Pick up Adam LaRoche and George Springer to boost your OPS
By Mike Marteny
Over the last ten days, I have highlighted players that can help you in standard 5×5 roto and H2H category leagues. Now that I have done all of the standard ones, I will get to the requests section of non-standard categories. Don’t worry, you still have time to make a suggestion if you want me to cover another category. I have a couple of requests from readers.
This column will focus on the first request. Adam requested that I cover OPS because he plays in a 6×6 league that includes this category. Well Adam, here you go!
I will give you three players each for standard, moderate, and deep leagues. Standard league players will be available in 10-50 percent of leagues. Moderate league players will be available in 50-90 percent of leagues. The deep leagues will focus on players owned in ten percent of leagues or less.
Before we get to OPS, here are the previous categories in case you missed them: batting average, runs, home runs, RBI, stolen bases, wins, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, and saves.
Cininnati Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco (39) is greeted by pinch hitter Chris Heisey (28) after hitting a two-run home run in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Catchers:
Standard:
Devin Mesoraco, Reds: Mesoraco still has a 1.072 OPS, and is available in 12 percent of ESPN leagues. The .367 average and six home runs are nice too. Nicer than what some of the 100 percent owned guys are doing.
Moderate:
Yan Gomes, Indians: Gomes’ OPS is .778, which is in the top 12 of catchers. That means that even in standard leagues he can help. The fact that he is also eligible at 3B for the rest of the year could help with all of the injuries going on over there.
Deep:
John Jaso, Athletics: We can hope that the back issues that sidelined him for the last few days are over because Jaso has a nice .834 OPS and is only owned in two percent of leagues. He is still on the better side of the platoon with Derek Norris. When he is in the lineup, he should be in yours as well. All two percent of you that own him.
Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche (25) hits a two run home run against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
First Basemen:
Standard:
Adam LaRoche, Nationals: He homered in his second game back from a DL stint, and seems to be picking up where he left off. LaRoche’s OPS now sits at .928. That is fifth among first basemen. Not just in the National League, but in the majors!
Moderate:
Adam Dunn, White Sox: He has cooled off some, and seems to be in a platoon with Paul Konerko. No matter, Dunn has more walks than hits, pushing his OPS up to .863. That lands him firmly in the top 20.
Deep:
Ike Davis, Pirates: Ike has a .809 OPS since coming to Pittsburgh. While he will still sit against tough lefties, he has done well with his playing time in the Steel City. If his power comes back, he will see that number continue to rise..
Chicago White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham (15) drives in a run with a single during the eighth inning. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Second Basemen:
Standard:
Jed Lowrie, Athletics: Lowrie has been a disappointment at the plate so far this year, but he has managed a respectable .722 OPS. That still makes him valuable in leagues that count OPS.
Moderate:
Gordon Beckham, White Sox: Beckham has put up a .741 OPS this year, which could mean that a return to his rookie form of 2009. This is his highest OPS since then when he hit .270 with 14 homers and finished fifth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. That makes him worth picking up.
Deep:
Luis Valbuena, Cubs: Valbuena has a .833 OPS, which is good enough for third among major league second basemen. His standard 5×5 value is relatively low, but in leagues that count OPS, he has been a sneaky surprise.
Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) scores a run against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Shortstops:
Standard:
Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox: Bogaerts is starting to heat up lately, pushing his OPS to .784 on the season. That puts him in the top five among shortstops. The Stephen Drew experiment lasted a whole three days before they sent him to the minors. That sends a clear message that Bogaerts is still the man in Boston.
Moderate:
Brandon Crawford, Giants: Crawford won’t do much for your average, but he has a lot of power. Enough power to put his OPS at .775, good for seventh among shortstops.
Deep:
Eduardo Escobar, Twins: Escobar has put up an impressive .904 OPS in his first 101 at bats. He is valuable all over the field for the Twins, and he could do the same for your lineup. Escobar’s OPS is second among shortstops, trailing only Troy Tulowitzki.
Cleveland Indians designated hitter Lonnie Chisenhall (8) at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Third Basemen:
Standard:
Juan Francisco, Blue Jays: Francisco has a gaudy .925 OPS in May, and is not slowing down one bit. The only thing that seems to cool him off is when the Blue Jays face a lefty. Meaning he should still get about 70 percent of the at-bats at third base
Moderate:
Lonnie Chisenhall, Indians: Chisenhall has been on an absolute tear lately. He has at least one hit in nine of his last ten games. Cleveland will have to figure out how to keep his bat in the lineup. They will until he cools off. Until he does, the .974 OPS in 116 at bats will provide superb value in OPS leagues. He is tops in that category among third basemen with over 50 at-bats.
Deep:
Conor Gillaspie, White Sox: Gillaspie’s high average has helped lead to his impressive .855 OPS. While this is not likely sustainable, Gillaspie does enough well to keep it above .800. Which is quite a feat considering he has not hit a home run yet this season.
Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock (11) is interviewed after beating the San Diego Padres. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Outfielders:
Standard:
Seth Smith, Padres: Smith has been on fire all season long, so his lofty .981 OPS shouldn’t surprise anyone. He is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He should be owned in all leagues.
George Springer, Astros: Springer is catching fire. He will give Jose Abreu a run for AL Rookie of the Year honors. His .268 average is not flashy, but he has a healthy .848 OPS with eight home runs. Yet he is still not universally owned……
Moderate:
A.J. Pollock, Diamondbacks: Pollock has a .847 since coming off of the DL. His six homers and six steals make him a valuable commodity across all formats.
Dayan Viciedo, White Sox: Viciedo has put together a .799 OPS with a healthy .284 batting average. He is getting on base, scoring runs, and hitting all over the field. He should be owned even in 12 teams leagues right now.
Deep:
David DeJesus, Rays: DeJesus is proving his still has something left in the tank after last year saw him with three different teams. He had his best stint of last year with the Rays, and that has carried over into this season as well. DeJesus has put together a .831 OPS so far this season.
Josh Harrison, Pirates: His hot hitting has allowed the Gregory Polanco talk to subside, at least for now. Harrison’s .814 OPS makes him more valuable in OPS leagues, but he is hitting the ball all over the place right now, and is a great short term pickup in all deep leagues.
Come back tomorrow for another reader request, holds! If you have a category to request, please leave it in the comments section.