Welcome to the 2022 Fantasy Baseball Week 15 Drop List.
Featured at the top this week is a trio of pitchers, Aroldis Chapman, Giovanny Gallegos, and Shane Baz. Following them are four infielders, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Patrick Wisdom, Jared Walsh, and Spencer Torkelson.
Chapman and Gallegos both started this season as the closer of their respective teams but have since lost out on this role. Baz and Chisholm Jr. make the drop list after being placed on the injured list. Wisdom has been one of the better power hitters in 2022 but is facing a steep decline in slugging percentage lately. Walsh had a breakout 2021 season but is having a hard time trying to replicate his numbers. Torkelson makes the list after the Detroit Tigers demoted him to Triple-A.
As always read the Performance Review at the bottom to keep track of the most previous drops.
2022 Fantasy Baseball Week 15 Drop List
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Aroldis Chapman, RP, New York Yankees
Chapman started the season as the Yankees' closer until they placed him on the injured list in late May. While he was absent from the team, Clay Holmes took over the job and has run away with it.
The Yankees activated Chapman on July 1st and he's made eight appearances since. In these appearances, he's recorded zero saves and zero holds. Meanwhile, Holmes recorded three saves while Michael King and Wandy Peralta combined for five holds. King, however, is set to miss the rest of the season after fracturing his elbow.
It appears that Chapman is starting to lose his role as a high-leverage reliever, and this will severely hurt his Fantasy Baseball value. He could be in line for hold opportunities but it's still unclear how many chances he may receive.
Giovanny Gallegos, RP, St. Louis Cardinals
Gallegos came into the season with a firm grasp on the closer role for the Cardinals, however, he has now lost the job to Ryan Helsley. Manager Oliver Marmol has said Gallegos will be moved to a lower-leverage role due to his recent struggles, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Losing save opportunities greatly reduces Gallegos's value in Fantasy Baseball. He will still get some chances for holds, but he's not the only option for the Cardinals. The left-hander Genesis Cabrera currently has the team lead with 10 holds while the righty Junior Fernandez recorded two holds during the week before the All-Star break.
Gallegos's role in the Cardinals bullpen is uncertain and Fantasy managers can drop the reliever0.
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Shane Baz, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays placed Baz on the 60-day injured list with an elbow sprain in his throwing arm Saturday, July 16th. Baz will first be eligible to return on September 9th, but he may end up missing the rest of the season. Even if he returned when he's first eligible, he will likely be on a pitch count to protect himself from possibly reinjuring the elbow.
Some Fantasy managers may think it's a good idea to stash Baz on the injured list in hopes he will return late in the season. However, the only leagues Baz should be stashed in are leagues with unlimited injured list spots. Otherwise, drop him and open up the space for someone else.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B, Miami Marlins
Jazz Chisolm has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back and is expected to be out until mid to late September, Craig Mish of SportsGrid and MLB Network reports.
This diagnosis and timeline mean Chisolm will likely be out until after the Fantasy Baseball season concludes, making him droppable in every league. Fantasy managers still roster the Marlins' second baseman in 93% of leagues.
Patrick Wisdom, 3B, Chicago Cubs
Wisdom has been an above-average slugger and run producer throughout the first half of the season, but that could be slowing down. Among qualified third basemen he ranks 12th in wRC+ (111), and eighth in slugging percentage (.457). Both of these statistics have fallen from the first two months compared to the previous two months. In April and May, he slugged .500 with a 122 wRC+. In June and July, he's slugged .384 with a 102 wRC+.
If Wisdom continues to slug at this lower rate, he will continue producing fewer runs. Wisdom also has the second-worst strikeout rate among all qualified batters, limiting his value all season. When you combine his dropping slugging percentage and lower run production with a high strikeout rate, Wisdom is droppable in Fantasy Baseball leagues.
Jared Walsh, 1B, Los Angeles Angels
Walsh ranks outside the top 12 first basemen in almost every offensive category, but Fantasy managers still roster him in 80% of leagues. The math doesn't add up here and Fantasy managers have been slow to respond. It's possible he still has a high roster percentage due to his breakout 2021 campaign where he slashed .277/.340/.509 and drove in 98 RBIs.
Since July 1st, Walsh has had an especially tough time at the plate. He has just seven hits and two walks in 50 plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Naylor, and Yandy Diaz have all been playing better than Walsh but they each have a roster percentage below 50%. It's time to move on and grab a first baseman that produces more than Walsh.
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers optioned Torkelson to Triple-A on Sunday, July 17th. This move comes after Torkelson slashed .197/.282/.296 in 298 plate appearances.
There's no reason to roster Torkelson in redraft leagues this season but keep a close eye on him. If he goes on a hot streak in the minors and the Tigers call him up again then Torkelson could be worth a spot in 14-team leagues.
Performance Review
Max Muncy, 3B/2B/DH, Los Angeles Dodgers
Since making the drop list two weeks ago, Muncy has just two hits, a home run, and a double. He also scored four runs and five RBI with five walks and one sac-fly.
Despite driving in five RBIs, Muncy did not do enough to make it off the drop list as he still ranks outside the top 15 in his positions.
Oneil Cruz, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
Cruz remains on the drop list after more below-average performances. He recorded eight base hits in 37 plate appearances while striking out 15 times. The big problem is his lack of contact, and he continues to strike out greater than 35% of the time.
These stats make it difficult to roster Cruz in 12-team Fantasy Baseball leagues.
A.J. Minter, RP, Atlanta Braves
Minter had an excellent week by recording two saves and one hold in three appearances. The lefty made the drop list last week due to the Braves activating Kenley Jansen from the injured list. Jansen has taken the role of Atlanta's closer back, but if there is a second Braves reliever to roster, it's Minter.
Will Smith, RP, Atlanta Braves
In just two appearances he allowed four earned runs and recorded five outs. Dropping Smith was a great move as he only hurt Fantasy lineups. He remains on the drop list.
Thank you for reading the 2022 Fantasy Baseball Week 15 Drop List.
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