Billy Butler hit his 11th homer of the year on Tuesday, one day after a five hit effort and now has four RBI in the last two games. He still isn't hitting for the power that I assumed he would when he came to the majors, but he is hitting near .300 and soon these doubles (31 through today) have got to start leaving the yard. Butler should continue to be a very solid hitter for the rest of the season, and hopefully the recent increase in power (three dingers in the last eight games) will keep going and he will get to 17 or 18 homers.
Matt Wieters looks like he is showing little signs of life, as he had a four hit game on Tuesday. The bad news is they were all singles, but seeing the way that he is disappointing those of you who spent early draft picks on him and waited all year for him to come to the majors. He has now hit safely in seven straight games and has driven in a run in three straight. I think it is safe to assume he won't be the difference maker we thought he might be when he came to the big leagues this season, but if he can hit .280 with a little power, his owners would likely sign up for that at this point.
Scott Kazmir is another guy that you absolutely have no idea what to expect when he takes the mound. Kazmir either gives up five to seven runs per game or else he throws a game like he did on Tuesday. He gave up just one run over seven innings and struck out four. It was the first time all season that he got through seven innings and Kazmir has been all over the map this season. He is still too talented to let go of, but you might not want to start him every time out. Of course with that strategy you likely would have benched him against New York. I guess what I am saying is good luck trying to figure out what you are going to get from Kazmir.
Clay Buchholz had his win blown by the bullpen, but he had a nice bounceback after a rough outing against the A's. Of course most pitchers will fare better against Oakland than they will against Texas, but it is good to see Clay pitching pretty well and keeping the strikeouts up. Buchholz allowed two runs over 5.2 innings and struck out five. It is still very likely that he is only in the majors until Tim Wakefield is ready to return from a back injury, but enjoy the production from Clay while it lasts.
Kevin Kouzmanoff not only has a five game hit streak, but also has a five game RBI streak. He will always have some value in deeper leagues because of his power potential, but his horrible batting average will always keep him from being a guy who is owned in most 12 team leagues except for a time like now that he is hot. Someday I still think that Kouzmanoff will be a consistent threat who will hit .265 with 25-30 home runs. 2009 will obviously not be it, but it could be a couple more years before he truly realizes his potential.
Mike Pelfrey is all over the map. Sometimes he is great, sometimes he is horrible, most of the time he is average. Pelfrey won his eighth game of the season as he shut out the Rockies over 6.1 innings and struck out five. He has some value as an end of the rotation guy in 12 team leagues, but his ERA near 5.00 and his WHIP of 1.50 makes it likely that he could be a free agent in your league. He is better as a guy you pick up against some of the weaker hitting teams in the National League. His performance tonight against the Rockies has to be classified as a surprise.
Gordon Beckham has been hitting and looking more comfortable by the day for the White Sox. Beckham drove in two runs, giving him at least one RBI in four straight games, and he now has seven hits in the last five games. In keeper leagues, Beckham is a must have as he should have an incredibly bright future in the majors and he could be a 20/20 guy as soon as 2010.
Jhonny Peralta homered for the third straight day, and even though it might have taken a long time, you should consider this him finally breaking out of his slump. Peralta now has nine dingers with 52 RBI and he has gotten his average up to .271. If you have any need for help at middle infield and he is still available, don't hesitate to get him on your team.
As always, your comments and questions are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Also, don’t miss the “Fantasy Baseball Tonight” podcast four nights a week from Monday-Thursday. The Big Show on Wednesday is co-hosted by Todd Farino of fantasybaseballsearch.com, RC Rizza of junkyardjake.com and myself, Ryan Hallam at fightingchancefantasy.com. To hear the show go to www.blogtalkradio.com/the_true_guru. You can also hear me weekly on the Tuesday Night show. Join me with Jeff Mans every Tuesday night at 10pm EST for all the the info and craziness we can pack into one hour. A can’t miss if you plan on winning your league.
The calendar says we are half way home, how are you doing in your leagues this year? We are now through April, May and June with July, August and September yet to go.
Adam Lind hit his 16th homer of the year, and the questions will arise again about his future. Is this a breakout season for Lind or just a one year wonder. I think it is somewhere in the middle. While I feel that Lind is going to be a quality player going forward, I don't think that he will be a consistent 30-35 homer kind of guy. Lind has a heck of a chance to get to 30 jacks this year, but he is on pace for 35+ and I can't see him reaching that.
Leo Nunez looks like he is now healthy enough to be the closer for the Marlins as long as Lindstrom will be out. After Dan Meyer got the first few chances, Nunez has gotten the last couple saves and he is looking pretty good. Nunez didn't allow a hit or a walk and struck out two. If for some reason he hasn't been added in your league, absolutely pick him up.
Jordan Zimmerman was good again, but again the Nationals weren't good enough to get him a win to show for his effort. Zimmerman allowed two runs over six innings and struck out six. The kid has five straight starts that he has allowed two runs or less. Unfortunately he has only one win to show for it. He is a good pitcher to own....unless you need wins.
Ricky Romero continues to pitch well, but for some reason I'm still not jumping on the bandwagon. Romero has an ERA under 3.00, WHIP of 1.24, and he is 6-3. What is there not to like? I still go back to his minor league statistics. I know that you can't put total stock in those numbers, but I can't forget them. I have picked him up and pitched him, but I am just waiting for the implosion.
The Orioles might have blown his win, but Brad Bergeson pitched well yet again. Bergeson allowed just one run over eight innings and struck out six. After allowing four runs to the Nationals on May 24th, Bergeson's ERA was 5.49. Seven starts and four straight wins later, Bergeson's ERA is now sitting at 3.53. Now I feel the need to point out that he faced Philly (his bad start), the Mariners twice, Atlanta, and Washington during this streak, but today was versus the Red Sox. I am not drinking the Kool-Aid just yet, but I have poured it into the glass.
Mike Pelfrey gave the Mets just what they needed, a huge outing from a starting pitcher. He threw 7.2 shutout innings, walked just two and struck out six. It was his best and longest outing in quite a while, and although I would like to trust Pelfrey, I am not adding him to my teams. The Mets are just so riddled by injuries right now that I don't trust that they can put any kind of consistent offense together (like tonight's one run), and thus their starters have to be perfect in order to win. He's decent, not great, but certain times he is very good. I wish you luck figuring out when those times might be.
Jason Hammel has been a great addition to the Rockies pitching staff, but I still do not have enough faith in him to start him every time out. He pitched a full eight innings today, allowed just one run and struck out five. He didn't deserve the loss that dropped his record to 5-4, but that is where he stands. He has now allowed three runs or less in eight of his last ten starts, but his career numbers say that this is not for real. His ERA has been well into the 5.00s throughout his career, so there has to be a correction to this great run that he is on.
Dallas Braden now has nine straight starts that he has allowed three runs or less, the problem being that tonight was his first win in his last five starts. He also isn't a huge strikeout pitcher, so his value is limited. He is helping you in ERA and WHIP (1.26), but wins and Ks he isn't bringing much to the table. Braden is a decent guy to have as your sixth pitcher, but if he is higher than that, you may need to improve your pitching staff.
Randy Wells is another guy who has been pitching pretty well that I am just not sold on based on his minor league statistics. Explain to me how a guy who had three seasons of an ERA over 4.00 and didn't even start exclusively can come up and get major league hitters out. It just doesn't add up to me. However, you can not argue with the fact that he has won three straight starts and has an ERA under 2.50. I'm standing by my opinion that Wells will come back to earth sometime in the near future.
Jose Contreras had a great outing after it seemed he was going back to being the average pitcher that we all know him as. Contreras threw eight innings, allowed two runs and struck out eight. I do not put any stock into Contreras going forward. He might be 56 years old for all we know, and I don't trust him to pitch well consistently. Don't fall into the trap.
I mentioned on tonight's Fantasy Baseball Tonight podcast that Erik Bedard might pitch on Saturday. That has now been edited that he will throw a simulated game on Friday, and could start on Tuesday now against the Orioles. He would be on a pitch limit of 80, and this start is not set in stone yet, so don't go activating Bedard just yet.
As of now Brandon Webb will avoid shoulder surgery and hopes to return in September. I am skeptical that a team going nowhere will bring back their ace pitcher with just a few weeks left. If you have DL spots left I would stash him, but if not, I am torn about what to do with him.
Aramis Ramirez will begin a rehab assignment on Friday and hopes to return ot the Cubs lineup on Monday. A guy like Aramis who has a history of injury could possibly have setbacks before he is activated, but as of now you might get your 3B back next week.
Nelson Cruz left tonight's game with a stiff back, and it is too soon to know if this injury will cost him any time. I never like to see an athlete have trouble with his back, so I am a bit concerned, but I am not ready to give any advice out until I hear more. Hopefully Cruz won't have to miss any games.
Alexei Ramirez also left the game tonight with an injured finger and his manager has already said that he will sit out Thursday's game. Ramirez has really turned it on this month, so his fantasy owners (me included) are really hoping that this is nothing. He is also supposed to undergo x-rays, so hold your breath that the news is good.
Newly acquired Cardinal Mark DeRosa will miss three to four games with a strained tendon in his wrist. Hopefully that is all that he will miss and the trade of Chris Perez wasn't for nothing. Keep DeRosa on your bench throughout the weekend.
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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