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Mike discusses four unlikely fantasy baseball hitting heroes for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2024 and what to expect from them moving forward in fantasy baseball.
The Toronto Blue Jays entered Tuesday with a disappointing 35-43 record that has them in last place in the AL East. They were 89-73 last season, finishing in third place in the division and earning a Wild Card berth.
One of their biggest problems has been a lack of offense. They have scored the fourth-fewest runs in baseball with players including Bo Bichette and George Springer not living up to expectations.
On the bright side for the Blue Jays, they have received added production from some unexpected sources lately. Let’s discuss a few of them and whether or not they are viable fantasy baseball options moving forward.
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Isiah Kiner-Falefa
With Matt Chapman departing for the Giants, the Blue Jays had a big hole to fill at third base. They did so with Kiner-Falefa, who is a versatile fielder who can play multiple positions. He is known more for his glove, never hitting more than eight home runs in a season. He also has just a .294 wOBA for his career.
Kiner-Falefa has held onto a starting job with his new team, playing 77 total games entering Tuesday. He is batting .282, which is on pace to be the highest mark of his career. He has hit for a bit more power, although his .122 ISO is nothing to write home about. His wOBA also remains underwhelming at .319.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa with his 2nd homer of the day! 💥
(🎥: @BlueJays) pic.twitter.com/dJRHTAkNvX
— theScore Bet (@theScoreBet) June 22, 2024
For fantasy managers who are in a deep league and need a player who is eligible at multiple positions, Kiner-Falefa is intriguing. He is at least going to play on a regular basis. However, his lack of power doesn’t leave him with much upside in 10- and 12-team leagues.
Spencer Horwitz
Horwitz complied some impressive stats in the minors. He played 107 games at Triple-A last year, batting .337 with a .425 wOBA and a .158 ISO. During that campaign, he had a 14.9 percent strikeout rate and a 16.1 percent walk rate. He made a brief appearance in the majors, but there wasn’t much to gain from his 44 total plate appearances with the Blue Jays.
With the team needing a spark at the plate this season, Horwitz was called up after compiling a .335 average and a .436 wOBA in the minors. He has appeared in 14 games entering Tuesday, batting .364 with a .445 wOBA.
✔️ Fair
✔️ GoneSpencer Horwitz has a .955 OPS 👀 pic.twitter.com/PJN56arA0k
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 23, 2024
What’s encouraging with Horwitz is his eye at the plate. He has an 11.1 percent strikeout rate and a 16.7 percent walk rate in the majors this year. While he likely won’t hit for a ton of power, he should still hit for a high average and get on base a lot, making him an appealing fantasy option.
Addison Barger
It has been a long climb to the majors for Barger, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. His numbers weren’t eye-popping over 88 games at Triple-A last year, given his .153 ISO an .343 wOBA. However, he had a .211 ISO and a .379 wOBA over 50 games at the same level this year, earning himself a promotion to the majors for the first time in his career.
Entering Tuesday, Barger was 7-for-23 (.304) with a double and a stolen base over his last seven games. He hasn’t hit a home run since being called up and he has looked a bit overwhelmed with his 27.9 percent strikeout rate. After drawing a ton of walks in the minors, he has just one free pass in the majors so far. Outside of extremely deep leagues, Barger hasn’t shown enough to warrant adding him in fantasy.
Ernie Clement
Clement had just 52 plate appearances with the Blue Jays last year, but he made an impression with a .378 wOBA. He only had a 7.7 percent strikeout rate, but his 1.9 percent walk rate was a cause for concern. He batted .380 with a .391 BABIP, neither of which would hold up over extended action.
Clement has been one of the more productive hitters on the Blue Jays lately, hitting 10-for-22 (.455) with a home run and four doubles over his last eight games entering Tuesday. The good news was his strikeout rate was only 9.1 percent during that span. However, he didn’t draw a single walk.
Even with his current hot streak, Clement has a .305 wOBA for the season. His walk rate is just 2.1 percent and he has a meager 18.9 percent hard-hit rate. Last year, his hard-hit rate was also poor at 19.1 percent. Horwitz is likely here to stay, so with Bichette set to make his return from the injured list, Clement could struggle to get playing time.
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