BABS ratings reveal late season assets
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by Pat Cloghessy
This is it. Only one month remains until fantasy champions are crowned.
Roster holes have opened. Guys are hurt. Pitchers are getting shut down. Players who helped us all season have fallen into extended slumps.
This is no time for loyalty. It’s time for winning. The names matter much less than the stats.
Are there any bats out there that can help us finish up strong?
Depending on the categorical need, the BABS database can prove fruitful by examining the list of part-time players. If sorted by BABS, these are the players down the list, after the full and mid-timers.
There are plenty of assets to look at, and some of the players are getting full-time at-bats. A caveat: BABS’ assessments must be served with a shaker of salt, as they are based on small samples. Still, help can be found here…
Josh VanMeter (p,AV) has all the makings of a September Stud. He has had the opportunity to play extensively, and taken advantage of it. If he can stick at the leadoff spot, counting stats are there for the taking. Also, BABS hasn’t accounted for it, but VanMeter is 6 out of 9 in stolen base attempts.
VanMeter’s teammate Philip Ervin (SB,A+) has also seen increased playing time.With decent skills and that home ballpark, Ervin could be useful in daily transaction leagues.
It took a while, but Ian Happ (PW,a) is back in the show. His strikeout rate is down from last year (36.1% to 25.9%). Which still isn’t great, but it’s palatable. The power is up closer to his breakout season of two years ago (.229 ISO, .261 in 2017). He has found his way into plenty of games, helped out by the demotion of Albert Almora.
The Twins have found ways to get Luis Arraez (A+) into the lineup. It has been to the benefit of fantasy players searching for a spark. With elite bat to ball skills (8% K rate), Arraez has hit .335 across 249 plate appearances. Mostly manning 2nd base while Jonathan Schoop was scuffling, Luis has also appeared at SS and in the OF. Even once at 3B. With Schoop heating up again, owners looking to ride the Arraez wave will have to count on Rocco Baldelli being creative with his lineup card.
Are we finally witnessing the arrival of Willie Calhoun (AV)? The highly touted prospect is healthy and regularly hitting cleanup. With 15 HR in 215 plate appearances, Willie is mashing. His .276 ISO would place him right behind Eugenio Suarez and in front of Max Muncy, 14th best in the majors. It might be too late, but if not, pounce.
After losing most of the season due to injury, the Pirates shipped Corey Dickerson (PW,s,A+) off to Philadelphia. Mostly left for dead, Dickerson (pictured) could be helpful in the power department. Especially at Citizens’ Bank Park.
If speed is a need, Jon Berti (SB,AV) and Tommy Edman (S+) come equipped the asset. And they have been running. Berti and Edman extend their utility by frequently hitting atop their respective lineups. Tim Locastro (S+) is also swiping bags, but appears to be more of a part-time player.
Prior to 2019, Austin Nola’s career could best be described as “organizational depth”. He’d been toiling in AAA since 2015. Now 29 years old, Nola (p,a) is contributing at the big-league level. It helps that he is slugging about 150 points higher than his career average. Can this continue? It seems unlikely, but Nola did show improvement at AAA prior to his call-up. Austin is another player who has hit his way into the middle of the order for a bad team. Not ideal, but again, potentially useful.
The Pirates have been inserting Jose Osuna (p,A+) into the lineup. More often than not, it’s been in a run-producing lineup spot. Osuna has it in him to provide some late-season thump (.257 ISO in 163 plate appearances).
Trent Grisham (p,AV) is another of these part-timers who has not only found regular playing time, but found it while often batting at the top of the order. Grisham had 26 HR and 12 SB across two levels in the minor leagues this season. His playing time has waned a bit in recent days. He does need to produce more to stay in the lineup. Be wary.
For a couple of years, it appeared that Tom Murphy (p,s) was on the cusp of doing some things in Colorado. Injuries and ineffectiveness ensured that did not happen. Now, with an ISO over .300, Murphy is contributing. The big time swing-and-miss in his game (34.9% K-rate) should eventually torpedo his batting average, but the power has always been there.