Chris Young - Fantasy News & Updates
Chris Young - Fantasy News & Updates
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His struggles this year have been well documented. He was in the midst of a major regression before turning around his season beginning on Sept. 5. In his final 25 games beginning on that day, the outfielder hit .299 with eight home runs and 18 runs to give owners a sense of hope that he can return to 30/30 status next season. The D-backs seem likely to give Young every chance to prove himself as his talent and their lack of alternative options in center field play to Young's benefit.
Those numbers are no great shakes, but they're by far the best monthly output for Young this season. After 419 overall at-bats, Young has 128 strikeouts and 87 hits, which is even more unsightly than his .208 average. Even if he never works out his strikeout issues, the 26-year-old Young could help fantasy owners as a low-end power-and-speed type -- imagine a fast Jack Cust. Young's potential is far greater than that, though, and fantasy owners can only hope he figures things out enough to harness his 30/30-grade talent in 2010.
Young continues to destroy nearly everything that enters his wheelhouse. He’s crushed six homers in the last seven games after totaling just seven in his first 110 contests of the year. He’s still batting only .203, but considering the way he’s stroking the ball these days, owners in all formats needing a power boost should scoop him up for the stretch run.
Young followed up his electric three-homer performance on Sunday with a blast to center field, only the second of his 11 jacks that came with at least one runner on base. Now that he's produced a multi-hit game on Sept. 5, the fantastic home run-filled effort on Sunday and another homer Monday, it'd be wise for mixed-league owners to add Young, who nailed 32 homers and stole 27 bags in 2007.
A career day in an otherwise forgettable season for Young, who notched his seventh career multi-homer game and first three-tater performance. Unfortunately, given his .198 average and 31 RBIs in 111 games, Sunday’s outburst has to be considered a fluke.
Questions about how well his Triple-A experience had served him surely had come to mind for Young's owners after a .095 batting average in the first six games following his promotion back to Arizona on Aug. 29. Young's multi-hit effort on Saturday isn't enough to say that he's on the track toward a hot September, but his future performances are worth tracking for mixed-leagues.
The biggest news is that Young is back in center field after batting .370 with five doubles and three home runs in 13 games for Reno. He'll be in center field every day, where the D-backs value his defense and hope for an offensive awakening that will lead him to produce as he did in 2007, when he hit 32 homers and stole 27 bags. Scherleth has a 7.56 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP, although he's shown a proclivity for K's with 11 in 8 1/3 frames. Oeltjen showed promise, but ultimately held just a .250 batting average with 12 strikeouts in 68 at-bats over 18 games. Finally, an MRI of Snyder's lower back revealed inflammation, so Miguel Montero's role as the starting catcher looks safe.
Young's season-long slump earned him a demotion to Reno last week, a move he's clearly benefitting from. "I think it's the reason why we found it necessary for him to go to Triple-A and find some success, and do it in an environment that's less critical, I guess, not with the pressure of the big leagues on top of his shoulders," Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch said. Rookies Gerardo Parra and Trent Oeltjen have been manning center in Young's absence.
The demotion is a stunning reversal for a player who in 2007 became the first rookie in ML history to collect at least 30 homers and 25 steals. Last season, he hit .278 after the All-Star break and finished with 22 homers and 85 RBIs. Young will likely return to the Diamondbacks in early September, but he's got a lot of straightening-out to do -- he struck out once every 3.3 at-bats with Arizona, and his previously potent pop had dwindled significantly, as his .194 average and .359 slugging percentage indicate. Taking his place in center field will be Gerardo Parra, with Trent Oeltjen playing left and Alex Romero in right. The 26-year-old Ryal, who batted .290 with 17 homers and 70 RBIs for Reno, will be used in a backup role.
Young, who hasn’t gone yard since June 13 -- a span of 30 games -- has maintained a shred of fantasy value because of his 11 steals. However, for a guy who averaged 27 dingers, 85 runs and 20 thefts over the last two years, his 2009 campaign has to be considered a pretty big letdown.
Owners abandoned Young long before he entered the All-Star break, and it would take a ridiculous stretch to claw his way out of the doghouse. Still, ugly numbers and all, don't be surprised if Young starts changing minds after the All-Star break. The numbers suggest bad luck has tainted the center fielder's production more than anything else. How else can you explain why Young is in the midst of his worst big league season, even while he's drawing more walks and lifting more fly balls than ever before? A rebound is coming -- it's just a question of the size and scope of it. Give Young a second chance now, and you could wind up with the second half's biggest rebounder.
He was given the day off to rest a sore groin, and sitting every few games is a scenario which can continue. It's promising that he continues to smack the ball with authority even as he battles an ongoing injury, but his value won't truly rise until he plays every day without any issues.
Young, who has been battling a sore groin for the better part of two weeks, is batting just .197 with six long balls and 18 RBIs. His 11 stolen bases are all that have kept him on rosters in mixed-leagues.
Young felt his groin muscle "grab" while legging out a triple Thursday night in Kansas City and was removed from the game. "He's feeling much better with strength and flexibility," D-backs manager A.J. Hinch said of Young prior to Friday's game. "We definitely avoided the scare." The D-backs, though, do not want to push their luck and will tread carefully with Young over the next few days. With Monday being an off-day for the club, it would not be a surprise to see him out of the starting lineup until Tuesday. Gerardo Parra should continue to spell Young in center.
Bad timing for Young, who led Arizona's 16-hit attack with a 4-for-4 night that included two doubles and a triple. Over his last seven games, Young has gone 10-for-23 with five doubles and raised his average from .177 to .204. "I've been feeling good at the plate and hopefully this won't be anything that keeps me out for too long and I can get back in there as soon as possible and try to continue what I've been working on," Young said. Stay tuned.
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