Garrett Cooper would like your attention

When auditing the possible Andrew McCutchen replacements earlier Tuesday, I didn’t give a long enough look to the Marlins. Maybe I figured one mediocre offense (hiya, Detroit) was enough.

Let’s fix that. Garrett Cooper is begging for some fantasy attention.

I’m always on the hunt for a non-pedigree surprise player — think Jesus Aguilar, last year — and maybe Cooper fits the suit for 2019. He’s into his age-28 season, never showed up on a prospect list. His career slash in the minors is strong: .305/.371/.473. He’s posted a .956 OPS in 122 Triple-A games.

Cooper didn’t hit much when the Marlins first summoned him this spring, but he’s starting to find his stride. He’s homered in three of his last seven games, including a clout at Milwaukee on Tuesday, and has the slash line up to .293/.366/.488. (Maybe a slow start was to be expected; a wrist injury squashed his 2018 season, and he had calf and hand injuries this spring.)

I know the Marlins offense in general, stinks, Tuesday’s romp the side. I recognize the home park is a killer. I get it, Cooper is an out-of-nowhere player — but that doesn’t mean he can’t help us. Last I checked, he was owned in a mere four percent of Yahoo leagues.

The statcast data backs Cooper up. His expected batting average is .290, his expected slugging .494. Those are numbers that play in any format. Give the tires a kick, consider a point and click.

(Still at a loss for outfield pickups? Dr. Behrens has you covered, below.)