Marcell Ozuna, OF, Atlanta Braves – Are we witnessing a comeback season from Marcell Ozuna? The guy has been pretty darn good over the past month:
.318 AVG, 13 runs, seven homeruns, 19 RBI with a .368 OBP, .614 SLG, .982 OPS
His xSLG is .545 which ranks in the top 6-percent of the league.
Wait, it gets better. Ozuna and the Braves have the friendliest hitter matchups next week with three games at Detroit and four games at home versus Colorado. Get your Braves, and Ozuna, in your lineups. Sign me up! (33% rostered in Yahoo leagues.)
Nolan Jones, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies – His roster percentage is +41-percent over the last week, so finally people are starting to buy in. Jones qualifies at 1B and OF in Yahoo leagues and has been on an absolute tear since his call up:
.348 AVG, five runs, three homeruns, 11 RBI, and four stolen bases (which I will note were four games in a row with one.) His max exit velocity also ranks in the 94th percentile in MLB.
I hope I don’t have to remind you that hitting in Colorado is a huge plus in fantasy, but he gets seven away games next week (three at Boston and four at Atlanta.) If you need help in the OF or at 1B, Jones is an extremely strong add. (47% rostered in Yahoo leagues.)
Mauricio Dubon, 2B/SS/OF, Houston Astros – Not the sexiest of pickups but he is a strong add in deeper leagues. Now qualifying at 2B, SS and OF, Dubon has still been in the lineup most days since Altuve’s return as Houston’s leadoff man.
Over the past seven games, Dubon is 13-for-34 (.382 AVG) with five runs scored, one homerun, five RBI and two stolen bases. You certainly could do a lot worse for a guy that can help you at three different positions.
Next week he gets three games versus the Nationals and three games versus the Reds, all at home. Friendly matchups for the hot hitting utility man. (17% rostered in Yahoo leagues.)
A.J. Smith-Shawver, SP, Atlanta Braves – The kid certainly didn’t do anything in his first start Friday to take himself out of the rotation, pitching to the tune of 5.0 IP, three hits, zero earned runs (two unearned), two walks, two Ks. Still just 20 years old, AJSS is a strong add in all formats for next week, as he draws the Detroit Tigers.
Prior to getting the call, AJSS was 2-1 with a 1.09 ERA over seven starts (33 IP), 45 strikeouts, and a 0.94 WHIP. Obviously, we love the matchup next week and the fact that the Braves have one of, if not the best, lineups in baseball. (55% rostered in Yahoo leagues.)
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B, Cincinnati Reds – No, he is not called up yet and I don’t expect him to until the end of June or early July. Even then, that’s purely a guess and no analyst have something other than a guess when it comes to prospects being called up.
Now that his former teammate, Elly De La Cruz, has gotten the call – CES is the next big prospect to stash. The kid has been mashing all season long and the Reds are going to have no choice to find a spot for him in their lineup. He has nothing left to prove in the minors and the Reds should be pushing all their chips in the middle with all the young talent they have to make a playoff push.
In 177 at bats, CES is hitting .362 with 41 runs scored, 17 homeruns and 46 RBI.
Where it gets extremely muddy is where does he play with everyone healthy? Wil Myers and Joey Votto are both on rehab outings and are expected back soon so unless one or both are DFA’d or traded, both guys are roadblocks to Encarnacion-Strand. The Reds (hopefully) will find a way to get his bat in the lineup. I can’t imagine they believe Myers or Votto give them the better chance to win at this point. I’m not sure he is MUST stash for the reasons noted above, especially in leagues without a N/A spot, but I’m fine with stashing him in deeper leagues. I would exercise extreme patience though. (18% rostered in Yahoo leagues.)