Buys, Sells, and News from AL Lineups 07/09

Time to catch up on all the latest news on American League lineups. Just as with the National League, there is plenty to dive into. The five hottest hitters in the American League over the past ten days have been: Jarren Duran, Mike Ford, Corey Seager, JP Crawford, and Justin Turner. Keep in mind the stats detailed below are through July 7. I will try to include any last-minute updates that come through from yesterday’s action. Keep reading for notes on all 15 American League lineups.

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AL Lineup Takeaways

AL East

New York Yankees

• Anthony Volpe’s strong play is moving him back up the lineup
  • Volpe’s meeting with Minor League teammates really has set him straight
  • Since June 13, Volpe is slashing .333/.395/.565
  • He should be rostered everywhere as he has elite speed to go with his recent production
• Isaiah Kiner-Falefa is getting regular playing time in a utility role
  • IKF is batting seventh most nights playing the outfield and third base
  • He is batting .342 with as many walks as strikeouts since June 23
  • There is not much power here and he has just one steal since June 14. He is not a player I am targeting on the waiver wire
• Anthony Rizzo has not hit a home run since May 20
  • Rizzo continues to bat in the top half of the Yankees lineup despite his struggles
  • His barrel rate has disappeared which is causing this power outage
  • With no power and no speed, he is no longer a must-roster in shallow leagues. I am holding in 12+ team leagues
• Jake Bauers landed on the IL
  • The Yankees called up Franchy Cordero in a corresponding move
  • Bauers is not somebody that you need to hold throughout this injury and there is not any one player you should be picking up to replace him
  • There is a small chance the team could promote Oswald Peraza again from Triple-A

Boston Red Sox

• Jarren Duran is worth rostering even with three other outfielders getting consistent playing time
  • Duran is still playing most days against righties and batting leadoff
  • His average is back up over .300 and he has 16 steals on the year
  • He continues to hit the ball hard and should start seeing his home run total increase
• Adam Duvall could lose his starting job
  • With Duran playing well, Duvall needs to pick it up
  • He continues to bat fifth in most games but has a 32 wRC+ since returning from the IL
  • The strikeout rate is high and I am fine moving on in
• Masataka Yoshida has gotten hot at the plate
  • His batting average since June 20 is .362 despite an average launch angle of zero
  • With his ground ball rate so high, he remains a sell-high player for me
• Yu Chang is back from the IL and appears to be getting some consistent playing time
  • Chang, Enrique Hernandez, and Christian Arroyo figure to split the two middle infield jobs between the three of them
  • None are particularly attractive from a fantasy perspective
  • David Hamilton was sent back to Triple-A and should not be held onto

Tampa Bay Rays

• Brandon Lowe is back from the IL
  • He continues to sit against lefties but is batting toward the middle of the lineup against righties
  • He has nine home runs on the season and is worth rostering if you are looking for power from your second base position
  • His return to the lineup primarily impacts Taylor Walls who moves back into a utility role
  • Jonathan Aranda was promoted from Triple-A this week when Josh Lowe was placed on a personal list. Aranda was red-hot in Triple-A and could factor into the playing time around the infield moving forward
• Jose Siri is now batting seventh in the Rays’ lineup
  • Siri has cooled off over the past week which is bound to happen for a player with his plate aggression
  • If you roster Siri, you need to be willing to ride out hot and cold streaks
  • He could start seeing less playing time in favor of Manuel Margot if his struggles continue
• What has happened to Yandy Diaz’s power?
  • He has not hit a home run since May 26 and is slugging just .328 over that time
  • His launch angle has regressed to his career norms, and it looks like his early season production was a fluke
  • He still hits for plenty of average and is worth rostering, but managers should adjust their expectations in terms of his power production

Toronto Blue Jays

• Alejandro Kirk is getting the majority of starts at catcher
  • Kirk is batting eighth in the lineup although he continues to lose time to Danny Jansen
  • Kirk has just two hits since returning from the IL
  • Neither Kirk nor Jansen are worth rostering in shallow leagues at this point. If you need to roster one, I lean Kirk based on playing time but Jansen has more upside from a fantasy perspective
• George Springer is on the paternity list
  • This is not a long-term issue, but it does open the door for Cavan Biggio to get a little bit more playing time
  • No changes here from a fantasy perspective

Baltimore Orioles

• Another prospect is up for the Orioles
  • Colton Cowser is batting seventh in the lineup and is one of the most exciting prospects in baseball
  • Cowser profiles as a doubles monster who can contribute to all five categories if he can keep his strikeout rate in check
  • He should be added in all 12+ team leagues as a high-priority target
  • Aaron Hicks has moved into a bench role with the promotion of Cowser
• Ryan Mountcastle is nearing a return from the IL
  • With the lineup suddenly crowded with prospects, Baltimore’s plans remain uncertain
  • Ryan O’Hearn continues to play first base in his absence, but is playing extremely well with a 144 wRC+
  • The two players could wind up splitting time while also potentially eating into the playing time of Austin Hays (who is battling an injury right now)
  • This situation is worth monitoring closely once Mountcastle is back
• Jordan Westburg looks like the real deal
  • He is batting toward the bottom of the lineup and swinging the bat well since his promotion
  • Although he does not have a steal or home run yet, he is making excellent contact while walking over 10% of the time
  • If he is still sitting on your waiver wire, he should be picked up and can contribute to all five categories

AL West

Houston Astros

• Jose Altuve is back on the IL
  • With Altuve out, Mauricio Dubon has stepped back into an everyday role
  • At this point, we know who Dubon is. He is not going to provide much power or speed. He is solely going to hit for average and score runs at the top of Houston’s lineup
  • If you need MI help and are looking for runs and average, target Dubon
• Corey Julks is red-hot at the plate
  • Julks is batting seventh or eighth and playing every day now
  • He has five stolen bases since June 21 and is batting .432 over that time
  • His BABIP is bound to come down, but Julks is a reliable source of speed and should see a slight power uptick
  • The most impressive part of this is his reduction in strikeout rate thanks to improved contact metrics. He is a strong add if you need outfield help
• Jeremy Pena is healthy again
  • Pena was battling an injury but returned to the lineup on Wednesday
  • He is moving down in the lineup and has just two home runs and two stolen bases since the start of June
  • With mediocre averages and disappointing quality of contact metrics, Pena is no longer a must-roster player in anything shallower than 14-team leagues

Los Angeles Angels

• Mike Trout underwent surgery to repair his hamate bone. He is expected to be out 4-8 weeks
  • With Trout out, Mickey Moniak has stepped into an everyday role
  • He is batting leadoff against righties and continues to barrel balls at an impressive rate
  • The power is legit, but the average is bound to come down with a strikeout rate as high as his
  • Jo Adell figures to get most of the starts against lefties in place of Moniak
• Andrew Velasquez might be retaking the starting shortstop job
  • Velasquez started back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday batting ninth in the lineup
  • He has six steals already in just 15 games
  • If his playing time continues to increase, he is worth a look in deep leagues where you are in need of stolen bases
• Luis Rengifo has a slight edge in playing time for the injured Brandon Drury
  • Drury was splitting time between first and second base. Mike Moustakas is getting most of the time at first while Rengifo and Eduardo Escobar split time at second
  • Rengifo is batting over .300 with an increased barrel rate since June 20. He hit 17 home runs last season and is worth a look in deep leagues as long as he is playing consistently
  • Escobar has a 60 wRC+ since joining the Angels and is unlikely to get into the lineup any more than he is right now. He is not worth rostering in any format
• Hunter Renfroe is getting more time at first base
  • With Drury on the IL, Renfroe is an option at first to open up a spot in the lineup for another young outfielder
  • Yes, I am talking about Jo Adell
  • He is not worth adding at this point, but this is a situation worth keeping your eye on(Adell did leave the game with an apparent injury on Saturday)

Texas Rangers

• Ezequiel Duran has cooled off and has moved primarily into the DH role
  • Duran was playing left field, but it appears the team is more comfortable with him at DH
  • Duran has a strikeout rate of almost 35% since June 12 and is starting to see his unsustainable .386 BABIP come down
  • He still has excellent quality of contact metrics and is an interesting buy-low candidate if you are okay with his average and OBP coming down
  • Mitch Garver was previously getting most of the lineup time at DH and has now moved into a bench role
• Travis Jankowski and Robbie Grossman are splitting time in the third outfield spot
  • Jankowski quietly has ten steals in 51 games and is batting over .300 on the season
  • His BABIP is bound to come down and he is not worth rostering outside of AL-only leagues
  • Grossman provides no average or speed and is not worth picking up even if his playing time increases
• Josh Jung is striking out more
  • His strikeout rate is over 40% since June 20 which is dragging his batting average down
  • His quality of contact is still very strong and batting fifth in the Rangers’ lineup provides plenty of counting stat opportunities
  • I am holding here, but continuing to monitor the situation moving forward

Oakland Athletics

• Jordan Diaz is getting some consistent run in the lineup rotating between second base and DH
  • Diaz is batting fifth against righties and second against lefties
  • Diaz’s launch angle is much improved from last year and he is posting very solid quality of contact metrics
  • The biggest red flag is a high chase rate, but he is worth a look in deep leagues where you are looking for help at second base
• Shea Langeliers has been out of the lineup for two of the last three games against righties
  • Langeliers’ numbers are much better against righties this year making me think that this trend will not continue, but the situation is worth monitoring
  • One possibility is that Oakland is looking to promote top prospect Tyler Soderstrom who is red-hot in Triple-A
  • Soderstrom is a prime stash target who can play first base or catch for the Athletics
• Tony Kemp continues to bat leadoff against righties and stay in the lineup against lefties
  • Kemp is picking things up at the plate with a .286/.333/.464 slash since June 20
  • A .209 season-long BABIP is keeping his batting average down, but that number should see positive regression
  • With little speed and no power, he is not worth rostering

Seattle Mariners

• I have continued to say that if JP Crawford can get his barrel rate up, then he will break out in a big way
  • His barrel rate sits at 11.9% since June 17 and he is slashing .296/.426/.648 over that time
  • He also adds a 19.1 BB% to his counting stats accumulated from batting leadoff
  • He should be rostered in 12+ team leagues that need a MI lineup spot
• Mike Ford is getting every day at-bats and even batting in the middle of the lineup some games
  • Ford has seven home runs in just 28 games with a 135 wRC+
  • His strikeout rate remains over 30% and his current HR/FB% is unsustainable. I am not adding Ford anywhere
• Rumors are swirling about a trade between Seattle and St. Louis
  • This has been rumored for a while but Seattle needs offense and St. Louis needs pitching
  • One possibility is Seattle adding a middle infielder (Donovan, Edman, or Gorman) to replace the combination of Kolten Wong/Jose Caballero. This situation is worth keeping an eye on

AL Central

Detroit Tigers

• Riley Greene is back from the IL
  • Greene has slotted back into the second spot in Detroit’s lineup and should be rostered everywhere
  • He was putting things together in a big way before his injury and has big-time upside
  • His return likely pushes Kerry Carpenter back to DH and Miguel Cabrera to the bench
• Akil Baddoo is also back from the IL
  • So far, Baddoo appears to be splitting time with Jake Marisnick
  • Baddoo has shown flashes, but never swung with enough consistency to warrant fantasy attention. He is not somebody I am adding
• Javier Baez is down to sixth in the lineup
  • Baez continues to struggle with just a 62 wRC+ on the season
  • If you are still holding out hope for a return to form, it is time to move on

Kansas City

• Maikel Garcia is now batting leadoff in the Royals’ lineup
  • Garcia is crushing the ball with an excellent sweet spot percentage and plenty of speed
  • He is up to 14 stolen bases and his average is quickly approaching .300
  • Hopefully, you got in early because by now, it is likely too late
• MJ Melendez is moving down in the lineup
  • Melendez has been batting as low as sixth some games for the Royals
  • His average is quickly approaching The Mendoza Line and he has not gone yard since June 17
  • He is not somebody worth rostering in a shallow league
• Michael Massey is back from the IL
  • His return sent Samad Taylor back to Triple-A and moved Edward Olivares into a platoon role
  • Massey is batting in the back half of the lineup and is still not somebody I am prioritizing adding unless he flashes the breakout potential he was showing at the end of 2022

Chicago White Sox

• Oscar Colas is back with the White Sox
  • So far, he is batting in the back half of the lineup and drew the first possible start against a lefty
  • Colas has plenty of raw power but will need to keep his launch angle up and his strikeout rate in check if he wants to find success at the Major League level
  • I am not adding him yet, but I am watching to see how he performs this time around
  • Gavin Sheets has moved into a bench role with Colas up
• Zach Remillard (who?) is getting run as the starting second baseman
  • Remillard has been in Chicago’s system since 2016 and had a 79 wRC+ in Triple-A this season
  • His current average is over .300 but comes with a BABIP over .400. Expect this number to come down
  • His real contribution can come via his legs, but I do not expect him to maintain this starting role
  • Elvis Andrus has moved into a bench role with Remillard up
• Yasmani Grandal is losing playing time
  • Grandal has been out of the lineup three times in the past week and is batting .206 since June 20
  • He is not worth rostering at this point
  • Seby Zavala is seeing his playing time increase as a result, but he is also not worth rostering without an everyday lineup spot

Minnesota Twins

• Carlos Correa has taken over leadoff duties for Minnesota
  • After a slow start, Correa has really put things together during June slashing .267/.315/.485 since June 8
  • His average should continue rising and the move to the top of the lineup will provide even more run-scoring opportunities
• Jose Miranda is back from Triple-A and mixing into the lineup
  • Miranda is primarily playing against left-handed pitchers
  • He only had a 73 wRC+ in Triple-A and is yet to record a hit since returning to the Major Leagues
  • I am not adding Miranda at this point
• Eduoard Julien, Joey Gallo, and Alex Kirilloff are all very schedule dependent
  • This past week, the Twins faced a lot of lefties limiting the starts for all three players
  • Kirilloff is the most likely of the three to earn a start against a lefty and is a strong player to roster in OBP and dynasty leagues. His average is likely to continue falling as his unsustainable LD% (33%) comes down
  • I am fine moving on from Julien in redraft as Jorge Polanco is nearing a rehab assignment. The production from Julien has been underwhelming and with inconsistent lineup time, he is a fine drop

Cleveland Guardians

• Bo Naylor is on the strong side of the platoon at catcher
  • Naylor continues to struggle at the Major League level with a strikeout rate of over 30%
  • While I do not expect his production to be this poor moving forward, he is not somebody that you need to have rostered until he fixes his strikeout problem
  • Cam Gallegher is getting the starts in Naylor’s place against lefties
• Andres Gimenez is up to fifth in the Guardians’ lineup
  • Gimenez has been a madman on the bases recently with six stolen bases since the calendar flipped to July
  • His slow start is a thing of the past and he is performing as everybody hoped he would entering the season
  • He is one of the top options at second base moving forward and somebody you should absolutely be targeting
• Amed Rosario is also putting his slow start behind him
  • Since June 15, Rosario is batting over .330
  • He does not add much power or speed (only one steal since May 22) but is valuable for both the runs and average categories.