That was quick. With just two weeks remaining in this wacky MLB regular season, I find myself wanting more. The absence of fans in the stands hasn’t taken away from my game-watching experience nearly as much as I thought it would, and my fantasy teams surely could use the additional four months. Although I’m currently not in title contention in any league, a couple of my squads have been climbing the standings in recent days. If only there was more time.
Under normal circumstances, mid-May is when I begin to take roto standings and player stats seriously, and with most teams having played roughly 45 games this year, we’re at that point now. No longer can we simply dismiss a hot start, chalking it up to a small sample size. Here’s a look at some of the more surprising names that can be found among the top-10 in each of the five standard rotisserie hitting categories heading into play on Monday.
Donovan Solano (.349 AVG)
Who? The 23-24 Giants have been somewhat of a pleasant surprise, thanks in large part to an offense that ranks 6th in the majors in runs and 7th in OPS. Solano has played an integral role in a lineup that has far exceeded expectations. But before we get too giddy over the .349 batting average, keep in mind that he sports an unsustainable .412 BABIP. If this were a standard season, I’d recommend trading Solano while you can. But this isn’t a standard season, so just be happy that you benefited from rostering him.
Luke Voit (18 HR)
We all knew Voit had power, but 18 homers in 44 games? Really? The Yankees first baseman has nearly doubled his HR/FB rate compared to last year yet most of his other metrics haven’t changed significantly, so don’t count on a 40-plus home run season in 2021. The good news is that his big league track record is thin enough that his draft day price will still be reasonable despite this season’s power outburst. Unlike many other sluggers, Voit won’t hurt you in the batting average department, and he carries added value in OBP leagues (career .365 OBP). I like him as a quality starting option in mixed leagues who could easily deliver a profit.
Dominic Smith (38 RBI)
A former top prospect, Smith struggled mightily during his big league stints in both 2017 and 2018. But he started to figure things out last year and has taken his game to a whole new level this season, boasting a .626 slugging percentage through 40 games to go along with the impressive RBI total. He’s making more hard contact than in past seasons and was one of the league’s most productive hitters in August, swatting six homers while knocking in 21 runs and posting a 1.098 OPS. Smith has split time fairly evenly between first base and left field while getting some at-bats out of the DH spot. If the NL keeps the DH in 2021, playing time won’t be an issue at all, even if the Mets sign an impact free agent. Without the DH, things could get more complicated if the team adds an outfielder in the offseason, but Smith has certainly performed well enough to open next season as New York’s starting left fielder.
Dansby Swanson (43 R)
Back in the spring, many fantasy pundits identified Swanson as a post-hype sleeper, and managers who heeded this brilliant advice are being rewarded. Swanson was on average the 26th shortstop selected in NFBC drafts yet he currently ranks in the top-6 at the position in RBI and the top-9 in both homers and OPS. A true five-category fantasy contributor, he makes for a fine mid-round draft day target for 2021. The fact that Swanson’s career-best season hasn’t received the attention it deserves increases his bargain appeal.
Manuel Margot (12 SB)
Upon making his big league debut a few years ago, Margot was supposed to be a high-end speed source for fantasy owners. Instead, he has been merely a decent speed source whose lack of contributions in the other categories has limited his value to very deep mixed leagues, at best. But through 37 games in his first season with the Rays, the 25-year-old has swiped 12 bags while registering a solid .288 batting average. That said, he’s still not playing every day and it remains to be seen if he will ever earn a secure starting job. Although the increased activity on the base paths and the improved batting average are encouraging, I’m not ready to view Margot as anything more than a late-round flier in deeper mixed formats.
Now excuse me while I set my lineups for the penultimate time. We hardly knew you, 2020.
Zach Steinhorn is the 2016 Mixed Auction Tout Wars champion. Follow him on Twitter @zachsteinhorn.
