In week four of our fantasy baseball 2017 update, we will continue to notify owners about which players are hot, or cold, and whether they will continue to trend in that direction. The previous weekly updates can be found at thegamehaus.com/fantasy.
Trea Turner, Shortstop, Washington Nationals
Trea Turner has a bright future, but what is his ceiling? (Courtesy of Federal Baseball)
Turner is off to a torrid pace after recovering from a hamstring injury that landed him on the 10-day disabled list. The 23-year-old is currently batting .333 with 14 runs scored, two home runs, 13 RBI, and four stolen bases in only 14 games. His elite production can not only be attributed to his innate athletic ability, but also to the Nationals star studded lineup, as teammates Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, and Daniel Murphy are all top three in National League RBI totals.
The first-round pick in 2014 is a massive part of Washington’s future, and according to manager Dusty Baker, looks like “Ricky Henderson”, as he has an incredible combination of power and speed. He has 16 home runs and 39 stolen bases in only 428 major-league plate appearances. The potential to be a top 10 fantasy player is real for Turner, who will be a staple atop the Nationals’ order for the next decade.
Ivan Nova, Starting Pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates
Nova came over to Pittsburgh from the New York Yankees in 2016. Prior to becoming a Pirate, he had a career 4.41 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 729 innings pitched. After joining Pittsburgh, Nova managed to decline his ERA to 2.50 and WHIP to 0.97 in 100 2/3 innings. The Pirates coaching staff, more specifically pitching coach Ray Searage, are famous for turning average pitchers into All-Stars, as average arms like A.J. Burnett, Zach Duke, Kevin Correia, and Jeff Locke found their way to All-Stars games while in the Pirates uniform.
The 30-year-old is coming off a “Greg Maddux” performance, which is a baseball term used to describe a complete game shutout consisting of 99 pitches or less. Nova has gotten off to an incredible start in 2017, sporting a 1.50 ERA and 0.75 WHIP. He will continue to find success, as his next start is at home against the struggling Cincinnati Reds.
Matt Kemp is healthy and ready to make an impact in 2017. (Courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors)
Matt Kemp, Outfielder, Atlanta Braves
Kemp has finally returned after being placed on the 10-day DL with a right hamstring strain on April 11th. He has been a consistent producer of 89 RBI or more since 2014, and looks to continue that trend this season. Kemp, along with Freddie Freeman, will be high-level producers as they anchor the Braves lineup.
Since 2014, the 32-year-old has a .273 batting average, 246 runs scored, 83 home runs, and 297 RBI in 472 games. Kemp’s hot start in 2017 will continue as long as he can stay on the field. He has played over 150 games in each of the last three seasons, so injury concerns should not be too disconcerting either.
Luis Severino, Starting Pitcher, New York Yankees
Severino started 11 games in 2016, resulting in an atrocious 5.83 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 71 innings pitched. After being demoted to AAA, he started 13 games and finished the year with a 3.36 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, putting him back on track, as he had a career minor-league ERA of 2.51 and WHIP of 1.06.
In 2017, the 23-year-old broke spring training with the Yankees, and hasn’t looked back. He is currently 2-1, allowing only nine earned runs, with 33 strikeouts, in 27 innings pitched. Severino had similar success in 2015, and looks to be the long-term answer for a questionable Yankees rotation.
Ryan Zimmerman, First Baseman, Washington Nationals
Ryan Zimmerman is off to a torrid start in 2017 (Alex Brandon/AP Photo).
Zimmerman, a three time MVP candidate, two-time Silver Slugger, and runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year, is on pace to have the best season of his career. The 32-year-old has a league-leading .410 batting average, 34 hits, 11 home runs, and 27 RBI.
He has completely healed from his 2016 wrist injury, which may be the first time he is fully healthy since 2013. The sky is the limit for Zimmerman, who is batting behind former MVP Bryce Harper, and All-Star Daniel Murphy.
Jason Kipnis, Second Baseman, Cleveland Indians
Kipnis has finally returned from an early-April rehab assignment, which was extended until late-April after he was hit by a pitch. He has been off to a slow start, as he only has four hits in his first 27 at-bats.
The 30-year-old has been a stable producer at the top half of the Indians order for years, and should pick things up sooner than later. He is a career .271 hitter, who had set a career high in home runs just a year ago, with 23. Do not give up on Kipnis, as he is a proven producer in one of the league’s top lineups.
Tyler Anderson, Starting Pitcher, Colorado Rockies
Tyler Anderson is a young stud off to a rough start in 2017. (Courtesy of Purple Row)
Anderson has struggled in all six of his starts so far in 2017, although I believe it is too early to give up on the 27-year-old. He has a career minor-league ERA of 2.38, WHIP of 1.10, and K/9 of 7.4. Clearly the potential is there, but his early struggles have caused owners to drop him at alarming rates.
The first-round pick in 2011 has faced the Dodgers twice, the Nationals, Giants, Brewers, and Diamondbacks so far in 2017. Four of these five teams have top 12 scoring offenses, while three of them are ranked one, two, and three consecutively. Anderson will find success in 2017 as he battles lesser talented lineups and adjusts to his first full big-league season.
Chris Davis, First Baseman, Baltimore Orioles
The two-time league leader in home runs has gotten off to a cold start in 2017. He has only three home runs and five RBI in 22 games played. Davis, as a career .238 hitter, often has hot and cold streaks, so his lack of production should not be too worrisome.
The 31-year-old has hit a total of 200 home runs in 765 games over the last five seasons, which makes him one of a handful of 40 home run potential players in Major League Baseball.
Adam Conley, Starting Pitcher, Miami Marlins
Can Conely improve his ratios enough to become fantasy relevant in 2017? (Courtesy of ESPN.com)
Conley, someone who I was very high on entering 2017, has gotten off to a shaky start. He is currently 1-2, after allowing 15 earned runs, with 16 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings pitched.
The 26-year-old has a minor-league career ERA of 3.52, which earned him the right of 25 major league starts in 2016, where he managed to have a sub-four ERA, with 124 strikeouts in 133 1/3 innings pitched.
The strikeout potential is there, although his control remains an issue, as he has a career K/9 of 8.1 and WHIP of 1.37. Conley makes his next start on Wednesday in Tampa Bay, where he should get back on track after pitching only 1 1/3 innings against the Pirates in his last start.
Stephen Vogt, Catcher, Oakland Athletics
Vogt, a career .253 hitter, is off to a horrendous start in 2017, batting .210 with only one home run and three RBI. The Athletics catcher has seen the majority share of playing time over the last two seasons, as he has played in at least 135 games each year.
The 32-year-old has been an important piece of Oakland’s lineup, as he has mustered up 33 home runs and 130 RBI in his last 291 games. As long as Vogt is healthy, he should continue to see the majority of starts behind the plate in 2017.
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