The MLB trade deadline approaches, and we will be seeing a lot of uniform swaps over the next few days. Keep your eyes peeled for value. Closers and relievers will probably be the most affected, and there will also be young talent getting more playing time on selling teams besides the obvious bumps for players moving to contending teams.
In the meantime, here are a few players that have looked strong coming out of the All-Star break. Interestingly, the third base position has some good options emerging at what has been a weak position all season.
Hitters
Jose Miranda, 1B/3B, Minnesota Twins
Miranda is not throwing away his shot, hitting an impressive .625 since the All-Star break with a 1.522 OPS. On the season, Miranda is batting .277 with nine homers and 37 RBIs. If you subtract his first 74 ABs in May when he was first called up and still getting his bearings, Miranda is hitting .346. It looks like he’s fitting into the big leagues nicely.
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Josh Naylor, 1B/OF, Cleveland Guardians
Naylor has looked good since the break, hitting .321 with a homer, six RBI and a stolen base, and he has a .942 OPS for July. The Guardians are in the hunt not only for the AL Wild Card but for the AL Central. Naylor doesn’t strike out a lot and has a max exit velocity in the top 14% of the league. Most of us could use a player like that.
Chad Pinder, 2B/OF, Oakland A’s
I know, I know. It’s the Oakland A’s. But, they did just sweep the Houston Astros, after all! And much of that success came off the bat of Chad Pinder, who hit a grand slam on Tuesday, propelling the team with the most losses in the AL to a 5-3 victory. Pinder is hitting .269 with two homers and 8 RBIs since the break. In general, he strikes out too much and isn’t patient enough at the plate, but he hits the ball hard. In deep leagues, you can stream him until he cools off. The positional flexibility is a bonus.
Nolan Jones, 3B/OF, Cleveland Guardians
Across 52 plate appearances at the major league level, Jones is batting .306 with two home runs and 10 runs scored. Jones was not a prospect many of us had on our immediate radar, but his 91.6 average exit velocity – which is the same as Freddie Freeman’s -- and his .935 OPS suggest he could stick at the major-league level.
Jeimer Candelario, 3B, Detroit Tigers
Remember last year when Candelario hit .282 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs after the All-Star break? Well, it looks like he could be at it again. Candelario has come out of the break hot, hitting .458 with four homers and nine RBI with a 1.522 OPS.
Kyle Lewis, OF, Seattle Mariners
The Mariners are finally getting healthy, and this team is in the hunt for the AL Wild Card. The M’s were the hottest team before the break, and now the 2020 AL ROY is back and will add another big bat to the lineup. Lewis hasn’t looked sharp in his 13 ABs since being activated last Friday, but there’s a lot of upside. If you have room, don’t leave him on the wire.
Leody Taveras, OF, Texas Rangers
Taveras has quietly put together an impressive season, slashing .342/.380/.540 with a .906 OPS since joining the club in June. Taveras can help in both batting average and stolen bases, and he has some pop, too.
Raimel Tapia, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto has the hottest lineup in the majors coming out of the All-Star break, averaging 7.78 runs per game. If you want a piece of that lineup, Tapia may still be available. Tapia has a max exit velocity and sprint speed combo that could pay off as long as he continues to get playing time. On the season, Tapia is hitting .286 with five home runs, 35 RBIs and five stolen bases. Since the break, he’s hitting .467 with one homer and 10 RBIs.
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Pitchers
Cole Irvin, SP, Oakland A’s
O.K., I have to admit, I don’t really believe in Cole Irvin, but it’s hard to argue with the results. Irvin has pitched to a 3.05 ERA with only a 4.8% walk rate. He allows too much hard contact, but he’s also struck out 12 batters across his last 14 innings pitched. Maybe he’s onto something.
Jesus Luzardo, SP, Miami Marlins
Luzardo is expected to return sometime next week after a lengthy stint on the IL. Luzardo has been dominant in his rehab starts, and before the hit the IL, the lefty was striking batters out at a rate of nearly 13 per nine innings. If you need strikeouts, grab Luzardo now.
