Fantasy Baseball: Is Jon Jay on His Way?

After his second straight three-hit game, St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Jon Jay is hitting .404. He is wedged in the Cardinals’ two-hole between Rafael Furcal and Matt Holliday.

Furcal is off to a solid start himself, hitting .310. And even though Holliday is struggling hitting .222, he still provides solid protection for Jay.

Jay is sporting a sweet .954 OPS, thanks to two early home runs. He hit 10 last year, or one every 45.5 at bats. This year he’s one every 26.0. He won’t mistake anyone for Mark McGwire or Albert Pujols, but the early power is nice for fantasy owners. At that rate, with 500-plus at bats, he could hit 20 HRs.

Jay is also running more than he has in the past.

He stole just six bases last year and two in 287 at bats as a rookie. This year, through 52 at bats, he has already swiped three bags. He could easily hit the 20-mark for stolen bases as well if he continues his pace.

Jay’s average should not come as a surprise. He hit .300 as a rookie and .297 last year. While I don’t think a batting title is in order, he should continue to hit at a healthy clip.

He’ll likely produce a mediocre run and RBI production. He has scored seven runs and drove in another eight. Going by that ratio, and assuming he can get to 500 at bats, he would score 67 and drive in 77 more. Again, that's nothing to write home about, but with a nice average and solid numbers in the other four categories, Jay does have some fantasy value.

He is currently owned in less than a third of ESPN and Yahoo! leagues. If you need outfield help, he’s not a bad option.

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