Hard to believe, but baseball is entering its fourth week of the schedule. Fantasy managers can look at their rosters and make some conclusions on the players they have. Perhaps you have read my previous articles on picking up and dropping players. However, there is a third category: players that need a little patience before making decisions. Never fear, as this fantasy baseball player holds edition is here to help.

These struggling players just need a little patience before they get cast to the waiver purgatory. As always, let me remind everyone that all ownership percentages come from ESPN. Additionally, as always, debate and discussion are encouraged. Let’s get right to it, shall we?

Jose Miranda, 1B/3B/DH, Minnesota Twins, 59.3% Owned

Before the 2023 season began, much was expected from Jose Miranda by the Twins organization and fantasy managers alike. Defending American League batting champion Luis Arraez was traded to Miami, ensuring that Miranda would have a full-time job. The arrow was certainly pointing up for Miranda after his rookie season in 2022 in which he hit .268-15-66 with a .325/.426/.751 slash line in 125 games.

Unfortunately, the start to Miranda’s second season hasn’t been as smooth as many predicted. As the weekend begins, he is hitting a depressing .213 and hasn’t homered yet in 2023. Even more alarming, Miranda has just eight RBIs and five runs scored. His season looked to be turning around on April 15, as he exited the day with a hit in five of six games, including consecutive games with two hits.

The magic quickly ran out, though, as Miranda had just one hit in his next 12 at-bats. The news isn’t all bad, however. Miranda has had agonizingly bad luck so far in 2023. His BAbip in 2022 was .308. This year? It’s .254. That figures to balance out as the season moves forward. Additionally, Miranda has lowered his SO% and raised his BB% from a year ago.

Minnesota has a quality team around Miranda, and he will have plenty of chances for run production this year. The team will be patient with him and so should those that have him on their roster. His numbers indicate that he will get things on track and the manager that shows patience with him will be rewarded with a multi-positional player with loads of fantasy value.

Gunnar Henderson, 3B, Baltimore Orioles, 69.3% Owned

A young player that began the season with much fanfare, Gunnar Henderson got off to a very rocky start. That was especially true in the strikeout department, as he struck out at least once in 12 straight games to start the year. In fact, he struck out two or more times in six of those games. Further, he had a hit in just two of his first seven games.

Even more depressing, as I sit at the computer, Henderson has just a single homer and three RBIs. Even worse, he is hitting a disastrous .176. Simply stated, that is not the way fantasy managers believed he would play when he was drafted in the middle rounds. A question is probably building in a lot of minds: why the hold recommendation?

Answer: Henderson has demonstrated the ability to touch the plate, as Tuesday ended his streak of consecutive games with a run scored at six. Currently, he is third on the team with 12 runs. Over his last seven games, even while only hitting .235, Henderson has 13 fantasy points. He also has a patient eye at the plate, as his BB% has nearly doubled from last season (12.1-22.4). In addition, his BAbip is currently more than 30 points lower right now than last season: (.296-.333).

Lastly, Henderson has shown he can hit the ball and there is no question his team can swing the bat. Before being called up to the majors, he hit .297-19-76. Even more eye opening were his 22 steals in 25 attempts. The Orioles rank second in the American League in OBP, slugging, OPS, and sixth in batting. Henderson will be an offensive force this year. April is far too soon to be considering dropping him.

Chris Sale, SP, Boston Red Sox, 69.6% Owned

Coming off his last start, being patient with Chris Sale certainly looks like a wise move. Pitching against Minnesota on Tuesday, Sale allowed just a single run in six innings while striking out 11 and walking two. That result was a far cry from his first three starts in which he allowed 15 earned runs in 12 innings.

Sale couldn’t possibly have gotten off to a worse start to the season. Against the Orioles on April first, Sale was tagged for seven runs on seven hits in just three innings. Worse, Baltimore hitters smashed three home runs off of him. That disturbing trend continued, as he allowed a long ball in his first three starts of the season.

Sale pitched much better against Detroit, but Tampa lit him up for five runs on seven hits in four innings. Without question, many a manager was ready to cut the cord after that start. Those that resisted the urge were rewarded as Sale dominated a first-place Twins team Tuesday.

Most encouragingly, Sale recorded his first ten plus strikeout game since August 13, 2019. Next week, Sale has a rematch with the Orioles. It looks like he will take the mound twice in week four. Without doubt, Sale is the poster boy for managers having patience on this fantasy baseball player holds edition.

Eloy Jimenez, OF/DH, Chicago White Sox, 75.4% Owned

Undoubtedly, those that held on to Eloy Jimenez while he was injured had to be questioning that decision when he resurfaced. After all, Jimenez looked extremely rusty when he returned to the White Sox lineup April 14. In his first three games back, Jimenez went 1-12, with an RBI and a run scored. Further, he struck out six times, four times in one game against the Orioles. Entering the weekend, his stats look like a certified disaster area: .190-0-4, while scoring just four times.

However, it may not be long before Jimenez gets going. He departed Philadelphia with a hit in each game and he didn’t fan in the last two contests. Like many of the others on this fantasy baseball player holds list, Jimenez has been extremely unlucky. His BAbip has really taken a hit as it has gone from .337 to .286. He has maintained his BB% (8.6-8.7).

For sure, keep an eye on his strikeouts, as that has really increased (22% to 30.4%). His career SO% is 25%, but that percentage had fallen for three straight seasons before this one. Expect that to smooth out as the year progresses.

He and the White Sox have an even tougher assignment ahead as they visit the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays. Even so, Jimenez will look comfortable at the plate coming out of that series. Further, he will look like the player we all know he is capable of being. He will cut down the Ks. For being patient, a manager will be rewarded with an All-Star outfielder on the roster.

MJ Melendez, C/OF/DH, Kansas City Royals, 71.8% Owned

Entering 2023, fantasy managers had every reason to be excited about the prospects of MJ Melendez. In his first major league season, Melendez hit 18 homers with 62 RBIs in 129 games. Here is a player eligible at catcher that would be in the lineup nearly every day, as he was slated to be one of Kansas City’s starting outfielders. Many managers, including this one, like to carry just one catcher on a fantasy roster. Having Melendez accomplishes that goal.

However, there is a significant issue with that plan right now. Simple truth: Melendez can’t seem to see the baseball at the plate. Entering weekend’s play, Melendez has 25 strikeouts in only 64 at-bats. That translates to a nightmarish 33.8 SO%. Even more bleak: Melendez is hitting just .156-1-7. Of course, much more was expected from him in 2023.

As with all of the other players listed here, there is light shining in the darkness. His SO% last season was a much better 24.5%. In 2021, Melendez struck out 115 times in 531 plate appearances. He has demonstrated the ability to put bat to ball. His BB% is just about the same as last season (12.4-12.2). When he does hit the ball, he is delivering top ranked hard-hit and barrel rates.

As noted, he is in the lineup every day, as he is tied for second in plate appearances among catcher eligible players. At this point, managers need to keep the faith in Melendez, and he will deliver the stats that made him one of the most anticipated players this season.

George Springer, OF/DH, Toronto Blue Jays, 98.5% Owned

When looking over the player stat lines to begin the season, it is unlikely that anyone will be as streaky as George Springer. There are few, if any, players entering this weekend’s play that are colder at the plate than he is. In his last 17 at-bats, Springer doesn’t have a single base hit. He has also struck out three times in his last two games.

However, just before that frozen spell, Springer put together a hit streak of eight straight games. Even more encouraging were his three homers, five RBIs and six runs scored. Continuing the theme of this article, Springer’s BAbip is drastically down from 2022: .285-.224. That will stabilize as the weather warms up, even in Toronto.

Of all the players listed on this fantasy baseball player holds edition, Springer by far has the longest track record. Managers need not be concerned with the fact that he only has three homers through 19 games. After all, this is a player that entered 2023 with at least 22 homers in six straight full seasons. Like the others, Springer has been vastly unlucky to this point. His .224 BAbip is far below his career average of .300.

Unlike many other major league hitters, he doesn’t have a strike out problem, as his SO% is currently only 19.1%. Perhaps the competition will bring out the best in Springer and the Jays this weekend, as they begin a series with their A.L. East rival Yankees. As patience is the key word here, managers are recommended to exercise some of that with Springer. He will be delivering sooner rather than later and will be a delight on any fantasy roster.

The Final Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy baseball player holds edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Let’s discuss! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news! The Sports Stove Fantasy Baseball Show will have a live fantasy draft this coming Sunday night at 8 eastern. Make sure to tune in!