| Story Views | |
| Now: | |
| Last Hour: | |
| Last 24 Hours: | |
| Total: | |
Deep League Sleeper: Does The Rockies’ Stephen Cardullo Deserve The 1B Job?
by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)
With the injury to Ian Desmond the assumption has been that Mark Reynolds will get the first opportunity to fill the void. Could Stephen Cardullo force the team’s hand? After spending four years playing Independent Ball he joined the Colorado organization last season thriving at Triple-A (.308 with 17 HR over 452 PA) before getting a taste of the Majors (where he struggled).
Despite that he hasn’t been garnering much attention this spring, though he’s doing his best to get people to take a look. Through Sunday he’s posted the following line:
.351 (13-37), 3 HR, 13 RBI, 8 R, 0 SB
He’s been making consistent contact and showing a good eye at the plate, with 8 K vs. 5 BB. That’s consistent with what he did at Triple-A last season, where he posted a 12.8% strikeout rate and an 8.2% walk rate. Of course that didn’t necessarily translate to the Majors (12.8% SwStr%, 42.9% O-Swing%), but that was in far too small of a sample size to draw conclusions from. He also added 26 doubles and 5 triples while playing at Triple-A (and added six extra base hits in his brief time in the Majors), helping to support the power mark.
Cardullo is garnering the attention of his manager, as Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post recently published this quote (click here for the full article):
“You can’t say enough about how he’s hitting,” manager Bud Black said. “He’s squaring balls up against all types of pitchers and he’s playing with a great deal of intent to try and make this ballclub.
“When you are having the at-bats he’s having … they way he’s taking pitches, it’s impressive. The collective at-bats are very, very good.”
Obviously there isn’t much of a long-term outlook, unless the Rockies are forced to play Desmond in the outfield (or shortstop). However, those in the deepest of formats who need to bridge a few weeks early in the season will want to keep tabs on the situation. It’s possible we catch lightning in a bottle and he provides some value, while he can be acquired for nothing off the waiver wire.
Sources – Fangraphs, MLB.com, Denver Post
*** Order Rotoprofessor’s 2017 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide for Just $7.00 By Clicking Here!! Not only will you get all the help you need to dominate your fantasy draft, but you will also be entered to win a Noah Syndergaard autographed baseball, complete with “Thor” inscription! ***
Make sure to check out our 2017 Rankings:
|
Position
|
Standard League
|
OBP League
|
|---|---|---|
| Catcher | 01/09/17 | 02/28/17 |
| First Base | 01/16/17 | 03/07/17 |
| Second Base | 01/23/17 | 03/09/17 |
| Third Base | 02/06/17 | 03/12/17 |
| Shortstop | 02/13/17 | 03/15/17 |
| Outfield | #1-20 |03/16/17
#21-40 |03/16/17 |
03/19/17 |
| Starting Pitcher | #1-20 |02/27/17
#21-40 |03/02/17 |
– |
| Relief Pitcher | 01/02/17 | – |
Source: http://rotoprofessor.com/baseball/?p=32329
