Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse

Hideki Matsui, Others From World Series to be Overrated in 2010 Fantasy Baseball

Matt Snyder — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:55:00 EST

by Matt Snyder

Filed under: MLB Value Machine, Draft Advice

World Series MVP Hideki Matsui was an absolute monster (Godzilla?) in the 2009 Fall Classic. In 13 at-bats, he pounded eight hits -- including a double and three home runs -- eight RBI and three runs scored. His OPS for the series was an obscene 2.027.

As he was accepting the MVP trophy, there were many items swirling around in my head (there always are, it's a burden, I tell ya!). He's a free agent, the Yankees likely can't justify bringing back both him and Johnny Damon if they want to shore up their starting pitching, etc. There were several more ... and then I arrived at this one: man, he's really gonna be overrated in fantasy baseball drafts next season.

Hideki Matsui, Others From World Series to be Overrated in 2010 Fantasy Baseball originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Desert Diaries: Is Josh Bell Ready to Man Third Base in Baltimore?

Knox Bardeen — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:22:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Kids Are Alright

The Arizona Fall League is chock-full of young prospects looking to make their mark. Desert Diaries is your twice-weekly look at which of these up-and-comers could make a fantasy baseball splash in 2010.

It looks as if there will be a changing of the guard in Baltimore. Melvin Mora, who has 1,323 hits and 158 home runs during his ten year tenure with the Orioles, has been told that his $8 million option will not be picked up. Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun says that the Orioles will look into a number of options at third base this off-season. They'll even consider Josh Bell, who's faring well in the Arizona Fall League.

Desert Diaries: Is Josh Bell Ready to Man Third Base in Baltimore? originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Desert Diaries: Injuries Take Their Toll

Knox Bardeen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:49:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Kids Are Alright

The Arizona Fall League is chock-full of young prospects looking to make their mark. Desert Diaries is your twice-weekly look at which of these up-and-comers could make a fantasy baseball splash in 2010.

It's an inevitable side effect of playing extra baseball in an instructional fall league -- injuries will crop up. As much as these prospects, and their parent major league team, want to prove that they can make it at the next level, it's also important to avoid injury. Unfortunately that's been proven impossible for a few Arizona Fall League participants.

Scott Sizemore, who is projected to take over at second base next season for the Detroit Tigers, fractured his left ankle as the result of a collision at second base trying to turn a double play. He just underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair the damage and Steve Kornacki of Michigan Live says that Sizemore should be ready for Spring Training and is still on track to play second base.

Desert Diaries: Injuries Take Their Toll originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Desert Diaries: Stephen Strasburg Not Ready for Major League Hitters

Knox Bardeen — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:13:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Kids Are Alright

The Arizona Fall League is chock-full of young prospects looking to make their mark. Desert Diaries is your twice-weekly look at which of these up-and-comers could make a fantasy baseball splash in 2010.

In case you missed it while you were at that pesky place called work on Thursday, Washington Nationals prospect and first overall selection in the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, Stephen Strasburg, made his second appearance in the Arizona Fall League. He didn't do well.

Strasburg pitched 2.2 innings on Thursday, striking out four, walking one and giving up a whopping three home runs which lead to seven earned runs against him. According to Chico Harlan of The Washington Post, the seven earned runs he gave up in his outing yesterday were almost half of the number he gave up in his entire junior season at San Diego State.

Desert Diaries: Stephen Strasburg Not Ready for Major League Hitters originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Desert Diaries: Jenrry Mejia Roughed Up in Arizona Fall League Action

Knox Bardeen — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:55:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Kids Are Alright

The Arizona Fall League is chock-full of young prospects looking to make their mark. Desert Diaries is your twice-weekly look at which of these up-and-comers could make a fantasy baseball splash in 2010.

Hard-throwing New York Mets pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia certainly is an ambitious 20-year-old. And you would expect as much from a guy whose fastball sits between 93-96 miles per hour and reaches 98 at times. But Mejia fell short of a lofty goal he'd set for himself and now he's pitching in the Arizona Fall League to make sure he sets himself up for success in 2010.

"Somebody told me if you play in the big leagues at 20 years old, that's good," Mejia said. "I said, 'I know, but I wanted to play in the big leagues last year.'"

Desert Diaries: Jenrry Mejia Roughed Up in Arizona Fall League Action originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Which Arizona Fall League Prospects are Fantasy Baseball Ready?

Knox Bardeen — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Kids Are Alright

The focus of most Major League Baseball fans is directed towards the playoffs right now as teams fight for their chance to play for a World Series title. But the astute fantasy baseball GM should be looking in the desert as the Arizona Fall League has just started.

Why tune in and watch young baseball players with little or no major league experience? Well, in the Arizona Fall League last year, hitters like Drew Sutton, Gordon Beckham and Nolan Reimold tore up the competition -- showing that they could make contributions at the major league level.

You also should not forget about a pitcher by the name of Tommy Hanson. In seven AFL starts last year Hanson struck out 49 batters while only throwing 28.2 innings. He also had a 5-0 record with a 0.63 ERA. We all know what Hanson did for the Braves in 2008 -- and for fantasy GM's who knew his name on draft day.

Who will be this year's Tommy Hanson?

Which Arizona Fall League Prospects are Fantasy Baseball Ready? originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stream Team: The 2009 Results

R.J. White — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: 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.

Greetings, streamers! I hope my advice did a small part in helping you to your 2009 fantasy baseball title. Over the last three months, I've identified widely-available pitchers for you to add for a day to benefit from their stats in spot starts. Many leagues have rules in place to prevent daily streaming, such as transaction limits, game limits or weekly lineup submissions, but if your league doesn't have these rules in place, streaming is a great way to lead the pack in wins and Ks, while hopefully staying competitive in ERA and WHIP.

Stream Team: The 2009 Results originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stream Team: One Last Push

R.J. White — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: 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.

This will be the last Stream Team column of the season, so I'll give you two days' worth of streamers as you try and close out your championship. I'd call our first season of streaming a success, and I'll be back with the final numbers for you on Monday. Until then, let's keep our eyes on the prize and figure out who we want in our rotation on the most critical days of the season.

Stream Team: One Last Push originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stream Team: Petco Pitcher

R.J. White — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: 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.

Petco Park is one of our favorite ballparks in which to stream pitchers, as it generally has a great effect on pitcher's numbers, turning great pitchers into superstars and mediocre pitchers into world beaters. Thus, it's not too surprising to see San Diego pitcher Kevin Correia with some great stats this season. Correia currently has a 3.89 ERA and 1.31 WHIP this season (along with 12 wins), but there's actually several reasons to like him as a spot starter tomorrow.

Stream Team: Petco Pitcher originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stream Team: Anderson Cruising

R.J. White — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: 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.

Thursday leaves us with another shortened schedule of baseball, and as usual, that leaves us with not many good options for the Stream Team. Luckily though, there's one rookie pitcher that stands out above the rest: Brett Anderson.

The Oakland A is finishing his rookie season strong, winning his last four starts (at home against Seattle, in Minnesota, and at home against Cleveland and Texas). He has definitely saved his best baseball for September, as his 4.12 ERA is the lowest it's been all season.

Stream Team: Anderson Cruising originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stream Team: Penny Dominates Arizona

R.J. White — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:50:00 EST

Filed under: 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.

Man, these AL Central and NL Wild Card races are the best. The Twins took Game 1 of a doubleheader with the Tigers to pull to within one game of a division lead, and if they can come through again tonight, the AL Central will be locked up. In the National League, the Braves have forgotten how to lose, winning 15 of their last 17 games to tighten the NL Wild Card race to two games. Considering the Rockies must face the NL West-leading Dodgers on the final weekend, both these races are far from over.

Stream Team: Penny Dominates Arizona originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stream Team: Rookie Ray Reprise

R.J. White — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: 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.

Today's spot start of Hiroki Kuroda looked like the perfect matchup to get us back on track, yet it was not to be. Luckily, only three of Kuroda's seven runs were earned, limiting the damage done to our ratios just a bit. If you weren't the rocked Kuroda owner in today's game, you had to enjoy Andy LaRoche's performance, as the Pittsburgh 3B went 5 for 5 with 2 HRs, 2 2Bs, and 6 RBIs.

Stream Team: Rookie Ray Reprise originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stream Team: Kuroda at Pittsburgh

R.J. White — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: 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.

After a long run of success, the Stream Team put up a couple stinkers over the weekend. Wade LeBlanc gave up four runs in five innings on Saturday, and Ryan Rowland-Smith gave up five runs in seven innings today. Both pitchers struck out three batters while allowing one walk, keeping us in line with our 3:1 K:BB ratio over the month. If we can stick to that, we should be successful more often than not.

Stream Team: Kuroda at Pittsburgh originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stream Team: Go With Rowland-Smith

R.J. White — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:35:00 EST

Filed under: 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.

Friday saw spot-starter Jon Garland give up three unearned runs in a loss, and the fact that he's credited with no earned runs in his six-inning outing brings our September ERA down to 3.04. Clearly 154 innings of 3.04 ERA is a big help during the H2H playoffs in September, and don't forget about the 14 wins and 121 strikeouts. Wade LeBlanc is up next for the Team tonight.

Stream Team: Go With Rowland-Smith originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stream Team: Pick Up the Padre

R.J. White — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: 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.

The Team is rocking as we close out the season, with 14 wins, a 3.16 ERA, and a 1.23 WHIP over the course of September. We've basically taken Joel Pineiro's surprisingly-great 2009, condensed it down to a 24-day span, and handed it to you streamers. It goes without saying that my suggestions won't be available in every league, but the ownership percentages of the pitchers I select show them as being available in at least six out of every ten leagues, and usually more.

Stream Team: Pick Up the Padre originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fantasy Baseball Expert Chat

Knox Bardeen — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Waiver Wire, Expert Chats

We're on the final stretch. Some teams are fighting for their playoff lives while some are sitting back -- blowing bubbles. With less than ten games to play for most major league teams, if your fantasy baseball team is going to need help -- now is the time.

Stop by our live chat on Friday and we'll talk about players that could help out in the last week and a half and strategies to use to get your team a few extra spots in the standings. We'll be chatting for an hour starting at 1:00 PM ET.

Fantasy Baseball Expert Chat originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Roto Rush: AL Cy Young Dogfight

R.J. White — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Sleepers, MLB Waiver Wire

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

Love some Cy Young award discussion? Two of the AL's top pitchers were in action yesterday, and both walked away with their 17th wins of the season. This puts the pair of Cy Young contenders two wins ahead of Zack Grienke, who has by most accounts been the best pitcher in baseball this season, yet may be in a bit of a race for the award. On Thursday, Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez showed why they, along with Grienke and CC Sabathia, are part of a very tight AL Cy Young race.

Roto Rush: AL Cy Young Dogfight originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stream Team: A Couple Great Starters

R.J. White — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:45:00 EST

Filed under: 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.

We earned a pretty solid start from Wade Davis on Wednesday. The rookie Ray only gave up two earned runs in 5.2 innings in a no-decision, and a 6/1 K/BB ratio speaks to an even better performance than the final line indicates. He's definitely on the watch list for next year. Today, Bronson Arroyo pitched another gem against the Pirates, giving up one run in seven innings en route to another win.

Stream Team: A Couple Great Starters originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stream Team: A Full Thursday

R.J. White — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:25:00 EST

Filed under: 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.

Yesterday we spot-started Hiroki Kuroda again, and he was brilliant yet again. He threw six innings while giving up two runs, but both were unearned. He also threw in six strikeouts on his way to an easy win for the Dodgers. His six innings with no earned runs drops our September ERA to 3.26, using pitchers that are available in a majority of your leagues. I hope you're winning your championship game, and now I'll do my best to give you a bigger lead.

Stream Team: A Full Thursday originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.