It’s the MLB Game Day Recap Day 11, that means it’s time to talk about rain outs. Our titular topic will be discussed in heavy detail in our Letdown section, so there will only be a light base coat up here today. Rain outs stink, but they are also the underlying reason double headers exist. Over the course of 162, every team will get a surprise day off due to the weather. While this stinks from a fandom perspective, since everyone wants to watch their team every day, it is good from a player standpoint. Additionally surprise off days help give players additional recovery days. More recovery days mean more regular season appearances, which is a net gain everywhere. Rain outs are junk from a fantasy perspective, but in real life they have plenty of benefits.
Climbing Up
3B is an extremely deep position, which makes Gio Urshela a somewhat forgettable option at the hot corner. Despite playing for one of the best offenses each and every year, the Yankees third baseman is currently 27th in ownership percentage in Yahoo leagues. He’s doing everything he can to rectify that, as he’s collected a hit and a run or RBI in 5 of 8 games to start the year. In a typically year, it would be very difficult acquire a Yankees 3B but with how deep third is in 2021, prudent managers might find a way to convert Urshela into a daily utility player. Sure, Urshela’s ceiling isn’t close to the top of the position, but winning your league is always about finding value and Urshela certainly provides that.
Letdown
Rain outs are the absolute worst, but rainouts on Sunday killing fantasy starts are the true bane of fantasy manager’s existence. We lost two today, MIA @ NYM and LAA @ TOR by way of Dunedin, FL. While these rain outs ruined multiple fantasy matchups, Joe Maddon and the Angels are certainly happy the rain came today. The Angels pitching staff was horrible yesterday and they could use a day of rest. Unfortunately, rain outs will always be part of the game.
Who’s Hot
JD Martinez was absolutely a player I was selling at the start of the season. Entering his age 33 season, coming off a disastrous 2020, on a team that is a borderline contender, as only DH eligible? Yeah, I’ll pass. Well, looks like that was a poor decision. Entering today JDM had a .433/.469/.867 slash with 2 dongs and 12 RBIs while leading the league in doubles with 7 and scoring 6 runs. All he did today was have a 3 homer game with 4 runs and 4 RBIs. Often in fantasy, preconceived notions are the downfall a good fantasy players existence. My notion was JDM was a goner and I wasn’t investing a dime into him. Evidence has presented itself that strongly suggests my analysis was entirely wrong, so it’s time to correct.
Who’s Not
Anthony Rizzo on the other hand, he certainly is someone I’ve been right about. He has a hit in only one game over his past seven [in fairness to Rizzo it was 2 hits including a homer against the Pirates]. I watched first hand a player with a similar profile to Rizzo, Carlos Santana, go from being a moderate power hitter to being an OBP only guy last year. Rizzo has a better profile, but his power numbers do not make up for the lack of average, stolen bases and runs he is going to give you. Sell now if you can, positive things are going to be few and far between.
The Emilio Bonifacio Award
Eduardo Escobar started the year ice cold, on a 1 for 21 skid. Since then he’s had a classic Escobar hot streak going 7 for 16 with 7 runs scored and 1 homer and 2 RBIs in 4 straight games. There are always players like Escobar. Cold one week, hot the next. Since he is 2B eligible, his hot streaks can come in handy for fantasy managers everywhere. We may be on the back end of one, or just on the front half of a two week run. Either way, Escobar needs to be in starting lineups until he has another 20 poor at bats.
The James Shields Award
Mike Foltynewicz and Luke Weaver were the only starters to run deep today, both gathering 7.0 innings. Folty was the hard luck loser allowing a solo dinger to Trent Grisham in the 4th as 1 of only 2 hits allowed with 3 walks and a surprisingly low 3 K’s, taking the loss. Weaver on the other hand was dominant. A lone single and walk were all he allowed, striking out 8. Weaver also has possessed tantalizing stuff and has put together unhittable stretches in the past. Right now would be a very savvy time to invest in him as he might be able to string together a boatload of great starts when he’s not on the road against LAD or SDP. Both of these guys are interesting post hype buys who should be on the radar of fantasy managers everywhere.
The Brad Lidge Award
Alex Colome sure looks done, huh? He’s had two clean outings mixed with two mediocre and two horrific ones. That’s not closer material. The Twins have a plethora of arms in the pen including Taylor Rogers and Hansel Robles with closing experience. Colome should get the dreaded “still our closer” any day now and fantasy managers should get out ASAP. Alex has never been an overpowering pitcher, and all these things mixed together with the Twins clear win now situation and they don’t have time to wait. Like Minnesota, cut bait on him saving games for your team.
Conclusion
The MLB Game Day Recap is all about baseball. Baseball is played under ideal conditions. Angelic skies, sunny and 72 degrees, the smell of fresh cut grass in the air, etc. etc. Unfortunately, these conditions are not omnipresent. While rain delays are no fun for our fantasy teams, the antics that accompany them sure are. The running dives onto tarps. The desperate attempts at putting a tarp on a field as fast as possible. The fashionably ugly rain ponchos. These things are all unique to the baseball experience, and they are all dependent solely on rain. All weather has the good and the bad, and is no exception. Almost like all baseball has the good and the bad, and there is no exception.
Goodnight.
