The Astros clinch a title

The Astros took the field on Sunday needing a victory to clinch their first ever division title in the American League West. Previously, they had captured six division titles in franchise history, twice doing so in the National League West and four times in the National League Central, most recently in 2001.

To do so, they would have to get past the Mariners with recently-acquired right-hander Justin Verlander pitching in front of the home faithful in Houston for the first time.

The debut went exactly as anticipated.

Verlander scattered three hits and racked up 10 strikeouts over seven innings of one-run baseball as the Astros crushed the Mariners 7-1.

Marwin Gonzalez, George Springer, Carlos Correa and Derek Fisher each left the yard, pacing the powerful offense in the victory.

The atmosphere of Sunday’s start wasn’t lost on Verlander, "No matter what, whether it's two weeks to go in the season or the last day in the season, these games, you can feel it… You know there's a little more at stake. Yeah, it was a lot of fun to be out there. I don't know if you could ask for more for your home debut for a chance to clinch the division. I don't know how often that happens, but it's pretty special."

Through three starts, he has been everything that the Astros were hoping for when acquiring him from the Tigers, going 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA, 0.62 WHIP and 26/3 K/BB ratio across 21 innings.

In addition to his veteran leadership, Verlander adds a wealth of postseason experience to the Astros’ rotation, having registered a 3.39 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 98 ⅓ innings in 16 career playoff starts.

With the division sewn up, the Astros will now turn their focus to securing home field advantage throughout the American League playoffs. They currently trail the Indians by 1 ½ games for the best record in the league.

 

 

 

Missed it by that much, with apologies to Get Smart,

 

 

 

 

Matt Boyd entered Sunday’s start against the White Sox with a career 5.69 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across 269 innings at the big league level.

Those numbers are actually a shade better than the 5.75 ERA and 1.68 WHIP that he owns in 114 ⅓ innings across 22 starts this season.

So naturally, the 26-year-old southpaw made a bid at etching his name in the record books on Sunday, because that’s where we are at in Major League Baseball 2017.

Boyd was attempting to become the first left-hander in the history of the Detroit Tigers to throw a no-hitter. He was oh so close.

The White Sox had entered Sunday’s game having scored 29 runs over the first three games of their series against the Tigers. Those red-hot bats were stifled by Matt Boyd.

Aside from a two-out walk to Rob Brantly in the third inning, Boyd had been perfect through the first eight innings. He then got Adam Engel on a foul pop out to lead off the ninth inning and induced a ground ball to second base from Kevan Smith.

That put Boyd just one out away from history.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the cards for him on Sunday. After falling behind 2-0 to Tim Anderson, the White Sox’ shortstop lined a double over Nicholas Castellanos and into the gap in right-center field.

While he wasn’t able to complete the no-hit bid, Boyd did record the first complete game and the first shutout of his big league career. He struck out five and walked just one over his nine magnificent innings.

Keep on Swinging

Another day, another home run by Athletics’ rookie slugger Matt Olson.

It’s astonishing to me how little publicity he has received for his recent home run barrage, especially considering how much hype Rhys Hoskins seemingly received for doing similar things in the National League.

Olson tagged Phillies’ starter Henderson Alvarez for the solo shot in the fourth inning on Sunday. It was the third consecutive game that Olson has homered in, and his sixth long ball in his last eight games.

Unbelievably, this marked the fourth time in the last 32 games that Olson has homered in three consecutive games.

He has now clobbered 21 home runs in just 192 plate appearances in his 53 games this season. 17 of those long balls have come in his last 32 contests, including an astounding 13 in his last 19 games. For comparisons sake, Hoskins has 18 homers in 37 games this season.

The 23-year-old looks like a legitimate middle-of-the-order slugger and should be an extremely popular commodity heading into next season’s fantasy drafts.

Scoreless Streak Snapped

Nationals' star right-hander Stephen Strasburg had his scoreless innings streak snapped in unfortunate fashion on Monday. With two outs in the second inning, Logan Forsythe hit a fly ball to center field that glanced off the glove of Michael Taylor, allowing Yasiel Puig to score from third. 

It was the first run that Strasburg had allowed since the first inning against the Padres on August 19. For the next 35 innings of work, he would go unscored upon, setting a new franchise record. It was also the longest scoreless streak in the big leagues this season.

That would be the only run that Strasburg would allow over six innings in Sunday's victory over the Dodgers. He struck out eight in the process while allowing three hits and walking three.

On the season, Strasburg now sits at 14-4 with a stellar 2.60 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 190/44 K/BB ratio across 162 2/3 innings in his 26 starts.

American League Quick Hits: Salvador Perez missed his third straight start due to an intercostal injury, but he’s expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday… Hanley Ramirez (biceps) was able to hit in the batting cages on Sunday and is on track to rejoin the Red Sox lineup early this week… Indians’ president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said Sunday that the club still has no clarity on a possible return date for Michael Brantley (ankle)... Andrew Heaney (shoulder) threw off flat ground without issue on Saturday, but the Angels still aren’t sure when he’ll be ready to return to the mound… Mookie Betts was removed from Sunday’s game against the Rays with a bruised right thumb. He’s considered day-to-day… Jeimer Candelario went 3-for-3 with a homer, three runs scored and four RBI in a rout of the White Sox… Nicholas Castellanos crushed his 23rd homer in plated four runs in that victory as well… David Price struck out a pair over two scoreless innings out of the bullpen against the Rays… Alex Colome locked down his major league-leading 45th save on Sunday… Corey Kluber strengthened his Cy Young resume, striking out nine over seven shutout innings in a victory over the Royals… Ubaldo Jimenez fanned 10 over five innings of one-run ball to beat the Yankees...Didi Gregorius swatted his 24th home run, tying the all-time record by a Yankees’ shortstop, in a loss to the O’s… Joe Mauer went 3-for-5 and blasted a grand slam as the Twins topped the Blue Jays… Eddie Rosario homered twice, and now has 26 on the season, in that win… Joey Wendle hit the first grand slam of his career in Sunday’s win over the Phillies… Mike Trout hit his 29th homer in a loss to the Rangers… Joey Gallo blasted his 38th homer, a 490-foot moonshot, in a win over the Angels.

National League Quick Hits: Koji Uehara admitted Sunday that he still is unable to throw due to his back tightness. There’s an increasing likelihood that he could miss the remainder of the season… Starling Marte sat out his fourth straight game due to finger and left shoulder injuries… Matt Kemp missed his second consecutive game with a hamstring injury… Drew Storen will undergo Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss the entire 2018 season… Adam Wainwright (elbow) threw a live batting practice session without issue on Sunday and is expected to be available out of the Cardinals’ bullpen beginning on Tuesday… Willson Contreras had his suspension reduced from two games to one… Buster Posey sat out Sunday’s game due to a sore toe on his left foot… Robert Stephenson allowed just one hit over six shutout innings in a victory against the Pirates… Scooter Gennett clubbed his 25th homer in a win over the Pirates… J.D. Martinez crushed his 40th homer of the season (in only 108 games) in a losing effort against the Giants… Pablo Sandoval homered from the right side of the plate for the first time since the 2014 season in a victory over the Diamondbacks… Jon Gray fanned seven over five shutout innings in a no-decision against the Padres… Wil Myers swiped his 20th base of the year, joining the 20/20 club for the second consecutive season… Dexter Fowler crushed a three-run homer in his return to the Cardinals lineup, though it wasn’t enough to beat the Cubs… Kyle Schwarber launched his 27th bomb in that victory, giving the Cubs a six-game advantage over the Cardinals in the National League Central… Bryce Harper (knee) took batting practice on the field prior to Sunday’s game against the Dodgers. He’s hopeful for a return to the Nationals’ lineup for the National League Division Series... Ryan Zimmerman crushed a pair of home runs and drove in four in Sunday night's victory over the Dodgers.

Nick with a hot stick

Nicholas Castellanos has been a Stat-cast favorite this season with his high exit velocity numbers. All the screamers he’s hit are finally finding holes. And seats.

Castellanos extended his hitting streak to 15 games on Monday with a 3-for-4 showing in a loss to the Athletics. He’s had multiple hits in nine of those 15 contests and is sporting a .431 average during the streak.

Castellanos’ hot streak extends back farther than just those 15 games, though. Across his last 35 tilts, the 25-year-old is sporting a .368 average with seven home runs, 13 doubles, three triples and 34 RBI. He’s risen his batting line from .236/.303/.429 all the way up to .270/.320/.485 over that span.

Now in right field for the Tigers with Jeimer Candelario taking over at third base, Castellanos entered Monday with a robust 43 percent hard-hit rate on the season, a number that ranked eighth among 149 qualifiers. Also, while his fly ball rate of 37.9 percent is down from the last couple seasons, Castellanos continues to hit a good number of balls in the air. Additionally, he’s sporting a career-low 21.6 percent strikeout rate.

Because he’s already in his fourth full major league season, it can be easy to forget that Castellanos won’t turn 26 until a few weeks before Opening Day next year. It also might have slipped your mind that he was once ranked as a top-20 prospect in the game. Castellanos’ numbers by the end of 2017 are likely to still look rather pedestrian, but there are certainly some indicators that he could really break through in 2018.

Seager’s Elbow ‘Not 100 Percent’

The Dodgers have begun to right the ship of late, following their 11-game losing streak with four wins in their last six tries. However, one of their stars is playing hurt and will have to continue doing so for the rest of the season.

Corey Seager has been battling soreness in his right elbow for roughly a month now, and on Monday manager Dave Roberts admitted that Seager is “not 100 percent” and probably won’t be until the off-season. The team still hasn’t revealed the exact nature of Seager’s injury, although there’s been speculation that he could be dealing with a bone spur or bone chips. Surgery over the off-season is possible, if not probable.

“I think there’s a little bit of preservation, understanding where his arm is at,” Roberts said. “I don’t think it’s 100 percent. I think he is doing a little bit of guarding against it and protecting. He knows his body very well and he knows when to let it go, when not to. But I do think it’s clear he’s doing some protecting. I do think he’s not showing the arm strength that he does have because I think he’s trying to manage it.”

The shortstop was limited to pinch-hitting duty for 11 games during a stretch from late August to early September but Roberts said he anticipates Seager’s day off Monday to be his last one of the season. As the skipper alluded to, Seager’s elbow reportedly only is an issue when he’s throwing. However, the numbers say it might be affecting him at the plate, as well.

On August 29 it was revealed that Seager’s elbow was sore and had been hurting him for a couple of weeks. If we use August 15 as a rough timeline, Seager entered play Monday batting .286/.309/.352 with just one home run and a 20/2 K/BB ratio over 97 plate appearances since the elbow began barking. Only four of his 26 hits during that stretch went for extra bases (three doubles, one homer). Seager’s hard-hit rate has also been down since August 15 at 37 percent. That’s still good, mind you, but is down significantly from the 48 percent mark he had for the year prior to that span.

I have no idea if Seager’s elbow is bothering him at all at the plate, and fantasy owners are surely going to be starting him even if he’s less than 100 percent. That said, I do think it’s interesting that the timeline of his struggles appears to match up with the injury.

Wainwright Headed to ‘Pen

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny is on the record as saying that Adam Wainwright is the team’s ace even if he’s not really their best pitcher. St. Louis’ “ace” is now headed to the bullpen.

Out since mid-August with a right elbow impingement, Wainwright threw a one-inning simulated game Sunday and declared himself ready to go. He’s poised to be activated from the disabled list prior to the Cards’ series opener in Cincinnati on Tuesday, but the three-time All-Star will be used as a reliever down the stretch. Ultimately, the decision just came down to timing.

"It's hard to imagine getting him back into the rotation with, realistically, 13 days left," said John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations.

The calendar is a worthy excuse for sticking Wainwright in the bullpen for the final weeks, but his performance this season makes it an easier call. The 36-year-old has had some good stretches in 2017, but he’s ultimately been a big disappointment with a 5.12 ERA over 23 starts. The elbow was clearly an issue in his last couple starts before he went on the disabled list, as his fastball velocity had dipped to the 84-85 mph range.

Wainwright has experience as a reliever, of course, serving as the Cardinals’ closer during their World Series run in 2006. He also made a few relief appearances late in the 2015 season after making a quicker-than-expected recovery from Achilles surgery.

With Wainwright penciled in as a reliever down the stretch, that means Jack Flaherty will remain in the rotation for now and will start Tuesday in Cincy. Flaherty posted a dominant 2.18 ERA and 147/35 K/BB ratio over 148 2/3 frames between Double- and Triple-A this season to earn a promotion, but he’s struggled in three starts with the big club with a 6.08 ERA and 13/7 K/BB ratio over 13 1/3 frames.

Flaherty is currently lined up to make three more starts before the end of the season, although that plan could be altered based on how he does. The 21-year-old’s 162 innings this year already represent a career high by 28 frames, so the Cards will keep a close eye on him. If the club does eventually decide to shut Flaherty down, Mozeliak mentioned John Gant as an option for a spot start or two. Gant held a nice 3.83 ERA and 99/25 K/BB ratio over 103 1/3 innings across 18 Triple-A starts this season and has a 2.16 ERA in four relief appearances with the big club.


American League Quick Hits: Xander Bogaerts hit a solo home run and walked three times in Monday’s extra-innings win over the Orioles … Aaron Judge socked a solo home run – his 44^th of the season – in Monday’s victory over the Twins … Matt Olson homered again and drew a pair of walks in Monday’s win over the Tigers … Dustin Pedroia left Monday’s game versus the Orioles after a foul ball bounced and hit him in the face. He’s initially been diagnosed with a nasal contusion but could be sent for more tests if he’s still sore … Miguel Cabrera (back) was hitless in four plate appearances in his return to the lineup Monday … Pedro Alvarez reached base five times and slugged a solo home run in Monday’s loss to the Red Sox … Jaime Garcia struck out nine across 5 2/3 shutout innings in Monday’s win over the Twins … Jharel Cotton was scratched from Monday's start against the Tigers due to a right groin strain … Hanley Ramirez (biceps) is expected to return to the lineup at some point during the series versus the Orioles after pinch-hitting on Monday … Eduardo Nunez (knee) plans to run the bases Wednesday and do more tests Friday before hopefully returning to the Red Sox' lineup … Ian Kinsler hit an RBI double and a solo homer in Monday’s loss to the A’s …

National League Quick Hits: Giancarlo Stanton had an RBI single and slugged a three-run home run – his 55^th of the season – in Monday’s win over the Mets … Noah Syndergaard (lat) threw to hitters Monday. The hope remains that he will make an appearance or two before the end of the season, but it’s not a given … Marcell Ozuna had four hits – including a solo homer – in Monday’s victory over the Mets … Pirates general manager Neal Huntington indicated Sunday that Starling Marte (finger) might not make it back this season … Aaron Altherr blasted a grand slam off of Clayton Kershaw in the Phillies’ comeback win over the Dodgers … Ryan Braun singled and belted a solo home run in Monday’s win over the Pirates … Chris Taylor went 2-for-3 with an inside-the-park home run in Monday’s loss to the Phillies … Jedd Gyorko (hamstring) should be cleared to play the field and run the bases by Tuesday … Mike Montgomery will start Tuesday against the Rays, with Jon Lester pushed back to Wednesday … The Pirates have shut down Francisco Cervelli (quad) for the remainder of the season … Tyler Glasnow will pitch in relief on Wednesday but will make at least one more start for the Pirates this month … Matt Harvey was tagged for seven runs on 12 hits and two walks over four frames in Monday’s loss to the Marlins …

Who's hot ?

You should always have the big picture in mind when it comes to your season-long fantasy baseball leagues. Putting too much stock in a small sample size might cause you to make a decision that hurts you in the long run. That said, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be taking stock of what’s happened in the immediate past. It can be useful when it comes to weekly or especially daily lineup decisions, waiver wire considerations, tracking who might be coming into more playing time, etc.

The Rotoworld Player Rater is a handy tool that’s among the extensive offerings in Season Pass. Each week, I’ll be using the Player Rater to look at the hottest hitters, position by position, over the last week, and providing commentary.

*The following data is based on 5x5 Roto scoring and covers games played from September 4-10.

Catcher

Rank	Player	Tm	Pos	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	R	VAL
#1	Salvador Perez	KC	C	2.50483	1.60306	-0.38679	-0.61320	1.33368	4.44
#2	Yadier Molina	STL	C	1.43214	3.36400	-0.38679	0.05988	-0.23552	4.23
#3	Gary Sanchez	NYY	C	1.43214	0.72259	-0.38679	1.54065	0.81061	4.12
#4	Tucker Barnhart	CIN	C	0.35944	2.48353	-0.38679	1.38112	-0.23552	3.60
#5	Kevin Plawecki	NYM	C	0.35944	-0.15789	1.35152	0.48864	0.81061	2.85
#6	Nick Hundley	SF	C	1.43214	1.16282	-0.38679	-0.18444	0.28755	2.31
#7	Travis d'Arnaud	NYM	C	0.35944	0.72259	-0.38679	1.52819	-0.23552	1.99
#8	Robinson Chirinos	TEX	C	0.35944	-0.15789	-0.38679	1.28387	0.81061	1.91
#9	Yan Gomes	CLE	C	0.35944	0.28235	-0.38679	0.35402	0.81061	1.42
#10	Martin Maldonado	LAA	C	1.43214	0.28235	-0.38679	-0.30660	0.28755	1.31

Salvador Perez really struggled initially upon his return from an intercostal strain, raising questions that maybe he wasn’t healthy yet. However, while he had just six hits this past week, three of them left the yard and he also drove in six runs. Perez’s home run total has grown every year he’s been in the big leagues, as he’s now popped a career-high 24 bombs this season … There’s no doubting that Yan Gomes has been awful at the plate this season. Only 28 players who have accumulated at least 350 plate appearances this season have an OPS under .700, and he’s one of them. However, even Gomes has contributed during the incredible run the Indians are on right now, batting .324/.342/.595 with three home runs and nine RBI over his last nine games. Francisco Mejia might take over as the Tribe’s regular catcher as soon as next season, but he’s still looking for his first start behind the plate since he was promoted on September 1 … Martin Maldonado was sporting a hideous .524 OPS so far in the second half before he delivered two longballs last Monday against the Athletics. It was the 31-year-old’s second multi-homer game this season, and he’s flown past his previous career high in dingers this year in his first opportunity at a regular job, clubbing 14 over the boards for the Halos …

First Base

Rank	Player	Tm	Pos	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	R	VAL
#1	Matt Olson	OAK	1B	4.65023	2.48353	-0.38679	1.49083	2.90287	11.14
#2	Wil Myers	SD	1B	2.50483	2.04329	3.08984	1.62544	0.81061	10.07
#3	Eric Hosmer	KC	1B	1.43214	2.48353	-0.38679	3.86408	1.85674	9.25
#4	Jose Abreu	CWS	1B	3.57753	2.48353	-0.38679	0.96482	2.37981	9.02
#5	Carlos Santana	CLE	1B	1.43214	1.16282	-0.38679	3.08130	1.85674	7.15
#6	Lucas Duda	TB	1B	2.50483	2.04329	-0.38679	0.20695	0.28755	4.66
#7	Freddie Freeman	ATL	1B	0.35944	1.16282	-0.38679	1.62544	1.33368	4.09
#8	John Hicks	DET	1B	1.43214	0.72259	-0.38679	-0.06228	0.81061	2.52
#9	Ryan Zimmerman	WAS	1B	0.35944	0.72259	-0.38679	0.19450	1.33368	2.22
#10	C.J. Cron	LAA	1B	0.35944	0.72259	-0.38679	0.97728	0.28755	1.96

Matt Olson keeps rewarding the A’s for handing him the first base job in the wake of the Yonder Alonso trade, as he’s gone deep in back-to-back games, has nine bombs over his last 13 contests and has driven in 17 over that span. Since Olson was recalled on August 8, no one in the American League has hit more than his 13 home runs. Olson has been playing regularly against lefties of late and homered off of southpaw Tony Sipp on Sunday. He now has an .891 OPS and three dingers over 35 plate appearances versus lefties this season … Jose Abreu followed up his surprising cycle on Saturday with a two-homer showing on Sunday. Over his last 26 games, Abreu has put up an obscene 1.227 OPS with 12 longballs and 22 RBI. If Abreu can drive in 10 more runs the rest of the way, he’ll have hit .290+ with 25+ homers and 100+ RBI in each of his four seasons. No other player in baseball will have accomplished that feat over that stretch … Lucas Duda has been the quintessential all-or-nothing player since joining the Rays. He’s batting only .202 for his new club, but he’s gone deep a whopping 12 times over 37 contests. Four of those bombs have come across his last six games. Duda needs just one more tater for his second career 30-homer campaign, as he’s bounced back nicely from his injury-plagued showing in 2016 … John Hicks has been seeing regular starts at first base and the designated hitter spot for the Tigers of late and he’s been in the fourth or fifth spot in the lineup each of the last six games. The 28-year-old didn’t do much at the Triple-A level this season, but he had a nice season in the minors in 2016 and has been very productive in his 50 games with the Tigers. The best news for fantasy owners is that he's catcher-eligible …

Second Base

Rank	Player	Tm	Pos	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	R	VAL
#1	Whit Merrifield	KC	2B	-0.71326	2.04329	3.08984	2.54284	2.37981	9.34
#2	Jose Peraza	CIN	2B	0.35944	-0.15789	6.56646	0.21941	1.33368	8.32
#3	Yolmer Sanchez	CWS	2B	1.43214	1.16282	1.35152	0.72050	2.37981	7.05
#4	Joe Panik	SF	2B	0.35944	1.16282	-0.38679	3.60731	1.33368	6.08
#5	Dee Gordon	MIA	2B	0.35944	-0.15789	3.08984	0.83021	0.81061	4.93
#6	Daniel Murphy	WAS	2B	1.43214	0.72259	-0.38679	2.04174	0.81061	4.62
#7	Ian Kinsler	DET	2B	2.50483	0.72259	-0.38679	-0.46613	1.33368	3.71
#8	Brian Dozier	MIN	2B	1.43214	1.16282	1.35152	-1.66521	0.81061	3.09
#9	Scooter Gennett	CIN	2B	0.35944	0.28235	-0.38679	1.36867	1.33368	2.96
#10	Starlin Castro	NYY	2B	1.43214	0.72259	-0.38679	-0.08719	0.81061	2.49

If it seems like Whit Merrifield has been on his list a lot this season, well, it’s because he has. The Royals’ leadoff hitter batted .429 with seven RBI and a couple stolen bases this past week. Merrifield has probably been baseball’s most unlikely power/speed threat this season, as he has a shot at a 20-homer, 30-steal campaign if he can pop three more homers and swipe a couple more bases the rest of the way. The power has been the big surprise with Merrifield, as the 20 home runs he has in 2017 between the majors and minors is more than double what he’s ever hit in a season before. The 28-year-old’s flyball rate is up notably this season, but his hard-hit rate is actually way down … Jose Peraza’s playing time has fallen off dramatically since the beginning of the season due to his struggles and the emergence of Scooter Gennett. However, another avenue to playing time opened up when Billy Hamilton (thumb) went down, as Peraza made his first start of the season in center field Sunday. He hit leadoff versus the Mets, reached base twice, scored two runs and pilfered a pair of bases. Playing time the rest of the way is no given, as the Reds want to give Phillip Ervin a look in center and Jesse Winker (hip) is also due back this week. However, Peraza has stolen seven bases without being caught over his last 16 games even as he’s only tallied 56 plate appearances during that stretch. He’s likely just a one-category guy, but the speed and multi-position eligibility could be useful down the stretch … Joe Panik had a ridiculous series in Colorado last week, going 12-for-15 with a homer and five RBI. He cooled off over the weekend in Chicago versus the White Sox, but it’s been a nice second half overall for the second baseman with a .298/.361/.457 batting line, five homers and 20 RBI over 41 tilts. Panik has spent a lot of time in the bottom half of the Giants’ lineup this season, but he’s been locked into the No. 2 spot this month …

Third Base

Rank	Player	Tm	Pos	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	R	VAL
#1	Nolan Arenado	COL	3B	1.43214	2.48353	-0.38679	2.67745	1.85674	8.06
#2	Matt Chapman	OAK	3B	1.43214	1.60306	-0.38679	1.63790	2.37981	6.67
#3	Eduardo Nunez	BOS	3B	-0.71326	0.28235	4.82815	1.78497	-0.23552	5.95
#4	Nicholas Castellanos	DET	3B	1.43214	2.92376	-0.38679	2.02929	-0.23552	5.76
#5	Maikel Franco	PHI	3B	1.43214	0.72259	-0.38679	1.52819	1.33368	4.63
#6	Kyle Seager	SEA	3B	2.50483	0.72259	-0.38679	0.85512	0.81061	4.51
#7	Eduardo Escobar	MIN	3B	1.43214	1.16282	-0.38679	0.04742	1.85674	4.11
#8	Travis Shaw	MLW	3B	1.43214	1.60306	-0.38679	0.46373	0.81061	3.92
#9	Jose Ramirez	CLE	3B	2.50483	0.72259	-0.38679	-0.57583	0.81061	3.08
#10	Anthony Rendon	WAS	3B	0.35944	1.16282	-0.38679	0.98973	0.81061	2.94

Matt Chapman instantly became one of the best defensive third basemen in baseball upon his promotion, but he hasn’t been a slouch with the bat, either. The rookie has smacked a couple home runs and driven in six runs over his last four games, and he now has 12 dingers over his first 254 plate appearances. Chapman is going to strike out a ton and never hit for average, but the hope is that maybe he can leave the yard enough to be of use in fantasy leagues. He’s ripped 28 homers in 2017 between the majors and minors after clubbing 36 in the minors in 2016 … Nicholas Castellanos has been a Statcast darling all season with his high exit velocities, but his production has generally been hit-or-miss, at best. He certainly hit this past week, going 10-for-24 with a couple home runs and nine RBI. Castellanos has also made three straight starts in right field and should add eligibility there soon before making the full-time move there next season. We’re still waiting for the former top prospect to put it all together consistently, but keep in mind that he’s still only 25 years of age … It’s been a disappointing season for Kyle Seager, especially when you consider that his backslide has occurred while offense has exploded across the game. However, he’s put together a modest seven-game hitting streak and had a stretch of three straight games with a longball. The third baseman has slugged 12 homers in 50 games since the All-Star break after hitting 10 across 86 contests in the first half … Settling in as the Twins’ everyday third baseman with Miguel Sano (shin) on the shelf, Eduardo Escobar has been Sano-esque with his power this month with five dingers and 13 RBI over 10 games. The 28-year-old has easily eclipsed his previous career high with his 17 bombs this season. Escobar has consistently sported low hard-hit rates in his career and that mark is only slightly up this season, but he has really upped his flyball rate in 2017 …

Shortstop

Rank	Player	Tm	Pos	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	R	VAL
#1	Jose Reyes	NYM	SS	2.50483	2.92376	3.08984	0.57343	1.85674	10.95
#2	Francisco Lindor	CLE	SS	2.50483	0.72259	3.08984	1.49083	2.37981	10.19
#3	Tim Anderson	CWS	SS	0.35944	-0.15789	4.82815	2.43313	1.33368	8.80
#4	Elvis Andrus	TEX	SS	1.43214	2.04329	1.35152	2.02929	1.33368	8.19
#5	Didi Gregorius	NYY	SS	1.43214	3.36400	-0.38679	1.76006	1.85674	8.03
#6	Marcus Semien	OAK	SS	0.35944	2.04329	3.08984	0.04742	1.85674	7.40
#7	Trea Turner	WAS	SS	1.43214	1.60306	1.35152	0.43881	2.37981	7.21
#8	Alcides Escobar	KC	SS	0.35944	1.16282	-0.38679	3.08130	2.37981	6.60
#9	Zack Cozart	CIN	SS	1.43214	2.48353	-0.38679	0.72050	1.33368	5.58
#10	Asdrubal Cabrera	NYM	SS	0.35944	0.72259	-0.38679	2.56775	1.33368	4.60

You might have heard that the Indians have won 18 games in a row. To say that Francisco Lindor has had a big hand in it would be an understatement. In addition to playing his usual stellar defense, the dynamic young shortstop has put up an absurd .357/.430/.757 batting line with eight home runs, 14 RBI and four stolen bases during that span. Lindor really lagged in the stolen base department before the All-Star break with just four pilfers, but he’s swiped nine bags in the second half. The 23-year-old needs just one more dinger to reach the 30-homer plateau … Tim Anderson has tallied multiple hits in five of his last six games, and he has hit two home runs and stolen three bases over that stretch. The steals in particular are good to see, as Anderson has been a huge disappointment in that department this season with just nine on the year (and he’s only attempted 10). Plate discipline is surely always going to be a major hurdle for Anderson, as he now has a hideous 255/26 K/BB ratio over 955 plate appearances in the majors. However, the former first-round pick is just 24, and he remains an interesting power/speed option even if his on-base percentage is always poor … Elvis Andrus this past week became the third Rangers player ever to record 20 home runs, 40 doubles and 20 stolen bases in a season. He’s slugged four bombs and driven in 10 runs over his last seven tilts. Andrus’ flyball rate is still rather low and his hard-hit rate remains pedestrian, but both rates this season are the best of his career … Marcus Semien power hasn’t been there this season, which isn’t a surprise after he returned from wrist surgery. He did hit one out of the yard this past week, though, while also adding a couple steals. Expect the pop to return in 2018 as he further distances himself from the wrist operation …

Outfield

Rank	Player	Tm	Pos	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	R	VAL
#1	J.D. Martinez	ARZ	OF	6.79562	3.80424	-0.38679	2.54284	2.90287	15.66
#2	Michael Taylor	WAS	OF	2.50483	2.92376	3.08984	1.77251	1.33368	11.62
#3	Nick Williams	PHI	OF	1.43214	3.36400	1.35152	2.27361	1.33368	9.75
#4	Boog Powell	OAK	OF	1.43214	2.48353	-0.38679	2.16390	3.42594	9.12
#5	Brandon Nimmo	NYM	OF	1.43214	2.04329	1.35152	1.77251	1.33368	7.93
#6	Carlos Gonzalez	COL	OF	1.43214	1.16282	-0.38679	2.70236	2.37981	7.29
#7	Khris Davis	OAK	OF	1.43214	2.92376	-0.38679	2.02929	0.81061	6.81
#8	Ryan Braun	MLW	OF	1.43214	0.28235	3.08984	0.32911	1.33368	6.47
#9	Aaron Judge	NYY	OF	2.50483	1.16282	-0.38679	0.59834	2.37981	6.26
#10	Charlie Blackmon	COL	OF	1.43214	0.72259	-0.38679	0.83021	2.90287	5.50

Yes, a four-homer game and a two-homer game in the same week is usually enough to get you to the top of this list. Oh, and J.D. Martinez threw in a measly one-homer game to boot, driving in 11 runs over six contests. The outfielder has popped 21 over the boards and driven in 45 runs in his 45 games for the Diamondbacks. Only Giancarlo Stanton has gone deep more times over that stretch, and Martinez has had 33 fewer plate appearances due to a bruised hand back in July … Michael Taylor posted a .552 OPS with just one homer and two steals over his first 24 games after returning from a strained oblique, but he’s perked up in a big way the last four contests by going 9-for-15 (.600) with three homers, nine RBI and two stolen bases. A .358 BABIP has kept Taylor’s average up this season to an unsustainable .274, but he’s always going to be a power/speed threat when given a chance with 16 longballs and 14 steals this season … I’ve been pleasantly surprised with Nick Williams’ production so far given his inconsistency in the minors, although he’s been helped from a BABIP perspective like Taylor with a .370 mark. That said, Williams’ walk rate has been up a tad and strikeout rate down a tad from what he did at Triple-A this year, which is encouraging. I still think we’re dealing with a hitter here who lacks polish, but it’s hard not to be a bit more encouraged about his 2018 prospects than we were a couple months ago … A former first-round pick, Brandon Nimmo has had underwhelming results from a counting stats standpoint in the minors, but he’s always shown a great eye at the dish while keeping his strikeouts at a reasonable rate and that’s carried over in the majors in 2017. Nimmo is walking at a 17.3 percent clip in his 51 games this year with the Mets, and to provide some perspective, only Joey Votto and Aaron Judge have a better rate than that among qualifiers. Nimmo will need to start hitting for more power to become more interesting as a fantasy option, but he’s made a nice impression …