Every week during fantasy baseball season, we'll be doing a stock report on players who are rising or falling in value, so feel free to tag any players you'd like us to take a closer look at. Twitter.
Let’s dive right in and take a look at some fantasy baseball players who are on the rise and some who are on the decline.
Fantasy Baseball Stock Report (Week 20)
Stockpiling
Jackson Merrill (SS, OF – SD)
The Padres have been the best team since the All-Star break and Jackson Merrill is one of the biggest reasons why. As of August, he ranks 16th in wRC+ (190), 18th in wOBA (.438) and 6th in ISO (.429). Merrill was the 20th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft and is one of the top prospects in baseball entering this season.
He quietly made his first All-Star appearance this year and has done everything for the Friars. At 21 years old, he is one of the best young stars in the game and a player you'd want to buy anywhere next season.
Spencer Arrigetti (SP – HOU)
Spencer Arrighetti is fresh off of his best two games as a young pitcher. In six innings against Tampa Bay, he struck out 12 batters and allowed one run. In seven innings against Boston, he struck out 13 batters and allowed two runs. His xFIP of 1.07 is the best in baseball since August 1, and he has been a dominant pitcher.
The 24-year-old has had his fair share of missteps this season, giving up seven runs in a game against Detroit and six in a game against Toronto, but he's proven he has an edge even against a lineup as powerful as the Red Sox's, and I'd love to have him for next year.
Jake McCarthy (OF – ARI)
Like the Padres, the Diamondbacks have been on a roll since the All-Star break, going 19-5 since the Midsummer Classic and resembling the team that made it to the World Series last season.
Jake McCarthy has started to improve for the Snakes and has been one of their most successful hitters in the month of August. The 27-year-old ranks sixth in wOBA (.484) and seventh in wRC+ (216) since Aug. 1. He has worked his way up Arizona's batting order and has 15 RBIs in his last seven games.
While he's not as young as Merrill, I'm willing to buy into McCarthy's talents over the next few seasons.
Stock prices fall
Louis Robert (OF – CWS)
Luis Robert has struggled with the White Sox overall, going 2-21 since the All-Star break. Robert is one of the best hitters in baseball when he's on his game, but staying motivated on a team ranked 30th in the MLB may be tough.
Since August 1, Roberts ranks second-worst in wRC+ (-52) and wOBA (.091) and 13th-worst in ISO (.023). He's also striking out at an alarming rate, with a whopping 41.9% strikeout rate in August, the second-highest on record. I'd be more interested in acquiring Roberts on another team, but I'd avoid the 27-year-old outfielder for now.
Seth Lugo (SP – KC)
Seth Lugo was one of the best pitchers in the league early this year. He was considered a favorite to start in the American League All-Star Game. But at 34 years old, he just wasn't cutting it. I don't know if it was because hitters realized what he was capable of or if he just dipped a little, but something just didn't seem to be right for Lugo over the past month.
He hasn't struck out more than four times in his last four games and has allowed 18 runs in that span. His xFIP (5.48) in August is the eighth-highest and his K/9 is just 5.71. Selling Lugo high in June was probably a smart move. I'd pick someone else as a fantasy baseball starting pitcher next year and beyond.
Ezekiel Tovar (SS – COL)
The Rockies are all but eliminated from the playoffs and there's not much to look forward to from this team at this point. Even their lone All-Star, Ryan McMahon, has been one of their weakest hitting players since the All-Star break.
But Ezekiel Tovar has been especially bad, and not just because he plays in Denver's mountainous terrain. Tovar has the fourth-worst wRC+ (-12) and ninth-worst wOBA (.166) this month. From an age standpoint, I like Tovar as a long-term player who will retain value for years to come, but for now, I'd recommend staying away from the 23-year-old player from the last-place Rockies.
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