Buy/Sell: Matt Adams, Scooter Gennett and More Hitting Surprises Through June

Matt Adams, 1B, Atlanta Braves

After being traded to the Braves, Adams has emerged as a fantasy stud in the month of June. Since coming over from the Cardinals Adams has hit .296/.348/.620 with 12 home runs in 155 plate appearances. Adams was one of my favorite sleeper picks going into the 2017 campaign, mostly because of his .222 ISO from last season. There are three questions however that could hurt Adams’ fantasy value in 2017. The first being Adams’ playing time once Freeman comes off the DL. This is a serious concern fantasy owners, but there are rumors speculating that Freeman will return to third base after his stint on the DL. This would mean that Adams playing time will most likely remain the same, and should even bolster his fantasy value as he will likely be hitting behind the Braves’ superstar.

The second question concerning Adams is his ability to hit left-handed pitching. Braves manager Brian Snitker sure believes he can. In a postgame interview Snitker talked about receiving text messages from Adams’ former teammates talking about how he could hit lefties, so let us take a look at Adams’ splits versus left-handed pitching. Since coming over to the Braves, Adams has hit .207/.233/.448 against left-handed pitchers, and owns a career slash line of .209/.240/.358 against southpaws. I think it is safe to say that Adams should be seen as mostly a platoon player as his stats against left-handers are subpar to say the least.

The third question about Adams is a positional one. Adams is only first base eligible in fantasy baseball, which is loaded with fantasy superstars like Paul Goldschmidt, Joey Votto, Anthony Rizzo, Cody Bellinger and Eric Thames. So where does Adams end up compared to other first base eligible players (includes guys like Buster Posey and Daniel Murphy)? He will most likely be seen as a top 15-20 first baseman by the end of 2017. With that being said, make sure to give Adams a look if he is still on your waiver wire in July as he has absolutely been killing right-handed pitching. He owns a .278 ISO against right-handers this season, so Adams makes for a great buy low, sell high candidate for your fantasy team in 2017.

Mitch Moreland, 1B, Boston Red Sox

Moreland was really hot this past week, hitting a home run in 3 straight games. He is an average but stable first base option for your fantasy team, but there are some things that he looks to be improving on in 2017. He is coming off a terrible 2016 campaign in which he hit .233/.298/.422. This season he is hitting .275/.362/.486 for his new club in Boston. His walk rate is up to 10.9% this season, but do not be surprised if that goes down to his more normal 8.0-8.5% as it seems he has not made any severe changes in his pitch selection according to his O-Swing% and Z-Swing%. I see Moreland finishing the season with 25 home runs and hitting a slash line around .255/.330/.455, so I will let you make the final call if he is a possible upgrade at first base for your fantasy team in 2017.

Scooter Gennett, 2B, Cincinnati Reds

For those of you that do not know, I have been a Brewers ever since my hometown Sounds switched their MLB affiliate to the Brewers back in 2005. I was not a fan when they decided to designate Gennett for assignment, and now I am really starting to regret the team’s choice. So far this season, Gennett has hit .306/.346/.589 with 12 home runs in 191 plate appearances. Gennett has been known to hit for a decent batting average since joining the Brewers in 2013, but the power element is something new for the 27 year old. Now will the 5-10, 185 pound utility man continue his power surge in July? Most likely not on the pace he is on, but it is possible that the Reds slugger hits another 10-15 home runs before the end of the season. I say that because this season Gennett is hitting batted balls with hard contact 41.8% of the time against right-handers. Like Adams, Gennett will most likely not be that productive against left-handers based on his past stats, but makes for a great platoon option when a right-hander is on the mound. Gennett is second base and outfield eligible and will most likely be eligible at third base after Cozart’s DL stint is over. Gennett is likely to cool off from his superb June, but he could be used as a quality utility man on any fantasy roster.

Brian Goodwin, OF, Washington Nationals

Brian Goodwin has been clutch for the Nationals this past month, and has even been my own savior in DFS as he put up 2 home runs on 6/23/17 against the Reds. There is one problem with Goodwin’s fantasy value, and that is that there are a lot of quality outfielders available on the waiver wire. Goodwin does offer as a good option for those in deeper leagues however as he offers a mixture of plate discipline, speed and even some surprise power. Goodwin’s plate discipline has been great this season as he has only swung at 27.0% of balls outside the strike zone. He also has the potential to be a 20/20 player if he gets enough at bats, but he will most likely end up as 15/15 player. I also see his batting average taking a dive into the low .250’s as the season continues. For these reasons I would try to stay away from the 26 year old rookie, and continue to look for a more stable option for my outfield.

Ben Gamel, OF, Seattle Mariners

What if I told you that from the dates of May 28 to June 23 Ben Gamel hit safely in every single game except for one. In that time span Gamel hit an impressive .385/.417/.530. He is one of three rookie outfielders who have kept the struggling Mariners around .500. Gamel offers one thing and that is a consistent amount of base hits. He does not offer much power and his walk rate is just a tick above average. He has been batting mostly in the first and second spot in the batting order this season, so he could be a good source for runs as long as he continues to get on base. I have stayed away from Gamel this season due to the lack of power, but he could make for a quality outfield option in any standard 5x5 league.