Tersh Wins: Batting Average

Tersh average

LAB REPORTS

By: The Lab

--/--/--

Over the years, batting average has become a forgotten stat, with on base percentage taking over as the metric of choice for baseball people. However, while many leagues have shifted to an OBP category, plenty still use batting average, and it has become a category that can be hard to find consistent success. Often, a team batting average of .260 in fantasy leagues takes you to the top. And while we like our batting average to come with a steady dose of counting stats, we can't overlook the importance of guys that hit regularly, and we hope the run production comes with. It can be a difficult category to find sustained success, so let's dive into the Tersh that has been hitting and the Tersh that we hope will rake in the second half...

Set It And Forget It (Pretty much hit all year)

Nick Gonzales, 2B,3B,SS (38% Rostered on Yahoo): He is hitting .310 overall, hits .331 at home, has hit consistently (.276 is his low mark for a month), his xBA is .284, and he is hitting now (.413 in July). Oh, and he also chips in across other categories (51 Runs and 43 RBI).

Jake Mangum, OF (16% Rostered on Yahoo): Sticking in Pittsburgh, the Pirates new leadoff hitter has hit .303 on the season, hits .333 at home, and has hit well over .300 since June (.329 in 85 June ABs and .333 in 45 July ABs). He hits .291 vs LHP and .307 vs RHP, and he runs (18 SB). He also hit .296 last season, so the man who has the SEC career record for hits...can hit.

Jung Hoo Lee, OF (31% Rostered on Yahoo): He is hitting .307 overall, even after cooling down from a torrid stretch earlier this season. The .295 xBA says that he should pick it back up, and he his another player who can contribute in other categories (48 Runs).

Josh Jung, 3B (40% Rostered on Yahoo): The second Jung on the list, the former top prospect has returned to health and has hit for average much of the season. He has cooled down a bit over the past two months, but even those numbers sit around the .260 mark, so not killer. He is currently hitting .297 on the season and his xBA is .286, so he can sustain the batting average. Use him properly, at home, where he rakes to the tune of .374, and he will give you steady production at 3B.

TJ Rumfield, 1B (46% Rostered on Yahoo): A rookie who was only supposed to keep the seat warm for the more heralded prospects, he has not disappointed at all. He has hit over .300 in every month since April, which has him currently at .303. He plays at Coors, but hits away from the hitter's haven (.292 on the road), and has 43 Runs and 51 RBI to accompany the strong average.

Troy Johnston, 1B, OF (8% Rostered on Yahoo): Another Rocky Mountain surprise, Johnston has also hit for average. He has been sitting around .300 all season, currently at .297. He slashed over .300 April-June, but has dipped in July, so approach with caution. He also may be the guy that loses at bats when Charlie Condon arrives later this summer. The xBA sits at .279, and he hits over .320 at home, so use him there if necessary when you use him.

Garrett Mitchell, OF (21% Rostered on Yahoo): If you've read the Tersh reports the last few weeks, you know I'm very high on Mitchell. I don't understand how 79% of Yahoo managers can't use his overall production. He is a former first round pick, he hits in a great lineup, and he has been on fire. The average sits at .284, but that doesn't tell the whole story. He is hitting .337 over the past 30 days, and .418 over the past 15 days. He still has swing and miss in his game, but hits the ball hard, so I think this is just the beginning. He has been on one since June and contributes in a lot of ways (43 Runs, 47 RBI, 8 HR, and 7 SB).

Sam Antonacci, 2B, 3B, OF (46% Rostered on Yahoo): Another constant member of the Tersh club. I feel like Ben Affleck's character, Chuckie Sullivan in Good Will Hunting, when he wishes more for his best friend Will Hunting...

"Let me tell you what I do know; every day, I come by your house and I pick you up. And we go out, we have a few drinks, and a few laughs, and it's great. You know what the best part of my day is? It's for about ten seconds when I pull up to the curb to when I get to your door. 'Cause I think maybe I'll get up there and I'll knock on the door and you won't be there. No goodbye, no "see ya later", no nothin'. You just left. I don't know much, but I know that."

Just like Chuckie, the best part of my season will be when Sam Antonacci gets rostered above 50% like he absolutely should be, and managers decide they want steady production. But for now, I guess I am fortunate because as president of his fan club, I get to still write about him in the Tersh reports. Antonacci is hitting .289 on the season with an xBA of .294. He has hit .313 over the past month and had added some pop to his game, making him an emerging 4-5 category guy. He has hit EVERYWHERE he has ever played, and Yahoo's 17th rated player in the past month belongs on rosters, immediately.

Lightning in a Bottle (We love it despite the small sample size)

Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, 3B,SS (4% Rostered on Yahoo): Hit in the minors (.323) and continued since the call-up (.429)
Gabriel Moreno, C (47% Rostered on Yahoo): .303 on the season. .365 over the past month, .405 over the past two weeks, and an XBA of .290.
Tommy Edman, 2B,3B, OF (32% Rostered on Yahoo): Switch hitter who has hit .343 since coming off IL, .358 in the last month, and has hit at home, away, vs LHP, and vs RHP.
Javier Sanoja, 2B, 3B, SS, OF (13% Rostered on Yahoo): .354 over the past month and playing regularly. Eligible all over.
Caleb Durbin, 2B, 3B (37% Rostered on Yahoo): Another drastically under rostered stat stuffer, Bad start is firmly in the rearview. 7th ranked player on Yahoo over the past month, hitting .352 in that time. Does everything well lately.
Trevor Larnach, OF (8% Rostered on Yahoo): .289 on the season and .351 in the past month. Steady player batting leadoff in a sneaky good lineup.
Tim Tawa, 1B, 2B,OF (3% Rostered on Yahoo): .345 in his last 29 ABs including .462 the past week. Been playing regularly.
Nicky Lopez, 2B, 3B, SS (1% Rostered on Yahoo): Another daily contributor of late. Hitting .311 on the season and .343 in the past month.
Masataka Yoshida, OF (1% Rostered on Yahoo): Another hot Red Sox player. Hitting .333 in the past month and .385 in the past two weeks.
Wade Meckler, OF (1% Rostered on Yahoo): Hitting .307 on the season, .339 in the past month, .471 in the past two weeks, and .500 in the past week.
Curtis Mead, 1B, 2B, 3B (41% Rostered on Yahoo): Won't be on the list for long. Statcast page is getting insane and the production is arriving. Hitting .306 in the past month, .444 in the past two weeks, and .636 in the past week. Schedule is favorable this week, and I already talked him up on the power side. Grab him now.