Here are this week’s collections. In case you missed it, my rest of season rankings were posted Thursday.
Coby Mayo – 3B Orioles – Listed in 25 percent of Yahoo leagues
Having just drafted Jackson Holliday to replace Jorge Mateo, it was still unknown whether the Orioles would immediately promote another top prospect following Jordan Westburg’s unfortunate injury on Wednesday. It turns out that Mayo was kept in the juvenile home… for an entire day. Mayo tested primarily at first base in the two weeks before Westburg’s injury, but moved back to third for the next two games. He hasn’t been particularly good at Triple-A lately, but he is hitting .308/.384/.619 this season.
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Mayo, a steal in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, is a patient hitter with 30 home run power. The problem is he’s a right-handed bat ready to play at Camden Yards, but that hasn’t been as big of an issue this season as it was the first two years after the Orioles moved back the fence to left field. He hasn’t always averaged as a pro and likely won’t excel in that area in the majors. Still, even if he initially hits .230-.240, he’ll have a solid enough OBP to be a productive player for the Orioles.
The Orioles were already thinking about getting Mayo a role before Westburg broke his hand, but now they have a full-time spot available for him at third base. He should immediately prove to be enough of a threat to be useful in mixed leagues.
Lucas Erceg – RP Royals – Listed in 8 percent of Yahoo leagues
The Royals didn’t solve their closing issues by acquiring a known quantity before the trade deadline, but by adding Erceg and Hunter Harvey, they signed two guys significantly more talented than current closer James McArthur. The groundball-inducing McArthur wasn’t a disaster as he made 18 of 23 save appearances, but he has a 5.31 ERA that jumps to 5.96 if one plays out against the White Sox, who also produced more than a quarter of your defenses. It seems pretty clear that he’s not someone who should be working ninth if the team were to advance to the postseason.
Whether Erceg or Harvey should replace him is less clear. Harvey has more experience and was the top pitcher for three months, but he has given up 14 runs – 12 earned – in his last 11 2/3 innings. Erceg has had fewer outbursts and currently leads Harvey in ERA 3.58 to 4.25. That’s why I’m saying Erceg here. There’s also Harvey’s injury history; he would likely benefit from a more structured and consistent workload than closure tends to offer*. Still, if Erceg works out earlier in games than Harvey a few times next week, I would quickly change my mind.
Erceg, who had three saves for Oakland while typically setting up Mason Miller, has made big gains in the control department this year, issuing just 11 unintentional walks in 37 2/3 innings. He’s also a groundball pitcher — he’s given up just four homers in 92 2/3 innings since debuting last year — but he has a 27% strikeout rate, compared to McArthur’s 17%. There’s a chance he regresses, but there’s also a chance he’s a top-20 reliever the rest of the way.
*McArthur, for example, this month alone went nine and seven days between games, but he also worked both doubleheaders and pitched twice on consecutive days.
Hayden Birdsong – SP Giants – Listed in 29 percent of Yahoo leagues
Fortunately, it was just a paper play, but the Giants actually shut down Birdsong two weeks ago after a 12-hit performance in a win over the Rockies. He was brought back six days later to start a doubleheader and beat the Rockies again. Now he will be officially recalled this weekend and have a chance to spend the rest of the year in the Giants’ rotation after the Alex Cobb trade took the rehabbing veteran out of the mix.
Birdsong has been an excellent strikeout pitcher since being called up from Eastern Illinois in 2022, fanning 34% of the batters he faced in the minors. He’s at 30% so far in six major league starts. Both the slider and curveball are great swing-and-miss pitches, and they’re backed by a 90 mph fastball. Walks are a problem and his lack of efficiency will prevent him from getting deep into games. The Giants are also trying to manage their workload a bit; he was mostly relieved in 2022 and last year’s 100 2/3 innings were a career high for him. If the team falls out of contention, it’s quite possible he could be shut down a few weeks early next month. Still, there’s a lot to like here if the birdsong can remain healthy. He’s worth signing now and should be an even better bet next season.
Quick strikes
– Other new salvage possibilities include Calvin Faucher in Miami and Hunter Strickland with the Angels. Strickland, who was selected over young Ben Joyce after the trades of Carlos Estévez and Luis García, wasted a chance against the Rockies on Thursday, which could put Joyce back in the mix. Still, it’s not like the Angels initially drafted Strickland because they thought he was the best pitcher.
– Whit Merrifield isn’t likely to return to his previous form offensively, but he can’t be that bad, and he’s looking at regular playing time at second base for the Braves after they quickly abandoned the Nacho Alvarez Jr. tryout. He is 13 of 15 stealing bases in limited action this season, so those in need of steals may want to give him a chance. He’s only 7% rostered at Yahoo right now.
