New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson is out at least a month with a broken right knuckle sustained in Friday night's game. Granderson took a pitch off the knuckle and immediately left the game. This is the second time he has suffered a break after getting hit by a pitch this season, having previously had his forearm broken in spring training.
Analysis: Unreal. No one has had it worse than Granderson other than maybe his fantasy baseball owners this season. Obviously stick him on the bench and hope he gets back in a month. Wow.
WHO IS THE BEST PURE HITTER IN BASEBALL (NOT HOME RUN HITTER)?
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Saturday, May 25, 2013
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: BREWERS CLOSER JIM HENDERSON HEADING TO DL WITH STRAINED HAMSTRING
Milwaukee Brewers closer Jim Henderson will be placed on the DL Saturday after suffering a right hamstring injury during Friday night's game. Henderson was removed from the game and Francisco Rodriguez closed it out for Milwaukee. Manager Ron Roenicke said he would use a committee of Rodriguez, John Axford, and Mike Gonzalez in his absence.
Analysis: Ugh. Henderson was doing a great job closing games after taking over for Axford but now chaos reigns. Good luck if you decide to try any of the three guys mentioned above.
Analysis: Ugh. Henderson was doing a great job closing games after taking over for Axford but now chaos reigns. Good luck if you decide to try any of the three guys mentioned above.
Friday, May 24, 2013
FANTASY BASEBALL WRAPUP: FRIDAY
Jordan Zimmerman: 7 IP 6 H 2 ER 0 BB 1 K with an ERA of 1.71. It would obviously be nitpicking saying that Zimmerman's lack of K's are annoying but his approach is obviously a smashing success. Easily the leading candidate for the NL Cy Young right now. Amazing.
J.J. Hardy: 1/5 with his 9th HR while hitting .234. Hardy has had a very nice and sometimes underrated career as a rare 25 home run hitter at a power-starved position. Unfortunately the other shoe to drop through the years with Hardy has been the shaky average which will only become a bigger problem as he continues to age. Strictly a guy who fits a need for your team if you need home runs and have a bunch of .300 average guys.
Adam Jones: 2/5 with his 8th HR while hitting .317. Second game in a row with a home run for Jones who is capable of some big time power runs. The safest 25 home runs/.300/15 SB outfielder in the game.
Chris Davis: 3/4 with his 16th HR while hitting .337. Chris Davis is hitting .337 and is in the running for a battle title. Let that sink in for a moment.
Brett Lawrie: 1/2 with his 5th HR while hitting .195. Damn this kid is frustrating. The talent is there but Lawrie's blown up PCL minor league stats are not translating well to the majors.
Anibal Sanchez: 9 IP 1 H 0 ER 3 BB 12 K with an ERA of 2.38. Sanchez has been a great buy so far this season as he heads for his second 200-K season. Yes he wears down in August but we are still two months away from that. Imagine how great his numbers would be in the NL.
Brett Gardner: 1/4 with his fourth HR while hitting .254. Gardner took awhile to get going but everything is coming together with his 10-12 home run pop and 40 steal speed. People have forgotten how dynamic he could be so try to steal him if he is languishing on some owners' bench.
Joey Votto: 2/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .361. Votto is an amazing hitter but it really puts in perspective how insane Miguel Cabrera is when he is batting almost 40 points higher.
Brandon Phillips: 2/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .289. Phillips has traded all of his stolen bases away for an improved average as he ages. On the surface he looks less dynamic without the 20/20 line but overall he remains the same second tier fantasy baseball second baseman he always has been.
Scott Feldman: 5 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 2.80. Hello Mr. Regression. So very nice to meet you today. I heard you are staying in town for awhile.
Marco Estrada: 7 IP 4 H 1 ER 0 BB 8 K with an ERA of 4.94. This is what you get if Estrada keeps the ball in the park. Seems simple enough. Unfortunately he just can't be trusted despite how good he looks under the hood.
Everth Cabrera: 2/5 with his third HR while hitting .258. Cabrera is quietly having a big season with 3 home runs and an awesome 18 stolen bases. Could win you the stolen base category on his own and the home runs have been a nice surprise.
Allen Craig: 2/4 with his third HR while hitting .309. Craig is capable of 20 home runs the rest of the way as his bat has a ton of hits and pop left in it after a slow start to this season. BUY LOW! BUY LOW!
David Freese: 2/3 with his second HR while hitting .236. Freese is pretty much persona non grata in fantasy baseball terms given his injuries and slow bat this season. Third base is deeper than ever so he is on the outside looking in right now as far as being a starter for the time being.
Lance Lynn: 6 IP 2 H 0 ER 1 BB 9 K with an ERA of 2.95. If Lynn holds onto his stats the second half of the season, which he failed to do in spectacularly bad fashion in 2012, than he instantly cements his status as a clear number 2 starter.
Lance Berkman: 1/5 with his fourth HR while hitting .293. Thought we would see more pop out of Berkman and really what Mitch Moreland is doing is about where I expected the former to be. Watch Berkman though as he tends to get very hot. Get ready to strike.
Carlos Gonzalez: 2/4 with his 12th HR while hitting .307. Massive season in the works for CarGo who is making me look very smart for touting him over Andrew McCutchen.
Michael Cuddyer: 2/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .325. Great return to the lineup for Cuddyer who just got off the DL. Once again supplying underrated numbers when no one is watching.
Wilin Rosario: 0/3 while hitting .278. Rosario has some holes in his swing which shows up once in awhile. He is in one of those cold runs at the dish but the power will continue to be present.
J.J. Hardy: 1/5 with his 9th HR while hitting .234. Hardy has had a very nice and sometimes underrated career as a rare 25 home run hitter at a power-starved position. Unfortunately the other shoe to drop through the years with Hardy has been the shaky average which will only become a bigger problem as he continues to age. Strictly a guy who fits a need for your team if you need home runs and have a bunch of .300 average guys.
Adam Jones: 2/5 with his 8th HR while hitting .317. Second game in a row with a home run for Jones who is capable of some big time power runs. The safest 25 home runs/.300/15 SB outfielder in the game.
Chris Davis: 3/4 with his 16th HR while hitting .337. Chris Davis is hitting .337 and is in the running for a battle title. Let that sink in for a moment.
Brett Lawrie: 1/2 with his 5th HR while hitting .195. Damn this kid is frustrating. The talent is there but Lawrie's blown up PCL minor league stats are not translating well to the majors.
Anibal Sanchez: 9 IP 1 H 0 ER 3 BB 12 K with an ERA of 2.38. Sanchez has been a great buy so far this season as he heads for his second 200-K season. Yes he wears down in August but we are still two months away from that. Imagine how great his numbers would be in the NL.
Brett Gardner: 1/4 with his fourth HR while hitting .254. Gardner took awhile to get going but everything is coming together with his 10-12 home run pop and 40 steal speed. People have forgotten how dynamic he could be so try to steal him if he is languishing on some owners' bench.
Joey Votto: 2/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .361. Votto is an amazing hitter but it really puts in perspective how insane Miguel Cabrera is when he is batting almost 40 points higher.
Brandon Phillips: 2/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .289. Phillips has traded all of his stolen bases away for an improved average as he ages. On the surface he looks less dynamic without the 20/20 line but overall he remains the same second tier fantasy baseball second baseman he always has been.
Scott Feldman: 5 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 2.80. Hello Mr. Regression. So very nice to meet you today. I heard you are staying in town for awhile.
Marco Estrada: 7 IP 4 H 1 ER 0 BB 8 K with an ERA of 4.94. This is what you get if Estrada keeps the ball in the park. Seems simple enough. Unfortunately he just can't be trusted despite how good he looks under the hood.
Everth Cabrera: 2/5 with his third HR while hitting .258. Cabrera is quietly having a big season with 3 home runs and an awesome 18 stolen bases. Could win you the stolen base category on his own and the home runs have been a nice surprise.
Allen Craig: 2/4 with his third HR while hitting .309. Craig is capable of 20 home runs the rest of the way as his bat has a ton of hits and pop left in it after a slow start to this season. BUY LOW! BUY LOW!
David Freese: 2/3 with his second HR while hitting .236. Freese is pretty much persona non grata in fantasy baseball terms given his injuries and slow bat this season. Third base is deeper than ever so he is on the outside looking in right now as far as being a starter for the time being.
Lance Lynn: 6 IP 2 H 0 ER 1 BB 9 K with an ERA of 2.95. If Lynn holds onto his stats the second half of the season, which he failed to do in spectacularly bad fashion in 2012, than he instantly cements his status as a clear number 2 starter.
Lance Berkman: 1/5 with his fourth HR while hitting .293. Thought we would see more pop out of Berkman and really what Mitch Moreland is doing is about where I expected the former to be. Watch Berkman though as he tends to get very hot. Get ready to strike.
Carlos Gonzalez: 2/4 with his 12th HR while hitting .307. Massive season in the works for CarGo who is making me look very smart for touting him over Andrew McCutchen.
Michael Cuddyer: 2/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .325. Great return to the lineup for Cuddyer who just got off the DL. Once again supplying underrated numbers when no one is watching.
Wilin Rosario: 0/3 while hitting .278. Rosario has some holes in his swing which shows up once in awhile. He is in one of those cold runs at the dish but the power will continue to be present.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: YANKS OUTFIELDER CURTIS GRANDERSON SUFFERS BROKEN KNUCKLE FRIDAY, DL IMMINENT
New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson suffered a broken knuckle on his right pinkie finger Friday night and will be placed on the DL Saturday. It is the second time this season Granderson has been injured by pitches, the first costing him nearly the first two months of the season with a broken forearm. No word yet on how long Granderson will be out.
Analysis: Amazing. What did Granderson do to garner so much negativity from the fantasy baseball gods. Yet another major injury blow for the Yankees as well. Obviously we are talking weeks here since any break in the hand requires that kind of a stint on the DL and so Granderson owners have to be patient yet again. No way to sugarcoat how crazy bad luck Granderson and his owners have had to say the least.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: RED SOX 3B WILL MIDDLEBROOKS PLACED ON DL WITH BACK SPASMS
On the same day they placed outfielder Shane Victorino on the DL, the Boston Red Sox also placed third baseman Will Middlebrooks on the list with lower back spasms. Middlbrooks hurt his back during Wednesday's game and than re-injured it on Thursday which necessitated the DL stint. Pedro Ciriaco will fill in during Middlebrooks' absence.
Analysis: Middlebrooks has fallen well short from the expectations that he carried going into the season, with his average sinking quickly behind a massive K rate. He still has time to turn his season around but the fact he is now injured is another monkey wrench into his outlook.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: RED SOX PLACE OUTFIELDER SHANE VICTORINO (HAMSTRING) TO DL
The Boston Red Sox placed outfielder Shane Victorino on the DL Friday with a strained left hamstring. The move was backdated to May 21st. Daniel Nava will play rightfield in Victorino's place.
Analysis: The only expectation Victorino fulfilled this season for me was that he would be a bust which to this point he had been. Aging outfielders who have increasing issues against righties are a terrible investment which Victorino has proven in spades this season. Consider cutting him outright if your roster is packed out with injured players.
FANTASY BASEBALL WRAPUP: THURSDAY
Adam Jones: 1/4 with his 7th HR while hitting .315. When it comes to the top outfielders in fantasy baseball, Jones tends to fly somewhat under the radar for no good reason. Yes he doesn't blow up any one stat but this is as dependable a hitter as you are going to get. That counts for something right Matt Kemp owners?
Chris Davis: 1/4 with his 15th HR while hitting .327. I was expecting another 4/4 game from Davis given that he turned into Miguel Cabrera overnight with the average.
J.P. Arencibia: 2/5 with his 11th HR while hitting .230. John Buck has been cast aside almost unanimously after his red hot April that was followed by a ice cold May. Buck has 10 home runs and 31 RBI. Arencibia has 14 RBI and one more home run yet he is owned in almost double the leagues Buck is. Strange.
Edwin Encarnacion: 1/4 with his 13th HR while hitting .250. Encarnacion still has not made a big push forward average-wise but the power is right there with the best of them in baseball. It is the home runs that you paid for anyway so don't fret too much over the .250. Encarnacion has had some poor BABIP luck and when that comes back to its normal levels, he will be just fine in that area.
Kevin Gausman: 4 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 7.20. Told you not to start Gausman against the Blue Jays given their thunderous bats and this is why. Truth be told Gausman wasn't horrendous as he struck out five but give him another chance his next time out before you cut him. His ceiling is that high.
Josh Willingham: 2/5 with 2 home runs (8 for season) while hitting .212. Get him in the lineup now. This is not brain science when it comes to Willingham. When you see him swat some home runs, than get him in. When he goes 0-for-forever like he seemingly has been all season, than you let him rot.
Miguel Cabrera: 2/3 with his 14th HR while hitting .393. Would it be going out on a limb to say Cabrera will hit a home run today?
David Ortiz: 1/3 with his 8th HR while hitting .351. No letup yet from Ortiz ever since he came back from his heel injury.
Ryan Dempster: 4 ER in 3 IP with an ERA of 4.69. Dempster is making me look bad after singing his praises all through April and early May. Four horrid outings later Dempster is filling my inbox with hate mail.
Mike Trout: 2/4 with his 10th HR and 10th SB while hitting .302. Trout has some sort of obsession with having the same numbers of home runs as stolen bases.
Albert Pujols: 1/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .253. The 40-year-old who says he is 33 is having a spirited competition with Josh Hamilton as far as who has been the bigger financial bust for the Angels.
Mark Trumbo: 1/4 with his 11th HR while hitting .284. How about someone telling you in the winter that Trumbo would be the most effective slugger for the Angels two months into the season.
Chris Davis: 1/4 with his 15th HR while hitting .327. I was expecting another 4/4 game from Davis given that he turned into Miguel Cabrera overnight with the average.
J.P. Arencibia: 2/5 with his 11th HR while hitting .230. John Buck has been cast aside almost unanimously after his red hot April that was followed by a ice cold May. Buck has 10 home runs and 31 RBI. Arencibia has 14 RBI and one more home run yet he is owned in almost double the leagues Buck is. Strange.
Edwin Encarnacion: 1/4 with his 13th HR while hitting .250. Encarnacion still has not made a big push forward average-wise but the power is right there with the best of them in baseball. It is the home runs that you paid for anyway so don't fret too much over the .250. Encarnacion has had some poor BABIP luck and when that comes back to its normal levels, he will be just fine in that area.
Kevin Gausman: 4 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 7.20. Told you not to start Gausman against the Blue Jays given their thunderous bats and this is why. Truth be told Gausman wasn't horrendous as he struck out five but give him another chance his next time out before you cut him. His ceiling is that high.
Josh Willingham: 2/5 with 2 home runs (8 for season) while hitting .212. Get him in the lineup now. This is not brain science when it comes to Willingham. When you see him swat some home runs, than get him in. When he goes 0-for-forever like he seemingly has been all season, than you let him rot.
Miguel Cabrera: 2/3 with his 14th HR while hitting .393. Would it be going out on a limb to say Cabrera will hit a home run today?
David Ortiz: 1/3 with his 8th HR while hitting .351. No letup yet from Ortiz ever since he came back from his heel injury.
Ryan Dempster: 4 ER in 3 IP with an ERA of 4.69. Dempster is making me look bad after singing his praises all through April and early May. Four horrid outings later Dempster is filling my inbox with hate mail.
Mike Trout: 2/4 with his 10th HR and 10th SB while hitting .302. Trout has some sort of obsession with having the same numbers of home runs as stolen bases.
Albert Pujols: 1/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .253. The 40-year-old who says he is 33 is having a spirited competition with Josh Hamilton as far as who has been the bigger financial bust for the Angels.
Mark Trumbo: 1/4 with his 11th HR while hitting .284. How about someone telling you in the winter that Trumbo would be the most effective slugger for the Angels two months into the season.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: METS TO DEMOTE IKE DAVIS MONDAY IF HE DOESN'T SHOWS SIGNS OVER WEEKEND
New York Mets 1B Ike Davis has the weekend to show the team any signs of life in his dormant bat or else face a demotion to the minors on Monday. Davis has been in the midst of a truly horrific slump to begin the season, batting just .147 with 49 strikeouts in 42 games.
Analysis: Davis hit 32 home runs last season and was on an absolute tear the second half of 2012 after having a similar dry spell to the first half. However Davis has run out of chances to fix his season and so the Mets are finally ready to pull the plug for a bit. It is a startling fall from grace for what looked like one of the more promising power hitting first baseman to come along recently.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: YANKS SP MICHAEL PINEDA (SHOULDER) GOES FIVE INNINGS IN REHAB THU.
New York Yankees SP Michael Pineda pitched five innings in his latest extended spring training outing on Thursday, with his fastball reaching 93 mph. Pineda is slated to have possibly one more extended spring start and than head out on a rehab assignment. If all goes well, Pineda could be activated in mid-June.
Analysis: Now is the time to go to your league's waiver wire to see if Pineda is available. Remember he was considered one of top power pitching prospects in all of baseball and was an All Star during his first full season in 2011 before shoulder surgery cost him all of 2012. A high K guy when he is healthy, Pineda carries immense second half upside.
FANTASY BASEBALL STATUS REPORT: PATRICK CORBIN SP ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
7-0 1.44 ERA 0.98 WHIP
The above pitching line immediately conjures images of such stalwart aces like Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, or Felix Hernandez. However in reality the batch of stats listed above belongs to none other than.....Patrick Corbin???? What in the name of fantasy baseball is happening here? Coming off a 2012 debut season that didn't impress anyone (6-8 4.54 ERA/1.33 WHIP), Corbin has began 2013 as one of the hottest pitchers in the game and has already served as a major value boost to his owners who believed in the numbers and didn't dismiss him outright at first glance. So what is really going on here? Has Corbin taken the next step to potential stardom or is he simply just on an unsustainable hot streak that will come to a thunderous end soon. Let's take a closer look and find out.
Now in looking at Corbin's profile as a pitcher, we are not looking at a guy who can dial up a mid 90's fastball or blow opposing hitters away with his heater. In reality, Corbin is a guy who uses movement and deception to generate outs. However Corbin is not a complete zero in the K's department, having struck out 51 batters in 62.1 innings this season. While that rate is not going to impress the Kershaws of the world, Corbin has added 2 miles on his fastball from 2012 to 2013 which one could immediately look at as a reason for his success.
Looking a bit deeper into the numbers however reveals some major red flags. For one, it doesn't take a genius to assume Corbin is benefiting from luck on the batter ball given how ridiculous his numbers are right now. Thus Corbin's XFIP of 3.59 is much more in line with what he should be churning out as far as numbers are concerned. When looking at him under those lens, it is easy to see just what kind of a regression he will be looking at shortly.
Again this is not to say that Corbin has not been impressive and can't succeed when his stats normalize. He doesn't give up home runs and his control is decent. However the BABIP gods don't stay at bay for long ans Corbin's numbers are headed upward. Now is the perfect time to try and sell high here before that does in fact occur. The second half is not likely to be as kind to you as an owner like we have seen the first half this season.
The above pitching line immediately conjures images of such stalwart aces like Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, or Felix Hernandez. However in reality the batch of stats listed above belongs to none other than.....Patrick Corbin???? What in the name of fantasy baseball is happening here? Coming off a 2012 debut season that didn't impress anyone (6-8 4.54 ERA/1.33 WHIP), Corbin has began 2013 as one of the hottest pitchers in the game and has already served as a major value boost to his owners who believed in the numbers and didn't dismiss him outright at first glance. So what is really going on here? Has Corbin taken the next step to potential stardom or is he simply just on an unsustainable hot streak that will come to a thunderous end soon. Let's take a closer look and find out.
Now in looking at Corbin's profile as a pitcher, we are not looking at a guy who can dial up a mid 90's fastball or blow opposing hitters away with his heater. In reality, Corbin is a guy who uses movement and deception to generate outs. However Corbin is not a complete zero in the K's department, having struck out 51 batters in 62.1 innings this season. While that rate is not going to impress the Kershaws of the world, Corbin has added 2 miles on his fastball from 2012 to 2013 which one could immediately look at as a reason for his success.
Looking a bit deeper into the numbers however reveals some major red flags. For one, it doesn't take a genius to assume Corbin is benefiting from luck on the batter ball given how ridiculous his numbers are right now. Thus Corbin's XFIP of 3.59 is much more in line with what he should be churning out as far as numbers are concerned. When looking at him under those lens, it is easy to see just what kind of a regression he will be looking at shortly.
Again this is not to say that Corbin has not been impressive and can't succeed when his stats normalize. He doesn't give up home runs and his control is decent. However the BABIP gods don't stay at bay for long ans Corbin's numbers are headed upward. Now is the perfect time to try and sell high here before that does in fact occur. The second half is not likely to be as kind to you as an owner like we have seen the first half this season.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: ROCKIES SEND DOWN INFIELDER JOSH RUTLEGE
The Colorado Rockies demoted struggling infielder Josh Rutledge to Triple-A Wednesday after his bat failed to consistently produce. Rutledge was batting .242 on the season and Rockies brass felt he would benefit from some time down on the farm in order to find his swing.
Analysis: This is a surprise given how much the team hyped Rutledge coming into the season and truth be told the poor average overshadowed some decent power/speed numbers. Be that as it may, Rutledge now needs his name sent to the waiver wire in all leagues.
Analysis: This is a surprise given how much the team hyped Rutledge coming into the season and truth be told the poor average overshadowed some decent power/speed numbers. Be that as it may, Rutledge now needs his name sent to the waiver wire in all leagues.
FANTASY BASEBALL WRAPUP: WEDNESDAY
Evan Gattis: 1/3 with his 10th HR while hitting .256. Despite Brian McCann returning and hitting for power in his own right, Gattis remains one of the more productive catcher-eligible players in the game. While the plan to have him play leftfield has not taken shape, Gattis is still making the most of his opportunities. Unfortunately he stays relevant only in two catcher formats until he finds more consistent action.
B.J. Upton: 1/4 with his fourth HR while hitting .155. Wow. That's all I have to say when it comes to how horrible the older Upton has been at the dish this season. Hopefully this is a sign that he will snap out of his April-May funk but I am not holding my breath.
Paul Maholm: 7.1 IP 7 H 0 ER 1 BB 4 K with an ERA of 3.38. Maholm has settled back into the solid but not flashy starter he always has been, with his K rate leveling off dramatically after his first few outings. Classic SP 4.
Joey Votto: 2/3 with his 7th HR while hitting .358. Votto is rediscovering his home run swing after it was absent the second half of 2012 and early this season. The perennial batting champion contender is right on par with where he should be as a prime first round fantasy baseball hitter.
Matt Harvey: 6.1 IP 9 H 4 ER 3 BB 6 K with an ERA of 1.93. Not a good week for 2013 bustout starting pitchers as both Hisashi Iwakuma and now Harvey spit the bit. The Reds are a rough foe for any opponent and obviously Harvey can be forgiven for one bad start. The only concern I have about Harvey for this season is whether or not he will tire in the summer and also if the Mets will place an innings limit on him later on.
Ryan Braun: 1/3 with his 9th HR while hitting .323. Some are noting, including yours truly that Braun's numbers are down across the board off his latest steroids issue with Biogenesis. Is he finally off the juice? Is he still an idiot? The first point is debatable at the very least, while the second one a layup.
Hyun-Jin Ryu: 7.1 IP 6 H 2 ER 2 BB 4 K with an ERA of 3.30. Took some serious stones for me to put Ryu out there on the road against a solid hitting Brewers team. Whew.
Adrian Beltre: 1/3 with his 10th HR while hitting .281. Well look at what we got here. Beltre is completely doing his best to refute old age critics as he ups his average above the .280 mark. With the power as good as it was in 2012, the chances for an encore are looking better than ever.
David Murphy: 1/4 with his 6th HR while hitting .219. Murphy is hitting for power but he is ruining his shot to play everyday by struggling to maintain a solid average. He will be given more time to figure things out but so far he has not taken that step forward many thought he would in his first run as a starter.
Carlos Gonzalez: 2/4 with his 11th HR while hitting .302. Big time season in progress for CarGo who is putting himself in MVP discussion in the early going with his terrific numbers across the board. No longer strictly a home/road split guy, Gonzalez is tapping out entirely on his vast ability.
Bryce Harper: 2/5 with his 12th HR while hitting .288. You got to love the way Harper misses a few games and than comes right back and slugs a home run. It is like he realizes his owners were ticked off at his absence and so he tries extra hard that first game returning to the lineup to earn some goodwill back.
Jose Bautista: 4/4 with 2 home runs (11 for season) and third SB while hitting .275. Saying Bautista was locked in during this one is a gross understatement as he could have hit backwards and put one out of the park so in the zone was he. While the power is no surprise, the nice average is a pleasant addition to his stat haul which enhances the overall value. Bautista has been all over the map at times with the average so his owners no doubt will take the .275 and run with it.
Fernando Rodney: fourth blown save with 1 earned run in .1 IP with an ERA of 5.40. Ugh. It is not getting any better for Rodney who you would think has run out of chances. Now is the time to grab Joel Peralta who has rocked a 2.08 ERA all season in setup. We are at the point now where Joe Maddon won't be able to look at his plaers eye-to-eye in continually putting Rodney out there to let games get away.
Francisco Liriano: 7 IP 2 H 0 ER 1 BB 9 K with an ERA of 1.00. I am starting to think Pittsburgh is like Lourdes for fallen starting pitchers. First A.J. Burnett and now Liriano finding their past dominance in western Pennsylvania. Obviously we have seen enough evidence to make a play on Liriano as crazy as that is to say given all the carnage he has caused us over the last few seasons. Go with it.
C.J. Wilson: 8 IP 6 H 1 ER 2 BB 10 K with an ERA of 3.39. This is Wilson in a nutshell. One start he is giving up 5 earned in 4 innings and the next he puts up double-digit K's and completely dominates his opponent. The 1.43 WHIP speaks more to his volatility but he is earning back some trust as a SP 4 for now I guess.
Miguel Cabrera: 2/4 with his 13th HR while hitting .387. There is red hot and than there is what Miguel Cabrera is at the moment at the dish. Than again this is what we have to come to expect out of the monster slugger who continues to defy all convention in this pitching era.
Carlos Santana: 2/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .296. Santana continues to mash and really has not let up all season. Terrific comeback season after he let down somewhat in 2012. And really that first half performance last season was the outlier as Santana is too much of a natural hitter to struggle like that again for that long. Remember that when it comes to young hitters like this, the talent eventually takes over.
Justin Verlander: 5 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 3.66. Interesting. Verlander's WHIP is now an ugly 1.37 and he has been rocked two starts in a row. I have mentioned on more than one occasion that the massive workloads of Verlander in his still young career were a concern for his arm but he had never shown any kind of fatigue before. I am not saying that is the problem here but he has been so dominant for so long that we have to at least wonder some. Watch is next stat closely because 3 poor outings in a row is a noticeable trend.
Curtis Granderson: 3/3 with his first HR while hitting .269. Yes that was Granderson batting leadoff Wednesday night as he cracked his first homer of the season. The story remains the same here: very good power to go with a mediocre average and declining steals due to age.
Chris Davis: 4/4 with his 14th HR while hitting .329. This is Davis saying "suck it" to those who expect the average to fall. Not looking likely folks. It took awhile but Davis has clearly found something that works for him in that area.
Matt Wieters: 2/4 with his third HR while hitting .240. All Davis needs to do now is to pass along his new average wisdom to Wieters.
Hiroki Kuroda: 5 ER in 2 IP with an ERA of 2.67. Chalk this under "one of those starts" as Kuroda has been too excellent to criticize. My only worry is that he won't be able to hold up at 37 years old as far as his numbers are concerned given the career high in innings he threw last season and his pace for this season.
Cliff Lee: 9 IP 3 H 0 ER 2 BB 5 K with an ERA of 2.48. Typical Lee. No one can completely shut you down to this effect like Lee can on a more consistent basis other than Clayton Kershaw. Like a fine wine, Lee is aging well.
Clay Buchholz: 7 IP 5 H 1 ER 3 BB 4 K with an ERA of 1.73. Second start out of last three that the K's were dramnatically down for Buchholz after sunscreen gate. Just saying.
Hector Santiago: 6 IP 3 H 2 ER 4 BB 9 K with an ERA of 2.81. Santiago is passing the eye test as the big time K numbers he put up in the bullpen have taken the trip to the starting rotation. Worth a look given that aspect of his game but this is likely to be a two month rental at most given he will be in uncharted innings territory soon enough.
B.J. Upton: 1/4 with his fourth HR while hitting .155. Wow. That's all I have to say when it comes to how horrible the older Upton has been at the dish this season. Hopefully this is a sign that he will snap out of his April-May funk but I am not holding my breath.
Paul Maholm: 7.1 IP 7 H 0 ER 1 BB 4 K with an ERA of 3.38. Maholm has settled back into the solid but not flashy starter he always has been, with his K rate leveling off dramatically after his first few outings. Classic SP 4.
Joey Votto: 2/3 with his 7th HR while hitting .358. Votto is rediscovering his home run swing after it was absent the second half of 2012 and early this season. The perennial batting champion contender is right on par with where he should be as a prime first round fantasy baseball hitter.
Matt Harvey: 6.1 IP 9 H 4 ER 3 BB 6 K with an ERA of 1.93. Not a good week for 2013 bustout starting pitchers as both Hisashi Iwakuma and now Harvey spit the bit. The Reds are a rough foe for any opponent and obviously Harvey can be forgiven for one bad start. The only concern I have about Harvey for this season is whether or not he will tire in the summer and also if the Mets will place an innings limit on him later on.
Ryan Braun: 1/3 with his 9th HR while hitting .323. Some are noting, including yours truly that Braun's numbers are down across the board off his latest steroids issue with Biogenesis. Is he finally off the juice? Is he still an idiot? The first point is debatable at the very least, while the second one a layup.
Hyun-Jin Ryu: 7.1 IP 6 H 2 ER 2 BB 4 K with an ERA of 3.30. Took some serious stones for me to put Ryu out there on the road against a solid hitting Brewers team. Whew.
Adrian Beltre: 1/3 with his 10th HR while hitting .281. Well look at what we got here. Beltre is completely doing his best to refute old age critics as he ups his average above the .280 mark. With the power as good as it was in 2012, the chances for an encore are looking better than ever.
David Murphy: 1/4 with his 6th HR while hitting .219. Murphy is hitting for power but he is ruining his shot to play everyday by struggling to maintain a solid average. He will be given more time to figure things out but so far he has not taken that step forward many thought he would in his first run as a starter.
Carlos Gonzalez: 2/4 with his 11th HR while hitting .302. Big time season in progress for CarGo who is putting himself in MVP discussion in the early going with his terrific numbers across the board. No longer strictly a home/road split guy, Gonzalez is tapping out entirely on his vast ability.
Bryce Harper: 2/5 with his 12th HR while hitting .288. You got to love the way Harper misses a few games and than comes right back and slugs a home run. It is like he realizes his owners were ticked off at his absence and so he tries extra hard that first game returning to the lineup to earn some goodwill back.
Jose Bautista: 4/4 with 2 home runs (11 for season) and third SB while hitting .275. Saying Bautista was locked in during this one is a gross understatement as he could have hit backwards and put one out of the park so in the zone was he. While the power is no surprise, the nice average is a pleasant addition to his stat haul which enhances the overall value. Bautista has been all over the map at times with the average so his owners no doubt will take the .275 and run with it.
Fernando Rodney: fourth blown save with 1 earned run in .1 IP with an ERA of 5.40. Ugh. It is not getting any better for Rodney who you would think has run out of chances. Now is the time to grab Joel Peralta who has rocked a 2.08 ERA all season in setup. We are at the point now where Joe Maddon won't be able to look at his plaers eye-to-eye in continually putting Rodney out there to let games get away.
Francisco Liriano: 7 IP 2 H 0 ER 1 BB 9 K with an ERA of 1.00. I am starting to think Pittsburgh is like Lourdes for fallen starting pitchers. First A.J. Burnett and now Liriano finding their past dominance in western Pennsylvania. Obviously we have seen enough evidence to make a play on Liriano as crazy as that is to say given all the carnage he has caused us over the last few seasons. Go with it.
C.J. Wilson: 8 IP 6 H 1 ER 2 BB 10 K with an ERA of 3.39. This is Wilson in a nutshell. One start he is giving up 5 earned in 4 innings and the next he puts up double-digit K's and completely dominates his opponent. The 1.43 WHIP speaks more to his volatility but he is earning back some trust as a SP 4 for now I guess.
Miguel Cabrera: 2/4 with his 13th HR while hitting .387. There is red hot and than there is what Miguel Cabrera is at the moment at the dish. Than again this is what we have to come to expect out of the monster slugger who continues to defy all convention in this pitching era.
Carlos Santana: 2/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .296. Santana continues to mash and really has not let up all season. Terrific comeback season after he let down somewhat in 2012. And really that first half performance last season was the outlier as Santana is too much of a natural hitter to struggle like that again for that long. Remember that when it comes to young hitters like this, the talent eventually takes over.
Justin Verlander: 5 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 3.66. Interesting. Verlander's WHIP is now an ugly 1.37 and he has been rocked two starts in a row. I have mentioned on more than one occasion that the massive workloads of Verlander in his still young career were a concern for his arm but he had never shown any kind of fatigue before. I am not saying that is the problem here but he has been so dominant for so long that we have to at least wonder some. Watch is next stat closely because 3 poor outings in a row is a noticeable trend.
Curtis Granderson: 3/3 with his first HR while hitting .269. Yes that was Granderson batting leadoff Wednesday night as he cracked his first homer of the season. The story remains the same here: very good power to go with a mediocre average and declining steals due to age.
Chris Davis: 4/4 with his 14th HR while hitting .329. This is Davis saying "suck it" to those who expect the average to fall. Not looking likely folks. It took awhile but Davis has clearly found something that works for him in that area.
Matt Wieters: 2/4 with his third HR while hitting .240. All Davis needs to do now is to pass along his new average wisdom to Wieters.
Hiroki Kuroda: 5 ER in 2 IP with an ERA of 2.67. Chalk this under "one of those starts" as Kuroda has been too excellent to criticize. My only worry is that he won't be able to hold up at 37 years old as far as his numbers are concerned given the career high in innings he threw last season and his pace for this season.
Cliff Lee: 9 IP 3 H 0 ER 2 BB 5 K with an ERA of 2.48. Typical Lee. No one can completely shut you down to this effect like Lee can on a more consistent basis other than Clayton Kershaw. Like a fine wine, Lee is aging well.
Clay Buchholz: 7 IP 5 H 1 ER 3 BB 4 K with an ERA of 1.73. Second start out of last three that the K's were dramnatically down for Buchholz after sunscreen gate. Just saying.
Hector Santiago: 6 IP 3 H 2 ER 4 BB 9 K with an ERA of 2.81. Santiago is passing the eye test as the big time K numbers he put up in the bullpen have taken the trip to the starting rotation. Worth a look given that aspect of his game but this is likely to be a two month rental at most given he will be in uncharted innings territory soon enough.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: ROCKIES CLOSER RAFAEL BETANCOURT (GROIN) WON'T NEED DL STINT
Updating a previous item, Colorado Rockies closer Rafael Betancourt will not be placed on the DL with his sore groin as was previously feared and he could return as soon as Friday.
Anlaysis: The Rex Brothers era is over before it had a chance to begin. You can hold Brothers for a day or so but Betancourt is expected to be back by the weekend.
Anlaysis: The Rex Brothers era is over before it had a chance to begin. You can hold Brothers for a day or so but Betancourt is expected to be back by the weekend.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: DODGERS LOOKING INTO CALLING UP TOP PROSPECTS YASIEL PUIG AND/OR JOC PEDERSON
Struggling to stay afloat in 2013 after coming into the season with massive expectations, the Los Angeles Dodgers are now openly discussing bringing up top outfield prospects Yasiel Puig and/or Joc Pederson. Puig is currently batting .314 with six home runs while Pederson is coming in at .327 with 8 home runs and 13 stolen bases. However with Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Carl Crawford all healthy at the moment, no word on how or where either guy would play.
Anlaysis: Both Puig and Pederson are considered the top of the heap as far as hitting prospects ate concerned. Pederson has been ridiculous this season in the minors, while Puig has been impressive in his own right. Both guys have the ability to hit for power and steal bases and should be picked up immediately in all formats. However on the surface there doesn't appear to be any room for either guy to play in the outfield unless Don Mattingly decides to sit Ethier. Stay tuned.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: PHILS 2B CHASE UTLEY HEADED FOR MRI ON RIB CAGE
Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is headed for an MRI Wednesday on his rib cage after sitting out Tuesday's game with pain in the area. Utley reported feeling a burning sensation in his rib cage after hurting it in batting practice.
Analysis: This is not looking so good here for Utley and his fantasy baseball owners as this could be yet another injury that lands him on the DL. Utley was off to a nice comeback start to his 2013 season until this flared up on him and it is a reminder that he remains one of the more fragile players in the game. Start looking for a replacement.
FANTASY BASEBALL WELCOME TO THE SHOW: KEVIN GAUSMAN SP BALTIMORE ORIOLES
The big news of the day Tuesday was the report out of Baltimore that the Orioles would be calling up top pitching prospect Kevin Gausman from Double-A Bowie in order to start for the team Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays in his big league debut. The number four overall pick in last year's draft, Gausman has been opening eyes among Orioles brass through his first eight starts of the season which netted a 3.11 ERA while striking out 49 batters in only 46.1 innings.
Now as far as how Gausman shapes up in terms of fantasy baseball, he is surely one to take a long look at in almost all formats given his profile. Blessed with a solid four pitch repertoire, Gausman can get the fastball up to the mid-90's with good movement. That has shown up in the strikeouts and should allow him to post a K rate above 7.00 at the major league level. In addition, Gausman is the rare young pitcher who has good control, surrendering only 5 walks all season in those 46.1 innings. Guys who don't beat themselves with walks and who can strike people out can be fantasy baseball gold so Gausman on that aspect of his game alone should be added in all leagues. There is no definitive word on how long this promotion could last but Gausman att he very least has a shot to impress the Orioles and make a case to stay in the rotation. While I would not start Gausman right off the bat Thursday given the tough oppponent in Toronto, I would absolutely take a shot in order to see how this plays out.
Now as far as how Gausman shapes up in terms of fantasy baseball, he is surely one to take a long look at in almost all formats given his profile. Blessed with a solid four pitch repertoire, Gausman can get the fastball up to the mid-90's with good movement. That has shown up in the strikeouts and should allow him to post a K rate above 7.00 at the major league level. In addition, Gausman is the rare young pitcher who has good control, surrendering only 5 walks all season in those 46.1 innings. Guys who don't beat themselves with walks and who can strike people out can be fantasy baseball gold so Gausman on that aspect of his game alone should be added in all leagues. There is no definitive word on how long this promotion could last but Gausman att he very least has a shot to impress the Orioles and make a case to stay in the rotation. While I would not start Gausman right off the bat Thursday given the tough oppponent in Toronto, I would absolutely take a shot in order to see how this plays out.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: ROCKIES CLOSER RAFAEL BETANCOURT (GROIN) COULD HIT DL
Colorado Rockies closer Rafael Betancourt could be placed on the DL Wednesday due to the groin strain he suffered in Wednesday night's game. Betancourt will have an MRI done on the groin Thursday in order to determine the severity and if he does need to go no the DL, Rex Brothers is likely first in line to pick up saves in his absence.
Analysis: Pick up Brothers if you need a saves boost as the indications are that Betancourt could sit for two weeks in order to get things in order. Brothers has been mowing them down with a very high K rate thus far this season so he could make a solid short-term pickup.
FANTASY BASEBALL WRAPUP: TUESDAY
Matt Garza: 5 IP 1 H 0 ER 3 BB 5 K with an ERA of 0.00. Good value pickup to be had here with Garza who is likely sitting on your wire after missing all of 2013 with various spring training injuries until being activated Tuesday. One of the tougher pitchers to hit who averages a K/IP, Garza can be a SP 3 that will cost you nothing but the minute it will take you to add him to your roster.
Nate McLouth: 2/5 with his 4th HR while hitting .282. McLouth is not a .300 hitter so the recent drop in his average was to be expected. However he also has cleared 20 home runs in the past so he was due to up the rate there as well.
Miguel Cabrera: 1/4 with his 12th HR while hitting .384. It is like Cabrera and Prince Fielder are taking turns going on home run tears. Since Cabrera has already won the Triple Crown, let's see if he can take on the .400 challenge next. Would you doubt him?
Max Scherzer: 8 IP 2 H 1 ER 1 BB 7 K with an ERA of 3.61. As long as Scherzer is not facing the Astros, dominance will be at hand.
Desmond Jennings: 1/4 with his 5th HR while hitting .241. I really are starting to think Jennings has a B.J. Upton poster on his wall.
Kelly Johnson: 1/3 with his 8th HR while hitting .273. Never understood why so many people loved Dan Uggla in the past but not Johnson. Johnson will hit for a better average (much better especially now) and can hit 20-25 home runs. He is also the rare second baseman that can do the power hitter special as he clubs 5 homers in a week.
Alex Cobb: 6.1 IP 3 H 1 1 BB 2 K with an ERA of 2.73. It's all good for Cobb and his fantasy baseball owners this season as the Rays churn out yet another big time starter. His strikeouts are a bit volatile but otherwise Cobb is coming up smelling like roses.
Mike Leake: 7 IP 3 H 0 ER 2 BB 4 K with an ERA of 3.25. All Tony Cingrani owners can now commence banging their own heads against the wall.
Yoenis Cespedes: 1/5 with his 9th HR while hitting .211. Cespedes has to really stop with this whole Adam Dunn impression. You know where the only hit he has each game is a home run. Still waiting on that first stolen base too buddy. Anytime now would be awesome.
Zack Greinke: 5 ER in 4 IP with an ERA of 3.48. At this point Greinke owners would rather he just have stayed on the DL.
Troy Tulowitzki: 2/4 with his 9th HR while hitting .338. This guy can be truly ridiculous at times and if he ever figured out how to stay in one piece for a whole season, they might give him two MVP's.
Mike Trout: 4/5 with his 9th HR and 9th SB while hitting .293. Commence rapid jealously of all Mike Trout owners everywhere.
Josh Hamilton: 2/5 with his sixth HR while hitting .222. What is really said is that Hamilton is a first half hitter. Can't wait to see what is in store for the second half.
Howie Kendrick: 2/4 with his 7th HR while hitting .311. Whatever Kendrick is doing differently this season, it is working well for him as he is in the midst of his best season ever. Could be the classic case of being a late bloomer but so far Kendrick has been a big time asset for those who took another shot on the perenial disappointment.
Adam Wainwright: 7.1 IP 4 H 1 ER 1 BB 6 K with an ERA of 2.38. That's right bro. Bring home that Cy Young like I predicted.
Pablo Sandoval: 2/5 with his 8th HR while hitting .308. Sandoval just needs to stop making that right into McDonald's on the way home from the ballpark in order for him to put up a career season.
Nate McLouth: 2/5 with his 4th HR while hitting .282. McLouth is not a .300 hitter so the recent drop in his average was to be expected. However he also has cleared 20 home runs in the past so he was due to up the rate there as well.
Miguel Cabrera: 1/4 with his 12th HR while hitting .384. It is like Cabrera and Prince Fielder are taking turns going on home run tears. Since Cabrera has already won the Triple Crown, let's see if he can take on the .400 challenge next. Would you doubt him?
Max Scherzer: 8 IP 2 H 1 ER 1 BB 7 K with an ERA of 3.61. As long as Scherzer is not facing the Astros, dominance will be at hand.
Desmond Jennings: 1/4 with his 5th HR while hitting .241. I really are starting to think Jennings has a B.J. Upton poster on his wall.
Kelly Johnson: 1/3 with his 8th HR while hitting .273. Never understood why so many people loved Dan Uggla in the past but not Johnson. Johnson will hit for a better average (much better especially now) and can hit 20-25 home runs. He is also the rare second baseman that can do the power hitter special as he clubs 5 homers in a week.
Alex Cobb: 6.1 IP 3 H 1 1 BB 2 K with an ERA of 2.73. It's all good for Cobb and his fantasy baseball owners this season as the Rays churn out yet another big time starter. His strikeouts are a bit volatile but otherwise Cobb is coming up smelling like roses.
Mike Leake: 7 IP 3 H 0 ER 2 BB 4 K with an ERA of 3.25. All Tony Cingrani owners can now commence banging their own heads against the wall.
Yoenis Cespedes: 1/5 with his 9th HR while hitting .211. Cespedes has to really stop with this whole Adam Dunn impression. You know where the only hit he has each game is a home run. Still waiting on that first stolen base too buddy. Anytime now would be awesome.
Zack Greinke: 5 ER in 4 IP with an ERA of 3.48. At this point Greinke owners would rather he just have stayed on the DL.
Troy Tulowitzki: 2/4 with his 9th HR while hitting .338. This guy can be truly ridiculous at times and if he ever figured out how to stay in one piece for a whole season, they might give him two MVP's.
Mike Trout: 4/5 with his 9th HR and 9th SB while hitting .293. Commence rapid jealously of all Mike Trout owners everywhere.
Josh Hamilton: 2/5 with his sixth HR while hitting .222. What is really said is that Hamilton is a first half hitter. Can't wait to see what is in store for the second half.
Howie Kendrick: 2/4 with his 7th HR while hitting .311. Whatever Kendrick is doing differently this season, it is working well for him as he is in the midst of his best season ever. Could be the classic case of being a late bloomer but so far Kendrick has been a big time asset for those who took another shot on the perenial disappointment.
Adam Wainwright: 7.1 IP 4 H 1 ER 1 BB 6 K with an ERA of 2.38. That's right bro. Bring home that Cy Young like I predicted.
Pablo Sandoval: 2/5 with his 8th HR while hitting .308. Sandoval just needs to stop making that right into McDonald's on the way home from the ballpark in order for him to put up a career season.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: WHITE SOX SP CHRIS SALE SCRATCHED FROM START DUE TO SHOULDER TENDINITIS
Chicago White Sox SP Chris Sale will be scratched from his next start due to a case of shoulder tendinitis in his pitching arm. Both Sale and the GM Kenny Williams stated that Sale should be "fine" and also that he will not be placed on the DL.
Analysis: Here we go. This is what we have all been waiting for as Sale owners and critics. The ridiculous degree that he violated the Verducci Rules last season in a year where he complained of soreness in his pitching elbow, underscore how much of a risk he was for 2013 despite how excellent a starter he is. While the team is doing everything they can to downplay this, we know better. It could be a rocky rest of the way for Sale owners and my best advice if he comes through this all right is to trade him immediately off his next solid outing.
Analysis: Here we go. This is what we have all been waiting for as Sale owners and critics. The ridiculous degree that he violated the Verducci Rules last season in a year where he complained of soreness in his pitching elbow, underscore how much of a risk he was for 2013 despite how excellent a starter he is. While the team is doing everything they can to downplay this, we know better. It could be a rocky rest of the way for Sale owners and my best advice if he comes through this all right is to trade him immediately off his next solid outing.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
FANTASY BASEBALL CLOSING TIME: JIM JOHNSON TAKES TURN TO LOOK MORTAL, MARIANO RIVERA STILL THE MAN
Closing Time comes a day later as we once again check out all the latest news and notes coming out of the always volatile ninth inning. Let's get right to it.
-Major problems right now at the back end of the Baltimore Orioles bullpen as All Star closer Jim Johnson remains in a major funk that has now racked up three blown saves in a row. Johnson's latest meltdown came Monday night against the arch-rival New York Yankees as he gave up an earned run in the ninth to tie the game and finish his third blown save in his last three tries. That brought Johnson's numbers down to cumulative totals of a 4.22 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. This only a year after Johnson was arguably the best closer in the game in 2012 when he racked up an insane 54 saves while blowing only three chance with a 2.49 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Luckily for Johnson all the goodwill he collected in that season is serving him well in 2013 as manager Buck Showalter has thus far not even hinted that a change could be in order. Johnson is being helped by the even bigger struggles of eight inning guy Pedro Strop who has been hit all season to the tune of a horrid 5.19 ERA. Darren O'Day would likely get a crack at it if Johnson continues to struggle but we are not there yet. Ideally Showalter knows that the best scenario would have Johnson finding his way and pulling out of the funk and keeping his bullpen setup the way he had it in 2012 when the gains they made there allowed the Orioles to make the playoffs.
Right now if you are a Johnson owner, it wouldn't be the worst idea to pick up O'Day in case Johnson blows yet another save in his next appearance. There is only so long any manager will stick with a struggling closer now matter how well they pitched previously. One only has to look at the fast meltdown of Boston Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan early this season as evidence of this. Ultimately I am optimistic that Johnson will be fine but again you can never predict this stuff.
-Speaking of struggling closers, the chickens have come to roost for Tampa Bay Rays closer Fernando Rodney who has done a complete 180 in 2013 from his incredible and hard to believe 2012 performance. After a three-earned run blown save last week that raised his ERA to an unsightly 5.28, manager Joe Maddon was forced to give Rodney s public vote of confidence given how bad his struggles were. Rodney did rebound to put up a scoreless ninth Sunday night in closing out the Baltimore Orioles which has quieted things for a few days but either way the Rays stopper has been pitching poorly as a whole to say the least. Thus all the goodwill that Rodney earned in 2012 when he shocked the baseball world by pitching to a truly ridiculous 0.60 ERA in 74.2 innings has been shattered completely. Rodney's 2012 was impossible to even believe given his career-long struggles at times on the mound (1.37 career WHIP) but it had appeared a developed cutter reinvigorated his game. That awesome season has now been pushed way into the background though given what we have seen. Joel Peralta is the popular speculative add and truth be told he has pitched great with a 1.74 ERA but a move doesn't appear imminent yet. Maddon has been ab ig time user of the dreaded bullpen by committee whenever something happens to his main closer so there is no guarantee that Peralta would be the clear cut guy if Rodney were needed to be replaced. Either way, this is yet another situation in the AL East that needs to be watched closely over the next week in order to see if Rodney can find some consistency.
-On a more positive note, New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera continues to feed the perception that he is a robot given his perfect 17/17 in save chances while pitching to a splendid 1.47 ERA. Flat out you can argue that Rivera has had the most dominant career of any player in any sport given the fact he has NEVER lost his ability and has been just as good if not better than he was when he first became a professional player. As great as Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky were in their sports, they both still lost their numbers as they aged. Not the case with Rivera who has been awesome yet again at 43. Just another notch in his Hall of Fame career.
There you have it. As always let us know what your thoughts are.
-Major problems right now at the back end of the Baltimore Orioles bullpen as All Star closer Jim Johnson remains in a major funk that has now racked up three blown saves in a row. Johnson's latest meltdown came Monday night against the arch-rival New York Yankees as he gave up an earned run in the ninth to tie the game and finish his third blown save in his last three tries. That brought Johnson's numbers down to cumulative totals of a 4.22 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. This only a year after Johnson was arguably the best closer in the game in 2012 when he racked up an insane 54 saves while blowing only three chance with a 2.49 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Luckily for Johnson all the goodwill he collected in that season is serving him well in 2013 as manager Buck Showalter has thus far not even hinted that a change could be in order. Johnson is being helped by the even bigger struggles of eight inning guy Pedro Strop who has been hit all season to the tune of a horrid 5.19 ERA. Darren O'Day would likely get a crack at it if Johnson continues to struggle but we are not there yet. Ideally Showalter knows that the best scenario would have Johnson finding his way and pulling out of the funk and keeping his bullpen setup the way he had it in 2012 when the gains they made there allowed the Orioles to make the playoffs.
Right now if you are a Johnson owner, it wouldn't be the worst idea to pick up O'Day in case Johnson blows yet another save in his next appearance. There is only so long any manager will stick with a struggling closer now matter how well they pitched previously. One only has to look at the fast meltdown of Boston Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan early this season as evidence of this. Ultimately I am optimistic that Johnson will be fine but again you can never predict this stuff.
-Speaking of struggling closers, the chickens have come to roost for Tampa Bay Rays closer Fernando Rodney who has done a complete 180 in 2013 from his incredible and hard to believe 2012 performance. After a three-earned run blown save last week that raised his ERA to an unsightly 5.28, manager Joe Maddon was forced to give Rodney s public vote of confidence given how bad his struggles were. Rodney did rebound to put up a scoreless ninth Sunday night in closing out the Baltimore Orioles which has quieted things for a few days but either way the Rays stopper has been pitching poorly as a whole to say the least. Thus all the goodwill that Rodney earned in 2012 when he shocked the baseball world by pitching to a truly ridiculous 0.60 ERA in 74.2 innings has been shattered completely. Rodney's 2012 was impossible to even believe given his career-long struggles at times on the mound (1.37 career WHIP) but it had appeared a developed cutter reinvigorated his game. That awesome season has now been pushed way into the background though given what we have seen. Joel Peralta is the popular speculative add and truth be told he has pitched great with a 1.74 ERA but a move doesn't appear imminent yet. Maddon has been ab ig time user of the dreaded bullpen by committee whenever something happens to his main closer so there is no guarantee that Peralta would be the clear cut guy if Rodney were needed to be replaced. Either way, this is yet another situation in the AL East that needs to be watched closely over the next week in order to see if Rodney can find some consistency.
-On a more positive note, New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera continues to feed the perception that he is a robot given his perfect 17/17 in save chances while pitching to a splendid 1.47 ERA. Flat out you can argue that Rivera has had the most dominant career of any player in any sport given the fact he has NEVER lost his ability and has been just as good if not better than he was when he first became a professional player. As great as Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky were in their sports, they both still lost their numbers as they aged. Not the case with Rivera who has been awesome yet again at 43. Just another notch in his Hall of Fame career.
There you have it. As always let us know what your thoughts are.
FANTASY BASEBALL WRAPUP: MONDAY
Jake Odorizzi: 5 IP 5 H 3 ER 1 BB 6 K with an ERA of 5.40. Not bad for a first start on the road in Toronto. Odorizzi has decent pop as a prospect but this only a short-term deal until David Price returns. The K's are a nice part of the equation but this is a story to look at for next season.
Kyle Seager: 2/5 with his sixth HR while hitting .275. It takes me an extra season to completely buy in to a Seattle hitter who didn't make hay previously in another locale. Seager will never challenge for a batting title but his power/speed game at needy qualifying positions carry plenty of value.
Hisashi Iwakuma: 5 ER in 6 IP with an ERA of 2.37. He is human. Amazing that May is almost over and this was the first butt kicking that Iwakuma sustained this season.
Josh Willingham: 1/3 with his sixth HR while hitting .200. Figures that the first hit Willingham got in like three years would be a home run. The encore to 2012 has not been good at all and if the homers are flying out which they haven't been, than Willingham should be cast aside.
Julio Teheran: 8.1 IP 5 H 1 ER 1 BB 4 K with an ERA of 3.99. Teheran is pitching better but the strikeouts are still absent as he has done nothing even remotely close to what he did in his visually impressive spring training. I don't like him. I didn't like him when he was coming up. Still don't like him after this.
Domonic Brown: 2/4 with his 8th HR and 2nd SB while hitting .250. There is a very good comparison between Brown and Chris Young in that average will overshadow the very enticing power/speed game. Again guys with shaky averages are a non-starter for me since they eat into the numbers they supply elsewhere.
Cole Hamels: 6 IP 7 H 2 ER 0 BB 10 K with an ERA of 4.45. Hamels is now 1-7 which is a nice screen to use in trying to pry him from the unsuspecting owner in your league. The stuff is still top notch and Hamels will likely be a top five pitcher from June on. Bank on it.
Robinson Cano: 1/3 with his 13th HR while hitting .296. Last season we speculated on whether or not Cano could hit 30 home runs. This season we can predict whether he can hit 40. Amazing.
Travis Hafner: 2/5 with his 8th HR and 2nd SB while hitting .267. The Pronk's average cooled off as expected but as long as he is in the lineup, the home runs will continue to sail out of the park given the generous dimensions of Yankee Stadium. I would say Hafner was the best Yankees fantasy baseball value but than we forgot to consider.....
Lyle Overbay: 2/5 with his 7th HR while hitting .264. Overbay is another reclamation project made very good by GM Brian Cashman as the previous doubles machine is now hitting homers. Combine Hafner and Overbay's production and you start to say out loud "Texeira Who?"
Chris Davis: 2/4 with his 13th HR while hitting .318. On and on it goes for Davis who continues to shock with the batting average. The K's have started to inch up lately but the nice fortune with his BABIP is helping to curb the damage. While you would automatically think SELL HIGH given the fact Davis has not ever sniffed .300, the power is incredibly valuable in this pitching era.
Jay Bruce: 2/4 with his 6th HR while hitting .284. By the end of June Bruce will have 8 more home runs and his average will be .265. Book it.
Jim Johnson: third blown save in a row with 1 ER in ninth with an ERA of 4.22 After saving 51 games last season in a near flawless campaign for the Orioles, Johnson has really hit the skids in May. He began the season just fine but clearly something is amiss. Johnson came into the season with as long a leash as any closer in the game given his dominance of 2012 but we are now getting to the point where he may need a break. Pedro Strop has been horrible with a 5.19 ERA so Darren O'Day is likely the best bet. Make the add with O'Day if you are a Johnson owner and place him in the WATCH list if you are not.
Matt Kemp: 1/3 with his second HR while hitting .267. What a joke Kemp has been with only two home runs as June beckons. Clearly the shoulder surgery from the offseason has sapped his strength which was something I noted in profiling him over the winter. No way did I think it would be this drastic however. Obviously you have no choice but to ride this out as yours truly is doing in one of the Experts Leagues. The talent should come through eventually. I hope.
Clayton Kershaw: 9 IP 3 H 1 ER 1 BB 5 K with an ERA of 1.35. Kershaw's WHIP is a ridiculous 0.82. Let the numbers do all the talking as I stay quiet.
Patrick Corbin: 9 IP 3 H 1 ER 1 BB 10 K with an ERA of 1.44. I give up. I have no clue when it comes to evaluating this guy. The advanced stats point to fluke but now he goes out and strikes out 10. We are way past the point now in the season where we can look at his numbers with a wary eye and so Corbin needs to be given respect for his awesome start. What is interesting is that Corbin has not earned enough overall cred though to be able to sell high on.
Will Venable: 1/4 with his 7th HR while hitting .238. Actually an even better Chris Young comparison than Domonic Brown is Venable who quietly has been a decent power/speed guy in the shadows of San Diego the last season-plus. While I again reiterate my disdain for guys with putrid averages, anyone who needs some power/speed assistance likely won't be able to do much better than Venable when it comes to guys who could be staring back at you on the wire.
Kyle Seager: 2/5 with his sixth HR while hitting .275. It takes me an extra season to completely buy in to a Seattle hitter who didn't make hay previously in another locale. Seager will never challenge for a batting title but his power/speed game at needy qualifying positions carry plenty of value.
Hisashi Iwakuma: 5 ER in 6 IP with an ERA of 2.37. He is human. Amazing that May is almost over and this was the first butt kicking that Iwakuma sustained this season.
Josh Willingham: 1/3 with his sixth HR while hitting .200. Figures that the first hit Willingham got in like three years would be a home run. The encore to 2012 has not been good at all and if the homers are flying out which they haven't been, than Willingham should be cast aside.
Julio Teheran: 8.1 IP 5 H 1 ER 1 BB 4 K with an ERA of 3.99. Teheran is pitching better but the strikeouts are still absent as he has done nothing even remotely close to what he did in his visually impressive spring training. I don't like him. I didn't like him when he was coming up. Still don't like him after this.
Domonic Brown: 2/4 with his 8th HR and 2nd SB while hitting .250. There is a very good comparison between Brown and Chris Young in that average will overshadow the very enticing power/speed game. Again guys with shaky averages are a non-starter for me since they eat into the numbers they supply elsewhere.
Cole Hamels: 6 IP 7 H 2 ER 0 BB 10 K with an ERA of 4.45. Hamels is now 1-7 which is a nice screen to use in trying to pry him from the unsuspecting owner in your league. The stuff is still top notch and Hamels will likely be a top five pitcher from June on. Bank on it.
Robinson Cano: 1/3 with his 13th HR while hitting .296. Last season we speculated on whether or not Cano could hit 30 home runs. This season we can predict whether he can hit 40. Amazing.
Travis Hafner: 2/5 with his 8th HR and 2nd SB while hitting .267. The Pronk's average cooled off as expected but as long as he is in the lineup, the home runs will continue to sail out of the park given the generous dimensions of Yankee Stadium. I would say Hafner was the best Yankees fantasy baseball value but than we forgot to consider.....
Lyle Overbay: 2/5 with his 7th HR while hitting .264. Overbay is another reclamation project made very good by GM Brian Cashman as the previous doubles machine is now hitting homers. Combine Hafner and Overbay's production and you start to say out loud "Texeira Who?"
Chris Davis: 2/4 with his 13th HR while hitting .318. On and on it goes for Davis who continues to shock with the batting average. The K's have started to inch up lately but the nice fortune with his BABIP is helping to curb the damage. While you would automatically think SELL HIGH given the fact Davis has not ever sniffed .300, the power is incredibly valuable in this pitching era.
Jay Bruce: 2/4 with his 6th HR while hitting .284. By the end of June Bruce will have 8 more home runs and his average will be .265. Book it.
Jim Johnson: third blown save in a row with 1 ER in ninth with an ERA of 4.22 After saving 51 games last season in a near flawless campaign for the Orioles, Johnson has really hit the skids in May. He began the season just fine but clearly something is amiss. Johnson came into the season with as long a leash as any closer in the game given his dominance of 2012 but we are now getting to the point where he may need a break. Pedro Strop has been horrible with a 5.19 ERA so Darren O'Day is likely the best bet. Make the add with O'Day if you are a Johnson owner and place him in the WATCH list if you are not.
Matt Kemp: 1/3 with his second HR while hitting .267. What a joke Kemp has been with only two home runs as June beckons. Clearly the shoulder surgery from the offseason has sapped his strength which was something I noted in profiling him over the winter. No way did I think it would be this drastic however. Obviously you have no choice but to ride this out as yours truly is doing in one of the Experts Leagues. The talent should come through eventually. I hope.
Clayton Kershaw: 9 IP 3 H 1 ER 1 BB 5 K with an ERA of 1.35. Kershaw's WHIP is a ridiculous 0.82. Let the numbers do all the talking as I stay quiet.
Patrick Corbin: 9 IP 3 H 1 ER 1 BB 10 K with an ERA of 1.44. I give up. I have no clue when it comes to evaluating this guy. The advanced stats point to fluke but now he goes out and strikes out 10. We are way past the point now in the season where we can look at his numbers with a wary eye and so Corbin needs to be given respect for his awesome start. What is interesting is that Corbin has not earned enough overall cred though to be able to sell high on.
Will Venable: 1/4 with his 7th HR while hitting .238. Actually an even better Chris Young comparison than Domonic Brown is Venable who quietly has been a decent power/speed guy in the shadows of San Diego the last season-plus. While I again reiterate my disdain for guys with putrid averages, anyone who needs some power/speed assistance likely won't be able to do much better than Venable when it comes to guys who could be staring back at you on the wire.
Monday, May 20, 2013
FANTASY BASEBALL NEWS: DODGERS ACTIVATE TED LILLY (RIB CAGE) FROM DL MONDAY
The Los Angeles Dodgers activated SP Ted Lilly from the DL Monday but are thus far uncertain if he will immediately go back into the rotation or if he will pitch in setup.
Analysis: Lilly was once a very useful SP 3 or 4 but his stuff has dropped off noticeably as he ages and injuries also are removing what little value remained in his game. Right now your best bet is to leave him on the wire and watch how he fares early on in his return.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: REDS ACTIVATE SP JOHNNY CUETO (LAT), WILL START MONDAY
The Cincinnati Reds activated SP Johnny Cueto from the DL Monday and will start him during that night's game against the New York Mets. Cueto was on the DL for the last month with a strained lat muscle but pronounced himself ready to go early last week.
Analysis: Cueto has been a very good SP 2 the last two seasons, albeit there is a dearth of strikeouts for such a big time starter. The bigger story in all of this was that prized rookie Tony Cingrani was stupidly demoted in favor of the shaky Mike Leake but that is a whole other bag of worms.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: RED SOX ACTIVATE CLOSER ANDRW BAILEY (BICEPS) FROM DL MONDAY
The Boston Red Sox activated closer Andrew Bailey from the 15-day DL Monday and will have him ready to close for that night's game. Bailey was on the DL for a little more than two weeks due to inflammation in his right pitching biceps. Junichi Tazawa was closing in his place and will thus go back to setup.
Analysis: Good to see Bailey back in action as he was pitching great before yet another injury. The story remains the same here as Bailey is a brilliant pitcher who just can't ever stay off the DL. Tazawa can be dropped in all non-holds leagues.
FANTASY BASEBALL STATUS REPORT: JURICKSON PROFAR INFIELDER TEXAS RANGERS
There are some moves in fantasy baseball that are ones where you must stop everything you are presently doing and run to your league's waiver wire in order to make a pickup of a certain key player. Never is this more true than when a universally acclaimed top prospect gets the call to the big leagues due to an injury or out of pure need. Such was the case Sunday when the Texas Rangers placed All Star second baseman Ian Kinsler on the 15-day DL which was followed by the club bringing up prized infield prospect Jurickson Profar. Profar will immediately step in for Kinsler and play every day for the Rangers until Kinsler is ready to return. While on the surface this doesn't appear to be a long-term deal for Profar, just the fact that he will be playing in the big leagues and thus earning potential numbers for fantasy baseball owners make him one to own in all formats. Profar in fact is considered to be one of the top two or three prospects in all of baseball and he has been compared to none other than the Los Angeles' Dodgers Hanley Ramirez as a jack-of-all-trades hitter. Blessed with the ability to hit for power while also possessing big time speed that allows him to steal more than a few bases, Profar can do it all on the field and his skills translate very well to the classic 5 x 5 format. Profar certainly showed those skills in the minors leading up to his promotion this season, despite getting off to a bit of a slow start out of the gate which many blamed on him being disappointed in not making the Rangers out of camp. Leading into his Sunday summons, Profar was hitting .278 with 6 home runs and 4 stolen bases which again hints at what he could do on the big stage. Again Kinsler is only expected to be out for the 15 days which is when Profar could be sent packing again but in this game opportunity is everything and you never know where things could lead. If Profar lights it up during that span, than the Rangers could look to do what they can in order to keep his bat in the lineup. His ability to hit for power and steal bases is legit and the sky is the limit for the toolsy potential star.
FANTASY BASEBALL WRAPUP: SUNDAY
Owning Miguel Cabrera is very nice. Very nice indeed. Batting titles, Triple Crown, games like Sunday night's when he goes 4/4 at the dish with 3 home runs and 5 RBI. Beyond sweet. Let us take a moment as Cabrera owners to sit back and smile at all the wonderful memories the man has provided us (still blocking out the drinking episodes) and marvel at the excellence that is soon to arrive. Yup life is fantasy baseball good. Anyways here is what else caught my eye in fantasy baseball Sunday night.
Felix Hernandez: 5 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 2.07. The fact that the butt kicking Hernandez got today only raised his ERA slightly over 2.00 speaks to how awesome he has been this season. While he is still third in the pitching hierarchy behind Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander, he is not that far behind.
Justin Masterson: 7 IP 3 H 0 ER 2 BB 11 K with an ERA of 2.83. Geez I am having a harder time looking legit as I continue to doubt the guy. Honestly no one can blame me when it comes to beating on Masterson who has done some horrible things in the past pitching wise. The talent was always there as he came up as a big prospect with the Red Sox but his 8 earned run outbursts were just too common. Listen by all means love every second of this is you are an owner but I need to see a full of season of this before I get invested.
Ricky Nolasco: 8 IP 5 H 1 ER 1 BB 11 K with an ERA of 3.96. Nolasco has been one big mystery in his career, putting up XFIP's much lower than his actual ERA's for years but than bottoming out in 2012 to a truly disgusting pitcher who lost his stuff. Well the velocity has come back this season which has upped the K rate and made him into a decent depth guy. I used to go crazy for Nolasco for a few seasons and I have the scars to prove it so I remain leery but he put up some nice K rates in the past so I at least will monitor him some.
Matt Moore: 7 IP 5 H 1 ER 1 BB 3 K with an ERA of 2.29. Moore has been money all season and he has made the classic rise to stardom that we have seen from some other power pitchers the last few years such as David Price and Clayton Kershaw. And yes by the end of this season we could be including him in that rankings group.
Mike Minor: 6 IP 3 H 2 ER 2 BB 9 K with an ERA of 2.78. Who knew that when I said in the winter that Minor could have a Kris Medlen 2012 breakout, that he would actually be better than he guy.
Jay Bruce: 1/4 with his 5th HR while hitting .279. Bruce is now going to hit the home runs in May that he should have hit in April.
Homer Bailey: 7 IP 5 H 0 ER 1 BB 3 K with an ERA of 3.09. I can't believe it took this long but I guess this is what everyone was talking about when hyping Bailey back in 1980.
Yoenis Cespedes: 2/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .208. Wow is it taking this kid a long time to get going. Really this is what I thought we could be seeing out of Cespedes in his rookie season but instead he flipped the script completely. For the millionth time I still love his ability and think he will be just fine but we also have to consider that the sophomore slump could be working its grip into his overall numbers.
Dan Haren: 7 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 5.54. Stick a fork in Haren for good. We have clearly reached that point. Thank you for the memories buddy. Enjoy fantasy baseball retirement.
Dustin Pedroia: 2/5 with his second HR while hitting .343. Pedroia's home runs have been non-existent this season but everything else has been great. The biggest bonus though is the fact he is staying on the field.
Will Middlebrooks: 1/5 with his 8th HR while hitting .212. It is not too late for Middlebrooks to earn back the acclaim he garnered last season but he has to get going soon. The power is potentially big time but the average has to be along for the ride or else all bets are off on this.
Derek Holland: 4 ER in 4.2 IP with an ERA of 3.30. Holland was pitching well before this implosion and his home run tendency was about as bad a matchup as you can get with Detroit staring back at you. While I don't trust him, Holland has done enough good to put him out there in the right matchup for now.
Felix Hernandez: 5 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 2.07. The fact that the butt kicking Hernandez got today only raised his ERA slightly over 2.00 speaks to how awesome he has been this season. While he is still third in the pitching hierarchy behind Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander, he is not that far behind.
Justin Masterson: 7 IP 3 H 0 ER 2 BB 11 K with an ERA of 2.83. Geez I am having a harder time looking legit as I continue to doubt the guy. Honestly no one can blame me when it comes to beating on Masterson who has done some horrible things in the past pitching wise. The talent was always there as he came up as a big prospect with the Red Sox but his 8 earned run outbursts were just too common. Listen by all means love every second of this is you are an owner but I need to see a full of season of this before I get invested.
Ricky Nolasco: 8 IP 5 H 1 ER 1 BB 11 K with an ERA of 3.96. Nolasco has been one big mystery in his career, putting up XFIP's much lower than his actual ERA's for years but than bottoming out in 2012 to a truly disgusting pitcher who lost his stuff. Well the velocity has come back this season which has upped the K rate and made him into a decent depth guy. I used to go crazy for Nolasco for a few seasons and I have the scars to prove it so I remain leery but he put up some nice K rates in the past so I at least will monitor him some.
Matt Moore: 7 IP 5 H 1 ER 1 BB 3 K with an ERA of 2.29. Moore has been money all season and he has made the classic rise to stardom that we have seen from some other power pitchers the last few years such as David Price and Clayton Kershaw. And yes by the end of this season we could be including him in that rankings group.
Mike Minor: 6 IP 3 H 2 ER 2 BB 9 K with an ERA of 2.78. Who knew that when I said in the winter that Minor could have a Kris Medlen 2012 breakout, that he would actually be better than he guy.
Jay Bruce: 1/4 with his 5th HR while hitting .279. Bruce is now going to hit the home runs in May that he should have hit in April.
Homer Bailey: 7 IP 5 H 0 ER 1 BB 3 K with an ERA of 3.09. I can't believe it took this long but I guess this is what everyone was talking about when hyping Bailey back in 1980.
Yoenis Cespedes: 2/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .208. Wow is it taking this kid a long time to get going. Really this is what I thought we could be seeing out of Cespedes in his rookie season but instead he flipped the script completely. For the millionth time I still love his ability and think he will be just fine but we also have to consider that the sophomore slump could be working its grip into his overall numbers.
Dan Haren: 7 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 5.54. Stick a fork in Haren for good. We have clearly reached that point. Thank you for the memories buddy. Enjoy fantasy baseball retirement.
Dustin Pedroia: 2/5 with his second HR while hitting .343. Pedroia's home runs have been non-existent this season but everything else has been great. The biggest bonus though is the fact he is staying on the field.
Will Middlebrooks: 1/5 with his 8th HR while hitting .212. It is not too late for Middlebrooks to earn back the acclaim he garnered last season but he has to get going soon. The power is potentially big time but the average has to be along for the ride or else all bets are off on this.
Derek Holland: 4 ER in 4.2 IP with an ERA of 3.30. Holland was pitching well before this implosion and his home run tendency was about as bad a matchup as you can get with Detroit staring back at you. While I don't trust him, Holland has done enough good to put him out there in the right matchup for now.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
FANTASY BASEBALL WEEK 8 ADDS/DROPS
May is drawing to a close soon so let's check in on the fantasy baseball adds/drops for the next seven days.
WEEK 8 ADDS
Mitch Moreland: I continue to place Moreland here because the fantasy baseball community still has not gotten the memo on the guy. Moreland is now up to ten home runs hitting in a great ballpark and playing everyday. Nice power upside play as Moreland keeps on improving.
Jurickson Profar: With Ian Kinsler going on the DL with a strained intercostal muscle, the Rangers will tab top infield prospect Jurickson Profar to take his place.
Josh Donaldson: Few are paying attention given the West Coast bias but Donaldson is doing some good things with the A's with a .323 average and 6 home runs with 2 steals. That kind of line plays well anywhere.
WEEK 8 DROPS
Ike Davis: This one is easy. Davis has been a complete abomination at the plate, to the point that he is even worse than what he did in his equally inept first half of 2012. As I am fond of saying, you can't wait forever on these guys as Davis continues showing no signs of life.
Dan Straily: Has been brutal since coming back up to take the place of Brett Anderson in the A's rotation. The strikeouts were always the attractive part of his game but not when they are accompanied by high ERA's and WHIP's.
Brett Anderson: Injuries once again are ruining another season for Anderson and even when he was on the mound, his pitching was not good either. I was a big proponent of Anderson in the winter and while I think he would have turned things around pitching-wise, his health issues make that a moot point.
Carlos Ruiz: I told you all not to wait for him after his 2012 steroid-fueled fluke season. Now he is hitting .240 with zero home runs while off the greenies. Right on schedule.
Torii Hunter: Hunter is one of my favorites of all time when it comes to fantasy baseball but one home run and one steal though almost two months of the season is clear evidence that he is finished.
Michael Young: Talk about an empty average. Young is hitting .300 but has a grand total of 1 home run and 10 RBI. Nice career but it is time to move on for good.
John Buck: It was a nice run while it lasted but Buck has now sunk to a horrid .228 average and his home run binge from April seems like eons ago.
WEEK 8 ADDS
Mitch Moreland: I continue to place Moreland here because the fantasy baseball community still has not gotten the memo on the guy. Moreland is now up to ten home runs hitting in a great ballpark and playing everyday. Nice power upside play as Moreland keeps on improving.
Jurickson Profar: With Ian Kinsler going on the DL with a strained intercostal muscle, the Rangers will tab top infield prospect Jurickson Profar to take his place.
Josh Donaldson: Few are paying attention given the West Coast bias but Donaldson is doing some good things with the A's with a .323 average and 6 home runs with 2 steals. That kind of line plays well anywhere.
WEEK 8 DROPS
Ike Davis: This one is easy. Davis has been a complete abomination at the plate, to the point that he is even worse than what he did in his equally inept first half of 2012. As I am fond of saying, you can't wait forever on these guys as Davis continues showing no signs of life.
Dan Straily: Has been brutal since coming back up to take the place of Brett Anderson in the A's rotation. The strikeouts were always the attractive part of his game but not when they are accompanied by high ERA's and WHIP's.
Brett Anderson: Injuries once again are ruining another season for Anderson and even when he was on the mound, his pitching was not good either. I was a big proponent of Anderson in the winter and while I think he would have turned things around pitching-wise, his health issues make that a moot point.
Carlos Ruiz: I told you all not to wait for him after his 2012 steroid-fueled fluke season. Now he is hitting .240 with zero home runs while off the greenies. Right on schedule.
Torii Hunter: Hunter is one of my favorites of all time when it comes to fantasy baseball but one home run and one steal though almost two months of the season is clear evidence that he is finished.
Michael Young: Talk about an empty average. Young is hitting .300 but has a grand total of 1 home run and 10 RBI. Nice career but it is time to move on for good.
John Buck: It was a nice run while it lasted but Buck has now sunk to a horrid .228 average and his home run binge from April seems like eons ago.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: RANGERS PLACE 2B IAN KINSLER (STRAINED INTERCOSTAL) ON DL, CALL UP JURICKSON PROFAR
The Texas Rangers placed second baseman Ian Kinsler on the 15-day DL Sunday and will call up top infield prospect Jurickson Profar from the minors to take his place. Kinsler was diagnosed with a strained intercostal muscle which he hurt two games ago and his DL stint was backdated to May 18th.
Analysis: This is one of those times you want to run to the waiver wire to pick up Profar who many think will be the next great infielder. Hitting .278 with four home runs and six stolen bases, Profar has the power/speed game that makes fantasy baseball go-round. While he won't have an everyday role when Kinsler returns, this is still an immediate actionable move.
Analysis: This is one of those times you want to run to the waiver wire to pick up Profar who many think will be the next great infielder. Hitting .278 with four home runs and six stolen bases, Profar has the power/speed game that makes fantasy baseball go-round. While he won't have an everyday role when Kinsler returns, this is still an immediate actionable move.
FANTASY BASEBALL WRAPUP: SATURDAY
Anthony Rizzo: 2/4 with his 10th HR while hitting .282. Why look at Rizzo hitting .282 after being mired in below the Mendoza Line when his owners were freaking out that he was the latest sleeper to go bust. I told you all to keep the faith and this possible future 40-hmer guy is right on schedule in his first full season.
Scott Feldman: 6.2 IP 7 H 0 ER 1 BB 6 K with an ERA of 2.19. Feldman joins Travis Wood as unlikely fast starters who came out of nowhere to put up shutdown numbers. The fact both Wood and Feldman have been around for a few years and never hinted at production like this guarantees a dropoff is on its way. However you can't sell high on someone like Feldman since no one else trusts him so you are left to riding this out and seeing how far you can take it.
Edwin Encarnacion: 1/3 with his 12th HR while hitting .248. Really got nothing new to report here as Encarnacion has delivered the power we thought he would. The average is lagging some but that is not why you bought into Encarnacion. Focus on his strengths and the rest will take care of itself.
Robinson Cano: 2/4 with 2 home runs (12 for season) while hitting .295. Yanks have him batting second now which is mysterious given his longball tendencies but at least the extra plate appearances will add a home run or two.
Brandon Morrow: 5 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 5.16. I think it is time we finally closed the book on this tease once and for all.
Raul Ibanez: 1/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .236. I really was trying to ignore Ibanez since I didn't think anyone would give him a second look but since he has hit like 65 home runs in the last week, I can't help but look for an extra second. Honestly this is just a proud old veteran who is having a bit of a run but again you got to have some big stones to use Ibanez as anything more than a bench bat.
Mark Reynolds: 2/5 with his 12th HR while hitting .268. Yup the average is pulling its way down which is obviously not a surprise. Status quo as Reynolds hits home runs or strikes out.
Joey Votto: 4/4 with his sixth HR while hitting .346. Here is a good debate: best pure hitter in baseball among Votto, Cano, and Miguel Cabrera. Let's hear it.
Mark Trumbo: 2/4 with his 10th HR while hitting .270. Quick get him back into the lineup. Will give Adam Dunn run for his money when it comes to home runs in a week.
Kelly Johnson: 1/5 with his 7th HR while hitting .273. One thing Johnson has proven the last three seasons is that he digs the longball. When he is hitting over .260, ownership is recommended. One of those you look at the end of season and see he has 22 home runs and you wonder how that all happened without you noticing.
Adam Jones: 2/4 with his 6th HR while hitting .318. Has been a bit forgotten in the Mike Trout-Bryce Harper craze but ones is every bit as good as McCutchen, CarGo, and company.
Chris Davis: 2/4 with his 12th HR while hitting .322. Chris Davis is hitting .322. Allow that to sink in for a minute.
Jim Johnson: 5 ER in .1 IP with an ERA of 3.98 as he blows the save for the second straight game. Wow this is as bad as it gets. One of those lines that instantly make you barf up your dinner if you own the guy. Johnson has about as long a leash as you can have when it comes to closers given how good he was last season so don't look for a change any time soon. Watch his next few outings though because we all know how things can change fast among this class of player.
Brandon McCarthy: 9 IP 3 H 0 ER 2 BB 5 K with an ERA of 4.74. Same old story here. McCarthy is a decent pitcher who lacks the punch to be of use in leagues which have inning caps on it.
Kris Medlen: 7 IP 2 H 0 ER 3 BB 5 K with an ERA of 3.02. Nice outing by Medlen whose high WHIP of 1.32 is indicative of how much more hittable he has been this season off his amazing 2012 breakout. The K rate is way down as opposing hitters seem to have adjusted somewhat to his stuff but the best should be yet to come. I would try and buy low.
David Ortiz: 3/4 with 2 home runs (7 for the season) while hitting .362. The power is not going anywhere and really Ortiz is as good a UTIL or CI option as you can get.
Mitch Moreland: 1/3 with his 10th HR while hitting .289. Every day you wait to see if Moreland is legit, is a day you miss out on another home run. Let's see here: guy has above average power + playing home games in Texas = PICK HIM UP!
Wilin Rosario: 2/5 with his 9th HR while hitting .284. Rosario's home run rate is right on par with what he did in his breakout 2012 so we are well past where we would consider him legit. While I am loving every second of this as a Rosario owner, I also am a bit sad for next season that his draft price will skyrocket so high that he will be out of my reach since I don't pick catchers early no matter what.
Tim Lincecum: 6 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 4.70. Good to see Lincecum back to his usual ways after he actually teased us for a few starts in possibly thinking he was on his way back from his season-plus vacation to shizzville.
Jordan Zimmerman: 8 IP 7 H 1 ER 0 BB 6 K with an ERA of 1.62. Verlander, Kershaw, Harvey......Zimmerman? Yup.
Scott Feldman: 6.2 IP 7 H 0 ER 1 BB 6 K with an ERA of 2.19. Feldman joins Travis Wood as unlikely fast starters who came out of nowhere to put up shutdown numbers. The fact both Wood and Feldman have been around for a few years and never hinted at production like this guarantees a dropoff is on its way. However you can't sell high on someone like Feldman since no one else trusts him so you are left to riding this out and seeing how far you can take it.
Edwin Encarnacion: 1/3 with his 12th HR while hitting .248. Really got nothing new to report here as Encarnacion has delivered the power we thought he would. The average is lagging some but that is not why you bought into Encarnacion. Focus on his strengths and the rest will take care of itself.
Robinson Cano: 2/4 with 2 home runs (12 for season) while hitting .295. Yanks have him batting second now which is mysterious given his longball tendencies but at least the extra plate appearances will add a home run or two.
Brandon Morrow: 5 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 5.16. I think it is time we finally closed the book on this tease once and for all.
Raul Ibanez: 1/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .236. I really was trying to ignore Ibanez since I didn't think anyone would give him a second look but since he has hit like 65 home runs in the last week, I can't help but look for an extra second. Honestly this is just a proud old veteran who is having a bit of a run but again you got to have some big stones to use Ibanez as anything more than a bench bat.
Mark Reynolds: 2/5 with his 12th HR while hitting .268. Yup the average is pulling its way down which is obviously not a surprise. Status quo as Reynolds hits home runs or strikes out.
Joey Votto: 4/4 with his sixth HR while hitting .346. Here is a good debate: best pure hitter in baseball among Votto, Cano, and Miguel Cabrera. Let's hear it.
Mark Trumbo: 2/4 with his 10th HR while hitting .270. Quick get him back into the lineup. Will give Adam Dunn run for his money when it comes to home runs in a week.
Kelly Johnson: 1/5 with his 7th HR while hitting .273. One thing Johnson has proven the last three seasons is that he digs the longball. When he is hitting over .260, ownership is recommended. One of those you look at the end of season and see he has 22 home runs and you wonder how that all happened without you noticing.
Adam Jones: 2/4 with his 6th HR while hitting .318. Has been a bit forgotten in the Mike Trout-Bryce Harper craze but ones is every bit as good as McCutchen, CarGo, and company.
Chris Davis: 2/4 with his 12th HR while hitting .322. Chris Davis is hitting .322. Allow that to sink in for a minute.
Jim Johnson: 5 ER in .1 IP with an ERA of 3.98 as he blows the save for the second straight game. Wow this is as bad as it gets. One of those lines that instantly make you barf up your dinner if you own the guy. Johnson has about as long a leash as you can have when it comes to closers given how good he was last season so don't look for a change any time soon. Watch his next few outings though because we all know how things can change fast among this class of player.
Brandon McCarthy: 9 IP 3 H 0 ER 2 BB 5 K with an ERA of 4.74. Same old story here. McCarthy is a decent pitcher who lacks the punch to be of use in leagues which have inning caps on it.
Kris Medlen: 7 IP 2 H 0 ER 3 BB 5 K with an ERA of 3.02. Nice outing by Medlen whose high WHIP of 1.32 is indicative of how much more hittable he has been this season off his amazing 2012 breakout. The K rate is way down as opposing hitters seem to have adjusted somewhat to his stuff but the best should be yet to come. I would try and buy low.
David Ortiz: 3/4 with 2 home runs (7 for the season) while hitting .362. The power is not going anywhere and really Ortiz is as good a UTIL or CI option as you can get.
Mitch Moreland: 1/3 with his 10th HR while hitting .289. Every day you wait to see if Moreland is legit, is a day you miss out on another home run. Let's see here: guy has above average power + playing home games in Texas = PICK HIM UP!
Wilin Rosario: 2/5 with his 9th HR while hitting .284. Rosario's home run rate is right on par with what he did in his breakout 2012 so we are well past where we would consider him legit. While I am loving every second of this as a Rosario owner, I also am a bit sad for next season that his draft price will skyrocket so high that he will be out of my reach since I don't pick catchers early no matter what.
Tim Lincecum: 6 ER in 5 IP with an ERA of 4.70. Good to see Lincecum back to his usual ways after he actually teased us for a few starts in possibly thinking he was on his way back from his season-plus vacation to shizzville.
Jordan Zimmerman: 8 IP 7 H 1 ER 0 BB 6 K with an ERA of 1.62. Verlander, Kershaw, Harvey......Zimmerman? Yup.
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