Those Fantasy Guys

Pitcher six-pack

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:29:23 -0500

Mark Hendrickson, SP (FLA): I laughed when I saw that Mark Hendrickson was the Opening Day starter for the Florida Marlins. And I probably wasn't the only one. Hendrickson is having the last laugh now since he's 5-1 so far this season. Add to that an ERA of 3.19 and a WHIP of 1.17 and it is time to start owning this guy. He hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in his last six starts and posted an ERA of 2.56 in April. In roto leagues, why not ride this guy until he says not to? Jonathan Sanchez, SP (SF): I wrote about Jonathan Sanchez recently, advising others to pick him up, so you might be surprised to see me writing about him again after an awful outing this week. Sanchez was throttled to the tune of seven earned runs to the light-hitting Pittsburgh Pirates in 4 1/3 innings and has since been dropped in a lot of leagues. I would add him and use him in spot starts. Take a look at these splits: Home: 1-0, 24.2, IP, 6 ER, 2.19 ERA 27:10 K:BB, 1.14 WHIP Away: 1-2, 13.1 IP, 14 ER, 9.45 ERA, 17:9 K:BB, 1.80 WHIP Add him, start him at home and sit him on the road. Brett Myers, SP (PHI): I've seen a lot of people getting nervous about Brett Myers. His velocity is down and he was knocked around again on Thursday. He allowed six earned runs in five innings of work against the Diamondbacks. I own him and I'm not overly concerned. Most of his struggles have been on the road, so his stuff is still fine. My guess is he'll straighten out before long. For now, I'd do the same as with Sanchez, start him at home and bench him on the road. Home: 2-0, 27 IP, 3.00 ERA, 25:6 K:BB, 1.00 WHIP Away: 2-3, 22 IP, 9.90 ERA, 17:9 K:BB, 1.86 WHIP Santiago Casilla, RP (OAK): Now it's time to do something that I rarely do: talk about a relief pitcher who isn't a closer. Santiago Casilla has been lights out for the Oakland Athletics this year -- literally. He hasn't allowed a single run -- earned or unearned -- in 17.1 innings pitched and hasn't even allowed a hit in his last five innings of work. He has a 17:3 K:BB ratio and notched a save in his most recent outing. There is the possibility that Huston Street might get dealt later this season, which would increase his value, but you still might want to consider him in deep leagues. He'll chip in across the board and none of his numbers will hurt you. Justin Duchscherer, SP (OAK): Sticking with the A's, Justin Duchscherer is back from a strained biceps and has pitched pretty well so far in his return. In 17 innings, Duchscherer has given up five earned runs (2.64 ERA) while posting a 12:3 K:BB ratio and a WHIP of 1.12. The A's are winning and so is he. He's won both of his last starts and becomes a player you might want to pick up. Across the board, he doesn't really hurt you in any category. Scott Downs, RP (TOR): Saves are hard to come by, which is why Scott Downs garners some attention here. He's picked up a couple of saves in two of his last four outings, but realistically, he's picking up scraps off the table. The Blue Jays don't want to overwork B.J. Ryan right now, which is why Downs is seeing some closing opportunities. But the fact that Ryan hasn't allowed a single run this season doesn't bode well for Downs long term. And even if an injury occurred, Jeremy Accardo would probably take over the full-time closing duties like he did last year. Downs is a reach.

O's vs. Royals preview: May 8-11

Thu, 08 May 2008 12:45:47 -0500

If the Orioles want to regain the positive momentum that carried them through the first month of the season, they’ll need to convert more scoring opportunities and cut down on base-running mistakes. Daniel Cabrera will get the start tonight against the Kansas City Royals. The 26-year-old right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in six career starts against Kansas City. Cabrera has lasted at least six innings in six of his seven starts this season. The Orioles will be looking for another solid outing from the 6-foot-9 starter tonight. The Royals lost the first two games of their three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels before winning the series finale, 9-4. Kansas City enters the four-game series against the Orioles in fourth place in the AL Central with a 15-18 record. Although the Orioles haven’t been lighting up the scoreboard, the Royals have been even worse in 2008. The Royals are currently ranked last in the American League in runs scored (119). They have only scored six or more runs in six of their 33 games. Only three of those games resulted in wins. By comparison, the Orioles are 9-0 when scoring six or more runs. Neither team has scored 10 or more runs in a game this season. Pitching matchups Thursday 5/8: Daniel Cabrera (2-1, 4.06) vs. Luke Hochevar (2-1, 4.86) Friday 5/9: Steve Trachsel (1-4, 7.43) vs. Gil Meche (2-4, 5.98) Saturday 5/10: Garrett Olson (1-0, 2.08) vs. Brett Tomko (1-3, 4.98) Sunday 5/11: Brian Burres (3-3, 3.19) vs. Brian Bannister (3-4, 4.46) Who you should play from the Royals Alex Gordon, 3B – With a team that is ranked last in the league in runs, it’s hard to find a valuable fantasy player. Gordon is the team’s best fantasy prospect at this point in the season. He is hitting .280 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. He also has two stolen bases and 18 runs scored. It should be noted that Gordon was only 1-for-17 against the Orioles last season, so keep that in mind when planning out your roster this weekend. Who you should bench from the Royals Jose Guillen, OF – Guillen has hit three home runs and contributed 15 RBIs, but he’s really hurting fantasy owners with his .185 batting average. He was 3-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored against the Angels yesterday. This could potentially be the spark that he needs to bring his batting average closer to normal, but for now he should be riding your bench if you have better outfielders. Who you should play from the Orioles Daniel Cabrera, RHP – Has he turned the corner? It’s still too early to tell, but I have enough confidence to start him against Kansas City. If he’s available in your league, pick him up and start him tonight. The Orioles have lost five straight games and they need someone to step up and put an end to the losing streak. As I stated above, Cabrera has never lost to the Royals and their offense is struggling worse than the Orioles right now. As long as the Orioles can score a few runs, he should get another win tonight. Who you should bench from the Orioles Brian Roberts, 2B – Roberts is 4-for-23 in the last six games. He’s still one of the best second basemen in fantasy baseball. However, I noted him in this category because he’s not hitting as well as normal. Also, Roberts has scored only one run in May and hasn’t had a stolen base since April 28. Keep him in your lineup, but find the proper mix of players to complement him on your team.

My fantasy lineup -- this week's transactions

Wed, 07 May 2008 20:23:21 -0500

I'm starting a new weekly article here, and the basis is very simple: I'm going to let you inside my head with my fantasy team. I'm currently participating in a 12-team mixed league with 11 members of Hardcore Country. The scoring system is 5x5 roto with one DL spot. Each week I'll list my rosters, the moves I made and a brief update on what I'm thinking with some of the players. Transactions: 1. Added: Mark Hendrickson, SP (TB) He doesn't look like a long-term solution but Hendrickson's numbers look somewhat passable. He's 5-1 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Hard to ignore those numbers. 1. Dropped: John Lannan, SP (WAS) I was somewhat high on Lannan but when you hash out his season, without the 11 K performance against the New York Mets on April 17th, his K:BB ratio is 13:16. Plus he got blown up to the tune of 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K in 3.0 IP against the Pirates this week. 2. Added: Joe Borowski, RP (CLE): Borowski is getting closer to returning -- he is supposed to have a bullpen session on Thursday and get back to closing once he returns. Rafael Betancourt hasn't grabbed the reigns while Borowski has been out, and saves are hard to come by in this league. 2. Dropped: Chad Cordero, RP (WAS): I want to hold on to him but with Jorge Posada reserving my DL spot, I don't have enough room to carry him for four-to-six weeks in a roto league. I'll watch him closely and pick him up later. 3. Added: Randy Wolf, SP (SD) Randy Wolf has 37 strikeouts, which is good for 13th in the NL. But almost everyone in front of him has (roughly) an extra 10 innings pitched. The 3.57 ERA is decent and his WHIP is a respectable 1.13 -- this guy should not be on the waiver wire. I love the fact that he's pitching in Petco Park, which is a renowned pitcher's ballpark. I think he can keep this up all year long. 3. Dropped: Mark Hendrickson, SP (TB) Hendrickson's stay was short-lived. He's had a nice start, but I just have very little faith it will continue. Wolf has the pedigree. 4. Added: Johnny Cueto, SP (CIN) Like many people, I read that the Cincinnati Reds called up Cueto's coach from the Dominican to help work his mechanics. Cueto had been struggling in his recent, starts and I got to examining his stats. He's giving up a lot of home runs (7) but outside of a few bad pitches, he's not really being knocked around. His 1.12 WHIP and his 41:7 K:BB ratio show that he can be downright dominant. He put up 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 8 K, 2 BB in his most recent start but he nearly gave up a couple more home runs that just barely stayed in the park. He's a very valuable fantasy pitcher if he can settle down a bit. 4. Dropped: Jeff Clement, UTIL (SEA) The idea of adding Clement was based around his potential catcher eligibility and that he's supposed to be a good hitter. He's hitting .150 with one run in seven games since being called up. Au revoir. 5. Added: Chris Iannetta, C (COL) You have to add Chris Iannetta in pretty much every league at this point. Catcher is such a thin position, and he's knocking the cover off the ball. While platooning with Yorvit Torrealba, he's hit .362 with 3 HR, 10 RBI and 8 RBIs. With Torrealba batting .235, that platoon might not last long. Iannetta also played a game at third base as the Rockies shuffled their infield with Troy Tulowitzki out. 5. Dropped: Fred Lewis, OF (SF) I like Fred Lewis as I indicated in my last blog entry, but the bottom line is that I needed to drop someone to get Iannetta and I'm not ready to drop Travis Hafner yet. Lewis has had a good start to the season but considering he's a rookie, we don't know that this will continue. Regrets: Brad Hawpe, OF (COL): Brad Hawpe was sitting on my waiver wire and for some stupid reason, I didn't add him. I wrote about him last week, and even though I encouraged others to go get him, I opted for Fred Lewis instead. Hawpe will be a 30-100 guy this year, and I'll regret that for a while. C - Chris Iannetta (COL) 1B - Albert Pujols (STL) 2B - Dustin Pedroia (BOS) 3B - Alex Gordon (KC) SS - Rafael Furcal (LAD) OF - Curtis Granderson (DET) OF - Carl Crawford (TB) OF - Mike Cameron (MIL) UTIL - Conor Jackson (ARI) BN - Travis Hafner (CLE) SP - Erik Bedard (SEA) SP - Randy Wolf (SD) RP - Francisco Cordero (CIN) RP - Eric Gagne (MIL) P - Jose Valverde (HOU) P - Dan Haren (ARZ) P - Ervin Santana (LAA) BN - Brett Myers (PHI) BN - Joe Borowski (CLE) BN - Matt Cain (SF) BN - Johnny Cueto (CIN)

O's vs. Athletics preview: May 5-7

Mon, 05 May 2008 11:28:46 -0500

The Orioles began their road trip on a positive note with a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night. After a good start to the series, the team dropped the last two games by three runs total. The Orioles will now play the Oakland Athletics for three games before concluding the road trip with four games in Kansas City against the Royals. In his first start this season, Garrett Olson earned the victory after allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. It will be interesting to see if Olson can duplicate that performance against the Athletics tonight. Last season, Olson was 1-3 with a 7.79 ERA in seven starts, so another solid showing would help to erase those memories and build his confidence. Like the Orioles, the Athletics are surprising a lot of experts who didn’t expect them to be very competitive during the 2008 season. During the offseason, they traded Nick Swisher to the Chicago White Sox, Mark Kotsay to the Atlanta Braves and Dan Haren to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In exchange, they received a bunch of prospects and appeared to be in a rebuilding mode entering the season. However, they’re currently 19-14 and one game behind the Angels in the AL West. Over the weekend, the Athletics dropped the first two games to the Texas Rangers before winning yesterday’s series finale, 3-1. Former Oriole Jack Cust hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to give the Athletics the victory. Pitching matchups Monday 5/5: Garrett Olson (1-0, 2.70) vs. Dana Eveland (3-2, 3.67) Tuesday 5/6: Brian Burres (3-2, 2.87) vs. Justin Duchscherer (2-1, 2.40) Wednesday 5/7: Jeremy Guthrie (1-3, 4.06) vs. Joe Blanton (2-5, 3.88) Who you should play from the Athletics Emil Brown, OF – Brown has proven to be a nice addition to my fantasy team in an extremely deep league – 20 teams with 25 players on each team. Brown is hitting .271 with three home runs, 26 RBIs and 19 runs scored in 118 at-bats this season. In 14 career games against the Orioles, Brown has two home runs and seven RBIs. Who you should bench from the Athletics Jack Cust, LF/DH – Cust has been on fire lately. He’s 8-for-14 with three home runs, four RBIs and five runs scored in the first four games of May. Nonetheless, he shouldn’t be active in your fantasy lineup while the Orioles are in town. The Orioles will be sending two left-handed starters (Olson and Burres) to the mound during the series and Cust only has a .215 career batting average against lefties. Although he’s hitting well recently, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Athletics give Cust an off day during this series. Who you should play from the Orioles Melvin Mora, 3B – A lot of people might be in search of a third baseman since Alex Rodriguez is on the disabled list. In the three games in Los Angeles, Mora was 6-for-11 with one home run and three RBIs. While he shouldn’t be counted on for consistent production, Mora provides fantasy owners with a nice alternative option when he is hitting like he did against the Angels. Pick him up if he’s available in your league. Who you should bench from the Orioles Adam Jones, CF – Jones was 0-for-11 during the three-game series against the Angels. There are probably some owners out there, particularly in keeper leagues, who are wondering when they should insert him into their starting lineup. He’s been very inconsistent so far this season. There have been games in which he has looked completely clueless at the plate, but then he’ll have three hits the following day. Don’t get rid of him, but keep him on your bench until he shows that he is capable of consistent production in the major leagues.

Position player six-pack

Sun, 04 May 2008 18:51:03 -0500

Jeff Clement, DH (SEA): Jeff Clement is one of the Seattle Mariners' top prospects, and he was called up Wednesday to give the batting lineup a spark. Designated hitter Jose Vidro has struggled, and so has catcher Kenji Johjima. Clement was hitting .397 with five home runs and 20 RBIs for Triple-A Tacoma and has three hits in 13 at-bats since being called up. Clement is a catcher but he's not yet catcher-eligible in most leagues. He should be a productive hitter in the big leagues, but he only has value once he becomes catcher-eligible. If he does, he should immediately become one of the better options out there -- especially for those who just placed Jorge Posada on the disabled list. Mike Cameron, OF (MIL): People have slept on Mike Cameron, who served a 25-game suspension to start the season, but he's back and is a must-own in anything bigger than an eight-team league. He had 21 HR, 78 RBIs, 88 R and 18 SB last year while playing for the punch-less San Diego Padres in Petco Park. Not only is he in a much better hitter's environment now, but he's also at the top of the order. He's at No. 2 in the lineup -- a run-producing role -- where he should see plenty of quality pitches as pitchers hope to avoid facing Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder behind him. Cameron's average (.242 in '07, .268 in '06) leaves something to be desired, but it might get better this year because of the aforementioned reason. Here's what he's done since he's returned: 6 GP, .269 AVG (7-for-26), 3 HR, 7 RBIs, 6 R. That's what I'm talking about. Carlos Gomez, OF (MIN): With Curtis Granderson and Carl Crawford as my two everyday outfielders in my 12-team mixed league, I was auditioning Carlos Gomez and Mike Cameron for my last gig. I went with Cameron, based on his pedigree, but Gomez has been a valuable player this season. He started hot, then slumped, then was benched for a game, and now he's back on fire. Maybe the Minnesota Twins rode him too hard to start the season, but with days off in the recent weeks (some because of injury), Gomez has hit .450 (9-for-20) with 2 RBIs, 8 R and 4 SB over his last six games. In fact, his 13 SBs are tied for the league lead. As a rookie, you have to wonder if he will wear down as the season progresses, but he will clearly be a solid option for steals and runs. Fred Lewis, OF (SF): Right Said Fred Lewis has a lot of similarities with Carlos Gomez in the sense that he's a rookie and he provides a lot of speed (runs and stolen bases), but he's useful for other reasons. For starters, he provides a much better average. He's hitting .320 with an on-base percentage of roughly .400. He only has five stolen bases so far, but he has more home runs (3), RBIs (8) and runs (19) than Gomez in four fewer at-bats. Again, he's a rookie, which may mean he's susceptible to second-half fading, but he projects to finish with 95 R, 25 SB and 15 HR with a batting average around .300 -- that's outstanding for a guy who's owned in roughly 35 percent of leagues. Brad Hawpe, OF (COL): I've seen Brad Hawpe on the waiver wire in a number of fantasy leagues, and I'm having trouble passing up on the value of adding a guy for free when he was drafted between rounds 7-9 in most 12-team leagues. Granted, he's had a rough start to the season, but so has the whole Colorado Rockies squad. He's warming up, and if you can either low-ball another owner or pick him up for free, I would. Hawpe has .300/30/100 potential, and these types of guys don't grow on trees. Since April 24, he's raised his averaged from .232 to .260. The power is not quite there (only one home run, five RBIs in that span), but I'm confident it will come along with the rest of the order. Travis Hafner, DH (CLE): To be quite honest with you, I'm done with Travis Hafner. There is so much value on the waiver wire in my league that I consider this guy dead weight on my team. Whether he was part of the steroids fad and is now off it, or whether he is just straight up struggling, something is wrong with him, and it looks like it is beyond reparation. For three years between 2004-2006, Hafner hit no less than .305 while averaging 34 home runs and 474 at-bats per season. In 2006, he hits 42 jacks in 454 at-bats but surprisingly fell off the face of the earth last year. In 545 at-bats last season -- nearly 100 more than in 2006 -- Hafner had 18 fewer home runs and 17 fewer RBIs. His batting average plummeted to .266, and his slugging percentage dropped from .659 to .451. This year, his struggles have become even worse. Saying the word "struggles" implies that his slump is the aberration and his 2006 form is just waiting to re-emerge. But after experiencing his worst month in nearly six years, I believe that this is who he is now. The only good news is his 17 RBIs, which put him on pace for nearly 100 again this season, but who can deal with a .209 batting average? Even the Cleveland Indians are considering getting Kelly Shoppach more time in the lineup if Pronk continues down this road. I offered Hafner for Kenji Johjima straight up because I have more faith in Johjima than Hafner. If you can move him for someone else who has had a slow start, good luck. Otherwise, you might be cutting the dead weight soon.

O's vs. Angels preview: May 2-4

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:14:20 -0500

The next ten games will say a lot about how the rest of the season will play out for the Orioles. After dropping the last two games at home, the team heads to Los Angeles for a three-game series that begins tonight against the Angels. Following the three games in Los Angeles, they’ll head to Oakland for three games against the Athletics and then to Kansas City for four games against the Royals before returning to Baltimore on May 13. The Orioles are currently two games above .500 (15-13) overall and two games below .500 on the road (5-7). If they can bounce back and have a winning road trip, then the Orioles might be able to hang around the top of the AL East a little bit longer. Anything less than a .500 road trip could spell disaster for a team with a lot of young players that has been playing above expectations so far this season. The Angels had won two straight before losing, 15-8, last night against the Athletics. At home, they are one game above .500 (8-7) in 2008. Last night, Williamsport native Nick Adenhart made his Major League debut, but it wasn’t a good one. He lasted only two innings, walked five and allowed five runs on three hits. Pitching matchups Friday 5/2: Jeremy Guthrie (0-3, 4.34) vs. Jered Weaver (2-3, 4.21) Saturday 5/3: Daniel Cabrera (2-0, 4.14) vs. Jon Garland (3-3, 5.94) Sunday 5/4: Steve Trachsel (1-3, 6.08) vs. Joe Saunders (5-0, 2.08) Who you should play from the Angels Casey Kotchman, 1B – In 21 career games against the Orioles, Kotchman is only hitting .172 with one home run and four RBIs. However, the career statistics should be ignored in this situation because Kotchman has been impressive so far this season. Kotchman is hitting .340 with six home runs and 19 RBIs in 2008. Who you should bench from the Angels Jon Garland, RHP – Garland is 5-2 with a 4.50 ERA in nine career games against the Orioles. However, he has struggled with his command this season. In 36 1/3 innings, Garland has issued 12 walks and only struck out nine hitters. Throughout his career, Garland has never collected a lot of strikeouts, but this season’s total is exceptionally low. Since his ERA is 5.94, Garland’s value is minimal at this point. He needs to start striking out hitters or allowing fewer runs to acquire any fantasy value. Who you should play from the Orioles Aubrey Huff, DH – How many people thought Huff would be leading the team in home runs (five) and RBIs (19) after the first month of the season? He also ranks among the team leaders in doubles and runs scored. Pick Huff up and try to get him in your lineup if he’s available in your league. He’s going to be receiving consistent at-bats, so there is no reason why he can’t continue to contribute to your fantasy team. Who you should bench from the Orioles Luke Scott, LF – After hitting .389 in his first 16 games, Scott is only 4-for-34 with no home runs and no RBIs in his last 11 games. There’s still a chance that Scott will hit 20-25 home runs this season, but that chance gets slimmer with each passing day. Sit him out during this rough stretch, but don’t get rid of him. He’ll regain his value as soon as he breaks out of this recent slump.

Pitcher Six-Pack

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:03:39 -0500

John Lannan, SP (WAS): I recently dropped Johnny Cueto and added John Lannan in my league, mostly because Lannan has been the Washington Nationals' best pitcher this year. He hasn't allowed a run in his last 19 innings pitched. He had an 11-strikeout outing against the New York Mets on April 17, which got him plenty of fantasy attention. He walks more hitters that I would like - at least three walks in four of his five outings and 14 in 30.2 IP - but he has been dependable and I'll ride him until he shows me otherwise. John Danks, SP (CHW): It's hard not to like John Danks on your fantasy roster. He's a borderline waiver wire guy, but if you subtract his one bad outing this year, his stats are among the better pitchers in the league. If you scratch his porous outing against Minnesota on April 9 (his second start of the year), here are his cumulative numbers: 27.2, 3 ER, 18 K, 4 BB, 14 H, 1 HR. With stats like that, he has value in a lot of leagues. Jair Jurrjens, SP (ATL): Although you wouldn't be able to pick Jair Jurrjens out of a lineup of guys with name tags, he's been a consistent pitcher this season. His shortest start lasted 5.1 innings, but that was his only start (out of five) that he didn't complete at least six full innings. He has a 25-13 strikeout-walk ratio, which indicates that he can probably continue this. The Atlanta Braves continue to unearth anonymous castaway pitchers who fill out their rotation year after year. With three wins, a respectable ERA of 3.45 and a 1.21 WHIP, Jurrjens is worth adding in deeper leagues. Chad Gaudin, SP (OAK): The Oakland Athletics have been an April powerhouse and thus one of the surprises of the young season. Starting pitching has helped them to their share of the American League West lead and Chad Gaudin has been a part of it. After allowing five earned runs in his first start of the season, Gaudin has scattered five runs over his last four starts. He has 23 strikeouts versus only eight walks and a sparkling WHIP of 1.10. He pitched well in spurts last year, but most people still associate him with his days in Tampa Bay. He's a reliable fantasy pitcher now. Armando Galarragga, SP (DET): Armando Galarragga has only had three starts, but you can make the case that he's been the Detroit Tigers' best pitcher this season. Galarragga took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his last start, but manager Jim Leyland is a bit concerned that when things go bad for Galarragga, they unravel quickly. Here's the conundrum: Galarragga has pitched well so far, which is better than most Tigers starters can say, so Leyland will either keep him up and hope that Galarragga learns to weather some adversity, or he will send him down for more seasoning. Galarragga is in the rotation because Dontrelle Willis is shelved with a knee injury. Ride him until he pitches his way out of the rotation. Max Scherzer, P (ARZ): If Evan Longoria is the most hyped position player prospect this year, Max Scherzer is his pitching equal. All eyes were on Scherzer when he was called up on April 27, and it didn't take long for us to get our first Major League look: 4.1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 7 K. He pitched 4.1 innings of perfect baseball and will now make his first start this coming Monday. The upside is tremendous with this kid and he could find a spot in the Arizona Diamondbacks rotation down the stretch of the season. If you have a lousy veteran to drop, take a chance on his upside. The seven strikeouts in 4.1 IP is a tantalizing thought.

O's vs. Rays preview: April 29-30, May 1

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:07:55 -0500

After Opening Day, how many of you thought the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays would be playing for first place at any point during the 2008 season? While it’s still only April, the Orioles and Rays are set to begin a three-game series tonight at Camden Yards. Coming into the series, the Rays have won six straight games. They defeated the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox three times each in the last week, so they’ve gained a little bit of respect recently. After this series, the Rays don’t come back to Baltimore again until Sept. 22. Will those four games have any factor in determining the order in the AL East? OK, so they will still likely decide which team finishes at the bottom of the division, but don’t tell that to these two teams right now. They’re both playing above expectations and it’s refreshing to see some other teams playing competitive baseball. Pitching matchups Tuesday 4/29: Garrett Olson (season debut) vs. Jason Hammel (2-1, 4.32) Wednesday 4/30: TBA vs. Andy Sonnanstine (3-1, 5.28) Thursday 5/1: Brian Burres (3-1, 2.49) vs. Matt Garza (0-0, 7.62) Who you should play from the Rays Carl Crawford, LF – When the Orioles left Tampa Bay on April 13, Crawford was hitting .208 with no home runs, four RBIs and four stolen bases. He’s now hitting .300 with two home runs, 13 RBIs and eight stolen bases. Crawford is leading the American League in runs scored (23) and he also has two doubles and three triples this season. In other words, Crawford is finally playing the way he should be. The statistics will continue to pile up for fantasy owners who picked him for their teams. Who you should bench from the Rays Carlos Pena, 1B – Do you think I am crazy for suggesting that you sit a guy who already has four home runs and nine RBIs in five games against the Orioles this season? OK, maybe it is a foolish prediction, but he’s really struggling in 2008. Pena is hitting .200 so far this year and he only has two home runs and four RBIs against the rest of the American League. He doesn’t have any home runs or RBIs since he hit a game-tying shot in the eighth inning against reliever Jamie Walker on April 12. Who you should play from the Orioles Ramon Hernandez, C – His .189 batting average is a killer to any fantasy team – trust me, he’s killing mine – but his three home runs and 13 RBIs are extremely valuable at the catcher position. He’s tied for fourth among catchers in home runs and tied for third in RBIs. Every time he gets a big hit, I think there is hope that Hernandez will break out of his season-long slump. Well, maybe this time he’ll finally make me look like a genius. If you’ve got him on your team, it’s probably because there is no one else available. Keep starting him because he won’t hit below .200 for the entire season. At least I hope not. (Side note: I believe the home run Hernandez hit last night won’t count in most formats until the game is completed and becomes official, but he’ll still get credit for it eventually. That’s why I included it in the totals above.) Who you should bench from the Orioles Nick Markakis, RF – Markakis is probably on the level of players that you don’t ever put on your bench – especially for those people who root for the Orioles on a daily basis. Still, it should be noted that he’s struggling lately. Markakis is only 6-for-31 in the nine games since he went 3-for-3 against the New York Yankees on April 18. While it’s not necessary to bench Markakis – he’s still hitting .292 with four home runs, 10 RBIs and 16 runs scored – fantasy owners should be aware of his current slump.

Ducks GM Brian Burke On THE Hardcore Fantasy Show

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:21:44 -0500

Although Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke won't talk to virtually anyone in the media right now, he will join us on THE Hardcore Fantasy Show this Saturday at noon (Sirius 186 or hardcoresportsradio.com). Hardcore Country's Corey Erdman from Kitchener set up the interview and will be co-hosting with me this Saturday. Burke will tell us about his venture into the fantasy world, and since he can build a Stanley Cup winning NHL team, we'll ask him if anyone asks for his services for fantasy drafts. Here is the World Hockey Championship pool (prize TBD). Pick one from each box and pick three goalies. Then send your selections to thefantasyshow@hardcoresportsradio.com. Scoring system is 1 point for a goal, 1 point for an assist, 2 points for a goalie win and 2 bonus points for a shutout. Group 1 Rick Nash (CAN) Jason Pominville (USA) Alexander Ovechkin (RUS) Patrick Elias (CZE) Olli Jokinen (FIN) Group 2 Dany Heatley (CAN) Patrick Kane (USA) Alexander Semin (RUS) Tony Martensson (SWE) Radim Vrbata (CZE) Group 3 Alexei Morozov (RUS) Ales Kotalik (CZE) Zach Parise (USA) Tuomo Ruutu (FIN) Eric Staal (CAN) Group 4 Mikko Koivu (FIN) Nicklas Backstrom (SWE) Phil Kessel (USA) Martin Erat (CZE) Martin St. Louis (CAN) Group 5 Derek Roy (CAN) Peter Mueller (USA) Maxim Afinogenov (RUS) Marco Sturm (GER) Anze Kopitar (SLE) Group 6 Jason Spezza (CAN) Jussi Jokinen (FIN) Sergei Zinoviev (RUS) Michael Nylander (SWE) Dustin Brown (USA) Group 7 Sergei Fedorov (RUS) Oleg Antonenko (BEL) Robert Nilsson (SWE) Patrick O'Sullivan (USA) Ryan Getzlaf (CAN) Group 8 Marcel Hossa (SLO) Alex Radulov (RUS) Tomas Fleischmann (CZE) Michael Holmqvist (SWE) Patrick Sharp (CAN) Group 9 Martin Hanzal (CZE) Niko Kapanen (FIN) Nils Ekman (SWE) Lee Stempniak (USA) Jonathan Toews (CAN) Group 10 Ville Peltonen (FIN) Michael Wolf (GER) Fedor Fedorov (RUS) Drew Stafford (USA) Chris Kunitz (CAN) Group 11 David Backes (USA) Sean Bergenheim (FIN) Sergei Mozyakin (RUS) Aleksey Kalyuzhny (BEL) Shane Doan (CAN) Group 12 Maksim Sushinsky (RUS) Lars Eller (DEN) David Booth (USA) Ladislav Kohn (CZE) Ray Whitney (CAN) Group 13 Jay Bouwmeester (CAN) Paul Martin (USA) Dimitri Vorobiev (RUS) Tomas Kaberle (CZE) Joni Pitkanen (FIN) Group 14 Ossi Vaananen (FIN) Christoph Schubert (GER) Mike Green (CAN) James Wisniewski (USA) Alexander Edler (SWE) Group 15 Filip Kuba (CZE) Denis Grebeshkov (RUS) Ed Jovanovski (CAN) Keith Ballard (USA) Dennis Seidenberg (GER) Group 16 Andrej Sekera (CZE) Danny Markov (RUS) Duncan Keith (CAN) Magnus Johansson (SWE) Tim Gleason (USA) Group 17 Brent Burns (CAN) Branislav Mezei (SLO) Tom Gilbert (USA) Dmitri Kalinin (RUS) Niclas Wallin (SWE) Group 18 Steve Staios (CAN) Mark Stuart (USA) Zbynek Michalek (CZE) Anton Stralman (SWE) Lubomir Visnovsky (SLO) Group 19 - Pick 3 Goalies Pascal Leclaire (CAN) Tim Thomas (USA) Kari Ramo (FIN) Mikael Tellqvist (SWE) Milan Hnilicka (CZE) Alexander Eremenko (RUS) Niklas Backstrom (FIN) Dimitri Patzold (GER) Jan Lasak (SLO) Jonas Hiller (SUI) Cristobal Huet (FRA) Erik Ersberg (SWE) Craig Anderson (USA) Sebastien Dahm (DEN) Cam Ward (CAN) Gunther Hell (ITA) Martin Gerber (SUI) Robert Kristan (SLE) Robert Esche (USA) Mathieu Garon (CAN)

Position player six-pack

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:33:16 -0500

Jhonny Peralta, SS (CLE): The story is always the same with Jhonny Peralta: he has an average that deters owners from picking him up, but his power numbers are very solid. Peralta has hit roughly .275 over the last three seasons but has topped 82 runs each year. He's also averaged 19 home runs and 72 RBIs. He's already cranked five this year, which puts him in a tie for the second-most in the American League and second-most among shortstops overall. Keep in mind he's only played in 21 games, and most shortstops have played 24 or 25 games this season. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 1B/C (TEX): Wondering why I'm suggesting you look at a guy that has had only three at-bats this season? Jarrod Saltalamacchia was recently called up and is touted to be a solid major league hitter. More importantly, he is eligible as a catcher in fantasy leagues. In May & June 2007, Salty had four home runs, 10 RBIs and 10 runs in 84 at-bats. Considering the dearth of talent at the catcher position, he's worth adding based on potential alone. For the time being, he will split time with Gerald Laird , but Laird got the first kick at the can and blew it. Jeff Mathis, C (LAA): In the same category, Jeff Mathis is becoming a hot commodity right now. Mathis is hitting .325 with three home runs, seven RBIs and 10 runs. He's splitting time with Mike Napoli, who leads all catchers with five home runs, but Mathis could be seeing more time shortly. Napoli is only hitting .229, which should eventually curtail his playing time. Keep in mind that Mathis was once a top prospect in the Angels organization, and his recent play might convince some people that he still is. Placido Polanco, 2B (DET): Placido Polanco has been as steady as they come at the second base position in fantasy baseball. He's typically an excellent source of runs as evidenced by his 105 plate-crossings last year. People have shied away from him early in the season, but he is 4-for-11 over the last three games with four runs and two RBIs. As the Detroit Tigers warm up, expect Polanco to start rounding the bases regularly. Eric Hinske, 1B/OF (TB): Eric Hinske, who joined us on THE Hardcore Fantasy Show last Saturday, has been smoking hot this season. His fantasy football knowledge is impeccable, and apparently so are his hitting skills. While he's being moved from position to position in the field, Hinske is still hitting .292 with five home runs, 13 RBIs and 12 runs. You are lying if you say you expected this from a guy who was the 2002 Rookie of the Year, then was reduced to a bench role ever since. He merits consideration in deep leagues. Jayson Werth, OF (PHI): If I told you a Philadelphia Phillie is hitting .343 with four home runs, seven RBIs and 10 runs over his last seven games and asked you to guess who it was, you'd probably say Tom Gordon sooner than you'd say Jayson Werth. Werth has scored at least one run in each of his last seven games and the other sick stats speak for themselves. With Shane Victorino on the disabled list, Werth is competing with So Taguchi and Geoff Jenkins for playing time, so expect him to keep earning at-bats as long as he's hot.

O's vs. White Sox preview: April 25-28

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:35:28 -0500

No matter how far behind they fall, the 2008 Orioles refuse to quit. Last night, they trailed 5-0 after the third inning. Starting pitcher Adam Loewen was knocked out of the game after 2 2/3 innings, allowing four hits, five runs and three walks. Today the Orioles placed Loewen on the 15-day disabled list with left elbow soreness. The Orioles failed to convert on two early scoring chances. They had runners on the corners with one out in the first inning, but Kevin Millar struck out and Nick Markakis was caught stealing to end the threat. In the third, the O’s had the bases loaded, but Millar popped out to conclude the inning. After three innings, it looked like the Mariners were going to win the game easily. It seemed like missed opportunities would again haunt the Orioles, but they scored in five of the last six innings to take the 8-7 victory. Even after Ichiro Suzuki hit a two-run home run against relief pitcher Jamie Walker in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, the Orioles didn’t panic. Instead, second baseman Brian Roberts led off the top of the eighth with a solo home run. It was the second consecutive game that featured a game-winning solo home run in the top of the eighth. Markakis hit one on Wednesday to give the O’s a 3-2 win. Pitching matchups Friday 4/25: Brian Burres (2-1, 3.63) vs. Mark Buerhle (1-2, 5.96) Saturday 4/26: Steve Trachsel (1-3, 5.23) vs. John Danks (2-1, 3.04) Sunday 4/27: Jeremy Guthrie (0-2, 4.18) vs. Jose Contreras (1-2, 4.68) Monday 4/28: Daniel Cabrera (2-0, 4.40) vs. Javier Vazquez (3-2, 4.40) Who you should play from the White Sox Jim Thome, DH – Thome is only hitting .236 for the season, but he’s 8-for-20 in his last six games. He was 2-for-4 with a three-run home run against the Orioles on April 16. In 106 career games against the Orioles, Thome is hitting .260 with 24 home runs and 83 RBIs. Since he’s exclusively a designated hitter, it may be difficult to find room for him in your lineup. Make sure he is active this weekend because he’ll continue to climb out of his season-opening slump. Who you should bench from the White Sox Nick Swisher, CF – Swisher shouldn’t be starting this weekend because he is struggling at the plate. Although he is tied for second in the American League in walks (18), Swisher is only hitting .232. He only has three hits in his last 20 at-bats. Swisher has eight home runs and 16 RBIs in 22 career games against the Orioles, but he’s only hitting .239. At this point, Swisher should only be in your starting lineup if you are unable to replace him with another viable outfielder. Who you should play from the Orioles Brian Roberts, 2B – OK, maybe I was just kidding about benching Roberts before the Orioles played the Mariners. Roberts was 4-for-11 with a home run, a stolen base and four runs scored in the series. Luckily I don’t have another second baseman, so he was in my starting lineup. The slump seems to be finished, so make sure he’s in your lineup this weekend. Who you should bench from the Orioles Ramon Hernandez, C – Unlike Roberts, Hernandez can’t break out of his slump. He was 2-for-12 during the three games in Seattle and his batting average dropped to .188. In 50 career games, Hernandez is hitting .251 with seven home runs and 17 RBIs. He was 0-for-4 in the first series against the White Sox this season. Hernandez won’t hit .188 all season, but you should start considering other alternatives soon.

Closer six-pack

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:49:33 -0500

Troy Percival is the epitome of consistency, while Jose Valverde can't get out of an inning without allowing a run. Is this the twilight zone? This is why you don't invest heavily in closers on draft day. Let's examine six closers and their situations: Trevor Hoffman, RHP (SD): Trevor Hoffman blew his second save of the year on Wednesday -- and Greg Maddux's bid for his 350th win -- but there is nothing to really panic about with Hoffman. His ERA is an eye-popping 8.22 but the Padres will stick with him for a while. He's allowed seven earned runs in 7 2/3 IP, which is not Hoffman-like, but at this point you stick with him. Cutting him means somebody else will pick him up on the cheap and trading him doesn't net you much. Hold on to him and he'll probably snap out of it. Manny Corpas, RHP (COL): Manny Corpas, who saved the Rockies bullpen en route to a World Series run last season, is now doing what Brian Fuentes did last season: blowing saves. Corpas has blown saves in three of his last four games, which has opened the door for Fuentes. At this point, Fuentes has a lot of value and should be picked up. He has blown saves in his last two outings, but prior to that, he hadn't allowed a single run in 11 IP. Chad Cordero, RHP (WAS): Chad Cordero has tendinitis and general weakness in his throwing shoulder, but Dr. James Andrews didn't deem him surgery-worthy. That's a step toward Cordero regaining his closer's role. It's hard to gauge when - or if - he'll recover but if he's on the waiver wire, keep your eye on him. Saves are hard to come by at this point and Cordero will reclaim his role when he's healthy. Eric Gagne, RHP (MIL): Here's the guy everyone wants to throw under the bus but I'm not there yet. Eric Gagne has blown back-to-back saves but there are a number of factors that have come into play here. First off, Gagne has had trouble pitching off of a rainy mound, which explains two blown saves (against Chicago in his first appearance and against St. Louis recently). "Rainy mound" is a weak excuse, but I'll go with it. His latest blown save actually wasn't his fault. He induced a game-ending, routine double play that Ricky Weeks wasn't able to handle, which allowed the game-tying run to score. Furthermore, the Brewers bullpen has been overworked of late. Even though they carry 14 guys - more than most teams - they have played a lot of extra innings, which has worn everybody down. Just keep in mind that before his last two blown saves, Gagne did notch five straight saves while allowing 0 earned runs in that span. The Brewers are 9-1 in games that he has pitched so don't throw him under the bus yet. Jose Valverde, RHP (HOU): Here is one guy who I am loathing right now. Last year the Arizona Diamondbacks were able to channel Jose Valverde's erratic pitching into shutdown closing, but now he's apparently forgotten how to get batters out. Valverde has two saves, three blown saves and a WHIP of 2.10. Forget his ERA of 9.00, his 2.10 WHIP is embarrassing for a closer. He's been hit hard too. He's allowed four home runs already. The good news is that he's brought his ERA down to 9.00 over his last two outings and his last blown save was Doug Brocail's fault. Hopefully he turns this around because he's talented enough to be one of the league's better closers but he's also erratic enough that we might forget about him after this year. Joe Borowski, RHP (CLE): If you thought that Joe Borowski was going to get punted out of the closer's role when he hit the disabled list with a triceps injury, you were mistaken. Rafael Betancourt has exactly zero saves since Borowski hit the DL and you can bank on Borowski returning to his role when he gets back. The team pushed him through a triceps injury and threw him out there to close when he was less than 100%, which gives you an indication of how they want the roles to play out. They could have easily placed Betancourt to close but instead insisted on an injured Borowski. Expect to see him back to pitching in the ninth inning when he recovers.

Ex-Orioles roundup: Bedard to start Saturday; Byrnes' streak snapped

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:41:46 -0500

Here’s a look at how former Orioles have fared recently: Erik Bedard, Mariners Played in Baltimore from 2002-2007 Bedard threw a successful bullpen session before Tuesday’s game against the Orioles and has been cleared to return from the disabled list. After missing two starts early in the season due to inflammation in his left hip, the Mariners placed Bedard on the disabled list on April 15, retroactive to April 9. That means he’s eligible to be activated on Thursday. John Hickey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer speculated Tuesday on a Mariners blog that Bedard could start Thursday’s series finale against the Orioles. Well, it won’t happen and the Orioles will have to wait even longer to face their former teammate. The left-hander will have a second bullpen session before Thursday’s game. If everything goes well, Bedard will start Saturday against the Oakland Athletics. The Mariners are now listing left-handed pitcher Jarrod Washburn (1-3, 4.13) as the starting pitcher in Thursday’s game. Eric Byrnes, Diamondbacks Played in Baltimore in 2005 Through 20 games, Byrnes is hitting .293 with three home runs and 14 RBIs. He has three stolen bases and 16 runs scored. He is currently tied for second in the National League with nine doubles. Byrnes hit in 14 consecutive games, April 4 through Sunday. According to the East Valley Tribune, Byrnes was growing a mustache during the hitting streak. After going 0-for-4 to end the streak on Sunday, Byrnes shaved. However, he vowed that there would be plenty of time to spot him with a mustache this season. “It was a good run. You guys have not seen the last of the ‘stache,” he told the newspaper. Jerry Hairston, Reds Played in Baltimore from 1998-2004 After a hot start at Triple-A Louisville, the Cincinnati Reds recalled Hairston on Monday. The 31-year-old utilityman was hitting .421 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 14 games for Louisville. Hairston batted leadoff and started in center field for the Reds Tuesday night. He was 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs. Hairston was the first Reds player to get four hits in a game this season. Chris Gomez, Pirates Played in Baltimore from 2005-2007 Gomez is filling in nicely as a utility infielder for Pittsburgh this season. In 15 games, he is 9-for-30 with six RBIs and three runs scored. Shortstop Jack Wilson is currently on the disabled list with a strained left calf muscle, so Gomez is getting plenty of chances to help the team. According to MLB.com, the Pirates are impressed with his ability to play a key role on the field, as well as in the clubhouse. “He’s going to give you a professional approach at the plate and a professional day at the ballpark,” Pirates manager John Russell said. Jack Cust, Athletics Played in Baltimore from 2003-2004 After Cust collected 26 home runs and 82 RBIs with the Athletics last season, many Orioles fans were probably bemoaning the fact that the club allowed him to get away after the 2004 season. It’s still early in the season, but Cust may be proving that last year was more of an anomaly. In 18 games this season, Cust is hitting .148 with one home run and six RBIs. Through Tuesday, Cust has yet to have a multi-hit game in 2008.

O's vs. Mariners preview: April 22-24

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:16:58 -0500

Who was in charge of making the MLB schedule this year? After playing 13 of their first 19 games at home, the Orioles have to play 17 of their next 20 games on the road. That’s bad enough, but it’s worse when you consider that they travel to the West Coast for three games against the Seattle Mariners before heading to Chicago to play the White Sox for four games. After flying home to play three games against the Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards, they have to travel all the way back out west to play the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics for three games each before stopping in Kansas City for four games against the Royals. And they don’t even have one off day during the stretch. Does that make much sense to you? It’s a good thing gas prices aren’t skyrocketing or anything. Don’t worry because the Orioles weren’t the only team to receive a bizarre schedule to start the year. The New York Yankees are in the middle of a stretch where they’ll play 18 out of 20 games away from Yankee Stadium. Of course, their situation is a little bit different because they had to modify their schedule to accommodate Pope Benedict XVI, who celebrated Mass at the historic ballpark on Sunday. According to the MLB.com article, the Yankees could finish April with 18 road games, which would be the most in MLB history for the month. Don’t ask the Boston Red Sox how the schedule looks if you’re world champions. They started 2008 with two games against the Oakland Athletics in Japan before playing the final two games of that series a week later in Oakland. Then, they had to fly to Toronto to play three games against the Blue Jays before finally playing their first game at Fenway Park. That’s some reward for winning the World Series. I know that the schedule is a difficult thing to make. Believe me, there is no way that I would want to have that job. Between having to make sure all 30 teams have 81 home games and 81 away games, as well as the correct number of games against divisional opponents, it's a challenging task. And that doesn’t even take into consideration any conflicts that may occur with venues. Still, it just seems like the schedule is a little more out of the ordinary than normal. What does everyone else think? Anyway, the Orioles will play the Mariners for three games beginning at 10:10 p.m. tonight. Since being swept by the Orioles in the four-game series in Baltimore, the Mariners are 8-5. Felix Hernandez starts tonight for the Mariners and Carlos Silva will pitch tomorrow night’s game. Thursday’s starter still hasn’t been announced. Former Orioles pitcher Erik Bedard, who has been on the disabled list with inflammation in his left hip, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session before tonight’s game. He’s eligible to come off the disabled list on Thursday, so he could be making his first start against his former team if everything goes well tonight. Pitching matchups Tuesday 4/22: Jeremy Guthrie (0-1, 4.38) vs. Felix Hernandez (2-0, 1.47) Wednesday 4/23: Daniel Cabrera (1-0, 5.16) vs. Carlos Silva (3-0, 2.79) Thursday 4/24: Adam Loewen (0-1, 6.32) vs. TBA Who you should play from the Mariners Raul Ibanez, LF – In the four-game series in Baltimore, Ibanez was 6-for-15 with a double, two home runs and three RBIs. His two home runs came against Guthrie and Cabrera. He’s hitting .316 with five home runs and 16 RBIs so far this season. In his career, Ibanez is 7-for-22 against Cabrera with four doubles, two home runs and five RBIs. Who you should bench from the Mariners Kenji Johjima, C – A lot of fantasy owners were counting on the Mariners catcher to have a solid season. It hasn’t been too promising to this point for the 31-year-old from Japan. He’s hitting .196 with no home runs and five RBIs. Against the Orioles this season, Johjima is 0-for-12. It might be a good idea to find someone else to fill in at catcher until Johjima starts hitting again. Who you should play from the Orioles Luke Scott, LF – As I suspected, Scott struggled against Yankees starting pitcher Andy Pettitte on Sunday. He’s still one of the hottest players in the major leagues right now. Before he went 0-for-4 in the series finale against New York, Scott had hit safely in seven consecutive games. In the first series against the Mariners, Scott was 7-for-10 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored. While he may not hit .700 in this series, Scott should be in your lineup everyday until he shows signs of a slump. Who you should bench from the Orioles Brian Roberts, 2B – Roberts is 2-for-24 in his last six games. His batting average has plummeted from .327 on April 14 to .247. He had a sacrifice fly in Sunday’s game against the Yankees, but overall he’s been pretty invisible in the fantasy categories. It won’t be long before Roberts is out of his slump. It may even happen during this series, but you should still be aware of his recent struggles if he’s in your lineup everyday.

Position player six-pack

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 23:36:43 -0500

Conor Jackson, 1B (ARZ): Still waiting for Travis Hafner to come around? Who knows when that'll happen. In the meantime, pick up Conor Jackson immediately. Jackson leads the National League in runs and triples, is tied for third for RBIs and fourth for average. He even threw in a stolen base in his last game. One of his triples came in a game where he could have stopped at second and ended up with a cycle instead. He is no secret; he was expected to hit like this in the majors and now he's in the heart of the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup. Ryan Ludwick, OF (STL): You probably didn't think the St. Louis Cardinals would be atop the National League Central at this point and you probably didn't think Ryan Ludwick would be one of the reasons why they are there. I'm going to list some stats here and for the record, because it is Ryan Ludwick, I want to make it clear that I'm not making this up. .391 AVG, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 5 2B, 2 3B, .848 SLG The Cardinals are the new Atlanta Braves - players go there and get 10%- 20% better and they also field a competitive roster of anonymous faces. Pick him up and drop him later if he cools off. Skip Schumaker, OF (STL): Continuing the theme of anonymous faces that are leading the Cardinals, Skip Schumaker has been very solid at the top of the lineup. And considering he's projected to finish with 136 runs scored and 26 stolen bases, maybe you should find a spot for him in your lineup. Schumaker is hitting .317 with 16 runs and three stolen bases this season. He hits in front of Albert Pujols, so he'll be crossing the plate a lot this year. He is a very underrated source for runs and stolen bases. Ryan Church, OF (NYM): Ryan Church has had a strong start to the season and his 17 runs scored are tied for second in the NL. He's hitting .344 with a couple of home runs and 10 RBIs. He's hitting .417 over his last seven games and has clearly won an everyday job in the outfield. It helps that Moises Alou is on the disabled list and probably won't be back until late April. Erick Aybar, 2B/SS (LAA): With Howie Kendrick nursing a calf injury on the 15-day DL and Maicer Izturis in a slump, Erick Aybar has made a case for an everyday role in the lineup. After going 0-for-7 in his first seven at-bats this season, Aybar has hit .386 with four RBIs, nine runs and three stolen bases over his last 12 games. Included in that are five multi-hit games. He is a solid source of stolen bases and runs, especially since the Angels are among the American League leaders in home runs. Joey Votto, 1B/OF (CIN): Need some help with batting average and power? Take a look at Joey Votto, who has hit consistently for the Cincinnati Reds this season. His power numbers have really come around over his last five games. He has three home runs, three doubles and nine RBIs in that span. He's also scored a run in four of his last five games. The difference has been more playing time. The Reds are still figuring out their batting lineup, but Votto should be a part of it. When he gets steady playing time he is a valuable fantasy player.