Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Fantasy baseball, even in its short season, has already seen its fair share of surprises and disappointments. Miguel Cabrera is letting down fantasy owners everywhere, while Jose Abreu has been a superstar for someone who was drafted late. Another player that is surprising most fantasy owners is New York Mets outfielder Eric Young Jr.
Batting in the leadoff spot, Young is hitting with a .237 average and .361 on-base percentage. He has 14 hits in just 16 games. Young has been off to a hot start at the plate and on the base paths. With the power of David Wright and Lucas Duda, Young has scored 14 runs in the last 10 games. He also has swiped 10 bases, tied with Dee Gordon.
Young is a great pickup if you are looking for hits and stolen bases. His average is pedestrian, but it won’t hurt much. Young is not a power hitter; he has just seven home runs in 1,199 at bats. Stolen bases is a stat that is hard to come by. Billy Hamilton and George Springer are players who were either drafted or added because of their ability to steal bases. Young is one more player to add to that list.
Young is available in 44 percent of ESPN.com leagues. He is a great option in deep leagues and worth an add in standard leagues. If you could dump a struggling or injured player for a couple of months of success from Young, then do it in a heartbeat. Young can finish with an average between .240 and .250 while stealing 40 bases.
Bill Pivetz is a fantasy sports writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @BPiv_Sports.
