Ryan Theriot - He's a nice guy to have stashed on your bench as a backup middle infielder. He's eligible at both 2B and SS, at least in Yahoo, and he's a SB threat. Given he usually hits 2nd, he's valuable in both Rs and SBs. He doesn't have any power, but his AVG should remain decent as well.
Matt Morris - 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. I don't know how he's doing it (the .245 BAA is a big reason why), but he's been a fine starter all year long. Like I said before, his stuff isn't the same anymore as evidenced by his K rate (35 Ks in 74 1/3 IP), but he's sporting a 2.66 ERA with a solid 1.26 WHIP. He could remain in the mid 3's all year, so he's not a bad back-end starter. His ERA doesn't match his WHIP, and with his low K rate, he's still due for a rough stretch sooner than later though.
Barry Bonds - He had a brutal May, hitting .194 with only 4 HRs and 8 RBIs. He should heat up soon enough as he still remains too good a hitter to completely fall off the boat.
Jake Peavy - 7 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 Ks. Who would have thought that his worst start in over a month would be against the lowly Nationals? Good ole baseball...nobody can figure it out. Regardless though, he still turned in yet another quality start despite all the baserunners and remains as good of a pitcher as there is in fantasy.
Russell Martin - 3rd straight game with a HR, jacking his 6th last night. He's the best catcher in fantasy baseball right now given he has a big stolen base advantage over Victor Martinez, and Joe Mauer remains on the DL.
Jason Bay - Remember when I hated Jason Bay? Now I love him. Went deep for the 9th time on the season last night, so his power pace is almost back where it should be. Small 8 game hitting streak, including 6 multi-hit games and 4 HRs while raising his average 36 points to .314.
Randy Wolf - 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. Much like Peavy, Wolf turned in his worst start in over a month against a very lowly offense. Should be nothing to worry about as he was due to struggle in an outing.
Robinson Cano - He's 6 for his last 8, including a HR and 3 doubles. Perhaps he's ready to start hitting like his owners thought he should. If he was dropped in your league, pick him up if you need 2B help, especially if you're a Weeks owner. Cano has hit .297 and .342 the last two years, and given he's only 24 years old, he has nowhere to go but up from his current .269 AVG.
Manny Ramirez - He's raised his average 39 points over the past 10 days with 17 hits, but 7 XBH and 1 HR mixed in. Given he's seeing the ball better, I imagine the power will follow.
Placido Polanco - The .340 AVG is nice, but with only 1 HR and 2 SBs, he's not helping your team that much unless you have plenty of power and speed around him. Keep that in mind if you have him, and perhaps someone will overpay for his production in a trade.
Jhonny Peralta - Blasted his 11th HR last season, and with the 3 hits, he boosted his AVG to a cool .300. He has definitely been one of baseball's best bounceback performers this year, like I predicted before the season started. Bigtime draft day value at a power-shallow position.
Fausto Carmona - 6 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. From the statline, it looks like he had great control, but missed way too much within the strikezone. He was due for a rough outing, and predictably it came against a tough offense (DET).
Javier Vazquez - 8 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. A slightly more refined Daniel Cabrera is the best way to describe Vazquez. He'll dazzle you with outings like this against a bigtime offense in Toronto, and then coming back and getting bombed by a team like KC. His 56 : 18 K : BB ratio is excellent in 66 IP, and his WHIP remains a very solid 1.12. I just don't think he'll ever post a sub 4 ERA in the AL with his random blowups. He's definitely improved over last year though.
A.J. Burnett - 7 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 12 Ks. Another outstanding outing by Burnett. He threw 117 pitches last night, giving him 242 pitches over his last two outings. It's a bit of a concern, but only if it continues. He was abused during his breakout season in Florida, so let's hope Toronto manager John Gibbons doesn't do it again.
Brandon Webb - 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 Ks. Hope you didn't bench him last night given he was hit hard by the Mets the first time he faced him. Big difference in the lineup last night as David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and Moises Alou were all out hurt. Still, it qualifies as another step in the right direction as Webb continues to pitch well against teams not named the Rockies.
John Maine - 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. Nice to see Maine put together an outing that didn't involve a walk. Still, even with only 5 hits and 0 walks, he only managed to get through 6 IP, suggesting he still wasn't pitching efficiently. Regardless, after 2 months of this, it appears he's here to stay as a very good fantasy starter.
Scott Kazmir - 7 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. Not the line owners wanted to see against the lowly Royals, despite it being a quality start. His year is shaping up almost identically to his debut in 2005 than his breakthrough season in 2006. His hits allowed and walks are driving his WHIP way up at 1.44 even though his K rate remains very strong at 71 Ks in 73 IP. I have to think he'll get it straightened out, so if you can acquire him for his current 2007 value, there's definite upside to acquiring him.
Octavio Dotel - Picked up his first save since returning the closer's role with a scoreless 9th, although he did walk 2 while K'ing one. He's always been an elite setup man, but he's been a less-than-elite closer when pitching in that role. As long as he stays healthy, he should be a middle-of-the-road closer with lots of Ks.
Roy Oswalt - 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. Back to form, although his offense let him down as he didn't register a win.
Adam Wainwright - 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K. The 4 walks are of concern, but this is the 3rd straight outing in the right direction for the youngster. He was drafted as a back-rotation candidate in many leagues this offseason, but has definitely been dropped since then. He's worth keeping an eye on.
Hunter Pence - He's was moved from the 5th spot to the 2nd spot last night, but I'm not sure if that's a permanent change. It doesn't change his fantasy value much because he'll score plenty of runs batting ahead of Berkman/Lee instead of driving those guys home. His Rs will go up and his RBIs will go down if the switch sticks. He stole a base last night, so hopefully it won't cut into the impact he's making in the SB department since he'll be on base with more important hitters up.
Hanley Ramirez - Another lineup change to touch on here. It looks like he's settled into the #3 hole, and as long as that doesn't cut back on his SBs, he should be even more valuable in this role. He'll have more RBI opportunities here, and he'll still score plenty of Rs ahead of Cabrera and Willingham.
Francisco Cordero - Gotta love those save opportunities created in the middle of the 9th inning. 1 batter faced, 1 K, 1 save. Nice.
Willy Taveras - Looks like he's offically being platooned. He's a valuable asset in a league where you can afford to platoon players, as he's hitting .322 with 13 SBs and 29 Rs. Just make sure to only play him against righties, as he often takes a seat against lefties. Given he's hitting .351 against lefties (granted in only 37 AB), I'm not sure why.
David Weathers - 1 1/3 IP last night of scoreless baseball, only allowing 1 hit. It looks like he's settled in nicely as he puts his 6 ER blowup behind him.
John Lackey - 7 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. Another quality outing for Lackey as his ERA sits at a minscule 2.37.
Daniel Cabrera - 6 2/3 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K. He's still putting on tons of baserunners as the Hs and BBs suggest, so he's still not pitching very well. I hold out hope that he'll get it eventually, but leave him on the waiver wire until that happens. He might need a new organization and a new pitching coach at this point.
Kevin Slowey - 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. Very solid debut outing for the rookie. He's a talented youngster who sported an amazing 1.54 ERA and 57:5 K:BB ratio in 64 1/3 IP in AAA. He's a bigtime control pitcher whose stuff doesn't translate to a high K rate in the majors, but if he continues to show great control, he should be an asset in ratios and Ws in his first season. His upside is what Jeremy Sowers produced last year, or he could be another Scott Baker. He was picked up before his official callup in both my leagues, but unless your staff is in big trouble, I'd make him prove himself before adding him.
Eric Chavez - Hit a HR for the 2nd time in 4 games last night, but thanks to all the injuries he's endured, he'll never produce the .300/40 HR/120 RBI season many expected him to reach at some point. In my opinion, he shouldn't be rostered in a 12 team league right now, despite the name recognition. At best, he shouldn't be close to your starting lineup.
Mark Teixeira - Took a ball in the eye last night and suffered a concussion. Doesn't appear to be a big deal, but he's rumored to be out for today and possibly the weekend. He should be back early next week at the latest.
Eric Gagne - Despite not having the same stuff he did prior to the recent arm surgeries, he's still posting a great season so far, going 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 11 Ks in 12 IP while saving 4 games. It looks like he'll still be an elite closer when healthy, and now would be a great time to swing a small deal for Otsuka to make sure you have the Ranger's bullpen situation set on your team.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Rickie Weeks To The DL
The Milwaukee Brewers placed 2nd baseman Rickie Weeks on the DL with right wrist tendinitis.
Weeks was batting a disappointing .243, but with 5 HRs, 8 SBs, and 34 Rs scored, he was contributing enough in other catagories to make him a valuable, starting fantasy 2B. Unfortunately Weeks has a history of wrist problems, and he had offseason surgery to correct the problem, so this is a bit of a concern. However, if it's only tendinitis, he should be back when he's eligible to return on June 16th.
Fantasy Impact: Losing a starting middle infielder is obviously a tough blow to your squad, but with the depth at the position this year, there could be some quality fill-in alternatives on your waiver wire. Ray Durham could be out there, and he's hitting fairly well with 5 HRs and 3 SBs so far. Josh Barfield is another option. He was a popular sleeper heading into the year, but he got off to a brutal start with a .162 AVG in April and was likely dropped in your league. After a .278 May, he's obviously improving and could provide solid value to your team while Weeks is on the mend.
Weeks was batting a disappointing .243, but with 5 HRs, 8 SBs, and 34 Rs scored, he was contributing enough in other catagories to make him a valuable, starting fantasy 2B. Unfortunately Weeks has a history of wrist problems, and he had offseason surgery to correct the problem, so this is a bit of a concern. However, if it's only tendinitis, he should be back when he's eligible to return on June 16th.
Fantasy Impact: Losing a starting middle infielder is obviously a tough blow to your squad, but with the depth at the position this year, there could be some quality fill-in alternatives on your waiver wire. Ray Durham could be out there, and he's hitting fairly well with 5 HRs and 3 SBs so far. Josh Barfield is another option. He was a popular sleeper heading into the year, but he got off to a brutal start with a .162 AVG in April and was likely dropped in your league. After a .278 May, he's obviously improving and could provide solid value to your team while Weeks is on the mend.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Zambrano Punches Out Barrett Instead Of Braves
Carlos Zambrano posted a sweet line of 5 IP, 13 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, and 0 Ks. His defense gave him no help today though, as both Murton and Barrett committed costly mistakes. In the 1st inning, Barrett lost a foul popup in the sun, which led to a basehit later in the at-bat. In the 5th inning, Barrett allowed a pitch to go by him for his 7th pass ball (yuck) of the season. He then tried to gun down the runner advancing to 3rd, throwing the ball wide of the bag, and allowing the runner to score. After the inning was over, Zambrano approached Barrett in the dugout and started yelling at him, presumably about his play that inning, pointing to his head as if to say "use your head". Barrett returned the favor and yelled back, pointing to the scoreboard, presumably to remind Zambrano of his poor performance today. Zambrano then went after Barrett, shoving his head back and trying to punch him. Here's a video of the play (or lack thereof) by Barrett in the 5th, followed by the dugout scuffle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O64BqGsVwM
Afterwards, they again tangled in the clubhouse, with Zambrano busting Barrett's lip open. Zambrano was then sent home for being a bad boy.
I'm not at all defending Zambrano's actions, but I can sympathize with his frustration. From his vantage point, he feels the Cubs are disrepecting him. His numbers over the past 4 years put him in the top 5 starters over that timeframe, and he's endured large workloads without suffering an injury, pitching over 200 innings each season. Being that he's only 26, he feels there's no way he shouldn't be paid a monster contract as his upside is much higher than Barry Zito's, for comparison's sake. He has some of the best stuff in the majors, can have light's out control when he's on, he's young, and he's a passionate pitcher.
However, from the Cubs vantage point, they question his work ethic and his mental state of mind. They don't feel he's fully commited to staying in the shape they request of him, and he has mental breakdowns on the field that often cost the team runs and also games. The Cubs have to understand that he is what he is, and he's probably not going to change at this point. Either make him an offer to keep him with the team, or trade him and get something in return for a player who has the talent to be a staff ace for any team that doesn't already have Santana or Peavy.
Michael Barrett sucks. He's a quality hitting catcher, posting averages of .287, .276, and .307 while hitting 16 HRs in each of his 3 seasons with the Cubs. However, he had 10 passed balls last year, and is up to 7 already this year. He's only hitting .244 this year, so he's not doing his job at the plate either. Zambrano is 3-1 with a 3.27 ERA with Blanco behind the plate, but he's 2-3 with a horrible 7.07 ERA with Barrett behind the plate, and that was before today's abysmal performance. Pinella said that Blanco would be his personal catcher after Zambrano's fine outing against LA on Saturday, but Blanco's trip to the DL put Barrett back there. Greg Maddux didn't like Barrett catching him either, opting to bring Blanco over from the Braves with him when he signed with the Cubs prior to the 2005 season. When Maddux and Zambrano don't want you catching for them, it says something about your ability as a defensive catcher.
Fantasy Impact: Zambrano's line wasn't as bad as it looked today, but he again let mistakes that were out of his control affect his pitching. I read that he was hitting 93 MPH for a while, so it seems like his velocity might be coming back. I can't imagine the Cubs not disciplining him for this, so owners should be expecting some sort of suspension to be handed down shortly. Perhaps some added rest for his arm might actually help him out. Those who own Barrett should also be aware of a suspension as well, as I doubt he'll get away unpunished either. A trade is another possibility for either player, with Barrett being more likely to be dealt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O64BqGsVwM
Afterwards, they again tangled in the clubhouse, with Zambrano busting Barrett's lip open. Zambrano was then sent home for being a bad boy.
I'm not at all defending Zambrano's actions, but I can sympathize with his frustration. From his vantage point, he feels the Cubs are disrepecting him. His numbers over the past 4 years put him in the top 5 starters over that timeframe, and he's endured large workloads without suffering an injury, pitching over 200 innings each season. Being that he's only 26, he feels there's no way he shouldn't be paid a monster contract as his upside is much higher than Barry Zito's, for comparison's sake. He has some of the best stuff in the majors, can have light's out control when he's on, he's young, and he's a passionate pitcher.
However, from the Cubs vantage point, they question his work ethic and his mental state of mind. They don't feel he's fully commited to staying in the shape they request of him, and he has mental breakdowns on the field that often cost the team runs and also games. The Cubs have to understand that he is what he is, and he's probably not going to change at this point. Either make him an offer to keep him with the team, or trade him and get something in return for a player who has the talent to be a staff ace for any team that doesn't already have Santana or Peavy.
Michael Barrett sucks. He's a quality hitting catcher, posting averages of .287, .276, and .307 while hitting 16 HRs in each of his 3 seasons with the Cubs. However, he had 10 passed balls last year, and is up to 7 already this year. He's only hitting .244 this year, so he's not doing his job at the plate either. Zambrano is 3-1 with a 3.27 ERA with Blanco behind the plate, but he's 2-3 with a horrible 7.07 ERA with Barrett behind the plate, and that was before today's abysmal performance. Pinella said that Blanco would be his personal catcher after Zambrano's fine outing against LA on Saturday, but Blanco's trip to the DL put Barrett back there. Greg Maddux didn't like Barrett catching him either, opting to bring Blanco over from the Braves with him when he signed with the Cubs prior to the 2005 season. When Maddux and Zambrano don't want you catching for them, it says something about your ability as a defensive catcher.
Fantasy Impact: Zambrano's line wasn't as bad as it looked today, but he again let mistakes that were out of his control affect his pitching. I read that he was hitting 93 MPH for a while, so it seems like his velocity might be coming back. I can't imagine the Cubs not disciplining him for this, so owners should be expecting some sort of suspension to be handed down shortly. Perhaps some added rest for his arm might actually help him out. Those who own Barrett should also be aware of a suspension as well, as I doubt he'll get away unpunished either. A trade is another possibility for either player, with Barrett being more likely to be dealt.
Armando Benitez Traded To The Florida Marlins
The San Francsico Giants traded current closer Armando Benitez to the Florida Marlins for reliever Randy Messenger.
What are the Marlins thinking? They initially wanted Benitez this offseason, but were unable to complete a trade for him, which was a blessing in disguise. They then give up pitching prospect Yusmero Petit in order to get Jorge Julio, who in turn did nothing but blow saves and lose games for them. Benitez is not what he once was, and he's a rather average reliever these days. The Marlins are not getting the 2004 version that put up career numbers, so I have no idea what's going on given both Henry Owens and Kevin Gregg were doing great in the closer's role. The Marlins stated today that they don't intend to make Benitez the closer immediately, but then why trade for him? He'll probably find his way in that role sooner or later.
Fantasy Impact: Benitez owners actually benefit here because the Giants obviously didn't want him closing games for them anymore. He'll have a good shot to close in Florida. Henry Owens owners can go ahead and drop him now as he appears 3rd in line for saves. Kevin Gregg owners, don't be an idiot like me and drop him. You can keep him active until a game proves that he's no longer the closer, but be very aware that it's a distinct possibility. Even if Gregg loses the job. Benitez could be Julio pt. 2, so keep him stashed unless you need the roster spot. Brad Hennessey owners, I hope you took my advice a day or two ago and picked him up. If he's still available, do so as he's the new Giants closer for now.
What are the Marlins thinking? They initially wanted Benitez this offseason, but were unable to complete a trade for him, which was a blessing in disguise. They then give up pitching prospect Yusmero Petit in order to get Jorge Julio, who in turn did nothing but blow saves and lose games for them. Benitez is not what he once was, and he's a rather average reliever these days. The Marlins are not getting the 2004 version that put up career numbers, so I have no idea what's going on given both Henry Owens and Kevin Gregg were doing great in the closer's role. The Marlins stated today that they don't intend to make Benitez the closer immediately, but then why trade for him? He'll probably find his way in that role sooner or later.
Fantasy Impact: Benitez owners actually benefit here because the Giants obviously didn't want him closing games for them anymore. He'll have a good shot to close in Florida. Henry Owens owners can go ahead and drop him now as he appears 3rd in line for saves. Kevin Gregg owners, don't be an idiot like me and drop him. You can keep him active until a game proves that he's no longer the closer, but be very aware that it's a distinct possibility. Even if Gregg loses the job. Benitez could be Julio pt. 2, so keep him stashed unless you need the roster spot. Brad Hennessey owners, I hope you took my advice a day or two ago and picked him up. If he's still available, do so as he's the new Giants closer for now.
Chipper Jones To The DL
Atlanta Braves will place 3B Chipper Jones on the DL with bruised hands.
He hasn't played since May 23rd, and his rehab wasn't going as well as planned, so Atlanta decided not to keep wasting a roster spot and put him on the DL until he's ready to return. This will be done retroactively, and he'll be available to return on June 8th if he has healed by then.
Fantasy Impact: I'm sure Chipper owners were displeased with the fact he hasn't played in 8 days and wasn't placed in the DL in the meantime, but unfortunately that's what makes fantasy and reality different. There's no sense in the Braves putting him on the DL and losing him for the mandatory 15 days when there was a chance of him coming back in 8-10 days. From a fantasy perspective, it's annoying because you can't stash him on the DL until the day after he's placed there, so you're stuck with a dead roster spot until a decision is made. It sounds like he'll return when he's eligible, and his owners had to know he'd make at least one DL visit this year.
He hasn't played since May 23rd, and his rehab wasn't going as well as planned, so Atlanta decided not to keep wasting a roster spot and put him on the DL until he's ready to return. This will be done retroactively, and he'll be available to return on June 8th if he has healed by then.
Fantasy Impact: I'm sure Chipper owners were displeased with the fact he hasn't played in 8 days and wasn't placed in the DL in the meantime, but unfortunately that's what makes fantasy and reality different. There's no sense in the Braves putting him on the DL and losing him for the mandatory 15 days when there was a chance of him coming back in 8-10 days. From a fantasy perspective, it's annoying because you can't stash him on the DL until the day after he's placed there, so you're stuck with a dead roster spot until a decision is made. It sounds like he'll return when he's eligible, and his owners had to know he'd make at least one DL visit this year.
Thursday Wrapup: 2 Months In The Books!
Alright, now that we're 2 months into the fantasy baseball season, this is the time where you have to take a look at your team, especially in rotisserie leagues, and figure out where your strengths and weaknesses are. The first couple months you can worry more about getting the best value in a trade, but now you should think a little more about will this trade negatively impact a particular catagory. Do you have lots of steals but are stuggling in RBIs? Time to deal one of your speeders for a bigger bat. Do you have quality bats through your lineup, but you're down there in ERA/WHIP? Time to use your extra bats to get a quality arm. You can officially start panicking about underperforming players. There's still some quality buy low/sell high guys out there at this point, especially if one terrible month is affecting their overall numbers (Pujols and Delgado come to mind, if their owners are only paying attention to total stats instead of recent trends).
Here's Thursday's action:
Craig Monroe - Hit his 8th HR last night, including his 3rd in the last 7 games. He'll hurt your batting average (.239 this year, .255 last year), but he has power in an impressive lineup. If your AVG can take the hit, he's worth a spot in your lineup as a HR/RBI guy in the 3rd OF/UTIL spot, and he could even be available on waivers.
Justin Verlander - 5 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. Spanked by a great offense last night as he obviously wasn't on his game. AL pitchers just can't maintain an ERA below the low 3s unless they have an elite K rate and outstanding stuff. Verlander has great stuff, but his K rate is not elite (50 K in 68 IP). I don't like his workload last year, given the Tigers went all the way to the World Series, and he has never thrown close to that many innings in his young career. Perhaps he'll stay strong all year, but he's a candidate to fade in the 2nd half.
C.C. Sabathia - 7 1/3 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Another top pitcher not on his game. No worries though, the Detroit offense is playing as good as any offense in baseball right now.
Mike Cameron - He jacked his 5th HR last night, and his numbers are now more in line with what he's been doing for most of his career. Make sure to grab him if he's still out there. He's another low AVG guy, but he's a 25/25 threat and he'll put up solid RBI numbers if he keeps hitting in the middle of the order.
Greg Maddux - 6 2/3 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. A fairly solid outing, and he's still a marginal 5th starter in fantasy leagues pitching half his games in Petco.
Ryan Zimmerman - Cranked his 7th HR last night, 6 of those coming in May. He's still a quality buy-low guy as his overall numbers (.247 AVG, mainly) are below where they should be. Another 100 RBI season will be very tough in that lineup, but he'll continue to improve.
Mark Buerhle - 8 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. His K numbers have improved this year to more of what we're used to seeing from him, and his overall performance reflects that. Given he's pitching for a contract, he should be plenty motivated to keep up the great work (3.66 ERA, career best 1.02 WHIP) he's been doing so far. His Ws are suffering, but those are always more luck based than anything else.
Roy Halladay - 7 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. Welcome back, Roy. He's obviously safe to activate, if you haven't done so already. Hopefully that time off did him good and he'll return to his Cy Young-esque form.
Matt Cain - 7 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. He was battered for all 4 runs and 7/12 baserunners in the first 2 innings, but settled down after that and cruised through the next 5. The Mets offense is undoubtedly a tough matchup, so his overall line wasn't that bad.
Orlando Hernandez - 7 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Cruising right along. As I mentioned before, he'll be a quality fantasy starter when he's healthy. If you can move him in deal to get a less injury-prone starter based on his great numbers so far, I'd do it. He's not so much injury-prone, as he is injury-certain.
Jose Reyes - Stole his 29th base last night. He's on pace for 80 SBs, and he'd be the first player to reach 80 SBs in "I'm too lazy to look it up" long. It's been a while, trust me.
Prince Fielder - HR #19, tying him with Slump-Rod for the major league lead. There's nobody hotter at the plate right now.
Hanley Ramirez - His 16th SB last night. A cheaper, similar version of Jose Reyes. Less steals, more power. He's might be a borderline 1st rounder last year, so everyone who drafted him expecting similar/improved production is jumping for joy at this moment.
Corey Hart - 3/4 with a couple doubles last night. Keep an eye on him as he's a legit talent and possible 3rd OF in fantasy leagues before long. Or, pick him up and stash him if you have room. 20/20 potential.
Bronson Arroyo - 5 IP, 11 H, 8 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. Hope you benched him like I advised...there's something seriously wrong here. His velocity is down and he's getting lit up by bad offenses. Continue to keep him benched until something more comes of this.
Lance Berkman - Bigtime buy low guy here. Hitting only .244 with 6 HRs and 28 RBIs so far. He's been mired in a long slump, but he has a long track record of big years. Hopefully his HR last night gets him going.
Scott Rolen - He's now raised his batting average 50 points over the past 10 days, has 3 multi-hit games in a row including a HR and 2 doubles. He's coming around, and is worth starting again. He's another buy-low guy, although with the depth at 3B all starting to heat up except for Garrett Atkins, odds are you have a similar player on your roster already.
Kelvim Escobar - 8 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 Ks. Bad performance last night, although he still pitched deep into the game and kept his team in it after a rough 5th inning.
Chone Figgins - 3/4 with 2 SBs last night. He's a decent buy-low guy if you're into light-hitting stolen base machines. He'll need to get hot for a while in order to keep his job as I can't see Anaheim putting up with a sub .200 (.160 right now) average for much longer.
Howie Kendrick - His bat has been dead since coming back from the HBP that landed him on the DL for a month. He's too talented of a hitter to keep slumping like this, though. I'd suggest buying low, but like with Rolen, 2B is deep this year and odds are you also have someone like him on your roster.
Ichiro Suzuki - He ends May with a .357 average, 26 Rs, and 13 SBs for the month. What a great comeback he had at the plate in May.
Here's Thursday's action:
Craig Monroe - Hit his 8th HR last night, including his 3rd in the last 7 games. He'll hurt your batting average (.239 this year, .255 last year), but he has power in an impressive lineup. If your AVG can take the hit, he's worth a spot in your lineup as a HR/RBI guy in the 3rd OF/UTIL spot, and he could even be available on waivers.
Justin Verlander - 5 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. Spanked by a great offense last night as he obviously wasn't on his game. AL pitchers just can't maintain an ERA below the low 3s unless they have an elite K rate and outstanding stuff. Verlander has great stuff, but his K rate is not elite (50 K in 68 IP). I don't like his workload last year, given the Tigers went all the way to the World Series, and he has never thrown close to that many innings in his young career. Perhaps he'll stay strong all year, but he's a candidate to fade in the 2nd half.
C.C. Sabathia - 7 1/3 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Another top pitcher not on his game. No worries though, the Detroit offense is playing as good as any offense in baseball right now.
Mike Cameron - He jacked his 5th HR last night, and his numbers are now more in line with what he's been doing for most of his career. Make sure to grab him if he's still out there. He's another low AVG guy, but he's a 25/25 threat and he'll put up solid RBI numbers if he keeps hitting in the middle of the order.
Greg Maddux - 6 2/3 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. A fairly solid outing, and he's still a marginal 5th starter in fantasy leagues pitching half his games in Petco.
Ryan Zimmerman - Cranked his 7th HR last night, 6 of those coming in May. He's still a quality buy-low guy as his overall numbers (.247 AVG, mainly) are below where they should be. Another 100 RBI season will be very tough in that lineup, but he'll continue to improve.
Mark Buerhle - 8 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. His K numbers have improved this year to more of what we're used to seeing from him, and his overall performance reflects that. Given he's pitching for a contract, he should be plenty motivated to keep up the great work (3.66 ERA, career best 1.02 WHIP) he's been doing so far. His Ws are suffering, but those are always more luck based than anything else.
Roy Halladay - 7 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. Welcome back, Roy. He's obviously safe to activate, if you haven't done so already. Hopefully that time off did him good and he'll return to his Cy Young-esque form.
Matt Cain - 7 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. He was battered for all 4 runs and 7/12 baserunners in the first 2 innings, but settled down after that and cruised through the next 5. The Mets offense is undoubtedly a tough matchup, so his overall line wasn't that bad.
Orlando Hernandez - 7 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Cruising right along. As I mentioned before, he'll be a quality fantasy starter when he's healthy. If you can move him in deal to get a less injury-prone starter based on his great numbers so far, I'd do it. He's not so much injury-prone, as he is injury-certain.
Jose Reyes - Stole his 29th base last night. He's on pace for 80 SBs, and he'd be the first player to reach 80 SBs in "I'm too lazy to look it up" long. It's been a while, trust me.
Prince Fielder - HR #19, tying him with Slump-Rod for the major league lead. There's nobody hotter at the plate right now.
Hanley Ramirez - His 16th SB last night. A cheaper, similar version of Jose Reyes. Less steals, more power. He's might be a borderline 1st rounder last year, so everyone who drafted him expecting similar/improved production is jumping for joy at this moment.
Corey Hart - 3/4 with a couple doubles last night. Keep an eye on him as he's a legit talent and possible 3rd OF in fantasy leagues before long. Or, pick him up and stash him if you have room. 20/20 potential.
Bronson Arroyo - 5 IP, 11 H, 8 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. Hope you benched him like I advised...there's something seriously wrong here. His velocity is down and he's getting lit up by bad offenses. Continue to keep him benched until something more comes of this.
Lance Berkman - Bigtime buy low guy here. Hitting only .244 with 6 HRs and 28 RBIs so far. He's been mired in a long slump, but he has a long track record of big years. Hopefully his HR last night gets him going.
Scott Rolen - He's now raised his batting average 50 points over the past 10 days, has 3 multi-hit games in a row including a HR and 2 doubles. He's coming around, and is worth starting again. He's another buy-low guy, although with the depth at 3B all starting to heat up except for Garrett Atkins, odds are you have a similar player on your roster already.
Kelvim Escobar - 8 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 Ks. Bad performance last night, although he still pitched deep into the game and kept his team in it after a rough 5th inning.
Chone Figgins - 3/4 with 2 SBs last night. He's a decent buy-low guy if you're into light-hitting stolen base machines. He'll need to get hot for a while in order to keep his job as I can't see Anaheim putting up with a sub .200 (.160 right now) average for much longer.
Howie Kendrick - His bat has been dead since coming back from the HBP that landed him on the DL for a month. He's too talented of a hitter to keep slumping like this, though. I'd suggest buying low, but like with Rolen, 2B is deep this year and odds are you also have someone like him on your roster.
Ichiro Suzuki - He ends May with a .357 average, 26 Rs, and 13 SBs for the month. What a great comeback he had at the plate in May.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Jason Giambi To The DL
New York Yankee's DH Jason Giambi will be headed to the DL with torn tissue in the arch of his left foot.
Giambi is expected to miss at least 3 weeks. He's been pretty mediocre at the plate so far this year, hitting .262 with only 7 HRs, 23 RBIs, and 19 Rs.
Fantasy Impact: I'm sure many fantasy owners were using him in some capacity, likely in a UTIL role. He can be filled with a bench hitter, and people to pick up would be Edwin Encarnacion, Carlos Quentin, or Mike Cameron (who's surprisingly unowned in both my leagues currently).
Giambi is expected to miss at least 3 weeks. He's been pretty mediocre at the plate so far this year, hitting .262 with only 7 HRs, 23 RBIs, and 19 Rs.
Fantasy Impact: I'm sure many fantasy owners were using him in some capacity, likely in a UTIL role. He can be filled with a bench hitter, and people to pick up would be Edwin Encarnacion, Carlos Quentin, or Mike Cameron (who's surprisingly unowned in both my leagues currently).
Wednesday Wrapup: Prince Of Power, Felix Struggles Again, And Red Hot Guerrero
Kelly Johnson - The man won't stop hitting, and he will likely end the season as the waiver wire pickup of the year at 2B position, much like Dan Uggla last season. He hit his 7th HR while scoring 2 Rs and driving in 2. He's up to .289 on the season, and with an OBP of .395 and 5 SBs, he's been an excellent leadoff man for the Braves. Given the quality of the lineup the Braves have behind him, Johnson will be a great fantasy option all season long.
Prince Fielder - He's now pacing the NL with 18 HRs, and with his .291 AVG, he's been a fantasy monster all year long. His season this year reminds me a lot of Ryan Howard's last year, but without the pre-season hype. Your team is likely golden if you drafted him as your starting 1B, getting borderline 1st round value from a later pick.
Tim Hudson - Back to form with 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 3 Ks. I'm not sure where I stand on him. Given some of his seasons in the AL with Oakland, it's possible he could give you a sub 3.00 ERA in the NL. His WHIP of 1.08 so far matches his career best in 2003 when he posted a career low 2.70 ERA. His K rate this year isn't quite as high as it was last year, but it's not dramatically lower, and pitching in the NL could negate that difference. If you've held onto him this long, it's probably in your best interest to keep him unless you can get a better K pitcher in return.
Dave Bush - I read a great line on him the other day when people on a message board were discussing starting him, and one guy stated "There's a restraining order preventing Bush from getting anywhere near my starting pitcher spots until he show signs of being a major league pitcher." Haha. Well, last night was a big step in the right direction, giving his owners 7 IP with 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, and 6 Ks. I'd recommend waiting another start before activating him, if you've held onto him this long, and he's worth picking up if you have pitching troubles.
Jon Garland - Remember I said it was worth picking him up after 2 straight 1 ER starts? Well, I hope you didn't have him active. 2 straight bad performances from him, including a season high 5 BBs and 6 ERs last night. His K rate is brutal (26 K in 69 IP), and I read he's not getting as many groundballs as in the past. That's not a recipe for success, although his WHIP remains very strong at 1.16. With the lack of Ks, making him a 3 catagory pitcher, I just don't think he's worth the risk unless he's pitching lights out (Fausto Carmona being a good comparison).
Scott Baker - I really thought he had turned it around after his first start, but apparently he's still having problems. He's definitely off-the-radar again for now, and he could be out-of-the-rotation very soon with Matt Garza pitching very well in AAA. He's a better pitcher than this, so I'm not sure what the problem is. Regardless, you can either stop monitoring him, or drop him if you had him stashed.
Michael Young - He's raised his average 24 points over the past 10 days, but only has 3 Rs, 0 HRs, and 2 RBIs to show for it. He's just not producing, and hopefully you've picked up a quality SS off the waiver wire to plug in while he works through his troubles. He's only 30 years old and has 4 straight years of hitting over .300, so he'll likely rebound sometime soon. He's definitely overrated in fantasy leagues unless he regains his 20 HR power.
Dan Haren - 8 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, and 4 Ks for the win. He's like the damn Energizer bunny with these starts, not allowing more than 3 ER all year, with his only 3 ER performance being on opening day. He's seriously the 2006 Brandon Webb of this year.
Grady Sizemore - Another HR and SB for him last night. He's been a fantasy monster outside of the disappointing .269 AVG.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - He didn't rebound like I thought he would. He went 4 strong innings, but then gave up 6 ER and 8 Hs over the last 1 2/3 IP of his outing. He might still be adjusting to the major leagues at this point, and his 4.83 ERA and 1.31 WHIP are awfully disappointing. I stayed away from him due to the hype this spring, and he's a perfect example of why you don't pay a high price for a player who hasn't established himself in the major leagues yet.
Khalil Greene - A grand slam last night to give him 7 HRs on the season, but thanks to his horrible AVG (.221), playing half his games at Petco, and his 7th spot in the batting order, he's not an option in mixed leagues.
Jason Bay - A stolen base last night! I thought I had read the boxscore wrong. Bay has been extremely disappointing in the SB department, attempting and swiping his only base of the year last night after stealing 32 bases in 35 tries over the last two seasons. He's coming off of offseason knee surgery, but he's obviously healthy, so I have no idea why he's not stealing bases. Several Pirates fans have said the 2005 total of 21 SBs was a big fluke, but he did swipe 11 last year. Don't expect many more, apparently, even though you probably drafted him assuming 10-15 would be on the way.
Chris Young (SD) - 7 IP of shutout ball last night, allowing only 4 Hs and 1 BB while K'ing 7. He's been outstanding the last 3 times out, but like I said before, given his propensity to wear down as the season goes along, he's still a great sell-high candidate.
Eric Byrnes - 2 HRs last night, giving him 8 HRs to go along with 9 SBs. He was the most underrated 25/25 threat in the draft this year, and he's on pace for just that. He only hit .267 last year, but that's because he hit a lowly .244 against RHP. He's up to .306 this season, including a very impressive .317 against RHP this year. It's very possible he's solved this huge hole in his game, and he could end up not hurting your AVG like he did last season.
Randy Johnson - Apparently that forearm wasn't a problem at all, as he pitched 6 shutout innings last night, allowing only 1 hit and K'ing 6 in a very impressive 61 pitch outing. His last 4 starts have been very good, and he'll be a top NL starter as long as he stays healthy.
Felipe Lopez - If you're still holding out hope for him, knock it off. With his lack of HR/RBI potential and his subpar AVG, owners needed him to repeat his 40+ SB season to warrant using him. He's now 6/11 in SBs this year, making him pretty much useless.
Russell Martin - The new #3 catcher behind Mauer/Martinez in fantasy? He could be. He's only hit 4 HRs this year, but he's stolen 8 bases, is hitting .303, and has 32 Rs and 36 RBIs. That's an impressive offensive line for a catcher.
Alex Rios - HR #12 last night. Yup, trading him to get Manny Ramirez is definitely paying off...for the other damn owner.
Barry Zito - He's rolling now, shutting out the Mets for 7 innings last night, holding them to 6 Hs and 1 BB while K'ing 7. He seems to be locked in now and could be in for a nice stretch of outings.
Brad Hennessey - A changing of the guard at the closer position for the Giants? He notched his 2nd save last night after Benitez's ugly outing the night before. I wouldn't overreact and say this is a permanent change, but he's worth adding to find out. He doesn't overpower hitters with 14 Ks in 22 1/3 IP, but with a 2.83 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, he's been a very good reliever.
Elijah Dukes - He's been killing the ball much like he threatened to do to his wife. OK, that was an ugly joke, but he does have 10 HRs. His .223 AVG and 25 Rs/19 RBIs make him a 1 catagory player so far, but he does have legit talent as a hitter. Fantasy baseball aside, it's a complete joke that MLB isn't doing anything regarding his situation. The wife has filed a restarining order, and if he's taken to court for anything, MLB better step up and deliver a harsh punishment for this troubled youngster. He's hardly been a model citizen so far in his career.
James Shields - His amazing breakthrough season continues. He allowed 3 ERs and 5 Hs in the first inning, and then allowed 2 Hs and 1 BB the rest of the game for his 2nd complete game of the year. Given how he tamed the explosive Tigers offense, he's a must-start from here on out.
Sergio Mitre - Those who started him last night had to be angered as the misfortune. He left after 4 innings with hamstring cramps up 4-0, but not before he had K'd 7 hitters and allowed only 3 Hs and 1 BB. I'm still scared of a meltdown, but he posted 5 quality starts in a row before leaving early last night on his way to a 6th. He ratios are amazing (1.74 ERA, 1.10 WHIP), and his K rate isn't that bad (38 Ks in 51 2/3 IP). Perhaps he's really breaking out, although no one is taking him too seriously yet. Perhaps you should add him and find out? I'm tempted to.
Aaron Harang - A CG last night for Harang, allowing 6 Hs and 2 ER while K'ing 7. That's two great starts, so hopefully you tried to buy low on him when I suggested doing so.
Erik Bedard - 8 IP of shutout ball last night, allowing 4 Hs and 2 BBs to go with 5 Ks. It was against the Royals, so he delivered exactly as his owners were expecting. That's 6 straight quality starts for Bedard after a rough beginning of the season.
Gil Meche - Perhaps the most underrated signing of the offseason thus far, Meche has reverted back to his 2006 1st half successful form, posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. He'll have to get that WHIP down to maintain his solid ERA, but his 57 Ks in 78 IP is solid.
Albert Pujols - 2/4 with a 3 run HR last night. He hasn't had a big power explosion yet, but he's hitting .340 this month after a disgusting April. The power should soon follow. I'd still attempt to buy low given his overall numbers so far, although it'll be harder now.
Felix Hernandez - He's still not right, allowing 9 Hs, 3 HRs, and 7 ERs in 6 IP last night. Maybe his back is still bothering him, but who knows. If you're a gambling man, now's a good time to attempt to trade for him as his redraft league value won't get much lower. I'm not sure where he's at health-wise given his struggles since he returned from an arm injury, but I'm very tempted to bench him until he turns in an impressive performance.
Jeff Weaver - Also an ugly outing for this youngster, going 4 2/3 IP while allowing 9 Hs, 3 BBs, and 5 ERs. He's pitched well recently, so he just ran into a hot offense. He should be fine.
Vladimir Guerrero - What a monster he's been this season, hitting a whopping .350 with 11 HRs and 44 RBIs. He doesn't steal much anymore, going 1/2 so far this season, but with the other numbers he's putting up, nobody cares.
Prince Fielder - He's now pacing the NL with 18 HRs, and with his .291 AVG, he's been a fantasy monster all year long. His season this year reminds me a lot of Ryan Howard's last year, but without the pre-season hype. Your team is likely golden if you drafted him as your starting 1B, getting borderline 1st round value from a later pick.
Tim Hudson - Back to form with 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 3 Ks. I'm not sure where I stand on him. Given some of his seasons in the AL with Oakland, it's possible he could give you a sub 3.00 ERA in the NL. His WHIP of 1.08 so far matches his career best in 2003 when he posted a career low 2.70 ERA. His K rate this year isn't quite as high as it was last year, but it's not dramatically lower, and pitching in the NL could negate that difference. If you've held onto him this long, it's probably in your best interest to keep him unless you can get a better K pitcher in return.
Dave Bush - I read a great line on him the other day when people on a message board were discussing starting him, and one guy stated "There's a restraining order preventing Bush from getting anywhere near my starting pitcher spots until he show signs of being a major league pitcher." Haha. Well, last night was a big step in the right direction, giving his owners 7 IP with 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, and 6 Ks. I'd recommend waiting another start before activating him, if you've held onto him this long, and he's worth picking up if you have pitching troubles.
Jon Garland - Remember I said it was worth picking him up after 2 straight 1 ER starts? Well, I hope you didn't have him active. 2 straight bad performances from him, including a season high 5 BBs and 6 ERs last night. His K rate is brutal (26 K in 69 IP), and I read he's not getting as many groundballs as in the past. That's not a recipe for success, although his WHIP remains very strong at 1.16. With the lack of Ks, making him a 3 catagory pitcher, I just don't think he's worth the risk unless he's pitching lights out (Fausto Carmona being a good comparison).
Scott Baker - I really thought he had turned it around after his first start, but apparently he's still having problems. He's definitely off-the-radar again for now, and he could be out-of-the-rotation very soon with Matt Garza pitching very well in AAA. He's a better pitcher than this, so I'm not sure what the problem is. Regardless, you can either stop monitoring him, or drop him if you had him stashed.
Michael Young - He's raised his average 24 points over the past 10 days, but only has 3 Rs, 0 HRs, and 2 RBIs to show for it. He's just not producing, and hopefully you've picked up a quality SS off the waiver wire to plug in while he works through his troubles. He's only 30 years old and has 4 straight years of hitting over .300, so he'll likely rebound sometime soon. He's definitely overrated in fantasy leagues unless he regains his 20 HR power.
Dan Haren - 8 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, and 4 Ks for the win. He's like the damn Energizer bunny with these starts, not allowing more than 3 ER all year, with his only 3 ER performance being on opening day. He's seriously the 2006 Brandon Webb of this year.
Grady Sizemore - Another HR and SB for him last night. He's been a fantasy monster outside of the disappointing .269 AVG.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - He didn't rebound like I thought he would. He went 4 strong innings, but then gave up 6 ER and 8 Hs over the last 1 2/3 IP of his outing. He might still be adjusting to the major leagues at this point, and his 4.83 ERA and 1.31 WHIP are awfully disappointing. I stayed away from him due to the hype this spring, and he's a perfect example of why you don't pay a high price for a player who hasn't established himself in the major leagues yet.
Khalil Greene - A grand slam last night to give him 7 HRs on the season, but thanks to his horrible AVG (.221), playing half his games at Petco, and his 7th spot in the batting order, he's not an option in mixed leagues.
Jason Bay - A stolen base last night! I thought I had read the boxscore wrong. Bay has been extremely disappointing in the SB department, attempting and swiping his only base of the year last night after stealing 32 bases in 35 tries over the last two seasons. He's coming off of offseason knee surgery, but he's obviously healthy, so I have no idea why he's not stealing bases. Several Pirates fans have said the 2005 total of 21 SBs was a big fluke, but he did swipe 11 last year. Don't expect many more, apparently, even though you probably drafted him assuming 10-15 would be on the way.
Chris Young (SD) - 7 IP of shutout ball last night, allowing only 4 Hs and 1 BB while K'ing 7. He's been outstanding the last 3 times out, but like I said before, given his propensity to wear down as the season goes along, he's still a great sell-high candidate.
Eric Byrnes - 2 HRs last night, giving him 8 HRs to go along with 9 SBs. He was the most underrated 25/25 threat in the draft this year, and he's on pace for just that. He only hit .267 last year, but that's because he hit a lowly .244 against RHP. He's up to .306 this season, including a very impressive .317 against RHP this year. It's very possible he's solved this huge hole in his game, and he could end up not hurting your AVG like he did last season.
Randy Johnson - Apparently that forearm wasn't a problem at all, as he pitched 6 shutout innings last night, allowing only 1 hit and K'ing 6 in a very impressive 61 pitch outing. His last 4 starts have been very good, and he'll be a top NL starter as long as he stays healthy.
Felipe Lopez - If you're still holding out hope for him, knock it off. With his lack of HR/RBI potential and his subpar AVG, owners needed him to repeat his 40+ SB season to warrant using him. He's now 6/11 in SBs this year, making him pretty much useless.
Russell Martin - The new #3 catcher behind Mauer/Martinez in fantasy? He could be. He's only hit 4 HRs this year, but he's stolen 8 bases, is hitting .303, and has 32 Rs and 36 RBIs. That's an impressive offensive line for a catcher.
Alex Rios - HR #12 last night. Yup, trading him to get Manny Ramirez is definitely paying off...for the other damn owner.
Barry Zito - He's rolling now, shutting out the Mets for 7 innings last night, holding them to 6 Hs and 1 BB while K'ing 7. He seems to be locked in now and could be in for a nice stretch of outings.
Brad Hennessey - A changing of the guard at the closer position for the Giants? He notched his 2nd save last night after Benitez's ugly outing the night before. I wouldn't overreact and say this is a permanent change, but he's worth adding to find out. He doesn't overpower hitters with 14 Ks in 22 1/3 IP, but with a 2.83 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, he's been a very good reliever.
Elijah Dukes - He's been killing the ball much like he threatened to do to his wife. OK, that was an ugly joke, but he does have 10 HRs. His .223 AVG and 25 Rs/19 RBIs make him a 1 catagory player so far, but he does have legit talent as a hitter. Fantasy baseball aside, it's a complete joke that MLB isn't doing anything regarding his situation. The wife has filed a restarining order, and if he's taken to court for anything, MLB better step up and deliver a harsh punishment for this troubled youngster. He's hardly been a model citizen so far in his career.
James Shields - His amazing breakthrough season continues. He allowed 3 ERs and 5 Hs in the first inning, and then allowed 2 Hs and 1 BB the rest of the game for his 2nd complete game of the year. Given how he tamed the explosive Tigers offense, he's a must-start from here on out.
Sergio Mitre - Those who started him last night had to be angered as the misfortune. He left after 4 innings with hamstring cramps up 4-0, but not before he had K'd 7 hitters and allowed only 3 Hs and 1 BB. I'm still scared of a meltdown, but he posted 5 quality starts in a row before leaving early last night on his way to a 6th. He ratios are amazing (1.74 ERA, 1.10 WHIP), and his K rate isn't that bad (38 Ks in 51 2/3 IP). Perhaps he's really breaking out, although no one is taking him too seriously yet. Perhaps you should add him and find out? I'm tempted to.
Aaron Harang - A CG last night for Harang, allowing 6 Hs and 2 ER while K'ing 7. That's two great starts, so hopefully you tried to buy low on him when I suggested doing so.
Erik Bedard - 8 IP of shutout ball last night, allowing 4 Hs and 2 BBs to go with 5 Ks. It was against the Royals, so he delivered exactly as his owners were expecting. That's 6 straight quality starts for Bedard after a rough beginning of the season.
Gil Meche - Perhaps the most underrated signing of the offseason thus far, Meche has reverted back to his 2006 1st half successful form, posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. He'll have to get that WHIP down to maintain his solid ERA, but his 57 Ks in 78 IP is solid.
Albert Pujols - 2/4 with a 3 run HR last night. He hasn't had a big power explosion yet, but he's hitting .340 this month after a disgusting April. The power should soon follow. I'd still attempt to buy low given his overall numbers so far, although it'll be harder now.
Felix Hernandez - He's still not right, allowing 9 Hs, 3 HRs, and 7 ERs in 6 IP last night. Maybe his back is still bothering him, but who knows. If you're a gambling man, now's a good time to attempt to trade for him as his redraft league value won't get much lower. I'm not sure where he's at health-wise given his struggles since he returned from an arm injury, but I'm very tempted to bench him until he turns in an impressive performance.
Jeff Weaver - Also an ugly outing for this youngster, going 4 2/3 IP while allowing 9 Hs, 3 BBs, and 5 ERs. He's pitched well recently, so he just ran into a hot offense. He should be fine.
Vladimir Guerrero - What a monster he's been this season, hitting a whopping .350 with 11 HRs and 44 RBIs. He doesn't steal much anymore, going 1/2 so far this season, but with the other numbers he's putting up, nobody cares.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday In Review
Tom Gorzelanny - Gorzelanny was a bit sloppy in 7 IP, allowing 7 Hs and 3 BBs, but he limited the Padres to 1 ER and lowered his ERA to 2.39. As I said before, he won't keep his ERA below 3 for very long with a WHIP of 1.26, but he'll be a quality pitcher for as long as he remains healthy. That sounds like a sell high candidate, doesn't it?
Jason Bay - Bay is officially on fire, registering 4 multiple hit games in his last 5, including 3 HRs. It was overdue, but he might keep this up for quite some time. Now if only the Butt Pirates would be smart enough to bat their best hitter 3rd instead of sliding both Sanchez and Bay down in the order so that Duffy and his .236 AVG can hit 2nd.
Salomon Torres - By allowing only 2 ER in his last 10 appearances, Torres has added some job security to his role as the Pittsburgh closer. I'm sure his owners were living life on the edge, but he's settled down quite a bit since his rough start. Owners might want to play up the hot streak and move him for a closer with more job security. Much like Chad Cordero, he's closing for a team going nowhere and could be an attractive setup man while the Pirates explore younger, in-house alternatives for next season.
Carlos Quentin - Those who need OF help should look here. He's a quality, young hitter who was probably dropped in many leagues due to his slow start and injury. He's only 24 with limited major league experience, so he'll have his ups and downs, but he has solid upside and could prove to be a nice pickup as he gets acquainted with the major leagues.
Josh Beckett - He returned from his blister like he never left, allowing 3 Hs, 1 BB, and 2 ER while K'ing 7 in 7 innings. I'm starting to re-think my suggestion to never start pitchers coming off an injury. It's been a mixed bag this year, and that seems to be the case when starting most pitchers. Unless you know they'll be on a strict pitch count and have missed a month or more, it seems reasonable to go ahead and start them as you normally would.
Hideki Okajima - Okajima picked up his 4th save of the season last night. He's turning out to be a very valuable non-closer. Between Boston's ability to generate lots of save chances and Papelbon's inability to be used like most rubber-armed closers, Okajima will continue to pick up a save here and there throughout the season. Papelbon owners should take a serious look into acquiring him as insurance as he probably can be had fairly cheap.
Brad Penny - He continues to dominate, throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings while only allowing 4 Hs and 1 BB. He also K'd 4 in the outing. He's extending his sell-high window with outings like this, so make sure to take advantage. Don't have him on your team when he goes south.
Jason Giambi - He stole a base last night. Must have had one of those injections in his leg muscles.
Jeremy Accardo - 1 2/3 more innings of shutout ball last night against the Yankees. He did finally give up a few runs in a blown save against the Twins a few nights ago, but he was due for one of those. What's most important here is his mental state and ability to bounce back after an outing like that. It's a great sign for him going forward.
Tim Lincecum - He continues to roll, allowing 6 baserunners and 3 ERs in 7 IP against the powerful Mets offense. He also K'd 8 hitters. He is an every-outing start, and he's making me look silly for not stashing him in at least one of my leagues.
Oliver Perez - The amazing comeback season continues as he allowed 5 hits and 3 ER in 7 IP while K'ing 8 of his own against Lincecum last night. It's a shame 3 of those 5 hits were HRs, but at least they were all solo shots. He had only allowed 6 all season prior to this outing, so HRs shouldn't be a problem for him moving forward.
Carlos Delgado - 2 more HRs last night, so his buy-low window has officially closed. Hopefully you tried to acquire him when I suggested it a couple weeks ago!
Gary Sheffield - 2 more HRs last night as well, and he's on complete fire with 9 Rs, 5 HRs, and 9 RBIs over his past 10 games. His slow start is a thing of the past, and his AVG should continue it's rise towards the .300 territory.
Jeremy Bonderman - Another great outing post-injury, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing 1 ER on 4 Hs while K'ing 8. He's been on a roll since coming back from his blister, and hopefully this will be his breakout year where he both starts and finishes strong.
Jeremy Hermida - Hit a towering 3 run blast and also stole a base last night. After his torrid start coming off the DL, he's cooled down quite a bit and his batting average plummeted to .240. Hopefully he's shaken off the mini-slump and can resume his quest towards becoming a great fantasy OF.
Kevin Gregg - No save opportunity presented itself at the beginning of the 9th inning the last two nights, but he's come in and given up 2 singles and struck out the other 5 guys he's faced for 2 saves. He has a real chance to hold this job down all year.
David Weathers - He bounced back from his ugly 6 ER outing by allowing 2 BBs in a scoreless inning for his 10th save. He's not a good bet to stay the closer all year long, so he remains one to be moved as his overall numbers remain solid.
Ben Sheets - He endured a tough 3 ER, 4 H 1st inning, but he settled down nicely after that, posting a 6 IP, 11 H, 2 K a performance. Given he was coming back from a finger blister, this was a solid outing and he should pitch better next time out.
John Smoltz - Not good. He left after allowing 3 ER and 8 Hs in 3 1/3 IP with both an irritated pinky finger from his previous injury, and more alarmingly a strained right shoulder. If he was dealing with finger pain on his throwing hand, it's possible he might have altered his delivery and hurt his shoulder, but that's just pure speculation. Smoltz said that it's no big deal, but this is obviously cause for some concern. They'll see how his bullpen session goes and take it from there.
Mark Teahen - A HR? Really? Gee, thanks Mark. Unfortunately I'm starting him at 3B thanks to the lack of any other option there on one of my teams. I thought he'd bust through a little more this year, and while his overall numbers are fairly solid, he doesn't have any catagory that stands out.
Boof Bonser - 10 baserunners in 6 2/3 IP, but he K'd 6 and pitched around jams by only allowing 1 ER. He won't continue to do that, so he'll have to keep working on his walks and Hs to keep his ERA below 4.
Scott Rolen - Slowly but surely he's turning his season around. 3/4 with a HR last night, and he's raised his average 32 points over the past 10 games. Only 1 HR in that stretch, but the power should come as he starts to hit better.
Ervin Santana - Wanna know one of the wildest split stats in baseball? Here is your man. At home: 2.95 ERA, 1.13 WHIP. On the road: 6.98 ERA, 1.63 WHIP. He makes for a great 6th starter that you only use when he's at home. That's as extreme as splits get, but this is about 2 years worth of numbers so it's a legit reason to use him in that manner. At home last night he went 7 IP, allowing 6 baserunners and striking out 4.
Jason Bay - Bay is officially on fire, registering 4 multiple hit games in his last 5, including 3 HRs. It was overdue, but he might keep this up for quite some time. Now if only the Butt Pirates would be smart enough to bat their best hitter 3rd instead of sliding both Sanchez and Bay down in the order so that Duffy and his .236 AVG can hit 2nd.
Salomon Torres - By allowing only 2 ER in his last 10 appearances, Torres has added some job security to his role as the Pittsburgh closer. I'm sure his owners were living life on the edge, but he's settled down quite a bit since his rough start. Owners might want to play up the hot streak and move him for a closer with more job security. Much like Chad Cordero, he's closing for a team going nowhere and could be an attractive setup man while the Pirates explore younger, in-house alternatives for next season.
Carlos Quentin - Those who need OF help should look here. He's a quality, young hitter who was probably dropped in many leagues due to his slow start and injury. He's only 24 with limited major league experience, so he'll have his ups and downs, but he has solid upside and could prove to be a nice pickup as he gets acquainted with the major leagues.
Josh Beckett - He returned from his blister like he never left, allowing 3 Hs, 1 BB, and 2 ER while K'ing 7 in 7 innings. I'm starting to re-think my suggestion to never start pitchers coming off an injury. It's been a mixed bag this year, and that seems to be the case when starting most pitchers. Unless you know they'll be on a strict pitch count and have missed a month or more, it seems reasonable to go ahead and start them as you normally would.
Hideki Okajima - Okajima picked up his 4th save of the season last night. He's turning out to be a very valuable non-closer. Between Boston's ability to generate lots of save chances and Papelbon's inability to be used like most rubber-armed closers, Okajima will continue to pick up a save here and there throughout the season. Papelbon owners should take a serious look into acquiring him as insurance as he probably can be had fairly cheap.
Brad Penny - He continues to dominate, throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings while only allowing 4 Hs and 1 BB. He also K'd 4 in the outing. He's extending his sell-high window with outings like this, so make sure to take advantage. Don't have him on your team when he goes south.
Jason Giambi - He stole a base last night. Must have had one of those injections in his leg muscles.
Jeremy Accardo - 1 2/3 more innings of shutout ball last night against the Yankees. He did finally give up a few runs in a blown save against the Twins a few nights ago, but he was due for one of those. What's most important here is his mental state and ability to bounce back after an outing like that. It's a great sign for him going forward.
Tim Lincecum - He continues to roll, allowing 6 baserunners and 3 ERs in 7 IP against the powerful Mets offense. He also K'd 8 hitters. He is an every-outing start, and he's making me look silly for not stashing him in at least one of my leagues.
Oliver Perez - The amazing comeback season continues as he allowed 5 hits and 3 ER in 7 IP while K'ing 8 of his own against Lincecum last night. It's a shame 3 of those 5 hits were HRs, but at least they were all solo shots. He had only allowed 6 all season prior to this outing, so HRs shouldn't be a problem for him moving forward.
Carlos Delgado - 2 more HRs last night, so his buy-low window has officially closed. Hopefully you tried to acquire him when I suggested it a couple weeks ago!
Gary Sheffield - 2 more HRs last night as well, and he's on complete fire with 9 Rs, 5 HRs, and 9 RBIs over his past 10 games. His slow start is a thing of the past, and his AVG should continue it's rise towards the .300 territory.
Jeremy Bonderman - Another great outing post-injury, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing 1 ER on 4 Hs while K'ing 8. He's been on a roll since coming back from his blister, and hopefully this will be his breakout year where he both starts and finishes strong.
Jeremy Hermida - Hit a towering 3 run blast and also stole a base last night. After his torrid start coming off the DL, he's cooled down quite a bit and his batting average plummeted to .240. Hopefully he's shaken off the mini-slump and can resume his quest towards becoming a great fantasy OF.
Kevin Gregg - No save opportunity presented itself at the beginning of the 9th inning the last two nights, but he's come in and given up 2 singles and struck out the other 5 guys he's faced for 2 saves. He has a real chance to hold this job down all year.
David Weathers - He bounced back from his ugly 6 ER outing by allowing 2 BBs in a scoreless inning for his 10th save. He's not a good bet to stay the closer all year long, so he remains one to be moved as his overall numbers remain solid.
Ben Sheets - He endured a tough 3 ER, 4 H 1st inning, but he settled down nicely after that, posting a 6 IP, 11 H, 2 K a performance. Given he was coming back from a finger blister, this was a solid outing and he should pitch better next time out.
John Smoltz - Not good. He left after allowing 3 ER and 8 Hs in 3 1/3 IP with both an irritated pinky finger from his previous injury, and more alarmingly a strained right shoulder. If he was dealing with finger pain on his throwing hand, it's possible he might have altered his delivery and hurt his shoulder, but that's just pure speculation. Smoltz said that it's no big deal, but this is obviously cause for some concern. They'll see how his bullpen session goes and take it from there.
Mark Teahen - A HR? Really? Gee, thanks Mark. Unfortunately I'm starting him at 3B thanks to the lack of any other option there on one of my teams. I thought he'd bust through a little more this year, and while his overall numbers are fairly solid, he doesn't have any catagory that stands out.
Boof Bonser - 10 baserunners in 6 2/3 IP, but he K'd 6 and pitched around jams by only allowing 1 ER. He won't continue to do that, so he'll have to keep working on his walks and Hs to keep his ERA below 4.
Scott Rolen - Slowly but surely he's turning his season around. 3/4 with a HR last night, and he's raised his average 32 points over the past 10 games. Only 1 HR in that stretch, but the power should come as he starts to hit better.
Ervin Santana - Wanna know one of the wildest split stats in baseball? Here is your man. At home: 2.95 ERA, 1.13 WHIP. On the road: 6.98 ERA, 1.63 WHIP. He makes for a great 6th starter that you only use when he's at home. That's as extreme as splits get, but this is about 2 years worth of numbers so it's a legit reason to use him in that manner. At home last night he went 7 IP, allowing 6 baserunners and striking out 4.
Memorial Day Weekend Wrapup
Between Memorial Day festivities and a busy day at work yesterday, I've fallen a bit behind. Here's a recap of the action on Sunday and Monday...
Scott Olsen - A popular sleeper pick heading into the year, but he's done nothing but disappoint with a 5.11 ERA. He hasn't shown any signs of turning it around, so he's worth dropping in mixed leagues at this point for those who tried to show patience with him. Keep an eye and don't be afraid to pick him back up if he strings 3-4 solid performances in a row together.
David Wright - He stole his 10th base on Sunday, and he hasn't been caught yet this year. His previous high of SBs is 20, and he's now on pace for a bit over 30, so this is a nice surprise for his owners. However, his .267 AVG, 8 HRs and 27 RBIs are definitely a disappointment as we reach 1/3 of the way through the season. He's too good not to get real hot, so I'd look into buying him at a discount right now.
Alex Rodriguez - A-Rod continues his horrible slump as his AVG has now fallen under .300, and while the 5 HRs this month have been nice, his crappy batting average and lack of run production when he does get a hit are extremely frustrating. Look for him to get back on track sometime soon.
Bobby Abreu - He's now hitting .228, and there's no explanation for his struggles that I can see. Torre has tried moving him around in the lineup, but that hasn't helped either. He has a long career of .300 AVG and .400 OBP, so this is way out of line for his performance. He's not dealing with a leg injury as he's stolen 8 bases so far, but all other stats are way down. I'd still suggest buying low as his long career indicates this is quite an anomaly, but buy way low because his slump has hit 2 months and there's always a chance this could be some bigger problem.
Ryan Howard - It's safe to say he's back. 4/8 with 3 HRs and 5 RBIs over Sunday/Monday. His batting average, which was a fluky .313 last season, is sitting at a horrible .224. Expect a nice rebound there, but I don't see him hitting .300 again with the amount of times he strikes out (44 Ks in 34 games this year, 181 Ks last season).
Cole Hamels - Maybe I'm expecting too much from him, but a 3.74 ERA from this young kid seems a bit high. He's allowed 10 HRs already, so that's definitely playing a part in his ERA thus far. Unless he can control the HRs, expect an ERA in the mid 3's even though he has low 3's stuff. The fact he pitches half his games in Citizen's Bank doesn't help, either.
Adam Dunn - 2 HRs and 4 RBIs on Sunday, and he's putting together a great season so far. His .258 average would be the 2nd best of his career, and the 14 HRs with 33 RBIs, 38 Rs, and 7 SBs round out his season thus far. Despite the low average, Dunn is solid in OBP, posting OBP's over 100 points higher than his AVG for his career. It's a shame that manager Jerry Narron wastes that production when he could be hitting 2nd.
Nick Swisher - Adam Dunn - lite. Providing excellent draft day value with a .298 AVG thus far. His BBs are impressive as usual, and his K rate is a bit better this year. I don't expect his AVG to stay that high this year, so if you can find someone who does, I'd look to upgrade.
Joe Blanton - Gross. 8 ERs and 10 Hs in 6 IP. A popular waiver pickup in mixed leagues recently, myself included, and he's rewarded his owners with 2 staright poor performances. I'd hold him unless you see another pitching option on the waiver wire that you like a lot in case this is just a bump in the road, but he's disappointed badly last year and that can't be ignored.
Miguel Tejada - This recent power surge was a blessing for all his owners. He smacked 3 HRs in 4 days while driving in 8 runs and scoring 4 to bring him up to 5 HRs total. If he's re-discovered his power stroke and can get into the 25 HR range by the end of the year, he'll justify his draft position.
Scott Kazmir - Another slightly disappointing young southpaw. His walks continue to be a problem as he's up to 32 BBs in 66 IP, so there's a definite cause for his troubles. He limited this White Sox to 4 ERs despite 8 Hs and 3 BBs, so while he has the talent to fend off the walks and keep his ERA reasonable, he'll be more prone to disasterous outings unless he regains the improved command he found last year.
A.J. Burnett - Another solid outing, getting the 8 IP complete game allowed 3 ER and 6 baserunners while K'ing 8. He's found his control, and the results prove it. The 125 pitches are a concern for a pitcher with a history of elbow problems, so hopefully he'll have a shorter leash next outing. He gets the White Sox next, so I'd consider benching him. Many pitchers don't have their best stuff coming off a high pitch outing, so take that into consideration if you're on the fence about starting him.
Adrian Beltre - He hit his 7th, 8th, and 9th HRs over the weekend. If he happens to be unowned in your league, grab him given the lack of production from 3B this year. He's up to .270, and has chipped in 5 SBs as well. His production has gone in the tank after signing the huge deal to come over to Seattle after his monstrous 2004 season, but if he could get back to 30 HRs, he'll be a fine asset in fantasy leagues.
Kevin Youkilis - There is no hotter hitter in baseball right now. He has at least 2 hits in 9 straight games, and in the last 10 he has 4 HRs, 10 RBIs, and even a SB. He only hit 13 HRs last year, so the 8 HRs this year are on pace to kill that total. Congrats to those of you who had him, and shame to those of you who dropped him at some point (me in both leagues).
Noah Lowry - Gave up 7 Hs, 3 BBs, and 4 ERs in 4 innings. This is the type of blowup I said he was destined for, and I'd imagine at least one more is around the corner. Hope you didn't pick him up.
Jake Peavy - Johan Santana of the NL. 7 more shutout innings, with only 2 Hs and 1 BB while K'ing 8. There's no better pitcher in fantasy baseball right now, and the scary thing is that given everything (home ballpark, health), he's capable of keeping this up.
Randy Wolf - 6 innings of shutout ball with 5 Ks and 5 baserunners. His ERA is down to 3.41, and his K rate remains at a career best with 71 Ks in 66 IP. He's finally healthy and can keep pitching at a mid 3's ERA level all year long.
Rich Hill - A nice bounceback outing against LA after a rought stretch, matching Wolf with 6 IP of shutout ball, allowing 5 baserunners and K'ing 3. Unfortunately Pinella subbed him out when they needed a pinch hitter despite him only being at 66 pitches. His fantasy owners were probably unhappy about the situation, but even more important was a rebound to form.
Morgan Ensberg - 3 HRs in 5 days. Keep an eye on him...his hitting talent hasn't disappeared yet. Like with Beltre, the weak 3B crew this year warrants following 3B with a previous history getting hot.
Roy Oswalt - 6 IP, 10 H, 2 BB, 5 ER. Just a blip in the radar screen for Oswalt and nothing to worry about. Arizona can be a tough place to pitch.
Fausto Carmona - 7 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 3 ER, 3 K, and another win. Carmona pitched out of a few jams and earned his 6th victory. Continue to ride the hot hand here.
Kyle Lohse - Another random great start from Lohse. Ignore.
Chuck James - 6 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, and a career high 8 Ks. He's a talented young pitcher and worth keeping tabs on. He's been very inconsistent this year, but he's mixed in some very nice starts.
Jose Contreras - After an almost spot-less May, he ends it on a sour note, allowing 13 baserunners and 7 ER in 5 1/3 IP. If you picked him up, don't panic based on one start, because he's quietly been very solid for almost a month now.
Johan Santana - Not his best outing allowing 4 ER in 8 IP, but with only 8 baserunners, 7 Ks, and a Win, who's complaining? These are some of his best numbers in his career through the first two months, and he's now entering the time where his hot streak usually starts.
Paul Konerko - Konerko continues to move out of his slump, raising his average 40 points over the past 10 games. I'd still try to buy low as his overall numbers look pretty bad, but expect him to continue hitting well the rest of the year, especially with Thome back in the lineup.
Jeff Francis - 7 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He's not a K pitcher, but he's pitching too well right now to leave him on the waiver wire. That's not 5 straight outings of 2 ER or less. Unfortunately that might mean he's due for a bad outing, but pick him up and use him in the right matchups.
Curt Schilling - And he's back. 7 innings of 6 hit, 1 ER ball with 10 Ks against a quality Cleveland offense. Feel free to get him back into the lineup if you benched him like I did during his cold streak.
Doug Davis - 8 IP, 7 Hs, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 Ks. Hmm, he's actually pitched well in 5 of his last 7 outings. Given what he did last year, the fact he pitches in a quality hitter's ballpark, and his large amount of walks outside of his last outing, I can't recommend doing anything with him other than pointing to his stellar ERA and getting rid of him. His ugly 1.62 WHIP and 32 BB in 66 IP are terrible signs heading forward.
Carl Crawford - After raving about his high SB percentage last week, he goes and gets caught in 3 of his next 4 attempts. He's actually been kind of a bust, with only 12 SBs (6 CS), 5 HRs, and 24 runs scored. The lack of power in the middle of the lineup is hurting him and he's been moved to the 3rd spot. It hasn't hurt his green light for stealing bases, but he's not being driving in as much as he would be leading off.
Steve Trachsel - A complete game, 1 ER performance that gives him a 3.39 ERA? Props to him for a great start, but don't you even think about picking him up. He has a 1.30 WHIP, which isn't bad, but is due to go up thanks to his abysmal 18:31 K/BB ratio.
Brian Roberts - 6 SBs in the last 10 games give him 19 for the year. He's definitely justifying the high draft position at 2B with all these steals to go along with the .312 AVG and 34 runs scored.
Bartolo Colon - He pitched well for a while, but his arm is bothering him again, and he was blasted for 11 hits and 9 R (7 ER) in 6 1/3 IP before complaining of additional arm soreness. Expect another DL stint, and unless you have an empty DL slot, go ahead and drop him.
Chad Gaudin - One of the more amazing stories so far this year. He pitched 6 2/3 IP of ER ball, only allowing 7 baserunners. He's been a quality pitcher all year, and while he's due for some regression, continue starting him as he's shown no signs of slowing down yet. If you can sell another owner on his performance despite the lack of name recognition, he'd be a great throw-in in a trade to upgrade somewhere in your lineup for cheap.
Alan Embree - 3 perfect outings in his 3 save chances. I was wrong to tell everyone to avoid the Oakland bullpen as he's stepped up and thrived in the closer's role, despite it being a small sample. With Duchscherer suffering a setback in his rehab and Street still out, he should have the closer's role for a while.
Scott Olsen - A popular sleeper pick heading into the year, but he's done nothing but disappoint with a 5.11 ERA. He hasn't shown any signs of turning it around, so he's worth dropping in mixed leagues at this point for those who tried to show patience with him. Keep an eye and don't be afraid to pick him back up if he strings 3-4 solid performances in a row together.
David Wright - He stole his 10th base on Sunday, and he hasn't been caught yet this year. His previous high of SBs is 20, and he's now on pace for a bit over 30, so this is a nice surprise for his owners. However, his .267 AVG, 8 HRs and 27 RBIs are definitely a disappointment as we reach 1/3 of the way through the season. He's too good not to get real hot, so I'd look into buying him at a discount right now.
Alex Rodriguez - A-Rod continues his horrible slump as his AVG has now fallen under .300, and while the 5 HRs this month have been nice, his crappy batting average and lack of run production when he does get a hit are extremely frustrating. Look for him to get back on track sometime soon.
Bobby Abreu - He's now hitting .228, and there's no explanation for his struggles that I can see. Torre has tried moving him around in the lineup, but that hasn't helped either. He has a long career of .300 AVG and .400 OBP, so this is way out of line for his performance. He's not dealing with a leg injury as he's stolen 8 bases so far, but all other stats are way down. I'd still suggest buying low as his long career indicates this is quite an anomaly, but buy way low because his slump has hit 2 months and there's always a chance this could be some bigger problem.
Ryan Howard - It's safe to say he's back. 4/8 with 3 HRs and 5 RBIs over Sunday/Monday. His batting average, which was a fluky .313 last season, is sitting at a horrible .224. Expect a nice rebound there, but I don't see him hitting .300 again with the amount of times he strikes out (44 Ks in 34 games this year, 181 Ks last season).
Cole Hamels - Maybe I'm expecting too much from him, but a 3.74 ERA from this young kid seems a bit high. He's allowed 10 HRs already, so that's definitely playing a part in his ERA thus far. Unless he can control the HRs, expect an ERA in the mid 3's even though he has low 3's stuff. The fact he pitches half his games in Citizen's Bank doesn't help, either.
Adam Dunn - 2 HRs and 4 RBIs on Sunday, and he's putting together a great season so far. His .258 average would be the 2nd best of his career, and the 14 HRs with 33 RBIs, 38 Rs, and 7 SBs round out his season thus far. Despite the low average, Dunn is solid in OBP, posting OBP's over 100 points higher than his AVG for his career. It's a shame that manager Jerry Narron wastes that production when he could be hitting 2nd.
Nick Swisher - Adam Dunn - lite. Providing excellent draft day value with a .298 AVG thus far. His BBs are impressive as usual, and his K rate is a bit better this year. I don't expect his AVG to stay that high this year, so if you can find someone who does, I'd look to upgrade.
Joe Blanton - Gross. 8 ERs and 10 Hs in 6 IP. A popular waiver pickup in mixed leagues recently, myself included, and he's rewarded his owners with 2 staright poor performances. I'd hold him unless you see another pitching option on the waiver wire that you like a lot in case this is just a bump in the road, but he's disappointed badly last year and that can't be ignored.
Miguel Tejada - This recent power surge was a blessing for all his owners. He smacked 3 HRs in 4 days while driving in 8 runs and scoring 4 to bring him up to 5 HRs total. If he's re-discovered his power stroke and can get into the 25 HR range by the end of the year, he'll justify his draft position.
Scott Kazmir - Another slightly disappointing young southpaw. His walks continue to be a problem as he's up to 32 BBs in 66 IP, so there's a definite cause for his troubles. He limited this White Sox to 4 ERs despite 8 Hs and 3 BBs, so while he has the talent to fend off the walks and keep his ERA reasonable, he'll be more prone to disasterous outings unless he regains the improved command he found last year.
A.J. Burnett - Another solid outing, getting the 8 IP complete game allowed 3 ER and 6 baserunners while K'ing 8. He's found his control, and the results prove it. The 125 pitches are a concern for a pitcher with a history of elbow problems, so hopefully he'll have a shorter leash next outing. He gets the White Sox next, so I'd consider benching him. Many pitchers don't have their best stuff coming off a high pitch outing, so take that into consideration if you're on the fence about starting him.
Adrian Beltre - He hit his 7th, 8th, and 9th HRs over the weekend. If he happens to be unowned in your league, grab him given the lack of production from 3B this year. He's up to .270, and has chipped in 5 SBs as well. His production has gone in the tank after signing the huge deal to come over to Seattle after his monstrous 2004 season, but if he could get back to 30 HRs, he'll be a fine asset in fantasy leagues.
Kevin Youkilis - There is no hotter hitter in baseball right now. He has at least 2 hits in 9 straight games, and in the last 10 he has 4 HRs, 10 RBIs, and even a SB. He only hit 13 HRs last year, so the 8 HRs this year are on pace to kill that total. Congrats to those of you who had him, and shame to those of you who dropped him at some point (me in both leagues).
Noah Lowry - Gave up 7 Hs, 3 BBs, and 4 ERs in 4 innings. This is the type of blowup I said he was destined for, and I'd imagine at least one more is around the corner. Hope you didn't pick him up.
Jake Peavy - Johan Santana of the NL. 7 more shutout innings, with only 2 Hs and 1 BB while K'ing 8. There's no better pitcher in fantasy baseball right now, and the scary thing is that given everything (home ballpark, health), he's capable of keeping this up.
Randy Wolf - 6 innings of shutout ball with 5 Ks and 5 baserunners. His ERA is down to 3.41, and his K rate remains at a career best with 71 Ks in 66 IP. He's finally healthy and can keep pitching at a mid 3's ERA level all year long.
Rich Hill - A nice bounceback outing against LA after a rought stretch, matching Wolf with 6 IP of shutout ball, allowing 5 baserunners and K'ing 3. Unfortunately Pinella subbed him out when they needed a pinch hitter despite him only being at 66 pitches. His fantasy owners were probably unhappy about the situation, but even more important was a rebound to form.
Morgan Ensberg - 3 HRs in 5 days. Keep an eye on him...his hitting talent hasn't disappeared yet. Like with Beltre, the weak 3B crew this year warrants following 3B with a previous history getting hot.
Roy Oswalt - 6 IP, 10 H, 2 BB, 5 ER. Just a blip in the radar screen for Oswalt and nothing to worry about. Arizona can be a tough place to pitch.
Fausto Carmona - 7 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 3 ER, 3 K, and another win. Carmona pitched out of a few jams and earned his 6th victory. Continue to ride the hot hand here.
Kyle Lohse - Another random great start from Lohse. Ignore.
Chuck James - 6 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, and a career high 8 Ks. He's a talented young pitcher and worth keeping tabs on. He's been very inconsistent this year, but he's mixed in some very nice starts.
Jose Contreras - After an almost spot-less May, he ends it on a sour note, allowing 13 baserunners and 7 ER in 5 1/3 IP. If you picked him up, don't panic based on one start, because he's quietly been very solid for almost a month now.
Johan Santana - Not his best outing allowing 4 ER in 8 IP, but with only 8 baserunners, 7 Ks, and a Win, who's complaining? These are some of his best numbers in his career through the first two months, and he's now entering the time where his hot streak usually starts.
Paul Konerko - Konerko continues to move out of his slump, raising his average 40 points over the past 10 games. I'd still try to buy low as his overall numbers look pretty bad, but expect him to continue hitting well the rest of the year, especially with Thome back in the lineup.
Jeff Francis - 7 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He's not a K pitcher, but he's pitching too well right now to leave him on the waiver wire. That's not 5 straight outings of 2 ER or less. Unfortunately that might mean he's due for a bad outing, but pick him up and use him in the right matchups.
Curt Schilling - And he's back. 7 innings of 6 hit, 1 ER ball with 10 Ks against a quality Cleveland offense. Feel free to get him back into the lineup if you benched him like I did during his cold streak.
Doug Davis - 8 IP, 7 Hs, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 Ks. Hmm, he's actually pitched well in 5 of his last 7 outings. Given what he did last year, the fact he pitches in a quality hitter's ballpark, and his large amount of walks outside of his last outing, I can't recommend doing anything with him other than pointing to his stellar ERA and getting rid of him. His ugly 1.62 WHIP and 32 BB in 66 IP are terrible signs heading forward.
Carl Crawford - After raving about his high SB percentage last week, he goes and gets caught in 3 of his next 4 attempts. He's actually been kind of a bust, with only 12 SBs (6 CS), 5 HRs, and 24 runs scored. The lack of power in the middle of the lineup is hurting him and he's been moved to the 3rd spot. It hasn't hurt his green light for stealing bases, but he's not being driving in as much as he would be leading off.
Steve Trachsel - A complete game, 1 ER performance that gives him a 3.39 ERA? Props to him for a great start, but don't you even think about picking him up. He has a 1.30 WHIP, which isn't bad, but is due to go up thanks to his abysmal 18:31 K/BB ratio.
Brian Roberts - 6 SBs in the last 10 games give him 19 for the year. He's definitely justifying the high draft position at 2B with all these steals to go along with the .312 AVG and 34 runs scored.
Bartolo Colon - He pitched well for a while, but his arm is bothering him again, and he was blasted for 11 hits and 9 R (7 ER) in 6 1/3 IP before complaining of additional arm soreness. Expect another DL stint, and unless you have an empty DL slot, go ahead and drop him.
Chad Gaudin - One of the more amazing stories so far this year. He pitched 6 2/3 IP of ER ball, only allowing 7 baserunners. He's been a quality pitcher all year, and while he's due for some regression, continue starting him as he's shown no signs of slowing down yet. If you can sell another owner on his performance despite the lack of name recognition, he'd be a great throw-in in a trade to upgrade somewhere in your lineup for cheap.
Alan Embree - 3 perfect outings in his 3 save chances. I was wrong to tell everyone to avoid the Oakland bullpen as he's stepped up and thrived in the closer's role, despite it being a small sample. With Duchscherer suffering a setback in his rehab and Street still out, he should have the closer's role for a while.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Saturday Wrapup: Carlos and Hoffman Return
Howie Kendrick - Kendrick has not hit well since returning from his broken finger, so I'd consider using the 2B you picked up in his place for a little while longer until he gets hot, and I'd start shopping his replacement for an upgrade at another position in the meantime as Kendrick will return to form soon enough.
Kelvim Escobar - Wow, what a season for him so far. He's always had the talent to do this when he's healthy, and he's certainly capable of keeping this up all year long. However, his arm will likely not allow him to pitch 200 innings this year, so now is a good time to try to move him for a guy more likely to pitch at a high level all season long. The only problem you might run into is the lack of name recognition, which unfortunately makes guys like Escobar more valuable to their knowledgable owners than anyone else.
Carlos Zambrano - There's the Carlos we love! He pitched an excellent game last night, although Pinella left him in a bit too long and he ended up at 125 pitches. Given he's been battling issues with his velocity all season long, this didn't seem like a good idea. He was still only about 90-91 MPH last night compared to throwing mid-90s most of his career. I figured we'd see increased velocity as the season wore on, but I'm a bit worried as to what the cause of this is.
Ryan Dempster - Gave up a couple hits to start the 9th, but got a K and a double play to get out of it. There doesn't seem to be any indication of Pinella actually removing Dempster from the closer's role, so maybe he came to his senses, or this will be a drawn-out process. I picked up Guzman in a league in which I needed saves, but I'm very tempted to drop him if Dempster continues to close.
Aramis Ramirez - Smacked his 12th HR last night, and has his average up to .295. He's performing like an elite 3B yet again this year despite being drafted at a slight discount. He, unlike Garrett Atkins, is living up to his draft day position.
C.C. Sabathia - Cruising right along. He hasn't had a dominant outing this month, but he's been very consistent and turned in a solid performance (7 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 ER, 6 K) against a very tough Tigers offense.
Justin Verlander - Had control problems last night with 4 BBs, but he limited the damage by allowing only 3 Hs and 2 ERs in 6 IP. He hasn't posted the K rate expected of him (44 K in 63 IP), but he's pitched efficiently and has great numbers across the board.
Edgar Renteria - .332 AVG with 7 HR and 3 SB this year. He's been an outstanding value as he was likely one of the last SSs taken on draft day. He'll slow down a bit batting average-wise, but he has the talent to keep this up, posting 3 seasons of .290 or better in his career, including hitting .330 once. His career high in HRs is 16, so his HR pace will decline a bit as well.
Antonio Alfonseca - It's official, he's the Phillies closer while Gordon and Myers are on the DL. He gave up 1 hit in a scoreless inning last night for the save, but he's only attractive to those who chase saves with little regard to ERA/WHIP.
Carlos Delgado - He Del-Got-It last night, smashing 2 HRs and driving in 5. Given his poor overall numbers, he's still a quality buy-low guy who should heat up in a hurry.
John Maine - He bounced back a bit last night, giving up 2 ER in 6 IP with 8 Ks. He walked 4 more, so his outing wasn't as encouraging as one might think. He's still managing to avoid major damage while walking 34 in 61 1/3 IP, but he's not going to keep doing that. If you haven't yet, I'd still try to trade him before his numbers continue to decline.
Richie Sexson - He got a hit last night, which is noteworthy in itself given his .182 AVG so far. He's making Adam Dunn look like Ted Williams. I feel sorry for everyone who drafted him.
Alex Rios - I'm punching myself in the balls every time he hits a HR. He's now hitting .309 with 11 HRs, 35 Rs, 26 RBIs, and 4 SBs. He's making me look stupid for trading him along with Webb to get Manny and Sheets. I know Manny will get hot as well and not look back, sometime soon preferrably, right? Jerk.
Michael Cuddyer - He's providing very solid 3rd OF value, as that's what he likely is for your team. 4/5 last night with a HR, giving him a .290 AVG with 7 HRs so far this year. He's hit 3 HRs and driven in 9 over the past week, so he's getting hot and moving his numbers to those that were expected by his owners.
Edwin Encarnacion - HR last night, giving him solid numbers since returning from the minors. He should continue to hit, and is a borderline starter at 3B in mixed leagues. You could do worse than picking him up/trading garbage for him if he's available in your league. He should be a top 10 3B this year when all is said and done.
Bronson Arroyo - Alright, it's time to get worried. After getting lit up for 6 ERs in 2 IP against Washington 5 days ago, he got hit around for 6 ER in 4 IP this time, walking 4 in the process. That's 12 ER in 6 IP against the two worst offenses in the NL. I would bench him until he posts a solid outing.
Jim Edmonds - He's been on a tear the last two weeks, and is worth adding if you need OF help. He's too good of a hitter when healthy to continue the pace he was on. With the entire Cardinals lineup starting to heat up, he'll post solid numbers outside of SBs while he's healthy.
Jason Isringhausen - He's quietly posting a great season again as the Cardinals' closer. 1.42 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 14 Ks in 19 IP while saving 13.
Manny Ramirez - Slowly heating up. He's raised his average 27 points in the last 6 days to .272. The power should soon follow as he's only hit 7 HRs so far this year. Last chance to get him at a discount.
Aaron Cook - A CG, 1 ER performance last night. 27 Ks in 72 1/3 IP along with un-impressive ratios, and you'll realize this was just a great performance by an average pitcher. Don't pick him up.
Brandon Webb - Well, it looks like he just needed a non-Colorado matchup to get him back on his game. 7 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, and 8 K. Granted the Houston offense is rather weak, but this was a nice sign to see after 2 straight 5 R performances. Expect him to continue to improve, especially if he keeps showing better control.
Jose Valverde - Another great bullpen steal on draft day. 2.53 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 22 Ks in 21 1/3 IP while saving 18 games. He's always had the talent to do this, but he's finally showing the consistency necessary to keep this up all year long.
Ryan Braun - Milwaukee's prized hitting prospect, and arguably the best hitting prospect in the minors after Billy Butler and Hunter Pence graduated, has been promoted. 3/4 with a HR and a SB in his 2nd game. He's still on waivers in Yahoo's league, and he's worth a claim for all teams in need of a 3B or UTIL help.
Justin Germano - He's had an amazing start to his career, posting a 1.08 ERA and 0.76 WHIP, but with 9 Ks in 25 IP, it's hard to see him keeping this up. Pitching half his games in SD will help him maintain some semblance of success, but I figure things will go south for him eventually. It's hard to recommend him in mixed leagues.
Trevor Hoffman - Returned to the closer's role last night after a save opportunity presented itself with Brocail walking 2/3 hitters he faced. His sore arm is obviously not a long-term concern, but he'll continue to need days off more than most closers. Like I said before, all Hoffman owners need to own Linebrink to guard against a further injury, and to make sure they claim all saves generated by the Padres bullpen.
Kelvim Escobar - Wow, what a season for him so far. He's always had the talent to do this when he's healthy, and he's certainly capable of keeping this up all year long. However, his arm will likely not allow him to pitch 200 innings this year, so now is a good time to try to move him for a guy more likely to pitch at a high level all season long. The only problem you might run into is the lack of name recognition, which unfortunately makes guys like Escobar more valuable to their knowledgable owners than anyone else.
Carlos Zambrano - There's the Carlos we love! He pitched an excellent game last night, although Pinella left him in a bit too long and he ended up at 125 pitches. Given he's been battling issues with his velocity all season long, this didn't seem like a good idea. He was still only about 90-91 MPH last night compared to throwing mid-90s most of his career. I figured we'd see increased velocity as the season wore on, but I'm a bit worried as to what the cause of this is.
Ryan Dempster - Gave up a couple hits to start the 9th, but got a K and a double play to get out of it. There doesn't seem to be any indication of Pinella actually removing Dempster from the closer's role, so maybe he came to his senses, or this will be a drawn-out process. I picked up Guzman in a league in which I needed saves, but I'm very tempted to drop him if Dempster continues to close.
Aramis Ramirez - Smacked his 12th HR last night, and has his average up to .295. He's performing like an elite 3B yet again this year despite being drafted at a slight discount. He, unlike Garrett Atkins, is living up to his draft day position.
C.C. Sabathia - Cruising right along. He hasn't had a dominant outing this month, but he's been very consistent and turned in a solid performance (7 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 ER, 6 K) against a very tough Tigers offense.
Justin Verlander - Had control problems last night with 4 BBs, but he limited the damage by allowing only 3 Hs and 2 ERs in 6 IP. He hasn't posted the K rate expected of him (44 K in 63 IP), but he's pitched efficiently and has great numbers across the board.
Edgar Renteria - .332 AVG with 7 HR and 3 SB this year. He's been an outstanding value as he was likely one of the last SSs taken on draft day. He'll slow down a bit batting average-wise, but he has the talent to keep this up, posting 3 seasons of .290 or better in his career, including hitting .330 once. His career high in HRs is 16, so his HR pace will decline a bit as well.
Antonio Alfonseca - It's official, he's the Phillies closer while Gordon and Myers are on the DL. He gave up 1 hit in a scoreless inning last night for the save, but he's only attractive to those who chase saves with little regard to ERA/WHIP.
Carlos Delgado - He Del-Got-It last night, smashing 2 HRs and driving in 5. Given his poor overall numbers, he's still a quality buy-low guy who should heat up in a hurry.
John Maine - He bounced back a bit last night, giving up 2 ER in 6 IP with 8 Ks. He walked 4 more, so his outing wasn't as encouraging as one might think. He's still managing to avoid major damage while walking 34 in 61 1/3 IP, but he's not going to keep doing that. If you haven't yet, I'd still try to trade him before his numbers continue to decline.
Richie Sexson - He got a hit last night, which is noteworthy in itself given his .182 AVG so far. He's making Adam Dunn look like Ted Williams. I feel sorry for everyone who drafted him.
Alex Rios - I'm punching myself in the balls every time he hits a HR. He's now hitting .309 with 11 HRs, 35 Rs, 26 RBIs, and 4 SBs. He's making me look stupid for trading him along with Webb to get Manny and Sheets. I know Manny will get hot as well and not look back, sometime soon preferrably, right? Jerk.
Michael Cuddyer - He's providing very solid 3rd OF value, as that's what he likely is for your team. 4/5 last night with a HR, giving him a .290 AVG with 7 HRs so far this year. He's hit 3 HRs and driven in 9 over the past week, so he's getting hot and moving his numbers to those that were expected by his owners.
Edwin Encarnacion - HR last night, giving him solid numbers since returning from the minors. He should continue to hit, and is a borderline starter at 3B in mixed leagues. You could do worse than picking him up/trading garbage for him if he's available in your league. He should be a top 10 3B this year when all is said and done.
Bronson Arroyo - Alright, it's time to get worried. After getting lit up for 6 ERs in 2 IP against Washington 5 days ago, he got hit around for 6 ER in 4 IP this time, walking 4 in the process. That's 12 ER in 6 IP against the two worst offenses in the NL. I would bench him until he posts a solid outing.
Jim Edmonds - He's been on a tear the last two weeks, and is worth adding if you need OF help. He's too good of a hitter when healthy to continue the pace he was on. With the entire Cardinals lineup starting to heat up, he'll post solid numbers outside of SBs while he's healthy.
Jason Isringhausen - He's quietly posting a great season again as the Cardinals' closer. 1.42 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 14 Ks in 19 IP while saving 13.
Manny Ramirez - Slowly heating up. He's raised his average 27 points in the last 6 days to .272. The power should soon follow as he's only hit 7 HRs so far this year. Last chance to get him at a discount.
Aaron Cook - A CG, 1 ER performance last night. 27 Ks in 72 1/3 IP along with un-impressive ratios, and you'll realize this was just a great performance by an average pitcher. Don't pick him up.
Brandon Webb - Well, it looks like he just needed a non-Colorado matchup to get him back on his game. 7 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, and 8 K. Granted the Houston offense is rather weak, but this was a nice sign to see after 2 straight 5 R performances. Expect him to continue to improve, especially if he keeps showing better control.
Jose Valverde - Another great bullpen steal on draft day. 2.53 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 22 Ks in 21 1/3 IP while saving 18 games. He's always had the talent to do this, but he's finally showing the consistency necessary to keep this up all year long.
Ryan Braun - Milwaukee's prized hitting prospect, and arguably the best hitting prospect in the minors after Billy Butler and Hunter Pence graduated, has been promoted. 3/4 with a HR and a SB in his 2nd game. He's still on waivers in Yahoo's league, and he's worth a claim for all teams in need of a 3B or UTIL help.
Justin Germano - He's had an amazing start to his career, posting a 1.08 ERA and 0.76 WHIP, but with 9 Ks in 25 IP, it's hard to see him keeping this up. Pitching half his games in SD will help him maintain some semblance of success, but I figure things will go south for him eventually. It's hard to recommend him in mixed leagues.
Trevor Hoffman - Returned to the closer's role last night after a save opportunity presented itself with Brocail walking 2/3 hitters he faced. His sore arm is obviously not a long-term concern, but he'll continue to need days off more than most closers. Like I said before, all Hoffman owners need to own Linebrink to guard against a further injury, and to make sure they claim all saves generated by the Padres bullpen.
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