Pickups of the Day: Cole World
Kershaw could be a sneaky NL Cy Young longshot bet
Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick make the case for Los Angeles Dodgers SP Clayton Kershaw as a worthy longshot pick to win the 2023 NL Cy Young Award on Bet the Edge.
Rotoworld's brand-new Pickups of the Day column is designed to help fantasy managers uncover a handful of widely-available targets over the course of the season. It could be a breakout candidate, a prospect stash, an injury replacement, a pitcher with a favorable matchup or week, a player who is due some better luck, or any other number of scenarios. If there's value to be found on the waiver wire, we will find it and bring it your way. Today's edition features the emergence of a potential front-line starter in Kansas City and the impending arrival of an intriguing power/speed combo outfield prospect in Oakland.
Cole Ragans, SP/RP, Royals
Available in 76 percent of Yahoo leagues
Ragans has rapidly evolved into an impact fantasy contributor following a midseason trade to the Royals, recording a microscopic 1.02 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 22/4 K/BB ratio across 17 2/3 innings (three starts) in the majors since July 15. It’s an extremely small sample size, but there are reasons to believe he’ll sustain his newfound success, thanks to several noticeable changes to his repertoire since landing in Kansas City. The most noticeable tweak fueling his recent performance appears to be the addition of a mid-to-upper 80’s slider, which has provided him with another weapon to neutralize right-handed batters. It’s ostensibly a bullet slider, which is extremely difficult to pick up for an opposing batter, especially since he also utilizes a cutter in his arsenal.
“He has got big stuff,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro told The Kansas City Star earlier this week. “He is a guy that will be able to get through a lineup three or maybe four times. He has four pitches and can throw them all in the zone. He can get a swing and miss on all of them.”
The 25-year-old southpaw, who recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings on Monday against the Red Sox, is undoubtedly due for some regression from a run prevention standpoint. However, the prominent changes to his arsenal, in addition to a slight uptick in fastball velocity this season, have him poised for sustained success moving forward. He’ll aim to keep the momentum going on Saturday when he squares off against the Cardinals in Kansas City. Simply put, Ragans should be rostered in all fantasy formats until further notice.
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Lawrence Butler, OF, Athletics
Available in 96 percent of Yahoo leagues
According to MLB.com’s Martín Gallegos, Butler is poised to make his highly-anticipated major league debut during Friday's series opener against the Nationals following a meteoric rise through Oakland's minor league system. The 23-year-old slugging outfielder, who appeared in last month's All-Star Futures Game, recorded a stellar .284/.350/.475 triple-slash line with 15 homers and 21 stolen bases across 412 plate appearances this season between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas.
With just 89 games above High-A on his professional resume, there's a possibility he'll face an extended adjustment period as he acclimates to life in the big leagues, but he possesses enough raw power/speed combo potential to make an impact for fantasy managers. With the rebuilding Athletics fully pivoting to the future, Butler appears likely to carve out an everyday role moving forward, especially since there is very little competition for at-bats following the departure of veteran Ramón Laureano. Given his immense raw talent, Butler is worthy of a speculative roster spot in all fantasy formats, especially deeper mixed leagues and AL-only formats.
