Jeff Francis - 7 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Not a bad outing, but coupled 4 baserunners together in the 1st inning that led to 2 runs, and then gave up a 2 run HR later. He's still pitching very well, and is being overlooked in fantasy leagues.
Chris Ray - Picked up his 13th save last night. A couple ugly outings that involved big HRs have his ERA up over 4, but with a 1.14 WHIP and 28 K in 29 IP, he's pitching much better than the ERA indicates. He's a good buy-at-a-discount closer.
B.J. Upton - He left last night's game with a strained left quad after only one at-bat. He'll likely miss a few games, but he doesn't believe he'll need to go on the DL. Make sure to take him out of your lineup tonight and most likely tomorrow.
Carl Crawford - On fire recently, going 10/20 with 1 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R, and 5 SB in his last 4 games. Now that's some serious production.
Xavier Nady - Hit his 10th HR last night, to go along with a .287 AVG and 36 RBI. He's proving to be a nice 3 catagory player, and given Pittsburgh's inability to produce much offense, he should be starting the rest of the year. Not a bad 3rd OF/UTIL guy right now.
Hideki Matsui - Hit his 6th HR last night. With a .282 AVG, 6 HR, 29 R, and 30 RBI, he's been a disappointment. Given his history of production since coming over, he remains a legit buy-low. Given his age and his wrist injury last year, I'm not sure if the 30 HR power is coming back, but he'll be solid across the board, save stolen bases.
Jorge Sosa - 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. A very impressive line against one of the best offenses in the majors. With 6 quality starts in 7 tries, it's time to start taking him seriously as a mixed league starter, especially with the power of the Mets offense to support him.
Carlos Delgado - 5 HRs and 9 RBIs in his past 10 games. His power numbers are there, but the .232 AVG might allow you to get him at a discount still.
Homer Bailey - 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K. He was wild like I predicted, but even against the Indians he was able to avoid major damage despite the 4 walks. He's probably worth picking up in all formats depending on what your current rotation looks like. He'll pitch in a fairly weak hitting division, and for a fairly good offense.
Brandon Phillips - Hit his 11th HR last night. With a .287 AVG, 11 HR, 33 RBI, 39 R, and 10 SB, he's been arguably the 2nd best 2B to draft this year behind B.J. Upton. Tremendous numbers at a huge draft day discount.
Sean Marshall - 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. That's 4 straight starts of 2 ER or less since he's been called up this year. If your rotation needs help, Jeff Francis, Jorge Sosa, and Sean Marshall all make good short-term (and possibly long-term) suggestions.
Alfonso Soriano - I'll let you guys know if I trade anyone else. They're likely due for a ridiculous hot streak (Rios, Soriano), and then you guys can make sure to go get them. His 3 HRs last night made me throw up in my mouth a bit.
Freddy Garcia - 1 2/3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. He might be owned in your league, and if so, laugh at his owner. Unfortunately for Freddy, he complained of shoulder soreness after the game and very well might be headed for the DL.
Octavio Dotel - Retired the 2 batters he faced last night to record his 3rd save. Nice to see an outing not marred with baserunners, even if it only was 2 hitters.
Bartolo Colon - 4 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. He's been a big (literally) problem the last 3 outings and is likely hurting again, so make sure you don't start him until he straightens things out or goes on the DL.
Chone Figgins - 3 SBs last night, giving him 8 in the last 8 games. He's definitely back being what he is, a light hitting, heavy stealing middle infielder. He led off last night too, so if he's back to leading off, he'll have added value with extra at-bats and extra runs scored.
Albert Pujols - 2/5 with a HR and 2 RBI last night. He's definitely coming around starting to produce like we expect. I still see a massive hot streak ahead for him.
Dan Wheeler/Brad Lidge - Despite Wheeler blowing another save Thursday night, Garner used the same bullpen arrangement last night, and Wheeler tossed a perfect inning with 2 Ks. It looks like Lidge won't be closing yet, but Wheeler will be on a very short leash unless he strings together a number of scoreless outings.
Chris Capuano - 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 K. He'll get you Ks, but he won't post great ratios, especially WHIP. He's a 2 catagory pitcher for the most part, and rather overrated in fantasy leagues.
Prince Fielder - He and A-Rod have quite a battle going on, tied at 22 HRs to lead the majors.
Josh Beckett - 8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K. He continues his dominance, moving to 9-0. Easily the best draft day value of any starting pitcher this season. He's finally mixing in his very good offspeed pitches with his fastball, and the results are finally matched up to his talent level.
Raul Ibanez - Who didn't see this coming? He inexplicably hit 33 HRs last year, but his power went away as quickly as it came. He finally hit his 2nd HR last night, and has been a huge bust for those expecting a repeat performance.
Tim Lincecum - 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K. He just didn't have it last night. His first truly bad performance since opening night. Nothing to worry about.
Chad Gaudin - 6 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K. Again pitched his way out of jams, but unfortunately the bullpen blew the lead for him. He's maintaining a great ERA under 3, giving you more time to package him in a deal before things catch up to him.
Brad Penny - 7 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. If you owned him last year, you've seen this song and dance before. Penny dominates in the first half, then tires and goes to hell in the second half. Don't own him when it happens again.
Takashi Saito - He gave up a HR for the first batter he saw to blow the save last night. He was fine the rest of the inning, so he's back to being the Dodgers closer now.
Jeremy Accardo - Gave up a walk, and then a walkoff HR last night. That's 2 straight outings of giving up 2 ER, but given his ERA is now at 2.26, things are evening out and this shouldn't be a cause for concern.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Belated Thursday Review: 1 Out Away!
Ian Snell - 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Not the best command, but the overall numbers are right in line with what you'd expect agains the Nationals. Another solid performance for the hopeful first time All-Star.
Matt Capps - Picked up his 2nd win with 2 perfect innings last night. His owners should be aware that his suspension is due soon, and with Salomon Torres going on the DL, Damaso Marte is the likely closer in Capps' absence.
Jason Bay - He likes hitting HRs. #11 on the year last night.
A.J Burnett - 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 13 K. Too bad his offense didn't support him. Another bigtime strikeout performance, although he threw 130 more pitches tonight. His workload is starting to become a problem, even moreso for a pitcher with a history of elbow problems. I'd start shopping him around as his recent performances will likely generate quite a bit of interest.
Alex Rios - Someone please tell me why I traded him. HR #14 last night.
Fausto Carmona - 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. A great performance, and what one would expect against the Royals. He continues to pitch very well since being moved to the rotation this year, posting a 3.11 ERA on the season.
Grady Sizemore - His AVG is creeping back up there, current standing at .278. I still figure he'll improve that by 10 points or so come season's end, but he's got it back up where it should be. Stole his 18th base last night, too. He's turned into an elite fantasy OF.
Roy Oswalt - 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Not at his best last night, and was actually in line for the win until Dan Wheeler blew the save. Colorado remains a tough place to pitch, though, so nothing to worry about here.
Curt Schilling - 9 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. You have to feel sorry for this man. Had a no hitting with 2 outs in the 9th, but gave up a basehit to the last man he faced. Ironically, if Julio Lugo hadn't screwded up a routine groundout in the 5th inning, who knows what might have happened. Fantasy owners will adore him for the complete game shutout, only allowing that one baserunner.
Joe Blanton - 7 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. Likely on the cusp of getting the axe on many fantasy teams, he's bounced back in a big way by allowing 1 ER and 10 H/BB in the last 16 1/3 IP. Take this opportunity to sell him if you can...he's not this good.
David Ortiz - Went deep twice in the Oakland series, showing the power he's been missing recently. He's still having another outstanding season, hitting .337 with 11 HR, 42 RBI, and 42 R.
Cole Hamels - 7 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Did a good job dodging baserunners, but his offense didn't do enough to get him a win. He's having a solid, but unspectacular year. He'll likely continue improving, but being a flyball pitcher in a HR ballpark will hinder his ERA.
John Maine - 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. He keeps hurling great games, and that's now two straight starts without walking anyone. He would have won last night had Wagner not blown the save. If he can continue to show improved command, he won't hit the big rough spot I assumed he would.
Shane Victorino - Stole his 17th base last night. He's only hitting .263 with 4 HR and 22 RBI, so he's been only a 2 catagory player so far this year. Still not too bad for a waiver wire pickup.
Rich Hill - 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K. Big time performance last night, and he's certainly over that rough patch of starts from late last month. The HR ball will likely determine his effectiveness in each start being the flyball pitcher he is.
Chuck James - 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. He's quietly strung together 3 fairly solid performances, although he still walks too many hitters. You can pick him up, but beware of his command issues and only start him if you can take the potential WHIP damage. Not a bad 5th starter, though, especially for a strong offensive club.
Edwin Encarnacion - Think Cincinnati regrets sending him down? Perhaps not, given that minor league demotion has caused his bat to go on fire. 4/4 with a HR and 3 RBIs last night. As I said when he was called up, he's turning out to be quite a nice fantasy 3B.
Jose Contreras - 7 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Add him to the long list of people who hate the White Sox bullpen. Had only allowed 1 ER, but left 2 men to the bullpen who prompt let both score, making his line look worse than his actual pitching performance. He's pitched better than his overall numbers indicate.
Mike Mussina - 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. The rollercoaster continues. He just isn't the same pitcher anymore, so continue to stay away even though he'll post outings like this on occasion.
Alex Rodriguez - 2/4, HR, 4 RBI last night, including a 9th inning grand slam with the Yankees up 1. He's definitely back in the groove now.
Gary Sheffield - I've run out of things to say. Hit his 16th HR last night. He's good.
Jose Valverde - Blew a save last night, giving up a HR to Pedro Feliz in the 9th inning. The thing that separates the 2007 Jose Valverde from previous versions is his ability to bounce back after bad outings, so let's hope the same stays true again.
Jake Peavy - 6 2/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. Not at his best, as evidenced by only 3 Ks, but he was actually pitching well until giving up 4 straight hits with 2 outs in the 7th inning.
Jonathan Broxton - Holy ugly outing. 1/3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. This ensures Saito will move right back to the closer's role when he returns. Thanks for the ratio help Thursday night, Jon!
Matt Capps - Picked up his 2nd win with 2 perfect innings last night. His owners should be aware that his suspension is due soon, and with Salomon Torres going on the DL, Damaso Marte is the likely closer in Capps' absence.
Jason Bay - He likes hitting HRs. #11 on the year last night.
A.J Burnett - 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 13 K. Too bad his offense didn't support him. Another bigtime strikeout performance, although he threw 130 more pitches tonight. His workload is starting to become a problem, even moreso for a pitcher with a history of elbow problems. I'd start shopping him around as his recent performances will likely generate quite a bit of interest.
Alex Rios - Someone please tell me why I traded him. HR #14 last night.
Fausto Carmona - 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. A great performance, and what one would expect against the Royals. He continues to pitch very well since being moved to the rotation this year, posting a 3.11 ERA on the season.
Grady Sizemore - His AVG is creeping back up there, current standing at .278. I still figure he'll improve that by 10 points or so come season's end, but he's got it back up where it should be. Stole his 18th base last night, too. He's turned into an elite fantasy OF.
Roy Oswalt - 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Not at his best last night, and was actually in line for the win until Dan Wheeler blew the save. Colorado remains a tough place to pitch, though, so nothing to worry about here.
Curt Schilling - 9 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. You have to feel sorry for this man. Had a no hitting with 2 outs in the 9th, but gave up a basehit to the last man he faced. Ironically, if Julio Lugo hadn't screwded up a routine groundout in the 5th inning, who knows what might have happened. Fantasy owners will adore him for the complete game shutout, only allowing that one baserunner.
Joe Blanton - 7 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. Likely on the cusp of getting the axe on many fantasy teams, he's bounced back in a big way by allowing 1 ER and 10 H/BB in the last 16 1/3 IP. Take this opportunity to sell him if you can...he's not this good.
David Ortiz - Went deep twice in the Oakland series, showing the power he's been missing recently. He's still having another outstanding season, hitting .337 with 11 HR, 42 RBI, and 42 R.
Cole Hamels - 7 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Did a good job dodging baserunners, but his offense didn't do enough to get him a win. He's having a solid, but unspectacular year. He'll likely continue improving, but being a flyball pitcher in a HR ballpark will hinder his ERA.
John Maine - 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. He keeps hurling great games, and that's now two straight starts without walking anyone. He would have won last night had Wagner not blown the save. If he can continue to show improved command, he won't hit the big rough spot I assumed he would.
Shane Victorino - Stole his 17th base last night. He's only hitting .263 with 4 HR and 22 RBI, so he's been only a 2 catagory player so far this year. Still not too bad for a waiver wire pickup.
Rich Hill - 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K. Big time performance last night, and he's certainly over that rough patch of starts from late last month. The HR ball will likely determine his effectiveness in each start being the flyball pitcher he is.
Chuck James - 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. He's quietly strung together 3 fairly solid performances, although he still walks too many hitters. You can pick him up, but beware of his command issues and only start him if you can take the potential WHIP damage. Not a bad 5th starter, though, especially for a strong offensive club.
Edwin Encarnacion - Think Cincinnati regrets sending him down? Perhaps not, given that minor league demotion has caused his bat to go on fire. 4/4 with a HR and 3 RBIs last night. As I said when he was called up, he's turning out to be quite a nice fantasy 3B.
Jose Contreras - 7 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Add him to the long list of people who hate the White Sox bullpen. Had only allowed 1 ER, but left 2 men to the bullpen who prompt let both score, making his line look worse than his actual pitching performance. He's pitched better than his overall numbers indicate.
Mike Mussina - 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. The rollercoaster continues. He just isn't the same pitcher anymore, so continue to stay away even though he'll post outings like this on occasion.
Alex Rodriguez - 2/4, HR, 4 RBI last night, including a 9th inning grand slam with the Yankees up 1. He's definitely back in the groove now.
Gary Sheffield - I've run out of things to say. Hit his 16th HR last night. He's good.
Jose Valverde - Blew a save last night, giving up a HR to Pedro Feliz in the 9th inning. The thing that separates the 2007 Jose Valverde from previous versions is his ability to bounce back after bad outings, so let's hope the same stays true again.
Jake Peavy - 6 2/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. Not at his best, as evidenced by only 3 Ks, but he was actually pitching well until giving up 4 straight hits with 2 outs in the 7th inning.
Jonathan Broxton - Holy ugly outing. 1/3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. This ensures Saito will move right back to the closer's role when he returns. Thanks for the ratio help Thursday night, Jon!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Houston Closer Situation
Earlier today, Astros manager Phil Garner said that Brad Lidge has pitched well enough to start closing again. Garner has been a big Lidge supporter, and was hoping that Lidge would make the best of his time spent away from the closer's role. He's been lights out for the most part since April 20th, racking up tons of Ks while only allowing 2 ER in that timeframe.
Fantasy Impact: Pick up Lidge immediately. Wheeler was blasted for a blown save again this afternoon, giving up 3 earned runs to take the loss against Colorado. Garner will likely use this opportunity to make a switch. It's not official, but it seems likely. There are obviously no guarantees that Lidge won't struggle again once he's closing, but before last season, he was one of the best closers in the game and he certainly hasn't lost his stuff.
Fantasy Impact: Pick up Lidge immediately. Wheeler was blasted for a blown save again this afternoon, giving up 3 earned runs to take the loss against Colorado. Garner will likely use this opportunity to make a switch. It's not official, but it seems likely. There are obviously no guarantees that Lidge won't struggle again once he's closing, but before last season, he was one of the best closers in the game and he certainly hasn't lost his stuff.
Wednesday Wrapup: Good Z/Bad Z
Scott Olsen - 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K. Another ugly outing from the popular preseason sleeper. He had a brutal first half last year before turning it around in a big way in the 2nd half, so make sure to keep an eye on him in case he does the same this year. He's too talented to keep throwing like this all year long.
Kevin Gregg - Notched his 9th save last night as he continues to breeze along as the Marlins closer. You'd probably be able to deal him for a closer with more job security if you'd like, and I might try doing the same.
Carlos Zambrano - 6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. A little wild, but a step in the right direction (again). I read he was hitting mid-90s with his heater more often last night, and that will be huge for him if he can regain his normal velocity. I went against my own advice from his last start and started him yesterday due to a gut feeling, and it worked out well. I think that fight is what he needed to wake the hell up and start pitching like he normally does. One random thing I thought of in regards to his velocity amidst all the potential injury talk was him babying his arm a bit as he pitches towards a new contract. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
Prince Fielder - Tied A-Rod back up with his 21st HR last night. He's raking against anyone and everyone right now.
Felix Pie - Quite a night for him last night. 3/5 with a double, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, and a SB. I'm not sure he'll be much of a mixed league asset, but he has legit speed and is the only true CF on the Cubs roster. I think he's probably up to stay for now, so he should have job security in case you'd want to stash him on your bench.
Howie Kendrick - He has been brutal at the plate since returning, looking nothing like the player who has hitting very well before the HBP that put him on the DL. He homered last night, although that was his only hit of the night. I think he'll pull through eventually, so let's hope this is a start. This man is not a .248 hitter, he's a .300 hitter.
Kevin Slowey - 5 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. Well, this is Kevin Slowey for you. He'll have some fine outings, and he'll have some rough ones like this. He'll never walk a bunch of guys, so his WHIP damage will come via hits. I know he was a popular pickup in fantasy leagues upon the news that he was going to be promoted and the hype of his minor league numbers, but I don't think it's going to translate into fantasy success at the big leagues. Start him with caution.
John Lackey - 7 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. It was one bad inning last night. In the 5th, he allowed 4 runs and 5 of those baserunners. An error didn't help things, either. Nothing to worry about.
Daniel Cabrera - 8 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 K. After allowing 4 runs and 7 baserunners in the first two innings, he cruised through the last 6 and showed a nice turnaround. I'd still keep my eye on him as I've been saying for the past month.
Joey Gathright - Called up yesterday, and stole his first base of the year. He showed a lot of improvement in OBP during this minors this season, so add him if you like to chase stolen bases. He'll run plenty, and if he can port his OBP success into the majors, he could be fairly valuable.
Octavio Dotel - Another rocky outing, giving up 2 H, 1 ER, and 1 BB while registering the save. He'll save some games and K some batters, but his ratios probably won't be that great while doing it.
Scott Kazmir - 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K. Ugh, he just won't stop walking people. He's giving up a hit an inning, and has allowed 38 BB in 78 IP. I think he's presenting a buy-low opportunity with the command problems because I do think he'll get this straightened out at some point this year. He is doing a good job pitching around all the baserunners with an ERA under 4 despite the 1.49 WHIP.
Orlando Hernandez - 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K. He continues to amaze, although he didn't get the win last night. He's been one of the better pitchers in baseball this year while he's been healthy.
Jimmy Rollins - There he is! 3/4 with 1 R, 3 RBI, a HR, and 2 SB last night. He's been extremely quiet recently, but with 3 multi-hit games in a row, it looks like he's ready to catch fire again.
Bronson Arroyo - 6 2/3 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Still a mess, plus he threw 119 pitches last night. As I keep saying, leave him benched until something gets figured out here. Given his ugly outings, I bet you could even drop him if you need the roster spot and he wouldn't be picked up.
Albert Pujols - 2 run, go-ahead HR last night. He hasn't had that massive hot streak yet, but he has 10 hits in his last 10 games, including 4 HRs and and 2 2Bs. He's slowly getting there.
Bobby Abreu - Yahoo had the following in the scoring summary: "B. Abreu homered to deep left center". Really? Abreu hit a HR? Weird. His 3rd of the season, and he's starting to wake up now.
Chien Ming Wang - 9 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. As good as it gets for the sinkerballer.
Javier Vazquez - 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Ah, the jeckel/hyde act continues. He's gone at least 5 1/3 IP in every start, so he never truly bombs in a start even if he doesn't pitch well. His 4.13 ERA this year would actually be the best mark he's posted since coming over to the AL.
Gary Sheffield - 2 more HRs last night (along with 5 RBIs), giving him 15 on the year. His AVG is now .272 after hitting .200 in April. Guess we all should have traded for him, huh?
Justin Verlander - 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. His K rate is up a bit from last year, and he's having a fine season so far. I still think he'll decline in the 2nd half, so selling him during the 1st half of the season for an ace who's used to throwing 200 IP is a good idea.
Lance Berkman - Hit his 7th HR last night, and he has 11 RBIs in his past 10 games. His buy-low window is about shut.
Brandon Webb - 7 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K. He had 2 straight 1 BB performances, but gave up 4 free passes last night. Still, he's dominating everyone not named Colorado. Thank you Chris Young for the HR that give him the run he needed for the win!
Matt Morris - 8 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. Please, sell him high before this gets any more ridiculous. He's not going to keep this up, trust me.
Jeff Kent - 3/4 with a HR last night, moving his AVG back to .265. He just came off enduring one of the worst slumps of his career, losing over 30 points off his AVG during the last 3 weeks. Hopefully he's ready to start hitting again.
Randy Wolf - 5 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. That's two rough outings in a row against bad offenses. Hopefully he's still feeling good. Beware of his next start if it's against a quality offense.
Greg Maddux - 6 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K. Nice outing for Mr. Maddux, despite the lack of Ks. He can still get it done.
Trevor Hoffman - Career save #500. Congrats to one of the best closers in baseball history!
Kevin Gregg - Notched his 9th save last night as he continues to breeze along as the Marlins closer. You'd probably be able to deal him for a closer with more job security if you'd like, and I might try doing the same.
Carlos Zambrano - 6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. A little wild, but a step in the right direction (again). I read he was hitting mid-90s with his heater more often last night, and that will be huge for him if he can regain his normal velocity. I went against my own advice from his last start and started him yesterday due to a gut feeling, and it worked out well. I think that fight is what he needed to wake the hell up and start pitching like he normally does. One random thing I thought of in regards to his velocity amidst all the potential injury talk was him babying his arm a bit as he pitches towards a new contract. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
Prince Fielder - Tied A-Rod back up with his 21st HR last night. He's raking against anyone and everyone right now.
Felix Pie - Quite a night for him last night. 3/5 with a double, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, and a SB. I'm not sure he'll be much of a mixed league asset, but he has legit speed and is the only true CF on the Cubs roster. I think he's probably up to stay for now, so he should have job security in case you'd want to stash him on your bench.
Howie Kendrick - He has been brutal at the plate since returning, looking nothing like the player who has hitting very well before the HBP that put him on the DL. He homered last night, although that was his only hit of the night. I think he'll pull through eventually, so let's hope this is a start. This man is not a .248 hitter, he's a .300 hitter.
Kevin Slowey - 5 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. Well, this is Kevin Slowey for you. He'll have some fine outings, and he'll have some rough ones like this. He'll never walk a bunch of guys, so his WHIP damage will come via hits. I know he was a popular pickup in fantasy leagues upon the news that he was going to be promoted and the hype of his minor league numbers, but I don't think it's going to translate into fantasy success at the big leagues. Start him with caution.
John Lackey - 7 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. It was one bad inning last night. In the 5th, he allowed 4 runs and 5 of those baserunners. An error didn't help things, either. Nothing to worry about.
Daniel Cabrera - 8 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 K. After allowing 4 runs and 7 baserunners in the first two innings, he cruised through the last 6 and showed a nice turnaround. I'd still keep my eye on him as I've been saying for the past month.
Joey Gathright - Called up yesterday, and stole his first base of the year. He showed a lot of improvement in OBP during this minors this season, so add him if you like to chase stolen bases. He'll run plenty, and if he can port his OBP success into the majors, he could be fairly valuable.
Octavio Dotel - Another rocky outing, giving up 2 H, 1 ER, and 1 BB while registering the save. He'll save some games and K some batters, but his ratios probably won't be that great while doing it.
Scott Kazmir - 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K. Ugh, he just won't stop walking people. He's giving up a hit an inning, and has allowed 38 BB in 78 IP. I think he's presenting a buy-low opportunity with the command problems because I do think he'll get this straightened out at some point this year. He is doing a good job pitching around all the baserunners with an ERA under 4 despite the 1.49 WHIP.
Orlando Hernandez - 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K. He continues to amaze, although he didn't get the win last night. He's been one of the better pitchers in baseball this year while he's been healthy.
Jimmy Rollins - There he is! 3/4 with 1 R, 3 RBI, a HR, and 2 SB last night. He's been extremely quiet recently, but with 3 multi-hit games in a row, it looks like he's ready to catch fire again.
Bronson Arroyo - 6 2/3 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Still a mess, plus he threw 119 pitches last night. As I keep saying, leave him benched until something gets figured out here. Given his ugly outings, I bet you could even drop him if you need the roster spot and he wouldn't be picked up.
Albert Pujols - 2 run, go-ahead HR last night. He hasn't had that massive hot streak yet, but he has 10 hits in his last 10 games, including 4 HRs and and 2 2Bs. He's slowly getting there.
Bobby Abreu - Yahoo had the following in the scoring summary: "B. Abreu homered to deep left center". Really? Abreu hit a HR? Weird. His 3rd of the season, and he's starting to wake up now.
Chien Ming Wang - 9 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. As good as it gets for the sinkerballer.
Javier Vazquez - 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Ah, the jeckel/hyde act continues. He's gone at least 5 1/3 IP in every start, so he never truly bombs in a start even if he doesn't pitch well. His 4.13 ERA this year would actually be the best mark he's posted since coming over to the AL.
Gary Sheffield - 2 more HRs last night (along with 5 RBIs), giving him 15 on the year. His AVG is now .272 after hitting .200 in April. Guess we all should have traded for him, huh?
Justin Verlander - 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. His K rate is up a bit from last year, and he's having a fine season so far. I still think he'll decline in the 2nd half, so selling him during the 1st half of the season for an ace who's used to throwing 200 IP is a good idea.
Lance Berkman - Hit his 7th HR last night, and he has 11 RBIs in his past 10 games. His buy-low window is about shut.
Brandon Webb - 7 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K. He had 2 straight 1 BB performances, but gave up 4 free passes last night. Still, he's dominating everyone not named Colorado. Thank you Chris Young for the HR that give him the run he needed for the win!
Matt Morris - 8 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. Please, sell him high before this gets any more ridiculous. He's not going to keep this up, trust me.
Jeff Kent - 3/4 with a HR last night, moving his AVG back to .265. He just came off enduring one of the worst slumps of his career, losing over 30 points off his AVG during the last 3 weeks. Hopefully he's ready to start hitting again.
Randy Wolf - 5 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. That's two rough outings in a row against bad offenses. Hopefully he's still feeling good. Beware of his next start if it's against a quality offense.
Greg Maddux - 6 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K. Nice outing for Mr. Maddux, despite the lack of Ks. He can still get it done.
Trevor Hoffman - Career save #500. Congrats to one of the best closers in baseball history!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Tuesday Summary - Sabathia Dominant and Schmidt Returns
Jeff Francoeur - 3/7 yesterday in the doubleheader to raise his AVG to .290. With his increased walk rate and a slight decrease in his K rate, there's plenty of reasons to believe that he's taken the next step forward in his career and will post an AVG above .280. With only 7 HRs, he's a bit behind his normal power pace, but the HRs should come.
John Smoltz - 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. A nice bounceback after leaving his last start early with pinky/shoulder issues. It looks like he's good to go moving forward.
Armando Benitez/Kevin Gregg - In a 5 run game, Benitez gave up a run in the 8th while Gregg pitched a scoreless 9th. Given Gregg still hasn't blown a save, his job still looks relatively safe...the polar opposite of how it looked at the time of the Benitez trade.
Miguel Cabrera - Posting a great line so far with a .320 AVG, 12 HR, 36 R and 41 RBI. His 12 HRs are a nice sign given that he only his 26 last year.
Matt Capps - 2/2 so far since being moved into the closer's role, with 2 perfect innings. He'll likely be a solid closer the rest of the year, but his K-rate (24 K in 31 1/3 IP) will hold him back from potentially being elite.
C.C. Sabathia - 9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K. Just what his owners wanted to see against the weak KC lineup...dominance.
B.J. Upton - Just as I mentioned his power had quieted down, he slams a HR last night in going 4/6 with 3 R and 2 RBI. He continues to defy statistics by posting a .323 AVG with 65 Ks in 53 games.
Carl Crawford - 3/6 with 4 R, 3 RBI, a HR, and a SB. What a way to fill up a stat sheet. With 6 HRs so far, he's showing that last year's power surge during the 1st half of the season isn't out of character.
Roy Halladay - 3 1/3 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. Doesn't get much uglier than this. After an excellent return from the DL, he posts one of his worst outings of his season. Given how good he is when he's healthy, you can't help but wonder if something is bothering again.
Chase Utley - 3/4 with a HR, 1 R, and 3 RBI. He's right on pace for what we've come to expect from fantasy baseball's elite 2B.
Jose Reyes - SB #31. The 2008 fantasy baseball #1 pick? He's making a strong case for it...
Corey Hart - Pick him up. He stole his 9th base last night, including 4 in his last 7 games, along with his 3rd HR. He's now hitting leadoff for the Brewers with Weeks on the DL, and he'll retain solid value even when Weeks returns. He might even stay in the #1 hole, although that might be a bit of a long shot.
Ryan Braun - Overshadowed by Hunter Pence, Braun is definitely holding his own by hitting .311 with 3 HR, 2 SB, 8 R, and 8 RBI in 12 games. He's an outstanding keeper and is on his way to being a top 10 3B the rest of the year. He'll have his rookie bumps, so he'll probably be a bit better in rotisserie leagues.
Ted Lilly - 5 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. That's 3 straight outings of 5 or more ER. He'll likely settle back down, but no one would fault you if you benched him (depending on his matchup) for his next start.
Derrick Turnbow - More like Turnblow. He's blown up to a 4.62 ERA after starting the season on fire. He's hurting his chances to close if Cordero should go down.
Aaron Harang - 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. A solid outing for Harang, although his offense didn't do enough to get him a win.
Alex Rodriguez - 3/5 with an RBI double, RBI single, and solo HR. Hopefully the start of another April.
Mark Buehrle - 6 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. This is only his 3rd non-quality start since his first start of the year, so nothing to worry about here.
Ian Kinsler - Hope you sold high after his torrid April. He's back down to .241, although he did steal his 9th and 10th bases last night. He's gone from sell high to buy low, so I'd suggest making an offer for him if 2B is a weak spot in your lineup.
Eric Gagne - Still perfect in save situations. 7 BB in 13 IP is bad, but he's only allowed 5 hits.
Jason Hirsh - 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. One of baseballs unheralded young pitchers, he has the ability to turn into a fantasy factor, possibly next year. He had a very solid April, but fell apart in May. Hopefully he'll use that as a learning experience, so maybe a rebound is on the way.
Eric Byrnes - 2/3 with 2 BB last night, and he stole his 11th base. Up to .314, he's continuing his torrid pace against RHP (.331) which will hopefully allow him to turn in his first .300 season.
Chris Young (OF) - Hit his 7th HR last night. He's been absent since his groin injury, but hopefully this is a sign of a resurgence.
Matt Cain - 5 1/3 IP. 8 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4 K. He's now up to 40 BB in 76 1/3 IP, and that has to come down for him to take the next step forward. He's walked at least 4 hitters in 6/9 outings.
Randy Johnson - 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He continues his strong pitching, although his bullpen blew the lead for him last night.
Kelvim Escobar - 9 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Another outstanding start from Escobar. Given his history of arm problems, he's presenting quite a nice sell high window here before his next injury. If only he could stay healthy...
Chris Young (SP) - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 K. 14 scoreless innings in his last two starts, and like I said before, he's another sell high candidate due to his 2.19 ERA and history of fading in the 2nd half.
Jason Schmidt - 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Great start in his return from the DL. It was said he was hitting 90 MPH on the gun, which is a step up from before the injury, but given he was mid-90s a year or two ago, he won't be the dominant pitcher he once was.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. He deserved the win, but the offense did absolutely nothing. It was nice to see him bounce back after 2 subpar outings, so it looks like he'll be just fine.
John Smoltz - 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. A nice bounceback after leaving his last start early with pinky/shoulder issues. It looks like he's good to go moving forward.
Armando Benitez/Kevin Gregg - In a 5 run game, Benitez gave up a run in the 8th while Gregg pitched a scoreless 9th. Given Gregg still hasn't blown a save, his job still looks relatively safe...the polar opposite of how it looked at the time of the Benitez trade.
Miguel Cabrera - Posting a great line so far with a .320 AVG, 12 HR, 36 R and 41 RBI. His 12 HRs are a nice sign given that he only his 26 last year.
Matt Capps - 2/2 so far since being moved into the closer's role, with 2 perfect innings. He'll likely be a solid closer the rest of the year, but his K-rate (24 K in 31 1/3 IP) will hold him back from potentially being elite.
C.C. Sabathia - 9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K. Just what his owners wanted to see against the weak KC lineup...dominance.
B.J. Upton - Just as I mentioned his power had quieted down, he slams a HR last night in going 4/6 with 3 R and 2 RBI. He continues to defy statistics by posting a .323 AVG with 65 Ks in 53 games.
Carl Crawford - 3/6 with 4 R, 3 RBI, a HR, and a SB. What a way to fill up a stat sheet. With 6 HRs so far, he's showing that last year's power surge during the 1st half of the season isn't out of character.
Roy Halladay - 3 1/3 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. Doesn't get much uglier than this. After an excellent return from the DL, he posts one of his worst outings of his season. Given how good he is when he's healthy, you can't help but wonder if something is bothering again.
Chase Utley - 3/4 with a HR, 1 R, and 3 RBI. He's right on pace for what we've come to expect from fantasy baseball's elite 2B.
Jose Reyes - SB #31. The 2008 fantasy baseball #1 pick? He's making a strong case for it...
Corey Hart - Pick him up. He stole his 9th base last night, including 4 in his last 7 games, along with his 3rd HR. He's now hitting leadoff for the Brewers with Weeks on the DL, and he'll retain solid value even when Weeks returns. He might even stay in the #1 hole, although that might be a bit of a long shot.
Ryan Braun - Overshadowed by Hunter Pence, Braun is definitely holding his own by hitting .311 with 3 HR, 2 SB, 8 R, and 8 RBI in 12 games. He's an outstanding keeper and is on his way to being a top 10 3B the rest of the year. He'll have his rookie bumps, so he'll probably be a bit better in rotisserie leagues.
Ted Lilly - 5 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. That's 3 straight outings of 5 or more ER. He'll likely settle back down, but no one would fault you if you benched him (depending on his matchup) for his next start.
Derrick Turnbow - More like Turnblow. He's blown up to a 4.62 ERA after starting the season on fire. He's hurting his chances to close if Cordero should go down.
Aaron Harang - 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. A solid outing for Harang, although his offense didn't do enough to get him a win.
Alex Rodriguez - 3/5 with an RBI double, RBI single, and solo HR. Hopefully the start of another April.
Mark Buehrle - 6 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. This is only his 3rd non-quality start since his first start of the year, so nothing to worry about here.
Ian Kinsler - Hope you sold high after his torrid April. He's back down to .241, although he did steal his 9th and 10th bases last night. He's gone from sell high to buy low, so I'd suggest making an offer for him if 2B is a weak spot in your lineup.
Eric Gagne - Still perfect in save situations. 7 BB in 13 IP is bad, but he's only allowed 5 hits.
Jason Hirsh - 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. One of baseballs unheralded young pitchers, he has the ability to turn into a fantasy factor, possibly next year. He had a very solid April, but fell apart in May. Hopefully he'll use that as a learning experience, so maybe a rebound is on the way.
Eric Byrnes - 2/3 with 2 BB last night, and he stole his 11th base. Up to .314, he's continuing his torrid pace against RHP (.331) which will hopefully allow him to turn in his first .300 season.
Chris Young (OF) - Hit his 7th HR last night. He's been absent since his groin injury, but hopefully this is a sign of a resurgence.
Matt Cain - 5 1/3 IP. 8 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4 K. He's now up to 40 BB in 76 1/3 IP, and that has to come down for him to take the next step forward. He's walked at least 4 hitters in 6/9 outings.
Randy Johnson - 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He continues his strong pitching, although his bullpen blew the lead for him last night.
Kelvim Escobar - 9 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Another outstanding start from Escobar. Given his history of arm problems, he's presenting quite a nice sell high window here before his next injury. If only he could stay healthy...
Chris Young (SP) - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 K. 14 scoreless innings in his last two starts, and like I said before, he's another sell high candidate due to his 2.19 ERA and history of fading in the 2nd half.
Jason Schmidt - 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Great start in his return from the DL. It was said he was hitting 90 MPH on the gun, which is a step up from before the injury, but given he was mid-90s a year or two ago, he won't be the dominant pitcher he once was.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. He deserved the win, but the offense did absolutely nothing. It was nice to see him bounce back after 2 subpar outings, so it looks like he'll be just fine.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Monday's Action
Barry Zito - 6 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 K. Much like Dontrelle Willis the night before, Zito was able to avoid the excessive baserunners by pitching out of jams to pick up his 6th W of the season. He won't get lucky like this very often, but his owners will take it.
James Shields - 7 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. If only John Buck hadn't been in the lineup, huh? His only blemishes were two solo HRs by Buck, and he continues his outstanding breakthrough season.
Gil Meche - 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks. Another quality outing from Meche, who's turned in 10 quality starts in 13 outings so far this year. He's been an excellent late draft/waiver wire starter this season, but unfortunately due to the terrible KC offense, he only has 3 Ws to show for his 3.00 ERA.
Carlos Pena - He smacked his 12th HR this year last night. With his .313 AVG, 31 RBIs, and 26 Rs, he's been quite the fantasy performer this year. He's always had legit power, but that .313 AVG is way above what he'll likely end the year at. Given his propensity to go cold for long periods of time, he's a great sell high candidate.
Tim Hudson - 6 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. Not a great outing from Hudson, but the Florida lineup is pretty tough, so it wasn't against a powderpuff offense. His 3.09 ERA is closer to what he'll likely end the year at as opposed to the low 2.00 ERA he was sporting for quite a while.
Armando Benitez/Kevin Gregg - Benitez with a scoreless 8th, and Gregg with the save. Gregg did give up a solo HR, but he got the job done and is still the favorite for saves.
Paul Konerko - Dropped to the 6th spot in the lineup, and he responded with a 3/4 night with a HR. He's due to get hot for an extended period of time, so he still remains a quality buy-low guy. A Pena for Konerko trade might go over well, with the Konerko side very likely winning out over the rest of the year. In fact, I need some hitting help in one league and will try throwing an offer out there.
Jon Garland - 8 1/3 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. I give up on him. Everytime I think he's going one way, he goes back the other. A good start for him against a quality offense.
Derek Lowe - 7 2/3 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Wow, talk about bad luck. He took a no hitter into the 7th, but unfortunately all his baserunners scored on him leaving him with a subpar ERA for the outing.
Jonathan Broxton - He nailed down his first save of the year, but had a rocky inning allowing 2 hits and a BB with no Ks. He likely had the first save jitters, so expect him to settle down and be a dominant closer while Saito is out injured.
Jason Marquis - 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. Marquis pitched around baserunners for most of this outing, but got lucky and only allowed 1 ER. His cinderella season is slowly screeching to a hault, and I fully expect his 2.84 ERA to continue its ascent. Now might be the last time you can get something quality in return for him.
David Bush - 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. A forgotten man after a horrible start, but he again pitched well and was burned by a bad ERA. He remains a good bounceback candidate, and is likely on the waiver wire in your league. He seems doomed for an ERA around 4.00, but I think he'll give enough help in the other catagories to be a worthy 5th starter for your fantasy team.
Alfonso Soriano - As soon as I trade him, he gets hot. I should have seen this coming. Homered in his 3rd straight game last night, going 5/5 with 2 Rs and 3 RBIs on the evening. I'm still quite happy I got Carlos Beltran in return for him, though.
Torii Hunter - He continues his career year, hitting his 12 HR and adding his 46th RBI. His .306 AVG would easily be a career high, so I still expect him to experience a slight regression, but his power is for real. Hopefully this will be the first time since 2003 where he plays 150+ games.
Boof Bonser - 5 1/3 IP, 12 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. He'll have outings like this from time to time with his WHIP problems when he's not able to pitch around all those baserunners. He still remains a quality 5th starter.
Jered Weaver - 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. A nice bounceback outing after a tough start against Seattle last time out. He's a solid middle rotation starter.
David Ortiz - Hit his 10th HR last night, ending his almost month-long HR slump. If his legs are back healthy again, expect the power to return as well. Currently at .333, he's on pace to set a career high in AVG.
Dan Haren - 7 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. Another outstanding effort, this time against one of MLB's best offenses. He continues to be more than impressive as his true breakthrough season continues in amazing fashion.
Alan Embree - Blew his first save last night, giving up 4 Hs and 2 ER in 1 1/3 IP. After 4 straight save opportunities, he still has solid job security with Duchscherer and Street out hurt.
Felix Hernandez - 5 2/3 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. If you haven't started to already, he's a must-bench until he gets himself straightened out. He has completely lost the progress he was making prior to his elbow and back injuries. Hopefully for everyone involved, he's just pitching through back soreness and not something more serious.
Erik Bedard - 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. Another quality outing, but the bullpen blew it for him last night. He's defintely back to 2nd half 2006 form.
Ichiro Suzuki - 3/5 last night, raising his AVG to .333. He also added his 5th HR. He's been as hot as any hitter in baseball over the past month.
James Shields - 7 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. If only John Buck hadn't been in the lineup, huh? His only blemishes were two solo HRs by Buck, and he continues his outstanding breakthrough season.
Gil Meche - 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks. Another quality outing from Meche, who's turned in 10 quality starts in 13 outings so far this year. He's been an excellent late draft/waiver wire starter this season, but unfortunately due to the terrible KC offense, he only has 3 Ws to show for his 3.00 ERA.
Carlos Pena - He smacked his 12th HR this year last night. With his .313 AVG, 31 RBIs, and 26 Rs, he's been quite the fantasy performer this year. He's always had legit power, but that .313 AVG is way above what he'll likely end the year at. Given his propensity to go cold for long periods of time, he's a great sell high candidate.
Tim Hudson - 6 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. Not a great outing from Hudson, but the Florida lineup is pretty tough, so it wasn't against a powderpuff offense. His 3.09 ERA is closer to what he'll likely end the year at as opposed to the low 2.00 ERA he was sporting for quite a while.
Armando Benitez/Kevin Gregg - Benitez with a scoreless 8th, and Gregg with the save. Gregg did give up a solo HR, but he got the job done and is still the favorite for saves.
Paul Konerko - Dropped to the 6th spot in the lineup, and he responded with a 3/4 night with a HR. He's due to get hot for an extended period of time, so he still remains a quality buy-low guy. A Pena for Konerko trade might go over well, with the Konerko side very likely winning out over the rest of the year. In fact, I need some hitting help in one league and will try throwing an offer out there.
Jon Garland - 8 1/3 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. I give up on him. Everytime I think he's going one way, he goes back the other. A good start for him against a quality offense.
Derek Lowe - 7 2/3 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Wow, talk about bad luck. He took a no hitter into the 7th, but unfortunately all his baserunners scored on him leaving him with a subpar ERA for the outing.
Jonathan Broxton - He nailed down his first save of the year, but had a rocky inning allowing 2 hits and a BB with no Ks. He likely had the first save jitters, so expect him to settle down and be a dominant closer while Saito is out injured.
Jason Marquis - 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. Marquis pitched around baserunners for most of this outing, but got lucky and only allowed 1 ER. His cinderella season is slowly screeching to a hault, and I fully expect his 2.84 ERA to continue its ascent. Now might be the last time you can get something quality in return for him.
David Bush - 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. A forgotten man after a horrible start, but he again pitched well and was burned by a bad ERA. He remains a good bounceback candidate, and is likely on the waiver wire in your league. He seems doomed for an ERA around 4.00, but I think he'll give enough help in the other catagories to be a worthy 5th starter for your fantasy team.
Alfonso Soriano - As soon as I trade him, he gets hot. I should have seen this coming. Homered in his 3rd straight game last night, going 5/5 with 2 Rs and 3 RBIs on the evening. I'm still quite happy I got Carlos Beltran in return for him, though.
Torii Hunter - He continues his career year, hitting his 12 HR and adding his 46th RBI. His .306 AVG would easily be a career high, so I still expect him to experience a slight regression, but his power is for real. Hopefully this will be the first time since 2003 where he plays 150+ games.
Boof Bonser - 5 1/3 IP, 12 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. He'll have outings like this from time to time with his WHIP problems when he's not able to pitch around all those baserunners. He still remains a quality 5th starter.
Jered Weaver - 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. A nice bounceback outing after a tough start against Seattle last time out. He's a solid middle rotation starter.
David Ortiz - Hit his 10th HR last night, ending his almost month-long HR slump. If his legs are back healthy again, expect the power to return as well. Currently at .333, he's on pace to set a career high in AVG.
Dan Haren - 7 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. Another outstanding effort, this time against one of MLB's best offenses. He continues to be more than impressive as his true breakthrough season continues in amazing fashion.
Alan Embree - Blew his first save last night, giving up 4 Hs and 2 ER in 1 1/3 IP. After 4 straight save opportunities, he still has solid job security with Duchscherer and Street out hurt.
Felix Hernandez - 5 2/3 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. If you haven't started to already, he's a must-bench until he gets himself straightened out. He has completely lost the progress he was making prior to his elbow and back injuries. Hopefully for everyone involved, he's just pitching through back soreness and not something more serious.
Erik Bedard - 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. Another quality outing, but the bullpen blew it for him last night. He's defintely back to 2nd half 2006 form.
Ichiro Suzuki - 3/5 last night, raising his AVG to .333. He also added his 5th HR. He's been as hot as any hitter in baseball over the past month.
Homer Bailey To Start Friday
Prized Cincinnati Reds starting pitching prospect Homer Bailey will be called up to face the Cleveland Indians on Friday. Bailey was among the top pitching prospects in baseball heading into the year, sharing those honors with the Giants' Tim Lincecum, the Yankees' Phillp Hughes, and the Brewers' Yovani Gallardo.
Fantasy Impact: Go pick up Bailey if he's available, but there's no way I'd start him against the Indians, who boast possibly the best offense in the majors. He posted very good numbers in the minors, but his BB rate was high, and odds are he'll have control problems in the majors during his first season. He'll likely have some value this year, but he's not as refined as Tim Lincecum, for comparison's sake, so he's not going to dominate right away.
Fantasy Impact: Go pick up Bailey if he's available, but there's no way I'd start him against the Indians, who boast possibly the best offense in the majors. He posted very good numbers in the minors, but his BB rate was high, and odds are he'll have control problems in the majors during his first season. He'll likely have some value this year, but he's not as refined as Tim Lincecum, for comparison's sake, so he's not going to dominate right away.
Dye For Abreu Trade?
It was rumored on Monday that the Yankees and White Sox were discussing a trade to swap 33 year old hitters who aren't doing crap this year. However, it appears that the Yankees approached the White Sox with the trade, and the White Sox declined. Given Abreu's loss of power over the past two years and his horrendous hitting so far this year, there's no doubt as to why the White Sox weren't interested. Dye has more upside at this point over the rest of the year.
Belated Sunday Summary: A-Rod's Big Fly
Jeremy Bonderman - 6 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. He's truly taken a step forward this year and continues to post quality outings with a high K rate. These are the guys to target if you go heavy hitters early in your draft.
Gary Sheffield - He continues to kill the ball, smashing his 13th HR, and has his AVG up to .266 now. With 13 HRs and 7 SBs, he's been one of the best fantasy outfielders over the past month.
Jim Thome - Outside of the big 3/3, 5 RBI day he had in his 2nd game back from injury, he's been pretty quiet. He's known for hitting HRs in bunches, so a hot streak is likely right around the corner.
Jeremy Accardo - Another scoreless inning and save. Along with Al Reyes, he's been the most valuable waiver wire closer that has emerged this year.
Jim Thome - He's been quiet since his 3/3, 5 RBI game the 2nd day after returning from his injury, but he's shown a history to hit HRs in bunches, so a hot streak is likely around the corner.
Oliver Perez - 7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. A 2nd straight quality start that hasn't resulted in a victory. He's been great all year long, and those 3 BBs are the most he's allowed in a month. Given he has a history of command problems, that's a noteworthy stat for this comeback player of the year candidate.
Jose Valverde - 2 straight scoreless inning saves since his 3 ER blowup a few days ago. Given he has a history of putting bad outings together in bunches, this is a great sign for his breakthrough year. He's saved 20 games already.
Tim Lincecum - 6 2/3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. It's not too often a pitcher limits an offense to 8 baserunners in 6 2/3 IP, but still allows 6 ER. He deserved a lot better, and this is nothing to worry about. He's throwing as well as any pitcher in baseball right now.
Aaron Rowand - His solid season continues, going 3/4 with his 8 HR. He's hitting .325 with 3 SBs and 37 runs scored, so he's defintely been a fine 3rd OF for your fantasy team. Given he's playing for a new contract, he'll have the motivation to keep up these fine numbers all year long. Unfortunately with Rollins and Victorino at the top of the lineup, he probably won't get moved from the 6th spot, even though the only advantage Victorino has on him is SBs.
Ryan Zimmerman - Hit his 8th HR, so his rebound continues. His AVG hasn't moved in the past 10 days, but he's showing increased power and run production.
Jason Bay - 5 HRs in the past 11 games, so he's as hot as any hitter in baseball right now. Gotta love those hot streaks!
Takashi Saito - He hurt his hamstring during one of his pitches and had to come out of the game in the middle of a save chance. He'll need at least 3 days off, and could be headed to the DL if he doesn't show improvement. Broxton will close in the meantime, and this is yet another reason why you want to own the elite setup man in front of your closer, if the team has one.
B.J. Upton - His power has disappeared, only homering once in the past month compared to 7 before this stretch, but with 5 SBs, he's doing more of what his owners expect from him. His AVG will most likely end the year under .300, but if he keeps running and hits a couple HRs here and there, his owners won't complain. Plus he's permanently in the 2nd spot of the order, which is a great spot for him.
J.P. Howell - 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. His first start came against the Royals, so don't read too much into it. He's only 24 years old, but isn't an elite prospect. Still, it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on him.
Ben Sheets - 6 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. A great outing from Sheets as he continues to put together his first healthy season in a few years. He's more than capable of keeping this up for a long period of time.
Dontrelle Willis - 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 0 K. Talk about dodging bullets. He's the anti-Lincecum. He stranded runners left and right to avoid ER damage while allowing 13 baserunners in 6 IP. A pretty ugly outing as his inconsistent season continues. Expect trade rumors concerning Willis to heat up as the deadline approaches.
Albert Pujols - 2/5 with 2 HRs and 3 RBIs. 2 of his outs were bombs to CF caught before the stupid hill in center at Minute Maid Park, so he probably would have had 4 HRs in almost any other ballpark. Hopefully this is the start of a long hot streak for El Hombre.
Hunter Pence - This kid has been unreal so far, hitting .375 with 5 HR, 23 RBI, 14 Rs, and 5 SBs in 128 ABs. Redraft owners should sell high before he hits his first slump of the year. but this kid is the real deal and all keeper league owners should be elated. I saved my #1 waiver priority for him when he was called up, and he's easily the leading candidate for NL ROY so far.
Sean Marshall - 6 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. That's 3 straight impressive outings for Marshall. It's time to start taking this kid seriously. He has a quality fastball for a lefty, and a big curveball not unlike Rich Hill.
Edwin Encarnacion - He continues to hit the ball well since returning from the minors, going 3/6 with 2 Rs and an RBI. He should be a top 10 3B from here on out, so pick him up if you're struggling with the position and he's somehow still out there.
Garrett Atkins - The biggest 3B bust of the year so far went 3/5 with a HR and 4 RBIs last night. He's not going to repeat last season's pace over the rest of the year, but hopefully this is the start of him getting his act together.
Ervin Santana - 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. Yes, he pitched at home. He continues his ridiculous home/away splits, and makes for a great spot starter at home.
Victory Diaz - Hit 2 more HRs last night, bringing him to 7 HR and 16 RBIs in only 64 AB. Keep an eye on him to see if he starts getting regular ABs and hits in a favorable lineup spot. He hits in a great ballpark for power hitters. Teixeira could definitely use some help behind him.
Johan Santana - 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4K. Not at his best last night as his command failed him a bit. What's to like about this stat line? This is about as bad as you'll see him pitch.
Alex Rodriguez - Finally, some signs of life. After a brutal May, he hits a game winning HR, his 20th of the year, off a great pitch from Jon Papelbon. He also added an RBI infield single, so perhaps he's ready to take off again.
Josh Beckett - 6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. Francona probably should have started the 7th with his bullpen, but Beckett had a chance to move to 9-0 before the bullpen blew it for him today. The statline isn't what we've come to expect this year, but against a tough Yankees lineup it's not so bad.
Andy Pettitte - 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Left his start with back pain tonight, which likely led to his poor statline. He was pitching well before falling apart in the 5th, so hopefully it's nothing too serious.
Gary Sheffield - He continues to kill the ball, smashing his 13th HR, and has his AVG up to .266 now. With 13 HRs and 7 SBs, he's been one of the best fantasy outfielders over the past month.
Jim Thome - Outside of the big 3/3, 5 RBI day he had in his 2nd game back from injury, he's been pretty quiet. He's known for hitting HRs in bunches, so a hot streak is likely right around the corner.
Jeremy Accardo - Another scoreless inning and save. Along with Al Reyes, he's been the most valuable waiver wire closer that has emerged this year.
Jim Thome - He's been quiet since his 3/3, 5 RBI game the 2nd day after returning from his injury, but he's shown a history to hit HRs in bunches, so a hot streak is likely around the corner.
Oliver Perez - 7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. A 2nd straight quality start that hasn't resulted in a victory. He's been great all year long, and those 3 BBs are the most he's allowed in a month. Given he has a history of command problems, that's a noteworthy stat for this comeback player of the year candidate.
Jose Valverde - 2 straight scoreless inning saves since his 3 ER blowup a few days ago. Given he has a history of putting bad outings together in bunches, this is a great sign for his breakthrough year. He's saved 20 games already.
Tim Lincecum - 6 2/3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. It's not too often a pitcher limits an offense to 8 baserunners in 6 2/3 IP, but still allows 6 ER. He deserved a lot better, and this is nothing to worry about. He's throwing as well as any pitcher in baseball right now.
Aaron Rowand - His solid season continues, going 3/4 with his 8 HR. He's hitting .325 with 3 SBs and 37 runs scored, so he's defintely been a fine 3rd OF for your fantasy team. Given he's playing for a new contract, he'll have the motivation to keep up these fine numbers all year long. Unfortunately with Rollins and Victorino at the top of the lineup, he probably won't get moved from the 6th spot, even though the only advantage Victorino has on him is SBs.
Ryan Zimmerman - Hit his 8th HR, so his rebound continues. His AVG hasn't moved in the past 10 days, but he's showing increased power and run production.
Jason Bay - 5 HRs in the past 11 games, so he's as hot as any hitter in baseball right now. Gotta love those hot streaks!
Takashi Saito - He hurt his hamstring during one of his pitches and had to come out of the game in the middle of a save chance. He'll need at least 3 days off, and could be headed to the DL if he doesn't show improvement. Broxton will close in the meantime, and this is yet another reason why you want to own the elite setup man in front of your closer, if the team has one.
B.J. Upton - His power has disappeared, only homering once in the past month compared to 7 before this stretch, but with 5 SBs, he's doing more of what his owners expect from him. His AVG will most likely end the year under .300, but if he keeps running and hits a couple HRs here and there, his owners won't complain. Plus he's permanently in the 2nd spot of the order, which is a great spot for him.
J.P. Howell - 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. His first start came against the Royals, so don't read too much into it. He's only 24 years old, but isn't an elite prospect. Still, it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on him.
Ben Sheets - 6 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. A great outing from Sheets as he continues to put together his first healthy season in a few years. He's more than capable of keeping this up for a long period of time.
Dontrelle Willis - 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 0 K. Talk about dodging bullets. He's the anti-Lincecum. He stranded runners left and right to avoid ER damage while allowing 13 baserunners in 6 IP. A pretty ugly outing as his inconsistent season continues. Expect trade rumors concerning Willis to heat up as the deadline approaches.
Albert Pujols - 2/5 with 2 HRs and 3 RBIs. 2 of his outs were bombs to CF caught before the stupid hill in center at Minute Maid Park, so he probably would have had 4 HRs in almost any other ballpark. Hopefully this is the start of a long hot streak for El Hombre.
Hunter Pence - This kid has been unreal so far, hitting .375 with 5 HR, 23 RBI, 14 Rs, and 5 SBs in 128 ABs. Redraft owners should sell high before he hits his first slump of the year. but this kid is the real deal and all keeper league owners should be elated. I saved my #1 waiver priority for him when he was called up, and he's easily the leading candidate for NL ROY so far.
Sean Marshall - 6 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. That's 3 straight impressive outings for Marshall. It's time to start taking this kid seriously. He has a quality fastball for a lefty, and a big curveball not unlike Rich Hill.
Edwin Encarnacion - He continues to hit the ball well since returning from the minors, going 3/6 with 2 Rs and an RBI. He should be a top 10 3B from here on out, so pick him up if you're struggling with the position and he's somehow still out there.
Garrett Atkins - The biggest 3B bust of the year so far went 3/5 with a HR and 4 RBIs last night. He's not going to repeat last season's pace over the rest of the year, but hopefully this is the start of him getting his act together.
Ervin Santana - 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. Yes, he pitched at home. He continues his ridiculous home/away splits, and makes for a great spot starter at home.
Victory Diaz - Hit 2 more HRs last night, bringing him to 7 HR and 16 RBIs in only 64 AB. Keep an eye on him to see if he starts getting regular ABs and hits in a favorable lineup spot. He hits in a great ballpark for power hitters. Teixeira could definitely use some help behind him.
Johan Santana - 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4K. Not at his best last night as his command failed him a bit. What's to like about this stat line? This is about as bad as you'll see him pitch.
Alex Rodriguez - Finally, some signs of life. After a brutal May, he hits a game winning HR, his 20th of the year, off a great pitch from Jon Papelbon. He also added an RBI infield single, so perhaps he's ready to take off again.
Josh Beckett - 6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. Francona probably should have started the 7th with his bullpen, but Beckett had a chance to move to 9-0 before the bullpen blew it for him today. The statline isn't what we've come to expect this year, but against a tough Yankees lineup it's not so bad.
Andy Pettitte - 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Left his start with back pain tonight, which likely led to his poor statline. He was pitching well before falling apart in the 5th, so hopefully it's nothing too serious.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Clemens 2007 Yankees Debut Pushed Back
Roger Clemens tweaked his groin in his last minor league start, so he won't make his first major league start tomorrow against the White Sox as planned. He thinks he'll be ready for the weekend series against the Pirates, which is actually a much better matchup for him as they're a considerably weaker offense.
Fantasy Impact: Not much, other than Clemens won't have a 2 start week. The concern is that Clemens has had problems with that groin before, and might continually deal with this on and off all season long. If he returns against the Pirates, I'd start him right away.
Fantasy Impact: Not much, other than Clemens won't have a 2 start week. The concern is that Clemens has had problems with that groin before, and might continually deal with this on and off all season long. If he returns against the Pirates, I'd start him right away.
Saturday Swingin': Rios, Lowell, Ordonez Stay Hot
Rich Hill - 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Another great outing from this youngster, although he cost himself 2 runs with a throwing error. It's always something with the Cubs these days, whether it's hitting, pitching, or fielding related. They are playing bad baseball, and several of their pitchers are getting hurt in the ERA and W department.
Chuck James - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K. Not the cleanest of outings for James, but he continues to pitch well after a bad start to the season. He's a good pickup for the end of your fantasy rotation.
Alfonso Soriano - Finally hit a HR last night after a 3 week drought. He's been pretty worthless in the power department with only 5 HRs and 13 RBIs so far this year. He tends to be as streaky as they get, so perhaps we'll see a power surge from him. Odds are he's going to severely underplay his draft position this year as he was often taken in the top 4 picks.
Alex Rios - Cranked his 13th HR last night as he continues his torrid pace this season. He's proving that his hot start before his injury last year was no fluke, and he's on pace for 39 HRs and 15 SBs. He's bounced around the lineup a lot this year as the Blue Jays deal with all sorts of injuries, but hopefully he settles in as the 2/3 hitter so his power translates into more RBIs.
Jorge Sosa - 6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. He's becoming a borderline pickup in mixed leagues now. Since joining the rotation, he's posted quality starts in 5/6 outings, and since he's pitching for the Mets, Wins should not be a problem. I'd be cautious as to the opponent at first, but you can use him against weaker offenses without hesitation.
Mike Mussina - 5 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K. He had an encouraging outing last time out, but he got hit hard by the Red Sox last night. It's hard to read too much into this due to the potent Red Sox lineup, but with his ability to K batters gone and his velocity down, I just don't see him being a mixed league option this year. Don't chase Ws with Yankees pitchers assuming their lineup will do enough to get it done...use spot starters instead.
Curt Schilling - 5 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. I watched a bit of his outing, and manager Terry Francona stayed with him too long. He was tiring in the 5th, but he got sent back out in the 6th and promptly gave up single, walk, 3 run HR. He had pitched well to that point, but he was fatigued. He should be fine.
Mike Lowell - The waiver wire gem at the 3B position this year. 3/4 with a HR, 4 RBIs, and 2 Rs last night to up his AVG to .337, and the HR was his 11th. He's experienced quite a resurgence this year, although if I remember correctly with his Marlins days, he's prone to 2nd half dropoffs. Don't act it right now, but keep that in mind.
Jim Edmonds - 5 HRs and 9 RBIs in his last 10 games. He's quietly on fire, and worth picking up if you need some OF/UTIL help. More important to fantasy leaguers, however, is hopefully the added protection he'll give to Albert Pujols.
Carlos Lee - Hit his 11th HR last night, and he's now up to a tie for the MLB lead with 52 RBIs. He's having another monster season as is living up to his draft day position as a top OF.
Cole Hamels - 9 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. He didn't have the K numbers owners expect of him, but that's the only blemish in this great outing. I'm sure his owners would sacrifice some of the Ks to allow him to pitch deeper into ballgames.
Chris Capuano - 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K. Nice stat line last night, although his offense didn't support him. He's continuing to be a quality back-of-the-rotation starter for your fantasy team.
Armando Benitez/Kevin Gregg - Holding to his word, Gonzalez used Benitez in the 8th and Gregg in the 9th. Both responded with scoreless innings, and Gregg got the save. If Benitez continues to impress in the 8th, he'll probably switch roles with Gregg. There's no reason to trade for him unless he was going to close. Gregg owners might want to acquire Benitez before the possible switch as insurance.
Magglio Ordonez - Slammed his 13th HR last night, and went 4/6 with 3 Rs and 2 RBIs. He's tied with Carlos Lee for the most RBIs in the majors now with 52 as his amazing season continues. The .362 AVG is awfully nice for his owners.
Ian Snell - 8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. His breakthrough season continues in an impressive fashion as Snell won his 5th game last night. His numbers would be good for at least 2 more wins on a better team, but it is what it is and he continues to be one of the better draft day bargains for SPs.
Matt Capps - Pitched a perfect 9th for his first save. I apologize for not addressing this sooner, but I read this on Friday before I headed out and forgot to post it. Capps has taken the closer role from the struggling Salomon Torres. It's probably too late, but pick him up if he's sitting out there.
Justin Germano - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. 4-0 now, and continuing to pitch well. I honestly don't know much of anything about this kid other than he's been lights out since joining the Padres rotation, posting a 1.74 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP. Given his very low K rate (10 Ks in 31 IP), there's no way he's going to keep this up. You can't post numbers like that for very long without missing more bats.
Akinori Iwamura - He was a popular pickup at 3B after his hot start, but he was likely dropped after his DL stint. He's 8/18 since returning, and he's also the new Rays leadoff hitter. I'm not sure what type of numbers he'll post in the HR/SB catagories, so I'm not sure how valuable he is until he proves more of his skillset here in the US.
Jeff Francis - 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Pick him up...he's pitching way too well to be left on your waiver wire. 2.23 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 3 Ws in the month of May. He's only posted 47 Ks in 80 1/3 IP, but you can still be a quality pitcher with that kind of ratio.
Joe Blanton - 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. A very nice rebound after 2 bad outings for Blanton. Hopefully this gets him back on track to being a quality end rotation starter for your team.
Mark Teixeira - Played last night despite the concussion, and smacked his 10th HR. He's fine to put back in your lineup if you had him benched last night assuming he wouldn't play, like I did. Thanks Mark, you couldn't have posted a 0 fer, could you?
J.J. Putz - Picked up his 13th save last season. He's very quietly been an elite closer again this year with a 1.48 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, and 23 Ks in 24 1/3 IP. A great payoff for those drafting him for a discount when he had a elbow problem this spring.
Chuck James - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K. Not the cleanest of outings for James, but he continues to pitch well after a bad start to the season. He's a good pickup for the end of your fantasy rotation.
Alfonso Soriano - Finally hit a HR last night after a 3 week drought. He's been pretty worthless in the power department with only 5 HRs and 13 RBIs so far this year. He tends to be as streaky as they get, so perhaps we'll see a power surge from him. Odds are he's going to severely underplay his draft position this year as he was often taken in the top 4 picks.
Alex Rios - Cranked his 13th HR last night as he continues his torrid pace this season. He's proving that his hot start before his injury last year was no fluke, and he's on pace for 39 HRs and 15 SBs. He's bounced around the lineup a lot this year as the Blue Jays deal with all sorts of injuries, but hopefully he settles in as the 2/3 hitter so his power translates into more RBIs.
Jorge Sosa - 6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. He's becoming a borderline pickup in mixed leagues now. Since joining the rotation, he's posted quality starts in 5/6 outings, and since he's pitching for the Mets, Wins should not be a problem. I'd be cautious as to the opponent at first, but you can use him against weaker offenses without hesitation.
Mike Mussina - 5 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K. He had an encouraging outing last time out, but he got hit hard by the Red Sox last night. It's hard to read too much into this due to the potent Red Sox lineup, but with his ability to K batters gone and his velocity down, I just don't see him being a mixed league option this year. Don't chase Ws with Yankees pitchers assuming their lineup will do enough to get it done...use spot starters instead.
Curt Schilling - 5 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. I watched a bit of his outing, and manager Terry Francona stayed with him too long. He was tiring in the 5th, but he got sent back out in the 6th and promptly gave up single, walk, 3 run HR. He had pitched well to that point, but he was fatigued. He should be fine.
Mike Lowell - The waiver wire gem at the 3B position this year. 3/4 with a HR, 4 RBIs, and 2 Rs last night to up his AVG to .337, and the HR was his 11th. He's experienced quite a resurgence this year, although if I remember correctly with his Marlins days, he's prone to 2nd half dropoffs. Don't act it right now, but keep that in mind.
Jim Edmonds - 5 HRs and 9 RBIs in his last 10 games. He's quietly on fire, and worth picking up if you need some OF/UTIL help. More important to fantasy leaguers, however, is hopefully the added protection he'll give to Albert Pujols.
Carlos Lee - Hit his 11th HR last night, and he's now up to a tie for the MLB lead with 52 RBIs. He's having another monster season as is living up to his draft day position as a top OF.
Cole Hamels - 9 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. He didn't have the K numbers owners expect of him, but that's the only blemish in this great outing. I'm sure his owners would sacrifice some of the Ks to allow him to pitch deeper into ballgames.
Chris Capuano - 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K. Nice stat line last night, although his offense didn't support him. He's continuing to be a quality back-of-the-rotation starter for your fantasy team.
Armando Benitez/Kevin Gregg - Holding to his word, Gonzalez used Benitez in the 8th and Gregg in the 9th. Both responded with scoreless innings, and Gregg got the save. If Benitez continues to impress in the 8th, he'll probably switch roles with Gregg. There's no reason to trade for him unless he was going to close. Gregg owners might want to acquire Benitez before the possible switch as insurance.
Magglio Ordonez - Slammed his 13th HR last night, and went 4/6 with 3 Rs and 2 RBIs. He's tied with Carlos Lee for the most RBIs in the majors now with 52 as his amazing season continues. The .362 AVG is awfully nice for his owners.
Ian Snell - 8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. His breakthrough season continues in an impressive fashion as Snell won his 5th game last night. His numbers would be good for at least 2 more wins on a better team, but it is what it is and he continues to be one of the better draft day bargains for SPs.
Matt Capps - Pitched a perfect 9th for his first save. I apologize for not addressing this sooner, but I read this on Friday before I headed out and forgot to post it. Capps has taken the closer role from the struggling Salomon Torres. It's probably too late, but pick him up if he's sitting out there.
Justin Germano - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. 4-0 now, and continuing to pitch well. I honestly don't know much of anything about this kid other than he's been lights out since joining the Padres rotation, posting a 1.74 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP. Given his very low K rate (10 Ks in 31 IP), there's no way he's going to keep this up. You can't post numbers like that for very long without missing more bats.
Akinori Iwamura - He was a popular pickup at 3B after his hot start, but he was likely dropped after his DL stint. He's 8/18 since returning, and he's also the new Rays leadoff hitter. I'm not sure what type of numbers he'll post in the HR/SB catagories, so I'm not sure how valuable he is until he proves more of his skillset here in the US.
Jeff Francis - 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Pick him up...he's pitching way too well to be left on your waiver wire. 2.23 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 3 Ws in the month of May. He's only posted 47 Ks in 80 1/3 IP, but you can still be a quality pitcher with that kind of ratio.
Joe Blanton - 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. A very nice rebound after 2 bad outings for Blanton. Hopefully this gets him back on track to being a quality end rotation starter for your team.
Mark Teixeira - Played last night despite the concussion, and smacked his 10th HR. He's fine to put back in your lineup if you had him benched last night assuming he wouldn't play, like I did. Thanks Mark, you couldn't have posted a 0 fer, could you?
J.J. Putz - Picked up his 13th save last season. He's very quietly been an elite closer again this year with a 1.48 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, and 23 Ks in 24 1/3 IP. A great payoff for those drafting him for a discount when he had a elbow problem this spring.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Friday Wrapup: Kicking Off The Weekend
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.
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.
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.
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