Fantasy Baseball 2015: Players Who Will Surprise You as the Season Winds Down

The race for October is heating up around MLB, and some players are poised to make a huge impact as the season comes to a close.

One fascinating component of fantasy baseball is surprise players. Some players may come out of nowhere to lead their team to a possible playoff run.

Here are 10 players who will surprise you as the 2015 MLB regular season comes to an end.

Justin Turner, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers

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Justin Turner was one of the biggest surprises of last season and has made an impact for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015.

The third baseman has demonstrated consistency at the plate while batting .323 this season. He has made the most of his hitting opportunities with an astounding .352 batting average on balls in-play. Turner has also improved his power hitting with a career-high .563 slugging percentage for the Dodgers.

The 30-year-old is in the prime of his career and is proving that last season wasn’t a fluke. While he has his fair share of injury concerns, he is a risk worth taking at an underwhelming position for the stretch run.

Matt Duffy, 3B, San Francisco Giants

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Matt Duffy has been on fire since being promoted by the Giants earlier this season. The 24-year-old has hit .304 this season and is hitting .385 over his past 15 games.

The third baseman has made huge adjustments at the plate since last season. He has dropped his strikeout rate by nearly four percent and increased his walk percentage by three percent compared to his 2014 numbers. Duffy has also been a force on the base path and has scored 43 runs through just 88 games played this season.

It seems like the former Long Beach State phenom has found his stride this season. He should continue his promising play as the Giants hope to defend their World Series championship.

Francisco Cervelli, C, Pittsburgh Pirates

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Francisco Cervelli has been heavily utilized as a Pirate this season after an up-and-down seven-year stint with the New York Yankees. He has totaled a career-high 270 official at-bats in 2015 and has made the most of his opportunities at the plate.

The veteran catcher is in the midst of a hot streak in which he has hit .462 over the past week. The 29-year-old has exploded with a .371 batting average since the All-Star break. Cervelli has demonstrated improved plate discipline as his strikeout rate has decreased by six percent this season compared to his strikeout rate in 2014.

The catcher position is arguably the hardest spot to figure out in fantasy baseball, and Cervelli brings a lot to the table. He should continue his impressive play down the stretch and produce for fantasy owners in both daily and weekly leagues.

Colby Lewis, P, Texas Rangers

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Colby Lewis has been one of the most surprising pitchers this season for the upstart Rangers. The veteran pitcher has recorded an 11-4 record, 14 quality starts and is averaging just 1.70 walks per nine innings pitched this season.

After a slow start to the season, Lewis has dominated to start the second half of the season. He has lost only one game since May 28 and has led a Rangers pitching staff that has silenced many skeptics this season.

Lewis is red-hot right now, and he should continue his impressive performances moving forward. Even if the Rangers don’t stay in the playoff picture, Lewis’ consistency should garner the attention of fantasy baseball owners.

Aaron Hicks, OF, Minnesota Twins

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Aaron Hicks joined the Twins’ starting lineup after incumbent starter Byron Buxton suffered a thumb injury and has solidified his spot with the team.

He has hit a remarkable .373 over his past 15 games and has accumulated a .470 slugging percentage over his past 30 games. The former first-round MLB draft pick has also recorded multi-hit appearances in six out of his last eight games.

Buxton will likely return to his usual center field spot after he returns from injury, but Hicks has made a strong claim for a move somewhere else in the team’s starting lineup. While he has played only 49 games this season, he is a great pickup for the short-term at the very least.

Ender Inciarte, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

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Players like Ender Inciarte are part of the reason why the Diamondbacks have been one of the biggest surprises in MLB this season.

Inciarte is hitting .298 this season and strikes out in just 11 percent of his at-bats. The speedster also scored 43 runs this season and is hitting .333 over his past 15 games. While he isn’t a great slugger, he makes consistent contact and has been a great leadoff hitter for Arizona.

If there is any concern about Inciarte, it is his injury woes this season. He has played in just 75 games this season but has made the most of his opportunities. His consistency at the plate should attract the attention of fantasy baseball owners in both daily and weekly leagues.

Melky Cabrera, OF, Chicago White Sox

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Melky Cabrera has been arguably the hottest hitter in baseball after a tough first-half of 2015. He has hit safely in eight of his past nine games played and is hitting .375 over his past 15 games.

What’s been surprising is how Cabrera has turned around his performance this season. The 30-year-old hit just .261 during the first half of the season compared to his .414 batting average so far in the second half of 2015.

Cabrera is on a hot streak, and fantasy owners in daily leagues should count on him while he is at the top of his game. He is also relevant in weekly leagues and should produce well for the rest of the season.

Gio Gonzalez, P, Washington Nationals

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After an up-and-down first half for Gio Gonzalez, he has recorded five consecutive quality starts and has allowed no more than two runs over the current span.

What’s been surprising regarding the 29-year-old’s recent streak has been his ability to limit the long ball. Gonzalez has allowed just two home runs combined over his past eight starts and has limited the slugging of his opponents.

Gonzalez seems to be on the right track for the rest of the season and should help the Nationals secure a spot in the postseason. His ability to limit big hits combined with his current streak of allowing two earned runs or less puts him in a great spot for the stretch run of 2015.

Carlos Correa, SS, Houston Astros

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Carlos Correa has made a big impact for the first-place Astros since being promoted to the big leagues on June 8. The 20-year-old phenom is hitting .302 over his past 30 games played and has secured his spot in the team’s starting lineup.

What’s been surprising regarding Correa’s rise in Houston has been his patience at the plate. He has recorded a .348 on-base percentage which is impressive for a player as young as he is. The former No. 1 overall MLB draft pick has also showed off his power at the plate with nine home runs through just 43 games played this season.

Correa’s skill set at the plate makes him a must-have in fantasy baseball. As the Astros get ready for a potential run for a berth in the postseason, the time to pick up Correa has never been better.

John Lackey, P, St. Louis Cardinals

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John Lackey is proving that veteran pitchers can still get it done. The 36-year-old has recorded a 9-6 record with a stifling 2.78 ERA so far this season.

What’s been impressive about Lackey’s 2015 season has been his stellar numbers despite his age. The veteran pitcher has allowed just 0.71 home runs per nine innings pitched this season, his lowest average since 2010.

The Cardinals are still the team to beat in the National League Central, and their pitching depth will carry them forward. Lackey, Carlos Martinez and others will continue to prove why St. Louis is still arguably the team to beat in the National League.