It’s kind of crazy how fast the 2013 Major League Baseball season is blazing by. It’s currently week 12 and a surprising new crop of talent has risen to the top in a rather surprising fashion to provide fantasy owners a new cushion of prowess, but only for those who act fast and pick up these studs while they’re still available.
Adam Lind Toronto Blue Jays 1B
The Toronto Blue Jays have been red hot of late, winner of five-straight and six of seven games against the Texas Rangers in the last week-and-a-half. Two things offensively have contributed to their recent fortune: 1. Moving Edwin Encarnacion to third base. 2. Giving Adam Lind the starting role at first base. Very few, including the Blue Jays, gave Lind much hope this season and he has certainly been a veritable force to prove the haters wrong. In the last two weeks Lind has hit an unprecedented .426 with three home runs, 10 RBI and 31 total bases. Not bad for a guy who was DFAed last season, only to be brought back to the 25-man roster after no one would take him. Lind is certainly showing the promise he displayed for the Blue Jays back in 2009 when he went .305/35/114. Lind currently shows no sign of slowing down as the Blue Jays continue to chip away in their effort to get out of the cellar in the American League Eastern Division. He is currently owned in roughly 47 percent of all leagues in which 25 percent of that came within the last week. Get him now! He’s going fast!
Josh Reddick Oakland Athletics OF
Somehow Oakland Athletics players always seem to make this list, but how can anyone deny the reason why. Everyone on the team has been contributing in one way or another. It just so happens that Josh Reddick has been raking in hits left-and-right since returning from the DL back on May 31st. He had 25 strikeouts and a .152 batting average when he hit the DL after the Athletics’ game against the Cleveland Indians in May 6th, since his return he’s only struck out five times and raised his average to .211 in only 15 games including a 4-5 game against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday in which he was a double shy of the cycle. The only downside of Reddick is that his defensive abilities, mainly his uncanny ability to gun base runners out and rob players of home runs don’t count toward fantasy points. He is currently owned in roughly 32 percent of all leagues.
Matt Joyce Tampa Bay Rays OF
The one downside of having any outfielders from the Tampa Bay Rays on your team is that manager Joe Maddon likes to switch things up a bit to better suit pitching matchups… unless a player gets hot. Cue Matt Joyce. Joyce is currently in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak which includes four multi-hit games and four home runs in that stretch. The only downside of this hot streak is that Joyce has had little-to-no opportunities to bring in additional runners as three of his four home runs have come with the bases empty. Either way, as long as he keeps displaying this high dosage of power you’ll be sitting pretty. He is currently owned in roughly 55 percent of all leagues.
Zack Cozart Cincinnati Reds SS
Speaking of hot streaks, Zack Cozart everybody! Cozart has currently strung together a nice little six-game hit streak himself in which he has had four multi-hit games which include a home run and four RBI during this stretch. Cozart is a rare gem on a team which plates a lot of the game’s top hitters. Even though he’s only batting .249 on the season, he’s been taking advantage of a lot of great at-bats in the two spot and scoring a lot of runs hitting in front of the likes of Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips. It’s hard to say when this streak will come to an end, but you may as well take advantage of it now, even for just a spot start or two. He is currently owned in roughly 31 percent of all leagues.
Jason Marquis San Diego Padres SP
This move will really depend upon how your league is scored; whether you tally wins or quality starts. Jason Marquis has been doing a decent amount of work this season, going 9-2 including eight wins and two no decisions in his last 10 starts. The only problem that faces fantasy owners is that Marquis likes to give up runs. He currently sits at a 3.63 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP, both of which aren’t exactly glamorous; however, he does produce. It’s a bit of a risk to take him, just make sure you evaluate pitching matchups before giving him the nod to start. The reality is that if he continues this pace he’ll only help improve your team. He is currently owned in roughly 20 percent of all leagues.