RADIO
There is nothing quite like the ebbs and flows of fantasy baseball. Every at-bat of every game is the final straw based on that moment whereas in reality, players will have hundreds more across the next dozen weeks to neutralize whatever outcome came about.
Across the past two months, plenty of recently unknown players have thrived in fantasy baseball while many perennial All-Stars have disappointed. Below, I discuss which known commodities should work their way back to fantasy stardom and which flavor of the month may stick.
For all complaints, contact Kev Mahserejian on X (@RotoSurgeon). Without further ado, here are your Risers and Fallers for Week 13 of the fantasy baseball season!
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Fantasy Baseball Risers
Alec Marsh, SP - Kansas City Royals
24% Rostered on Yahoo!
The Royals' rotation is formidable for the first time in years and 26-year-old Alec Marsh is part of the reason why. Marsh has taken a step forward in his sophomore campaign with a 3.63 ERA in 67 innings pitched. While his profile is not that of a high-upside starter, Marsh is valuable for fantasy managers needing middle-rotation help. His 3.96 xFIP and 3.93 SIERA back his performance thus far as repeatable and not requiring much luck.
Alec Marsh, 87mph Slider and 96mph Fastball, Individual Pitches + Overlay.
You take the FB because you didn't wanna chase the Slider again...so you end up with a backwards K. pic.twitter.com/8OcBwbYCA2
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 27, 2024
Marsh's next two starts come against a weak Oakland offense and scuttling Rangers who hit below league average versus right-handers.
Verdict: Marsh is worth streaming this week in all formats and can be decided as a hold afterward.
Jarred Kelenic, OF - Atlanta Braves
29% Rostered on Yahoo!
The former top prospect is once again flashing with his bat. Kelenic is slashing .267/.309/.432 this season but has picked up his performance of late. Through 13 games in June, Kelenic has three HR, five runs, six RBI, and two SB while hitting nearly .300. He is also only striking out a quarter of the time in this span.
Most importantly, Kelenic is batting leadoff against RHP due to the absence of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Michael Harris II. This Braves lineup may not be as formidable as it once was but the bats still pack a punch.
Jarred Kelenic over his last 21 games played 👀😴
0.7 fWAR
.300/.342/.571
.914 OPS
153 wRC+
10 R
21 H
5 2B
1 3B
4 HR
11 RBI
1 SB
5.3% BB
21.1% K91.0 MPH Exit Velo
45.5% HardHit
9.1% Barrel pic.twitter.com/loRJplj4Ay— Kevin Keneely (@KevinKeneely1) June 17, 2024
Verdict: Pick Kelenic up in all 12+ team leagues as long as he bats leadoff.
Tyler Soderstrom, C - Oakland Athletics
32% Rostered on Yahoo!
The former first-round pick has been cooking since June 10. Soderstrom has four HR, six runs, and eight RBI with a .370 average in this span. While he is much more valuable in leagues with catcher eligibility, this sort of run from a pedigreed prospect is worth eyeing everywhere. Throughout the season, Soderstrom's 31.6% strikeout rate mirrors his 2023 number but he has increased his walk rate (12.2%) while markedly improving the quality of contact. His xwOBA (.372) is slightly higher than his surface wOBA (.359) which is always good to see for hot hitters.
A 421-foot, 106 mph BOMB for Tyler Soderstrom.
He had 4 HRs in the last 7 games. All have been 400-feet plus. pic.twitter.com/407XlbpOit
— Karl Buscheck (@KarlBuscheck) June 17, 2024
Soderstrom is worth picking up if you have an open roster spot or a general need for power. The Oakland A's offense is not good but it is also much better than expected to start the season as they sit closer to average than league-worst.
Verdict: Top-10 rest of season where catcher eligible. Monitor this week in leagues where he is only 1B.
Fantasy Baseball Fallers
Jon Gray, SP - Texas Rangers
59% Rostered on Yahoo!
The Mets teed off on Jon Gray this past Monday. Gray's pitching line was one of the season's worst for starters with nine earned runs on 11 hits in three innings. Gray had been pitching well in his return from a groin injury but everything fell apart in this spot. Gray came into the day with a pristine 2.17 ERA but that came to a quick end as all good things do.
Jon Gray is convinced that he was tipping his pitches vs. #Mets, but he isn't sure what they keyed in on. Too many big swings, too many balls in play. #Rangers
— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) June 18, 2024
The Mets may have caught onto Gray tipping pitches and taken advantage of him. He did not walk a batter and watched the team freely swing and make good contact. There were signs of inevitable regression between his 3.52 xFIP and 3.66 SIERA but this pummelling was more than bad luck.
Verdict: Hold for his start against the Royals this week then decide what to do from there. Ratios for the week may be ruined anyway.
Brent Rooker, OF - Oakland Athletics
75% Rostered on Yahoo!
Brent Rooker has been ice-cold since June 2. He is slashing .136/.224/.273 in this span with just one HR, one run, and two RBI while striking out an appalling 40.8%. Rooker profiles as a streaky hitter due to his intrinsic swing-and-miss style but this is gaudy. His 35.2% strikeout rate on the season is a career-high and he does not have the track record to suggest that he can adjust. Given Rooker's performance and solid expected numbers on the season despite this, he is worth holding but there is a breaking point.
Verdict: Hold on until the end of June and make a decision then.
Ryan Jeffers, C - Minnesota Twins
66% Rostered on Yahoo!
Ryan Jeffers looked like the next great fantasy catcher through the season's first two months. Jeffers produced 12 HR, 25 runs, 36 RBI, and two SB from March through June while hitting .256. Since the calendar turned to June, Jeffers has slashed .118/.167/.147 with zero HR, zero runs, and two RBI.
There is good news with him striking out at a career-low rate and running a ridiculously low .143 BABIP in June. However, Jeffers is splitting time at catcher with Christian Vasquez more. Holding onto Jeffers is fine in two-catcher leagues but if a hot hitter like Tyler Soderstrom is available, swapping out may be best.
Verdict: Holding is fine but in a one-catcher league you may want to ride another wave and monitor Jeffers on waivers.
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