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Sunday, July 5, 2009

The Hot 8: Week 14

Just a few short weeks ago it seemed like there were no impact middle infielders to be had in fantasy leagues. This week there are five who candidates to make The Hot 8. I've settled on three who I feel are must owns in the majority of fantasy leagues despite each being owned in less than 10% of fantasy leagues so far. Here is the final Hot 8 of the first half of the 2009 season:

2 PLAYERS + 2 STARTS APIECE = FANTASY GOLD
1) Jason Hammel (RHP - Starter) -- Rockies -- Hammel is making the most his move to the National League this year by posting a 5-4 record with a 3.90 ERA so far. He's been even better since becoming a member of the Rockies starting rotation. In his last 6 starts Hammel is 4-1 with a 2.95 ERA with 20 K's and just 1 HR given up. This week he gets the Nationals and the Braves, two real good opportunities for continued success.

2) Kevin Correia (RHP - Starter) -- Padres -- Second week in a row for Correia on The Hot 8 both in the #2 slot for the week as well. Don't let one bad start deter you from grabbing Correia, especially when looking at the week ahead. Since he started relying on his curveball more, his K/9 ratio has skyrocketed as has his BB/9 has gone down. Correia will be on the road this week for both of his starts but throwing against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants should be a chance any fantasy player is willing to take. He'll win at least one of these games and provide plenty of K's too while not hurting you at all in ERA and WHIP.

MIDDLE INFIELD HELP IS HERE!!
3) Gordon Beckham (SS/3B) -- Whitesox -- Beckham in entrenched as Chicago's starting 3B and will be for the rest of this season. He has gotten hot as of late bashing 3 HR's in his last 7 games. Through his first 100 major league plate appearances Beckham is hitting .275/.347/.429 with those 3 HR's to go with 14 runs scored and 16 RBI. He is playing his home games in a very hitter friendly park and is sandwiched within a high scoring offense making him that much more attractive for fantasy ballers. In addition to the power and run scoring potential, Beckham has the ability to steal some bases this season too. He is owned in just 16% of Yahoo leagues right now which is a downright shame. Anybody looking for help in the middle or corner infield positions would be wise to go out and grab Beckham before somebody else does. This kid can play.

4) Martin Prado (1B, 2B, 3B) -- Braves -- Manager Bobby Cox named Prado his new starting 2B just before Kelly Johnson was placed on the 15 day DL. It seems Johnson's struggles have become Prado's gain as the utility player has seized the opportunity and given the Braves a much needed spark at the top of their order. Prado is a fine hitter and a quick glance through his major and minor league history shows not a single instance in which he hitter under .281. He is also very good at working counts and taking walks which gets him on base for the Braves big run producers in Chipper Jones and Brian McCann. Being eligible at 1B, 2B & 3B makes Prado all that more lucrative for the fantasy owner wise enough to pick him up soon before the band wagon jumpers find out.

5) Everth Cabrera (Shortstop) -- Padres -- The final of my trio of middle infielders this week is Everth Cabrera who is coming back from a nasty wrist injury suffered in April. Cabrera was a rule V pick this offseason being selected third overall by the Padres out of the Colorado Rockies organization. The most intriguing thing about Cabrera is his speed. He stole 73 bases last year playing in single A Asheville while a member of the Rockies organization. Because he is a rule V pick, he must remain on the Padres roster all season long or be returned to the Rockies without compensation. Thus, he is getting regular playing time right now and performing quite well. He is a natural second baseman and may wind up there at some point this season. Cabrera is patient at the plate and will take a walk which greatly helps him make use of his speed. He has zero power and strikes out quite a bit too. He has gotten off to quite a hot start though and could be a big help to fantasy teams looking for some stolen bases and runs scored in the next few weeks.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
6) Colby Rasmus (Outfield) -- Cardinals -- I nearly fell out of my chair this week while pouring through the available players in Yahoo, CBS and ESPN fantasy leagues. When I came across the name Colby Rasmus, I expected to see between 33-50% ownership at this point in the season. Instead I see 8%, 10%, 8% respectively for the fine young Cardinals outfielder. I guess not even his recent hot streak could sway the unbelievable stubbornness of fantasy owners. Rasmus is a guy who will get more playing time in the second half than he did in the first and will find himself hitting in front of the great Albert Pujols quite a bit. Rasmus has power, speed and the ability to carry a fantasy teams for weeks at a time when he is going right. You'll hear much more about Rasmus in my Hot 8 of the second half next week but with a guy this talented time is of the essence.

YES, ANOTHER GIANTS STARTING PITCHER
7) Ryan Sadowski (RHP - Starter) -- Giants -- There might not have been a less likely person to make this list at the start of the season than Ryan Sadowski. He got the call to San Francisco after the Giants decided to send struggling LHP Jonathen Sanchez to the bullpen last week. Sadowski was called up despite his mediocre numbers at AAA Fresno this season and has been nothing short of spectacular. Sadowski is a fastball/slider/changeup type pitcher who makes the most of his location and changing speeds. In 13.0 IP so far this season he is yet to yield a run and has allowed just 7 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6 and winning his first two starts. I do not expect this trend to continue, but I feel that Sadowski can be a steady force at the back end of the Giants rotation for at least the next few weeks. Perfect for a pitch and ditch type situation.

ON HIS WAY BACK
8) Alex Gordon (Third Base) -- Royals -- I want to make sure we are all clear about why I am including Gordon in this weeks Hot 8. This is basically to make everyone aware that he is currently on a rehab trip that will take him to AA Northwest Arkansas next week and hopefully back to Kansas City after the All-Star break. Gordon seems fully recovered from hip surgery in April as I've heard that he's been rehabbing like a madman prior to getting back on the field. With limited options at 3B in the free agent market, fantasy owners should watch Gordon closely for the next week or two before giving him a shot later this month.

That is the Hot 8 for this week. What do you guys think?
Post your comments below or email me at jeff@fantasybaseballsearch.com

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