I had to postpone the June rankings a bit, so they will go up on Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime, here are some options.
Robert Gasser – SP Brewers – Listed in 26 percent of Yahoo leagues
Is it the walk? The only walk he issued in four start dating? That’s why Gasser is still undrafted in three-quarters of Yahoo leagues as he prepares to face the Chicago White Sox’s dead-ball-era lineup this weekend. Gasser, the 2023 PCL Pitcher of the Year, is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA since joining the Brewers, something that likely would have happened sooner had he not missed a few weeks with a bone spur in his elbow. He’s struck out just 13 times in 23 innings, but he’s doing so with an above-average CSW and has excellent exit velocity numbers. He looks legit and the eliminated numbers should increase.
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It’s fair to question Gasser’s long-term upside in light of the lefty’s 91-95 mph fastball and subpar changeup. He also didn’t demonstrate that level of control in the minors; in fact, he walked 72 in 173 2/3 innings after reaching Triple-A late in the 2022 season. The slider, though, is legit and he’s particularly good at getting it into the hands of right-handed hitters. He also created a nice cutter to further neutralize righties. I looked at him as a future No. 4 coming into the year, but I think he’s more of a No. 3 now, and will be especially valuable for fantasy purposes if he can continue limiting walks.
Masyn Winn – SS Cardinals – Listed in 22 percent of Yahoo leagues
While the power wasn’t there, Winn was a nice surprise in his first full season as the Cardinals’ shortstop, hitting .308/.358/.440 in 49 games. What held him back as a fantasy shortstop, other than his lack of home runs, was his placement at the bottom of the St. Louis weak lineup. He totaled just 16 runs scored and 18 RBI in 159 at-bats. However, the Cardinals’ position has been weakening there, as Winn has recently been elevated to the top of the order against the lefties. Now that Lars Nootbaar is injured again, perhaps Winn will also have a chance to bat first or second against righties. In fact, he hit .330/.375/.420 against them this year compared to .271/.328/.475 against lefties.
Long term, it will be interesting to see if Winn can hit homers in the majors. He had 18 in 105 games at Triple-A last year, but since debuting in August, he has totaled four in 86 games. Worse, he only got three barrels. His hard-hit rate is in the sixth percentile of major leaguers, and his average exit velocity is in the seventh percentile. None of this spells doom for him as a major leaguer, but it does make us wonder about the upside to his fantasy, especially since he appears to be more of a 20 SB guy than someone who will run in the 40s.
At this point, my faith in Winn as a fantasy option depends on him being utilized as a top-end guy. I suspect the Cardinals will try this with Nootbaar landing on the IL due to an oblique strain. If that doesn’t happen, he’ll still be a pretty marginal pick in mixed leagues.
Jordan Wicks – SP Cubs – Listed in 4 percent of Yahoo leagues
Wicks isn’t someone I liked much before the season, and given that he opened the year 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA before landing on the IL with a forearm strain, it might seem odd that I’d recommend him now. Still, ERA aside, his early numbers were impressive. With some speed, Wicks struck out 26 percent of the batters he faced in his five starts.
Wicks is currently on a rehab assignment as he works to return from a forearm strain, and he has allowed one run and struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings in two starts for Triple-A Iowa. He’ll make at least one and probably two more starts before returning to the Cubs, so he doesn’t need to be signed to mixed leagues right away. However, there is a good chance that he will contribute. Wicks has one of the best changeups in the league, and while his breaking balls aren’t standouts, both his slider and curveball are viable. He’s a legitimate mid-rotation starter in a very good situation with the Cubs and could be more than just a streaming option over the last 3 1/2 months.
