Its no secret that lots of former fantasy baseball stars are slumping hard this season. Look at little further and a wild conspiracy reveals itself.
Prepare for the intense sports debate that only sibling rivalry can conjure. Seesaw Sports, where Dan Salem and Todd Salem throw down on the NFL, MLB, NBA and more. Only on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate sports.
MLB teams are veering toward the midpoint of the 162-game slate in 2024. That means fantasy baseball is already past its midpoint of the regular season. Boy, has this been a weird year. Offense is down across the sport. That isn’t all that surprising, as offense normally heats up as the weather does. But some of the names who have contributed to the dearth are wild to hear.
First, let’s throw out the injuries. Injured guys can’t contribute. Ronald Acuna would have made this discussion before his injury, since he was playing rather poorly and hitting for no power, but now he’s out for the season. Also out for a considerable length are superstars Kyle Tucker, Trea Turner, Mookie Betts (as of yesterday’s news), Spencer Strider, Gerrit Cole, Blake Snell, Zac Gallen, among others. Injuries happen. Some of these guys will be back sooner than others, hopefully to continue to perform at All-Star levels.
More BuzzChomp: Fallout Episode 1 is Complete Immersion
What about the All-Stars, though, who have played the entire season and have been straight crap?
Julio Rodriguez has a .680 OPS
Corbin Carroll has a .612 OPS and two home runs
Matt Olson needed a scalding start to June to get up to his currently pedestrian stat line
Austin Riley is hitting .237/.307/.388
Ozzie Albies, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Randy Arozarena, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado maybe aren’t even good enough anymore to be disappointing superstars. The list goes on from there.
Fantasy Baseball Conspiracy Revealed
Todd Salem: Awful Is Contagious
These players were all the best of the best entering the fantasy season who have been anywhere from sucky to crippling for fantasy lineups. So, what gives?
Maybe Olson is proving it’s all just small sample size. That feels pretty convenient, though, especially since we’re already fast approaching game 81. A number of experts point to the league changing the baseball again, limiting flight and carry of batted balls. That would explain why league numbers are down, but it doesn’t explain why former superstars are suddenly worse than most of their peers.
More BuzzChomp: Which Running Back Is King In His New Home?
I suppose the most logical explanation is also the most boring. Each player has their own circumstances that are factoring into their slow starts, and if those circumstances change for the positive, they will finish the season strong.
Rodriguez is a young hitter who pitchers have adjusted to, and he must adjust back to find success again. Carroll has a lingering shoulder issue (and now new side issue) that has sapped his power and swing speed. Riley has been a part of the entire Atlanta roster struggling to generate offense. With Acuna gone and sky-high expectations weighing down Riley and Olson to carry the club, there is an excuse somewhere.
Also on BuzzChomp: Apples Never Fall Concludes With A Whimper
We know simple, specific, and non-buzzy explanations are likely the cause. But do you have a beeline into some hidden, perhaps nefarious, alternative? Like maybe the league is boosting baseballs given to Yankees’ opponents so Juan Soto finds success and an MVP trophy and re-signs in the league’s biggest market. Anything like that?
Dan Salem: Things Only Get Worse
So it’s a conspiracy theory you want? A fantasy baseball conspiracy that ultimately means the Yankees win, as long as they defeat the Dodgers. Shenanigans! Truth is often stranger than fiction and in this case it certainly is.
Fantasy baseball is hard for a number of reasons, but this new one takes the cake. With perhaps only five or so exceptions, great baseball players are not dominant for very long and that dominance spans one to three years in most cases. Sometimes their dominance lasts for one month, sometimes half a season. The reverse is also true. These star players who are slumping may be having a bad stretch and will rebound in the second half. They may be having a bad season and will rebound next year, or they may no longer be star players.
Also on BuzzChomp: Resident Alien In Crisis Mode After Season 3
I personally have found it near impossible to keep up with who’s good in fantasy baseball, mainly because the prior season is not a good indicator half the time. Many of last season’s stars, as you noted, are downright bad this year. Half the season is banked so we definitely know who is currently good and who is not. Yet we can’t say for certain who will be good in the second half, outside of a handful of players who have that rare track record of success beyond one to three years.
Spinning things back to a real conspiracy, if you truly think about sports betting and look closely at fantasy baseball, you’ll see how this trend plays precisely into the hands of those running the gambling rings. I do well at fantasy football, be it daily fantasy or pick six or sports book betting on player performance. Baseball is another story entirely and guess what, it’s the only game in town for the next two months. People who can’t help but gamble will lose lots of money trying to win at baseball. Anything can happen in any one game and with our “star” players performing like bench warmers, guess who wins? The sports books, they always win. Conspiracy unlocked.
Meet our Writers:
Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.
Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.
Fantasy Baseball Photo Credits: espn.com and lookoutlanding.com via Getty Images
BuzzChomp is an affiliate for products and services recommended herein. Please read our Full Disclaimer for further information on affiliate programs and opportunities.
Recommended for you
You're Awesome! Subscribe and Comment Below
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
