this week with two stolen bases. Story scored ten runs, drove in 14, and racked up a wRC+ well over 300. His contact quality was elite, with a barrel rate over 25% and a hard hit rate over 45%. Contact quality like that is extra exceptional when you are putting the ball in play, much like Story was, as he struck out less than 12% of the time. Story was always okay, but an early-season monster week like this should make everyone forget the slow start.
It has been a very slow start to the season for Arozarena, but this week should make many breathe easy going forward. This past week, Arozarena hit three home runs and stole a base while racking up an OPS over 1.400. Arozarena had a hard-hit rate near 80% on the week, which is just crazy. He is now hitting .258 with four home runs and seven stolen bases. Arozarena is still on track for a 15/15 season with a chance at 20/20. This past week is a sign of things to come for Randy.
The 34-year-old Peralta was off to a very slow start this season, but this past week will give some optimism going forward. In five of six games, Peralta hit safely with three home runs and a .318 batting average. He hit well and showcased great plate discipline as he walked over 15% of the time. Peralta has been an excellent batting average asset from time to time, but the chance of showcasing some power could be ideal as well. I would not expect a ton of power, but double-digit power is definitely in play with consistent playing time, which is fantasy gold.
Jonathan Villar (2B/SS/3B – CHC)
Year after year, Villar finds his way to double-digit power and speed, resulting in positional flexibility, eventually leading to regular playing time. Due to some injuries, Villar has found his regular playing time with the Cubs. This past week, Villar hit safely in four of six games with two home runs and two stolen bases. However, Villar is just doing Villar things. He should continue to play every day until the Cubs are healthy, and if he keeps performing, then his job may be fine regardless of players returning from the IL.
Singer returned from the minors this week and made two excellent starts. He pitched seven innings in each start while allowing four hits in each start. Singer only walked three over the two starts while striking out 12. Since returning from the minors, Singer has changed his pitch mix by using more sliders and fewer sinkers, which have been quite effective. This past week is the Singer many thought he could be, and even though there will be some ups and downs through the season, he is worth an add right now.
Fallers
Moncada’s season got off to a late start due to injuries, and so far, he appears to still be in spring training form. This past week, Moncada collected three hits while hitting a lowly .100. His plate discipline was horrible, as he struck out 10 times with a 62.5% contact rate and 18.1% SwStr. He is now hitting .176 with two home runs and a near 30% strikeout rate. Moncada does not look great at the plate, and for now, it may be worth a bench on your rosters.
Hicks has struggled at the plate all season, and this past week was no different. He collected four singles while scoring one run and striking out over 30% of the time. Hicks had zero barrels and a hard-hit rate of around 20%, obviously less than ideal. Hicks had an SwStr rate around 12% and a contact rate around 75% this past week. The preseason hopes of some Hicks value in drafts are all but gone, and he is not worth a roster spot in anything less than a 15-team league.
Bohm’s hot start to the season is quickly becoming a thing of the past. This past week he collected four hits while striking out ten times, or nearly 40% of the time. Additionally, Bohm had zero barrels on the week with a hard-hit rate of around 35%, so those early season quality of contact metrics are also dwindling. Bohm is still hitting second for the loaded Phillies offense, which is a plus, but this past week does not make anyone feel great. Maybe it was just a weekly slump, and he will be fine, but I am tempering my expectations for now due to the high strikeout rate.
Baez hit a home run on Sunday, but that only gave him three hits for the week. He struck out nearly 40% of the time, primarily due to his lack of plate discipline. Baez’s plate discipline is always sketchy, but he had an O-swing of nearly 60% this past week, with a 60% contact rate and 24% SwStr. The free-swinging Baez was only swinging at air this past week. Sunday’s home run was Baez’s first home run of May, where he is also hitting around .150 with a 26% strikeout rate. We know Baez can be highly streaky, so I am still starting him, but I understand if others want to give him a trip to the bench until he gets it going at the plate.
Hosmer got off to an excellent start to the season, but we have seen the return of the Hosmer we all know in recent weeks. This past week he collected three singles with no walks, no RBIs and only one run scored. However, Hosmer was consistent in one thing: sticking to his groundball skills with a 60% ground ball rate to go with zero barrels. So if for some reason you are rostering Hosmer, it is time to move on.
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