Rest of Season Fantasy Baseball Rankings: The Jacksons Thrive

Fantasy baseball managers often trip over themselves rushing to draft the next big thing. This year was no different. Despite being just 20 years old and having zero MLB experience heading into the season, the price for players like Jackson Chourio and Jackson Holliday seemingly increased by the day during the spring. By the time the regular season began, Chourio was a 10th-round pick in 12-team leagues. Holliday was a 15th-round pick. Expectations were a bit more tempered for Jackson Merrill. His ADP was after the 20th round. Fantasy managers who nabbed the young phenoms were convinced they were “Goin’ Places”. But while Merrill’s MLB career got off to a solid start, Chourio and Holliday struggled to “Get It Together”. This left many fantasy managers in a “State of Shock.”

Jackson Chourio Production and Rankings Outlook

Chourio had a rough first couple of months of the season. Chourio entered June with a .210/.254/.327 triple-slash line and a 29 percent strikeout rate. Then Chourio began to turn it around. He hit .315 in June, though he only stole one base. Chourio ended the month with a seven-game hitting streak, which became a 12-game streak a few short days later. At the All-Star break, Chourio’s triple-slash was a much more respectable .245/.294/.384 mark. And Chourio has been even better since the All-Star break. In 18 games, he is hitting .377. More importantly, he has popped five home runs after hitting just nine in 82 first-half games. Chourio has also been a “Dancing Machine” on the basepaths, swiping six bags since the break. Over the past 30 days, Chourio has been a top-20 fantasy hitter.

I do not know if Chourio can maintain this pace over the next eight weeks. Having said that, I have to acknowledge that I have probably been too low on the dynamic outfielder in recent weeks. Of course, as I begin to sing his praises, he goes hitless in two consecutive games for the first time since the middle of June. But Chourio looks like the player that fantasy managers thought they were getting before the season. I have him as a borderline top-100 player in this week’s ROS rankings, and I may still be too low.

Jackson Holliday Production and Rankings Outlook

Though Chourio struggled early this season, he looked like Willie Mays compared to Jackson Holliday. When the Orioles called Holliday up to the Big Leagues on April 10, excitement was through the roof. But the former first overall MLB Draft Pick looked like anything but a “Big Boy” upon entering the Majors. Holliday’s MLB career began with a 2-for-34 stretch that included 18 strikeouts and just two walks. The team optioned Holliday down to Triple-A after just two weeks.

Patience appears to have been a virtue for both the Orioles and fantasy managers, however. Baltimore recalled Holliday at the end of July, and he looked like a new man. He hit a grand slam in his return to the lineup on July 31 and quickly followed that up by becoming the youngest player in American League history to homer in three straight games. Holliday now has five home runs in 10 games since being called up and is a top-25 hitter over the past week.

I am not ready to deem Holliday a must-start in shallow leagues yet. He is not much of a threat on the bases and is still not drawing walks. And because he hits at the bottom of the lineup (albeit a potent one), his ceiling for runs scored is not incredibly high. I also want to see Holliday put together a hot stretch that lasts longer than a week or two. Because of that, I have him relatively low overall in this week’s rankings. Still, we know the talent that Holliday possesses, so he could easily have turned a corner in his development as a Major League hitter.

Jackson Merrill Production and Rankings Outlook

Last but certainly not least is Jackson Merrill of the San Diego Padres. Merrill was a late-round dart throw in most leagues. He has paid enormous dividends for those who took the chance on him. Unlike Chourio and Holliday, Merrill hit the ground running, literally and figuratively. He hit .293 in April and .279 in May, avoiding the early batting average woes that plague his counterparts. And while he entered June with just three home runs, Merrill had seven stolen bases and an excellent 17.1-percent strikeout rate. Then during the second week of June, it was as if Merrill flipped on his power switch as easily as “ABC.” Merrill hit two home runs on June 12, including a walk-off blast against Oakland closer Mason Miller. That began a stretch where Merrill hit nine home runs in 16 games. Merrill hit .320 and slugged .650 during June.

Merrill may have gotten a bit homer-happy as a result of that power surge. He only hit .259 in July while launching just one homer. He also struck out in 28.9 percent of his plate appearances, which was uncharacteristic. However, Merrill seems to have righted the ship so far in August. He is 11-for-28 in eight August contests with four home runs and two stolen bases. Even better is that he has four walks versus five strikeouts this month. Merrill enters the weekend as a top-30 fantasy hitter for the season. He has been one of the best value picks in fantasy this season, especially considering his dual eligibility in the outfield and at shortstop.

As is the case with Chourio, I consider Merrill a borderline top-100 player going forward. There is no denying the talent, nor the production to this point. Based on those factors, his place in my ROS rankings may be a bit low. I worry that Merrill has already played 114 games this season, which matches his total in the Minors last season. We have to remember that all three of these players are kids. The rookie wall has been known to hit during the dog days of summer. Having said that, if you have any or all of these young studs on your roster, “Enjoy Yourself” and keep riding the wave for as long as it lasts.

Rest of Season Fantasy Baseball Rankings