The Sunday Night Scrapyard: Small Samples, Big Dreams
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
Good evening sleepyheads. Anyone else watching NHL playoffs? I just can’t help to think about if the physicality of hockey were allowed in baseball. Like once a game they should allow a hitter to charge the mound. You only have 20 seconds to duke it out though (damn pitch clock), so that should hopefully keep the injuries to a minimum.
Enough with the nonsense though. You have just completed your 5th week of the fantasy baseball season. Almost 23% of the fantasy regular season has elapsed. In my opinion it’s no longer too early to make a move on a slumping star. We used to say wait until the end of April, but MLB is playing a sick joke on us, starting the season earlier and earlier every year. Now am I advising you drop JOSH NAYLOR or RAFAEL DEVERS in your competitive 14 team league? No, I am not advocating for that. That waiver wire must be as barren as the Bonneville Salt Flats. But perhaps you can sell one of these players for 85 cents on the dollar to a fellow manager who still believes in the name brand these players provide? What do I see? 2 large (first base) men who likely take a bit longer to find their rhythm at the dish who will likely be just fine once the weather gets a little bit warmer. However, it’s easy for me to say that when I don’t roster either of them. I’m aware of the “sunk cost fallacy” (high value pick spent on a dud who is not performing, I must keep him because I spent my 5th round pick on him), but I think what’s really at play here is what I like to call the “rebound regret”. This is when you drop a player who then immediately is picked up or even claimed on waivers who then goes on a career-defining heater. Inevitably the manager who picks him up is either your best friend or your league rival. Just the 2 people you don’t want to hear about this from all summer long. So, your choices are to either be bold and make a move (trade or drop) or to “spite hold” the guy on your team all year, even when you don’t believe in him anymore. Because the thought of this guy even getting a solo homer on another team is enough to make you violently ill.
In this week’s rush to the scrap heap we will review 5 guys (burgers and fries…I’m hungry) who are actually contributing on the field. Perhaps making contributions on a roster near you? Let’s stop mourning those draft day mistakes and hopefully make it to the acceptance stage of your grief (make it to the bargaining phase at least, then you can make a trade).
All ownership rates are from Yahoo as of Sunday evening
CARLOS CORTES (OF ATH - 13% rostered)
This crazy game we play is so fascinating that even in today’s hyper connected world with advanced scouting tools and any sort of technology you could dream of that a player can still seemingly come out of nowhere! Well, the 2018 Mets’ 3rd rounder has done just that. He’s played 306 games at AAA to the tune of an .813 OPS with a grand total of…49 HRs? So it’s fair to say that his 4 HRs in only 22 games this year may be a bit unsustainable. Well, he’s hotter than the first bite of a microwave burrito, racking up 3 HRs, 2 doubles, and a triple during week 5. Not to mention he started 5 of 6 games this week. Does this production make sense? I mean if you look at his Savant profile he’s earned every bit of it. He’s in the top 3% for xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG. Was I anticipating writing about “Count” Carlos Cortes last Monday? Absolutely not. But that’s why this game is fun. Even in this day and age a guy can come out of the woodwork to hopefully find sustainable fantasy success at the youngish age of 29. He needs to be added in 12+ team leagues to see if this is sustainable or just a flash in the pan. Either way, let the good times roll.
HYESEONG KIM (2B, SS, OF LAD - 11% rostered)
The Seoul Snatcher has been doing just that – racking up steals with regular playing time. He has started the last 6 games and 10 of the last 12. The sample is small – 42ABs – but the results have been impressive; 7 runs, 7 RBIs, 1 HR, 5 SBs, and a .333 AVG. Now it is just a shame that the Dodgers are seemingly loaded at almost every position that some skilled players (see RUSHING, DALTON) only get into the lineup a few times a week. Both MOOKIE BETTS (oblique) & TOMMY EDMAN (ankle) are expected out a few more weeks, so he will have a bit of runway here. Ankle and oblique injuries may not be straightforward or linear in terms of their recovery. In homage to the Fantasy Focus Baseball podcast, let’s juice this orange while we can. I’d be looking to add him in 14+ team leagues if you have a need for speed or Hye-Octane.
CHASE DOLLANDER (SP COL - 23% rostered)
The “Great Chase” (literally, go add him right now if he’s available in your league) has surprisingly flashed an increased chase percentage in the early goings of the season. He’s in fact almost doubled it from 18.6% in 2025 to a gaudy 30.8% in the first month of 2026. How did the guy with a 6.52 ERA last year transform into an almost ace with a 2.88 ERA and 32Ks in 25IP? Baseball Savant can help spell it out for us:
That is a lot of red bars, with large numbers oriented to the right of the graph (that’s good, right?). I don’t want to throw a wet blanket on the party here but those other 3 bars are seemingly quite the opposite. He is succeeding by striking more guys out and keeping his walks in check. His xERA is actually slightly lower than his actual ERA (2.81 vs 2.88), so it’s not as he’s outpitching his metrics. But his only flaw is that when he infrequently gives up contact its almost always hard contact. Which, when you consider that he pitches for the Rockies and will have to navigate starts at Coors field, you become a bit more concerned. I would imagine “hard contact” at Coors is more likely to result in homeruns or even just more earned runs. However, he has been effective in 2 appearances at home (10.1 IP, 2 ER, 15 Ks). Maybe the “Tennessee Tornado” does in fact possess the Coors Kryptonite this year? I’m definitely interested in 12+ team leagues and I would be watching his next start very closely in shallower leagues to see if this brand of surrendering infrequent, but hard contact can continue to be successful.
ANGEL MARTINEZ (2B, OF CLE - 28% rostered)
The Guardian Angel has forced his way into the Clevland lineup with his blazing power/speed combination. At only 24 years old, Angel Dust is just entering his prime. He played almost a full season in 2025 (139 games) but racked up only 11 HR & 8 SB, along with an underwhelming .628 OPS. In only 25 games this year he has 5 HR & 5 SBs in only 25 games. A 15/15 or even 20/20 season could be possible (playing time willing). Now be warned – he does strikeout a fair bit and hardly ever takes a walk (KK:BB ratio in 2025 – 110:23, in 2026 – 16:3). So be warned in OBP leagues or leagues that count strikeouts. He had run into some playing time concerns recently as GERORGE VALERA returned from the injured list. Angel has started 4 of the last 5 games, racking up 3 HRs, 4 runs, 6 RBIs, and 1 SB (he should have had 1 more on Sunday but they got the call wrong). With multi-position eligibility, including the shallow second base spot, Angel is still an add for me in 12+ team leagues, especially where he may have been recently dropped.
JR RITCHIE (SP ATL - 20% rostered)
JR “Ritchie Rich” had quite the major league debut on Thursday, going 7 strong innings yielding 2 runs. He notched 7Ks and picked up the win. Pretty tidy work for the rookie, especially when you consider he gave up a homer on his first pitch. He had been effective (3 ER in 27.1) yet wild (14 BBs, 3HBP) in AAA this season. For the uninformed, a 2022 1st rounder who was the Braves’ #2 prospect entering the year. He pairs a 94-mph fastball with 4 off speed offerings. Now they technically could option him back to the minors as he is one of only 2 pitchers on the roster with options left. However, manager Walt Weiss announced on Friday that Ritchie will remain in the majors for the time being. The concern is that SPENCER STRIDER (oblique) is slated to return this week. It looks like Atlanta will either deploy a 6-man rotation or use JR in long relief. Here’s to hoping it’s the expanded rotation for fantasy managers and Braves fans. I’d look at adding “junior” in 12+ team leagues at this point, at least until his usage becomes a bit more clear.
My team just had a huge 9-1 win and to no surprise it was the usual suspects doing the heavy lifting. As a reminder it's a 12 team H2H 5x5 categories league.
My Cincy stack of Elly and Sally has been lights out in the early going. In my 5x5 league they are ranked 5th and 2nd overall, respectively. We’ll give the offensive HERO award to Sal just for the ridiculous 5 category coverage he provided. Not to be outshined, LANDEN ROUPP has been a nice pickup for anyone who climbed on board over the last few weeks. Anytime you get both wins in your 2-start week in this day of shortened pitcher outings, you gotta get the pitching HERO award.
Whether you are burning your #1 waiver priority or simply using your final add of the week on a questionable streamer – it is still only April. There’s plenty of time to turn your ship around. Or to sink it deep into your league standings. If these pickups work out, great. If not, there will be a “new and definitely not improved” trash heap to sift through next week. Until next time – may your ERA remain lower than your bank balance.