Diamond Dynasty in MLB 15 The Show is growing into its own living and breathing stock market. Each week we are going to bring you our Diamond Dynasty Buy List. Use this list to get a jump on the players likely to get a ratings bump in the following Monday's roster update.
May 25, 2015 Diamond Dynasty Buy List
Lock of the Week (Gold)
Jason Kipnis, CLE (84 OVR)
Kipnis has been a monster this season hitting .338/.404/.510. This has been boosted by his .375/.454/.598 slash over the past 30 days. Kipnis isn't tailing off either as he's hitting .481/588/.741 over his past seven. BUY HARD on the Indians second baseman. Kipnis has a career .268/.343/.407 slash so sell him as soon as he goes up. He's not likely to keep this torrid pace going all season.
Best Bet (Gold)
Russell Martin, TOR (83 OVR)
Martin has a .304/.386/.568 slash on the season and has been on fire with a .367/.426/.656 over the past 30 days. Behind Kipnis, Martin is my my second favorite player to reach Gold this week. The Blue Jays backstop has a .360/.355/.404 career slash so sell him after he hits Gold and pocket the change.
Solid Value (Gold)
Michael Wacha, STL (83 OVR)
Many of you may be wondering why Wacha isn't a Lock or Best Bet. While I feel pretty strongly that Wacha will hit Gold this week, he's already selling for Gold prices (over 4k) so his overall value isn't as high. With his 15-7 record and 2.83 career ERA I think he's a solid value to buy and hold though. He just may not provide a huge margin this week for player's looking to flip him for a quick profit.
Shelby Miller, ATL (83 OVR)
Miller has been spectacular this season (5-1 1.33) but, much like Wacha, he is already selling for Gold prices (over 5k) so his resale value is unknown. Miller has a career 31-19 record and 3.08 ERA so he certainly has the ability to be an elite pitcher all year. If you have the stubs and want to take a flyer, he could pay off for you down the road. At worst, he'll probably be a solid starter for your Diamond Dynasty team.
Borderline Buys (Gold)
Garrett Richards, LAA (84 OVR)
Richards has put up a solid 2.29 ERA on the season and is 3-1 with a 1.83 over the past 30 days. However, we saw Wacha only pick up a +1 last week so Richards may not quite get to Gold this week. Richards was 13-4 with a 2.61 ERA last year so he has the potential to keep this up all year. You may still want to pick him up for long-term value.
Jonathan Papelbon, PHI (84 OVR)
Papelbon is one of the best closers in the game. He has nine-straight seasons with at least 29 saves and a career 2.35 ERA. This season the Phillies closer has gone 10-10 in save opportunities and posted a 1.59 ERA. While the market isn't great for relievers, he should get a bump to Gold this week which could bring a decent return in the market.
Prince Fielder, TEX (82 OVR)
I'm not sure Fielder has done enough for Sony to give him the three point boost needed to reach Gold. However, his .348/404/.503 season slash makes a strong case for it. Prince is also hitting .330/.386/.534 over the past 30 days and .435/.500/.739 over the past seven so it's definitely a possibility. You might want to pick him up and hold him even if he doesn't get to Gold this week. If he keeps this pace up it won't be long.
Todd Frazier, CIN (84 OVR)
I thought Frazier would get the bump to Gold last week after hitting 12 homers in his first 33 games but it didn't happen. This week I think he get's there. However, his .250 average worries me. Sony hasn't shown a great deal of love for guys that don't hit for a high average so buy with caution. Frazier's .259/.326/459 career slash tells you to buy low and sell high to make a quick profit but don't expect much long-term value.
Ryan Braun, MIL (84 OVR)
Much like Frazier, Braun is a borderline this week because of his average. I also don't think we can expect a clean Braun to put up the numbers he did earlier in his career. If he hits gold this week, sell high and be happy with whatever profit you can squeeze out of him.
Freddie Freeman, ATL (84 OVR)
Freddie is right on the cusp of Gold status yet I'm not sure he's going to get the nod over some of the other guys on this list. Freeman has a .304/.364/.500 slash on the season but its not significantly better than is .287/.366/.467 career slash. He is also only hitting so .136/.136/.136 over the past seven so proceed with caution.
Matt Carpenter, STL (84 OVR)
Like Freeman, Carpenter is right on the cusp of Gold status but might get passed over for some of the other top performers. Carpenter has a .314/.376/.593 slash on the season and has been showing increased power. However, his career .446 slugging pct. makes me wonder if this is just a blip on the radar this year. Sony may be wondering the same. He's a decent buy which could pay off down the road but he isn't likely to set the world on fire all year and has already started too cool off (.222/.250/.481 over the last seven days).
Houston Street, LAA (84 OVR)
Sony doesn't love relievers and Street hasn't set the world on fire this year either. However, he is 13/15 in save opportunities this year and has posted a solid 2.70 ERA. His combined 1.37 ERA last year with San Diego and the Angles says he should have been rated higher to begin with. So, grab him if you can get him for a decent value. Although he is still a top-flight closer, you may want to sell him after he jumps as he's not likely to go up much more during the season.
Long Shots (Gold)
Josh Reddick, OAK (83 OVR)
With a season slash of .315/.392/.543, Reddick probably deserves Gold status. However, he's hitting .174/.240/.348 over his last seven so, if he didn't go up last week, he's probably going to get passed over this week too. Reddick is a career .249 hitter so his long-term prospects aren't great either. If he does jump up this week, sell quick and don't look back.
Mark Teixeira, NYY (82 OVR)
Teixeira's .602 SLG this year shows power that we haven't seen from him in five years. His .258 average isn't all that inspiring either. However, Tex is hitting .389/.542/.556 over his last seven so anything is possible. Keep an eye on him though. If Teixeria keeps up this pace, he will probably make it to Gold before long. Just be prepared to sell as soon as it happens. He's always a hard sneeze away from a trip to the DL.
Aramis Ramirez, MIL (83 OVR)
Ramirez hasn't hit 20 home runs in three years so it's not likely to happen for him this year. He is hitting .317/.368/.635 over the past 30 days though. Much like teammate Braun, he doesn't have a great average (.245) but his torrid pace over the past month could inspire Sony to give him a bump. As with pretty much everyone on this list, if he goes up, sell quick and feel dirty for doing so you snake you.
Joakim Soria, DET (83 OVR)
I know, he just got a bump last week. And Sony hates relievers. BUT, he is 12/12 on save opportunities and has a minuscule 1.06 ERA on the year. This guy deserves to be Gold! But Bartolo Colon deserves his own pizza maker in the dugout so... cross your fingers (and hope to die). Err, hope for him to hit Gold and sell fast. Soria's 3.84 ERA over the previous five season doesn't inspire much long-term confidence.
Lock of the Week (Silver)
Brandon Belt, SF (76 OVR)
It is a travesty that Belt hasn't hit Silver yet. The Giants first sacker is hitting .313/.388/.496 on the season and .478/.452/.684 over the past 30 days! I doubt he can keep this pace up (Belt's .272/.347/451 career slash says he can't) and hit Gold but he's certainly a STRONG value this week. Load up and start planning on how you are going to spend all those extra stubs!
Best Bet (Silver)
Andre Ethier, LAD (75 OVR)
I debated about putting Ethier on the "Lock" list but couldn't pull the trigger. I feel pretty strongly that he's going to hit Silver this week though after posting a .313/.410/.545 slash this season. Over the past 30 days, Ethier is .333/.429/.569. He has cooled off over the past week though (.235/.350/.294) so he may have missed his shot. He's worth a buy though. His career .285/.360/.464 says he'll be good the rest of season but probably not enough to hold after he goes Silver.
Solid Value (Silver)
Wilson Ramos, WSH (75 OVR)
Many thought Ramos would hit Silver last week but it didn't happen for him. While I think its likely he will jump to Silver this week, you never can tell with guys that don't hit for a lot of power. Ramos has put up a .311/.333/.410 slash on the season and .333/.368/.420 over the past 30 days. He probably can't keep this pace up so be ready to pull the plank out from under him and feed him to the sharks when he does finally hit Silver.
Yunel Escobar, WSH (75 OVR)
Much like his teammate Ramos, Escobar is punished for a lack of power. The Natinals (yes, that was intentional) third baseman has a .333/.387/.404 season slash and .354/.398/.404 in the last 30 days. He probably deserves Silver status but we'll have to wait and see. His .278/.348/.382 career slash says to cut him loose if and when he hits Silver.
Long Shots (Silver)
Avisail Garcia, CWS (73 OVR)
This is the ultimate catch-and-release if and when he makes it to Silver. Garcia is hitting a blistering .336/.372/.474 on the season. His slash from the last week (.435/.480/.783) says he must be Barry Bonds' illegitimate love child. Unfortunately, Garcia has a career .287/.327/.423 slash so his chances of keeping this pace up are about as likely as the Astros leading their division (oh, wait...). Pick him up and hold him long enough to make Silver and then stamp him with a return to sender and kick him out the back of the pickup.
Freddy Galvis, PHI (73 OVR)
The Phillies let Jimmy Rollins leave so Galvis could take over the full-time shortstop roll and he hasn't disappointed. Galvis is hitting .336/.399/.388 on the season and has been pretty consistent all year. However, his career high average is . 234 and he has a career .246 AVG in the minors. History tells us this is all a fancy smoke and mirrors show. Buy Galvis now and then stuff him back in the hat with the rabbit when he hits Silver.
***BONUS*** - Long-Term Value
Yasmany Tomas, ARI (81 OVR)
Tomas is already Silver and not quite ready to hit Gold but if you buy now, he could be a great long-term pickup. Tomas is hitting .342/.380/.434 on the season with a .556/.579/.833 slash over the past seven. He was also a career .288/.343/.501 hitter in the minors. While he's not likely to hit .340 all year, he does have .300 potential and could develop some power. If you can get him cheap he's a solid value buy.
May 25, 2015 Diamond Dynasty Buy List
Lock of the Week (Gold)
Jason Kipnis, CLE (84 OVR)
Kipnis has been a monster this season hitting .338/.404/.510. This has been boosted by his .375/.454/.598 slash over the past 30 days. Kipnis isn't tailing off either as he's hitting .481/588/.741 over his past seven. BUY HARD on the Indians second baseman. Kipnis has a career .268/.343/.407 slash so sell him as soon as he goes up. He's not likely to keep this torrid pace going all season.
Best Bet (Gold)
Russell Martin, TOR (83 OVR)
Martin has a .304/.386/.568 slash on the season and has been on fire with a .367/.426/.656 over the past 30 days. Behind Kipnis, Martin is my my second favorite player to reach Gold this week. The Blue Jays backstop has a .360/.355/.404 career slash so sell him after he hits Gold and pocket the change.
Solid Value (Gold)
Michael Wacha, STL (83 OVR)
Many of you may be wondering why Wacha isn't a Lock or Best Bet. While I feel pretty strongly that Wacha will hit Gold this week, he's already selling for Gold prices (over 4k) so his overall value isn't as high. With his 15-7 record and 2.83 career ERA I think he's a solid value to buy and hold though. He just may not provide a huge margin this week for player's looking to flip him for a quick profit.
Shelby Miller, ATL (83 OVR)
Miller has been spectacular this season (5-1 1.33) but, much like Wacha, he is already selling for Gold prices (over 5k) so his resale value is unknown. Miller has a career 31-19 record and 3.08 ERA so he certainly has the ability to be an elite pitcher all year. If you have the stubs and want to take a flyer, he could pay off for you down the road. At worst, he'll probably be a solid starter for your Diamond Dynasty team.
Borderline Buys (Gold)
Garrett Richards, LAA (84 OVR)
Richards has put up a solid 2.29 ERA on the season and is 3-1 with a 1.83 over the past 30 days. However, we saw Wacha only pick up a +1 last week so Richards may not quite get to Gold this week. Richards was 13-4 with a 2.61 ERA last year so he has the potential to keep this up all year. You may still want to pick him up for long-term value.
Jonathan Papelbon, PHI (84 OVR)
Papelbon is one of the best closers in the game. He has nine-straight seasons with at least 29 saves and a career 2.35 ERA. This season the Phillies closer has gone 10-10 in save opportunities and posted a 1.59 ERA. While the market isn't great for relievers, he should get a bump to Gold this week which could bring a decent return in the market.
Prince Fielder, TEX (82 OVR)
I'm not sure Fielder has done enough for Sony to give him the three point boost needed to reach Gold. However, his .348/404/.503 season slash makes a strong case for it. Prince is also hitting .330/.386/.534 over the past 30 days and .435/.500/.739 over the past seven so it's definitely a possibility. You might want to pick him up and hold him even if he doesn't get to Gold this week. If he keeps this pace up it won't be long.
Todd Frazier, CIN (84 OVR)
I thought Frazier would get the bump to Gold last week after hitting 12 homers in his first 33 games but it didn't happen. This week I think he get's there. However, his .250 average worries me. Sony hasn't shown a great deal of love for guys that don't hit for a high average so buy with caution. Frazier's .259/.326/459 career slash tells you to buy low and sell high to make a quick profit but don't expect much long-term value.
Ryan Braun, MIL (84 OVR)
Much like Frazier, Braun is a borderline this week because of his average. I also don't think we can expect a clean Braun to put up the numbers he did earlier in his career. If he hits gold this week, sell high and be happy with whatever profit you can squeeze out of him.
Freddie Freeman, ATL (84 OVR)
Freddie is right on the cusp of Gold status yet I'm not sure he's going to get the nod over some of the other guys on this list. Freeman has a .304/.364/.500 slash on the season but its not significantly better than is .287/.366/.467 career slash. He is also only hitting so .136/.136/.136 over the past seven so proceed with caution.
Matt Carpenter, STL (84 OVR)
Like Freeman, Carpenter is right on the cusp of Gold status but might get passed over for some of the other top performers. Carpenter has a .314/.376/.593 slash on the season and has been showing increased power. However, his career .446 slugging pct. makes me wonder if this is just a blip on the radar this year. Sony may be wondering the same. He's a decent buy which could pay off down the road but he isn't likely to set the world on fire all year and has already started too cool off (.222/.250/.481 over the last seven days).
Houston Street, LAA (84 OVR)
Sony doesn't love relievers and Street hasn't set the world on fire this year either. However, he is 13/15 in save opportunities this year and has posted a solid 2.70 ERA. His combined 1.37 ERA last year with San Diego and the Angles says he should have been rated higher to begin with. So, grab him if you can get him for a decent value. Although he is still a top-flight closer, you may want to sell him after he jumps as he's not likely to go up much more during the season.
Long Shots (Gold)
Josh Reddick, OAK (83 OVR)
With a season slash of .315/.392/.543, Reddick probably deserves Gold status. However, he's hitting .174/.240/.348 over his last seven so, if he didn't go up last week, he's probably going to get passed over this week too. Reddick is a career .249 hitter so his long-term prospects aren't great either. If he does jump up this week, sell quick and don't look back.
Mark Teixeira, NYY (82 OVR)
Teixeira's .602 SLG this year shows power that we haven't seen from him in five years. His .258 average isn't all that inspiring either. However, Tex is hitting .389/.542/.556 over his last seven so anything is possible. Keep an eye on him though. If Teixeria keeps up this pace, he will probably make it to Gold before long. Just be prepared to sell as soon as it happens. He's always a hard sneeze away from a trip to the DL.
Aramis Ramirez, MIL (83 OVR)
Ramirez hasn't hit 20 home runs in three years so it's not likely to happen for him this year. He is hitting .317/.368/.635 over the past 30 days though. Much like teammate Braun, he doesn't have a great average (.245) but his torrid pace over the past month could inspire Sony to give him a bump. As with pretty much everyone on this list, if he goes up, sell quick and feel dirty for doing so you snake you.
Joakim Soria, DET (83 OVR)
I know, he just got a bump last week. And Sony hates relievers. BUT, he is 12/12 on save opportunities and has a minuscule 1.06 ERA on the year. This guy deserves to be Gold! But Bartolo Colon deserves his own pizza maker in the dugout so... cross your fingers (and hope to die). Err, hope for him to hit Gold and sell fast. Soria's 3.84 ERA over the previous five season doesn't inspire much long-term confidence.
Lock of the Week (Silver)
Brandon Belt, SF (76 OVR)
It is a travesty that Belt hasn't hit Silver yet. The Giants first sacker is hitting .313/.388/.496 on the season and .478/.452/.684 over the past 30 days! I doubt he can keep this pace up (Belt's .272/.347/451 career slash says he can't) and hit Gold but he's certainly a STRONG value this week. Load up and start planning on how you are going to spend all those extra stubs!
Best Bet (Silver)
Andre Ethier, LAD (75 OVR)
I debated about putting Ethier on the "Lock" list but couldn't pull the trigger. I feel pretty strongly that he's going to hit Silver this week though after posting a .313/.410/.545 slash this season. Over the past 30 days, Ethier is .333/.429/.569. He has cooled off over the past week though (.235/.350/.294) so he may have missed his shot. He's worth a buy though. His career .285/.360/.464 says he'll be good the rest of season but probably not enough to hold after he goes Silver.
Solid Value (Silver)
Wilson Ramos, WSH (75 OVR)
Many thought Ramos would hit Silver last week but it didn't happen for him. While I think its likely he will jump to Silver this week, you never can tell with guys that don't hit for a lot of power. Ramos has put up a .311/.333/.410 slash on the season and .333/.368/.420 over the past 30 days. He probably can't keep this pace up so be ready to pull the plank out from under him and feed him to the sharks when he does finally hit Silver.
Yunel Escobar, WSH (75 OVR)
Much like his teammate Ramos, Escobar is punished for a lack of power. The Natinals (yes, that was intentional) third baseman has a .333/.387/.404 season slash and .354/.398/.404 in the last 30 days. He probably deserves Silver status but we'll have to wait and see. His .278/.348/.382 career slash says to cut him loose if and when he hits Silver.
Long Shots (Silver)
Avisail Garcia, CWS (73 OVR)
This is the ultimate catch-and-release if and when he makes it to Silver. Garcia is hitting a blistering .336/.372/.474 on the season. His slash from the last week (.435/.480/.783) says he must be Barry Bonds' illegitimate love child. Unfortunately, Garcia has a career .287/.327/.423 slash so his chances of keeping this pace up are about as likely as the Astros leading their division (oh, wait...). Pick him up and hold him long enough to make Silver and then stamp him with a return to sender and kick him out the back of the pickup.
Freddy Galvis, PHI (73 OVR)
The Phillies let Jimmy Rollins leave so Galvis could take over the full-time shortstop roll and he hasn't disappointed. Galvis is hitting .336/.399/.388 on the season and has been pretty consistent all year. However, his career high average is . 234 and he has a career .246 AVG in the minors. History tells us this is all a fancy smoke and mirrors show. Buy Galvis now and then stuff him back in the hat with the rabbit when he hits Silver.
***BONUS*** - Long-Term Value
Yasmany Tomas, ARI (81 OVR)
Tomas is already Silver and not quite ready to hit Gold but if you buy now, he could be a great long-term pickup. Tomas is hitting .342/.380/.434 on the season with a .556/.579/.833 slash over the past seven. He was also a career .288/.343/.501 hitter in the minors. While he's not likely to hit .340 all year, he does have .300 potential and could develop some power. If you can get him cheap he's a solid value buy.
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