With minor apologies to Yermin Mercedes, Nate Lowe, Julian Merryweather and so many others you might not have heard of a week ago, Los Angeles Angels pitcher/hitter Shohei Ohtani was the story of fantasy baseball's opening weekend. Ohtani is, definitely, appointment viewing. He homered and hit triple-digits on the radar guns Sunday night -- doing both within minutes of the other -- and it was amazing to watch.
Unfortunately, Ohtani's night ended in relative disappointment, with him limping off the field and not eligible for the victory, but what a show. Overall, it was impressive and we hope it is fun like this for months. We hope, but there are no guarantees -- and this is the risk in relying on Ohtani in fantasy baseball. Oh, this was not a "real" injury. Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu slid into him at home plate after your run-of-the-mill strikeout-turned-two-run mishap. Hey, stuff happens, even very odd stuff. I worry that Ohtani cannot do this (hit 450-foot home runs and throw 100 mph) for six full months. I just do.
That hardly means I would rush to trade Ohtani away in a fantasy baseball league, though now is a smart time to do just that. (And, yes, I boast nary a share in him for a reason.) I like clarity and we have absolutely none with this marvel. My stance -- and little changed on Sunday night -- is that Ohtani could be one of the top hitters in fantasy baseball (a 30-HR 20-SB star) if left to handle this role regularly. He could also be one of the top starting pitchers, as his balky elbow has now healed. He is such a unique flamethrower with wicked stuff. It's just that we would need to be overly optimistic to expect he will last for six months doing both of these things.
I hope I'm wrong, though, because Sunday night was unforgettable. I have mixed feelings about the Angels making history by batting him second in the lineup while he pitched, and then letting him approach 100 pitches in a clear (perhaps misguided) attempt to get him a "personal" win. Sure, let him try it all, but be reasonable, too. It's a hard game for those concentrating on their own chosen skills, let alone attempting to put all of them on display at once!
Even more about Ohtani
Ohtani hit 100 mph with a first-inning fastball to Adam Eaton, the fastest pitch by a starting hurler this young season, though clearly he lacked command of some of his off-speed offerings. In the bottom of the first, with his bat, he smoked one 115 mph off White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease and well past the right field fence for his second blast of the weekend. Ohtani did not go the requisite five innings in order to earn a win (what ridiculous rules!) or even leave with the lead. Still, let us be clear: the performance was a win for viewers. Wow!
The fantasy reality is different. Ohtani will sit out Monday's game and this is part of the issue on the hitting side. He will not bat close to as much as other bat-first options, even if he remains healthy for six months. OK, we can live with that. Nelson Cruz is already not playing all 162 games himself. On the mound, Ohtani lacked command, walking five batters. He missed bats, but getting him through five innings regularly could be a problem. If he gets 20 Sunday starts, he still might fall short of 100 innings, and thus might not win much. There is risk here. Manager Joe Maddon clearly left him in the game in order to get the win. He is lucky the Angels won at all.
Ultimately, Ohtani is one of those players I cannot wait to watch but still have little interest in relying on in a fantasy league. He enters Monday as the No. 12 option on the ESPN Fantasy Player Rater, singularly because he accrued both hitting and pitching stats this weekend and nobody else did -- not even Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler, who had two hits, two RBI and a win on Saturday. Ohtani is different. Wheeler's hitting stats do not count. Ohtani's do. This is an advantage the Angels and fantasy baseball managers can and should use to their advantage
Every player has an inherent value. This is a bit different in daily formats, for you know when he is on the schedule to hit and to pitch -- and perhaps he will get to do both in the same game from now on. I worry about Ohtani being able to stay healthy, not from how his Sunday night ended, but due to real injuries, those to knees, shoulders, elbows, obliques and whatever else. Just fatigue, you know. The injury list is full of injuries like these already. I hope he can perform at the highest level as a hitter and pitcher for six months, but we need realism, too. Still, there is simply nobody else like him, not since Babe Ruth!
Other weekend highlights
Yermin Mercedes is a 28-year-old Dominican journeyman who batted one time during the 2020 major league season. He hits right-handed and, thanks to the unfortunate Eloy Jimenez injury and a slight leap of faith from his team, he won a job to open the season. He's had an interesting past, but Mercedes could always hit. He certainly did this weekend, breaking a record with hits in his first eight at-bats. Mercedes finished the weekend 9-for-14 -- and some of the hits were legit, a home run, a few doubles, stuff hit hard. He leads the most-added list for ESPN standard leagues and hey, why not take a chance, right?
Mercedes is catcher-eligible in ESPN leagues, but for many of us playing on other sites, he is listed as DH-only. Either way, if he hits, we will find a place for him. If you can add Mercedes as a catcher, sure, go for it. Perhaps he keeps raking and really, the bar is so low for him to end up as a top-10 option at the position, I could see it happening. Mercedes has power and seems to know the strike zone. Are Buster Posey, Yadier Molina and Carson Kelly safer? Perhaps, but not for sure. The White Sox have a spot for Mercedes, for now, though playing him over legit prospect Andrew Vaughn is malpractice. Anyway, this is another fun story and I will (as with Ohtani) remain optimistic, if not a tad skeptical.
I said on Monday's podcast that Jared Walsh would end up with better hitting numbers than Ohtani, his fellow Angel, because I like Walsh. It is real power. If Albert Pujols plays over him, I ... I just ... come on. Lineups cannot be lifetime achievement awards. How silly.
More on Julian Merryweather and the other new closers to come in Tuesday's Relief Report (look for it weekly). Where I stand on this is clear: Yes, Merryweather could get all of the saves for the Toronto Blue Jays for the next few days, weeks and even all six months. The opportunity is there. He hit triple-digits on the radar gun while mowing down the New York Yankees. It was impressive and how he performed last season is irrelevant. He could also lose the job tomorrow to Jordan Romano or someone else. Take a chance in the early weeks, especially with saves. Perhaps Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Chris Devenski is the NL version. Nobody knows. Their teams do not know. Do not drop fellows with nary a save such as Will Smith, Brad Hand or the injured Trevor Rosenthal (be patient there). That said, Merryweather, Devenski, Mark Melancon and Cesar Valdez could all be legit, too.
Fantasy managers should be careful who they drop in order to claim these new closers, or hot hitters like Texas Rangers first baseman Nate Lowe (nine RBI already!). It was one weekend. If you want to cut David Price, Jonathan Villar and Archie Bradley due to role changes, go for it. Injured fellows populate the list, too. Sure. Parting so soon with Cleveland right-hander Triston McKenzie, Miami Marlins third baseman Brian Anderson and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain, though? I think you could regret it.
The New York Mets and Washington Nationals did not played at all due to a coronavirus outbreak for the Nationals. I hope this is the last one of the season, but nobody knows. We presume the Mets will play Monday in Philadelphia and we hope the Nationals get to host the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, one day later than expected. I think dropping any Mets or Nationals you hoped to rely on a week ago (like J.D. Davis and Patrick Corbin) is wrong. It was one weekend! Any team (or teams) could be next! Have some patience. Then again, stay up on the news, as multiple Nationals might miss this entire week.
Fantasy Focus Baseball podcast
LISTEN: Already time to move on?
Eric Karabell and Tristan H. Cockcroft dive into what Shohei Ohtani's Sunday Night means (0:52), the lasting impact of Yermin Mercedes (6:25) and debate if a handful of standout players are worth your time (10:15). Has Tristan adjusted his ranks for some big performers (12:50)? They also have you covered on the latest bullpen chaos (18:40) and preview the next few days across the league (36:15).