As fantasy owners, we tend to pay so much attention to our own rosters that sometimes we lose track of the big picture. I can recite the stat line of Mookie Betts, the MVP of my Mixed Auction Tout Wars squad. I can tell you that Betts ranks among the major league leaders in all five standard roto hitting categories. I can tell you that Betts does not lead the league in any of those categories. I cannot tell you who the leaders are in those categories. Well, that’s kind of what this article is for, though we will only focus on the unexpected names that appear among the top-10 in each category entering play on Saturday.
Scanning the various leaderboards in search of the surprises has become one of my midseason rituals, as this exercise prompts me to arrive at a decision as to whether or not I’m a believer in these guys. When it comes to trade negotiations (and this is a busy time of the year on the trade front), I’ll be ahead of the game, not having to agonize over trade proposal responses, or at least not having to agonize as much.
Alright, enough of the buildup. Let’s get started.
BATTING AVERAGE
Andrelton Simmons: .322 (7th) – Simmons has never been known for his bat, and it’s pretty safe to say that he will always be known for his glove more than his offensive prowess. But after posting pedestrian numbers at the plate throughout much of his tenure with the Braves, the Netherlands native has developed into a potent hitter, launching 14 homers with 77 runs scored last season and improving his batting average by more than 40 points this year while being on pace to post a career-high RBI total. His .324 BABIP is a bit on the high side but not so high to suggest that maintaining an average in the .300 neighborhood is out of the question. Simmons has always been an extreme-contact hitter, a trait that will certainly help him in that department. I’d classify him as a hold, a player who is unlikely to generate much excitement on the trade market but will continue to be productive enough to remain in mixed-league lineups.
RUNS
Ozzie Albies: 62 (Tied for 3rd) – I targeted Albies in drafts this spring but unfortunately landed him in only one league because my league mates targeted him as well. I was expecting 15 homers, 25-30 steals and 85-90 runs. I was not expecting that on June 30, he would be on pace for 34 homers and 126 runs. Albies’ overall production has slipped of late, however, and he’s scored only 13 of his 62 runs in June. In keeper leagues, the 21-year-old’s value remains sky-high, and while I’d still be more inclined to hang onto him in redraft formats, the window to trade him at an elite-player cost is closing fast.
HOME RUNS
Jose Ramirez: 23 (3rd) – Even the most optimistic of Ramirez supporters could not have predicted this. OK, the high batting average is no surprise, but barring a serious injury, the 25-year-old is on pace to shatter last season’s 29 homers, which just so happened to shatter his previous single-season high of 11 homers. I never thought I’d be saying this because I was hesitant to spend a top-25 pick on Ramirez this spring, but a 40-homer campaign seems likely. He’s hitting more fly balls than in previous years and his already stellar plate discipline has improved even further. I doubt you will be able to convince the Ramirez owner in your league to trade him for a fair return, but go ahead and try anyway.
RBI
Mitch Haniger: 61 (2nd) – What? I honestly had no idea that Haniger had 61 RBIs, trailing only J.D. Martinez. Haniger showed glimpses of this last season but was limited to just 96 games due to injury. The 27-year-old outfielder is healthy now, and he’s making his fantasy owners plenty happy, with 17 home runs to go along with the hefty RBI total. Perhaps most importantly, Haniger’s batting average with runners in scoring position is a good but not exceptional .283, this compared to his overall AVG of .269, so you can’t even point to an inflated AVG w/RISP as a key reason behind all of those RBIs.
STOLEN BASES
Michael Taylor: 23 (1st) – It was fun while it lasted. In 40 fewer games, Taylor has exceeded last season’s stolen base total by six. But the return of Adam Eaton has forced Taylor into a fourth outfielder role, though he figures to get more playing time than the typical fourth outfielder as the Nats will look to give the health-challenged Eaton regular rest. Still, Taylor’s reign atop the stolen base list will be over very soon, and all his owners can do is hope for another Eaton injury. Or maybe a Juan Soto demotion?
Nah, that’s not happening.
Zach Steinhorn is the 2016 Mixed Auction Tout Wars champion. Follow him on Twitter @zachsteinhorn
