X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Barrel Risers & Fallers - Statcast Hitter Analysis (Week 17)

Statcast batter risers and fallers for week 17 of the 2019 MLB season, sorted by barrels. Pierre Camus looks at hitters who could be buys or sells according to advanced sabermetrics.

It's been a while since we looked at the Barrel leaderboard, so let's go back to this telling metric. For a detailed explanation of what makes a Barrel so valuable, click here to revisit my first article on the matter.

Many of the leaders have maintained their status, such as Gary Sanchez, Mike Trout, Joey Gallo, and Christian Yelich. There's little change among the season-long leaders and no need to analyze those studs so I will instead focus on the last month of play to see if any surprising names surface.

Let's dive into the Statcast numbers to find buy/sell/add/drop candidates for the second half of the 2019 fantasy baseball season.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Surprising Chart Toppers

All stats current as of July 21, 2019 and display leaders over the last 30 days.

 

Rougned Odor (2B, TEX)

Nine Barrels in last 270 pitches - 3.3%

The man's xBA is in the 6th percentile on the season, he's batting .189, slugging .391, and has a 33.2% strikeout rate that is one of the worst in the league. If anybody needs to turn a corner, it's Odor. Over the past month, he has done that. Sort of.

Since June 21, Odor's nine Barrels are tied for 11th in the majors. He is hitting a respectable .250 over that time and has driven in 16 runs thanks to five homers and seven doubles. Of course, he has also struck out an absurd 29 times in those 72 at-bats with just one walk. He's going for broke at this point because, why not? He's not losing his job any time soon, so if you truly don't care about batting average at this point, you can latch on to his recent power surge for help in HR and RBI along with the occasional steal, when he isn't getting caught.

 

Josh Donaldson (3B, ATL)

Nine Barrels in last 430 pitches - 2.1%

Many were predicting a drought at the hot corner in Atlanta this summer due to a lack of rain. It appears the rain is now being brung (brought?). Like Odor, Donaldson is also one Barrel away from the top 10 in that category over the past month. He's been on fire, launching eight homers, driving in 20, and walking more times than whiffing with 21:19 BB:K ratio.

Donaldson has managed to keep his exit velocity, hard-hit rate, xSLG, and xwOBA all in the 90th percentile or higher for the season. If there was any doubt he could maintain his power production in the National League and at the age of 33, those have been quelled. There will always be the possibility of injury looming but so far he's played in 97 of the Braves' 101 games. I wouldn't advise buying high at this point but if you took a chance on him on draft day or swung a deal while he was slumping in late May, pat yourself on the back.

 

Lourdes Gurriel (2B/SS/OF, TOR)

Nine Barrels in last 382 pitches - 2.4%

Just hours before this was written, Gurriel kept the hotness going with a two-run homer and an RBI double against the Tigers. He's batting .298 with eight long balls over the past month. With an xSLG and Hard Hit % that are both in the 87th percentile for the season, Gurriel's breakout is more than just a hot streak. He continues to be overlooked with all the hype Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has generated but the truth is Gurriel is slugging 180 points higher and has twice as many HR in 32 fewer plate appearances this year. How Gurriel is only 77% owned is beyond me.

 

Alarming Bottom Dwellers

All stats current as of July 21, 2019 and display leaders over the last 30 days.

 

Willie Calhoun (OF, TEX)

One Barrel in last 191 pitches - 0.5%

Am I the only one still holding out hope here? I mean, just because he was sent down to Nashville a week ago doesn't mean he won't come back with a vengeance, right? Maybe it's all the FAAB I spent on him in TGFBI league talking but I like to think Calhoun could still turn things around in what counts as his rookie season.

His numbers don't look too bad (.277 AVG, .802 OPS, 5 HR, 13 RBI in 94 AB) but much of that production came in his first week after being called up and before hitting the DL. He initially picked up where he left off, but it's been an especially quiet July with five hits in his past 28 at-bats. While some of this can be attributed to a relative lack of plate appearances and inability to stay in the lineup consistently, therein lies much of the problem. If he's not a regular for the Rangers, he can't be for fantasy teams either. He's hitting just .118 against left-handed pitching this season, bringing his career mark to .172 vs LHP.

Now that the Rangers are an actual playoff contender, against preseason expectations, they won't be as patient with their prospect. Hunter Pence's return off IL just sealed the deal. If you are in a dynasty rebuild, this is a great time to buy low on Calhoun. He may never be a star but his hit tool is good enough that he can contribute next season.

 

Luke Voit (1B, NYY)

One Barrel in last 247 pitches - 0.4%

Will it be a tale of two halves for this Bronx Bomber? Fantasy owners certainly hope not. Early on, he was one of the biggest draft-day sleepers to pay off. He slugged 14 homers in the first two months, posting 75 R+RBI as well. Things are starting to change, though.

Voit has gone deep four times since June began and has just one barreled ball to his name over the last 30 days. He's actually batting .319 over that stretch but we need more than just singles here - the power is lacking. It's worth noting that while he spent nearly all season in the top half of the Yanks' lineup, mainly in the two-hole, he has batted seventh, fifth, sixth, fifth, and seventh respectively in the past five games. Another 0-for-4 game with a pair of strikeouts doesn't inspire confidence. Voit isn't a strict must-sell but there's no guarantee he works back up to first-half levels or climbs up in the order again to generate the same value.

 

Gleyber Torres (2B/SS, NYY)

One Barrel in last 341 pitches - 0.3%

The obvious question regarding Torres' ROS value is: how many more times will he face the Orioles? Answer: four. While he's an obvious DFS play that week, it's hard to say where he falls among middle infielders otherwise. His expected stats are all hovering around league average, with an xBA in the 55th percentile and a 36.7% hard-hit rate that Statcast ranks at the 37th percentile. This is including those games against Baltimore, mind you.

Torres may well wind up with 30 HR and a .300 average when it's all said and done, so there doesn't seem like much to complain about here. This looks more like a case where the sum is greater than the whole of the statistical parts. Just keep in mind that his power comes and goes in spurts, so be content with the high average and R+RBI totals when he goes through a dry spell.

More Sabermetrics & Statcast for Fantasy Baseball




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers, DeShon Elliott Agree to Two-Year Extension
Ryan Pepiot

Strikes Out 11 in Win
Hunter Goodman

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Stephen Curry

"Not Even Close" to Retirement
Jonathan Kuminga

Linked to Bulls, Heat
Kevin Durant

Has "No Desire" to be Traded to Minnesota
Isaac Paredes

Returns as DH on Monday
New York Giants

Mike Kafka Expected to Reclaim Play-Calling Duties
Jon Runyan

Limited During Minicamp
Saquon Barkley

Feels Great Physically
Justin Simmons

Panthers Have Talked With Justin Simmons
Jordan Addison

Trial Date Set for July 15
New York Jets

Jets Sign Kingsley Jonathan, Marquis Hayes
Jarace Walker

Remains Sidelined for Game 5
Justin Verlander

Returning to the Rotation on Wednesday
Tony Finau

Finishes Tied For 38th at U.S. Open
Bud Cauley

Misses The Cut at U.S. Open
Cameron Young

Finishes Tied For Fourth at U.S. Open
J.J. Spaun

Wins U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Finishes Tied For 12th at U.S. Open
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Second at U.S. Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For 42nd at U.S. Open
Vershon Lee

Vikings Ink Undrafted Offensive Lineman Vershon Lee
Luke Clanton

Misses The Cut at RBC Canadian Open
San Francisco 49ers

C.J. West Signs Rookie Deal with San Fran
Jaylen Warren

Training to Handle Larger Workload
Giancarlo Stanton

to Make Season Debut on Monday
Will Campbell

Ends Minicamp as Top Left Tackle
Sam Cosmi

Making Good Progress From Torn ACL
Kamaru Usman

Gets Back In The Win Column
Adonai Mitchell

Impresses at Minicamp
Joaquin Buckley

Winning Streak Comes To An End
Miranda Maverick

Drops Decision At UFC Atlanta
Bradley Chubb

Fully Healed, Looking Disruptive
Jonnu Smith

Contract Talks "Still Fluid"
Rose Namajunas

Wins Decision At UFC Atlanta
Andre Petroski

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Edmen Shahbazyan

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Raoni Barcelos

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Chase Elliott

Ends Mexico City with A Great Finish of Third
Christopher Bell

has A Strong Runner-Up Performance At Mexico City
Chase Briscoe

Wild Day Ends with A Top-10 Finish
Michael McDowell

Leaves Mexico City with A Top-Five Finish
Cody Garbrandt

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Brundage

Defeated After Accidental Clash Of Heads
Cody Brundage

Mansur Abdul-Malik Defeats Cody Brundage By Technical Decision
Oumar Sy

Suffers His First Loss
Alonzo Menifield

Scores Upset Win
Alex Bowman

Delivers Bravura Performance After Michigan Injury
Tyler Reddick

Inexplicably Mediocre on his Once-Best Track Type
John Hunter Nemechek

Canny Strategy Gives John Hunter Nemechek Best Career Road-Course Finish
Cole Custer

Earns Best Finish Since Cup-Series Comeback at Mexico City
Grant Holmes

Punches Out 15 in Loss
Elly De La Cruz

Goes Yard in Fourth Straight Game
Will Vest

Dealing With Finger Injury
Jackson Merrill

Placed on Seven-Day Concussion Injured List
J.J. McCarthy

Looking "a Lot Stronger"
Shohei Ohtani

Will Be Dodgers' Starting Pitcher Monday
Roki Sasaki

Shut Down From Throwing
Garrett Wilson

Receives New Contract Offer
Jordan Hicks

Headed to Boston
Kyle Harrison

Traded to Red Sox
Travis Kelce

Slims Down During the Offseason
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Restart Contract Discussions
Brady House

Nationals Promoting Brady House to Major Leagues
Rafael Devers

Traded to San Francisco
Logan Gilbert

to Start on Monday
Jayden Higgins

Impresses During Minicamp
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

on the Move to Memphis
Cole Anthony

Dealt to the Grizzlies
Seattle Seahawks

DeMarcus Lawrence Making an Impression With his New Team
Tyler Mahle

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Luis Robert Jr.

Scratched with Thumb Soreness
Desmond Bane

Traded to Orlando
Byron Buxton

Scratched from Sunday's Lineup
Brendan Donovan

Returns to the Lineup
Steven Adams

Rockets Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension
Royce Lewis

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Ty Dillon

Is a Respectable Cap Flexiblity-Focused DFS Option For Mexico City
Corey Perry

Produces 10th Postseason Goal
Connor McDavid

Scores First Finals Goal
John Hunter Nemechek

Is John Hunter Nemechek Worth Rostering In Mexico City DFS Lineups?
Sam Bennett

Nets Another Road Goal in Game 5 Win
Eetu Luostarinen

Earns Two Points Saturday
Brad Marchand

Pots Two Goals in Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Ties NHL Record with 10th Road Win
Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing's Mexico Focus Makes Ross Chastain a Leading Contender for the Win
Kyle Busch

One of Two Past Mexico City Winners in the Field
Ryan Preece

Earns Surprising Front-Row Start
Austin Cindric

Not as Strong of a Road Racer as People Think
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Stronger on Infield Road Courses Than Purpose-Built Ones
Joey Logano

Seemingly Alternating Between Good and Mediocre Races
Brad Keselowski

One of the Few Drivers with Mexico City Experience
Denny Hamlin

Ryan Truex Makes First Cup Series Start Since 2014
Erik Jones

Mexico City Will Likely be a Struggle for Erik Jones
Noah Gragson

Front Row Motorsports' Speed May Make Noah Gragson a Decent DFS Option
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Road Courses Are Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Worst Track Type
Evander Kane

Drops to Fourth Line Saturday
Kasperi Kapanen

Won't Play on Saturday
Calvin Pickard

Starts Game 5 for Oilers
Tyrese Haliburton

Struggles in Friday's Loss to OKC
Chet Holmgren

Dominates the Glass in Game 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads the Way in Game 4
Jalen Williams

Has a Quality Showing on Friday Night
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
Matthew Tkachuk

Notches Three Points in Losing Effort
Calvin Pickard

Joins Exclusive List with Thursday's Win
Mattias Ekholm

Logs Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Leon Draisaitl

Delivers Victory in Overtime Thursday
Myles Turner

Playing Through Illness
Reed Sheppard

Will Play in the NBA Summer League
Kevin Durant

Deal Could Come Sooner Rather Than Later
Dorian Finney-Smith

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Anze Kopitar

Wins Third Lady Byng Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky

Heading Out for Win No. 15
John Klingberg

Won't Play in Game 4 Against Panthers
Viktor Arvidsson

Sits Out Game 4 Against Panthers
Stuart Skinner

Remains in Oilers Crease Thursday
Jalen Williams

Leads Thunder in Scoring Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Settles for 24 Points in Game 3 Loss
Pascal Siakam

Does Everything for Pacers Wednesday Night
Matt McCarty

Comes Off Season-Best Showing at RBC Canadian Open
Justin Thomas

Desperate to Continue Good 2025 Season
Jon Rahm

Seeks Revenge at U.S. Open
Tom Kim

Aiming for Improvement in U.S. Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Expects Solid Performance at Oakmont
Brian Harman

Aims to Rebound From the Memorial
Tony Finau

has Been Up and Down at U.S. Open
Patrick Cantlay

Hoping This is the Year at Oakmont
Akshay Bhatia

Improving in Time for U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Primed for Another Major Championship Run
Cameron Young

May Struggle at U.S. Open
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Third Major Championship Title
Matt Fitzpatrick

Seeks to Avenge Oakmont Collapse
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF