For now, Bart is seeing changeups much less often this season, and that's good because he's never fared well against the pitch. Bart's work behind the plate was questionable when he was in high school, but he's made amazing progression since then to the point that if he landed a full-time gig, he could compete for some defensive hardware.
The post The Wire Troll: Joey Bart Bolts up Bucs Depth Chart first appeared on RotoRob.Welcome back to another week of Fantasy baseball. We’re into May, meaning it’s still early, but by month’s end you’ll need to face reality about contending or not.
This week, Mike Yastrzemski once again homered in Fenway Park; The Ranger rotation took another hit as Nathan Eovaldi (groin) needs an MRI; and Atlanta keeps rolling in pursuit of a third straight 100-win season.
So while you decide who to wager on for Friday’s big Atlanta-Los Angeles showdown at FanDuel, let’s get to this week’s…
Joey Bart, C, Pittsburgh Pirates (ESPN: 1 per cent; CBS: 5 per cent): It’s easy to forget that not long ago Bart was a highly-touted up-and-comer — he graduated from our Top 100 Prospects list in 2023. Sure, he might have flamed out in San Francisco pretty quickly, but has landed on his feet in Pittsburgh, recently ascending — at least temporarily — to the top of the depth chart thanks to Henry Davis‘ colossal struggles. Bart has been playing more and more lately, and while he’s not exactly tearing it up, he has been drawing walks (career best .359 OBP) and he has some pop (see video below). Yasmani Grandal‘s return will affect Bart’s PT, but just how much Grandal has left in the tank remains an open question. For now, Bart is seeing changeups much less often this season, and that’s good because he’s never fared well against the pitch. Bart’s work behind the plate was questionable when he was in high school, but he’s made amazing progression since then to the point that if he landed a full-time gig, he could compete for some defensive hardware.
Josh Smith, SS/3B/OF, Texas Rangers (ESPN: 16.9 per cent; CBS: 37 per cent): At the beginning of last season, we suggested Smith as a Fantasy option because he was getting a chance to start while Corey Seager was out, and the pick offered mixed results as Smith struggled to make contact in March and April then hit much better in May before his PT evaporated over the next few months. Well, with Josh Jung out, Smith is again playing every day and this time delivering, with nine hits and three walks in his last six starts. His walk rate has bounced back this year and he’s taken advantage of the fact that he’s seeing lower velocity splitters, providing positive value against the pitch for the first time in his career.
Dalton Rushing, C, Los Angeles Dodgers (ESPN: 0.1 per cent; CBS: 5 per cent): Rushing is off to a great start, justifying his No. 56 position in our Top 100 Prospects this spring. He’s easily a top 50 prospect now given back-to-back multi-hit games in May to build on a big first month in which he posted a hit per game while recording a 950 OPS. Rushing has made a seamless adjustment to Double-A, piling up the runs and RBI while positioning himself as one of the top catching prospects in the game, even if he hasn’t been quite as patient at the plate this year (still, a more aggressive approach is clearly working for him).
Matt Carpenter, DH, St. Louis Cardinals (ESPN: 0.1 per cent; CBS: unowned): Does Carpenter have anything left to offer? Well, just two years ago he earned consideration for our Wire Troll All-Star Team, and while his power went AWOL last year, he was off to a good start (.300 BA) before hurting his oblique this season. Carpenter is currently on a rehab assignment at Double-A, so should be back soon, and given his improved work against most pitch types (except sliders and changeups) early on, he could provide some deep NL-only value upon his return.
Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, Sir Elton Hercules John CH, CBE, is better known the world as Elton John. In 1973, he released his seventh album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and the third single from this effort was “Bennie and the Jets,” No. 371 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the top 500 songs of all-time.
The post The Wire Troll: Joey Bart Bolts up Bucs Depth Chart first appeared on RotoRob.