Fantasy Baseball

MLB Trade 'Em - Week 17

2008-07-26T19:51:00Z

Hey folks, Tommy D pinch-hitting for the great Drew Thibodeau this week; and I'll do my best to fill his shoes and give you some options, because we all have players on our rosters who are playing over their heads of late, and the time may not get any better to trade them away for players who will help long term. Here are my choices for this week following the All-Star Break:

Carlos Delgado - 1B - New York Metropolitans - Former Blue Jay Carlos Delgado has struggled at times in a Mets uniform to be sure, but finally, FINALLY, Delgado seems to be playing the way Mets fans and management were hoping he would. Of course, this random hot streak, to me, screams trade him, and trade him now. It's only a matter of time, I feel, until Delgado reverts to the Delgado we've seen the last couple of years. He is 36 years old, clearly on the downside of his career, but this one last gasp might be something you can use to your advantage in a trade. Here's what Delgado has done in the last month: .358 (34/95) 9 HR, 28 RBI, 20 Runs Scored, 17 Ks and an OPS of 1.194.

Jorge Cantu - 1B/3B - Florida Marlins - One of the few to play with the (Devil) Rays and the Marlins, Cantu started his career absolutely smoking hot, before completely falling off the table and retreating back to the minor before eventually finding himself downstate in Miami. Lately, Cantu has had his best stretch of play since his rookie season; leading some to believe that he is "back". Don't believe them. I see Cantu as a Kevin Millar (or even a Brian Daubach); someone who, when they're hot, they're no one better in the league. However, when they're NOT hot, they're as awful as awful can be. I really think Cantu fits this profile, but right now; your fellow Fantasy Owners don't need to know that. Here's Cantu's last month: .330 (32/97) 4 HR, 16 RBI, 14 Runs Scored, 2 SBs, 12 Ks, and an OPS of .892.

Mike Pelfrey - SP - New York Metropolitans - We head back to the red-hot Mets and take a look at the pitching staff, focusing on Mike Pelfrey. He personifies the way the Mets have been playing, but I caution everyone; nothing this good lasts forever, and Pelfrey will eventually fall back to the pack a bit. Will it be sooner rather than later? Depending on the status of your rotation, now might be the time to move Pelfrey, as you've gotten the bulk of what you'll get from this steal. You drafted him pretty late, and can get some good talent back, so why not do it? Here's Pelfrey's line over the last month: 41.0 IP, 5 W, 0 L, 30 Ks, 2.41 ERA, and a 1.05 WHIP.

MLB Status Check (7/24)

2008-07-24T18:26:00Z

We haven't seen a week like this in quite a long time. It is, in my opinion, the perfect week for some fantasy owners. Some players are playing their hearts out while others looks fizzled out and are in prolonged slumps. Of course if you own a player in a slump then you aren't happy, but if you own one of the players that are on fire then you're dancing for joy, especially if your opponent has one or more of the mentioned slumping players. Things don't stop at that though. There are a few players who have gone from peasants to kings in just a short amount of time. Players that looked like scraps of garbage who now look like top players in the league. This feature of MLB Status Check consists of three categories, each containing three players. The categories are for those that were drafted early who are playing well, those that were drafted early who are not playing well, and those that may not have even been drafted who are on fire as of late. Each player deserves recognition, but there are a few on this list who deserve even more praise, if that's even possible.
Lived up to the hype:

1.) Alex Rodriguez (3B - New York Yankees) - A-Rod is always the center of everything it seems. Yes, by now everyone knows about the Madonna thing, but who cares because this is about baseball. It just so happens that he's also managed to be the center of the baseball world as well this week. He's put up some terrific numbers on the week. It may be worth to note that he's doing well even though he's having a ton of mental pressure due to what was mentioned above. A-Rod definitely seems like a stronger player, mentally, then he has in recent years. He's drowning out the gossip and is just playing baseball, and doing it quite well. He was the consensus number one pick in the draft and this week he did not disappoint. He's had a very productive season, especially since he missed around 20 games because of a quad injury. A-Rod looks pretty locked in right now and the entire team is hot which only means even more fantasy opportunities for A-Rod.

9/23, 7 runs, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 2 SB, .391 AVG

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2.) CC Sabathia (SP - Milwaukee Brewers) - Sabathia is a man on a mission. It looks like he's trying to single handedly earn himself the biggest pitching contract of all time when he reaches the free agent market next year. Sabathia has been phenomenal for the Brewers. They gave up a lot to get him, but he is putting up some amazing numbers while helping the Brewers gun for the playoffs. Sabathia is 4-0 in his four starts. That may sound impressive, but what is more impressive is that the last three of those four wins were complete games. He has given up a grand total of five earned runs in 33 innings. Simply amazing. Sabathia shows no signs of slowing down. Count your blessings if you held onto him after his April struggles. He now looks like the best pitcher in the NL.

2 wins, 0 losses, 1 complete game, 1 shutout, 18 IP, 17 K, 0.50 ERA, 0.50 WHIP

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3.) David Wright (3B - New York Mets) - Wright just missed out on matching A-Rod's numbers, literally. He was about as close as humanly possible. However, since his numbers were so good he deserves recognition for his performance this week. Wright is one of the best young players in the league. I may be a bit bias against the Mets as a team, but I can honestly say that Wright is one of my favorite players in the league. He may be a bit overrated at times, but he really does have a ton of talent. This week he proved why he's such a good fantasy players. He was a first round pick for a reason. He's a great third baseman, but he's still second to A-Rod.

8/21, 8 runs, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB, .381 AVG

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Failed to live up to the hype:

1.) Hanley Ramirez (SS - Florida Marlins) - What is going on? Hanley is the best fantasy shortstop, but he has been absolutely horrible as of late. There was talk that he may have a shoulder injury, but he played in the All-Star game and did pretty well. However, all of a sudden he just cannot get a hit to save his life. His slump was 0-15 at one point, but now it's even worse. He's still one of the best shortstops in the league and he will definitely rebound. However, this isn't exactly what fantasy owners like seeing from a guy who was a clear top five pick.

3/24, 2 runs, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, .125 AVG

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2.) Francisco Cordero (RP - Cincinnati Reds) - I predicted Cordero to rebound from his slump, but this is getting ridiculous. He's getting several opportunities to pick up some easy saves, but he just can't seem to even get the easy ones. His numbers were absolutely dreadful this week. In fact, his numbers are so bad that there's a chance that they could hurt some fantasy owners' pitching stats to the point where there's no way for them to win some categories such as ERA and WHIP. He's been that bad. Hopefully he rebounds because he does have great stuff, but it seems his mentality is extremely fragile. This is exactly the opposite of what the Reds paid for and now Cordero is hurting both the Reds organization and fantasy owners alike.

0 wins, 2 losses, 2 saves, 3.1 IP, 2 K, 18.90 ERA, 4.80 WHIP

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3.) Chase Utley (2B - Philadelphia Phillies) - Chase had a tremendous first half, especially for a second baseman. He's got a very compact swing that he can somehow generate a ton of power from. The result was a surprising amount of homeruns. Fantasy owners loved it, Phillies fans loved it, but all of a sudden it seems like he's a completely different player since coming back from the break. His slump isn't as bad as some, such as Hanley Ramirez, but he is showing absolutely no power right now from a fantasy standpoint. Utley is a terrific player, but fantasy owners expect much more considering what he was able to do in the first half. He should rebound soon. He's definitely too good to not put up some great numbers.

5/19, 1 run, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, .263 AVG

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Keep an eye on:

1.) Melvin Mora (3B - Baltimore Orioles) - Mora has been on a tear for a bit now. He was a player to watch last week as well. However, it was thought that he would return to Earth and start hitting like a .250 player again. Wrong. Mora has been on an absolute non-stop tear lately. He's hitting for a great clip, he's showing power, and he's driving in runs like they're going out of style. I honestly don't believe he can keep this up for too much longer, but it sure is fun to watch him continue to produce day in and day out. Mora has always had a lot of talent, and power that you wouldn't expect when you looked at him, so it's nice to see him put up such great numbers. He's been a pleasant surprise lately and I'm sure there are owners out there who could use a solid third baseman. If he's somehow still available in some leagues then pick him up, now.

13/26, 6 runs, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 0 SB, .500 AVG

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2.) Mike Mussina (SP - New York Yankees) - Mooooooose! That's what Yankee Stadium has sounded like this year when Mussina takes the mound. He clearly looks like the odds on favorite to win comeback player of the year. He was horrible last year and then his first four games this year were absolutely horrible. Then all of a sudden he started pitching better; throwing tailing fastballs inside to lefties, outside breaking balls to righties, and first strike pitches to both. He is tied for first wins in the league, he's got a lower ERA than CC Sabathia, and he is the number one reason that the Yankees are still in the race for the playoffs. Mussina can no longer throw above 90 mph, but he can pitch. He proved that against the Twins by shutting them out for eight innings. He has been a tremendous pickup for some and, if he's still available, pick him up. Moose is on the loose.

2 wins, 0 losses, 14 IP, 13 K, 0.64 ERA, 1.07 WHIP

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3.) Robinson Cano (2B - New York Yankees) - Cano is another Yankee who went from being absolutely horrible to absolutely terrific. Mussina went from being an afterthought to the Yankees new "ace", while Cano went from an afterthought to one of the best offensive players on a deep team. Cano apparently spent his entire All-Star break in the Dominican Republic studying game film with his dad. It seems like just what Robbie needed because he is not the same hitter he was earlier. He is harder to jam now, he's not rolling his wrists over, and he's not pulling out of pitches that are away. Now he's fisting pitches that would normally jam him and ducks them in for bloopers, plus he's waiting on off-speed stuff and driving it instead of going up there hacking and trying to hit every pitch out. Cano is an improved player and he's a notorious second half player. In his career he is a .280 hitter before the half and a .340 hitter after it. Hopefully he continues hitting well because the Yankees need it in the worst way. What do ya know, Cano?!

14/27, 5 runs, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, .519 AVG

MLB Stock Market - July 24th Edition

2008-07-24T12:06:00Z

The post-All Star Stock Market gets underway with some big names making a "charge" as Bulls, while even bigger names come roaring back to earth as Bears:

Bulls

Nomar Garciaparra - SS/3B/1B - (Los Angeles Dodgers): This looks familiar. In his last 14 games, Nomar Garciaparra is batting .333 with three HR, 10 RBI, and a .644 SLG. Of course, the strange thing is that this is 2008, not 1999. Garciaparra has found the fountain of youth, and in a year where very few SS are making waves in the fantasy world, Garciaparra all of a sudden becomes a hot commodity. Of course, as is always the case with Nomar, he has to stay healthy, but so far, so good.

Robinson Cano - 2B - (New York Yankees): Don't look now, but Cano is hitting again. We know, we know, hard to believe that Cano is having a hot second half of the season, isn't it? Since the All-Star break, Cano is hitting .522 with an .870 SLG, including a couple HR and seven RBI. He is hitting .370 in the last 30 days and slugging almost .600. A lot of people gave up on him after an extended slow start, but Cano just seems to be one of those guys who cannot hit coming out of the gate, but boy, when he gets hot, he gets really hot.

Ricky Nolasco - SP - (Florida Marlins): Check out this progression: 5.79, 3.97, 3.31, 2.89. Then consider this progression: 1.37, 1.41, 1.19, 0.79. Finally, this progression: 4.6, 6.6, 7.4, 8.4. These are Nolasco's ERAs, WHIPs, and K/9 IPs, respectively, by month this year. Not bad at all, and now with a 10-5 record, Nolasco looks like one of the better young pitchers in the league. With the Marlins still in the NL East hunt, the Marlins will be counting on Nolasco to continue giving them quality starts.

Runners-up Bulls: James Shields - SP - (Tampa Bay Rays); Edgar Gonzalez - 2B - (San Diego Padres)

Bears

Aramis Ramirez - 3B - (Chicago Cubs): 0-20 since the All-Star break? 4-36 in the last two weeks? .167 AVG and .333 SLG in the past month? Ouch. Ramirez has been inconsistent all year, but his struggles this past month have really sunk his overall numbers. With no HR, no RBI, no R, and no SB since the All-Star break, Ramirez has been almost literally a fantasy zero (he did walk once).

Huston Street - RP - (Oakland Athletics): Before pitching a scoreless inning against the Rays on Tuesday, Street had given up runs in each of his past three outings. He has five blown saves in only 22 opportunities, good for a lowly 77% save percentage. His 4.09 ERA is the highest of his career. Perhaps he is distracted by all the trade talk, but, really, can any player ever be comfortable with the A's, where a young player is more likely to be traded eventually than not?

Jorge Posada - C - (New York Yankees): At first, it appeared Posada was not going to make the list, since season-ending injuries are too obvious to mark players with such injury as a Bear. However, now word comes that Posada may put surgery off until the end of the season, and instead try to come back as a 1B or DH. Obviously, Posada would still qualify as a catcher, but the shoulder problems appeared to sap him of his power as well, making him less and less valuable with each passing, homerless game. Even if he does come back this season, don't expect him to magically return to form as a hitter, no matter how much the Yankees rest him.

Runners-up Bears: Jacoby Ellsbury - OF - (Boston Red Sox); Kelly Johnson - 2B - (Atlanta Braves)

MLB Waiver Wire - Week 17

2008-07-23T00:21:00Z

Trying to find someone decent after the All-Star game? Picking someone up now is taking a chance and hoping you're picking right. Most of the quality players have been grabbed and people can see what to expect from the ones who are left, but with waiver wire, there is always someone stashed away you could use to help your team. You just have to find them and here is a little help.

Nomar Garciaparra
Los Angeles Dodgers - 3rd
Owned: 25%

Notes: Nomar is having a decent year, not quite what everyone expects because of the numbers we know he can put up. He is still batting .288 this season and only has four home runs and 15 RBIs but that is in 73 at-bats and he has holding a .507 slugging percentage. He has been picking up lately and he is a good addition at third base this late in the season.

Darrell Rasner
New York Yankees - SP, RP
Owned: 13%

Notes: Rasner started the season like a phenom and everyone picked him up, then he lost a few and everyone dropped him. He lost three starts the in the past 2 weeks and then pitched a good game and turned that around. He looks like the Rasner we say in the beginning of the year. You can put him in at the starting position or the relief position too. If you have an open spot, pick him up and watch him. If he wins the next game, he's back, if not, pass him over.

Billy Butler
Kansas City Royals - 1B, DH
Owned: 7%

Notes: Now that Billy is back from the DL, he has been strictly DH and has nothing to do but get back into the swing of things and hit. He is picking up slowly but they way he played in the beginning of the season wasn't a fluke. In the past week he has gone 6 for 17 with three runs, two home runs and seven RBIs. The local Kansas City paper claimed Billy readjusted his batting stance and is comfortable with it. That production may show that's true.

Luke Scott
Baltimore Orioles - OF
Owned: 10%

Notes: Luke may have slowed down in this month so far but he is picking back up quickly. He smacked two home runs the other night for the first two this month. He has still been driving in runs and hitting, just lack of power. I think he'll finish the season out strong and now that he is picking up, GMs will be picking him up quickly again. He is slugging percentage is .512 and on base percentage is above .300. This is the first time I've suggested Scott and probably will not be the last.

Ryan Sweeney
Oakland Athletics
Owned: 1%

Notes: Technically Ryan isn't even owned by 1%. He is batting .306 this season with a .356 on base percentage and .405 slugging. He may not be much in the power column but he hits consistently and has speed. He is developing very quickly and is a good fill in or backup if you're looking for one. He is 68 for 222 on the season and even missed two weeks because of injury. He is up there with other players but overlooked a lot. Check him out.

MLB Free Agent Specialty - Week 17

2008-07-22T18:34:00Z

It's the most specialized baseball article there is; as we focus solely on one category at a time. As usual, your disclaimer: These are NOT everyday players, and nor are they claimed to be. These are players that will help you in one way and one way only. Sometimes our rosters are very deficient in one area or another, and these are players who are available on the cheap (or for free) who can help sure that area up. So, with that out of the way, let's get started.

Speed Kills

Cesar Izturis - 3B/SS - St. Louis Cardinals - He's only batting .229; which is, in a word, terrible, but he's more than making up for it for some Fantasy Owners with his speed. He will help you one way; stolen bases, and that's about it. However, over his last 10 games, he's certainly done that, leading the Wire with four. Here are Izturis' numbers over the last month. .167 (6/36), 1 RBI, 4 Runs Scored, 4 SBs, 5 Ks, and has an OPS of .398.

Chicks Dig the Long Ball

Chris Davis - 1B - Texas Rangers - Since his call up, Davis has been absolutely crushing the ball when he makes contact. So much so, that the Rangers recently announced that he has become the Rangers' full-time first basemen. Here are Davis' numbers since his call up: .239 (17/71) 7 HR, 15 RBI, 15 Runs Scored, 17 Ks and an OPS of .905.

Sometimes Average is a Good Thing

Ross Gload - 1B/OF - Kansas City Royals - Yes, he's only batting .265 on the season; but he's been on a bit of a roll over the last month; posting some of the better hitting numbers you can find this deep into the Wire. Over the last month, Gload has hit .322 (28/87) 1 HR, 13 RBI, 21 Runs Scored, 2 SB, 5 Ks and has an OPS of .820.

Pitching (a.k.a., What Manny Delcarmen is bad at, still...enough already Francona)

R.A. Dickey - SP/RP - Seattle Mariners - With Bedard still out with a bum shoulder, Dickey has recently been named the Mariners' fifth starter. He's put up some good numbers in his relief role, and it will be interesting to see if they'll translate to a starters' job. Here's Dickey's stats over the last month: 30.1 IP, 1 W, 1 L, 19 Ks, 1.78 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP.

Sean Green - RP - Seattle Mariners - Seattle gets the pitching sweep for the second week in a row, mainly due to their consistent contributions. Here at "Specialty" we're all about the elusive "hold" stat; and Green has racked them up a bit over the last month. He's not the best on the wire (although he's close); but he gets the nod because he's one of the few not rocking a 5+ ERA or a 2+ WHIP. Here are Green's numbers for the month: 12.1 IP, 1 W, 0 L, 8 Ks, 6 Holds, a 0.73 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP.

MLB Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (7/21)

2008-07-22T03:59:00Z

The All-Star break throws a bit of a wrench into the considerations for whom to start and whom to sit this week.

Note: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em will follow the weekly schedule of most fantasy leagues, that is, starting Monday and ending Sunday.

START 'EM!

Kevin Kouzmanoff | 3B
San Diego Padres

Kouzmanoff, like the rest of the Padres, struggled badly in April, but he has actually been quite good since then, hitting for good power considering his home park. His .486 SLG since May 1 puts him only behind Adrian Gonzalez among Padres hitters, and this week, he hits at homer-friendly Cincinnati and against the hitter-friendly Pittsburgh pitching staff. Perhaps the best news? He will miss Edinson Volquez when they face the Reds, meaning Kouzmanoff is a must-start.

Shaun Marcum | SP
Toronto Blue Jays

Sure, Marcum is just coming off an injury, and yes, he has not pitched since June 18. However, he couldn't ask for two better rehab starts, first against the Orioles, and then against the Mariners. Although Baltimore could give problems, and he might not throw enough pitches to get a decision, he should have a much easier go of it when he faces Seattle next Sunday, provided, of course, that he does not make his injury worse.

Barry Zito | SP
San Francisco Giants

Don't laugh. Sure, Zito is terrible, and he is easy to find on waiver wires, but he will face the Nationals and the Diamondbacks this week, two teams he has pitched well against recently. Since 2005, Zito has limited the Nationals to 13 hits in 18 innings (but then again, who hasn't limited the Nats to such numbers?), garnering a 3.50 ERA against them, while he has limited the Diamondbacks to 25 hits in 27 innings, and has a 3.00 ERA against them. Both teams are struggling to score runs this year, and Zito has actually pitched respectable ball of late, so he is a good start, if only for the next seven days.

SIT 'EM!

Aubrey Huff | 1B/3B
Baltimore Orioles

Huff has become a sexy pickup from the waiver wires, given his rise back to hitting respectability (19 HR, 61 RBI, .523 SLG). However, he will face a tough Toronto pitching staff this week, followed by an equally difficult Anaheim pitching staff, including against Roy Halladay, Joe Saunders, Jon Garland, and Ervin Santana. Huff is still a nice story this season, just not this week.

Cody Ross | OF
Florida Marlins

Ross has risen up in the ranks with a power-packed summer, so normally you would take advantage of his kind of hot streak. Look at who he faces this week, though. His week starts off nicely against Atlanta, but the Marlins finish that series facing Tim Hudson, and then they face the top of the Cubs' rotation, namely, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, and Rich Harden. He should finally see some relief when facing Jason Marquis to end the week, but it might be too late by then to salvage his week.

Troy Percival | RP
Tampa Bay Rays

Normally, one should be hesitant about relying on a closer who just came off the DL. However, Percival gets thrown back into the fire against the likes of Oakland, who can't score more than a run per game, and Kansas City, who may not be having problems scoring runs, but can't win games regardless. Of course, the possibility exists that Percival will re-aggravate his injury, but that is a risk worth taking against two struggling teams.

MLB Fantasy Minute - Week 16

2008-07-22T03:30:00Z

In this abbreviated edition of the Fantasy Minute (because of the All-Star break), we look at Josh Hamilton, the Mets and the power of C.C.:

1. Keep an eye on Josh Hamilton. Yes, Hamilton has been terrific all season. And yes, Hamilton, right now, is the centerpiece of the Rangers' offense. But is he nearly as good as the hype during the All-Star break? Home Run Derbies have a way of extolling players with ever-fleeting love and affection, but what happened to Hamilton was off the charts. 28 home runs in one round is superhuman, and 13 straight is unprecedented, especially with the incredible distance Hamilton put into each home run. What is important, though, is what happens with Hamilton going forward. Everyone remembers what happened with Bobby Abreu after his emotionally charged, unexpected Home Run Derby streak in 2005. Will the same happen with Hamilton? Remember, Abreu was a player who could be counted on for 20-30 homers, but was never really considered a true HR hitter. Hamilton has not even had a chance to establish his reputation, having entered the 2008 season with a grand total of 19 career HR, so for both, the Home Run Derby performances basically came out of nowhere. The first seven to ten games for Hamilton after the All-Star break should be telling. If he did develop too much of an uppercut and tries to hit home runs with every pitch, then he could struggle in the second half. However, if he comes out hot, then he could be in for a huge second half. So far, the jury is out, as he is hitting only .250 since the break, but one of those was a three-run HR.

2. Look to the Mets for second-half fantasy value. The Mets went into the fantasy season as one of the teams predicted to have the most fantasy-worthy players. Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Moises Alou, Luis Castillo, Billy Wagner, Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, Oliver Perez, and John Maine were each almost certainly drafted in every league. However, only Reyes, Wright, and Wagner met expectations in the first half, while Santana did okay enough, but did not pitch nearly to expectations and had minimal run support. The others suffered from ineffectiveness, injury, or both. However, the Mets ended the first half on a nine-game winning streak, and that was due in large part to strong performances from many of these disappointing players, particularly Beltran, Delgado, Perez, and Mike Pelfrey, one of the preseason sleepers. Owners can't expect much from Pedro Martinez anymore, and Alou is likely finished, but all of the aforementioned players could have big second halves as they chase the NL East title, so look to buy low on them before it's too late.

3. C.C. Sabathia will have the most dominant second half of any player. Really, this one isn't too hard to figure out. Sabathia was already on a roll before he arrived in Milwaukee, having overcome a disastrous start to muster up a 2.44 ERA in May and a 1.90 ERA in June. His trade to Milwaukee, however, might have put him into another gear, which is a scary proposition for National League hitters. In three starts with Milwaukee, he has already pitched two complete games, thoroughly dominating hitters to the tune of a 1.88 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and a 1.00 K/9 IP ratio. Sabathia's K rate is at his highest level ever in his major league career, and now that he faces the pitcher as the number nine hitter at least twice a game, he could be well on his way to shattering last year's mark of 241 IP. That means Sabathia could break 250 Ks, and if he continues to pitch nearly as well as he has since coming to Milwaukee, we are talking about one of the best fantasy halves of any pitcher in recent memory.

MLB Busts of the Week - Week 16

2008-07-22T00:29:00Z

No matter what, every week there will be busts. Without them, nobody else excels -- and this article wouldn't be written. Everyone on the busts this week are people you wouldn't expect to see this season. It goes to show that not everyone can keep it up year around.

Hanley Ramirez
Florida Marlins - SS

Notes: Ramirez has been very hot all year and one of the best performing shortstops. He has played well all year except for last week; he went one for 11 and had four strikeouts and three walks. He didn't have any other production. I wouldn't expect to see this from him very long with how he has been playing. Just a bad week that dropped his batting average eight points.

Ian Kinsler
Texas Ranger - 2B

Notes: Ian has made the top weekly performing list quite a few times but this week, it's quite the opposite. It seemed like someone put an ice cube on him. Kinsler went 0 for 11 with one walk and nothing else. Hopefully this isn't something that lasts a long time; maybe just a sluggish start right after the all-star break.

Dan Uggla
Florida Marlins - 2B

Notes: The Marlins infield hasn't been holding their own like before the All-Star break. Ramirez isn't playing well and Uggla isn't either. He did have a home run and two RBI's but he went one for 12 and batted .083. Not what Uggla owners are used to? His average has been steadily decreasing week by week so who knows if he'll pick back up or not ...

Zack Greinke
Kansas City - SP

Notes: Greinke started one game last week and only got to throw three innings. Those three innings were the worst of his career. He gave up 11 hits, seven runs, a home run, and three walks and only struck out two. He had an ERA of 21.00 and WHIP of 4.67 for that game allow and raised his season era almost .50 points to 3.90. Zack started out looking goof and had a lot of potential but four out of his last five games he had gotten hit hard. Something needs to change soon for this guy.

Jason Isringhausen
St. Louis Cardinals - RP

Notes: Maybe Izzy isn't back. He hasn't done much of anything since coming back from the DL and it appears that it's going to stay that way. Some days he looks decent and then the next day he gives up hits and runs. His time may be numbered. This past week he pitched in two games, a total of 1.1 innings and looked good whiling looking bad too. He only struck out one in both games and gave up three hits and two run in .1 innings and ended the week with a 13.50 ERA and 3.00 WHIP. He was looking pretty good momentarily there.

MLB Top Weekly Performances - Right Fielders

2008-07-21T03:59:00Z

This week's list is all about potential. The top three RFs this week have had high expectations for a considerable amount of time, one of whom has been a long-time fantasy stud, one who was predicted for great things last year, and one who was considered a potential fantasy superstar for many years. For a week at least, and a short one at that, they all fulfilled their potential:

Gold

Jeremy Hermida (Florida Marlins): Hermida has often driven his owners crazy with what some perceive as untapped potential, in part due to injuries throughout hs young career, but he produced against the Phillies as the Marlins made their push for first place in the division. Hermida got off to a good start in the second half, hitting .364 with two HR, two RBI, three R, and a SB. Hermida may be a nice waiver-wire pickup going forward, because he has too much potential as a hitter to continue producing at a mediocre pace.

Silver

Austin Kearns (Washington Nationals): Speaking of disappointing players with untapped potential, Kearns is the poster boy for that group (and can largely blame injuries, to boot). Long considered one of the more talented players to come out of the Reds system, they finally gave up on him, and the Nationals hoped to tap into that potential. No such luck this year, as Kearns has been a disaster, but last week he came through in a big way. Kearns hit .429 with a HR, three RBI, and a whopping six runs in three games, which, for him, is hopefully the beginning of a strong second half.

Bronze

Vladimir Guerrero (Los Angeles Angels): Slowly but surely, Vlad is starting to put up the fantasy numbers his owners had hoped for. After a relatively disappointing first half, Guerrero had a good start to the second half, hitting .333 with two HR, three RBI, and four R. Vlad is on pace to hit fewer than 30 HR for a second consecutive season, but, of greater concern, he is on pace for his first sub-100 RBI season since an injury-plagued 2003 season, so his owners hope his latest hitting spree is a sign of good things to come.

Other Top Performances:

C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | LF | CF | RF | RP | SP

MLB Top Weekly Performances - Short Stops

2008-07-21T03:58:00Z

It may have been All-Star week, but a bunch of lesser names dominated this week's Top Three. Okay, so the gold-medal winner may not be a no-name, but his appearance on the list is at least a surprise, thus showing that anything is possible in a short week:

Gold

Nomar Garciaparra (Los Angeles Dodgers): Perhaps he just needed to move back to SS for a revival, but Garciaparra certainly looked like the Nomar of old last week. Garciaparra hit .462 with two HR, three RBI, and scored three R as he took over at SS while seemingly the rest of the Dodger infield was fighting injuries. Garciaparra has been playing steadily at SS since his return from injury, and he suddenly becomes a valuable fantasy option because he now qualifies at 1B, 3B, and SS.

Silver

Marco Scutaro (Toronto Blue Jays): Scutaro has almost been splitting histime equally at three positions, but he played two of his three games this week at SS. Wherever he played, he produced. Although he hit only .250, his five RBI paced all short stops, and he also added in three runs scored. Scutaro does not have a lot of fantasy value, but in the unlikely event that you started him, he may have given your team the RBI boos it needed in this short week.

Bronze

Mike Aviles (Kansas City Royals): Aviles is starting to become a frequent guest on this list. In a year where SS are disappointing their fantasy owners, Aviles has been a revelation. He continued to hit after the All-Star break, compiling a .417 AVG with four RBI and scoring two runs. Aviles is hitting .318 for the year with decent enough power and run-producing numbers for fantasy owners to continue to ride his wave.

Other Top Performances:

C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | LF | CF | RF | RP | SP

MLB Top Weekly Performances - Third Basemen

2008-07-21T03:57:00Z

Obviously, the short week caused the total numbers to look not-so-impressive and kept the sample sizes small. Considering those factors, the Top Three this week did a pretty impressive job producing for their major league teams and their fantasy owners:

Gold

Melvin Mora (Baltimore Orioles): Mora may be on the downside of his career, but he still has the ability to rack up a big week on occasion, and the short week resulting from the All-Star break was an ideal time. Mora hit .400 in 15 ABs, along with three HR, seven RBI, and five R. Mora's overall fantasy numbers are not terrible, as he does have 14 HR and 55 RBI, but his .240 AVG means Baltimore may soon begin to see if they can begin a youth movement at 3B.

Silver

Troy Glaus (St. Louis Cardinals): Glaus is really starting to heat up offensively. Just before the All-Star break, Glaus was crushing opposing pitchers, which caused some worry that the break would cool him down. No worries. Glaus continued his onslaught, and he finished the fantasy week with a .438 AVG, three HR, five RBI, and six R, including a 2-4, one HR, three RBI performance on Sunday to cap the week. Glaus is now a hot pickup or hot start for owners who were wary of him at the beginning of the year and on through midseason.

Bronze

David Wright (New York Mets): The lone All-Star representative on this list, Wright was as steady as he has been all season, hitting .385 with two HR, six RBI, five R, and a stolen base. The Mets have gotten hot of late, and they will lean on Wright as much as ever as they seek revenge for a mediocre first half. That means Wright could rack up big RBI numbers going forward, meaning a fantasy goldmine for his owners.

Other Top Performances:

C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | LF | CF | RF | RP | SP

MLB Weekly Sleepers (7/20)

2008-07-21T02:02:00Z

Risk is a huge part of fantasy baseball. With big risks come big rewards. However, big risks can easily burn you and wind up hurting you more than you already were. The risk that has to do with this article is the risk of players returning from the DL from various injuries. Three of the five players listed in this article have been on the DL for a little while and may not even come back when they were scheduled to do so. However, if they do come back then the numbers they are capable of putting up could help carry many fantasy teams. As for the two non-injured players on this list they are in for a rough ride as well. It's not because they're talented, it's mainly because they're currently in pretty bad slumps, especially Kosuke Fukudome of the Cubs. Starting any of these five players could come back and burn you, but there's also a chance they all show what they're capable of and help fantasy owners out. It hurts when taking a risk doesn't turn out the way you want, but there is a lot of satisfaction when a risk turns into a reward.

David Ortiz (1B - Boston Red Sox) - Ortiz has been playing rehab games in order to get ready for being taken off the DL. So far he's shown no signs of injury after hitting a homerun in three consecutive games. He should play at least one or two games more and is said to be targeting a July 24 return. Therefore he could be a much added boost to fantasy lineups upon his return, especially with the way he's been hitting. However, take this all with a grain of salt. There is no denying that Ortiz is an amazing offensive presence, but he's done all of his damage against AAA pitching, and there's a reason that it's called triple-A pitching and not major league pitching. Ortiz has also been pretty good after the break. His numbers after the break last year were terrific. He may be a risk to start this week, but if he returns on time then he could payoff big time for fantasy owners.

2007 Post All-Star break numbers: 68 games, 21 HR, 65 RBI, 2 SB, .352 AVG

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Alfonso Soriano (LF/CF - Chicago Cubs) - Soriano is another player who is, hopefully, scheduled to come back around July 24. It all depends on how his rehab goes, but it's looking more and more likely that he'll be back. However, don't quote me on that, unless it pans out, because there is always a chance of a setback. Soriano would give a huge boost to the Cubs' offense, and fantasy owners have waited very patiently for Soriano, a true five-too player, to return. Soriano has wanted to come back in the worst way because he's a gamer, therefore I expect him to try to play harder than usual in order to help by putting up great stats.

2007 Post All-Star break numbers: 54 games, 18 HR, 37 RBI, 6 SB, .283 AVG

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Johnny Damon (LF/CF - New York Yankees) - Things are a little murky in terms of when Damon will be back. He originally wanted to come back on the 20^th, but the Yankees decided against it. He has taken batting practice, he's said he's ready to go, but it's still a bit unclear as to what'll happen. There is a good chance he won't have to play in any rehab games, so he could be back quite quickly. Whether he performs well is a completely different question. He was terrific after the break last year, plus he was an offensive catalyst before the break this year, therefore there's a good chance that he can come back and put up some great numbers. There is a risk, especially since he's trying to come back in the quickest amount of time, but it just shows how badly Damon wants to play and help the team. The Yankees are pretty desperate for offense and having Damon back could help them out, especially if Hideki Matsui is done for the year.

2007 Post All-Star break numbers: 65 games, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 12 SB, .296 AVG

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Kosuke Fukudome (RF - Chicago Cubs) - Fukudome is a very intriguing player. He's got a pretty nice swing, bits of power, and he has a great arm. I don't really think he deserved a spot on the All-Star team, but he does have a spot on this list due to his recent troubles. He is in a pretty bad slump, but that's all the more reason to expect him to play better. He'll get to feast on other pitchers such as: Randy Johnson, Micah Owings, Doug Davis, Scott Olsen, and Josh Johnson. The Cubs will be facing the Marlins at home and luck is with Fukudome considering he hits nearly .350 at home. They are also day games and he hits .30 points higher in the day time. Fukudome has a chance to regain some value and he could be a nice sleeper to use this week.

Numbers at Wrigley Field: 46 games, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 5 SB, .348 AVG, .450 OBP, .522 SLG %, .972 OPS

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Zack Greinke (SP - Kansas City Royals) - Greinke recently got roughed up, but he isn't the same pitcher he once was in terms of mental makeup. He no longer gets as unraveled as he once did. During the week he'll get to face the Detroit Tigers and will be pitching opposite of Armando Galarraga. He does get to pitch again next Monday vs. Oakland, but unless the schedule changes a little he will only get one start this week. However, that's all he needs. He hasn't exactly had the best season against the Tigers so far. They've hit him around pretty hard. However, the Royals are also an underdog team and have the ability to jump all over Galarraga and put up some great numbers. Greinke was absolutely brilliant after the All-Star break last year, therefore there's a chance he could duplicate that success. He no longer gets as flustered as he once did after a loss. It seems like he's learning to put stuff behind him and just look at the future, not the past. Hopefully Greinke's second half resembles what he's done in the past because his 2007 numbers were great after the break. Greinke is an underrated pitcher and has tremendous stuff. When he taps into his potential then the sky is the limit for him.

2007 Post All-Star Break numbers: 23 games, 7 starts, 3 wins, 3 losses, 52 IP, 47 K, 2.42 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, .226 BAA

MLB Buy 'n Sell (7/20)

2008-07-20T21:52:00Z

The first few games in the second half of the season have been quite exciting. There are several players who have started to pick things up, but there have also been some players that have fallen. Owners should keep their eyes open and hopefully try to acquire the missing piece of a championship team before the trade deadline. This installment of the MLB Buy ‘n Sell consists of three players in each of the two categories. Those that are riding hot streaks are prime candidates to sell, while those who are in slumps are great candidates to buy. Shop smartly and hopefully you'll find some good deals with the players listed below.
Sell:

Melvin Mora (3B - Baltimore Orioles) - Mora has been on absolute fire this week. He's a homerun in each of his last three games and has driven in a very nice amount of RBI. Chances are he's only owned in some of the more deeper/competitive leagues, but that doesn't make him any less valuable, especially after the week he's had. He has been absolutely fantastic and the numbers mirror his recent success. In fact, his slugging % went up .20 points in the last three games alone. He's been red hot and his value has never been higher this season than it is right now. Now is the perfect chance to get something for him.

6/17, 5 runs, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, .353 AVG

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Kyle Lohse (SP - St. Louis Cardinals) - Lohse really doesn't have overpowering stuff, and he really doesn't seem like an overly gifted pitcher, but he somehow manages to get out of jams and pick up wins. He's had a 9-0 record in his last 11 starts. Out of all of those games he had just one bad game and the Cards won 10 of 11 of his starts. He has been an absolute steal for the Cardinals and fantasy owners. After all, any team would love to pay a guy roughly four million dollars to carry an ERA around five, yet Lohse has an extremely solid ERA and is also racking wins like they're going out of style. His value is high, his stuff isn't that great, get something while you can.

1 win, 0 losses, 7.0 IP, 4 K, 2.57 ERA, 1.29 WHIP

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Nomar Garciaparra (1B, 3B, SS - Los Angeles Dodgers) - Nomar has had a pretty rough career. It seems like he's always injured or slumping. This week was alright by his standards. He raised his batting average up quite a bit over his last few games, he showed flashes of power, and his versatility is extremely valuable to fantasy owners. He is by no means the same player he once was. However, he did show some flashes of why he was once a premier player in the league, albeit an overrated one. He has put up some very fantasy friendly numbers lately, but it's only a matter of time until he gets hurt again. I've always liked Nomar, even though he was on Boston for a while, and when healthy he is a very stable player for whatever team he's on. However, he just has too much trouble staying healthy. He's put up some nice numbers recently and he offers some versatility, especially in deeper leagues. Now may be the best time to part with him since he's red hot.

6/12, 3 runs, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, .500 AVG

Buy:

Johan Santana (SP - New York Mets) - Santana has had a rough career as a Met. He has gotten little run support most of the time, his strikeout numbers are down a bit, and his ERA is a bit high. The Mets traded away several prospects for him, not to mention they shelled out nearly $140 million, and all they've gotten in return is a guy who looks like a #2 pitcher, not an ace. Santana is still very dominant, but he seems a bit softer than he did when on the Twins. He's facing weaker hitting and gets to pitch to the pitcher a few times a game. His numbers should be insanely better, but they're not. He was absolutely horrible in his last start, but to everyone's surprise the Mets' offense picked up and kept Santana from getting the loss. Santana is a better second half pitcher and he's had a very rough stretch as of late. He is a great candidate to turn things around and put up a great second half, especially since he hasn't even gotten hot yet. Buy him now while his value is down. There may be some frustrated Santana owners out there who would be willing to dump him for less than he'd normally cost to acquire.

0 wins, 0 losses, 4 IP, 2 K, 11.25 ERA, 2.25 WHIP

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Jose Reyes (SS - New York Mets) - When fantasy drafts started there was a huge debate on who was the best number two pick out there: Reyes or Ramirez? Many people wound up choosing Reyes because they didn't think Hanley Ramirez would be able to duplicate what he's done in the past and that Reyes was more of a sure thing. However, Reyes has been an utter disappointment this season, but Ramirez is having an absolutely amazing year. Reyes is the number one reason why the Mets have struggled this year, even if they have had a decent winning streak lately. He is the guy at the top of the order who needs to get on base and steal. He's the catalyst that gets the offense going, but he's been playing pretty bad lately. Play his early draft status and how he's been a bust and perhaps you could get Reyes for cheap, especially after what he's done lately. However, don't wait too long because Reyes could snap out of his slump and put up some great numbers.

2/16, 0 runs, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, .125 AVG

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Francisco Cordero (RP - Cincinnati Reds) - Closers have a tough job because one bad outing makes their overall numbers look horrible. Cordero has had a rough season, but he had an absolutely brutal games against the Mets this week. He gave up 6 hits, including a homerun, and four runs. His ERA jumped up from 2.30 to 3.12. Ouch. He gave up as many runs in one game as he did in the entire month of June. His inconsistency can hurt, but he is so valuable when he's hot. Right now his value is a lot lower than it's been in a while due to that loss against the Mets, but he could very easily turn it around. The Reds didn't pay him all of that money to sit on the bench in the bullpen. Expect him to play and put up good numbers in future games. His value is pretty low right now. He could be had for much cheaper than normal, especially if you play up the part about how bad he's been lately.

0 wins, 1 loss, 1 save, 1.2 IP, 1 K, 21.60 ERA, 4.20 WHIP

MLB Top Weekly Performances – First Basemen

2008-07-20T21:50:00Z

The first base position did not disappoint fantasy owners this week. There were some absolutely great numbers put up when fantasy owners needed them most. The week was cut short because of the All-Star break and the players listed below all put up solid power numbers which will help owners win categories that would have been very tough to win without some great efforts by the first basemen. Each player deserves recognition for putting up such solid numbers when owners needed help the most.
Gold

Prince Fielder (1B - Milwaukee Brewers) - Fielder has been on fire since the All-Star break ended. He smashed his 100^th career homerun into McCovey Cove as the Brewers faced the Giants. Owners drafted Fielder early on because of his ability to hit for power. However, he hadn't done all too much until he recently started hitting homeruns like they were going out of style. Fielder is a premier power hitter in the league and has the ability to hit 50-60 homers in a season, if he doesn't get into too many slumps. Owners couldn't be any happier about the type of week he's had though. He has been killing pitching and could wind up with some very high power numbers by the end of the season.

5/11, 2 runs, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, .455 AVG

Silver

Carlos Delgado (1B - New York Mets) - Delgado suddenly doesn't look like the washed up player that many people thought should have retired. He's been hitting very well lately and it seems his power is also returning. Perhaps he's finally 100% healthy or maybe he is just seeing the ball better now, but he looks like a completely rejuvenated player. He may be a perfect sell high candidate, but either way he's been playing like an elite first baseman this week. He may not have the ability to hit over .300, 40+ HR, 130+ RBI, but he's definitely on his way to putting up quality numbers if he can keep this pace.

6/13, 3 runs, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, .462 AVG

Bronze

Justin Morneau (1B - Minnesota Twins) - I won't deny that Morneau is one of my favorite first basemen in the league. However, this article needs none of my bias because Morneau's performance this week does all the talking. Even though I believe Josh Hamilton should have won, the Homerun Derby Champion flashed his power once again this week and helped drive in several runs while helping fantasy owners immensely. Morneau is one of the most solid first baseman in the league, not to mention one of the most reliable fantasy players, and he seems to always be amongst the weekly leaders at his position.

4/10, 5 runs, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, .400 AVG

Other Top Performances:

C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | LF | CF | RF | RP | SP

MLB Top Weekly Performances - Catchers

2008-07-20T21:45:00Z

Catchers always seem to be very inconsistent in the fantasy world. There are only a handful of reliable catchers out there. Two of the more reliable catchers in the league just so happen to be a part of this list. Brian McCann seems to be the most reliable catcher in the NL, Joe Mauer the most valuable in the AL, and Ramon Hernandez seems poised for a comeback. Each player was extremely consistent in producing great numbers for fantasy owners.
Gold

Brian McCann (Catcher - Atlanta Braves) - McCann is without a doubt one of the best catchers in the league and he definitely deserved his spot on the All-Star team. He has done a little bit of everything over the last few games and was hands down the best catcher during the time span. He's extremely talented, he's great behind the plate, and he's a reliable fantasy player. Hopefully he continues performing like he did this week, especially because he was a fairly high ranked catcher in the draft. He definitely deserves the nod for best catcher this week.

5/10, 4 runs, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB, .500 AVG

Silver

Joe Mauer (Catcher - Minnesota Twins) - Mauer hasn't disappointed after being drafted so early for a catcher. Fans had hoped his power would start showing more, but it took a while. However, lately he's been showing more flashes of it. Add the power with his already great batting eye and Mauer is quickly moving up the ranks towards becoming an elite catcher. Johnny Bench, the Hall of Fame catcher, recently said that he believes Mauer will be a $20 million per year catcher. That may be a bit much, but Mauer is good for marketing and seems to only be getting better. He did win a batting title as a catcher after all, therefore he's got the talent to do amazing things. He definitely showed some of his talent this week.

3/10, 5 runs, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB, .300 AVG

Bronze

Ramon Hernandez (Catcher - Baltimore Orioles) - The Hernandez of old finally shows is face. He was horrible last year, has been stressful this year, but all of a sudden this week he is starting to look like the Ramon Hernandez of 2006, when he hit 23 homeruns. Hernandez isn't going to hit for a high average all the time, but he's still got some decent power. He looked good this week and earned his way onto this list. Hopefully he can keep it up. If he does continue to play like he's been playing this week then he will be a terrific pick up for those in need of a catcher.

4/11, 2 runs, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB, .364 AVG

Other Top Performances:

C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | LF | CF | RF | RP | SP