Welcome to the September 4th edition of Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox.
Discussing baseball is as fun as the game itself. It has a way of bringing people together to share different opinions about the sport we all love. A similar action can be done with fantasy baseball where we not only discuss topics but also look to improve our teams as well as the teams of our fellow fantasy baseball enthusiasts. Everyone has their own perspectives which are not to be cast off as frivolous. They should be used as a method of expanding our own knowledge.
In this article, I review the previous day's boxscores and provide my opinion on a variety of topics. Some will be random, some will be fun, and some will be stat-driven. It's a soapbox so I may rant from time to time as well. So without any further delay, below are my thoughts on September 3rd games. Enjoy them. You can even respond with your own thoughts on Twitter @EllisCan2.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and weekly lineup resources:- Fantasy baseball injury reports
- Fantasy baseball trade analyzer
- Daily MLB starting lineups for fantasy baseball
- Fantasy baseball BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
- Fantasy baseball PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
- Who should I start? Fantasy baseball player comparisons
- Fantasy baseball closer depth charts, bullpens, saves
- Fantasy Baseball live scoreboard, daily leaderboards
Daily Musings
- Luis Robert (11) sent out an urgent message (113 mph exit velo) across baseball with a 458-foot warning shot. 2021 cost is rising.
- We’re calling it a Sophomore Slump, Bryan Reynolds (3 HR, 1 SB, .196 AVG). Maybe it’s just 2020.
- Get your Michael Brantleys back in the lineup. (85% rostered). Three multi-hit games in the last four outings.
- “I gave it to you, I can take it away.” ~ Lance Lynn. He was feeling spiteful. What did you do to deserve 6 ER in 6 IP.
- Greinke's velocity is dropping & he doesn’t care. Third win, 2.31 FIP. Dare we draft again in 2021? I might, depending on team construct.
- Yes, Nick Solak can say he’s better than Mike Trout & Trea Turner in Contact (81.6%) & his SwingStrike (7.9%) is commensurate. Bright future. Now work on the Chase rate (29.5%) a little bit.
- T. Turner ignited the jets. Oh, you’d rather have a SB, than an inside-the-park home? Ah, you’re curious why it’s called inside-the-park when most homers are inside the park. Ok, fine. 'Inside-The-Field HR’ is born. Or maybe 'Inside-The-Diamond'. Better?
- Everyone is calm acting like they knew it all along. 7 HR, 30 R+RBI, .327 AVG in the last 15 games for Rhys Hoskins.
- Chocolate Milk & Squat Hammies (C-MASH) strikes again! The crowd stayed to watch Pete Alonso (eighth HR) walk it off in extras.
- Don’t you remember J.D. Davis (66% rostered)? Aroldis Chapman tried to help him regain relevancy. 5th banner across the sky reads ‘Don’t Forget Me’.
- The good Alec Mills isn’t returning. No reason for 25% rostered. 7.5% SwingStrike rate. Allowing 34.5% Hard Hit rate.
- They’re long gone, Aaron Hicks. Only 9% of leagues will enjoy that stolen base. Call it Fantasy baseball managers indifference.
- There was no celebrations as Mike Clevinger’s 6 IP, 2 ER, 2 K wasn’t good enough. Or maybe because Andrew Heaney had a fine day himself (7 IP, 6 K).
- While most were passed out from the party, Teoscar Hernandez slid right inside the 13-homer club.
- Most are focused on hitting it far & fast. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (six) recalibrated to a 44-degree angle & smacked it over the foul pole.
- Just once, Blue Jays, can we have him as the opener….then we can all sing “Every game begins with Kay."
- Some people rushed for Michael Chavis & Bobby Dalbec. There’s a lesson here that we will discuss in the Lagniappe section of The Fantasy Soapbox.
- Whoa, Dylan Cease. Slow down. Stop here at the five-win mark to acclimate. You can’t just rush up to six wins. Haven’t you heard of altitude sickness?
- Who are the top two batting leaders for MLB? Call the Nationals.
- Edwin Encarnacion is like an aged bottle of wine. Sometimes it’s 442-feet of exotic notes goodness (three HR in seven games). Other times it’s just below AVG (.200).
- Wearing a cape that states ‘2019 Was No Fluke’, Tim Anderson currently leads AL batting title (.347 AVG).
- It’s a terrible rope-a-dope, isn’t it, Danny Duffy (6 IP, 6 ER, 5 BB). People locked you in thinking you were going to start vs CLE. Surprise! White Sox.
- The D’backs offense got better with the Starling Marte trade?! No, no they didn’t.
- No, the ‘J’ in AJ Pollock doesn’t stand for Jackson. We’d have all kinds of abstract fun, wouldn’t we? But no, Pollock hit a normal long ball (7).
- Endgame
- Edwin Diaz had to work. 2 IP, 4K.
- Aroldis Chapman (BS).
- Felix Pena (one). With the implosion on the back end, maybe there is a man left standing.
- It's Friday. Doesn't the air smell better on Friday? Not as fresh as Sundays. How is this fantasy-relevant? Take a fresh look at your rosters. Now, look at the standings? Side by side. What are your weaknesses? Does the roster fix them? Ah, fresh air.
- (No Fear, Just Fantasy)
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