Overperforming Fantasy Baseball Players and the Confidence I Have In Them

 Overperforming Fantasy Baseball Players and the Confidence I Have In Them 

Drew Epstein

5/2/22

Ty France- Mariners 1B:

Ty France is a good player and he was expected to be a valuable fantasy baseball piece. With that said, find me someone who saw this type of production coming. France has been a hit and RBI machine for the Mariners through the first month of the season. The current stat line on France is .333/5 HR/21 RBI, with an OPS of .950. Looking at his advanced metrics, this seems to be legit. He is hitting the ball hard and his expected batting average and on base percentage are elite, he's not just getting flukey hits. Another thing to love about France is he doesn't strike out much. He's showing all the signs of a great player to have on your fantasy team. 

Confidence Level: High

Kyle Wright- Braves SP:

I discussed Kyle Wright after a couple of starts and he’s continued to roll. He's gone at least 6 innings in 3 of his 4 starts, a rarity with the short spring, and he hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of them. Wright currently sits at 3-0, 1.13 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 34 Ks. That is a phenomenal start for the Braves right hander who was once the 5th overall pick in the MLB Draft. He may be finally tapping into his potential. Wright has some of the best advanced metrics in baseball, suggesting he may also be for real. He’s limiting hard contact and striking out a ton. Because of a career ERA over 5, I'm not ready to fully buy into Kyle Wright as a front-line starter, but he's certainly well on his way there. I like what I've seen so far out of the 26-year-old. 

Confidence Level: Mid/High

Taylor Ward- Angels OF:

Ward is yet another high draft pick who is starting to tap into his high potential. The former 26th overall pick of the Angels has been off to a terrific start and is forming a fantastic outfield duo with Mike Trout. To this point, Ward is hitting .400/5 HR/13 RBI with an incredible 1.271 OPS. You won't find many better slash lines right now if any. Ward has been one of the most productive hitters in baseball. Ward also has good advanced metrics and his expected batting average is elite, but the concern here is how he's barreling balls at a good rate, but still not hitting the ball very hard. This would suggest that his batting average will likely stay high but I do not expect the power numbers to continue. His numbers don't suggest consistent power. With that said, He is hitting at the top of the lineup ahead of Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, so he'll still be scoring plenty of runs and producing in other ways. It is inevitable that Ward will cool down, but I think he's a good player and I expect him to remain very useful for fantasy teams. 

Confidence Level: Low/Mid