Ah, Christin Stewart ... the sneer that launched a thousand ships.
No, wait. That's the other Kristen. The vampire one. But not Vampirina, no. Older, hungrier.
She's not relevant to this conversation except to draw the parallel to the our Stewart, the one that launches something else.
I'm talking baseballs ... over the fence ... more than once. Twice, in fact, on Thursday, putting him on the board for the first time as a major-leaguer and giving him 27 between the majors and minors this year.
But is that enough to make him worth using in the season's final week, considering he has just 11 games under his belt? Well, let's consider the other factors.
Stewart wasn't just a masher in the minors, though it's the power that primarily put him on the map as a prospect. He also drew his share of walks and, sure enough, already has six in 11 games with the big club. He has started every game since coming up Sept. 10, so clearly the Tigers are looking to test him. And with matchups against the Twins and Brewers this week, it's not crazy to think he could make an impact in Fantasy.
Of course, you'd rather have Luke Voit, who himself homered twice Wednesday and then followed it up with another blast Thursday. It doesn't look like a pace he can sustain, obviously, but this latest binge came just when you thought he was beginning to cool off, going homerless in nine straight. There's no shame in riding the hot hand this time of year.
Of course, if you're looking for a real difference-maker off the waiver wire for the final week, Adalberto Mondesi is clearly the way to go. He doesn't even have great matchups, but he has been the most aggressive base-stealer in the majors this year, closing in on 30 despite not having played even 70 games. As the saying goes, speed doesn't slump, and you know what? He might just pop a couple homers as well.
On the subject of speed not slumping, I submit Mallex Smith, who himself has mastered the art of the steal here in the second half. He doesn't offer any power, but he does have favorable matchups this week, unlike Mondesi, and is a safer source for batting average given how little he strikes out.
The Tigers don't presently have a fifth starter after losing Michael Fulmer to injury, and with an off day Monday, they could theoretically start Matthew Boyd on regular rest Tuesday, lining him up for two starts. Then again, why would you want to use him after he choked so badly against the Royals Thursday, lasting only 1 1/3 innings? Well, judging from the numbers, it wasn't enough to derail his impressive second half, which in addition to the base stats has also featured an improved swinging strike rate.
