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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Possible Free Agent Pickups

By this time of the year everyone is watching free agency trying to plug that injury hole, or that guy we thought was going to be a star that didn’t pan out. These are a few guys that could help your roster and keep you on track toward the title.

Hitters

Mike Aviles, KC. The Royals Minor League Player of the Year in 2007, Aviles has been just what the doctor ordered in Kansas City since his call up. In 18 games, Aviles is hitting .336 with three homers and 13 RBI. At AAA last season, Aviles hit .296 with 17 homers and 77 ribbies, which means this production isn’t necessarily a fluke. Given his age and the fact he plays a middle infield position, I see no reason not to take a flier on the young shortstop, he has the everyday job for now.

Elijah Dukes, WAS. In his last six games, Dukes has nine hits, two homers and three ribeyes. He is currently hitting .264, and although he looks like someone worth owning, you have to be aware of his off the field problems. Dukes is always just a day away from a possible suspension or act that could cause him to be looked upon unfavorably in the organization. Take into account the time just a couple of weeks ago where he refused to slap his manager five, after Manny Acta took exception to Dukes and Milledge dancing. It doesn’t appear to have cost him this time, but the potential is always there.

Adam Lind, TOR. When Blue Jays Shawn Marcum got hurt, it came with the recall of one of their better hitting prospects, Adam Lind. Lind has been up with the big club before, but it has seemed on each one of his tours of duty that he was completely overmatched and might not be able to hit major league pitching. So far in his first time with the big club he has been hitting this time (although it is only three games). Lind connected on his second homer in three games, and he has the talent to be a great hitter, perhaps he will start to put it together.

Jorge Cantu, FLA. It might be too late for Cantu already, but he is certainly setting the fantasy world on watch in recent weeks. Bring back memories from 2005 when Cantu was a big hitting 2B, he is hitting .280 with 14 homers and 43 driven in. Even though he is now at third and not the shallow second base position, Cantu is proving to be someone who belongs on someone’s roster, if not their starting lineups.

Just coming to the majors: Chris Davis, 3B, TEX

Pitchers

Mike Pelfrey, NYM. Is this time that he starts living up to all the potential we have been hearing about? Take it easy, it is too soon to make that statement yet. Pelfrey has been pitching better as of late, in four of his last five starts he allowed two runs or less. If I had a spot at the end of my rotation, or an injury to someone like Carlos Zambrano, I would carry Pelfrey on my roster until I got healthy. Just temper your expectations and don’t expect an ace and you won’t be disappointed by Pelfrey.

Charlie Morton, ATL. The latest rookie to try to keep the Braves’ ship afloat, Morton was called up after he was posting some pretty impressive numbers at AAA. In three starts he has yet to allow more than three runs and his record is 1-1. He pitched pretty well his last time out despite battling the flu, and in the short term Morton isn’t a bad option. He was 5-2 with a 2.05 ERA (72 Ks in 79 IP also) at AAA Richmond, but those were by far his best numbers as a minor leaguer. I am not on the Morton bandwagon as of now, but as a band-aid, he looks to be a decent option.

Darryl Thompson, CIN. He is about to make his second start of the season, and if it is like the first, you might think about picking him up. Even though he walked four batters, Thompson threw five shutout innings in Yankee Stadium in his major league debut, and immediately got the attention of some fantasy owners. He had pretty good minor league numbers, as he was 3-2 with a 1.76 ERA and nearly a strikeout an inning. It is tough to make the transition from AA to the majors, but it has been done before and the Reds seem to have the knack with young pitching all of a sudden.

Luke Hochevar, KC. Hochevar has had a very up and down rookie season, and it is looking more like he is going to be a pretty good pitcher. In three of his last four starts he has allowed only two runs, but he is still walking too many batters and striking out too few. Hochevar was a former number one overall pick, so he has a world of potential, the Royals and fantasy players are just waiting for him to become a little more consistent.

Just Coming to the Majors: John Parrish, SP, TOR

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