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Mike's fantasy baseball buys and sells for MLB players off to hot starts. He looks at potential fantasy baseball frauds for Week 11 of the 2024 season.
Hot streaks can be tricky in fantasy baseball. When a player like Aaron Judge or Mookie Betts goes on one, it can last a long time and is more believable considering their past success.
However, what about players without such impressive track histories? Should fantasy managers add them and try to ride out the hot streak, or is it too late to jump on board?
Let’s dive into some Fantasy Frauds and highlight why they likely won’t be able to continue their current level of success.
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Eddie Rosario, OF - Washington Nationals
Rosario didn’t produce flashy numbers with the Braves last season, but he launched 21 home runs to go along with his .322 wOBA over 142 games. He had some impressive performances during his entire tenure with the team, including winning the 2021 National League Championship Series MVP.
Now a member of the rebuilding Nationals, the veteran Rosario has received a heavy dose of playing time. Over his last 26 games entering Monday, he has hit six home runs on his way to recording a .517 slugging percentage. He even recorded six stolen bases during that span, giving him a total of eight for the season.
Eddie Rosario puts the @Nationals back on top! 💥 pic.twitter.com/GcJRBRNpmo
— MLB (@MLB) May 5, 2024
Even with Rosario’s hot streak, he is batting just .176 with a .260 wOBA this season. His 43.2% hard-hit rate is more than nine percentage points higher than his career mark, so he has probably been a bit unlucky with his .191 BABIP. For those in 15-team leagues, Rosario might be worth a look right now. However, for those in shallower formats, Rosario’s hot streak likely won’t last long enough to make him worth rostering, especially given his limited overall upside at this stage of his career.
Miguel Andujar, OF - Oakland Athletics
Once a highly touted prospect within the Yankees farm system, Andujar has never been able to live up to the hype. It’s been all downhill since his strong 2018 campaign, with injuries playing a part in his decline. After failing to do much with the Pirates last year, Andujar began this season with an Athletics team that didn’t have a ton of talent within their lineup. However, a knee injury forced him to begin the season on the injured list.
Since returning from his injury, Andujar has mostly been an everyday player. Entering Monday, he is 13-for-33 (.394) with two home runs and two doubles. During that span, he has just a 5.9% strikeout rate.
Miguel Andújar goes deep and then A's have put up six runs against Chris Sale 👀
(via @Athletics)pic.twitter.com/lpJZYgRxa8
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 1, 2024
One of Andujar’s problems has been not taking enough walks. He has a 4.2% walk rate for his career and has yet to draw a walk this season. He has also been a bit lucky while on his current heater, producing a .367 BABIP despite having just a 31.3% hard-hit rate. Don’t get overly excited about his stats just yet.
Andrew McCutchen, OF - Pittsburgh Pirates
McCutchen returning to the Pirates last season was a feel-good story. He wasn’t a liability at the plate by any means, but he didn’t produce like the player he was during his prime with the team, finishing with a .141 ISO and a .345 wOBA over 112 games.
After a slow start to this season, McCutchen has been locked in at the plate. Over his last 19 games, he has hit 25-for-77 (.325) with five home runs and two doubles. He also continued to draw walks, giving him a .422 OBP during that span.
As hot as McCutchen is right now, this is the same player who hasn’t hit higher than .256 in a season since 2017. He does draw a lot of walks, which helps him in OBP leagues. He’s another player who is more appealing in 15-team leagues, rather than someone to target in 10 and 12-team leagues.
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