Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse

The Housies: Your 2009 Fantasy Baseball Awards Ceremony

R.J. White — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs, MLB Sleepers, MLB Value Machine

Major League Baseball announced the winners of its prestigious awards this week; now, FanHouse is following suit. We voted on winners in five categories (MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Draft Day Bargain, Draft Day Bust), the results of which are revealed below. Remember, this awards show deals strictly in fantasy baseball. I'll also throw in a few awards I'm personally doling out for performances that made the 2009 season what it was.

Fantasy Rookie of the Year

The Candidates

Andrew Bailey, RP, Oakland. The AL Rookie of the Year winner is the only member of our nominees that doesn't hail from the National League. In the preseason, it was undecided whether Joey Devine or Brad Ziegler would close for the A's. Somehow it ended up on Bailey's shoulders, and all he did was notch 26 saves while posting a 1.84 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 91 Ks.

Chris Coghlan, 2B/OF, Florida. The National League Rookie of the year emerged as the new Placido Polanco for his roto teams, hitting .321 in 500-plus at-bats while adding a little bit of power (nine HRs) and speed (eight SBs). Eighty-four runs on that sad-sack team is certainly nothing to sneeze at either.

Tommy Hanson, SP, Atlanta. One of the most touted pitching prospects to come around in ages, Hanson was the rare case of the hype matching the kid. Called up after 11 terrific Triple-A starts, Hanson dominated the competition, earning a 2.89 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 11-4 record in 21 starts with Atlanta. His 116/46 K/BB ratio gives further proof that the talent is real.

J.A. Happ, SP, Philadelphia. Shuffling back-and-forth between starter and reliever, the then-26-year-old Happ compiled a 12-4 record for the NL champion Phillies, amassing a sparkling 2.93 ERA for the season, adding a 1.23 WHIP and 119 Ks in his 166 innings of work. The three complete games (two shutouts) are wonderful for a team that had bullpen problems.

Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pirates. Pittsburgh had Nate McLouth patrolling the outfield, someone whom fans and fantasy players alike loved. After a McLouth trade, we found someone that could fill the role just as well. The youngster ended 2009 with 12 HRs and 22 SBs in 433 ABs, hitting .286 in the process.

And the Housie for Fantasy Rookie of the Year goes to ... Tommy Hanson. In a unanimous decision, Hanson's emergence as possibly the game's best young pitcher was enough to take the Housie home. Bailey finished second in the voting, Happ third, and McCutchen a distant fourth. Coghlan received no votes.

Most Frustrating Player to Own in Fantasy Baseball

Manny Ramirez, OF, Los Angeles. One of your stars gets hurt, you put them on the DL and pick up another player. Manny Ramirez gets suspended, you have one of your best hitters stuck on the bench for 50 games. If you happen to play in a no-bench league, you suddenly have a black hole in one of your outfield spots, collecting zeroes day after day for two months. Hey, it's just another case of Manny being Manny.

Fantasy Draft Day Bust

The Candidates

Josh Hamilton, OF, Texas. One year after completing a widely-discussed comeback by hitting 32 HRs and amassing 130 RBIs, Hamilton went right into the tank in 2009. We knew to be cautious of his injury history, and that ended up looming over his head as he hit just .268 and 10 HRs in 336 ABs. Did I mention he was a fringe first-rounder in March?

Brad Lidge, RP, Philadelphia. Talk about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Lidge played a key role in the 2008 Phillies run to the championship, perfect in his 41 save opportunities and lights out with a sub-2.00 ERA. Mr. Hyde came calling this year, as "Lights Out" Lidge became "Lit Up" Lidge, posting a putrid 7.21 ERA and 1.81 WHIP.

Russell Martin, C/3B, Los Angeles. Sure, Martin had the 3B distinction heading into the season, but 99 percent of his owners were felt much better off sticking him behind the plate for their fantasy team. After a few months, they didn't even want to play him there. Martin completely collapsed in 2009, hitting .250 with seven HRs and 11 SBs in 500-plus at-bats.

Grady Sizemore, OF, Cleveland. Roundly considered the best OF option in March drafts, Sizemore was a mid-first round pick in most leagues, which is understandable when a 20/30 season has become routine. Limited by injury, Sizemore's already mediocre average went in the tank as he hit .248 with 18 HRs and just 13 SBs this year.

Alfonso Soriano, OF, Chicago. Topping at least 28 HRs and 18 SBs for the last seven years (even 2008's injury-shortened campaign), Soriano, like Sizemore, was money in the bank to those who drafted him. Unfortunately, those same people needed a bailout as Soriano hit .241 with 20 HRs and nine SBs, even though he had more ABs than in 2008.

Geovany Soto, C, Chicago. Things just never go right for the Cubs, do they? Hailed as fantasy baseball's next great young catcher and coming off a .283-average, 23-HR year, Soto was drafted as high as the fourth or fifth round by some. A .218 average and 11 HRs assured that no one would be making that same mistake again in 2010.

And the Housie for Fantasy Draft Day Bust goes to ... Josh Hamilton. Ten homers and a .268 average from a first-rounder was the death knoll for many a team this year. Sizemore came in second, while my lone first-place vote for Martin gave him third. Hey, I owned both Martin and Hamilton, and the catcher was tougher to replace. The other three candidates picked up a third-place vote each.

The Look at the Peripherals Pitcher of the Year

Daisuke Matsuzaka, SP, Boston. Look, the guy gave more walks than the ASPCA in 2008. I know you were entranced by an 18-3 record and a sub-3.00 ERA, but 94 walks? That didn't raise a bit of a red flag? Thanks to injury, Dice-BB was only able to manage 12 starts, where he went 4-6 with a 5.76 ERA and a 1.87 WHIP. Once 2008's absurdly-low 6.9 hits-per-nine innings rate came back up, Matsuzaka's goose was cooked.

Fantasy Cy Young of the Year

The Candidates

Chris Carpenter, SP, St. Louis. When he's on his game, he's a top-five pitcher, but injury after injury has led many owners to consider Carpenter undraftable. Those guys were kicking themselves this year, as he once again proved to be one of the best in the business, turning in a 2.24 ERA and 1.01 WHIP while posting a 17-4 record and a 144/38 K/BB ratio.

Zack Greinke, SP, Kansas City. Toiling away in obscurity by pitching for the Royals, Greinke did enough to win the AL Cy Young award this year. Think about that, and consider the years CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander had pitching for playoff teams. Greinke beat 'em all with a 2.16 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 242 Ks and a 16-8 record for one of baseball's worst teams.

Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle. King Felix has arrived, pitching up to his remarkable talent over the course of a full season for the first time in his young career. The Mariners ace posted a 19-5 record for a non-contender striking out 217 in 238.2 innings while throwing up a 2.49 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.

Tim Lincecum, SP, San Francisco. What would a top pitcher list be without the 2008 and 2009 NL Cy Young award winner? While the Giants made a surprising push at the playoffs, Lincecum was completely dominant yet again, striking out 261 batters in 225.1 innings, winning 15 games and turning in a 2.48 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.

Javier Vazquez, SP, Atlanta. Acquired from Chicago, Vazquez became the next in a long line of elite Braves pitchers acquired from other teams. Escaping the hitter-friendly Cell, Vazquez obliterated the NL, with a 2.87 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 219.1 innings, picking up 238 Ks (while walking just 44 batters) and earning a 15-10 record along the way.

And the Housie for Fantasy Cy Young of the Year goes to ... Tim Lincecum. I know the above numbers look very similar, but was there every any question? Lincecum was the first pitcher off the board in many leagues, and he came through time and time again. Greinke scored a close second-place finish, while Hernandez (two third-place votes) edged out the other two competitors for third.

Injury that Ended Up Not Being a Problem

Chase Utley, 2B, Philadelphia. Remember back in March when we didn't know what to make of Utley's injury? We though for sure he'd miss the first few weeks of the season, and then figured he's take a little time rounding into top form. That dropped him into the second round of many drafts (like A-Rod, who actually did miss the first part of the season). Utley started on Opening Day and delivered 31 HRs, 23 SBs, and a .282 average. So much for that.

Fantasy Draft Day Bargain

The Candidates

Chris Carpenter, SP, St. Louis. We talked about Carpenter's amazing season above, one that fit right in with his amazing stretch between 2004 and 2006. After pitching just 15.1 innings for St. Louis last year, Carpenter was nothing more than a late-round gamble. Anyone that snatched him out of free agency likely finished near the top of the league.

Zack Greinke, SP, Kansas City. He came just shy of winning this year's Fantasy Cy Young award, but Greinke has another shot here. His 2008 campaign, which featured a 3.47 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 183 Ks likely made him a mid-round pick in most leagues, and he turned into one of baseball's few elite pitchers. His early-season run was absurd.

Aaron Hill, 2B, Toronto. A very nice 2007 (19 HRs, .291 average) had Hill on our radars in 2008, but a concussion injury sidelined him most of the year, as he hit just two HRs in 205 at-bats. If you pegged him as a rebound in 2009, congratulations, you were rewarded with 36 HRs and 108 RBIs as well as a .286 average and a few SBs.

Mark Reynolds, 3B/1B, Arizona. Think Ryan Howard, if Howard played a position more scarce of talent and had some faster wheels. Despite breaking his own record for strikeouts in 2009, Reynolds hit 44 homers and stole 24 bases while posting a not-terrible .260 average. I drafted him late as a A-Rod fill-in for the first part the season and obviously stuck with him.

Justin Upton, OF, Arizona. While we sat around and waited for his brother to display the power worthy of B.J.'s high draft slot, Justin came through with a very nice five-category season, hitting .300 while posting 26 HRs and 20 SBs. His run and RBI totals were in the mid-80s, and his 2010 price tag should easily exceed his brother's.

Jayson Werth, OF, Philadelphia. Werth owners likely drafted him as a fourth OF, hoping for some speed mixed in with a little power (he went 24/20 in 2008). Matching the 20 steals, Werth's power bat took off in 2009, and he carried several hot power streaks to a 36-homer total. With nearly 100 runs and 100 RBIs, he was a four-category stud (.268 average).

And the House for Fantasy Draft Day Bargain goes to ... Mark Reynolds. Even with the terrible average, Reynolds did wonders at a position that proved difficult to unearth talent. Greinke came up just short yet again, while Carpenter earned third place in the voting. Hill took fourth. Upton and Werth didn't receive a vote.

Least Productive, Most Anticipated

Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore. The Wieters hype in pre-season 2009 was palpable. People were spending mid-round picks on a guy they knew would spend a couple months on their bench. The Wieters-mania continued throughout the season, as people asked nearly every day when he'd be called up. Dominance was a forgone conclusion. In June, he finally arrived -- and hit just nine HRs in 354 ABs while posting a .288 average. Savior, he was not.

Fantasy Most Valuable Player

The Candidates

Tim Lincecum, SP, San Francisco. Our Fantasy Cy Young and the back-to-back NL Cy Young is our first candidate. If you didn't have him in a head-to-head league, you rued facing him. If you did have him, and were somehow able to get one of the breakthrough pitchers listed above, you probably went on to win pitching every week.

Joe Mauer, C, Minnesota. Like Utley, Mauer was faced with an injury heading into the season and required a bit of a gamble by the team that drafted him. That gamble paid off in spades. Mauer discovered his power stroke, hitting 28 homers (over double his previous high) while still posting a huge .365 average. 190 combined runs and RBIs were also golden.

Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis. Baseball's most feared hitter, Pujols was in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in 2009 fantasy drafts. You can't put a price on consistent excellence, Prince Albert may have outdone himself this year, combining his high RBI total from 2006 with his steals from 2005 to post a .327/124/47/135/16 line. Long live the Prince.

Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida. Also in the mix for No. 1 overall last year, Ramirez saw a dip in his HR, SB, and run totals. That was supported by a huge rise in average (from .301 to .342) and an equally great rise in RBIs (from 67 to 106). This season didn't quite live up to 2007's, but Hanley owners have nothing to complain about.

Mark Reynolds, 3B/1B, Arizona. Our Fantasy Draft Day Bargain, Reynolds was best served with a few high-average players to pump up that low .260. Do that, and you had the making of a killer lineup. One of 2010's early dilemmas will be regarding how to rank Reynolds for next season. Is this repeatable?

And the Housie for Fantasy Most Valuable Player goes to ... Albert Pujols. Of course. Pujols earned unanimous distinction as fantasy's MVP this year. Mauer's catcher-eligible explosion ranked second with our panel, while Ramirez came in third. Reynolds earned fourth, while Lincecum was right behind him.

And there you have it. If you made it to this point, thanks for sticking with us. I hope you enjoyed yourselves! Keep checking in with FanHouse periodically, as we'll keep you abreast of matters of fantasy baseball importance throughout the offseason.

The Housies: Your 2009 Fantasy Baseball Awards Ceremony originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Stud on the Block: Tommy Hanson

Matt Snyder — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs

New Studs on the Block takes a look at players ready to make the leap from "possibly productive fantasy player" to "must-have fantasy stud." This is not a "you've never heard of this dude, but ... " series -- these should be names you already know.

Back in April, fantasy baseball fanatics and Atlanta Braves fans alike pined over the eventual promotion of uber-prospect Tommy Hanson. On June 7, the 22-year-old phenom from Tulsa, Oklahoma finally got his shot and was knocked around. After that first bad outing, though, Hanson rattled off five consecutive dominant starts. The question on the minds of every educated baseball fan, though, was whether or not he could continue the success once teams had ample chances to scout him and make adjustments.

We've now seen 14 starts, which is a decent sample upon which to judge how he's reacting to the adjustments teams are making. The results are pretty staggering. Hanson is 9-2 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. He's struck out 69 and walked 32 in 86 2/3 innings.

After a July in which he won only one of five starts and posted a 3.94 ERA, he's won all four of his August starts. During that time, his ERA is 2.81. Better still is his rising strikeout rate -- he's struck out 28 in 25 2/3 innings of work this month. Walks seemed to be his only weakness during his June and July starts, but his command is now tightening, as he's walked only seven in his last five starts.

Judging from Hanson's track record in minor leagues, in addition to his physical gifts and make up, we're witnessing the arrival of an ace -- both in real life and fantasy baseball. The last time we saw a big-time pitching prospect arrive on the scene so quickly and not suffer any drastic growing pains was when Tim Lincecum came up in 2007. Lincecum was 5-2 with a 3.96 ERA and 1.18 WHIP during his first 14 starts. So, yeah, Hanson is doing quite a number on the rest of the majors right now.

As with all young pitchers, it's entirely possible he'll suffer the occasional bad outing. Then again, we saw Josh Beckett get lit up like a Christmas tree last week. No one is going out and giving a quality start every single outing.

As things stand, Tommy Hanson is currently among the best pitchers in baseball, and things won't be changing anytime soon. He's this week's New Stud on the Block, and he should be started in all fantasy formats -- probably for the next 15 years.

New Stud on the Block: Tommy Hanson originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andre Ethier Increasing Power Stroke

Matt Snyder — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs

New Studs on the Block takes a look at players ready to make the leap from "possibly productive fantasy player" to "must-have fantasy stud." This is not a "you've never heard of this dude, but ... " series -- these should be names you already know.

When Andre Ethier came into the league as a bright-eyed, bushy tailed 24-year-old, people knew he was going to hit major league pitching. He was a second-round pick who made consistent contact, always sported a high average and drove home runs. One thing he didn't really appear to have, though, was big-time home run power.

In less than four major league seasons, Ethier has progressively blossomed into a legitimate power hitter.

Heading out of Arizona State, Ethier was thought to have the potential to grow into a home run hitter, but he hadn't yet been one. He hit 14 home runs his junior year, which looked a bit low considering his runs and RBI totals exceeded 110 and he hit a whopping .372. That summer, he hit just one homer in 203 at-bats between rookie ball and low-level Class A. In 2004, he went yard just 7 times in 419 at-bats. He did hit 18 bombs his last full minor league season (2005), but that was in 135 games -- hardly a Ruthian output.

Through Ethier's first three major league seasons, he reinforced the previously held held notion of just what he would be. From 2006-2008, he hit .299 with a .364 on-base percentage. If you looked closer, though, you would have noticed his power was developing. His slugging percentage went from the mid-to-high .400s to .510 in 2008. His doubles totals went from 20 to 32 to 38. His home runs went from 11 to 13 to 20. His isolated power went all the way up to .206 in 2008, which is power hitting territory.

This season, he's flashing more power than most scouts ever predicted when he entered the league. Ethier's on pace for 33 home runs and 110 RBI, drastic jumps from his 2008 campaign, which appeared to be a breakout one from a purely power standpoint.

In addition to everything else likable about Ethier, he's only 27 and the Dodgers have a stacked lineup around him. Things won't be changing for the worse anytime soon. We're looking at a middle-of-the-order hitter, after expecting him to look more like a 2-hole guy just two years ago.

So, Andre, welcome to the club of fantasy studs. We expect your stay to be lengthy, thus, feel free to get comfortable.

Andre Ethier Increasing Power Stroke originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.A. Happ Making Mark in Philadelphia

Matt Snyder — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs

New Studs on the Block takes a look at players ready to make the leap from "possibly productive fantasy player" to "must-have fantasy stud." This is not a "you've never heard of this dude, but ... " series -- these should be names you already know.

When Pedro Martinez worked his way through the Phillies' system, fantasy owners of J.A. Happ had to have been terrified they were about to lose a stud-in-the-making. Obviously, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton or Jamie Moyer weren't going anywhere.

Then, late last week, general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. said Happ is staying in the rotation. In fact, Happ is so important Amaro stated the Phillies might go with a six-man rotation for the time being.

Now, that's a bit of a head-scratcher, but it does avert a possibly ridiculous move (removing Happ from the rotation). In fact, it would appear the signing of Pedro Martinez was pretty irrelevant now that the Phils have landed Lee and Happ has emerged -- but we're only here to talk about fantasy baseball.

Make no mistake about it, Happ is becoming a fantasy stud in front of our very eyes.

The 26-year-old spindly left-hander is now 8-2 on the season with a 2.74 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. As a starter, he's 6-2 with a 2.80 ERA and he's completed two shutouts. He's also becoming more of a strikeout artist as he continues to adapt to the major league level. In his last 49 innings, he's struck out 41 hitters. This isn't a mirage.

During his minor league years, Happ routinely sported a stellar strikeout rate. He actually has 545 career minor league Ks in just 528 innings. So there's more where the past few outings' output of punch-outs came from.

Speaking of the minors, Happ quickly went through the ranks until hitting a speed bump in 2007. He never had an ERA higher than 2.81 at any stop until it skyrocketed up to 5.02 at Triple-A that season. He did get things back under control last season, when he compiled a 3.60 ERA in 23 starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The growth being made by Happ in 2009 as a very solid major league starter is simply a progression.

The only blip on the radar would be that it appears he's been a bit fortunate in terms of BABIP (.249, when the norm suggests it should be closer to .285 or so). This could be explained by the fact that the Phillies play sound defense and their home park is a bit of a bandbox. So any normalization won't be drastic enough to make him unstudly.

So, let's see ... he's beginning to strike batters out with a nice frequency, his ERA is sparkling, his WHIP is good and he plays for one of the better teams in the majors (meaning wins will continue). What's not to like?

J.A. Happ is a fantasy stud, and he should be starting in all leagues every time he takes the ball.

J.A. Happ Making Mark in Philadelphia originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carlos Gonzalez Not Just Keeper League Gold Anymore

Knox Bardeen — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:03:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB New Studs

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

One of the most prized prospects in baseball is blossoming before our eyes. And his timing couldn't be better as the Colorado Rockies are in the thick of a Wild Card hunt.

Carlos Gonzalez did it all in the minor leagues. Before being called up he hit ten home runs and batted .339 in 48 games. He struggled a bit upon arriving in Denver, but now is really turning it on.

Over the last month, Gonzalez is batting .432 with a home run and three stolen bases. His 1.114 OPS shows that he's really creaming the ball and his eruption is fueling the Rockies' winning ways. On Sunday Gonzalez went 3-for-5 and brought his season batting average up to .283.

His speed/power combination is not only causing fantasy GM's to run out to the waiver wires (he's only owned in 1% of fantasy leagues) to grab him, but we're seeing a glimpse towards what this young 23-year-old kid will look like for many years to come.

Don't be worried when you look over his stats and see he's only had 44 at-bats over the last month. He's started every game for the last week and he's surely going to get a whole lot of playing time over the final 51 games.

Bits From the Box Scores
o. Michael Cuddyer has 19 home runs on the season after he hot two jacks on Sunday. He's batting .409 over the last week.

o. As a result of stealing third base on Sunday, Curtis Granderson joins Ian Kinsler and Mark Reynolds in the 20/20 club for 2009.

o. I am frequently asked whether or not Marco Scutaro is for real. On Sunday he belted tenth home run and is now batting .300 on the season. The longer you leave this guy off your roster, the longer you're missing out on a career season. And yes, he can keep this up.

o. Josh Johnson pitched six innings of four-hit baseball, only giving up one earned run. It was his 11th win of the season and his ERA now is below three (2.92).

o. Asdrubal Cabrera swiped his 15th base on Sunday as is batting .435 with four stolen bases over the last week. He's still only owned in 60% of fantasy leagues.

o. Rajai Davis is 18 home runs away from becoming a 20/20 guy, but it's not his pop that makes him valuable. He stole two bases last night and over the last month is batting .369 with ten stolen bases.

o. What a gem Derek Holland threw on Sunday. He struck out eight in a complete game shutout of the Angels, only allowing three hits and one walk.

o. When I say left, you go right. I no longer have any clue how to predict results for Aaron Harang. He hadn't won since late May and going into Sunday I didn't feel he would break that streak facing Matt Cain and the Giants. But, he struck out seven over seven innings and out-dueled Mr. Cain.

o. The Mets won. The must have been playing the Padres or Johan Santana must have been on the mound... Oh, it was both.

o. It was rumored that Scott Kazmir was headed to Seattle before the trade deadline. That didn't happen but Kazmir still decided on Sunday to help the Mariners. He gave up seven earned runs over 4.1 innings, taking his seventh loss of the season.

o. Run support for Javier Vazquez. What a novel concept. Vazquez struck out seven in eight innings in Sunday to earn his tenth win.

The Afflicted: Carlos Zambrano is back on the 15-day disabled list with a bad back. He can return on August 21st if healthy enough to do so. Jason Schmidt has a mysterious shoulder injury and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. His career may be over. Brett Cecil has a knee injury and will miss his next start. Roy Oswalt should make his next start, which is scheduled for Tuesday. Lance Berkman may also return for this series. Jed Lowrie is back on the disabled list with a wrist injury; thus continuing the never-ending "we need a shortstop" saga that's been going on since 2004 (that's when Nomar was run out of town). I hear Gary Sheffield will be back in the Mets lineup tonight.

Lineup Lock Time: Baltimore hosts Oakland and the Yankees welcome Toronto tonight as they start things off at 7:05 PM ET.

Carlos Gonzalez Not Just Keeper League Gold Anymore originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kendry Morales Making Angels Forget About Mark Teixeira

Matt Snyder — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:05:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs

New Studs on the Block takes a look at players ready to make the leap from "possibly productive fantasy player" to "must-have fantasy stud." This is not a "you've never heard of this dude, but ... " series -- these should be names you already know.

The Los Angeles Angels are surging right now offensively, and one of the main benefactors was someone no one counted on stepping up this season. When the Angels lost out on the Mark Teixeira bidding -- shockingly, he took the Yankees' money -- a 25-year-old with only 407 career plate appearances and a modest-at-best .711 OPS stepped in.

The results, thus far, from now-26-year-old Kendry Morales have been staggering.

Morales is currently seventh in the AL in OPS (.931), tied for eighth in home runs (23), tied for 10th in RBI (69) and tied for 12th in doubles. Along with Bobby Abreu, Morales has been the constant anchor of the Angels offense through Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter injuries.

Teaming those gaudy numbers above with his .299 batting average, 53 runs scored and a stolen base, there really isn't much reason that Morales shouldn't be owned in every single fantasy baseball league. Yet, I see he's available in 33 percent of Yahoo! fantasy leagues. Unless you are desperately in need of steals, go check his availability right now, because he most certainly should be owned in every league.

Obviously, he's not going to stay this hot. Since June 12, Morales has a 1.155 OPS with 15 home runs and 37 RBI -- a span of just 40 games. He won't suffer a drastic decline, though, because he's still maturing at the major-league level and he has never had any trouble hitting minor-league pitching when down (.332 career batting average in the minors).

There are no trends that show he's putting up fluky numbers at this point, either. His BABIP is .312, which isn't much above the norm for a line drive hitter. His ground ball to fly ball ratio is the exact same as last season, so his home runs aren't a product of additional lift in his swing. This is simply the case of a young player coming into his own as a legitimate major league hitter.

So, again, go get him if he's available. Kendry Morales is the new stud on the block.

Kendry Morales Making Angels Forget About Mark Teixeira originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stream Team: Tillman's Debut

R.J. White — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:05:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs, MLB Sleepers, MLB Waiver Wire

Looking to cycle spot-starters each day? Check out the Stream Team, where we tab pitchers that are likely to help you in your quest for fantasy gold.

Hey, two straight wins for the Stream Team, first from Phille Joe Blanton, then from his teammate Jamie Moyer. Moyer pitched around trouble beautifully last night, allowing six hits and four walks but no runs. Our post-All Star Break ERA is down to 2.79, and we've got 56 Ks in 67.2 innings. If you're playing along with us in your league, I have a no-brainer add for tomorrow.

One of the best young pitchers in the minor leagues is on his way to the Show, and I encourage you to grab him right away. Chris Tillman is an accomplished pitcher that has the ability to be a #1 or #2 starter in the bigs. He came over to Baltimore in the Erik Bedard-to-Seattle trade, along with Adam Jones and George Sherrill. Matt Snyder took a good look at him last week, so I'll just focus on his opponent tomorrow, the Royals.

Kansas City has the third-worst away OPS in the league, sporting just a .289 OBP on the road. And despite the heroics of Billy Butler, they haven't done a great job scoring runs lately, averaging under four runs per game in their last seven contests. The Royals also aren't a good team against righties, as they're tied for last in OBP and in the bottom five in OPS when facing off against right-handers. While Tillman's odds of nabbing a win are reduced by Zack Greinke's presence, the home crowd will definitely be behind the rookie, and his debut should be solid all around.

Stream Team: Tillman's Debut originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fantasy Baseball Cram Session: Injuries, Halladay's Value and First-Half Flukes?

Matt Snyder — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB New Studs, Podcasts

It's time for another Fantasy Baseball Cram Session, this time I joined up with Tom Herrera for my first career cram session. (Fingers crossed). We discussed a handful of guys with huge first halves and which ones were real and which were not. Among the names involved were Mark Reynolds, Adam Lind, Aaron Hill and Juan Rivera.

We also discussed some injury troubles, including ones to very important fantasy contributors like Torii Hunter and Geovany Soto. Is Vladimir Guerrero completely breaking down? What happens to Roy Halladay's fantasy value if he gets traded? Join us for these topics and more in the latest cram session.

Listen to the podcast above or click here to download mp3.

Fantasy Baseball Cram Session: Injuries, Halladay's Value and First-Half Flukes? originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All-Star Berth the Beginning for Upton

Matt Snyder — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs

New Studs on the Block takes a look at players ready to make the leap from "possibly productive fantasy player" to "must-have fantasy stud." This is not a "you've never heard of this dude, but ... " series -- these should be names you already know.

Sunday, Justin Upton was named to the National League All-Star team for the first time in his career. If you've been following this for even the slightest amount of time, you know this isn't going to be his only trip. In fact, he better get used to not having any vacation days during baseball season, because he's going to be a perennial selection.

We have to admit our highlighting him as a New Stud on the Block is a tad bit overdue, but, hey, better late than never, right?

The likely reason we neglected Upton to this point? It's easy to take his sort of talent for granted without some perspective as to how great he's looking to be. He's only 21-years-old and he's already one of the best hitters in baseball. The traditional fantasy categories are being filled with ease by the five-tool superstar. Heading into Monday, Upton ranked 21st in the NL in batting average (.300), 17th in home runs (14), 26th in RBI (45), 12th in runs (49) and 20th in stolen bases (10). You can't find many fantasy players who provide such multicategoricality (yes, that's a word -- just not in the dictionary yet).

It's true his BABIP is a pretty high .364, but we have a unique situation here. Upton is awfully young and still growing. It's not unheard of for a player to keep this high a rate on balls in play, especially with such a high ISO number. If you aren't a number cruncher, let's go through it step-by-step. Isolated power is a measure of extra base hits per at bat. So, it's like slugging percentage, except you don't get credit for singles. Upton has one of the higher ISO numbers in the league, which explains why his batting average on balls in play is high. It's because he finds the gaps or hits it over outfielders' heads often. He has 19 doubes and 4 triples to go along with those 14 bombs.

Considering Upton's on-base percentage is up to .378 this season, he's quickly learning the strike zone.

Put it all together and his OPS is .919, which is good enough for 14th in the National League. And he's only 21 and relegated to a pretty anemic offense (the Backs are 13th in the NL in OPS).

In fact, there are some stat-lovers out there making a case that we are likely watching the beginning of a Hall of Fame career. I'm not going to argue. I'll just sit by and wish he was on one of my fantasy baseball teams this year. Come next year, he's not going to last long in drafts.

Justin Upton is a stud. And he's going to be for a long, long time.

All-Star Berth the Beginning for Upton originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Kid Kershaw Impresses Again [Man-Crush Alert]

Will Brinson — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

The only downside of the NBA playoffs is that I feel like I miss some baseball that I would normally get to see. But with the Lakers (sigh) crowned champs now, both Kobe Bryant and I -- he was at the stadium, I was pantsless in my apartment, natch -- got the chance to watch the Angels and Dodgers go to civil war on Sunday Night Baseball.

And what I was treated to was a very impressive showing from my current favorite mancrush, Clayton Kershaw. You might know him as the "next Sandy Koufax" if you're a real devote, but more than likely, you know him as the "inconsistent southpaw who has yet to really flourish in the Dodgers rotation."

Particularly impressive was a jam that Kershaw found himself in -- bases loaded, fifth innings and facing Bobby Abreu. Abreu hit a soft chopper back to the mound, Kershaw grabbed the ball, looked to his right to check third and quickly fired home; Russell Martin then gassed Bobby at first for an absolute monster and rare 1-2-3 double play that left even the Mamba saying, "Wow!". On the next at bat, Kershaw ended the inning and had suddenly escaped, damage free. Savvy. Guile. Etc. Kid has it.

Which is why I'll go ahead and tell you that he's the real deal. (Because he is.) And now is actually a decent time to trade for him; he reminds me distinctively of a Cole Hamels type, albeit with a 12:6 backbreaking curve in place of a filthy changeup.

And he hasn't been amazing this season. He's been very, very good at times and flashed potential at others, but he hasn't really broken out. However, I think we can all expect (and no, I do not have any major statistical data to back this up) a big second half from the youngster. Perhaps limited innings at times, but, hey, whatever -- he's going to be dialed in, he's going to be slinging strikes and you're going to want to own him. Trust me on this one. I've never been wrong before*.

Down on the Farm: Normally we talk about what someone did. But I want to talk about what people in Durham are going to see tonight. Namely, Clay Buchholz versus Scott Kazmir in an inexplicably awesome Triple-A matchup at the Durham Bulls Baseball Park (or whatever the hell the acronym stands for). I expect to see somewhat of a duel but watch Buchholz out-gun Kazmir based on savvy, guile, and, okay, based primarily on the fact that he's just there because the Boston rotation is full while Kazmir's rehabbing. Still, quite the treat for a casual Monday minor league baseball game. Wish I could be there.

Bits from the Box Score: I love it when you call me "Big Papi" -- David Ortiz appears to be "back" (it's all relative!) hitting his sixth homer of the season. He's still a slugger and people are still scared of steroids, so why not, right?

-- Albert Pujols continues to be, well, Albert Pujols. Two more taterjacks. Sigh. He's quite good. Can you imagine if you picked David Wright over this guy in a draft?

-- Now is actually a decent time to trade for the aforementioned Hamels; he's had two really shoddy starts in terms of luck and what the Phillies were able to put behind him, and he's actually pitching quite well. If his owner isn't paying attention or is concerned, make a play.

-- Andruw Jones is quietly picking up the pace and appears motivated (judging by his McCourt-directed reaction when the Dodgers were in Arlington, even after a loss) to hit some homers this year. If he's there, he's going to be cheap, obviously. And there's a decent chance that you'll see the Rangers moving bats for pitching as the deadline approaches, so who knows how playing time will shake out. Regardless, he can't be as horrible as Chris Davis.

-- Barry Zito, who do you think you are? El Mono (long story, but he hangs out on my championship-less buddy's back to be short about it) had a no-no rolling until late, when he coughed up a tater to the above referenced Mr. Jones.

Tuesday's Ace in the Hole: Andrew Miller. I have literally no good reason for picking this kid. He's burnt me time after time after time in fantasy leagues and he's a Carolina guy. But it's a gut thing when I look up and down the people pitching on Tuesday. If I had to pick one guy who's a lock-job waiver claim and starter who I'd grab. It's Miller. My gut is used to be large folks, and sometimes intelligent.

Roto Rush: Kid Kershaw Impresses Again [Man-Crush Alert] originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sandoval Scorching, Now With Power

Matt Snyder — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs

New Studs on the Block takes a look at players ready to make the leap from "possibly productive fantasy player" to "must-have fantasy stud." This is not a "you've never heard of this dude, but ... " series -- these should be names you already know.

Coming into the season, Fantasy FanHouse loved Pablo Sandoval. He was dubbed a breakout candidate and tabbed as someone who would become a stud during the season. Well, here we are. This week's New Stud on the Block is Mr. Sandoval. He should never be on the bench or waiver wire in any format. He's just too valuable a commodity.

The 22-year-old Venezuelan is currently hitting .338 with 8 home runs and 33 RBI. He's even stolen 2 bases. If he's not already eligible at catcher, keep an eye on those games. He's caught three times this season.

Sandoval has been pretty hot recently, but that doesn't tell the whole tale. In fact, he's been one of the best hitters in baseball for a most of the season. After a slow start that saw his batting average dip to .179, things have picked up and not slowed down. After 11 games he was hitting only .195, but since then he's been raking -- to the tune of .368. All 8 of his home runs and all but one of his 33 RBI occurred in those last 52 games.

His best work has come recently, though, as his confidence grows. In his last 16 games, Sandoval is hitting .448 with an astounding 1.308 OPS. The power stroke especially has come around in this recent development, as 5 of his 8 homers came during this hot streak and his slugging percentage has increased nearly 100 points in June.

While his development has been pretty fast, it's not from out of nowhere. Sandoval destroyed minor league pitching last season (.350, 20 homers, 96 RBI in only 112 games). He's a career .303 minor league hitter, and has been in the Giants organization since he was 17.

Considering the fact that Sandoval is 5-foot-11, 245 pounds, one would expect the power stroke will continue to develop as he becomes more acclimated as a major league hitter.

The sky is the limit. Enjoy his growth in your fantasy lineup, because he is a stud for the foreseeable future.

Sandoval Scorching, Now With Power originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Josh Johnson, Fantasy Baseball Ace

Matt Snyder — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:37:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs

New Studs on the Block takes a look at players ready to make the leap from "possibly productive fantasy player" to "must-have fantasy stud." This is not a "you've never heard of this dude, but ... " series -- these should be names you already know.

Josh Johnson is only 25 years old and is still less than a year removed from a Tommy John surgery comeback. Another thing he is right now is an absolute fantasy baseball ace -- and don't expect that to change any time soon. The 6-foot-7 right-hander from Minnesota has worlds of potential. The only thing standing the way the past few seasons was his health, and that is no longer even remotely a question. He's fine, and he's an ace.

Remember, when Johnson was only 22, he went 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 157 innings. He battled arms woes in 2007 before succumbing to elbow injury and needing the famed ulnar-collateral ligament procedure. When he came back last season he was really good, just not as great as the 7-1 record seemed to indicate. He sported a 3.61 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. In a pitcher-friendly ballpark like Land Shark Stadium, those are respectable numbers, but nothing to fawn over from a fantasy baseball perspective.

This season, he's taking on a sizable workload and appears totally healthy. He's also putting up numbers that are definitely fawn-worthy. In a league-leading 98 innings, Johnson has struck out 83 batters and walked only 23. After another sparkling outing Sunday, he has a 2.76 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. His record is 6-1, which hardly even does justice to his 12 quality starts -- tying him with Dan Haren and Chad Billingsley for the most in baseball.

Between the consistency, the strikeout rate, and the talent-level, there aren't many more valuable pitchers in all of fantasy baseball right now. Yet, he's still available in seven percent of Yahoo! fantasy leagues. That's the exact same percent of ownership as Carlos Zambrano. As a Cubs fan, I love Big Z, but he's not even remotely close to being on the same level as Johnson.

Josh Johnson is the new stud on the block. Get him if you still can and, as we like to say, enjoy the ride.

Josh Johnson, Fantasy Baseball Ace originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can Vin Mazzaro Continue Perfection?

Knox Bardeen — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:12:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs, MLB Waiver Wire

Continuing along with their youth movement in the pitching staff, the Athletics called up 22-year-old Vin Mazzaro last week to make his first major league start. He didn't disappoint.

On Tuesday, Mazzaro threw 6.1 innings of shutout baseball and only gave up three hits. It was a great start where he earned his first victory, but his four walks with only one strikeout weren't ideal.

The A's threw him back out there again on Sunday and Mazzaro impressed again. In 7.1 innings of work he allowed five hits and, once again, did not allow an earned run. He also struck out four batters and walked none; seemingly fixing his control issues from his first start.

After two starts, Mazzaro has a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA in 13.2 innings of work. He's struck out five and walked four. And now you're wondering... "When can I pick him up in mixed leagues?"

In doing so you'll need to prepare for a few bumps in the road, but the answer is right now. Here's why.

Mazzaro uses a 94-MPH fastball, which he throws about 67% of the time, in conjunction with a slider (his second pitch) and a change up. His fastball has a lot of movement on it, but he's still more of a pitch to contact pitcher instead of a power pitcher.

Last season in combined Double-A and Triple-A work he won 15 games and posted a 2.74 ERA. In his 171 innings of work he struck out 131 and walked 45. That's a great stat line but it was a marked improvement from 2007 where he had a 5.33 ERA with a 1.62 strikeout to walk ratio (115:71 K:BB). The improvement from '07 to '08 came with his reduced walk rate. That reduced walk rate is going to have to continue for Mazzaro's success to continue. Especially since he's a pitch to contact guy who isn't a ground ball pitcher.

So, knowing that Mazzaro is going to need to keep his walks down to succeed. And knowing that he's, more than likely, going to start giving up some fly balls (his fly ball rate is 52.4%) that travel farther than they have thus far (read: home runs) you need to know that picking him up isn't going to be smooth sailing 24/7 like his first week on the job. That being said, he's still going to do a lot more good than bad with the baseball this season, and in the future. If you have an easily droppable player on your fantasy baseball roster in any format, think about signing Vin Mazzaro.

Can Vin Mazzaro Continue Perfection? originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stewart's Scorching Streak Is Very Real

Matt Snyder — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs

New Studs on the Block takes a look at players ready to make the leap from "possibly productive fantasy player" to "must-have fantasy stud." This is not a "you've never heard of this dude, but ... " series -- these should be names you already know.

All year we've been waiting on Ian Stewart to show the kind of potential in the majors that he has any time he's been in the minors. He simply had too many tools to be one of those Corey Patterson quadruple-A players. Last year, in only 69 triple-A games, Stewart clubbed 19 home runs and 57 RBI. He's only 24 years-old, and he plays half his games in the thin air of Denver's Coors Field.

Earlier this season, Stewart showed his power potential, but couldn't maintain enough consistency to warrant being played in large fantasy leagues. During a horrible stretch from April 22 to May 10, for example, Stewart collected only three hits on 38 at-bats (of course, all three hits were of the extra base variety). He hit 3 home runs and 7 RBI in the next two games, but again followed with a huge funk. From May 14 to June 2, Stewart went 4 for 37. All of a sudden, though, something clicked.

In the past five games, Stewart has 12 hits in 22 at-bats. He has 3 doubles, 4 home runs, 9 runs and 12 RBI in that time. His average has climbed all the way up to .237 (from a season-low .177 after June 2). He now has 11 home runs (meaning he's on pace for 32) on the season.

The Rockies are going nowhere in 2009. Thus, they'll be trading some veterans and playing the kids. Ian Stewart is one of those kids, and he has too much power to be available in 2/3 of the fantasy leagues -- he's only owned in 33 percent of Yahoo! leagues. He won't stay this hot, but his average isn't dropping below .220 again. He's a future star who is finally started to grasp major league pitching.

Go grab Stewart and enjoy the power returns. You won't be disappointed.

Stewart's Scorching Streak Is Very Real originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Who Is 'Zorilla' and What Has He Done With Ben Zobrist?

Tom Herrera — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Kids Are Alright, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB New Studs

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Ben Zobrist has transformed from a run-of-the-mill slap hitter into one of the most powerful middle infielders in baseball. Right when you thought he might be cooling off, SMASH! -- a grand slam against Kansas City for his 10th home run of the year. He's slugging .659 with a 1.073 OPS for crying out loud. And he's somehow still available in over 35 percent of mixed leagues. So the question becomes: Is it time for you to believe in the man Joe Maddon nicknamed "Zorilla" or will his power eventually fade just like Marco Scutaro's did?

In late April, Tommy Rancel of DRaysBay uncovered some eye-opening details about Zobrist's work with "swing mechanic" Jamie Cevallos, who's also helped Reds prospect Drew Sutton. As the story goes, Zobrist trained with Cevallos and the patented MKANX training bat before the 2008 season. Cevallos studied Zobrist's swing extensively on tape and gave him methods to increase power and consistency.

On Cevallos' Web site, there's a quote from Zobrist that reads: "The numbers before I worked with Jaime compared to after speak for themselves."

Yeah, I'll say.

So how much of this do we take with a grain of salt? The stat fiend will look at Zobrist's 21.7 percent HR/F rate and become very skeptical (home runs as a percent of outfield fly balls). But Zobrist put up a 17.4 percent HR/F last season, where he hit 12 out of the park in 198 at-bats. So even though we all know he'll cool off, I don't think what we're seeing is entirely fluky. He should hit 25 if Maddon keeps slotting him somewhere in the lineup all season long.

Don't forget about his RBI potential either. Zobrist batted fifth on Wednesday with Evan Longoria out and will return to the sixth spot when he returns. If you consider that his eligibility includes second base, shortstop and outfield, there's no reason to see him available in any league. This is the middle infielder steal of the season (no offense, Aaron Hill).

Bits from the Box Scores:
o. Jered Weaver is not only back to rookie form, he's got a new trick in his bag, too. With an improved hard-breaking slider, Weaver has racked up 18 strikeouts over his last two starts. He lowered his ERA to a miniscule 2.26 with a Halladay-like showing against the Blue Jays. "The slider is a lot sharper," Weaver said after the game. "I've been trying to mess around with a couple of different grips over the past couple of years. Me and (pitching coach Mike Butcher) worked on one in spring training and it's come around and I've gotten a good grasp on where to put it and where to locate it."

o. Andrew Bailey could make Brad Ziegler look irrelevant very quickly if he keeps pitching like this. Up against the White Sox, Bailey picked up his third save and 40th strikeout (in 34 innings). Josh Outman, one of Oakland's other pleasant surprises, won his third game and lowered his ERA to 3.02. Even though he's reeled off five straight quality starts with a healthy strikeout rate, I still wouldn't trust him all season long.

o. Sticking with relievers, don't sleep on Angel Guzman, who picked up the win for Chicago with two scoreless innings at Atlanta. Afterward, Kevin Gregg stayed out of trouble for once with a no-nonsense save. Guzman has only given up two earned runs since April 22 and his 22:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio whispers "potential closer." If you recall, Guzman was considered for the gig in 2007, then an injury wiped out his 2008 season.

o. Magglio Ordonez has been stuck on two home runs since April 27. You're not going to find a star outfielder much cheaper than Maggs.

o. The Josh Beckett resurgence ride continued with a nine-strikeout game, his highest K total since Opening Day.

o. Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus stole three bases on the Yankees over the first two games of the series. I wonder what he'll try doing in the third.

o. Two interesting stat lines out of the Reds' lineup: Laynce Nix hit two homers and Brandon Phillips stole two bases after not swiping one since April 28. Nix isn't a bad pickup for those who need cheap power in deep leagues; it seems like ages ago when he was a hyped young Texas slugger. And Phillips is quickly closing the gap atop the second base ranks.

o. Dan Uggla has homered in seven of his last 15 games for Florida. And to think I saw an owner drop him in a mixed league nearly a month ago.

Lineup Lock Time: Get those changes in by lunchtime since the Mets and Pirates play at 12:35 PM ET. Also, remember that Washington and San Francisco play a doubleheader due to Wednesday's rainout.

Down on the Farm: White Sox prospect Gordon Beckham is going to be called up from Triple-A Charlotte and Wilson Betemit will be designated for assignment. Regular at-bats should come easy for Beckham, whether he's playing shortstop, third base or even second base. He was hitting .435 since being promoted to Triple-A and is worth adding in all very deep mixed leagues, but shallow-leaguers can take a wait-and-see approach.

Beckham's call-up will get all the hype, but don't forget about Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who will make his debut Thursday and should start for the rest of the season. With major speed and run-scoring skills, he could have a bigger impact in fantasy circles. But if Pittsburgh plans to play both him and Nyjer Morgan regularly, well, that's a pitiful power combo.

Cleveland catching prospect Carlos Santana -- no relation to the legendary guitarist -- smashed two homers Tuesday a day after he hit two doubles. Overall, he's got nine homers, 35 RBI and a very fine 35:25 walk-to-strikeout ratio. A great keeper prospect, for sure.

The Afflicted: Not a good day for injuries. Kevin Youkilis is day-to-day after leaving Wednesday's game in the eighth inning with an ankle injury. Evan Longoria's sore left hamstring likely won't require a DL stint, but expect him to miss 1-3 more games to rest. Jose Reyes was forced to leave an extended spring training game after experiencing discomfort in his right calf. (Uh oh ... stay tuned.) San Diego placed outfielder Scott Hairston on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained left biceps (right in the middle of a hot streak). Cleveland shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera also hit the DL with a sprained left shoulder. And finally, Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse had to come out after just two innings because of soreness in his forearm.

Friday's Ace in the Hole: He's not recommended for those with heart conditions, but Mike Hampton (3-4, 5.07 ERA) owns the Pirates this season. He's 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two starts against them. Pittsburgh may also feel deflated after the Nate McLouth trade. Arizona's Doug Davis (2-6, 3.65 ERA) should benefit from pitching at Petco Park while amassing strikeouts. And for deep leagues, Dallas Braden (4--5, 3.63 ERA) plays the Orioles at home.

Roto Rush: Who Is 'Zorilla' and What Has He Done With Ben Zobrist? originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Edwin Jackson Takes Steps to Stardom

Matt Snyder — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs

New Studs on the Block takes a look at players ready to make the leap from "possibly productive fantasy player" to "must-have fantasy stud." This is not a "you've never heard of this dude, but ... " series -- these should be names you already know.

After a sparkling start Sunday afternoon, it's becoming pretty clear that Edwin Jackson is a pitcher who should be active in every fantasy baseball league. The imposing right-hander is only 25-years-old, but he's already had two teams give up on him. All the pitching-rich Rays wanted back for him was Matt Joyce. Think they want a mulligan?

All Jackson's done for the Tigers this season is work up a 2.30 ERA in one-third of the season. His record is a good 5-3, but the ERA and WHIP (1.04) are stellar. It's possible to point to the somewhat low BABIP (.256), but that's not ridiculously low and his other rate stats support his growth into an elite pitcher. He's figured out the strike zone, as his walks per nine innings stands a full two walks lower than his career number (2.2 in '09, 4.2 for career). His 57 strikeouts to only 18 walks also represents a career best 3.17 K:BB ratio. In fact, the next best in his career was 1.73 in only 22 innings his rookie season. So, yeah, he's having decent "luck" in terms of not allowing hits, but he's also learned how to pitch instead of just trying to strike everyone out -- meanwhile his strikeout rate is much higher than last season.

The best part about Jackson's growth, though, is that it's continuing during the season. In his past five starts, Jackson is 4-1 with a 1.49 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 29 strikeouts and only 8 walks in 36 1/3 innings. He's teaming with Justin Verlander to form one of the league's most potent 1-2 punches atop the Tigers rotation.

You shouldn't expect Jackson to keep that ERA headed downward toward the 1.00s, but he's arrived as a legitimate fantasy star, and yet he's still only owned in 75 percent of Yahoo! leagues. If you happen to play in a league where he's available, get him immediately, because Edwin Jackson is the New Stud on the Block. Not that we're surprised.

Edwin Jackson Takes Steps to Stardom originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wandy Rodriguez Continues to Sizzle

Matt Snyder — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs

New Studs on the Block takes a look at players ready to make the leap from "possibly productive fantasy player" to "must-have fantasy stud." This is not a "you've never heard of this dude, but ... " series -- these should be names you already know.

Thursday, in the thin air of Colorado, Wandy Rodriguez spun yet another gem for the Houston Astros -- and, of course, his fantasy owners. After seven innings of work, where he allowed only five hits and two earned runs, Rodriguez's ERA actually increased to 1.90. Of course, he also struck out a career-high 11 batters and ran his record to 4-2 in the process. It's time to officially declare him a must-start in every fantasy league.

Rodriguez has been a late-bloomer, but his progress has never been altered. His ERA and WHIP numbers have progressively improved every single season from 2006 to the present. His strikeout rate has gotten really close to one per inning (8.6 strikeouts per nine innings last season, 48 K in 52 innings this year), which is outstanding for starting pitchers. His stuff has baffled opposing hitters much more than in the past, too. For his career he's always allowed about one hit per inning, but this season he's only coughed up 37 knocks in those 52 innings -- and he has yet to allow a home run.

Look, it's easy to say that a guy with a 4-2 record, 1.90 ERA, nearly a strikeout per inning and a 1.00 WHIP has been a stud thus far. There's no arguing that. The question is, can he keep it up?

I strongly believe he will be a must-start option for the balance of 2009. Obviously he's not maintaining a 1.90 ERA all season. He's not Pedro Martinez circa 2000. He is, however, a strikeout pitcher who hasn't been the beneficiary of a ton of "luck" (his allowed BABIP is .271, which will normalize a bit but not much) and has shown the ability to stymie solid offensive teams (quality starts against the Dodgers, Cubs and Cardinals thus far). The fact that he's left-handed and has always thrown well in the bandbox that is Enron Minute Maid Park bode well for his prospects moving forward as well.

We always knew the 30-year-old had "it" when he was younger, he just lacked consistency. He's now putting it all together on a start-to-start basis. If you had the foresight to grab him late in fantasy drafts, enjoy him. If his current owner thinks this is a fluke and he wishes to sell-low on Mr. Rodriguez, go ahead and grab him.

He's Wandy, and he's the New Stud on the Block.

Wandy Rodriguez Continues to Sizzle originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 14 May 2009 23:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: The Rebirth of Rickie Weeks

Tom Herrera — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB New Studs, MLB Yard Work

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Remember when Rickie Weeks was a hot new prospect whose quick bat drew comparisons to Gary Sheffield? Yeah, turns out that was four years ago.

Following season after season of frustration for hopeful fantasy owners, Weeks is finally coming through. The speed isn't there, but he's homered in three straight games to give him nine total in only 140 at-bats. By comparison, he only hit 14 in 475 at-bats last year. So has our man-crush of yesteryear suddenly transformed into the new Dan Uggla, or is this impressive power display just another tease?

One stat that immediately jumps out as an outlier is a 19.6 percent home run per fly ball rate (HR/F). Over his past three seasons, Weeks has never topped 13.2 percent and his career average is 12.5 percent. His added power is further evidenced by his .257 Isolated Power (ISO) -- his highest mark yet by far. He's also flexed an ability to take right-handed pitchers the other way. Still, Weeks has gone on tears before (nine in September 2007), so he could come up shy of 30 homers at the end of the line.

All things considered -- added muscle, working with hitting coach Dale Sveum, and healthy wrists for once -- this isn't completely unexpected. He was a great low-risk, high-reward pick this year, just one that's burned us a few times. Sure, his strikeouts are piling up as usual and the batting average will slip here and there. But no one can deny the resurgence of Rickie Weeks. He's a top-10 second baseman and should be valued as such.

Bits From the Box Scores:
o. Emilio Bonifacio is coming back to life, coincidentally since Chris Coghlan was added to the lineup. Bonifacio isn't a bad buy-low considering his value took a steep dive, and Coghlan has major speed so he shouldn't be overlooked.

o. Cliff Lee has only surrendered seven earned runs over his last six starts. He gave up seven alone in his season opener at Arlington. No matter how brutal one start looks, a great string can quickly make it disappear.

o. With Carlos Delgado possibly DL-bound because of an injured right hip, Fernando Tatis is getting some action ... and producing. He hit a grand slam against the Braves and could be a cheap source of temporary power.

o. Jordan Schafer is up to 44 strikeouts and only has three RBI. If this continues into June, the Braves will have to figure out a way to give him a break.

o. Don't sleep on Nick Johnson. The underrated corner collected another four hits to close out a series with San Fran and has 14 RBI in May. Along the same lines, catcher-eligible Pablo Sandoval remained hot to knock in his ninth run this month.

o. I'm very interested to see how long Jimmy Rollins sticks in the fifth spot after Charlie Manuel decided to shake things up. Rollins hit his second homer of the year against the Dodgers.

o. Jason Barlett has already matched his career high for homers, hitting his fifth at Baltimore. He also stole a base for the third straight game. With a line of .369-5-14-21-9, he's a surprising must-start middle until he cools off.

o. Nice of you to show up for the party, Geovany Soto. It's time for you to bring more from where that two-run homer came from. That thing you're holding is a baseball boomstick.

o. Chris Young can't be trusted in your rotation. I'd say we've seen enough. If you've got a deep bench, hold on to him until he hopefully remembers how to stop walking batters. If it's a shallow league, dump him.

o. Take note of Troy Percival's four-run implosion and the subsequent save from J.P. Howell. It was just one rough game for Percival, but Howell should be on your radar. This is a 39-year-old closer we're talking about.

o. You knew good things from someone like Scott Richmond couldn't last forever. April's fantasy hurler darling has given up 10 runs over his last two starts. He lasted 1 2/3 innings against the Yankees on Wednesday.

o. Adrian Beltre is finally hitting for power -- two homers in his last four games. The nifty buy-low window may be closing. Same goes for Chris Iannetta, who hit his fourth bomb of the month.

o. From the "Ridiculously Under the Radar Files" (yes, such files exist at Fantasy FanHouse), comes Jeff Larish. He's started four straight games and hit jacks in three consecutive games, seeing time at both first base and designated hitter. He's on the verge of becoming more than just a cool AL-only sleeper.

Run to the Wire for ... Nolan Reimold, one of two hot prospects making their way up to the bigs, Mat Gamel being the other. For my money, I think Reimold will have much better fantasy value. He had nine homers, 27 RBI and a .394 average in Triple-A. With Luke Scott seemingly DL-bound and Adam Jones hurting, Reimold should find more at-bats than Gamel. Both are must-own in mono leagues though.

The Afflicted: Carl Crawford is day-to-day after bruising his right shoulder. Ryan Ludwick hit the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Adam Jones tweaked his hamstring in Wednesday's game. The Angels activated Ervin Santana from the 15-day disabled list. He'll start Thursday against the Red Sox. Rangers closer Frank Francisco is expected to be back Sunday.

Friday's Ace in the Hole: Brett Cecil (1-0, 0.64), who's shown great command for a rookie through two starts, will take on the White Sox at home. If he pitches well again, he should be owned in all deep mixed leagues. Eric Stults (4-1, 3.58 ERA) faces the Marlins on the road. He's only been roughed up in one outing so far.

Roto Rush: The Rebirth of Rickie Weeks originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 14 May 2009 13:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don't Call Me 'Pacman,' Dawg

Will Brinson — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:25:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs, MLB Sleepers

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Every year in fantasy baseball there are a number of players whose hype exceeds reasonable expectations, because so many freaking people have them tagged as a "breakout." Peter Gammons may have been the first to tag Adam Jones with such a label, but it caught on quickly, and he was a popular fantasy draft selection. (Note that this also applies to my homie Chris Davis, who I think might hit 40 taters, but who was wickedly overvalued coming into drafts. More on this in a second.)

And the man that wants no part of being called "Pacman" -- for obvious reasons -- is suddenly flat-out destroying opposing pitching. Jones was always considered a "five-tool" prospect, with power and speed potential, not to mention just being a great baseball player.

There's wasn't ever really a question that the Orioles thrashed the Mariners in the multi-player deal that involved Jones and Erik Bedard a few seasons ago; now that Jones is emerging as a bonafide stud, it's just more egg on the M's collective face. Just for a baseline, PECOTA had Jones tagged for 18 homers and 10 stolen bases this season, and right now, that seems like a pretty good lock. The youngster will have some points where he cools off, but that's just because we all know he's not hitting 39 homers, 125 RBI and batting .362 for the season.

But the difference between his projections (nearly everyone had him pegged for 15-20 homers and ~10-15 steals at worse) and his early season performance shows just what a stud the kid can and will be. Remember, he's only 23 -- as the Orioles continue to cultivate a really, really strong lineup around him (they're working on it) things should only get better.

Lineup Lock Time: 12:05 PM EST. Mark Buehrle! Cliff Lee! It's the underachieving, but-what-did-we-really-expect AL Central!

Bits From the Boxscores:
*Luke Hochevar, the focus of yesterday's Roto Rush, didn't, um, pitch, er, "well." On the bright side, at least his 36.00 ERA is a nice, round even number. In keeper/dynasty type leagues, now might be a pretty good time to take a stab at the youngster; I still think he's going to be fine, and besides, the Royals have already shown a knack for saving young pitchers who struggled in the majors. (See: Greinke, Zach)

*Three straight quality starts -- and two straight wins -- for Manny Parra. The Brewers are streaking and despite what the season-long stats say, so is my boy Manny. Get on the bandwagon while you still can.

*Former teammates Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett squared off last night and (unsurprisingly) Halladay was better: more importantly, he lowered his ERA to 2.95 on the season and earned his seventh victory as the Blue Jays handled the Yankees. Not mind-blowing, just ironic. Or something.

*Josh Hamilton seems safe to start now -- in his first game back from the DL, he hit a tater as the Rangers cruised over the freefalling Mariners.

*Also homering for the Rangers was my favorite mancrush, Chris Davis. That's two straight games and nine on the season. His average is still "meh" and the strikeouts are high as expected, but now's not the time to be thinking sell high by any means.

*Two jacks for Ian Stewart last night, and that's six on the season. He continues to receive somewhat scattered at-bats and playing time, but there's only so long the Rockies can keep moving him around before his power wins out and he starts every day.

*Joey Votto left yesterday's game because of "dizziness." That's after missing four games with the flu. Which means that someone dropped the ball here. And lieu of knowing any doctor's name that relates to the Reds, I'm just going to go ahead and blame Dusty Baker.

*The Pirates handled the Cardinals easily last night and Zach Duke continues to look "fa' real." I rode Duke in 2005 when he posted a ridiculous second half to the season, and it's crazy to think that a guy this young is already on the comeback trail ... but I guess he is. I think he can keep this up, because there's a track record, but if I own him, I'm still treading cautiously on certain matchups for now.

*Also: Albert Pujols has 13 (!) homers right now. PleasedearGoddon'tlethimgetbustedforroids.

The Afflicted: Kevin Youkilis to the DL, finally -- get him on dat bench. My man Knox had a good point too: Todd Helton is an excellent replacement, particularly if he's somehow unowned in any league that rewards OBP. Ryan Ludwick is likely headed to the disabled list after injuring his hamstring on Tuesday; it's a nightmare situation for the Cardinals, his owners and people who want to see Poo-holes keep hitting homers. As Snyder pointed out, it seems unlikely that Albert will be getting as many grapefruits. Dontrelle Willis returns to the mound tonight! Do. Not. Want.

Thursday's Ace in the Hole: Matt Harrison. Rangers pitching usually = FTF, obvs. (LMAO!) But Harrison's 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA over his last three starts. Sure, he's going against Felix Hernandez, but I'll bank on 3+ runs from the Rangers regardless of the matchup. And sure, Harrison has only 11 K'd in 21 innings over that span, but the Mariners are reeling and nothing says "dagger to your season in May" like getting CGSO'd by a young Rangers pitcher.

Don't Call Me 'Pacman,' Dawg originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 13 May 2009 11:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yovani Gallardo Is an Ironman

Tom Herrera — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Kids Are Alright, MLB New Studs, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Yovani Gallardo, meet "the groove." Groove, meet Gallardo.

The Brewers ace struck out 11, only allowed two hits and provided the deciding solo homer over eight juggernaut innings against the Pirates. That outing brought his ERA for the season down to 2.86 and his record to 3-1. And with 34 K's over 34 2/3 innings, it's safe to say he's in fantasy stud territory. But Gallardo isn't the only pitcher that has transcended draft value so far.

Those of you who like to wait on pitchers and grab them in later rounds (i.e. Fantasy FanHouse staff) are being handsomely rewarded. Take a look at the league leaders in starting pitcher statistics and you'll find a bunch of surprising names. Before we hit the box scores, let's take a run through some of them to see what's fluky and what's for real.

Zach Greinke, Royals -- He finally gave up an earned run on Wednesday, but still sits with a ridiculous 5-0 record with a 0.50 ERA and 44 strikeouts. Look for him to finish with an ERA a bit above 3.00 and to maintain ace status. Hold.

Felix Hernandez and Erik Bedard, Mariners -- King Felix is 4-0 with a 2.38 ERA and 36 strikeouts. Bedard is surprising with a 2.61 ERA and 32 strikeouts. The "tread lightly" caveat applies to Bedard, but Hernandez should finish with totals better than last year, especially in the wins department. I'd hold on to both.

Javier Vazquez, Braves -- One of our preseason favorites is 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA and 42 strikeouts (good for third in the NL). You're going to take some ERA bumps here and there (like Wednesday's five earned runs against the Cards), but the strikeouts are for real. Hold.

Josh Johnson and Chris Volstad, Marlins -- Johnson is 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA and a sparkling 32:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Volstad is the wild card with a 2-0 record and 2.70 ERA. Hold on both, and look to acquire if anyone doesn't believe they're for real.

Wandy Rodriguez, Astros -- He has a 1.69 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 27 strikeouts in 32 innings. The hurler with the fun first name always had the strikeout ability, but now he's showing better command, too. He'll finish with an ERA below 4.00 and continue to reward you in K's.

Armando Galarraga and Edwin Jackson, Tigers -- The bizarro duo on this list? Galarraga is 3-0 with a 1.85 ERA and Jackson has a 2.25 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Both are pitching over their heads a little bit, but certainly worth sticking with until they dip. I give Jackson the slight edge.

Doug Davis, Diamondbacks -- People are finally snagging him off the wire following another sharp game. He has a 2.91 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 34 innings. Worth a spot start here and there. Watch out for rising WHIP.

Johnny Cueto, Reds -- Edinson Volquez struggled with his command prior to Wednesday's start. Cueto has surged back to darling status with a 2.19 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings. I'd sell high if you own him. There will be more rough starts ahead.

Bits From the Box Scores:
o. Don't sleep on Kendry Morales; he's one of the hottest hitters in baseball. After a homer and triple against Baltimore, he's now racked up three jacks and 10 RBI in his last six games.

o. Three straight quality starts for Koji Uehara against three tough opponents. That includes an eye-opening 16:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's readily available in most leagues.

o. For those of you who doubted Jorge Cantu was for real after last season's comeback, it's time to abandon your grudge. He drilled his third homer in two games against the Mets; six homers and 18 RBI for the season.

o. Under the radar, Adrian Beltre went 4-for-4 against the White Sox. He's one of the best buy-low candidates because you shouldn't have to give up much to persuade your leaguemate to part with him.

o. Adrian Gonzalez smashed two more homers to give him nine total ... and we're only in April. It's amazing that he could reach the 40-homer plateau this year despite playing for the Padres. Underrated.

o. We might have to do a Slump or Suck edition on Ryan Dempster after another poor showing. Dempster gave up five earned runs and surrendered three walks against the Diamondbacks. He'll get better, but his 25:14 strikeout-to-walk ratio is troubling.

o. A steal and another two hits for Asdrubal Cabrera as he continues to produce out of the No. 2 spot. I'm sure there are fantasy teams that could use the 16 runs and four steals out of a middle infielder.

o. Seven homers from Curtis Granderson? Forget the low average, I could get used to Grandy the power hitter. It'll normalize, but 30 bombs is a reality.

o. It's time to pick spots with Scott Kazmir because his command just isn't there. He gave up six earned runs, walked four and threw two wild pitches vs. Minnesota. He's walked three or more in every start but one.

o. NL-only owners in dire need of pitching, take a look at Scott Olsen's past three starts: 18 2/3 innings, 5 ER, 15 strikeouts.

o. Reason my AL-only team is crying right now: 10 earned runs from Brian Tallet ... against the Royals. I played with fire and got burned. Let this be another lesson to those who gamble with fringe starters instead of sparkling relievers.

The Afflicted: The Indians placed Travis Hafner on the 15-day DL with soreness in his right shoulder. Matt LaPorta is batting .368 in the minors and could get the call-up for the ailing Indians. Knox Bardeen has a take on when that may happen over here. With Mark Ellis and Nomar Garciaparra both on the DL, expect Eric Patterson, who was batting .329 with 16 runs in the minors, to get playing time. He's got major speed, AL-only owners. Joe Mauer will be activated before the Twins' game against the Royals on Saturday. Pablo Sandoval suffered a minor groin strain and should be back Friday. The Rangers will wait till Monday to see whether Josh Hamilton (ribs) will need a DL stint. If Brad Lidge has to go on the DL with knee trouble, Ryan Madson should get the shot to close. Joakim Soria might be able to pitch this weekend.

Lineup Lock Time: There are two early games today as Oakland and Texas play at 2:05pm ET and Toronto/Kansas City is at 2:10pm ET. The rest are all night games.

Down on the Farm: Tip of the cap to Matt Snyder, who tells me that Jake Fox is simply smoking for Triple-A Iowa. And the Cubs fan isn't exaggerating. Fox has a .446 average, 12 homers and 31 RBI through 19 games. The next time a Cubbie gets placed on the disabled list (which should've been Milton Bradley), NL-only owners know who to grab off the wire.

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Yovani Gallardo Is an Ironman originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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