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By this time of the fantasy season, those in 5x5 Roto leagues should have a good idea which categories they’re set in and also the ones where they could use some help. We’re here to lend a hand with the latter.
AVG
Santiago Espinal, SS/3B, Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have been settling on Espinal as their third baseman as they hunt for a playoff spot. The 26-year-old has not only fortified their defense at the hot corner, he’s also contributed at the plate, as well. Since being recalled in mid-June, Espinal is sporting a .337/.406/.453 batting line with two home runs and two stolen bases across 107 plate appearances. There’s very little power here, and Espinal is stuck at the bottom of the batting order. However, he’s always been a great contact hitter, as evidenced by his 14.1 percent strikeout rate. It gives him a shot to continue hitting for average even if he’s not scorching the ball.
HR
Frank Schwindel, 1B, Cubs
Schwindel’s opportunities at the major league level have been few and far between even though he’s been a slugger in the minors. The 29-year-old boasts a .297/.334/.523 batting line at the Triple-A level and he’s popped 20+ home runs four times on the farm. Now with the rebuilding Cubs, Schwindel of late has been getting the at-bats he craves and has taken advantage, posting a 1.147 OPS in 14 games with the Northsiders. He’s gone deep in three of his last four contests and has been in the No. 2 spot in the Cubs’ batting order for each of those games. Schwindel is a pull-heavy, flyball hitter who should run into his fair share of homers over these final seven weeks as long as he keeps getting at-bats.[[ad:athena]]
RBI
Anthony Santander, OF, Orioles
It’s mostly been a forgettable 2021 campaign for Santander. He missed significant time with an ankle sprain, an injury which continued to nag at him even after he returned. Santander also was on the COVID-19 injured list for a while. However, he’s healthy now and has been on fire at the dish this month, putting up a .378/.417/.689 batting line with four home runs over 12 tilts. Santander’s strikeouts are up a bit this season, but they’ve been down during his hot streak and he’s generally been a pretty good contact hitter in his career who also hits the ball in the air a lot. Those qualities, although with batting cleanup and playing his home games at Camden Yards, means there should be chances to drive in runs.
SB
Tyler Wade, 2B/SS/3B/OF, Yankees
Wade has been finding himself in the banged-up Yankees lineup regularly lately. The utility player has mostly been an underwhelming offensive presence during his time with the big club, but he’s found his stroke recently, posting a 1.017 OPS with six stolen bases in seven tries over his last 12 contests. Wade ranks in the 96th percentile in sprint speed, and he’s now been successful on 25 of 30 stolen base attempts during his time with the Bombers. Gleyber Torres (thumb) is expected to be sidelined for at least another week or two, so Wade should continue to see regular starts at shortstop.
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R
Connor Joe, 1B/OF, Rockies
Joe’s calling card has always been his plate discipline, and during his time with the Rockies this season he’s put up a 10.1 percent walk rate and just a 19.6 percent strikeout rate. Those on-base skills have led to regular starts in the leadoff spot for Colorado, and in 20 games since his recall in late July, he boasts a .319/.360/.623 batting line with six home runs, 18 RBI and seven runs scored. The Rockies have a six-game homestand this week, setting Joe up to continue producing.
W
Vladimir Gutierrez, SP, Reds
I listed Gutierrez in this space a few weeks ago, but he’s still widely available and his recent performance warrants attention. Over his last four starts, the right-hander is 4-0 with a 1.78 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 21/8 K/BB ratio over 25 1/3 innings. He’s gone at least six innings in each of those outings. This week, Gutierrez has a couple cake matchups against the Cubs and Marlins. Predicting wins for starting pitchers can often be a fool’s errand, but Gutierrez is certainly sitting pretty for a couple more Ws this week.
ERA
Miles Mikolas, SP, Cardinals
Mikolas missed all of the 2020 season following flexor tendon surgery and he’s been limited to just one start for the Cardinals this year due to forearm and shoulder ailments. However, the right-hander is on the comeback trail now, having made five rehab starts to set himself up for a return to the Cards’ rotation this week. In his final rehab outing, Mikolas struck out eight while allowing three runs over seven innings, reportedly topping out at 96 mph on the radar gun. Obviously, there’s some uncertainty here, but Mikolas holds a 3.45 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 65 starts during his time with St. Louis.
WHIP
Elieser Hernandez, SP, Marlins
First it was a biceps injury which cost him two months of action, and then it was a strained quad which Hernandez suffered in his first start after returning in early June that meant another 10 weeks on the shelf. Hernandez is back now, though, and looked good on Sunday versus the Cubs with 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball. In nine starts since the beginning of last season, the 26-year-old has posted a 3.05 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 47/6 K/BB ratio over 38 1/3 frames. Hopefully Hernandez can stay healthy down the stretch, because if he can he could certainly provide fantasy managers a boost.
K
Bailey Ober, SP, Twins
Ober has turned it up a notch over his last four starts, holding a 2.75 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 21/4 K/BB ratio over 19 2/3 innings. In his last outing against the White Sox, the big right-hander tossed 5 1/3 scoreless frames, collecting six strikeouts and 17 swinging strikes along the way. Also notable from that start is that Ober consciously threw his slider harder so that it would look more like his fastball. He didn’t get any whiffs on the pitch the 15 times he threw it, but he did throw it nearly four mph harder and his velocity was actually up across the board on all of his pitches. Ober has two starts this week.
SV
Joe Barlow, RP, Rangers
Not to be confused with fellow reliever Scott Barlow of whom there is no relation, Joe has been elevated to the closer role on the rebuilding Rangers. The 25-year-old has collected saves in each of his last two appearances, including in Sunday’s win over the Athletics. Barlow has allowed just one run across 14 2/3 innings in his 16 appearances for Texas, holding an 18/7 K/BB ratio during that span while giving up just five hits. The righty has had control problems throughout the minors, but he’s also been a big-time bat-misser who has proven to be very difficult to hit, having struck out 306 and given up just 126 hits in 214 2/3 frames. Who knows how many save chances the Rangers will ultimately provide, but Barlow looks to have a clear hold on the closer role.
