Today’s report will be the last one for a little while. I’ll likely do a recap once the season ends, but I’ll be taking a quick break. Before that happens, though, let’s review once again, complete with plenty of Javier Baez talk.

Baez has been, for the most part, what we expected; he’s struck out a ton and hit the ball a long way when he has made contact. His isolated power (.280) is nearly 75 points higher than his average (.207). That’s not for the best, and it probably won’t last, but … yeah. If Baez totes around a 41% strikeout rate, he’s likely going to hurt your team much more than he helps it. On the positive side, though, he doesn’t need to make that much more contact to become productive.

ZiPS projected Baez to produce a strikeout rate near 34% the rest of the way; a slash line of .242/.291/.486. An average near .240 isn’t good, nor is it solid, it’s bad. Yet, when paired with bundles of power, it’s workable. I’m not writing off Baez’s ability to make more contact yet. He trimmed his strikeout rate considerably after getting acclimated to Triple-A, and there’s no reason to think he can’t improve upon his MLB performance so far, given his talent and pedigree.

In the immediate future, Baez isn’t going to be a five category contributor; he may never contribute positively in average or OBP. But he has the potential to be a stud in the other categories. One comparison I haven’t been able to let go of the past few days is: Chris Carter versus Baez.

Carter has a longer track record. And has shown he has the ability to be patient. Other than that, the comparison is pretty close, to me, anyways. Carter’s hot stretch has made him the 69th best offensive player in fantasy, according to ESPN. Granted, it took a ton of dingers to get there, but he’s there. And let’s not kid ourselves, over a full season, Baez seems somewhat likely to sniff 30 home runs or more, while adding in a few steals. So, if Baez isn’t able to trim his strikeout rate a ton, he can still be Carter-ish, while playing shortstop, which instantly makes him very useful despite his flaws.

Onto pitching:

Tanaka is on his way back. I’d be lying if I said I’m not weary of him, considering the limited history of successfully avoiding Tommy John Surgery following an elbow injury. That said, I hope like hell he’s okay and pitching very soon.

You’ll notice a new name today, Ken Giles. He hasn’t gotten much love for a few reasons: he’s a reliever without a sexy (closer) role, and he plays for a terrible team. Make no mistake about, though, Giles is very good.

After battling command issues throughout the minors, Giles has been able to harness his stuff in Philadelphia, posting the 9th best K-BB mark among relievers with at least 30 innings pitched. He’s also been able to limit the amount of balls leaving the yard, an especially important quality when one pitches in Philadelphia.

Giles’ stuff is of the utmost quality. Essentially, he’s a two pitch pitcher. His slider features a swinging strike rate of better than 22%, much higher than league average; the pitch also features a 43% chase rate. And his fastball is no slouch either, also above average by empty swings.

Mr. Giles’ sample size is limited, but it looks as if the only thing that might slow him down are command issues. Jonathan Papelbon is also in the way, but who knows how much longer he’ll be in Philadelphia? He’s made it known he wants to play for a winner, and Philadelphia isn’t likely to be one for a little while. You have to think Giles would benefit a ton if Papelbon were to leave in the offseason. And even if he doesn’t leave, Giles could still be a fantastic option in holds leagues.

Until next time.