Here are this week’s recommended additions.
Jo Adell – OF Angels – Listed in 33% of Yahoo leagues
A major acquisition a few weeks ago, Adell was released in several leagues after a five-game hitting streak in early May. Things, however, have improved again in recent days, with the Angels outfielder hitting a home run on Wednesday and scoring three goals on Thursday. Plus, Adell isn’t worried about playing time with Mike Trout sidelined and Aaron Hicks out.
Of course, we’ve all been expecting Adell’s development for several years now, but it seemed like his progress completely stalled after he reached the majors in 2020 and struggled mightily. What was encouraging was the way he improved his walk and strikeout rates at Triple-A last year, even though he was again a complete failure in 17 major league games. He has made obvious gains this season, with his contact rate rising from 67% to 76% previously and his strikeout rate falling from 35% to 23%. His exit velocity numbers are also better, and while his .265/.330/.506 line is very good, Statcast actually has him with a .313 xBA and a .564 xSLG.
After a brief stint as the No. 2 hitter, Adell has returned to batting in the lower half of the order since that hitless streak. Still, it’s a good thing Ron Washington is open to promoting him. Adell has also been a frequent, if not efficient, basestealer this year, going 7 of 12. He makes more errors on the base paths and on defense than anyone would like, but the Angels have no choice but to deal with it. . Maybe the batting average isn’t there in the end, but Adell is a top-50 fantasy outfielder right now.
David Robertson – RP Rangers – Listed in 38% of Yahoo leagues
A month after his 39th birthday, Robertson is playing as well as ever in an incredible career that has seen him accumulate a 2.85 ERA in 825 1/3 innings over 16 seasons. So far this year, he has three times as many strikeouts (27) as hits allowed (nine). His 34% strikeout rate would be his highest mark since 2017. The material also confirms this; his cutter averaged a career-high 93.6 mph, and although he barely used the pitch, he threw some impressive 95 mph sinkers. He legitimately looks like one of the best relievers in baseball right now, which is part of the reason it’s surprising he’s not closing for Texas.
Unfortunately, Rangers chose Kirby Yates over Robertson as their closer when José Leclerc needed to be replaced, and the results were great. Yates picked up his first save of the year on Wednesday, but the Rangers won anyway, and the run Yates allowed was the only one he gave up in 16 innings to start the season. Meanwhile, Robertson, who despite his age doesn’t need to be handled as carefully as Yates, has a 0.87 ERA in 20 2/3 innings. He got at least four strikeouts on seven occasions. Rangers hope the current deal holds, but Yates presents a high injury risk and his control issues could cause problems at some point. Robertson is playing so well that he is worth starting, even if he makes sporadic saves, and there is still a real chance that he will be asked to take on a full-time role at some point.
Iván Herrera – C Cardinals – Listed in 5% of Yahoo leagues
Herrera was already getting plenty of playing time with Willson Contreras, often DHing for the Cardinals, but he’s looking for an enhanced role now as a result of the veteran’s broken forearm, and he should serve as at least one of the top 15 fantasy catchers. while Contreras is out.
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That may seem like a reach, but Herrera has been very unlucky to sport a .232/.276/.377 line thus far. His exit velocity numbers are mostly in the top 20% of major leaguers this season, he is putting the ball in the air more than he has in the past, and his strikeout rate is slightly better than league average. Statcast thinks he should hit .259 and bat .458. This didn’t come out of nowhere either; Herrera hit .297/.451/.500 as a 23-year-old in Triple-A last year. He also swiped 11 bases, although he has yet to attempt a single steal in 48 games as a major leaguer.
What will hold Herrera back is the Cardinals’ offense, but even with Contreras gone, the lineup doesn’t look to be this bad forever. Additionally, when Herrera’s numbers improve a bit, he could have a chance to hit higher in the order. He has a history of excellent OBPs and runs very well, so he could be the team’s best option to replace Contreras as the second hitter.
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– It’s become less likely that Adbert Alzolay will reemerge as the Cubs’ closer in the short term, and while the team has gone with Héctor Neris since Alzolay’s exile, there’s very little to like about his 12/13 K/BB ratio. Neris in 14 innings. Mark Leiter Jr. (11% roster) appears to be the best closing option here and is worth keeping.
– The Royals could consider increasing playing time for speedster Dairon Blanco with their other outfield options failing. While there’s good reason to be skeptical about Blanco’s offensive abilities, we’re talking about someone with 35 steals in 99 games as a major leaguer; If he plays regularly at any point, he will be extremely valuable. He’s rostered in just 1% of Yahoo leagues right now, even though he has 10 of 11 stolen bases.
