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BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues
OWNED IN: 17% of Leagues
ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers started off his rookie campaign quite strong. In the first half, he hit .252 with five homers, 25 runs, and 18 RBI. He also added 13 doubles and a couple of stolen bases.
However, the league has made adjustments and now he must do the same. The second half, contrary to the first half, has been a mixed bag. He has nearly matched the first half numbers with four homers and 16 RBI. However, it is accompanied with an atrocious .165 batting average. Other numbers that have changed are his groundball rate (increased from 40.8 to 54.2%), hard-hit rate (reduced from 48% to 33.3%), and his OBP (dropped from .368 to .271). Somehow he has been able to maintain his walk rate (12%). The last 19 at-bats have been a primary indicator of his struggles. Bauers has one hit, one run, and one RBI.
Bauers has a full schedule at home against the Royals and Red Sox this week. Luckily, he only faces one lefty on the schedule. If there were a silver lining or a glimmer of near-term hope it is that he faces six right-handed pitchers this week. As crazy as it might look, he is a better hitter against righties, with a .215 batting average. Bauers still has promise and is definitely an addition in dynasty leagues.
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