We’re only about two weeks into the MLB season, but don’t things feel just a little bit… different?
Players bundled up in 32-degree weather. Rainouts, snow-outs and the occasional Friday and Sunday off days.
In Cincinnati, the Reds first game was pushed back a day, while the city’s Opening Day parade preceded the team’s fourth game of the season because of scheduling issues with the market where the annual parade stages. And it snowed here this week.
Weird times.
One thing that hasn’t changed is just how frustrating early-season slumps can be. And, on the other side, hot starts producing difficult decisions regarding the final spots on our rosters.
Let’s take a lap around the league with hope of finding something actionable.
Early-round picks pretty much doing their thing
With the exception of Giancarlo Stanton, the gluttony of early-round hitters we chose from are performing well. Even the slow-ish starts we’re seeing from Trea Turner, Paul Goldschmidt and Joey Votto have counting stats suggesting a quick turnaround is coming.
The Big Four starters are looking like solid investments, too. Last week I looked at mid-tier guys proving worthy of consideration for SP 1 status. Hitting on them is a double-bonus this time of year against anyone whose SP1 struggled in his first couple starts. But, you have to look further into the ranks for guys like Robbie Ray, Lance McCullers and Luis Castillo to find anything concerning so far, and these guys all came with at least a question mark or two. I’d consider trading for either of the latter.
What’s up in Cleveland and Detroit?
Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and Edwin Encarnacion were almost universally viewed as can’t-miss picks. So how are they contributing so much shame to the Indians league-worst .189 batting average through 13 games? That’s dead last in MLB and 18 points behind the second-worst Tigers.
Coincidentally (or not), both teams have played in horrendous Midwestern weather thus far. After starting with six home games, Detroit actually traveled to the sunny confines of Chicago and Cleveland for six more days of brutal weather. I see some positives for both Nicholas Castellanos (.286 average, 8 runs) and Miguel Cabrera (1 home run, 9 RBI) considering the circumstances.
And all three Cleveland players have historically started slowly, with April/March batting averages of .239 (Encarnacion), .256 (Ramirez) and .276 (Lindor). Nothing to act on here unless you’re targeting them.
Closer messes and deals
Psychologists could probably predict whether certain personality types can handle the uncertainty of mid-tier closers. Others, the doctors will note, prefer the stability of the early-round fireballers who to date have largely come through.
For every flame out by the likes of Blake Parker, who might have already lost hold of his tenuous grasp of the Angels’ closer gig, there’s a glorious uprising by Jeurys Familia (6 saves, 10 Ks, 0.88 WHIP) or Brad Boxberger (4 saves, 9 Ks, 1.00 WHIP), neither of whom have allowed an earned run.
I’m the type of person who takes risks on these mid-tier relievers, which sometimes leaves me with the likes of Hector Neris (1 save, 1 blown save, 7.71 ERA, 1.50 WHIP), Shane Greene (2 saves, 4.91 ERA, 1.91 WHIP) and Alex Colome (3 saves, 2 blown saves, 11.25 ERA, 3.50 WHIP). It’s not the most fun thing to watch, but two weeks into the season leaves plenty of time to speculate on the appropriate heir to the closer’s chair — we’re the ones watching the meltdowns live, aren’t we?
Draft-day regrets, part deux
On the season’s second day, I lamented passing on certain ace starters, a few Rockies, and individuals, Ian Happ and Roberto Osuna, among others. Two weeks later, some of these misses don’t seem so bad. It is still early, right?
Now I’m looking at my rosters and asking myself how Byron Buxton wound up as a sixth-round pick in a 12-team league that uses OPS? By the time you read this I might have offered him in a trade for the injured Justin Turner. Buxton is batting eighth and really only has two months of top-level production to his name. He’s 4-for-4 on the base paths after stealing at a clip of 29-for-30 last year, but what if he’s just a glorified burner?
I nearly selected Hanley Ramirez in the late rounds of The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational, and his owner is enjoying his .357/.417/.548 line with 2 home runs, 12 RBI and three steals. But he’s worth an early trade offer if you have something his owner is missing. Let’s also try to trade for the likes of Yoenis Cespedes (.178/.275/.400, 3 home runs, 10 RBI), Carlos Santana (.150/.245/.375, 2 home runs, 8 RBI, 1 stolen base) and Chris Taylor (.208/.220/.333, 1 home run, 3 RBI, 0/1 stealing).
It is too early to do anything too dramatic, but it’s never too soon to see if a league-mate’s patience is waning on a player we can forgive for two weeks of poor performance.
Follow Danny: @_dannycross_.
