I've been on vacation and won't post again til tomorrow. I'll recap tonight's games at some point tomorrow, but I don't feel like playing catchup on anything but the injuries from the past couple days. :)
What I'll do instead to make up for lost time is run down a list of sell high/buy low candidates as we get going in the 2nd half. I've mixed that analysis in with all of my daily player notes, but I think a comprehensive, consolidated list would prove a bit more helpful. I'll also note down my 2 teams and how they're doing, just for fun.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Injury Updates: John Smoltz, Mike Piazza, David Ortiz, Akinori Otsuka
John Smoltz - Smoltz is going to miss his scheduled start on Saturday due to a sore shoulder. I will imagine that the Braves will hold him out until after the All Star break so that they can maximize the rest time for the veteran pitcher. That will give him the best chance of staying healthy down the stretch.
Mike Piazza - Thanks to Jack Cust's emergence (and lack of defensive value), Oakland told Piazza to stay in rehab until his shoulder felt good enough to throw from behind the plate. He can already hit fine, but they're delaying his return so he can platoon at catcher with Kendall, and also at DH with Cust. I'm very tempted to drop him after hanging onto him all season, but don't do so yet unless you really need the DL spot.
David Ortiz - Ortiz complained about a sore right quad which has bothered him for some time now. It helps explain the lack of power (2 HR in his last 22 games), but he's willing to play through the injury. Not much owners can do except hope for a quick recovery that will allow him to be the fantasy monster we've grown accustomed to.
Akinori Otsuka - He's bothered by a sore forearm, so go ahead and bench him. I don't know if he'll return before the All Star break, but he says he probably won't. He might be rusty/still be hurt when he does take the mound, so I wouldn't risk having him active until he proves he's healthy. As a MR, there's just no upside to it.
Mike Piazza - Thanks to Jack Cust's emergence (and lack of defensive value), Oakland told Piazza to stay in rehab until his shoulder felt good enough to throw from behind the plate. He can already hit fine, but they're delaying his return so he can platoon at catcher with Kendall, and also at DH with Cust. I'm very tempted to drop him after hanging onto him all season, but don't do so yet unless you really need the DL spot.
David Ortiz - Ortiz complained about a sore right quad which has bothered him for some time now. It helps explain the lack of power (2 HR in his last 22 games), but he's willing to play through the injury. Not much owners can do except hope for a quick recovery that will allow him to be the fantasy monster we've grown accustomed to.
Akinori Otsuka - He's bothered by a sore forearm, so go ahead and bench him. I don't know if he'll return before the All Star break, but he says he probably won't. He might be rusty/still be hurt when he does take the mound, so I wouldn't risk having him active until he proves he's healthy. As a MR, there's just no upside to it.
Randy Wolf To The DL
The Los Angeles Dodgers placed SP Randy Wolf on the DL with a sore shoulder.
Fantasy Impact: Well, this explains the downturn in production over the past few weeks. He's not worth hanging onto if you still own him, so drop him. Hopefully he can come back strong and regain fantasy relevance later in the season.
Fantasy Impact: Well, this explains the downturn in production over the past few weeks. He's not worth hanging onto if you still own him, so drop him. Hopefully he can come back strong and regain fantasy relevance later in the season.
Al Reyes To The DL
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays placed closer Al Reyes on the DL with a strained rotator cuff.
Fantasy Impact: Well, now I really hoped you sold high on him when I suggested it. He has a long history of arm problems, and this is just the latest. This really hurts Tampa Bay because if he was healthy, he was their one reliable reliever, and he would have commanded a decent prospect in return at the trading deadline. Stash him and hope he comes back healthy, for those who still own him.
Fantasy Impact: Well, now I really hoped you sold high on him when I suggested it. He has a long history of arm problems, and this is just the latest. This really hurts Tampa Bay because if he was healthy, he was their one reliable reliever, and he would have commanded a decent prospect in return at the trading deadline. Stash him and hope he comes back healthy, for those who still own him.
Randy Johnson To The DL
The Arizona Diamondbacks placed SP Randy Johnson on the DL with a sore back.
Fantasy Impact: Ugh, again. It's becoming clear that Johnson will have a few good starts, have a bad one, then go on the DL again. Owners can't do much other than stash him again and hope that he'll produce once he returns. I'd suggest keeping him benched for his first start back.
Fantasy Impact: Ugh, again. It's becoming clear that Johnson will have a few good starts, have a bad one, then go on the DL again. Owners can't do much other than stash him again and hope that he'll produce once he returns. I'd suggest keeping him benched for his first start back.
Tuesday's Action: Zambrano, Matsuzaka....and Blanton?
Chris Capuano - 3 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. Capuano was not sharp in his return from the DL, but that was to be expected. Given his overall stats are 5-5, 4.28 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 63 K in 73 2/3 IP, I don't see where he has much fantasy value other than Ks. He had a good 5th fantasy starter season last year, but he's been bad in the WHIP department this year, further degrading his value.
Yovani Gallardo - 2 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. Gallardo's first bullpen appearance. In my personal opinion, I think it's a bad idea to convert Gallardo to the bullpen. Bullpen work is for those who are used to it...it's a very erratic schedule that can produce a lot of wear and tear on the body. I know starters throw a lot more innings over the season, but they're on a schedule that allows them to stay fresh and loose. It seems like they're putting him at risk for arm problems this year by having him start until now, moving him to the bullpen, and then moving him back to the rotation if injury/sub-par performance strikes. I don't like the idea, but he's worth holding onto. I wouldn't keep him active for right now.
Ryan Braun - 2/5, 1 RBI, SB (8). If Braun played 155 games at the pace he's setting right now, he'd end up with a .343 AVG, 31 HR, 35 SB, 132 R, and 115 RBI. He's obviously going to slow down, but it goes to show that he's probably going to be an elite fantasy 3B, perhaps as soon as next year. He has .300/30/30 skills, and hitting 3rd in the Milwaukee lineup will allow for a lot of run production.
Chien Ming-Wang - 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, W (8). He scattered his baserunners and turned in another outstanding performance. His ERA is down to 3.58 on the season as he's trimmed it down almost a run over the past month. Make sure to surround him with K guys in your rotation and bullpen, but he'll provide solid value in W/ERA/WHIP all year long.
Derek Jeter - 3/5, 2 RBI. With a .343 AVG, 43 RBI, and 53 R, Jeter is providing solid value, but his 5 HR and 7 SB are a bit disappointing. He's averaged 19 HR and 24 SB over the past 3 years, so while the .343 AVG is great, owners would like to see a little more pop and speed in the 2nd half. He was probably a touch overrated in drafts this year coming off a career high 34 SB season last year, but he's definitely not a bust by any means.
Alex Rodriguez - 0/4. Owners got a scare when he was removed from Monday's game with a lame hammy, but he was back in the lineup last night and it's only a minor concern on his running game while he's on the mend. He'll play through it, and can DH if necessary.
Scott Kazmir - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. More of the same from Kazmir, who's turning into a pretty big bust this year. As I've mentioned before, he had a breakthrough with his command last year, and was pitching very well until an injury shut him down for the season. Many drafters figured he'd at least repeat if not improve upon that, but he's definitely regressed to his 2005 performance with his command and pitch inefficiency. I still hold out hope that he'll get it turned around, but he's not showing any signs of it.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. He's really hit his stride, pitching his 4th straight game of 1 ER or less. Those who were patient or bought low are being rewarded with one of the hottest pitchers in fantasy baseball. In a longer streak, he's allowed 2 or less ER in 6 straight games, with 8 or 9 Ks in each game. Now that's consistency.
Ben Francisco - He's making quite a name for himself since being called up, hitting .500 with 3 HR and 5 RBI in only 14 AB. The desparate might want to add him, but I can't see him being a mixed league option at all.
Gary Sheffield - 3/5, solo HR (19). Not much left to say about Sheffield. He's completely erased his miserable April by posting back to back .320+, 22 RBI months that included 16 HR. The fact he has both 1B and OF eligibility in Yahoo is a plus as well.
Carlos Guillen - 2/5, 1 R, 1 RBI. Guillen is up to 60 RBI, which is huge for a SS. He leads that catagory by 8 over J.J. Hardy among SS.
Carlos Zambrano - 6 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, W (10). Ever since the fight with Barrett, Zambrano has 6 straight appearances of 2 ER or less, with at least 8 Ks in 5 of those 6 games. He's pitching as well in anyone in baseball right now. He still walks too many people, but given the fact he doesn't allow that many hits, it doesn't seem to be a problem.
Bobby Howry - 2/3 IP, 2 K. It seems like Pinella is going to use a combination of Ohman/Howry in the 9th inning, but Howry will pick up most of the saves and is the one to own here. Marmol is the 8th inning guy and setup man. Dempster isn't too far away from returning, so Howry might only have a save or two left in him.
Alfonso Soriano - 2/4, 2 R, SB (12). 2 SBs in 2 days, so let's hope Soriano starts running whenever he gets a chance and can put up 15+ SBs in the 2nd half for his owners.
Barry Zito - 5 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 5 K. His control was obviously all over the place last night, and he didn't last long as a result. The 2 H and 5 K are encouraging, if you're looking for the silver lining in this cloud.
Aaron Harang - 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 4 K, W (9). OK, now that I see both pitchers had 6 walks last night, I have to wonder about the strikezone of the umpire last night. It's very possible that both pitchers had off nights, but it's also possible the strikezone was rather small for both pitchers to work with. Harang has definitely shown that last year was not a fluke, and that he's a quality 3rd/4th starter for your fantasy team.
Barry Bonds - 1/3, 2 run HR (17). Bonds continues to roll after a horrible May, and he's pushed his AVG up to .305. #751 as Bonds gets closer to Hammerin' Hank.
Brandon Phillips - 2/4, 3 R, 4 RBI, GS (16). He continues his outstanding season as he cements himself among the elite 2B in fantasy baseball. It appears he's here to stay as a .270'ish hitter, but with the 30/30 potential and run producing ability, nobody will complain.
Roy Oswalt - 7 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. More of the same medocrity from Oswalt, and his owners have to be frustrated at this point. The thing to take from this start is the fact he didn't walk anyone. His main problem this year is that he's already walked 43 hitters as opposed to season totals of 48 and 38 the past two years. The rest of his stats are in line with previous seasons, so if he can get past the command problems, he'll likely go back to the pitcher he's been the past several years.
Hunter Pence - 3/6, solo HR (10). Everyone who used their waiver priority on him is looking like a genius right now. He, Braun, and Hart are having an outstanding ROY competition.
Shane Victorino - 3/5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB (27). Davey Lopes has done an outstanding job turning Victorino into one of the best base stealers in baseball. After only 4/7 SB in 415 AB last year, Victorino is 27/29 on the basepaths so far this year in only 319 AB. It just goes to show that it takes way more than speed to be an effective baserunner.
Chris B. Young - 1/5, 2 R, solo HR (12). Young was moved back to the leadoff spot last night by Arizona, and I really hope he stays there. He has a miserable .238 AVG, but he's hitting .315 in 108 AB as the leadoff hitter, so it appears that he's very comfortable there. They've hit him all over the lineup, and he's definitely performed the best there. With the way Byrnes is hitting, he should be left in an RBI spot and let Young leadoff.
Billy Butler - 3/6, 4 R, 6 RBI, HR (2). Butler is one of the best hitting prospects in baseball, but after a miserable first stint with the club earlier this year, they called him back up after Sweeney went down and he'll be the fulltime DH while Sweeney is on the mend. He's been hitting pretty well since his recall, so he could force his way into the lineup if he continues on like this. He's worth keeping an eye on, or possibly picking up and using temporarily while he's hot.
Javier Vazquez - 9 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. Vazquez is on quite a roll, giving up exactly 1 ER in his last 3 starts. He's always had the stuff to do this, but the mental aspect of his game has held him back every year. Before we get too excited, we have to realize that he has a long history of toying with us by putting together some great starts, only to start getting blown up again. Don Cooper successfully transformed Contreras into an ace during the White Sox 2005 WS season, but an injury in 2006 halted his run as a great pitcher. Perhaps he's been able to do something similar with Vazquez, but history says this won't last for long. I doubt you can sell high on him, so I wouldn't really bother. Just enjoy the hot streak, and hold out some slim hope that Cooper has worked some magic here.
Jim Thome - 1/3, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR (12). Nothing much to note here, other than the fact it was nice to see him turn on a high mid-90s Cabrera fastball and deposit it into the left-center field bleachers. Given he's 36 years old, reaction time starts to slow, so it's nice to see him still be able to get to an elite fastball and drive it. I've always loved watching this guy hit, and I'll thoroughly enjoy his quest to 500 in a White Sox uniform since we weren't able to see Frank Thomas get it here.
Ervin Santana - 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 11 K. The 11 Ks are great, but the evil road Santana strikes again. I mentioned that Scoscia thought he might be hurting after his last start, but the 11 Ks here prove otherwise. I'd feel safe using him during his home starts again.
Howie Kendrick - 2/3, 2 RBI. When I drafted him in both leagues this year, I was hoping that he'd get off to a hot start and get moved up in the lineup where he could help us fantasy owners a bit more. Unfortunately, Figgins, Cabrera, and Willits are all hitting extremely well, and there's no hope of that happening.
Joe Blanton - 9 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. 7 straight quality starts, 5 of those including 1 ER or less. Blanton is right up there with Zambrano and Matsuzaka as being the hottest fantasy pitchers going right now, albeit with a few less Ks. He's been quite a waiver wire find, and I'm thoroughly amused that I tossed him in with Soriano to get Beltran earlier this year.
Greg Maddux - 6 1/3 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 5 K. He just wasn't on his game last night. He had 7 straight 3 ER or less outings in a row prior to this, so he's been pitching very well recently.
Kevin Gregg - 1 IP, 3 K, SV (16). A fantasy owners favorite kind of save. He's been struggling a bit of late, so it was nice to see him rebound like this. Hopefully he'll string together some scoreless outings now.
Hanley Ramirez - 1/1, 2 run HR (12). He left the previous game early with a hamstring problem, but he pinch-hit last night and delivered a pinch-hit 2 run HR that helped lead Florida to a win. I dunno if we'll see him out there at SS today, but it's obvious the injury isn't too serious.
Yovani Gallardo - 2 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. Gallardo's first bullpen appearance. In my personal opinion, I think it's a bad idea to convert Gallardo to the bullpen. Bullpen work is for those who are used to it...it's a very erratic schedule that can produce a lot of wear and tear on the body. I know starters throw a lot more innings over the season, but they're on a schedule that allows them to stay fresh and loose. It seems like they're putting him at risk for arm problems this year by having him start until now, moving him to the bullpen, and then moving him back to the rotation if injury/sub-par performance strikes. I don't like the idea, but he's worth holding onto. I wouldn't keep him active for right now.
Ryan Braun - 2/5, 1 RBI, SB (8). If Braun played 155 games at the pace he's setting right now, he'd end up with a .343 AVG, 31 HR, 35 SB, 132 R, and 115 RBI. He's obviously going to slow down, but it goes to show that he's probably going to be an elite fantasy 3B, perhaps as soon as next year. He has .300/30/30 skills, and hitting 3rd in the Milwaukee lineup will allow for a lot of run production.
Chien Ming-Wang - 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, W (8). He scattered his baserunners and turned in another outstanding performance. His ERA is down to 3.58 on the season as he's trimmed it down almost a run over the past month. Make sure to surround him with K guys in your rotation and bullpen, but he'll provide solid value in W/ERA/WHIP all year long.
Derek Jeter - 3/5, 2 RBI. With a .343 AVG, 43 RBI, and 53 R, Jeter is providing solid value, but his 5 HR and 7 SB are a bit disappointing. He's averaged 19 HR and 24 SB over the past 3 years, so while the .343 AVG is great, owners would like to see a little more pop and speed in the 2nd half. He was probably a touch overrated in drafts this year coming off a career high 34 SB season last year, but he's definitely not a bust by any means.
Alex Rodriguez - 0/4. Owners got a scare when he was removed from Monday's game with a lame hammy, but he was back in the lineup last night and it's only a minor concern on his running game while he's on the mend. He'll play through it, and can DH if necessary.
Scott Kazmir - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. More of the same from Kazmir, who's turning into a pretty big bust this year. As I've mentioned before, he had a breakthrough with his command last year, and was pitching very well until an injury shut him down for the season. Many drafters figured he'd at least repeat if not improve upon that, but he's definitely regressed to his 2005 performance with his command and pitch inefficiency. I still hold out hope that he'll get it turned around, but he's not showing any signs of it.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. He's really hit his stride, pitching his 4th straight game of 1 ER or less. Those who were patient or bought low are being rewarded with one of the hottest pitchers in fantasy baseball. In a longer streak, he's allowed 2 or less ER in 6 straight games, with 8 or 9 Ks in each game. Now that's consistency.
Ben Francisco - He's making quite a name for himself since being called up, hitting .500 with 3 HR and 5 RBI in only 14 AB. The desparate might want to add him, but I can't see him being a mixed league option at all.
Gary Sheffield - 3/5, solo HR (19). Not much left to say about Sheffield. He's completely erased his miserable April by posting back to back .320+, 22 RBI months that included 16 HR. The fact he has both 1B and OF eligibility in Yahoo is a plus as well.
Carlos Guillen - 2/5, 1 R, 1 RBI. Guillen is up to 60 RBI, which is huge for a SS. He leads that catagory by 8 over J.J. Hardy among SS.
Carlos Zambrano - 6 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, W (10). Ever since the fight with Barrett, Zambrano has 6 straight appearances of 2 ER or less, with at least 8 Ks in 5 of those 6 games. He's pitching as well in anyone in baseball right now. He still walks too many people, but given the fact he doesn't allow that many hits, it doesn't seem to be a problem.
Bobby Howry - 2/3 IP, 2 K. It seems like Pinella is going to use a combination of Ohman/Howry in the 9th inning, but Howry will pick up most of the saves and is the one to own here. Marmol is the 8th inning guy and setup man. Dempster isn't too far away from returning, so Howry might only have a save or two left in him.
Alfonso Soriano - 2/4, 2 R, SB (12). 2 SBs in 2 days, so let's hope Soriano starts running whenever he gets a chance and can put up 15+ SBs in the 2nd half for his owners.
Barry Zito - 5 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 5 K. His control was obviously all over the place last night, and he didn't last long as a result. The 2 H and 5 K are encouraging, if you're looking for the silver lining in this cloud.
Aaron Harang - 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 4 K, W (9). OK, now that I see both pitchers had 6 walks last night, I have to wonder about the strikezone of the umpire last night. It's very possible that both pitchers had off nights, but it's also possible the strikezone was rather small for both pitchers to work with. Harang has definitely shown that last year was not a fluke, and that he's a quality 3rd/4th starter for your fantasy team.
Barry Bonds - 1/3, 2 run HR (17). Bonds continues to roll after a horrible May, and he's pushed his AVG up to .305. #751 as Bonds gets closer to Hammerin' Hank.
Brandon Phillips - 2/4, 3 R, 4 RBI, GS (16). He continues his outstanding season as he cements himself among the elite 2B in fantasy baseball. It appears he's here to stay as a .270'ish hitter, but with the 30/30 potential and run producing ability, nobody will complain.
Roy Oswalt - 7 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. More of the same medocrity from Oswalt, and his owners have to be frustrated at this point. The thing to take from this start is the fact he didn't walk anyone. His main problem this year is that he's already walked 43 hitters as opposed to season totals of 48 and 38 the past two years. The rest of his stats are in line with previous seasons, so if he can get past the command problems, he'll likely go back to the pitcher he's been the past several years.
Hunter Pence - 3/6, solo HR (10). Everyone who used their waiver priority on him is looking like a genius right now. He, Braun, and Hart are having an outstanding ROY competition.
Shane Victorino - 3/5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB (27). Davey Lopes has done an outstanding job turning Victorino into one of the best base stealers in baseball. After only 4/7 SB in 415 AB last year, Victorino is 27/29 on the basepaths so far this year in only 319 AB. It just goes to show that it takes way more than speed to be an effective baserunner.
Chris B. Young - 1/5, 2 R, solo HR (12). Young was moved back to the leadoff spot last night by Arizona, and I really hope he stays there. He has a miserable .238 AVG, but he's hitting .315 in 108 AB as the leadoff hitter, so it appears that he's very comfortable there. They've hit him all over the lineup, and he's definitely performed the best there. With the way Byrnes is hitting, he should be left in an RBI spot and let Young leadoff.
Billy Butler - 3/6, 4 R, 6 RBI, HR (2). Butler is one of the best hitting prospects in baseball, but after a miserable first stint with the club earlier this year, they called him back up after Sweeney went down and he'll be the fulltime DH while Sweeney is on the mend. He's been hitting pretty well since his recall, so he could force his way into the lineup if he continues on like this. He's worth keeping an eye on, or possibly picking up and using temporarily while he's hot.
Javier Vazquez - 9 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. Vazquez is on quite a roll, giving up exactly 1 ER in his last 3 starts. He's always had the stuff to do this, but the mental aspect of his game has held him back every year. Before we get too excited, we have to realize that he has a long history of toying with us by putting together some great starts, only to start getting blown up again. Don Cooper successfully transformed Contreras into an ace during the White Sox 2005 WS season, but an injury in 2006 halted his run as a great pitcher. Perhaps he's been able to do something similar with Vazquez, but history says this won't last for long. I doubt you can sell high on him, so I wouldn't really bother. Just enjoy the hot streak, and hold out some slim hope that Cooper has worked some magic here.
Jim Thome - 1/3, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR (12). Nothing much to note here, other than the fact it was nice to see him turn on a high mid-90s Cabrera fastball and deposit it into the left-center field bleachers. Given he's 36 years old, reaction time starts to slow, so it's nice to see him still be able to get to an elite fastball and drive it. I've always loved watching this guy hit, and I'll thoroughly enjoy his quest to 500 in a White Sox uniform since we weren't able to see Frank Thomas get it here.
Ervin Santana - 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 11 K. The 11 Ks are great, but the evil road Santana strikes again. I mentioned that Scoscia thought he might be hurting after his last start, but the 11 Ks here prove otherwise. I'd feel safe using him during his home starts again.
Howie Kendrick - 2/3, 2 RBI. When I drafted him in both leagues this year, I was hoping that he'd get off to a hot start and get moved up in the lineup where he could help us fantasy owners a bit more. Unfortunately, Figgins, Cabrera, and Willits are all hitting extremely well, and there's no hope of that happening.
Joe Blanton - 9 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. 7 straight quality starts, 5 of those including 1 ER or less. Blanton is right up there with Zambrano and Matsuzaka as being the hottest fantasy pitchers going right now, albeit with a few less Ks. He's been quite a waiver wire find, and I'm thoroughly amused that I tossed him in with Soriano to get Beltran earlier this year.
Greg Maddux - 6 1/3 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 5 K. He just wasn't on his game last night. He had 7 straight 3 ER or less outings in a row prior to this, so he's been pitching very well recently.
Kevin Gregg - 1 IP, 3 K, SV (16). A fantasy owners favorite kind of save. He's been struggling a bit of late, so it was nice to see him rebound like this. Hopefully he'll string together some scoreless outings now.
Hanley Ramirez - 1/1, 2 run HR (12). He left the previous game early with a hamstring problem, but he pinch-hit last night and delivered a pinch-hit 2 run HR that helped lead Florida to a win. I dunno if we'll see him out there at SS today, but it's obvious the injury isn't too serious.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Monday's Ballgames: Felix Sharp, Bay Sucks
Ted Lilly - 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, W (7). Lilly bounced back from two rough outings to shut down the Nationals. Washington is a great team to catch when you're not pitching too well. He's been a solid 3rd/4th starter this year.
Alfonso Soriano - 2/5, 1 R, 1 RBI, SB (11). Soriano's numbers are down across the board this year other than his AVG, but they do compare favorably to to 2005 if you're not looking at the RBI column. As is, he's been a pretty large disappointment to those who spend a high 1st round pick on him. He'll probably pick it up a bit in the 2nd half, but he won't give you the return on investment that you wanted.
Aramis Ramirez - 3/5, 1 R, 2 RBI. A-Ram has pretty much fulfilled expectations so far, although his numbers, like Soriano's, mirror his 2005 season rather than this career high 2006 season. Still, with the weak overall class of 3B this year, he's definitely been right behind A-Rod/Wright/Cabrera...exactly where he was drafted.
Jason Bay - 0/4...again. I bet I can't name one of you who's happy with Bay right now. He's coming off a complete disaster of a June, hitting a disgusting .173 with 4 HR and 11 RBI. His AVG is down to .256. There nothing in his stats that really indicate a steep decline, although his HR/F is at 12.4%, a good 7% down from where it normally is. Hopefully he'll reward us patient owners with a scorching hot streak sometime very soon. I'd buy low.
Damien Miller - 4/5, 2 R, 7 RBI, 2 HR (3). He's still Estrada's backup, so if you've lost a catcher recently, don't go picking him up based on the hot game.
Roger Clemens - 8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (2). I knew I should have started him last night given the "he's due" thought process, but I benched him and was punished for it. I know I ranted about him in my last entry, but he's too good of a pitcher to keep pitching poorly, plus he didn't have as much preparation time since the Yankees needed him ASAP. Expect him to be better from here on out, but he won't touch the ERA/WHIP he had for the Astros the past few years.
Boof Bonser - 5 1/3 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. If you're holding onto him for his Ks, stop. His 4.76 ERA and 1.54 WHIP are killing you.
Bobby Abreu - 3/4, solo HR (5). Another high priced fantasy OF killing his owners. He got hot there for a while, but his .253 AVG, 5 HR, and 38 RBI are huge disappointments. The Yankees have bounced him all over the lineup, but nothing has worked so far. I just don't see him continuing to struggle all year long unless he's hiding an injury. His BA/BIP is down a bit, so I expect to see that rebound and his AVG should reflect that. His BA/RISP is a disgusting .230 after hitting over .300 the last few years, so the low RBI total is no surprise.
Jacoby Ellsbury - 2/2, 2 R, SB (1). Boston's prized position prospect is up, but probably not to stay. He could be a cheap source of steals if you're into that sort of thing while he's up, and he has a minor league history of great OBPs. I wouldn't bother with him unless you're looking for a quick fix, although if he stays hot, Boston would be better off replacing the overpriced JD Drew with him Won't happen, though.
Fausto Carmona - 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, W (9). A great bounce back start after last outing's disaster. He's obviously not hurt, and those 9 wins are pretty impressive. Keep on using him.
Al Reyes - 2/3 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 BB. He was Sizemored. His dream season has come to an end as he now sports a 4.09 ERA. I hope you moved him back when I said you should. He's still the closer, but he's not helping owners anywhere near what he was doing a month or so ago.
Grady Sizemore - 1/5, GS (14). Made his one hit count as much as possible. Gotta love this guy.
Carl Crawford - 0/4, 3 K. He's really struggling, and Tampa Bay is moving him back into the #2 spot. Hopefully getting him out of a more RBI-oriented lineup position will get Crawford back on track. He had a mixed bag in July...he only hit .257, but he was 8/8 in steals with 19 RBI and 18 R. Expect him to get going again.
Dan Wheeler - 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB. He is a disaster right now. De-activate him, and expect Lidge to move back into the closer's role sooner than later. Perhaps he'll right the ship in the 8th inning.
Hunter Pence - 2/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR (9). He just won't stop hitting. Nice.
Carlos Lee - 2/4, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (16). He's quietly putting together the season he was drafted to do, and he's hitting a very nice .296. I'm so happy I picked Jason Bay over him. Pure genius.
Felix Hernandez - 8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Another nice outing from Felix, giving him 2 in 3 appearances. Unfortunately those two came against Pittsburgh and KC. While his owners will take it, I want to see this sort of performance come against a better offense. I'm keeping him reserved until I see that.
Gil Meche - 6 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K. A pretty solid outing against his old team. He's doing a good job being a quality end-of-the-rotation fantasy starter, only being held back by the bad offense that supports him.
Octavio Dotel - 1 IP, 2 H, 3 K, W (1). Gotta love it when your closer gets ya a win. Make sure to sell him very soon if you can.
Brandon Webb - 6 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Another blah outing from Webb. STL has given Webb a lot of problems in the past as he's compiled a 4.27 ERA against them in 34 2/3 IP. Just chalk it up to a problem team and don't worry about it. His 3.27 ERA is exactly what owners wanted when drafting him to be their ace this year.
Scott Rolen - 2/5, 1 R, 4 RBI. A nice game from Rolen, but with a .271 AVG, 4 HR, and 35 RBI, he's done as a fantasy force.
Erik Bedard - 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 K. Against a weak offense who had problems hitting lefties so far this year, owners expected much more. The problem was the HR ball, as he gave up 3 2 run shots to end his evening early. When you have a good fastball like Bedard does, outings like this will happen from time to time if the location isn't there, and the 4 walks definitely suggest that.
Jim Thome - 2/3, 2 run HR (11). He's due to get on a hot streak sometime soon, so let's hope this is the start of it. He hasn't really had a big tear yet this year.
Tom Glavine - 6 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 3 K. A rare bad command game from Glavine, although many pitchers have trouble against Colorado in Coors Field. He had bounced back well after the beatings both the Tigers and Yankees gave him, so I wouldn't worry much about this despite it being his 3rd bad start in 5 tries. Just be careful who you start him against.
David Wright - 2/4, SB (18). He's really cranked up the running this year as I've touched on several times. He doesn't seem to be slowing down, so expecting a total of 30 steals out of him this year seems quite reasonable.
Vernon Wells - 4/5, 2 solo HR (11). He's really taken well to heading leadoff, batting .361 in 9 games there. Hopefully that was necessary to get his bat moving again, and he'll be dropped back down to the 3 hole that he usually occupies, and his hot streak will continue in the more RBI-friendly spot.
Sergio Mitre - 6 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. No offensive support for him today, but he turned in yet another quality start. He's been a nice waiver wire find, and he's giving you no reason to stop using him yet.
John Smoltz - 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Another good start from Smoltz, although Lowe outduled him for the win. He's provided a nice value to those who drafted him this year, and he should be ready for another solid 2nd half.
Derek Lowe - 5 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. He's rolling right along, dropping his ERA to 2.98 after this outing. He's been a great find for fantasy leaguers this year as the entire Dodgers pitching staff has really stepped it up. Expect another solid 2nd half from this guy, who probably provides more value to you than to someone you could trade him to.
Alfonso Soriano - 2/5, 1 R, 1 RBI, SB (11). Soriano's numbers are down across the board this year other than his AVG, but they do compare favorably to to 2005 if you're not looking at the RBI column. As is, he's been a pretty large disappointment to those who spend a high 1st round pick on him. He'll probably pick it up a bit in the 2nd half, but he won't give you the return on investment that you wanted.
Aramis Ramirez - 3/5, 1 R, 2 RBI. A-Ram has pretty much fulfilled expectations so far, although his numbers, like Soriano's, mirror his 2005 season rather than this career high 2006 season. Still, with the weak overall class of 3B this year, he's definitely been right behind A-Rod/Wright/Cabrera...exactly where he was drafted.
Jason Bay - 0/4...again. I bet I can't name one of you who's happy with Bay right now. He's coming off a complete disaster of a June, hitting a disgusting .173 with 4 HR and 11 RBI. His AVG is down to .256. There nothing in his stats that really indicate a steep decline, although his HR/F is at 12.4%, a good 7% down from where it normally is. Hopefully he'll reward us patient owners with a scorching hot streak sometime very soon. I'd buy low.
Damien Miller - 4/5, 2 R, 7 RBI, 2 HR (3). He's still Estrada's backup, so if you've lost a catcher recently, don't go picking him up based on the hot game.
Roger Clemens - 8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (2). I knew I should have started him last night given the "he's due" thought process, but I benched him and was punished for it. I know I ranted about him in my last entry, but he's too good of a pitcher to keep pitching poorly, plus he didn't have as much preparation time since the Yankees needed him ASAP. Expect him to be better from here on out, but he won't touch the ERA/WHIP he had for the Astros the past few years.
Boof Bonser - 5 1/3 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. If you're holding onto him for his Ks, stop. His 4.76 ERA and 1.54 WHIP are killing you.
Bobby Abreu - 3/4, solo HR (5). Another high priced fantasy OF killing his owners. He got hot there for a while, but his .253 AVG, 5 HR, and 38 RBI are huge disappointments. The Yankees have bounced him all over the lineup, but nothing has worked so far. I just don't see him continuing to struggle all year long unless he's hiding an injury. His BA/BIP is down a bit, so I expect to see that rebound and his AVG should reflect that. His BA/RISP is a disgusting .230 after hitting over .300 the last few years, so the low RBI total is no surprise.
Jacoby Ellsbury - 2/2, 2 R, SB (1). Boston's prized position prospect is up, but probably not to stay. He could be a cheap source of steals if you're into that sort of thing while he's up, and he has a minor league history of great OBPs. I wouldn't bother with him unless you're looking for a quick fix, although if he stays hot, Boston would be better off replacing the overpriced JD Drew with him Won't happen, though.
Fausto Carmona - 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, W (9). A great bounce back start after last outing's disaster. He's obviously not hurt, and those 9 wins are pretty impressive. Keep on using him.
Al Reyes - 2/3 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 BB. He was Sizemored. His dream season has come to an end as he now sports a 4.09 ERA. I hope you moved him back when I said you should. He's still the closer, but he's not helping owners anywhere near what he was doing a month or so ago.
Grady Sizemore - 1/5, GS (14). Made his one hit count as much as possible. Gotta love this guy.
Carl Crawford - 0/4, 3 K. He's really struggling, and Tampa Bay is moving him back into the #2 spot. Hopefully getting him out of a more RBI-oriented lineup position will get Crawford back on track. He had a mixed bag in July...he only hit .257, but he was 8/8 in steals with 19 RBI and 18 R. Expect him to get going again.
Dan Wheeler - 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB. He is a disaster right now. De-activate him, and expect Lidge to move back into the closer's role sooner than later. Perhaps he'll right the ship in the 8th inning.
Hunter Pence - 2/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR (9). He just won't stop hitting. Nice.
Carlos Lee - 2/4, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (16). He's quietly putting together the season he was drafted to do, and he's hitting a very nice .296. I'm so happy I picked Jason Bay over him. Pure genius.
Felix Hernandez - 8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Another nice outing from Felix, giving him 2 in 3 appearances. Unfortunately those two came against Pittsburgh and KC. While his owners will take it, I want to see this sort of performance come against a better offense. I'm keeping him reserved until I see that.
Gil Meche - 6 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K. A pretty solid outing against his old team. He's doing a good job being a quality end-of-the-rotation fantasy starter, only being held back by the bad offense that supports him.
Octavio Dotel - 1 IP, 2 H, 3 K, W (1). Gotta love it when your closer gets ya a win. Make sure to sell him very soon if you can.
Brandon Webb - 6 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Another blah outing from Webb. STL has given Webb a lot of problems in the past as he's compiled a 4.27 ERA against them in 34 2/3 IP. Just chalk it up to a problem team and don't worry about it. His 3.27 ERA is exactly what owners wanted when drafting him to be their ace this year.
Scott Rolen - 2/5, 1 R, 4 RBI. A nice game from Rolen, but with a .271 AVG, 4 HR, and 35 RBI, he's done as a fantasy force.
Erik Bedard - 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 K. Against a weak offense who had problems hitting lefties so far this year, owners expected much more. The problem was the HR ball, as he gave up 3 2 run shots to end his evening early. When you have a good fastball like Bedard does, outings like this will happen from time to time if the location isn't there, and the 4 walks definitely suggest that.
Jim Thome - 2/3, 2 run HR (11). He's due to get on a hot streak sometime soon, so let's hope this is the start of it. He hasn't really had a big tear yet this year.
Tom Glavine - 6 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 3 K. A rare bad command game from Glavine, although many pitchers have trouble against Colorado in Coors Field. He had bounced back well after the beatings both the Tigers and Yankees gave him, so I wouldn't worry much about this despite it being his 3rd bad start in 5 tries. Just be careful who you start him against.
David Wright - 2/4, SB (18). He's really cranked up the running this year as I've touched on several times. He doesn't seem to be slowing down, so expecting a total of 30 steals out of him this year seems quite reasonable.
Vernon Wells - 4/5, 2 solo HR (11). He's really taken well to heading leadoff, batting .361 in 9 games there. Hopefully that was necessary to get his bat moving again, and he'll be dropped back down to the 3 hole that he usually occupies, and his hot streak will continue in the more RBI-friendly spot.
Sergio Mitre - 6 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. No offensive support for him today, but he turned in yet another quality start. He's been a nice waiver wire find, and he's giving you no reason to stop using him yet.
John Smoltz - 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Another good start from Smoltz, although Lowe outduled him for the win. He's provided a nice value to those who drafted him this year, and he should be ready for another solid 2nd half.
Derek Lowe - 5 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. He's rolling right along, dropping his ERA to 2.98 after this outing. He's been a great find for fantasy leaguers this year as the entire Dodgers pitching staff has really stepped it up. Expect another solid 2nd half from this guy, who probably provides more value to you than to someone you could trade him to.
Monday, July 2, 2007
DL Stints: A.J Burnett, Ian Kinsler, Mike Napoli, Oliver Perez, Scott Podsednik
Good lord.
A.J. Burnett - The Toronto Blue Jays placed SP A.J. Burnett back on the DL with shoulder soreness. Could the Blue Jays be any worse with their starting pitchers? He was rushed back off the DL, only to go back on it with the same injury that he obviously wasn't fully recovered from. There was no reason to do this, so who knows how long he'll be out now. He might be done for a while.
Ian Kinsler - The Texas Rangers placed 2B Ian Kinsler on the DL with a stress fracture in his left foot. He'll probably be out 4-8 weeks and should be held onto.
Mike Napoli - The Los Angeles Angels placed C Mike Napoli on the DL with a sprained left ankle. Owners of Piazza, like me, might have been using him as a replacement. I wouldn't assume he'll miss more than the minimum, but he can be dropped in the mean time.
Oliver Perez - The New York Mets will place SP Oliver Perez on the DL with lower back soreness. He had his start postponed by a couple days, but he continued to feel pain his in back and will be shelved for 15 days while he recovers. I wouldn't think he'll miss too much more time than the 15 days, if any.
Scott Podsednik - The Chicago White Sox placed Scott Podsednik on the DL with a strained rib cage. Pods hurt himself again and will go right back on the DL. Unless you're completely desparate for SBs, drop him.
Pickup Recommendations:
SP - Matt Garza makes an interesting spot start on Friday against the light hitting White Sox. Chad Billingsley is a possibility after his strong start, but he's risky with his varying command. Scott Baker and Chuck James are also not bad.
2B - Kelly Johnson, if he was dropped. Mike Fontenot is red hot, and you could ride out his hot streak, especially with him hitting 2nd ahead of Lee and Ramirez. Mark DeRosa is also swinging a hot bat and is a possible temporary solution.
C - Bengie Molina as he's not getting the love he should as a decent starting catcher in a 12 team league. Jason Kendall has hit .300 the past month and isn't horrible.
A.J. Burnett - The Toronto Blue Jays placed SP A.J. Burnett back on the DL with shoulder soreness. Could the Blue Jays be any worse with their starting pitchers? He was rushed back off the DL, only to go back on it with the same injury that he obviously wasn't fully recovered from. There was no reason to do this, so who knows how long he'll be out now. He might be done for a while.
Ian Kinsler - The Texas Rangers placed 2B Ian Kinsler on the DL with a stress fracture in his left foot. He'll probably be out 4-8 weeks and should be held onto.
Mike Napoli - The Los Angeles Angels placed C Mike Napoli on the DL with a sprained left ankle. Owners of Piazza, like me, might have been using him as a replacement. I wouldn't assume he'll miss more than the minimum, but he can be dropped in the mean time.
Oliver Perez - The New York Mets will place SP Oliver Perez on the DL with lower back soreness. He had his start postponed by a couple days, but he continued to feel pain his in back and will be shelved for 15 days while he recovers. I wouldn't think he'll miss too much more time than the 15 days, if any.
Scott Podsednik - The Chicago White Sox placed Scott Podsednik on the DL with a strained rib cage. Pods hurt himself again and will go right back on the DL. Unless you're completely desparate for SBs, drop him.
Pickup Recommendations:
SP - Matt Garza makes an interesting spot start on Friday against the light hitting White Sox. Chad Billingsley is a possibility after his strong start, but he's risky with his varying command. Scott Baker and Chuck James are also not bad.
2B - Kelly Johnson, if he was dropped. Mike Fontenot is red hot, and you could ride out his hot streak, especially with him hitting 2nd ahead of Lee and Ramirez. Mark DeRosa is also swinging a hot bat and is a possible temporary solution.
C - Bengie Molina as he's not getting the love he should as a decent starting catcher in a 12 team league. Jason Kendall has hit .300 the past month and isn't horrible.
Sunday's Action: A Sunday Night Pitching Duel
Dan Haren - 5 1/3 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W (10). You know it's your year when you turn in a performance like this and still win. Haren's worst start in quite some time, but yet he got tons of run support and picked up his 10th win of the first half.
Andy Pettitte - 1 2/3 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. Yuck. His ERA was due for bump, and unfortunately he picked one start to blow it up there. Hopefully he's not hurting.
Jack Cust - 3/5, 1 R, 4 RBI, HR (14). That's 5 HR in 9 games as Cust is on another power binge and he has to be used until he cools off again. His AVG is back up to .288.
Dontrelle Willis - 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. Thanks to a rain delay, Willis' quality start was cut short. No worries in case you checked the boxscore and wondered why he only pitched 4 innings.
Kevin Gregg - 2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, BS (1). His control was all over the place and he blew his first save of the year. Had Benitez not gotten rocked in the 8th, Gregg wouldn't have been needed in that inning along with the 9th. This won't affect his role as the closer, especially since Benitez caused the problem in the first place.
Bob Wickman - 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, BS (4). Two rough outings in a row, and given his advanced age and earlier back problems, one might wonder if he's hurting again. Hopefully that's not the case, but if you have an extra roster spot and Rafael Soriano is available, you might want to pick him up for a few days to see if Wickman is alright.
Andruw Jones - 1/5, solo HR (13). Another one of fantasy baseball's biggest busts. He's never been a big AVG hitter, but his current .199 mark is killing his owners. He's just too good to keep this up, so I'd suggest buying low as odds are very high that he'll rebound in some fashion in the 2nd half.
James Shields - 6 1/3 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K. Another great start from Shields as he bounced back from 3 ugly outings against a strong Cleveland offense, but unfortunate his effort wasn't good enough to pick up a win. He's safe to use again in case you benched him.
Carlos Pena - 1/4, solo HR (18). Here comes that cold streak as he's dropped his AVG 29 points over the past 10 games as it comes back down to a normal level. Your sell high window is passing you buy if you haven't tried to move him for a more established player in return. That .200 AVG against LHP just won't cut it, so the smart owners will keep platooning him.
Mike Maroth - 3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. I still think he has a chance for success in the NL, but mixed leaguers who have picked him up should keep him benched for a bit.
Homer Bailey - 3 2/3 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 2 K. Horrible. He's just not polished enough to sustain success at the major league level yet. I wouldn't use him in redraft leagues until he puts together a few starts in a row, if he can manage that. I don't have the same confidence factor that he'll bounce back like Lincecum has. He's going to be very good, but that time isn't now.
Ken Griffey Jr. - 2/4, 1 R, 3 RBI, HR (22). His renaissance season continues with a .292 AVG, 22 HR, and 53 RBI. He's providing amazing return on investment, and it seems like his move to RF has contributed to him staying healthy.
John Lackey - 7 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, W (11). Another fine start from Lackey as he picked up win #11 on the season. He's given you fantasy ace value from a middle round draft choice. He's not as flashy as some of the other aces, but he gets it done just like they do.
Jeremy Guthrie - 8 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. Another quality statline from Guthrie, but a couple HR did him in for those earned runs.
Carlos Delgado - 2/3, 2 R, 1 RBI, HR (13). He's been scuffling, so the last 4 games give his owners some hope that he'll bust out of his 2nd slump of the year. He has a good chance of getting hot for a while.
Shane Victorino - 3/4, solo HR (9), 2 SB (24). He's only hitting .271, so like I said before, he's only a 2 catagory player with 51 R and 24 SB. The 9 HR is more than more steal guys give you, so he's a bit more valuable in that sense than many "emptier" speed guys.
Akinori Otsuka - 2/3 IP, 2 H. Otsuka left with a forearm problem, so let's hope this isn't a serious ailment. Nothing more has been reported at this time.
Kevin Youkilis - 2/4, 1 RBI. He's slowed down from that monster pace he was on earlier, but with a .329 AVG, 44 RBI, and 48 R, he's providing his owners with a quality fantasy 3B.
Hunter Pence - 4/5, 3 R, 1 RBI. That 5 game mini-slump apparently pissed him off.
Jon Garland - 7 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (6). His 3.15 ERA is very impressive as he might become the White Sox ace if Buehrle is traded.
David Bush - 6 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Not too bad of a start, but the offense had nothing on Marquis last night after exploding for 19 runs the first 2 games of the series.
Corey Hart - 1/4, solo HR (11). Combining him along with Fielder, Hardy, Weeks, and fellow super-rookie Braun, and this young offense is looking very scary for the next several years. The Milwaukee crowd has to be loving this.
Tim Linecum - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K. He only needed 97 pitches to accomplish this, his best outing as a major leaguer. Getting Bengie Molina back behind the plate has definitely put Lincecum back on track.
Bengie Molina - 2/4, 3 run HR (8). With a .289 AVG, 8 HR, and 44 RBI, Molina's putting together a very solid season for a fantasy catcher.
Shaun Marcum - 6 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. Another great start from Marcum as he's definitely worth using in mixed leagues during his hot streak.
Jeff Weaver - 8 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. What the hell is going on? I've read that he's found a few extra MPH on his fastball, so that's allowed him to go from batting practice dummy to decent major league starter, and he's actually putting together a nice little streak of starts. Still, he can't be picked up in mixed leagues.
J.J. Putz - 1 IP, 2 K, W (1). Nice little win bonus for his owners.
Chad Billingsley - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K. What a nice start from Billingsley last night. He's back on the radar. He can provide a lot of performances like this if he could find consistent control of his pitches.
Justin Germano - 6 2/3 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. Roughed up a little bit last night. He's still a good sell high guy if you can toss him into a deal for an upgrade before his numbers start to even out.
Rafael Furcal - 2/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR (2), SB (9). He's been a massive disappointment for those owners expecting the ~12 HR and ~40 steals that he usually provides. The problem is the extreme lack of patience behind him in Juan Pierre, who just doesn't take pitches and allow Furcal to steal. It seems like it might be a problem all year long.
Scott Baker - 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. What a great performance from Baker last night against a red hot Detroit Tigers offense, needing only 79 pitches. That's 3 straight solid starts from Baker who is possibly understanding how to pitch at the major league level. One more good start against a quality offense and I'll be recommending a pickup.
Jeremy Bonderman - 8 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, W (9). Just shut down the Twins offense, and got the run of support he needed in the bottom of the 8th to pick up the victory.
Andy Pettitte - 1 2/3 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. Yuck. His ERA was due for bump, and unfortunately he picked one start to blow it up there. Hopefully he's not hurting.
Jack Cust - 3/5, 1 R, 4 RBI, HR (14). That's 5 HR in 9 games as Cust is on another power binge and he has to be used until he cools off again. His AVG is back up to .288.
Dontrelle Willis - 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. Thanks to a rain delay, Willis' quality start was cut short. No worries in case you checked the boxscore and wondered why he only pitched 4 innings.
Kevin Gregg - 2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, BS (1). His control was all over the place and he blew his first save of the year. Had Benitez not gotten rocked in the 8th, Gregg wouldn't have been needed in that inning along with the 9th. This won't affect his role as the closer, especially since Benitez caused the problem in the first place.
Bob Wickman - 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, BS (4). Two rough outings in a row, and given his advanced age and earlier back problems, one might wonder if he's hurting again. Hopefully that's not the case, but if you have an extra roster spot and Rafael Soriano is available, you might want to pick him up for a few days to see if Wickman is alright.
Andruw Jones - 1/5, solo HR (13). Another one of fantasy baseball's biggest busts. He's never been a big AVG hitter, but his current .199 mark is killing his owners. He's just too good to keep this up, so I'd suggest buying low as odds are very high that he'll rebound in some fashion in the 2nd half.
James Shields - 6 1/3 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K. Another great start from Shields as he bounced back from 3 ugly outings against a strong Cleveland offense, but unfortunate his effort wasn't good enough to pick up a win. He's safe to use again in case you benched him.
Carlos Pena - 1/4, solo HR (18). Here comes that cold streak as he's dropped his AVG 29 points over the past 10 games as it comes back down to a normal level. Your sell high window is passing you buy if you haven't tried to move him for a more established player in return. That .200 AVG against LHP just won't cut it, so the smart owners will keep platooning him.
Mike Maroth - 3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. I still think he has a chance for success in the NL, but mixed leaguers who have picked him up should keep him benched for a bit.
Homer Bailey - 3 2/3 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 2 K. Horrible. He's just not polished enough to sustain success at the major league level yet. I wouldn't use him in redraft leagues until he puts together a few starts in a row, if he can manage that. I don't have the same confidence factor that he'll bounce back like Lincecum has. He's going to be very good, but that time isn't now.
Ken Griffey Jr. - 2/4, 1 R, 3 RBI, HR (22). His renaissance season continues with a .292 AVG, 22 HR, and 53 RBI. He's providing amazing return on investment, and it seems like his move to RF has contributed to him staying healthy.
John Lackey - 7 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, W (11). Another fine start from Lackey as he picked up win #11 on the season. He's given you fantasy ace value from a middle round draft choice. He's not as flashy as some of the other aces, but he gets it done just like they do.
Jeremy Guthrie - 8 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. Another quality statline from Guthrie, but a couple HR did him in for those earned runs.
Carlos Delgado - 2/3, 2 R, 1 RBI, HR (13). He's been scuffling, so the last 4 games give his owners some hope that he'll bust out of his 2nd slump of the year. He has a good chance of getting hot for a while.
Shane Victorino - 3/4, solo HR (9), 2 SB (24). He's only hitting .271, so like I said before, he's only a 2 catagory player with 51 R and 24 SB. The 9 HR is more than more steal guys give you, so he's a bit more valuable in that sense than many "emptier" speed guys.
Akinori Otsuka - 2/3 IP, 2 H. Otsuka left with a forearm problem, so let's hope this isn't a serious ailment. Nothing more has been reported at this time.
Kevin Youkilis - 2/4, 1 RBI. He's slowed down from that monster pace he was on earlier, but with a .329 AVG, 44 RBI, and 48 R, he's providing his owners with a quality fantasy 3B.
Hunter Pence - 4/5, 3 R, 1 RBI. That 5 game mini-slump apparently pissed him off.
Jon Garland - 7 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (6). His 3.15 ERA is very impressive as he might become the White Sox ace if Buehrle is traded.
David Bush - 6 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Not too bad of a start, but the offense had nothing on Marquis last night after exploding for 19 runs the first 2 games of the series.
Corey Hart - 1/4, solo HR (11). Combining him along with Fielder, Hardy, Weeks, and fellow super-rookie Braun, and this young offense is looking very scary for the next several years. The Milwaukee crowd has to be loving this.
Tim Linecum - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K. He only needed 97 pitches to accomplish this, his best outing as a major leaguer. Getting Bengie Molina back behind the plate has definitely put Lincecum back on track.
Bengie Molina - 2/4, 3 run HR (8). With a .289 AVG, 8 HR, and 44 RBI, Molina's putting together a very solid season for a fantasy catcher.
Shaun Marcum - 6 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. Another great start from Marcum as he's definitely worth using in mixed leagues during his hot streak.
Jeff Weaver - 8 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. What the hell is going on? I've read that he's found a few extra MPH on his fastball, so that's allowed him to go from batting practice dummy to decent major league starter, and he's actually putting together a nice little streak of starts. Still, he can't be picked up in mixed leagues.
J.J. Putz - 1 IP, 2 K, W (1). Nice little win bonus for his owners.
Chad Billingsley - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K. What a nice start from Billingsley last night. He's back on the radar. He can provide a lot of performances like this if he could find consistent control of his pitches.
Justin Germano - 6 2/3 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. Roughed up a little bit last night. He's still a good sell high guy if you can toss him into a deal for an upgrade before his numbers start to even out.
Rafael Furcal - 2/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR (2), SB (9). He's been a massive disappointment for those owners expecting the ~12 HR and ~40 steals that he usually provides. The problem is the extreme lack of patience behind him in Juan Pierre, who just doesn't take pitches and allow Furcal to steal. It seems like it might be a problem all year long.
Scott Baker - 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. What a great performance from Baker last night against a red hot Detroit Tigers offense, needing only 79 pitches. That's 3 straight solid starts from Baker who is possibly understanding how to pitch at the major league level. One more good start against a quality offense and I'll be recommending a pickup.
Jeremy Bonderman - 8 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, W (9). Just shut down the Twins offense, and got the run of support he needed in the bottom of the 8th to pick up the victory.
Saturday's Action: We're Halfway There!
Chad Gaudin - 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. He caught a cold hitting Yankees bunch at the right time, and he put together one of his best outings to date. He continues to pitch well, and his ERA currently sits at 2.92. Very impressive for the AL. He's been one of the better AL waiver wire pickups of the year at the SP position.
Rich Harden - 2 IP, 2 BB, 2 K. Well, unfortunately he's not doing much for his owners despite him being relatively healthy pitching in a 7th/8th inning role right now. He was finally able to go 2 innings despite not being able to do such last time. You won't get much for him in a trade, but he's not worth dropping either. Just use him as a solid ratio/K middle inning reliever for the moment and hopefully his role for the 2nd half will become defined a bit better after the AllStar break.
Nick Swisher - He's been pretty worthless for a while now. His AVG has come back down, sitting at .271. He's only hit 10 HR in the first half of this year despite hitting 31 last year. I would think he'll hit a few more in the 2nd half though, so I wouldn't worry.
Ben Sheets - 8 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, W (10). He bunched a few hits together in the 1st and 6th innings, but he pitched brilliantly outside of that en route to posting a season high K total. He's pitching as well as he ever has this year, and he's giving his owners more than they paid for.
Sean Marshall - 2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. Things are evening out for Marshall as his ERA rose to 3.50 with this outing. I can see his ERA sitting around there for most of the year. The problem with Marshall is the fact that he follows Rich Hill in the rotation. Both pitchers have very similar pitching styles, and if Hill and Marshall both face the same team in the same series, Marshall is going to have trouble because the team just got done facing a slightly better version of him. Perhaps it should be something people consider when deciding whether to use him or not. There isn't enough of a stat sample to say one way or another.
Ryan Braun - 4/5, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR (7). He and Pence have been the rookie waiver wire finds of the year thus far. Braun is enjoying an incredible run right now, and his power/speed combination will keep him valuable all year long even if his AVG slides a bit. With 30 K in 33 games, it likely will.
Rickie Weeks - 0/4, 1 R, SB (9). Now hitting .236 and also 8th in the lineup, his fantasy value has crashed since coming back from his injury. If you're struggling at 2B, I consider buying him low. He has good power/speed combo, and even though his R total will take a hit not leading off anymore, I think he's playing under his potential as long as he's healthy.
Jorge Sosa - 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Not too bad in a tough start at Philly, but unfortunately he left early with a strained left hamstring. He's headed to the DL, and I'm sure his owners won't miss him too terribly even though he had been pitching well for the most part.
Carlos Beltran - 4/5, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (14). 4 HRs in 2 games...buy low opportunity closed. [luigi] He's a hot. [/luigi]
Kevin Slowey - 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, W (3). He pitched pretty well given he was going against the powerful Tigers offense, and he limited the damage enough to pick up the win. This will be my last post about him for a while because his ratios just don't allow him to be used in mixed leagues right now.
Andrew Miller - 5 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. A rough start for Miller against the Twins. He'll be up and down like most rookies, but given he has a permanent rotation spot, a lot of talent, and decent polish for a young pitcher, I think he'll be a mixed league asset for a while.
Michael Cuddyer - 2/4, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR (9). His AVG, RBI, and R are right in line with last year, but his 9 HR leave him a little short of the 24 he hit last season. Hopefully he picks up the power pace a bit in the 2nd half.
Curtis Granderson - 2/5, solo HR (11). He's at .289 with 11 HR, 41 RBI, 58 R, and 9 SB, and he's proving to be a quality 3rd OF. Like I said before, however, his value is best maximized by only starting him against RHP, as he's hitting a miserable .129 against them, with only 2 HR and 0 SB.
Josh Beckett - 5 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. Missed too often within the strikezone apparently, and Texas hit him pretty hard. You'd rather see this sort of outing come against a stronger offense, but it'll happen from time to time, and he didn't get completely lit up either. He ends the first half healthy, and with great stats. He's definitely been one of the best draft day values among SPs.
Sammy Sosa - 2/4, 2 R, 1 RBI, HR (14). 14 HR and 63 RBI has made Sammy Sosa relevant in fantasy leagues this year. The .255 AVG is definitely a downer, but he's giving you a reason to use him as a cheap power source.
Jason Bergmann - 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. Very disappointing 2nd start after coming off the DL, especially since it was against Pittsburgh. I won't write about him again until he strings together a few performances and is worth picking up again.
Tom Gorzelanny - 7 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER 3 BB, 6 K. Good stuff against the Nationals offense. He finishes the first half with a 3.05 ERA. Between him and Snell, the Pirates have a very nice 1-2 punch at the front of their rotation. I still think he's a good sell-high guy given the fact he hasn't pitched 200 innings before, and the fact he has a history of arm injuries. Plus, the 1.27 WHIP does not support an ERA hovering at 3.00.
Adam LaRoche - 2/4, 1 R, 3 RBI, HR (10). A bust this year so far, especially considering the miserable .223 AVG. I hope you don't still own him, or worse yet use him.
Brian Burres - 7 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K. The good? A 3.38 ERA and 53 K in 64 IP. The bad? A 1.47 WHIP and 38 BB in 64 IP. Don't pick him up despite the decent stats so far.
Paul Shuey - 1 1/3 IP, 2 K, SV (1). Chris Ray had worked 3 out of the past 4 games, so he got a rest. However, it was stated yesterday that the Orioles want to reduce Chris Ray's workload, especially considering he's been struggling. Unfortunately I suggested him as a buy low candidate, but his value is on the rocks right now. Shuey might factor into the situation, but he's not worth picking up yet.
Jeff Francis - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, W (8). He keeps rolling right along, lowering his ERA to a solid 3.56 on the season. He finishes the month of June with a 2.84 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 35 K in 38 IP. He continues to be a solid fantasy starter despite a horrible first month of the season.
Tim Hudson - 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W (8). He's rolling right along, and ends the first half with a 3.18 ERA. He's definitely a contender for comeback player of the year in the NL.
Kelly Johnson - 1/3, 1 RBI, SB (6). He's been very good this year in an overall sense, but he hasn't hit that well the past two months, and now Atlanta is toying with the idea of platooning him with Yuniel Escobar. He's already been dropped from the leadoff spot. I'd keep an eye on the daily lineups to see whether or not he's playing, and plan on having a backup ready just in case. Odds are he'll hit his way out of this situation, but let's hope Atlanta gives him the opportunity to do so.
C.C. Sabathia - 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, W (12). He continues his fantasy ace ways as he wraps up the first half with a 3.20 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 116 K in 129 1/3 IP.
Travis Hafner - 1/3, solo HR (13). He's slowly starting to heat up, so make sure to try to buy him now before the 2nd half. I think he's in store for a big one.
Noah Lowry - 6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, W (8). His 8 wins and 3.46 ERA are nice, but his 59 K in 101 1/3 IP and 1.40 WHIP are not. I wouldn't want to start him consistently, but he's not a bad spot starter against weaker teams.
Brad Hennessey - 1 IP, 1 H, SV (4). He's definitely the preferred choice for saves in San Fran, just to re-affirm.
Roy Halladay - 6 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. That would be good enough to win more times than not, but the Toronto offense struggled and couldn't get him the run support he needed. He's been pitching well, and despite a disappointing first half, he should be in for a better 2nd half if he can stay healthy. That's a big if with him, though.
Ichiro Suzuki - 3/5, SB (23). He's up to .368, and he's been a real fantasy force in the first half. He finishes June with a ridiculous .427 AVG.
Jake Peavy - 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. The pitching duel between Peavy and Penny proved it's worth in gold as both pitchers put up almost identical statlines, and the game went into extra innings as a result. Peavy finishes the first half as the best fantasy pitcher in the NL, and as long as his shoulder holds up, he should prove to be just as valuable in the 2nd half.
Brad Penny - 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. No, there isn't an echo in here. Penny finishes the first half as probably the most surprising elite fantasy pitcher. I've expressed my doubts on him, but while he put up a fluky ERA the first month, he followed that up with an excellent May and June. Like I've noted several times before, he crashed after the All Star break last year, so selling high is still probably a good idea. He does have the talent to keep this up, but he's never done it for a full season before.
Russell Martin - 1/5, SB (15). 15 steals from a catcher in the first half. Awesome.
Rich Harden - 2 IP, 2 BB, 2 K. Well, unfortunately he's not doing much for his owners despite him being relatively healthy pitching in a 7th/8th inning role right now. He was finally able to go 2 innings despite not being able to do such last time. You won't get much for him in a trade, but he's not worth dropping either. Just use him as a solid ratio/K middle inning reliever for the moment and hopefully his role for the 2nd half will become defined a bit better after the AllStar break.
Nick Swisher - He's been pretty worthless for a while now. His AVG has come back down, sitting at .271. He's only hit 10 HR in the first half of this year despite hitting 31 last year. I would think he'll hit a few more in the 2nd half though, so I wouldn't worry.
Ben Sheets - 8 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, W (10). He bunched a few hits together in the 1st and 6th innings, but he pitched brilliantly outside of that en route to posting a season high K total. He's pitching as well as he ever has this year, and he's giving his owners more than they paid for.
Sean Marshall - 2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. Things are evening out for Marshall as his ERA rose to 3.50 with this outing. I can see his ERA sitting around there for most of the year. The problem with Marshall is the fact that he follows Rich Hill in the rotation. Both pitchers have very similar pitching styles, and if Hill and Marshall both face the same team in the same series, Marshall is going to have trouble because the team just got done facing a slightly better version of him. Perhaps it should be something people consider when deciding whether to use him or not. There isn't enough of a stat sample to say one way or another.
Ryan Braun - 4/5, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR (7). He and Pence have been the rookie waiver wire finds of the year thus far. Braun is enjoying an incredible run right now, and his power/speed combination will keep him valuable all year long even if his AVG slides a bit. With 30 K in 33 games, it likely will.
Rickie Weeks - 0/4, 1 R, SB (9). Now hitting .236 and also 8th in the lineup, his fantasy value has crashed since coming back from his injury. If you're struggling at 2B, I consider buying him low. He has good power/speed combo, and even though his R total will take a hit not leading off anymore, I think he's playing under his potential as long as he's healthy.
Jorge Sosa - 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Not too bad in a tough start at Philly, but unfortunately he left early with a strained left hamstring. He's headed to the DL, and I'm sure his owners won't miss him too terribly even though he had been pitching well for the most part.
Carlos Beltran - 4/5, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (14). 4 HRs in 2 games...buy low opportunity closed. [luigi] He's a hot. [/luigi]
Kevin Slowey - 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, W (3). He pitched pretty well given he was going against the powerful Tigers offense, and he limited the damage enough to pick up the win. This will be my last post about him for a while because his ratios just don't allow him to be used in mixed leagues right now.
Andrew Miller - 5 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. A rough start for Miller against the Twins. He'll be up and down like most rookies, but given he has a permanent rotation spot, a lot of talent, and decent polish for a young pitcher, I think he'll be a mixed league asset for a while.
Michael Cuddyer - 2/4, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR (9). His AVG, RBI, and R are right in line with last year, but his 9 HR leave him a little short of the 24 he hit last season. Hopefully he picks up the power pace a bit in the 2nd half.
Curtis Granderson - 2/5, solo HR (11). He's at .289 with 11 HR, 41 RBI, 58 R, and 9 SB, and he's proving to be a quality 3rd OF. Like I said before, however, his value is best maximized by only starting him against RHP, as he's hitting a miserable .129 against them, with only 2 HR and 0 SB.
Josh Beckett - 5 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. Missed too often within the strikezone apparently, and Texas hit him pretty hard. You'd rather see this sort of outing come against a stronger offense, but it'll happen from time to time, and he didn't get completely lit up either. He ends the first half healthy, and with great stats. He's definitely been one of the best draft day values among SPs.
Sammy Sosa - 2/4, 2 R, 1 RBI, HR (14). 14 HR and 63 RBI has made Sammy Sosa relevant in fantasy leagues this year. The .255 AVG is definitely a downer, but he's giving you a reason to use him as a cheap power source.
Jason Bergmann - 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. Very disappointing 2nd start after coming off the DL, especially since it was against Pittsburgh. I won't write about him again until he strings together a few performances and is worth picking up again.
Tom Gorzelanny - 7 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER 3 BB, 6 K. Good stuff against the Nationals offense. He finishes the first half with a 3.05 ERA. Between him and Snell, the Pirates have a very nice 1-2 punch at the front of their rotation. I still think he's a good sell-high guy given the fact he hasn't pitched 200 innings before, and the fact he has a history of arm injuries. Plus, the 1.27 WHIP does not support an ERA hovering at 3.00.
Adam LaRoche - 2/4, 1 R, 3 RBI, HR (10). A bust this year so far, especially considering the miserable .223 AVG. I hope you don't still own him, or worse yet use him.
Brian Burres - 7 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K. The good? A 3.38 ERA and 53 K in 64 IP. The bad? A 1.47 WHIP and 38 BB in 64 IP. Don't pick him up despite the decent stats so far.
Paul Shuey - 1 1/3 IP, 2 K, SV (1). Chris Ray had worked 3 out of the past 4 games, so he got a rest. However, it was stated yesterday that the Orioles want to reduce Chris Ray's workload, especially considering he's been struggling. Unfortunately I suggested him as a buy low candidate, but his value is on the rocks right now. Shuey might factor into the situation, but he's not worth picking up yet.
Jeff Francis - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, W (8). He keeps rolling right along, lowering his ERA to a solid 3.56 on the season. He finishes the month of June with a 2.84 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 35 K in 38 IP. He continues to be a solid fantasy starter despite a horrible first month of the season.
Tim Hudson - 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W (8). He's rolling right along, and ends the first half with a 3.18 ERA. He's definitely a contender for comeback player of the year in the NL.
Kelly Johnson - 1/3, 1 RBI, SB (6). He's been very good this year in an overall sense, but he hasn't hit that well the past two months, and now Atlanta is toying with the idea of platooning him with Yuniel Escobar. He's already been dropped from the leadoff spot. I'd keep an eye on the daily lineups to see whether or not he's playing, and plan on having a backup ready just in case. Odds are he'll hit his way out of this situation, but let's hope Atlanta gives him the opportunity to do so.
C.C. Sabathia - 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, W (12). He continues his fantasy ace ways as he wraps up the first half with a 3.20 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 116 K in 129 1/3 IP.
Travis Hafner - 1/3, solo HR (13). He's slowly starting to heat up, so make sure to try to buy him now before the 2nd half. I think he's in store for a big one.
Noah Lowry - 6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, W (8). His 8 wins and 3.46 ERA are nice, but his 59 K in 101 1/3 IP and 1.40 WHIP are not. I wouldn't want to start him consistently, but he's not a bad spot starter against weaker teams.
Brad Hennessey - 1 IP, 1 H, SV (4). He's definitely the preferred choice for saves in San Fran, just to re-affirm.
Roy Halladay - 6 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. That would be good enough to win more times than not, but the Toronto offense struggled and couldn't get him the run support he needed. He's been pitching well, and despite a disappointing first half, he should be in for a better 2nd half if he can stay healthy. That's a big if with him, though.
Ichiro Suzuki - 3/5, SB (23). He's up to .368, and he's been a real fantasy force in the first half. He finishes June with a ridiculous .427 AVG.
Jake Peavy - 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. The pitching duel between Peavy and Penny proved it's worth in gold as both pitchers put up almost identical statlines, and the game went into extra innings as a result. Peavy finishes the first half as the best fantasy pitcher in the NL, and as long as his shoulder holds up, he should prove to be just as valuable in the 2nd half.
Brad Penny - 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. No, there isn't an echo in here. Penny finishes the first half as probably the most surprising elite fantasy pitcher. I've expressed my doubts on him, but while he put up a fluky ERA the first month, he followed that up with an excellent May and June. Like I've noted several times before, he crashed after the All Star break last year, so selling high is still probably a good idea. He does have the talent to keep this up, but he's never done it for a full season before.
Russell Martin - 1/5, SB (15). 15 steals from a catcher in the first half. Awesome.
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