Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
I seriously hope you attempted to buy low on this guy…
There is no doubt that Jay Bruce is one of the more streaky players in fantasy baseball. He’s already provided fantasy owners with plenty of examples. Bruce started the season ice cold, batting just .252 with one homer and 11 RBI in April. However, between May and June combined, Bruce already has 17 home runs and 43 RBI. As a Bruce owner myself, it has been incredibly fun watching him put up monster numbers for my lineup. In fact, throughout Week 12, Bruce has belted six home runs, seven RBI and has scored six runs. Imagine the type of production he’d have if seven out of his last eight long balls weren’t just solo shots. Still, it’s been an incredible month for Bruce, as he continues to prove why he is a 30-plus home run threat each and every year.
I love looking at plate discipline, and thanks to FanGraphs, that’s exactly what I often find myself doing. Bruce is currently swinging at less pitches, taking 59.8 % of first pitches for strikes. This number is the highest since all the way back in 2008, showing that he is becoming a more patient hitter. And from the looks of it this season, Bruce is also becoming a more dynamic batter. Over the past three seasons, Bruce has been dreadful against left handed pitching, batting just .247 with 34 home runs. This year, however, he already has a whopping 17 home runs off lefties. And that’s just over the first few months of the season! It makes sense that he is beginning to take off like this. I mean, the guy is only 26-years old and is on the verge of entering the prime of his career. This is a guy who has the pop, skill and potential to lead all of baseball in the home run department for years.
Enjoy this power surge while it lasts. There’s nothing more exciting than looking at your league matchup and seeing a guy like Bruce continuing home run after home run. But remember, he is incredibly streaky and will surely go through his fair share of cold spells. But at the end of the day, the good will outweigh the bad and Bruce will finish as a top tier fantasy outfielder.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
