The brutal grind of a 162-game MLB season is unlike anything young players encounter in college or the minor leagues. As summer reaches its peak, fantasy baseball managers are witnessing, first-hand, the infamous “rookie wall.”
Bright young stars who lit up the scoreboard in April, May and June are beginning to stall out, physically and mentally spent from the daily schedule.
If your roster is starting to feel the impact of this late-summer fatigue, it’s time to stop waiting for a turnaround and start churning the bottom of your lineup.
Look no further than top young infielder Travis Bazzana.
After storming out of the gate with a crisp .311 batting average during his first month, the continuous grind of daily pitching adjustments and travel has caught up to him.
Since that opening stretch, Bazzana has sputtered to a meager .214 average, managing just two home runs and three stolen bases in July. The quickness in his bat and aggressiveness on the basepaths have visibly regressed as fatigue sets in.
It isn’t just the hitters who are wearing down.
Left-hander Gage Jump looked virtually unhittable through the month of June, dominating opposing lineups to the tune of a 2.31 ERA. Fast forward to late July, and the heavy workload is taking its toll.
Jump is starting to feel the wear-and-tear, allowing nine earned runs and three home runs over his past three starts. When young arms run out of gas, their command slips, velocities drop, and fantasy margins disappear overnight.
That is precisely why fantasy managers need to start trying to cycle in some of the youth currently being called up to the big leagues.
Fresh legs and unwearied arms can provide the exact spark your roster needs to stay competitive down the stretch.
Cardinals pitcher Quinn Mathews has posted a strong 3.13 ERA with 111 strikeouts over 92 innings at Triple-A Memphis. He possesses a strong profile and will jump straight into the Cardinals’ rotation this weekend.
Learn all you need to know about MLB Betting
On the offensive side, highly touted Detroit outfield prospect Max Clark is getting the call after slashing .276/.368/.434 with 11 home runs, 21 stolen bases, and a patient 50-66 BB-K ratio over 90 games with Triple-A Toledo.
His dual-threat ability to contribute in both power and speed categories makes him an immediate priority on the waiver wire.
Both Mathews and Clark have the ability to stay with their big league clubs the rest of the way, so grab them now for their potential hot starts. If they eventually slow down in two months, someone else likely will be on their way up to take their place on your roster.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy, catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Ch. 87) weekdays from 6-8 p.m. and dominate your leagues with the latest baseball news and advice from Fantasy Alarm.
