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Fantasy Baseball: Five Hottest August Hitters in AL Central
Aug 18, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler hits a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Believe it or not, August comes to a close on Monday. That means baseball is just a few days away from the rosters expanding and those yellow buses will be bringing kids back to school.
It also means MCB can take a look at the hottest hitters in the AL Central through the entire month.
The Kansas City Royals are running away with the division with the best record in the American League, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other teams with fantasy potential down the stretch. Actually, not a single Royals hitter is on our list.
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Here are the top five hottest hitters during the month of August in the American League Central:
Aug 26, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) hits a two run home run in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Miguel Cabrera, Detroit
Surprise, surprise. Cabrera comes off the disabled list, and he begins hitting like he never left.
Cabrera didn’t play the full month, but MCB believes he has enough at-bats to qualify for the monthly praise. He is batting .489 with two home runs, 11 RBI and 12 runs in 47 at-bats since his return from the calf strain.
That means for the season, the Tigers first baseman is hitting .367 with a 1.075 OPS, 17 homers, 65 RBI and 55 runs in 327 at-bats. He already has more walks this season (62) than last year in a lot fewer plate appearances.
Cabrera doesn’t have enough plate appearances in 2015 to qualify for the batting title, but if he continues to play every day, he will by the end of the season. The two-time MVP is going for his fourth batting title of his career.
Aug 25, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians left fielder Michael Brantley (23) watches his two-run home run in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Brantley, Cleveland
Brantley isn’t hitting nearly .500 like Cabrera, but fantasy owners will take his .407/.462/.617 slash line in 81 at-bats this month. He also has three home runs, 16 RBI and 14 runs scored.
The hot month has pulled the left fielder into the batting title conversation with a .320 average. As of Aug. 28, Brantley is five points behind teammate Jason Kipnis for the batting title crown although Cabrera will take over with his .367 average once he has enough at-bats.
Brantley also has 11 home runs, 72 RBI, 55 runs and a .875 OPS in 438 at-bats during the 2015 season.
Aug 21, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler (3) hits a single in the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Ian Kinsler, Detroit
Somehow the Tigers keep losing despite having some of the hottest players in the division. Kinsler hit the low point of his season with a .258 average and awful .673 OPS on July 1, but since then, the second baseman has slowly worked his numbers back to normalcy.
Behind a .366 July and then a .385 August, Kinsler is batting .305 this season with eight home runs, 82 runs, 59 RBI, eight stolen bases and a .800 OPS.
Here are Kinsler’s full August numbers: .385/.414/.626, three homers, 21 runs and 13 RBI.
Aug 26, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) hits an infield single in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Francisco Lindor, Cleveland
Apparently hot fantasy baseball hitters doesn’t always translate into victories on the field. The Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers have four of the five names on this list despite playing .500 ball or below in August.
In his first season in the big leagues, Lindor started slowly hitting just through his first 74 at-bats, but he has turned it on since early July.
During August, Lindor is hitting .387 with two home runs, 15 runs, 11 RBI and a .945 OPS. The shortstop has 11 multi-hit games in the month. Surprisingly, Lindor is still available in 60 percent of ESPN leagues, so if owners still need help at shortstop, check to see if the Indians rookie is available.
Aug 27, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Minnesota Twins designated hitter Miguel Sano (22) singles during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Miguel Sano, Minnesota
Finally a guy not on the Tigers or Indians. Sano doesn’t have the great average this month like the other players on this list, but he has showcased a lot more power.
He fifth in the American League in August with eight home runs. He also had 23 RBI and 16 runs while hitting .274 in just 88 at-bats. The rookie is slashing .289/.394/.584 with 12 home runs, 38 RBI and 28 runs in 166 at-bats this season.
With the power surge, Sano is joining Lindor in AL Rookie of the Year talks.