MLB Fantasy Baseball: Can Josh Willingham Finish Strong?
Josh Willingham started the year hitting .231 with 27 runs, 10 home runs and four stolen bases through June. Not great numbers, but he salvaged his value by collecting 42 RBI.
He’s struggling again this month, hitting .154 with one home run and three RBI in 13 at-bats. It was his July, though, that gives me hope.
Willingham batted .324 for the month of July with 13 runs, five home runs and 16 RBI. His 1.047 OPS was off the charts.
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Considering that value hadn’t reached .800 in any other month this year, you know he was raking. His hot start to the second half has helped his average climb seven points and his OPS 54 points.
Can he sustain it? That’s the million-dollar question.
If his lifetime numbers are any indication, that could be tough sledding. Willingham has hit .270 with a .854 OPS before the All-Star break and .254 and .810 after it. It’s mainly been a struggle after August (.227), though, so he could have one more good month in him.
Part of Willingham’s success in July could be attributed to good luck.
His BABIP of .327 was higher than the past two months (.281 and .286, respectively), though his mark was .333 in April. It’s a game of averages, though, and his .299 mark hasn’t had a significant variance from month to month.
My take on Willingham is to ride him while he’s hot. If he cools in September, move on. There will be plenty of players available when the September call-ups arrive.
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