Just in case you hadn't heard, it turns out Coors Field is a great environment to hit, We usually like it for fantasy purposes when our batsmen take to thin air and giant dimensions in Colorado. A series at Coors obviously doesn't guarantee success at the plate, but it's a nice little boost.
With this well established fact in mind, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Rockies will play 13 of their next 16 games at home. Given the wide availability of different Colorado bats, this is a gift we can take advantage of now.
This week's priority fantasy additions are surprisingly not loaded with Rockies…
Grichuk was a late addition to the season after opening on IL, but he's been heating up since the start of 2023. The vets have hit safely in nine straight games, the last five of which were on the road. There is no reason why his feast should not continue at Coors. The man has five 20-homer seasons to his credit, so there's no question about his power potential.
Profar hit a pair of bombs on Tuesday, so it's fair to assume that his bat is coming around here:
By now, you all should be aware of the strengths and limitations of the 30-year-old. He has enough 20-homer pop and pace to reach double-digit steals (certainly in this year's base-stealing environment), but he's probably going to put a strain on your batting average. No one is asking you to keep him on your roster for the entire season, but he is a fine flyer over the next two weeks. Profar usually hits at or near the top of the order, so you're getting a lot of at-bats (for better or worse).
The rookie waited until the calendar flipped to May to start hitting homers and stealing bags, but it's all happening now. Tovar took a huge step up the prospect ranks entering 2023 after thriving in the higher minors last year. He slashed .319/.387/.540 over the two levels with 14 home runs and 17 steals in 318 plate appearances. He is a magician defensively, so as long as he is healthy, he will not leave this team's lineup. Tovar was blocked in thousands of leagues after his slow start, but the 21-year-old is still a good bet for a season of double-digit power/speed. If you need middle infield, take him.
Blackmon is old (36) and unskilled, but his batting eye remains fully operational (.370 OBP) and he can certainly still hit for power. He has particularly hit in the top-third of the order so far this season, which we love to see. We might get a run-scoring binge from Blackmon in these two weeks, plus he might clear the fences once or twice. His career .333/.393/.554 home hitter is just plain obnoxious.
And finally, that concludes the Colorado portion of our Pickups feature. Oh, moving on …
Schmidt was promoted this week and the 24-year-old announced his appearance in his MLB debut with surprising authority:
He's unlikely to be an elite power source, though he did hit 21 homers last season during a .293/.365/.489 slump in the minors. At the time of his call-up, Schmidt was hitting .313 with 11 extra-base hits at Triple-A Sacramento. He comes in with third-base eligibility and should qualify at shortstop soon. according to veterans he won't be short of playing time one of two.
The Cubs finally agreed to bring most of the organization's best hitters into the big league lineup, which is good to see. Morel promptly hit a homer and a steal in his first MLB appearance of 2023 on Tuesday, lifting his Triple-A production to the majors. At Iowa, he was hitting a tremendous .330/.425/.730 with 11 homers and four steals. Average can't hold, but power/speed potential is valid. His multi-position ability makes him an ideal bench bat for any fantasy roster. Go check if it is still available.
The towering right-hander (6-foot-8), one of the game's top pitching prospects, will make his MLB debut in Friday's start against the Reds. you want him. i want him Everyone should want him. Perez has a 0.81 WHIP in six starts at Double-A this season, striking out 42 batters in 31.0 innings. Their arsenal is deep and dangerous. This is a simple add on. Go get him wherever you are.
Harvey earned the most recent save for the Nets, which would have immediately put him on the fantasy radar across all leagues — and yet he's floating around more than 90% of the Yahoo universe free-agent pool. He has a closing-quality arsenal — blazing fastball, diabolical splitter — and elite closing-quality ball.
Harvey also threw an excellent ratio last season with 10.3 Ks per nine innings. He's good enough to help your fantasy team, even in a non-closing role.