My personal roto favorite, Robbie Cano highlights this week’s Week That Was.

Robinson Cano:  Robbie went yard Sunday, a three run shot, his 17th of the season, to pace Seattle to a win.  It seems no one is talking about the man who still possesses the sweetest swing in the game, but through essentially half a season, Cano has 17 dingers and 60 RBI to go with a solid .284 batting average and .341 on base percentage.  Given that Cano missed time on the shelf earlier this year (a rarity for him), has a BABIP that is almost 50 points below his career average (indicating he has been very unlucky), is making more contact than he has since 2010, has a higher walk rate than the last two years, is making more hard contact than in any of his years in Seattle, and has reduce his infield fly rate dramatically, all the seeds are there for a monster second half.  Pay whatever you need to pay and enjoy the ride.

James McCann:  McCann went 2-2 with a run, dinger and 4 RBI Sunday.  McCann, who has been overshadowed by the over his head production of Alex Avila makes a sneaky pickup.  Over the last 14 games, J-Mac has hit .350 with two dingers, 7 RBI and an OPS over 1,100.  On the year, the .210 average is ugly but when you look deeper, you see that is going to change.  His BB rate is up over last year, K rate is down, and his contact rate is up.  So what gives?  He has been really unlucky with a .219 BABIP.  That BABIP number is made all the more odd by the fact that he is stinging the ball to the tune of a 43%+ hard hit rate – elite territory for anyone.  I am buying and you should too.

Orlando Arcia:  Arcia went 2-4 with a run, rbi and dinger Sunday.  The formerly field first shortstop is starting to show more and more punch at the dish.  Over his last 30 games, Arcia has hit over .350 with 4 dingers and 10 runs and rbi.  On the year, Arcia is at .288 with 8 HR.  If you get another .288 and another 8 dingers in the second half, you will be very happy.  But, given his June and the way the ball flies out of Milwaukee, he could eclipse his first half numbers easily. 

Scooter Gennett:  Gennett has not hit 4 dingers in a game again in the last two weeks but he has hit in 9 of his last 10 games, raising his average over .300.  I think roto owners are overlooking the Reds’ infielder and writing him off as a one-game wonder.  First, he has been a decent major leaguer for three year, posting averages of .263, .264 and .289.  Second, he is hitting the ball much harder, raising his hard hit rate to a near-elite 39%.  Third, he is not just taking advantage of a good home park – Gennett is hitting .289 with 5 dingers on the road.  The return of Zack Cozart will further depress Scooter’s value.  Take advantage – he will play even if Cozart is not dealt this month. 

Fernando Rodney:  Rodney notched his 21st save this weekend.  Pretty darn good for a guy who looked washed up in April.  Over the team’s last 60 games, the hurler with his hat askew has a 1.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 15 saves and more than a K per inning.  Not too shabby.  The advanced metrics support his success – first pitch strike, swinging strike and ground ball percentages are all well above-average.  I am convinced.  This is an undervalued source of saves that owners may mistakenly be willing to deal.  Oh, and his throwing harder than he did last year, averaging over 95 on his fastball.

And now, the moment you likely have not been waiting for -- Schultz says: “With the All-Star Break and Mid-Season All-Schultz Awards looming in the horizon, roto-eyes cast their gaze towards the second half of the season. Teams with a chance to win are looking for hidden gems to pluck from their unsuspecting co-owners while those whose genius failed them are casting their eyes towards 2018. With one pitch, Trea Turner may have become the most valuable trading chip in keeper leagues. Undoubtedly, whoever has the Nats young shortstop is at or near the top of their league's SB category and his absence will leave a great void. The unanswered question is how long that void will exist? 

Wrist injuries generally linger. Even when they heal, it takes a couple months for the strength and dexterity to truly return. However, Turner's present value doesn't entirely lie with his bat; his legs - and his nearly unmatched speed - remain intact. His true value is that he's 24-years-old and has the potential to hit well over .300, slug 20 homers and steal 70 bases. In keeper leagues, this makes him the non-Pescetarian ultimate 5-category prize.

The Nationals have been slow to disclose how long Turner will be on the shelf. If it's only for six weeks, a mid-August return would surely be a boon to any team that isn't flailing and can afford to keep him on the bench for the summer. If the prospects look dire and Turner's return pushed off until April (or Schwarbered to the post-season), trading his future potential for current production will be an unavoidable necessity. If the latter occurs, don't discount Turner's future. In keeper leagues, whomever you trade him to may keep him until the next decade. Be SMART!!”

Response:  yeah, what he said!  Happy 4th of July all.  It is my favorite holiday of the year.  Enjoy, be safe and as Schultz says, stay SMART.