Recent Hitting Call Ups

Mike Aviles, Kansas City Royals

.291, 3 HRs, 15 RBI, 2 SBs (26 games)

He didn't arrive with much fanfare, but Mike Aviles has been one of the better rookie hitters so far in 2008. The Royals 2007 Minor League Player of the Year hit 17 HRs and drove in 77 runs in 2007. He was on pace to crush that season in 2008 before the Royals summoned him to play with the big boys (.336/10/42 in 51 games in '08). Aviles got off to a great start, but had many fantasy owners not believing that he was for real. Like all young hitters he will slump from time to time (no hits in last nine at-bats currently), but his track record says that he will continue to hit. And with no competition to take his job with the Royals, he should be a great pickup at a weak position.

Chase Headley, San Diego Padres

.254, 4 HRs, 6 RBI (15 games)

Headley is one of the better hitting prospects in baseball, and would have had a starting job out of Spring if he was ready to play left field. But he went down the minors, crushed the baseball, and learned the outfield. Now that he is back with the Pads, he is looking to keep on doing what he has been.....hitting baseballs out of the park. Since his call up on June 17th, Headley has only gone hitless twice, and has an eight game hitting streak going right now. He has shown pretty good power at the major league level and just needs to cut down on the strikeouts. I don't see him returning to the minors again anytime soon, so if you need some help, Headley could be a good option for you.

Max Ramirez, Texas Rangers

.150, 1 HR, 3 RBI (6 games)

Has Jarrod Saltalamacchia fallen out of favor in Texas already? Everyone thought he would be the starting catcher out of Spring, but the job was given to Gerald Laird. Then Laird gets hurt, and up from AA comes Max Ramirez. Ramirez was making the minors look like Junior Varsity as he was hitting .363 with 17 homers and 50 ribbies in just 67 games. However, it is looking like the jump from Double-A to the majors might have been too big for Max, as he is struggling mightily at the plate. Don't be surprised to see him return to the farm if he struggles more in the next few days. Keep his name in the back of your mind for next season, however, perhaps then he might be ready for prime time.

Brett Gardner, New York Yankees

.100, 1 RBI, 2 SBs (3 games)

The Yankees needed to inject some speed into their lineups and did so with the promotion of Gardner. He is certainly never going to wow you with his power, as he never even hit 10 homers in a season in the minors, but that's not why you would own him. Gardner has blazing speed and has the potential to steal 50 bases in the majors if he were ever to get regular playing time. That's a problem on the Yankees, as with Melky Cabrera, Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, and Hideki Matsui, at-bats in the outfield are tough to come by. But with Matsui hurt, and Damon crashing into the wall on Friday, perhaps Gardner will get some playing time, and if you need steals, this is a good place to go to get them.

Chris Davis, Texas Rangers

.316, 3 HRs, 7 RBI (7 games)

The Rangers best hitting prospect came to the majors to inject some more power into that lineup, and so far he has delivered. Davis was putting up big numbers in the minors before his call up (.333/14/42 in just 46 games) and has continued hitting in Texas. Rumors are that he might return to the minors when Hank Blalock returns from the DL, but I have two thoughts on that. One, if he keeps hitting like this, how do you send him down? Two, Hank Blalock come off the DL? Who really thinks that is going to happen anytime soon? Or even if he does it is just a matter of time before he is hurt again. I like Davis, big time.

Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals

.428, 1 HR, 1 RBI (4 games)

One of the top hitting prospects in ALL of baseball, Butler has been a guy that we have been waiting for to hit .315 or better and bash out 25+ home runs. However, in his short major league career he has yet to show that power potential that he flashed in the minors. In 2007 at AAA, Butler connected on 13 homers in just 57 games, which translates to nearly 40 over an entire season. However, in his 149 games at the major league level he has just ten. Butler has a world of talent and in deeper (16+ teams) or keeper leagues, you should probably make a move on Butler now, depending on your roster.

Adam Lind, Toronto Blue Jays

.333, 3 HRs, 10 RBI (8 games)

This is far from Lind's first stint in the major leagues, but so far it has certainly been his most productive. I have been one of Lind's biggest critics as I haven't seen anything in his game to match all the hype that surrounded his ascension to the majors. He had shown SOME power in his other trips to Toronto, but his batting average was so bad, that you couldn't afford to keep him on your roster. In his previous call-up earlier this year, Lind was only able to collect one hit in six games, while striking out three times. Something might have finally clicked for him though, as he has been a nice shot in the arm for the Blue Jays offense. He has driven in six of those runs in the past three games, and although his average is still not impressive, he might be worth a spot on your team.

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