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.
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Thursday, May 23, 2013
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.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
FANTASY BASEBALL STATUS REPORT: COLE HAMELS SP PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Sometimes you just have to give the veteran player the clear benefit of the doubt. That should be the case in all instances when it comes to Philadelphia Phillies SP Cole Hamels who is just the latest in a disturbingly high number of fantasy baseball ace pitchers who have had poor to horrible starts to their season. From David Price to Matt Cain, to a lesser extent even Justin Verlander, many ace starters are failing to live up to expectations only a month-plus into it. Count Hamels among this group as he goes into Saturday's action 1-6 with a 4.61 ERA and 1.29 WHIP which clearly falls way short of what his owners thought they would be getting after using a third round pick on his this past drafting season. Unlike with Cain and Price, who have to answer questions about heavy usage through the early years of their careers possibly taking a toll on their arms, Hamels is a guy who I have less concern over for a number of reasons that I will explain in the next few paragraphs. With that said let's get right to it in order to find out what in fact did go wrong and where Hamels will go from here on out.
Looking at Hamels' stats, the one aspect of his numbers that jumps right out to me and that is not much of a surprise is the month of April historically has been his worst performance month of his career. The numbers certainly bear this out as Hamels' career ERA in April is 3.92. Hamels' worst WHIP month? Try April again with a 1.25 mark. In no other months has Hamels' WHIP been higher than the 1.17 he has in June. Thus Hamels is the classic slow starter who really starts to ramp it up when the weather heats up.
Taking things a step further, Hamels' career first half ERA is 3.62. His career second half ERA drops all the way down toward 3.08 which is a very sharp decrease to say the least. So even though the numbers are pretty ugly right now, the season is still only 25 percent complete which shows you how much room Hamels still has to improve.
Now looking a bit deeper under the hood at Hamels' rate stats, right off you can see that his K rate is down a bit and his walk rate is up some as well. However his home run rate is steady to what it was in 2012 so no worries there. Finally, Hamels' has been a bit on the wrong side of his BABIP and strand rates which will regress back to the average range as we go on through the season. In a nutshell, Hamels is a bit unlucky and is slightly behind on his strikeouts. Nothing major as far as red flags are concerned.
Putting it all together, I remain steadfast on my advice for dropping a lowball offer on the Hamels owner in your league as you try and buy low. This is a proven ace veteran pitcher who hasn't lost his stuff in the prime of his career. Hamels will be back to his old form before too long and you want to be there when the numbers bust thorugh as they will soon.
Looking at Hamels' stats, the one aspect of his numbers that jumps right out to me and that is not much of a surprise is the month of April historically has been his worst performance month of his career. The numbers certainly bear this out as Hamels' career ERA in April is 3.92. Hamels' worst WHIP month? Try April again with a 1.25 mark. In no other months has Hamels' WHIP been higher than the 1.17 he has in June. Thus Hamels is the classic slow starter who really starts to ramp it up when the weather heats up.
Taking things a step further, Hamels' career first half ERA is 3.62. His career second half ERA drops all the way down toward 3.08 which is a very sharp decrease to say the least. So even though the numbers are pretty ugly right now, the season is still only 25 percent complete which shows you how much room Hamels still has to improve.
Now looking a bit deeper under the hood at Hamels' rate stats, right off you can see that his K rate is down a bit and his walk rate is up some as well. However his home run rate is steady to what it was in 2012 so no worries there. Finally, Hamels' has been a bit on the wrong side of his BABIP and strand rates which will regress back to the average range as we go on through the season. In a nutshell, Hamels is a bit unlucky and is slightly behind on his strikeouts. Nothing major as far as red flags are concerned.
Putting it all together, I remain steadfast on my advice for dropping a lowball offer on the Hamels owner in your league as you try and buy low. This is a proven ace veteran pitcher who hasn't lost his stuff in the prime of his career. Hamels will be back to his old form before too long and you want to be there when the numbers bust thorugh as they will soon.
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING PROSPECT NEWS: REDS DEMOTE SP TONY CINGRANI
The Cincinnati Reds demoted SP Tony Cingrani to Triple-A Louisville on Saturday, one day after his Friday start. With Johnny Cueto ready to return to the rotation, Cingrani was the odd man out over veteran Mike Leake.
Analysis: Whatever. Another stupid bow to the mediocre veteran from manager Dusty Baker. Mike Leake is about as ordinary a pitcher as you can when it comes to fantasy baseball and Cingrani was pitching tremendously before the demotion. If you are an owner of Cingrani, absolutely hold onto him as it is only a matter of time before he returns due to injuries or something else.
FANTASY BASEBALL WRAPUP: FRIDAY
Matt Harvey: 7.1 IP 5 H 2 ER 0 BB 6 K with an ERA of 1.55. You know you are having an awesome season when the most us annoying fantasy baseball owners can quibble about is the amount of strikeouts you have. The Cubs came out hacking in this one, swinging at first pitches all night long which is why he didn't K twelve. Yet another successful adjustment for quite possibly the best pitcher in baseball outside of the top two of Velander and Kershaw.
David Wright: 3/4 with his sixth HR and 9th SB while hitting .312. Not since 2009 has Wright been a a monster 5-tool fantasy baseball stat monger but right now he is on pace for 24 HR and 36 SB with a .300-plus average. I kept saying at only 30 years old, there is a lot of life left in Wright's game but even I am pleasantly surprised at how much early juice he is providing.
Joey Votto: 2/4 with his 5th HR while hitting .329. We may never see Votto hit 30 home runs again like he did in 2010 as his power was in outlier territory that season as he is generally more of a 25 tater guy.
Jay Bruce: 2/4 with his fourth HR while hitting .275. Bruce's home run output is much more mysterious than Votto's and even more so when you consider Shin-Soo Choo has five more than the Reds outfielder. The average is better than what we are accustomed to however so maybe we are dealing with a little bit of Bruce not swinging for the fences as much in trying to up that mark. Either way he presents a nice BUY LOW given the upside he has.
Jimmy Rollins: 1/3 with his third HR while hitting .256. Rollins has to hit at least 15 home runs to hold onto his sliding value. The fact he has only four steals is even more of a concern given his age and the fact his contact rate continues to drop.
Kendrys Morales: 1/5 with his 5th HR while hitting .265. There is some untapped power potential remaining here despite the slow start. I stubbornly continue to hold out hope that when all is said and done, .275 and 25 home runs are staring back at me when I win my league title in September.
Jason Kipnis: 2/4 with his 7th HR while hitting .244. Kipnis has gone all Jean Segura in the last three weeks when it comes to his power/speed game despite the average continuing to lag. I said from the beginning that he reminded me of Ian Kinsler and the comparison couldn't be more right on. Forget about buying low now even as he continues to bat .244.
Drew Stubbs: 1/3 with his third HR and 5th SB while hitting .256. Stubbs hitting .256 is like anyone else swatting .350. Seriously. Hitting at the bottom of the lineup, maybe Stubbs will relax some and continue supplying the home runs/steals that made him so interesting in the first place. Remember to keep the .250 line of demarcation in mind when it comes to determining whether to pick him up or how long you should stick with him if you do own him outright.
Hiroki Kuroda: 8 IP 2 H 0 ER 1 BB 5 K with an ERA of 1.99. Kuroda's WHIP in the AL? 0.99. I don't even know what to say about this anymore. As someone who has always been a big Kuroda fan, even I shied away from him when he went to the American League, especially the AL East. I compare Kuroda to owning R.A. Dickey when he was with the Mets. We all felt uneasy relying on a knuckle guy every time out despite how good the numbers looked but in the end he won a Cy Young. The difference with the two though is that Kuroda actually pitched BETTER in going to the AL East than Dickey did who completely melted down this season. Great story and great pitcher.
Andrew McCutchen: 3/5 with his sixth HR while hitting .276. Upward and onward we go as McCutchen is reprising his May launch of 2012. While hitting .320 could be a pipedream unless he gets BABIP help like he did last season, McCutchen is quickly regaining the numbers that were lagging early on.
Jeremy Hellickson: 8 ER in 7.2 inning with an ERA of 5.82. So it seems like 2013 is The Year of The BABIP gods Revenge" given that perennial cheats Hellickson and Matt Cain are being torn to shreds all season long. Remember that the next time you question this tried and true stat.
Paul Goldschmidt: 4/5 with 2 home runs (12 for season) while hitting .338. So the next time the 2013 Fantasy Baseball First Baseman rankings are released, this dude will be looking down at everyone else. What a big time rise to stardom for Goldy who actually still has room to grow. Among the best keepers in the game.
Justin Upton: 1/4 with his 14th HR while hitting .285. When we state the obvious, Upton's power has been off the charts this season which was only a matter of time before he put it all together there given his pedigree. The average has come down due to the K's as usual and it is a philosophical thing in that Atlanta brass has basically told Upton to let it rip. His brother meanwhile (0/4 while hitting .141) is ripping nothing but the seat of his pants given the force at which he strikes out daily.
Clay Buchholz: 7 IP 4 H 2 ER 3 BB 9 K with an ERA of 1.78. Buchholz returned to his high K ways after one off start in that stat when that whole sunscreen controversy erupted. On a related note, Buchholz was heard complaining about bugs before this start and a can of RAID was found in his locker.
Aramis Ramirez: 2/4 with 2 home runs (3 for season) while hitting .327. Nice parting gift for me after I sent ARAM on his way in one of the Experts Leagues today for Carlos Santana. One of the best second half hitters in baseball, the BUY LOW window is closing quickly.
Buster Posey: 2/3 with his sixth HR while hitting .293. This is Posey saying to Wilin Rosario and Carlos Santana "wait don't forget about me."
Carlos Gonzalez: 2/4 with his 10th HR while hitting .307. Starting to vision CarGo with a line around 30 HR/95 RBI/100 R/.300/20 SB.
Madison Bumgarner: 7 ER in 4.2 IP with an ERA of 3.09. Listen we all know every starting pitcher, no matter how awesome, will have a turd start like this. Doesn't make it any easier to swallow. Damn.
James Shields: 8 IP 6 H 2 ER 1 BB 9 K with an ERA of 2.45. How on earth is this guy 2-4? Shields has been magnificent in his new home but seems to also be afflicted with a case of King Felix non-winning Syndrome.
Alex Rios: 2/3 with his 10th HR while hitting .297. Rios, David Wright, Shin-Soo Choo. All prime examples of guys who were written off too early due to a poor season. Remember that Matt Kemp owners.
Adam Dunn: 1/4 with his 10th HR while hitting .167. Check back tomorrow when Dunn hits another home run and maybe two.
Chris Sale: 7.2 IP 3 H 0 ER 3 BB 12 K with an ERA of 2.53. Chris Sale or Matt Harvey? Answer below?
Adam LaRoche: 2/4 with 2 home runs (7 for season) while hitting .226. Do yourself a favor and pick up LaRoche if he is sitting there on the wire which he is in more than a few leagues. Which is crazy considering how good a season LaRoche had in 2012 and how solid his pop has been in his career. Yet for some strange reason owners are quick to send him packing when he starts off cold. Dumb.
Friday, May 17, 2013
FANTASY BASEBALL BREAKING NEWS: YANKS SP ANDY PETTITTE PLACED ON DL WITH STRAINED TRAPEZIUS
New York Yankees SP Andy Pettitte was placed on the 15-day DL Friday with a strained trapezius in his left pitching arm. Pettitte injured the arm during his Thursday night start and is considered minor in nature. Vidal Nuno will take Pettitte's place in the rotation.
Analysis: Pettitte is nothing more than a SP 5 in fantasy baseball parlance and thus is not a major newsworthy item no matter the league. Cut him loose since he will likely be there if you should need him again.
FANTASY BASEBALL WRAPUP: THURSDAY
Adam Wainwright: 6 IP 6 H 3 ER 1 BB 8 K with an ERA of 2.51. Wainwright is almost averaging a K per IP to go with a 1.01 WHIP and 2.51 ERA. Heeeeeeeesssssss's baaaaaaacccckkkkkk!
Travis Snider: 3/5 with his first HR and first SB while hitting .292. I mean you almost automatically have to address any Hit and Run Special but Snider has run out of chances as far as I am concerned. Yeah he has pop and some speed. Blah blah blah blah BLAH! Next.
Francisco Liriano: 5.2 IP 6 H 1 ER 3 BB 7 K with an ERA of 1.64. Yes Liriano only gave up one earned run but if you look closely, you can see a flashback to his horrid 2011 and 2012 seasons with the 9 baserunners in less than six innings. The K's are always enticing but Liriano is riskier than sleeping with Jenna Jameson without a condom on.
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Mike Morse: 2/3 with his 10th HR while hitting .261. This game is Morse code for "I will hit 5 home runs in the next week."
Fernando Rodney: 3 ER in .2IP for the blown save with an ERA of 5.26. Queue up Joel Peralta. As awesome as Rodney was last season, he was pretty much the pitching version of A.J. Pierzynski as a mediocre player who all of a sudden put together and out of this world season when he was almost out of the league. (wink wink) Be that as it may, Peralta needs to be picked up as Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon surely won't tolerate this much longer.
Brandon Phillips: 1/4 with his 7th HR while hitting .285. Phillips doesn't have any steals as he has pretty much now completely lost that portion of his game as he ages. The appeal of Phillips not having a 20/20 in his future greatly diminishes his value but he remains a solid second tier fantasy baseball second baseman given his pop and all right average.
Nelson Cruz: 1/4 with his 11th HR while hitting .264. Honestly what Cruz is doing right now is no different than what he has done the last two seasons. The only difference if you want to nitpick would be that he is doing it under the steroids cloud of Biogenesis. Also Cruz has not gotten the annual DL stint out of the way yet either so this is about the biggest SELL HIGH guy you can possibly own.
Geovany Soto: 1/4 with his first HR while hitting .176. Remember when we used to draft this bum in the middle rounds? Its like looking back on an ugly girl you once dated as you constantly asky yourself "how drunk was I?"
Justin Verlander: 8 ER in 2.2 IP with an ERA of 3.17. The only thing significant about this in my book was that it was Verlander's worst beatdown ever. Non-story here as Verlander just had a bad day. However in a year where both David Price and Matt Cain are having the runs all over your team ERA and WHIP, some concern is understandable. However I need to see much mroe of this before I react.
Wilin Rosario: 2/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .274. Who knew we would be debating who the best catcher in fantasy baseball is between Rosario and Carlos Santana and not involve Buster Posey?
Nolan Arenado: 1/4 with his fourth HR while hitting .254. Arenado seems hellbent on reaching 20 home runs and he has room to grow with his average. I like him a little.
Matt Cain: 6 ER in 6.1 IP with an ERA of 5.43. That's three more home runs given up Cain who is putting up one of the worst rates in that stat in all of baseball. Things have not gotten any better here with Cain who is doing his best 2012 Tim Lincecum impression. Please remember that for like four years we kept referring to how Cain was pitching above his XFIP ERA. Eventually they all pay the price.
Alex Rios: 1/5 with his 9th HR while hitting .289. Maybe it is now every TWO years Rios sucks. instead of his previous every other trend.
Albert Pujols: 1/4 with his 7th HR while hitting .248. Arte Moreno has got to be having a coronary after realizing how much dough he has given to overnight seniors Josh Hamilton and Pujols. Wow.
Bryce Harper: 1/4 with his 11th HR while hitting .289. Harper gets back into the lineup off injury and than goes yard like he is playing little league ball again. With Mike Trout heating up, the battle is on again for the sophomore crown.
Travis Snider: 3/5 with his first HR and first SB while hitting .292. I mean you almost automatically have to address any Hit and Run Special but Snider has run out of chances as far as I am concerned. Yeah he has pop and some speed. Blah blah blah blah BLAH! Next.
Francisco Liriano: 5.2 IP 6 H 1 ER 3 BB 7 K with an ERA of 1.64. Yes Liriano only gave up one earned run but if you look closely, you can see a flashback to his horrid 2011 and 2012 seasons with the 9 baserunners in less than six innings. The K's are always enticing but Liriano is riskier than sleeping with Jenna Jameson without a condom on.
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Mike Morse: 2/3 with his 10th HR while hitting .261. This game is Morse code for "I will hit 5 home runs in the next week."
Fernando Rodney: 3 ER in .2IP for the blown save with an ERA of 5.26. Queue up Joel Peralta. As awesome as Rodney was last season, he was pretty much the pitching version of A.J. Pierzynski as a mediocre player who all of a sudden put together and out of this world season when he was almost out of the league. (wink wink) Be that as it may, Peralta needs to be picked up as Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon surely won't tolerate this much longer.
Brandon Phillips: 1/4 with his 7th HR while hitting .285. Phillips doesn't have any steals as he has pretty much now completely lost that portion of his game as he ages. The appeal of Phillips not having a 20/20 in his future greatly diminishes his value but he remains a solid second tier fantasy baseball second baseman given his pop and all right average.
Nelson Cruz: 1/4 with his 11th HR while hitting .264. Honestly what Cruz is doing right now is no different than what he has done the last two seasons. The only difference if you want to nitpick would be that he is doing it under the steroids cloud of Biogenesis. Also Cruz has not gotten the annual DL stint out of the way yet either so this is about the biggest SELL HIGH guy you can possibly own.
Geovany Soto: 1/4 with his first HR while hitting .176. Remember when we used to draft this bum in the middle rounds? Its like looking back on an ugly girl you once dated as you constantly asky yourself "how drunk was I?"
Justin Verlander: 8 ER in 2.2 IP with an ERA of 3.17. The only thing significant about this in my book was that it was Verlander's worst beatdown ever. Non-story here as Verlander just had a bad day. However in a year where both David Price and Matt Cain are having the runs all over your team ERA and WHIP, some concern is understandable. However I need to see much mroe of this before I react.
Wilin Rosario: 2/4 with his 8th HR while hitting .274. Who knew we would be debating who the best catcher in fantasy baseball is between Rosario and Carlos Santana and not involve Buster Posey?
Nolan Arenado: 1/4 with his fourth HR while hitting .254. Arenado seems hellbent on reaching 20 home runs and he has room to grow with his average. I like him a little.
Matt Cain: 6 ER in 6.1 IP with an ERA of 5.43. That's three more home runs given up Cain who is putting up one of the worst rates in that stat in all of baseball. Things have not gotten any better here with Cain who is doing his best 2012 Tim Lincecum impression. Please remember that for like four years we kept referring to how Cain was pitching above his XFIP ERA. Eventually they all pay the price.
Alex Rios: 1/5 with his 9th HR while hitting .289. Maybe it is now every TWO years Rios sucks. instead of his previous every other trend.
Albert Pujols: 1/4 with his 7th HR while hitting .248. Arte Moreno has got to be having a coronary after realizing how much dough he has given to overnight seniors Josh Hamilton and Pujols. Wow.
Bryce Harper: 1/4 with his 11th HR while hitting .289. Harper gets back into the lineup off injury and than goes yard like he is playing little league ball again. With Mike Trout heating up, the battle is on again for the sophomore crown.
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