Fantasy 5 Up 5 Down: Wake me up when September ends?

by UK American Sports Fans

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September baseball is, for me at least, some of the best baseball of the year, as teams battle it out for their shot at glory in the playoffs.

The same rule applies to fantasy baseball, as rotisserie teams scour the waiver wire seeking some help to earn them one or two extra points, which could end up being the difference between glory and mediocrity – flags fly forever.

Of course, September call-ups play a key role, both in the Majors and in fantasy leagues, as Cincinnati speedster Billy Hamilton showed this week, when his four pinch-running appearances all led to a stolen base and subsequently the tying run once and the go-ahead run twice. There’s an impact player. Now to take a look at five players, call-ups or not, that have been on the rise over the past week, and five that haven’t been helping the post-season cause at all.

5up

1. Shane Victorino

When a hamstring injury forced him to abandon switch hitting and focus on batting right-handed, few can have anticipated how well Victorino would do. He has bumped his average up to .295, with 14 homers, 20 steals and plenty of runs and ribbies. Most impressively, he has hit nine of those fourteen home runs since August 1 and whilst the high strikeout rate suggests regression is due, he has been a really nice fantasy surprise for owners over the past few weeks, and should continue to help down the stretch.

2. Hunter Pence

An unsexy name, especially now that he plays his games in cavernous AT&T Park, but Pence has proven to be incredible value to those that took him on draft day, with a .289 average, 19 homers, 21 steals and bags of runs and RBI. The steals have been the biggest surprise, as Pence has used his excellent base-running instincts rather than any burning speed to swipe 21 bags and make himself a 20/20 outfielder. Typically, he has been poor in the second half, but this year Pence is hitting .341 after the all-star break.

3. Yusmeiro Petit

Petit’s 5.19 career ERA is unlikely to turn many heads, but he had the baseball world on the edge of its seat on Friday night when he came one out away from a perfect game. For the second time this season, the 27th batter proved the difference, as Eric Chavez’s 3-2 single broke up the perfecto and the no-hitter, denying Petit his chance at immortality. Whilst this must have been an astonishingly nice surprise for any fantasy owners that streamed Petit, it’s hard to use this game as anything other than proof that anything can happen during a given start. Petit has actually been pretty good since joining the Giants rotation, but probably shouldn’t be used as much more than a streaming option – his next start at home against the Rockies should be a nice one.

4. Jose Fernandez

Last week I put Fernandez in the 5 down section of this column, citing the fact he had just two starts left this season as reason to look for a replacement.

Whilst this fact remains true, Fernandez made anyone concerned about the 6 game gap between starts look foolish, as he was utterly dominant against the Nats on Friday, throwing seven shut-out innings with an infield hit and a pair of walks the only Washington base-runners. Fernandez is simply incredible, and his 2.23 ERA ranks second in the Majors to Clayton Kershaw. He will make his last start next week against Atlanta, and whilst it’ll only last five innings so as to meet his innings cap, he’ll be amped up and deserves a start in every league.

5. Koji Uehara

Uehara entered the season as a handy bullpen weapon for the Red Sox, and he will end it as one of the most dominant closers in baseball. He has 18 saves, a 1.12 ERA and almost laughable 0.59 WHIP, along with bucketloads of strikeouts. Scarily, Uehara has been even better than that of late, with a 0.23 ERA since June 10, as well as retiring 27 of the last 27 hitters he’s faced (that’s right, a hidden perfect game). Continue to throw him out there as he dominates in Boston.

5down

1. Justin Upton

Upton has been maddeningly inconsistent so far this season, and fantasy owners that sold after April will surely be thrilled with their return. After a hot end of July/beginning of August, Upton has really cooled down again, and his overall stat line of .258 with 24 homers and barely any steals are truly disappointing. He’s capable of hitting 10 home runs in a two week span, but if you can bench him then do so, because he’s killing your batting average at the moment.

2. Pedro Alvarez

Alvarez’s game is all about power, and his 32 homers have helped fantasy owners and Pittsburgh alike. However, he has been in an extended slump since the all-star break, batting just .195 with eight home runs. It’s tough to bench him, but he’s doing damage to your average and isn’t providing enough pop to make it worth it at the moment.

3. Felix Hernandez

Hernandez had been uncharacteristically inconsistent in his last few starts, and after he got shelled against Texas it became clear he had been struggling with a back injury. His next scheduled start has been pushed back from Sunday to Wednesday – frustrating for owners who need him this week in the playoffs, but with the Astros apparently on the bill, he should be a strong start next week provided he has shaken off the injury.

4. Patrick Corbin

Corbin was one of the most dominant starters in the Majors in the first half, proving unhittable for left-handers and not much easier for righties. Recently, however, he has struggled, getting beat up by the Phillies, and then struggling in back-to-back starts against the Giants. The talented southpaw still has value, but it may be time to start playing the match-ups rather than treating him like a no-doubt starter.

5. Chris Perez

Perez has struggled to get consistent save opportunities thanks largely to the feast-or-famine offense in Cleveland, but he did himself no favours last week when he allowed three runs on three hits to the Orioles. The ERA and WHIP numbers aren’t awful, but considering he has held the job almost all season, the 22 saves are pretty underwhelming. Perez will likely hold a ninth inning job next season, but it’s hard to consider him an elite closer at this stage.