We're just over a month into the season and we've had three nine-inning no-hitters (four if you include Madison Bumgerner's seven-inning no-hitter)! In case you needed anymore of a reminder that pitching is ahead of hitting in 2021, this was it. Not to take anything away from John Means. I just always thought of no-hitters as something that happened once, maybe twice per season. Nonetheless, you can read more about Means below.
Something we spoke about on the podcast that I think is interesting is the concept of selling-low on Christian Yelich. Finance 101 tells us we shouldn't sell on a decline, but what if you can recoup 60-70% of what you paid for that stock to reinvest somewhere else? Everything with Yelich is currently up in the air. We could find out tomorrow that he needs back surgery is out for the season. We could also find out he'll be back in a month. It's a risky situation, but if you're in a deeper league where you can still get something of value for him -- say a Kyle Tucker or Marcell Ozuna -- shouldn't you do it? I think I would and would draw the line there. I've lowered Yelich to OF12 in my rankings after opening the season as a top-five option.
Of course, you can subscribe to make sure you get the latest episodes of Fantasy Baseball Today right when they drop on Apple and Spotify.
Orioles SP John Means delivered the third "official" no-hitter of the season (sorry, Mad-Bum). When Scott tabbed Means in his offseason sleeper column, I'm not sure he quite expected this level of breakout for the Orioles starter. This was Baltimore's first no-hitter in 30 years!
Means finished with 12 strikeouts with 26 swinging strikes on 113 pitches, including 14 on his changeup. The changeup pitch is the story of this start and at times Means' season. According to Fangraphs, Means' changeup is rated the best among all qualifying SPs this season. Means is in the midst of what could be a true breakout season and he has allowed three earned runs or fewer in all seven starts. The raw numbers are dazzling, including a 1.37 ERA and 0.67 WHIP.
I have him moved up to SP34. It's important to keep in mind he's still a flyball pitcher in the AL East. Regression is certainly coming, and he's not going to pitch to that ERA all year. I also must admit I regrettably got zero shares of Means this offseason.
Chris views Means as a must-start SP regardless of the matchup, but he's not ready to make a big jump with Means in his rankings.
Blue Jays SP Robbie Ray threw six innings and allowed three runs with nine strikeouts in a no decision on Wednesday. That's not the story, though. The story -- once again -- revolves around the walks. Ray didn't throw any. Yeah, that's the same Ray you're thinking of. He has now delivered three consecutive quality starts with 23 strikeouts and zero walks over those three starts. Ray becomes a completely different Fantasy asset than we've ever viewed him if he can keep the walks down.
He is still just 63% rostered and that has to change. He needs to be 100% rostered -- specifically with a two-start week coming. However, Chris provided one reason to temper your expectations on Ray: he's still getting hit hard.
Orioles 1B/OF Trey Mancini could be in line for a bid to win Comeback Player of the Year. This is a story we can all get behind. Mancini has become a valuable Fantasy asset in his comeback season and his three-run home run on Wednesday gives him six home runs and 25 RBI this season. He's on pace for 120 RBI over a 150-game pace.
Mancini now has a .294 xBA and a .540 xSLG after starting the season slowly from the underlying numbers standpoint. He looks here to stay so give yourself a pat on the back if you drafted him in the later rounds.
If you're in a league that allows you to scoop and start a player for tonight or you just want to know our suggestions on who to stream today, look back to Wednesday's newsletter and you'll find our streaming choices. The following three bolded pitchers are our top three streamers for Friday.
