Just making the fantasy baseball playoffs means you’ve made it over the first hurdle. Now it is time to finish the race.
If you give up now, it is like watching a season of “Game of Thrones” but deciding you’ve had enough with five minutes left in the season finale. This is not over until you’re hoisting your league’s trophy or making your friend who lost the league get a tattoo of Carrot Top eating a carrot cake as punishment for losing the league (which, come to think of it, is funny whether you’re in first, second or sixth place).
You cannot stop scouring the waiver wire in search of players who will give you any kind of edge — or take it away from your competition.
Since returning to The Show on Aug. 8, Matt Olson has hit safely in 17 of his 25 games, hit 11 homers, driven in 21 runs and scored 14 runs while maintaining a .989 OPS.
This is major power that is being ignored — he is available in 75 percent or more of ESPN and Yahoo leagues. And he has a track record of hitting for power, as he homered four times in his first 18 games in the majors this year and hit 126 homers over six minor league seasons, including 23 this year.
Olson is striking out in 29.2 percent of his at-bats, but he is walking a decent 8.4 percent of the time, has a solid .325 on-base percentage, has a BABIP (.253) that indicates there is room for improvement — and his .252 average is not going to kill your team. He may sit from time-to-time against lefties, but he is crushing righties (13 homers).
At this point in the season, when looking for power, Olson should not be ignored — especially when you look at the pitching matchups he will face over the next three weeks.
Outside of three games against the Red Sox this week, the A’s will see some of the worst pitching the majors offer with matchups against the Phillies (4.76 ERA), Tigers (5.17) and Mariners (4.47). All three are in the top eight in homers allowed, too — with the Mariners allowing the third most in the majors. The A’s also face the Rangers six times, and their pitching staff isn’t exactly shutting hitters down with its 4.47 ERA and 179 homers allowed (12th most in the majors).
With all these favorable matchups coming his way, Olson will have plenty of chances to increase that home run total over the final few weeks of the season. He is eligible at multiple positions, widely available and red-hot at the plate. What else needs to be said? Pick him up.
Here is a look at some other hot players, owned in less than 50 percent of leagues, who can help down the stretch:
- In 36 games since July 24, Jose Martinez is hitting .376 with eight homers, 19 RBIs, 13 walks and 19 runs scored. Not only is he eligible at multiple positions, he is crushing left-handed pitchers this season (.396, seven homers, 13 RBIs, 1.362 OPS) and is scheduled to face the lefties this week.
- Robinson Chirinos was hitting a miserable .211 before the Rangers traded Jonathan Lucroy. In 26 games since that trade, the 33-year-old backstop has raised his average to .266 after going 29-for-77 (.377) with four homers, 10 RBIs, 19 walks, 16 runs, a .515 OBP and 1.164 OPS.
- If you’re in need of speed, Delino DeShields has a .407 OBP over his last 24 games and has stolen nine bases and scored 22 runs. He also has two homers, 15 walks and a .853 OPS.
- After missing more than two months with a hairline fracture in his right hip, Kevin Kiermaier has hit safely in 15 of 18 games since his return. He has hit .360 with four homers, 14 RBIs, 16 runs and three stolen bases.
- After an absolutely miserable first half (.213, two homers, 14 RBIs, .568 OPS), C.J. Cron has raised his average to .267 by going 46-for-148 (.311) with 12 homers, 36 RBIs and a .986 OPS in 42 second-half games.
- Forget about Jose Reyes’ unsightly .238 batting average, because he has hit safely in 13 out of his last 15 games, good for a .385 average, with three homers, eight RBIs, 18 runs and six stolen bases.
Big Hits
Robbie Ray SP, D’backs
In his first three games since coming off the DL, he is 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA, .134 opponent average and a 33 strikeouts. He’ll get another shot to reach double-digit Ks when facing San Diego on Sunday.
Jonathan Schoop, 2B, Orioles
Has hit safely in 44 out of 53 games since the All-Star break while hitting .317 (70-for-221) with 13 homers, 48 RBIs, 37 runs, a .354 OBP and a .892 OPS.
Robert Stephenson, SP, Reds
Has won his past four starts with a 2.38 ERA and .235 opponent average. He has 28 strikeouts over his past 22²/₃ innings, but has walked 15.
Justin Verlander, SP, Astros
Not only did he win his first start for Houston, but he has won six of his past eight starts. He had a 2.00 ERA, 63 strikeouts and a .190 opponents average in that span.
Big Whiffs
Jason Vargas, SP, Royals
He is 1-6 with a 8.64 ERA, .312 opponent average, 27 strikeouts and 14 walks over his past seven starts. He has allowed 20 runs (10.19 ERA) over his over his past four starts (all losses).
Curtis Granderson, OF, Dodgers
After hitting four homers in his first 10 games in L.A. (despite hitting .135), the former Met has just two hits in his past 29 at-bats (.069).
Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Orioles
After pitching seven shutout innings in his Baltimore debut, he has gone 1-3 with a 8.49 ERA, 11 walks over his last six starts. He has allowed eight homers in that span.
Salvador Perez, C, Royals
Despite hitting three homers earlier this week (including two on Wednesday), he is hitting .123 with a .432 OPS over his past 20 games.
Check Swings
- Not only did J.D. Martinez become the 18th player in big league history to hit four homers in a game, but he has six homers in his first six game this month and 19 round-trippers in 43 games since joining the Diamondbacks (eight of which have come at hitter-haven Chase Field).
- Just because a reliever like Chad Green isn’t racking up saves, doesn’t mean he can’t help your cause down the stretch. Not only is he 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA, but he has 92 strikeouts in just 60 2/3 innings, including 36 over his past 18 2/3 innings. Relievers are people, too!
- Kyle Gibson’s season (9-10, 5.19 ERA, 1.60 WHIP) has been, well, horrible. But, he is 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA over his past four starts and is in line to face the Padres on Tuesday. The Padres have the worst batting average in the majors (.234), have scored the fewest runs (546) and have the third most strikeouts (1,308). In other words, you could start Gibson or a monkey flinging its own poop and you’ll have a good chance at getting a quality start against the Padres.
Team Name of the Week
Merrifield of Dreams
— submitted by Josh Goldenberg
