Ian Kinsler is a better hitter in the spring and early summer than the fall.
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -
This piece and the research is dedicated to finding those batters who have traditionally had better first halves than second halves. In fact, after doing the study, I found that most hitters had better second halves than first halves, so these guys have even more importance.
Why you ask, would you want to identify "first-half hitters" since you play an entire 162-game schedule in your fantasy league?
Simple, you don't have to hold onto a hitter the entire year.
What could be better than having a first-half hitter bat 50 points above his career slugging percentage and then just before the All-Star break, trade him while his value is at its peak?
It's no different than playing the stock market...sorry to bring that up...but it's a place where the phrase "buy low, sell high" usually works.
In addition, you don't want to be fooled into trading for a first-half hitter when his owner comes to you around the All-Star break. "buying high and selling low" never wins you a title.
Below you will find 15 players worthy of your attention because of their first-half success. Each has a slugging percentage of at least 39 points better in the first half, all the way up to Ian Kinsler who is 105 points better in the spring and early summer than the fall.
