#Jared Walsh could be your unexpected fantasy baseball savior

If there is one thing we’ve learned in 2020, it is that we should expect the unexpected.

We never expected our living rooms would double as our offices, yet here we are. We never expected a 19-ounce can of Lysol disinfectant spray to cost $15, yet here we are. We never expected to get sick of searching for shows to watch on Netflix, yet here we are.

It is the same with fantasy baseball. Did you expect to see Christian Yelich’s name accompanied by a batting average below .210? Did you expect to see Max Scherzer’s ERA above 4.00 after 10 starts?

It is a weird year, but the goal of winning a fantasy title remains the same. That means you have to look to unexpected places to fortify your roster during the final week to make that happen.

In 31 big league games last year, Angels first baseman Jared Walsh hit an uninspiring .203 with one homer, five RBIs, six runs and a .605 OPS. That dreary performance continued this season while playing sparingly in July and August, going hitless in his first 13 at-bats while striking out twice.

When the calendar switched to September, however, something suddenly clicked.

Over his first 13 games this month, Walsh raised his average from .000 to .328 while going 20-for-48 (.417) with seven homers, 18 RBIs, 15 runs and a 1.405 OPS. He entered Friday with a nine-game hit streak, and also had at least one RBI in each of those games while hitting .459.

More positives: Walsh’s swing-and-miss rate went from 14.2 percent last year to 10.3 percent this year. Among players with a minimum of 60 plate appearances, his 1.114 OPS ranked second to Juan Soto, and his .770 slugging percentage and .443 ISO (isolated power) were the best in the majors. He also had the 27th lowest strikeout percentage (13.4 percent).

Outside of his strikeout percentage, these type of numbers are nothing new to Walsh, who is available in 60 percent or more of ESPN and Yahoo leagues. Over 1,715 at-bats across five seasons in the minors, he hit .301 with 85 home runs, 311 RBIs and a .913 OPS. That includes hitting .325 with 36 homers, 86 RBIs and a 1.109 OPS in Triple-A last year.

Walsh offers nothing in terms of speed, as he stole just five bases in the minors after stealing none at the University of Georgia over three seasons. He also (normally) strikes out a lot. Despite the low percentage in his first 23 games this year, he struck out in 40.2 percent of his big league at-bats last year and consistently hovered in the 25-30 percent range in the minors.

But, at this point in the season, his lack of speed and his propensity for striking out are insignificant. Chances are Walsh’s red-hot bat can fill a need for your lineup, especially with continued underwhelming performances from normal key players like Cody Bellinger, Pete Alonso, Max Muncy, Javier Baez and Jose Altuve.

This is one of the rare occasions when something good can happen in 2020. Now is not the time to worry about the small sample size of Walsh’s success, whether this hot streak is sustainable or if he could be a valuable piece in 2021. With a week left between you and a possible fantasy title (albeit one likely to come with an asterisk), you have to focus on players who can help get you across the finish line.

You may not have expected you’d be needing to pick up a red-hot player you may not have heard of before now to help you win a fantasy title, yet here we are. It’s 2020, man. Expect the unexpected.

Here’s a look at some other hot hitters, all owned in 50 percent or less of ESPN and Yahoo leagues, to consider picking up for the final week of the season:

San Diego’s Jurickson Profar, who is available in 75 percent or more of leagues, is hitting a respectable .270 this season with seven homers, 24 RBIs, five stolen bases and a .777 OPS. In his previous 11 games before Friday night, however, the versatile 27-year-old hit .429 with a homer, seven RBIs, seven runs scored, two stolen bases and a 1.074 OPS.

Phillies rookie Alec Bohm has struck out in 28.6 percent of his at-bats while walking just three times in his first 19 games this month, but he still hit .347 with three homers, 13 RBIs, 11 runs and a .932 OPS.

On Aug. 10, the Dodgers’ Chris Taylor’s batting average sat at an ugly .229. Over his next 31 games, despite striking out 36 times, the versatile veteran raised his average to .274 after going 32-for-109 (.294) with five homers, 17 RBIs, 23 runs and an .888 OPS. He also stole two bases in that span.

Kansas City’s Maikel Franco is a career .251 hitter, but entered Friday hitting .275 with seven homers and 31 RBIs. In 38 games from Aug. 5 through Wednesday, he was 41-for-141 (.291) with five homers, 23 RBIs, 17 runs, 13 walks, one stolen base and an .824 OPS.

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BIG HITS

Kwang-Hyun Kim SP, Cardinals

Since joining the rotation, he has allowed one earned run over 27 ²/₃ innings (0.33 ERA) and limited opponents to a .156 average.

Tommy La Stella 1B/2B/3B, A’s

Entered Friday hitting .311 with one homer, seven RBIs, 13 runs, seven walks, only one strikeout and a .812 OPS over his first 16 games this month.

Masahiro Tanaka SP, Yankees

Has won three of his past five starts, going 3-1 with a 2.54 ERA, 26-2 strikeout-walk rate and a .214 opponent average.

Luis Castillo SP, Reds

After going 0-5 with a 4.60 ERA in six starts from July 31-Aug. 30, he is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA, 24 strikeouts and a .160 opponent average over his past three.

Big Whiffs

German Marquez SP, Rockies

No wins since Aug. 4, and has gone 0-5 with a 5.26 ERA and .289 opponent average in his past eight starts. He allowed 33 runs (29 earned), five homers and 18 walks in that span.

Jon Lester SP, Cubs

After his last win on Aug. 11, he is 0-2 with a 6.82 ERA and .320 opponent average in his past seven starts. He allowed nine homers in that span, too.

Kyle Seager 3B, Mariners

The 32-year-old has just two hits in his past nine games (29 at-bats) with no homers, three RBIs, six strikeouts and a .369 OPS in that span.

Jordan Lyles SP/RP, Rangers

After collecting a win on Aug. 7, he is 0-4 with an 7.51 ERA over his next seven appearances (five starts). He allowed 33 runs (32 earned), nine home runs and a .280 opponent average in that span.

Check Swings

— Luke Voit is a making a real good case to be the AL MVP. Not only did he enter Friday night leading the majors in homers (20), but he ranked second in RBIs (46) and fourth in slugging percentage (.659). He had six homers in his past six games and seven in his previous 10. He is looking to become the eighth Yankee (would be the 18th time) to lead the majors in home runs (outright or tied), and first since Alex Rodriguez in 2007. He also is just the third Yankee (fifth time) to record at least 20 homers through the Yankees’ first 50 games of a season, joining Babe Ruth (1926, ’28, ’30) and Mickey Mantle (1956).

— Speaking of home runs, Kyle Schwarber hasn’t hit one since Sept. 1. In fact, he entered Friday night with just four hits in his previous 41 at-bats (.098). He had no RBIs, 15 strikeouts and a .372 OPS in those 14 games since his last big fly.

Team Name of the Week

Robles Miserables