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Jon Hegglund is a member of the BP Fantasy Team.
Jon Hegglund: OK, here in the PNW it's a cool, rainy day--which can only mean one thing: Happy Fourth of July! No, just kidding--October is in the air and around the corner, which means the end of your fantasy season and the onset of baseball's weirdest playoffs ever. Let's work through some stuff together.
BG (Oregon): Have you ever had the opportunity to play on Guy Wicks Field?
Jon Hegglund: For those of you ignorant to the many landmarks of the greater Moscow, Idaho area, Guy Wicks Field is a large open space on the University of Idaho campus used for intramural sports, youth soccer tournaments, and the like. Apparently the drainage is poor, which is why the U of I has never built on the site. I ride past it regularly on my bike. I have never "played a sport" on it. Thank you for not asking about the Kibbie Dome, Brendan.
J (NY): For the weekend, Wilmer Flores (2 games) or Ty France (3 games)?
Jon Hegglund: France is hotter, and the Giants face four tough Padres righties. I think you say "oui" to France.
Dusty (Colorado): What are your thoughts on Wander Javier and what's his upside?
Jon Hegglund: Hi Dusty. Which anagram do you like better: Java Wire Nerd, or Jive Drawn Ear? Wander Javier's upside, and indeed, the future of the human species on Earth, depends on your answer.
Frustrated student (The Moon): You've simply shown us the Children of Men "all in one shot" crying baby scene on loop this semester. Can you please lighten the mood & show a nice Ashton Kutcher romantic comedy instead? In any case, what can the crying baby scene teach us about the morality of fantasy baseball?
Jon Hegglund: Registration will be open soon for my Spring course on Rom-Coms, Neoliberalism, and the Cultural Hegemony of Dumb-Guy Masculinity. We will spend all fifteen weeks close reading every single scene from "My Boss's Daughter." Get in quick, it's sure to fill up! As far as Children of Men, the crying baby is 2020, I am the Clive Owen character bleeding out on the rowboat, and the ship "Tomorrow" is coming through the fog not to save us all but only to remind you that Adalberto Mondesi is a bad hitter no matter how many stolen bases he gets. Oh, sorry, SPOILERS
bphil2712 (Mo ): Points league next 3 years Harper or Robert 5 years?
Jon Hegglund: If you're asking me about valuations for both in three- and five-year windows, my answer is easily Harper for both (though closer in a roto league over five, but I'd still lean Harper). In addition to his power, Harper walks a ton (17 percent since 2018), which is especially important in points formats. He hit 30+ homers in 2018 and 2019 and would be on pace this season to blow by that benchmark easily. He's still only 27 (!) and his profile should age fairly well, assuming health. Robert is arguably more exciting, and obviously younger, but we're seeing now that there's a whole bunch of swing-and-miss in that bat. In points league, the steals are not significant enough to offset what are likely to be low-walk/high-K numbers. Somehow, somewhere Bryce Harper became underrated, which is wild. He's still a fantastic player and should be for quite awhile yet.
Patrick (Minnesota): My keeer options are underwhelming. Are either Alec Bohn or Gavin Lux worth keeping based on long term potential?
Jon Hegglund: Hard to answer without knowing the particulars of your league--how deep, how many keepers, contracts, etc.--but yes, both are worth keeping. Based on 2020, Bohm's stock is obviously up and Lux's obviously down, but I could see comparable fantasy output from both within a couple of years. In the immediate future there are still questions about Lux's development and his role (assuming he remains a Dodger), so I'd lean Bohm for 2021 if you have to choose for next year alone. Long term, I think they're both players you should try to hold onto, if at all possible.
dylanrox (Philly): In a 14 team weekly h2h dynasty points league which of these players would you roster going into next season for a club well-positioned to win now and going forward - Nate Lowe, Hunter Dozier, Randy Arozarena and Jake Cronenworth are all currently on my roster. Available are Hampson, A Riley, McMahon, Jesus Aguilar, Jared Walsh, Brendan Rodgers, Willie Calhoun and Leody Taveras. I am also currently rostering Oneil Cruz and wondering if I should hold on a bit longer given his uncertain legal status.
My current prospects include Vaughn Brujan Cruz and KRobInson. Prospects still available include Alek Thomas Brennen Davis Jordan Groshans and Corbin Carroll.
Thanks for considering the question,
Dylan
Jon Hegglund: Some very enticing options there. For the MLBers, I really like Calhoun and Taveras--they'll be on a bad Texas team next year, but they should be centerpieces in that lineup. I would get in on Riley; the power upside is worthwhile even if the average will kind of suck. And I'd get in on Rodgers as well--we just haven't seen a healthy version of him for an extended run in the majors. Hampson and McMahon haven't really wowed, even with the Coors advantage, Walsh feels a bit flash-in-the-pan (but I'm prepared to be wrong there!), and Aguilar could be OK for a couple more years, but his skills should be easy enough to find. Of the prospects, I am heavy into Carroll, though I like all those names. I'd probably wait on Cruz's situation for a few weeks before cutting, but it isn't looking good right now.
Mustachio_Magic (Sacramento, CA): Who is the Gardner Minshew of Major League Baseball? You know, the player everyone loves, has tons of personality, but in your heart you know may not be that good.
Jon Hegglund: Man, this may piss some people off, but it might be Pete Alonso. Love the guy, love the vibe, not sure if he's anything more than a .240 hitter with some monster bombs. I shall now run for cover from the slings and arrows of the many Mets fans at BP and on my Twitter feed.
Jon Hegglund: OK, a light queue this week, so I'm going to sign off. Wishing you an action-packed final weekend and all the weird, stupid, wonderful October baseball you can stand. Until next time!
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