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We're onto Week 9 in the fantasy baseball world. We've already seen some wild things happen in baseball this year. Maybe none wilder than my Colorado Rockies finding a way to win seven straight games and then immediately flipping the script to find the most incredible ways to lose to the Oakland A's. But that's just me sulking in the darkness of a purple purgatory with major bullpen issues, so I digress.
In this article, as usual, we'll go over some of the trends we're seeing with platoon hitters, notable playing time changes, and batting order notes. We'll focus on a couple of players for each section and provide some added depth and insight to help you build your lineup.
If there are players that you'd like to see covered or discussed that fit any of the criteria below, feel free to hit me up! Now, let's get to it.
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Platoon Player Updates for Fantasy Baseball
DJ Stewart - OF, New York Mets
The best platoon hitters to target are lefties that face righties. Stewart fits that bill, hitting for an .806 OPS against righties and a .770 OPS overall, good enough for a 128 OPS+. He also boasts a ridiculous 18.3% BB%, so he's finding his way on base one way or another.
DJ Stewart is becoming one of the better stories in baseball pic.twitter.com/NG0k1R33TD
— jack (@Jolly_Olive) April 20, 2024
As far as production off the bat, the numbers aren't exactly gaudy with just a .210 BA and four homers on the year. But by expected stats, we can see that his .350 wOBA and .372 xwOBA show he's due for some positive regression. Fantasy managers that are looking to take a risk on a bench option may want to consider picking up Stewart off the waiver wire, but do so with caution as the lefty has been getting spotty playing time over the past couple weeks. DFS managers may want to target him at home vs. righties, a situation where he's hitting for a 162 wRC+.
Rowdy Tellez - 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates
An absolutely fantastic name, but that doesn't always get you results. Tellez is now in his second straight poor season, hitting for just a .224 wOBA and a 41 OPS+. The main detriment here is Tellez has lost almost all of his power, watching his ISO drop from .242 in 2022 to .052 in 2024.
Rowdy Tellez receiving tons of boos, after getting caught looking for strike 3 pic.twitter.com/0XGdS6V8Vu
— Jason Shetler (@Jason_Shetler) May 23, 2024
With Tellez being brought in to face righties, he's become more of a burden to the Pirates lineup and is likely to continue to lose playing time. Other prior platoon candidates, like Connor Joe, have taken advantage of their opportunities and received more daily playing time for Pittsburgh. Any fantasy managers looking to add a platoon bat to their lineups would be wise to avoid Tellez as an in-season turnaround is unlikely.
Other platoon names to keep an eye on:
Wilyer Abreu - OF, Boston Red Sox
Kerry Carpenter - OF, Detroit Tigers
Playing Time Updates for Fantasy Baseball
Elehuris Montero - 1B, Colorado Rockies
Normally, this section is reserved for players who are going to see increased playing time with starters going on the injured list. Montero is going to suffer from the opposite as Kris Bryant is back to being active for the Colorado Rockies. Montero will still see sporadic starts here and there at first base and DH, but he only started in one of three games vs. Oakland this week as Bryant started in two of them. Rockies fans would love to see Montero continue to get consistent playing time, but his offensive results haven't warranted him starting over Bryant and his gargantuan contract that the Rockies need to prioritize during their attempt at a rebuild.
Elehuris Montero’s home run hit the mitt, which means @uchealth’s donation to @NextChapterColo is at $15,000. pic.twitter.com/C7guaNb7v5
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 25, 2024
Blasts like this one haven't been as common for Montero this season. Though he's made great strides in his plate approach by cutting down on his strikeouts and increasing his walks, it hasn't resulted in enough production with his bat. The Rockies will be forced to start Bryant as often as possible. Fantasy managers looking to drop Montero are warranted in doing so, especially because he will likely still be there on the waiver wire if and when Bryant has injury issues over the next few months.
David Fry - C, Cleveland Guardians
Fry is listed as a catcher but is playing much more for the Guardians at first base and left field. You won't find him in the lineup over someone like Josh Naylor, but Fry has been hitting incredibly productive this season. Fry has a 1.077 OPS in 83 AB, easily the best number for any player on Cleveland's roster.
It is David Fry's world and we are just living in it.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/aDBZ7xmRXW
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 22, 2024
Fry is starting to receive more playing time due to Steven Kwan's recent injury, but his bat is too hot to ignore any longer. The 28-year-old should continue to get at-bats as long as he stays sizzling regardless of Kwan's injury status. Fantasy managers should get him in their lineup ASAP if he's available on the waiver wire.
Other names to keep an eye on who are now receiving more playing time:
Jake Bauers - 1B, Milwaukee Brewers
Edmundo Sosa - SS, Philadelphia Phillies
Batting Order Changes for Fantasy Baseball
Pete Alonso - 1B, New York Mets
A relatively unknown name in the baseball world, I'm here to tell you that Pete Alonso is pretty good! The New York Mets have recognized that their obscurely-known first baseman has some real staying power and bumped him up in the lineup from the cleanup spot into the two hole. This has been in place for eight games now and Alonso is hitting for an .861 OPS, better than his norms this season as the Mets look for any sort of spark to turn their season around.
A first inning home run for Pete Alonso! pic.twitter.com/HHABii0lW2
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 22, 2024
Alonso should already be on rosters in your league. Good on you for snatching up this hidden gem if he's on your roster! If so, expect that his production will continue as normal.
Davis Schneider - OF, Toronto Blue Jays
When I first started this article this season, I wrote about Schneider's platoon opportunities and how he crushes lefties. Blue Jays fans were loud and raucous about getting Schneider and his 80-grade mustache into their everyday lineup. Toronto obliged and now he's hitting at the top of its lineup after hitting fifth, sixth, or seventh for the majority of this season.
Davis Schneider gets a two-run hit to get the Blue Jays on the board! 👨 pic.twitter.com/2kr4jo6nF4
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 22, 2024
Toronto's offense has been looking for a spark. Since Schneider moved into the leadoff spot six games ago, it has scored nine runs three times. This move is one that's likely to stay. While Schneider's production has been down over the last two weeks (.676 OPS vs .796 on the season), he will positively regress to his norms. With more ABs coming, that's a good thing for Schneider. Snag him if he's available on the waiver wire with the Blue Jays offense starting to turn it around.
Other players to keep an eye on for batting order changes:
Josh Rojas - 3B, Seattle Mariners
Brenton Doyle - OF, Colorado Rockies
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