Now that the All-Star Break has come and gone, the stretch run for your fantasy baseball season can begin in earnest. At this point in the season, bargains are becoming more and more difficult to come by as it becomes increasingly clear which players are valuable and which should be riding the virtual pine in your league.
Fortunately for those of you that need a little bit of help (or a lot, if you’re like me and drafted Michael Wacha and Joey Votto) to get your team over the hump, there is still some value to be had on the free agent wire and I’m here to shine some light on these under-the-radar players. Here are some key potential pickups for the second half of the season.
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Fantasy Baseball 2nd Half Pickups
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Arismendy Alcantara 2B – Cubs
Alcantara has only been in the Show for two weeks but he’s already made an impact in several different fantasy categories. He’s the first of what the Cubs hope is a string of talented players arriving from their farm system and he hasn’t disappointed. In limited time, the 22-year old second baseman has posted a .286/.316/.543 triple-slash line, collecting five extra-base hits in his first nine big league games.
The Dominican-born Alcantara has shown opposite field power that belies his 5-foot-10, 170 pound frame and, although he won’t walk much as something of a free swinger, he makes up for that deficiency with big-time speed. He’s already stolen three bases and should be useful in that category, especially.
Current ESPN League Ownership: 34.6%
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Kevin Gausman SP – Orioles
This one comes at a perfect time for those looking for an underrated value pick. Gausman is fresh off his worst start of the season, when he allowed five runs on nine hits over just four innings Sunday against Oakland. Well, we’re going to give the young righty something of a pass for that one because Oakland right now is a machine that chews pitchers up and spits out their bones.
In five of his six starts prior to the fiasco Sunday, the 23-year old Gausman had allowed no more than one run or anything beyond five hits. His ERA dropped from 4.91 to 3.29 over that span. For whatever reason, the strikeouts haven’t been there yet (just 6.8 K/9 at the big league level in 2014) but he has averaged over 95 mph on his fastball and his splitter has been filthy. His K/9 was over 9 in the minors and he’ll eventually miss bats in the majors. Gausman is a top prospect putting it all together before our eyes and he’s primed for a big second half.
Current ESPN Ownership: 9.4%
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Chris Coghlan OF – Cubs
Yes, there are two Cubs on this list. That seems strange considering they’re one of the worst teams in the league. However, both Coghlan and Alcantara are worthy. Coghlan the 2009 NL Rookie of the Year with the Marlins is been going through something of a career renaissance over the last several months, seeming to have rediscovered the swing that made him a first round pick eight years ago.
After hitting .140 as recently as 2012, the 29-year old has posted a .278/.358/.481 line in 61 games with Chicago this season. He’s been on a tear recently, hitting .418 with 10 doubles and three home runs in just 16 games so far in July. He’s not going to hit that well for the rest of the season, but he has some speed and a little pop in his bat. Whether he becomes a solid major league outfielder again beyond 2014 is anyone’s guess, but he’s a valuable addition right now.
Current ESPN Ownership: 31.1%
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Danny Duffy SP – Royals
Since moving into the Kansas City rotation early in the year, Duffy has quietly been enjoying a breakout season and has blossomed into an ace that is helping to keep the Royals within shouting distance of the Tigers in AL Central. Duffy finally seems to be cashing in on the talent that made him one of the top pitching prospects in baseball four years ago.
The 2007 third round pick has gone somewhat unnoticed in the fantasy community thanks to a less-than-stellar 5-10 overall record that is more the product of an anemic Kansas City offense than Duffy’s performance on the hill. The left-hander has posted a sparkling 2.66 ERA and solid 1.12 WHIP thus far in 2014, while allowing opponents to hit just .210 against him. He’s done some of his best work recently, allowing just one earned run in four of his last five starts. He’ll likely get some extra starts down the stretch with the Royals in the playoff picture, so Duffy is certainly worth a look.
Current ESPN League Ownership: 19.6%
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Brandon McCarthy SP – Yankees
McCarthy has had one of the worst seasons of his career and as someone who follows his usually hilarious Twitter account, it’s been tough to watch. However, there are a number of signs that point to the tall right-hander having a solid second half, making him a valuable pickup option before it happens.
McCarthy began the year pitching for the Diamondbacks, racking up an ERA barely under 5 in his time there. However, his peripheral numbers were much better. His BABIP sits a ghastly .347, a figure sure to correct itself somewhat over the course of the season. Secondly, his FIP and xFIP, numbers that adjust ERA for BABIP and ballpark differences sit at 3.69 and a stellar 2.87 respectively. He was recently traded to the Yankees and in his first start there struck out nine and didn’t walk anyone while giving up just one run in six innings. His stats looks bad, but he’s a talented veteran pitcher and he could be a key pitcher in the AL East race.
Current ESPN Ownership: 3.5%
