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AVG
Steven Kwan, OF, Guardians (17 percent rostered in Yahoo leagues)
Kwan just won’t stop hitting. After a breakout season in the minor leagues, he set out to earn a starting job for the Guardians this spring. He did so, going 15-for-32 in Cactus League action. After hitting seventh in the lineup in Cleveland’s Opening Day lineup, the 24-year-old outfielder has moved into the second spot in the order over the last two contests. Through Sunday’s action, Kwan has gone 8-for-10 at the plate and has yet to strike out, something he did very little of in the minors with a 36/31 BB/K ratio last season. Kwan won’t hit for much power or steal too many bases, but his hit tool looks elite, and he should score plenty of runs hitting in the two-hole for the Guardians.
HR
Danny Jansen, C, Blue Jays (six percent rostered in Yahoo leagues)
Jansen has picked up where he left off last season with two homers in as many starts for the Blue Jays. Last season was a forgettable one for the 26-year-old backstop. But, he ended it on a tear, hitting five homers and eight doubles across 18 games in September. Toronto has a full seven-game slate this week. They’ll start with a four-game series against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, followed by a three-game set at home against Oakland. The high-powered Blue Jays’ lineup could be in line for a big week, giving Jansen more opportunities to keep the momentum going.
RBI
Yoshi Tsutsugo, 1B/OF, Pirates (four percent rostered in Yahoo leagues)
Tsutsugo made an impression on the Pirates late last season, hitting .268/.347/.535 with eight homers in 42 games for Pittsburgh last season. It was enough for the team to keep him around on a one-year deal. The 30-year-old slugger has gotten off to a good start this season, going 4-for-7 at the plate. Tsutsugo has hit cleanup for the Pirates in all three contests so far. This could be something to take advantage of this week as the team plays seven games with a hitter-friendly schedule against the Cubs and Nationals.
SB
Jorge Mateo, SS, Orioles (five percent rostered in Yahoo leagues)
Fantasy managers have long dreamed on Mateo’s potential as he repeatedly produced high stolen base numbers in the minor leagues. Now, the 26-year-old finally seems to be figuring things out. After going 8-for-21 in spring training, he earned the everyday shortstop job for the Orioles. Mateo stole his first base of the season on Saturday against the Rays. He may not hit for a good average or produce a ton of counting stats at the end of the Baltimore lineup, but Mateo will run. And he’s capable of putting up a 20-steal season should he hold on to his everyday role all year, something the Orioles won’t be in a rush to take away should he struggle with the bat.
R
Connor Joe, OF, Rockies (12 percent rostered in Yahoo leagues)
Joe was in the middle of a breakout campaign with the Rockies before a hamstring cut his season short in early September last season. He hit .285/.379/.469 with eight homers across 211 plate appearances. Having shown good plate discipline and on-base skills in the minors, it carried over as he walked at a 12.3 percent clip. Joe earned an everyday role to start the season with a solid spring training, going 14-for-34. He’s started at designated hitter in each of the team’s first three games and found himself in the leadoff spot Sunday against a left-handed pitcher. With at least three left-handed starters and a four-game series at Coors Field in the week ahead, Joe could be in line to score some runs. Leading off against left-handed starters could be a regular thing for him going forward, and you’ll always want a piece of the Rockies when they play at home.
W
Kyle Wright, SP, Braves (20 percent rostered in Yahoo leagues)
Wright earned a spot in the Braves rotation with 7 1/3 scoreless innings of Grapefruit League action this spring. He rewarded the team with six shutout innings against the Reds in his first start of the season, striking out six batters with just one walk and two hits allowed. The 26-year-old right-hander saw his velocity up over a full mile per hour over his last-season average. And he induced 12 swings-and-misses -- eight on the curveball -- while throwing 56-of-76 pitches for strikes to generate an impressive 36 percent CSW rate (called strikes plus whiffs). Wright will draw a decent matchup against the Padres on Friday. I’d pick him up across all mixed leagues. If what we’ve seen from Wright is legit, he’ll be a mainstay in the Atlanta rotation and in line for plenty of wins with excellent run support from their lineup.
ERA
Spencer Strider, SP/RP, Braves (16 percent rostered in Yahoo leagues)
Sticking with the Braves, Strider was lights out in his season debut on Opening Day. He pitched two innings of relief against the Reds, striking out five of the six batters while not allowing a hit or walk. The 23-year-old right-hander was throwing 100 miles per hour on the fastball, generating eight whiffs on the pitch. He induced an additional swing-and-miss on the slider for a total of nine on 24 pitches. Good luck with that. With the accelerated spring training, teams will rely on the bullpen for bulk innings as starters continue to raise their pitch count. Using someone like Strider to cushion your ratios could be an excellent strategy early on. He may even find his way into some starts as the season progresses. Get excited for this one.
WHIP
Carlos Carrasco, SP, Mets (39 percent rostered in Yahoo leagues)
You can probably include this one in the wins category, as well. The Mets have gotten off to a good start, winning 3-of-4 games against the Nationals to open the year. Carrasco did his best to help the team complete the sweep on Sunday, giving up just one run over 5 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and no walks. The 35-year-old veteran right-hander struggled to stay healthy last season. But could provide incredible value with a return to form. He gets an excellent matchup against the Diamondbacks on Saturday. Arizona was held hitless against two of the Padres’ three starting pitchers in their opening series.
K
Jhoan Duran, RP, Twins (nine percent rostered in Yahoo leagues)
In a similar mold as Strider, Duran was impressive in his major league debut on Friday. He struck out four batters over two scoreless innings with two hits and one walk allowed. Duran was regularly touching 100 miles per hour while inducing eight whiffs on 31 pitches for a 53 percent whiff rate. Manager Rocco Baldelli said he planned to use Duran in the middle innings for the time being as he acclimates to the majors. While many starting pitchers are only going four-to-five innings this first week, Duran could be a solid supplemental source of strikeouts.
SV
Tanner Rainey, RP, Nationals (six percent rostered in Yahoo leagues)
It was unclear who would start the season as the primary closer for the Nationals after Rainey and Kyle Finnegan split save chances down the stretch last season. Rainey got the call on Sunday for the team’s first save opportunity. He worked around a leadoff hit to close out the game after tossing a scoreless inning on Saturday with two strikeouts. Finnegan also pitched in Saturday’s contest, coming in for the sixth inning before Rainey pitched the seventh. Finnegan pitched the eighth on Sunday before Rainey closed it out. So the early pattern indicates it is Rainey’s job, and any team looking for saves has to take a chance on a primary closer with his upside.