MLB Fantasy News 2011

HacheMan · May 25, 2011

Down and Out in Oakland

This is a baseball column. This is not a basketball column.

And yet, we're allowed to mention other sports, probably. Dirk Nowitzki's great performance in Monday's game against the Thunder might get a writeup from Steve Alexander and the RotoWorld NBA dudes, but it will also get some love here. Nowitzki led his team back from the brink with a collection of circus shots, fallaway jumpers and lazer-like foul shots, and he did it on the road.

That gives him the number one spot in our tiers, which will be based on performances within this year's NBA playoffs. Because even though this is a baseball column, sometimes the other sports deserve a little love.

Tier 1: Elite (4) (AKA: The "Dirk Nowitzki" Tier.)

Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox
Heath Bell, San Diego Padres
Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants

Being great late has long been the hallmark of these closers. So long that for some, the cracks are forming. Mariano Rivera has only blown three saves this year (one in the last week), but his strikeout rates these last two seasons have been among his four-worst of all time. Surely he's slowing down a little.
Recent elite tier inductee Brian Wilson has spent the last week blowing a save and walking three batters against one strikeout, so his position is slightly tenuous. Jonathan Papelbon, on the other hand, spent the same time frame striking out six and walking one, so he still deserves his place atop the mountain.

Tier 2: Rock Steady (6) (AKA: The "LeBron James" Tier.)

J.J. Putz, Arizona Diamondbacks
Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves
Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers
Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs
Francisco Rodriguez, New York Mets
Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals

LeBron James has averaged around 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the playoffs so far, which would be awesome if he wasn't LeBron James. Some of these closers have elite skills, but they are also not quite there with the elites.
Joakim Soria still has elite upside, but even after possibly correcting a flaw in his delivery, he's walked three and only struck out two in the past week. Think about Aaron Crow, but don't necessarily pick him up until there's some actual injury rumblings with Soria. Even after Soria's blown save Tuesday night, and even if the team will eventually trade their closer, it's in the Royal's best interest for him to succeed in the role.
J.J. Putz slides ahead of Craig Kimbrel because he hasn't walked a guy or blown a save since May 15th while Kimbrel's wildness is starting to show. Francisco Rodriguez is pitching fine, and has three saves in the past week, but revelations that Sandy Alderson is contacting general managers around the league about most of his players means that he could easily leave town to be a big-market setup man. Handcuff him with Jason Isringhausen if you're very nervous.

Tier 3: OK options (8) (AKA: The "Luol Deng" Tier.)

Joel Hanrahan, Pittsburgh Pirates
Huston Street, Colorado Rockies
Leo Nunez, Florida Marlins
Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers
Drew Storen, Washington Nationals

John Axford, Milwaukee Brewers
Chris Perez, Cleveland Indians
Francisco Cordero, Cincinnati Reds

Comment:
Luol Deng has still been useful, but shooting 31% from three and 43% from the floor means that he's been inefficient once you look past the points and rebounds. Neftali Feliz is still throwing gas, but he's walking more than he has struck out and blew two saves in the past week. Oh, and his team apparently contacted the Pirates about Joel Hanrahan. That's enough to shuffle the tier around a little.
For those wondering why closers like Chris Perez and Francisco Cordero are at the bottom of this tier despite their nice ERAs, they are both currently showing poor strikeout and walk rates. Perez has even walked as many as he's struck out. That's not a recipe for future success. They'll drop down a tier with continued work like that - while John Axford, who has a great mustache and has only walked three batters in May, is moving up in the world. He's struck out more than Cordero and Perez combined with room to spare!

Tier 4: Question marks (5) (AKA: The "Pau Gasol" Tier.)

Jordan Walden, Anaheim Angels
Kyle Farnsworth, Tampa Bay Rays
Matt Capps, Minnesota Twins
Sergio Santos, Chicago White Sox
Brandon League, Seattle Mariners

Comment:
Pau Gasol is a good player, but 13 and 8 from your power forward (on 42% shooting from the floor) is not 'getting it done.' These closers are still getting it done, but they have plenty of question marks.
Jordan Walden might be through his trouble spot and out the other side unscathed. Another week like the one he just had (two saves, two strikeouts, two walks and one hit in three appearances) and he'll move back up in the tiers because he'll be 'tried and true' by then. Funny how much a week can mean to a young closer.
Kyle Farnsworth only has nine strikeouts so far this year, but has only allowed one walk. That seems like an okay recipe, but look no further than Matt Capps for the danger that's around the corner. Capps has 14 strikeouts against one walk for the year, but has also blown three of his last five save attempts. If the same thing happens to Farnsworth, does he keep his job? If Joe Nathan hadn't just given up three runs in his last four appearances, would Capps already be out of a job, too? Now that Capps has forearm soreness, Nathan might actually get a save chance this week.
Brandon League has gotten past his very-bad weekend with three straight scoreless appearances. No strikeouts in those three innings is worrisome, but since Jamey Wright and Aaron Laffey are the only guys worth mentioning in that Seattle pen otherwise, he's probably safe until David Aardsma comes back.

Read more about the most volatile closer situations on the next page.


Tier 5: Rollercoaster rides (7) (AKA: The "Carlos Boozer" Tier.)

1st Chair: Frank Francisco, 2nd Chair: Jon Rauch, Toronto Blue Jays

1st Chair: Ryan Madson, 2nd Chair: Jose Contreras, Philadelphia Phillies
1st Chair: Kevin Gregg, 2nd Chair: Koji Uehara, Baltimore Orioles
1st Chair: Fernando Salas, 2nd Chair: Eduardo Sanchez, St. Louis Cardinals
1st Chair: Mark Melancon, 2nd Chair: Wilton Lopez, Houston Astros

1st Chair: Grant Balfour, 2nd Chair: Brian Fuentes, Oakland Athletics

1st Chair: Matt Guerrier, 2nd Chair: Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers

Comment:
Carlos Boozer is not a terrible player. He's very useful. But this year in the playoffs, he's been shooting about 44% from the field, which means that a team that has had a hard time scoring has had a hard time turning to him for points on a consistent basis. Considering that's the best part of his game (definitely not his defense), that's bad news. Most of these closers are bad news in some way or another, but they're also still useful.
Frank Francisco looks like the Jays closer right now, but let's wait for a scoreless week before we move him up in tiers. Strikeouts have not been his problem (he has 15 in 12 1/3 innings so far), but he has been struggling with the other two facets of his game. Those eight walks and four home runs allowed are a problem. Watch those categories for some zeroes before you run to trade for him, especially after his blown save against the Yankees Tuesday night.
A few weeks after his GM and Manager mocked his ability to close in public, the two are now talking about Ryan Madson as a closer even once Brad Lidge returns. That's too quick a turnaround to trust. Jose Contreras is back now, and any mis-step from Madson might mean he could lose the job before Lidge returns. Don't drop Madson, but trading for him is also very risky.
Kevin Gregg hasn't officially blown a save in the past week, but giving up two runs to the Nationals in a blowout loss does not inspire confidence. He still has only two more strikeouts than walks on the year, and Koji Uehara is sporting a 23-to-five ratio in that department. Uehara makes for one of the better speculative adds if saves are your goal.
His stuff is not spectacular, but it works. Fernando Salas is looking solid in the closer role in St. Louis. He has walked only two guys in May and has good strikeout punch as well. No home runs on the year is a nice way to get Tony LaRussa's attention too.
Mark Melancon has decent stuff, but hasn't struck out as many as Salas, walked as few, or shown as many clean slate innings recently. He could still end the year as the Astros closer, though, because Wilton Lopez has lost the plate when compared to his excellent control from last season. Melancon has two straight saves and should be owned in all leagues that score saves.
In Oakland, Brian Fuentes has been doing an okay job, but the last week has brought four straight appearances in which he's been scored upon. He's also walked three against no strikeouts in those four games. He's also attacked his manager in the media. He's also out of the role. Grant Balfour got his manager's seal approval and Andrew Bailey only needs another rehab appearance or two and he'll be back. You can drop Fuentes now without much risk.
Down south in Los Angeles we have our Mess of the Week. Matt Guerrier is probably still the steady-eddy closer, but we've noted before that he doesn't get strikeouts like a closer should, walks too many, and is a fly-ball pitcher. That's probably why the team gave Kenley Jansen a shot on Monday… but it didn't go well. Jansen blew the game wide open for his first blown save of the year. The converted catcher still has the oomph to be a closer, but he needs to find the plate and work on his secondary offerings. Expect Guerrier to get the next chance, although it's possible (not probable) that Mike MacDougal gets a shot. Javy Guerra, after getting the save Tuesday night, is obviously in the mix, but it doesn't seem like he's the closer with the capital C yet either. Exciting starter prospect Rubby De La Rosa is a better bet than MacDougal or Guerra if his manager gives him the ball in the ninth.

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>

Injured

Jose Contreras, Philadelphia Phillies (elbow)
David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners (hip surgery)
Andrew Bailey, Oakland Athletics (forearm tightness)
Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies (shoulder)
Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers (elbow)
Brandon Lyon, Houston Astros (shoulder)
Vicente Padilla, Los Angeles Dodgers (forearm)

Comment:
Jose Contreras should be activated today but will probably set up. Brad Lidge hopes to return in about three weeks, and could set up or close depending on what Ryan Madson does in that time span. Andrew Bailey will be activated by the weekend and will definitely close.
David Aardsma says he'll definitely pitch again this season or something will have gone wrong. Well, hip surgery and a strained elbow is already 'something going wrong,' but I guess he means more surgery. It'll be hard to hold on to him for two months depending on your roster size, but at least you know that when he comes back he should close, which is not necessarily the case for Brandon Lyon, who is only now throwing on flat ground.
Jonathan Broxton is throwing some, but has no timetable. No timetable for Vicente Padilla, either, as he was given an injection into his surgically-repaired forearm. Either could return to be the closer.

The Deposed:
Fernando Rodney, Los Angeles
Joe Nathan, Minnesota
Ryan Franklin, St. Louis

Not much to report here. Joe Nathan is getting better, but three earned in his last three innings isn't quite beating down Matt Capps' door.

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>

The Steals Department

His current stats don't look nice, and his rehab stint did not go well, but Angel Pagan will be back from the DL Friday and he can surely swipe bags. There are also some mitigating circumstances to his production so far. For one, he's had terrible luck on batted balls. His batting average on balls in play (BABIP) in the major leagues was .164, and in the minor leagues, during his .208/.296/.417 rehab stint, was only .211. Once that number bounces back closer to .300, which is the batting average on balls in play across baseball, he'll make for a good speed pickup. Power? Who knows, he doesn't have an extensive history with which we can evaluate his power. But stolen bases he should be able to manage.

Jason Bartlett also has a terrible-looking line (.255/.306/.297), and his BABIP looks almost exactly neutral (.300). But that stat is different for every player even if it's .300 across baseball. Ichiro Suzuki has a lifetime BABIP of .355. Bartlett is speedy and hits ground balls more often than fly balls, and these are both things that can lead to a better BABIP. The Padres shortstop could easily hit .270 going forward, with 15-20 steals, and that should not be on your deep league waiver wire. Especially given his position.

HacheMan · May 25, 2011

Hitting decline alters fantasy landscape

Value of top-performing stars rises as marginal bats continue to struggle

Tristan H. Cockcroft

What do you do when baseball's landscape shifts from hitting- to pitching-rich?

You adjust your benchmarks.

It's a discussion Nate Ravitz and I began on Friday's podcast

, and one examined more in-depth in Tuesday's "60 Feet 6 Inches." Today we continue looking at the impact of this shift, this time focusing on hitters, determining whether past benchmarks for what constitutes a "good" hitter remain accurate measures.

Up front, there's a hitting benchmark with which you're obviously familiar: the .300 batting average. Players who bat .300 or better are widely regarded as "good," and in a fantasy hitter, that's the number you want (if batting average is your object).

But here's a startling reality: 33 qualified hitters have a .300 batting average or better this season, through the games of May 23.

Through May 23, 2010, 45 hitters were batting .300 or better.

Through May 23, 2009, 49 hitters were batting .300 or better.

Consider this: 43 qualified hitters (through May 23) were batting .290 or better. Perhaps .290 is the new .300?

Certainly the fear we once had regarding low-average hitters should diminish with the knowledge that league-wide batting averages are on the decline. For example, Mike Stanton -- a player whose strikeout rate has his owners sweating the prospect of a sub-.250 average -- is currently hitting .257, 101st out of 189 qualified hitters (47th percentile). On the same date in 2010, however, he'd have ranked 126th out of 182 qualified hitters (31st percentile), and on the same date in 2009, he'd have ranked 128th out of 185 qualified hitters (31st percentile).

Batting average is hardly the be-all, end-all measure, of course. Besides the need to lower our accepted benchmark in that particular category, it's also clear from the early returns that -- while the value of an elite fantasy hitter might not have significantly changed -- the value of a back-of-your-lineup -- and for that matter, a replacement-level -- hitter has noticeably declined. The following chart shows what the average hitter according to Player Rater ranking has done the past three seasons; "counting number" stats are per 500 at-bats:

<STYLE type=text/css>.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</STYLE>
<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=4><CENTER>2011</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=4><CENTER>2010</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=4><CENTER>2009</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>AVG</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>HR</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>RBI</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>R</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>AVG</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>HR</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>RBI</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>R</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>AVG</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>HR</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>RBI</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>R</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Top 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>.304</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39.5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>113.2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>115.4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>.314</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35.5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>115.4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>112.9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>.316</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30.2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>107.4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>108.1</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Top 50</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>.290</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26.6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>97.8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>99.8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>.292</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26.4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>96.1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>99.6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>.301</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27.4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>98.7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>103.9</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51-100</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>.273</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18.8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>77.8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>82.4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>.278</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19.0</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>80.0</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>86.9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>.284</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21.7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>87.9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>88.8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>101-150</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>.266</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15.6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>71.8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>72.9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>.265</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18.1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>75.0</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>78.0</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>.274</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20.3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>79.5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>83.6</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

That represents a 13.8 percent drop in home run production, 4.4 percent in RBIs and 6.5 percent in runs scored from the Nos. 101-150 hitters since last season, making "stars-and-scrubs" strategies tougher to execute and injury replacements more challenging to find. And while they're not in the chart, consider that the next 50 hitters, Nos. 151-200, have actually experienced a 20.4 percent drop in homer production, 17.5 percent in RBIs, 7.8 percent in runs scored and 4.0 in batting average from their 2010 counterparts. It seems that the deeper you go, the more treacherous the landscape, and it's the weaker hitters suffering the most from what's a pitching-rich game in 2011.

If you're wondering how sample sizes come into play, here's another chart to demonstrate the rapidly changing offensive landscape. These statistics, however, are only for games through May 23, and count the number of players who met the specific benchmarks as of that date.

<STYLE type=text/css>.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</STYLE>
<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=2><CENTER>AVG</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=2><CENTER>HR</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=2><CENTER>RBI</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=2><CENTER>R</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=2><CENTER>SB</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>.300</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>.280</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>15</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>10</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>30</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>25</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>30</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>25</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>15</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>10</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2011</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2010</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>78</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>0</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2009</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>77</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>70</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

It's numbers like this that demonstrate the considerable advantage of Jose Bautista's major league-leading 19 home runs, or the double-digit homers and steals accumulated by both Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp. As the benchmarks for replacement-level hitters drop, the value of an elite performer in those categories increases. And it's for that reason you'll notice that, while I did rank more pitchers higher in my top 250 a week ago, the elite hitters still received generous rankings, including a majority of those in my top 25.

In other words, protect your studs. It's seasons like this in which 2- and 3-for-1 trades, when you're on the "1" side, look especially foolish.

Change up top

TOP 125 HITTERS

Note: Tristan H. Cockcroft's top 125 hitters are ranked for their expected performance from this point forward, not for statistics that have already been accrued.
<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Rnk </CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom">Player, Team <CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Prev
Rnk </CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jose Bautista, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Braun, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Adrian Gonzalez, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Miguel Cabrera, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Albert Pujols, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joey Votto, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Hanley Ramirez, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Robinson Cano, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Troy Tulowitzki, COL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carlos Gonzalez, COL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Kemp, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Alex Rodriguez, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jose Reyes, NYM </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Holliday, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Evan Longoria, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Curtis Granderson, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carl Crawford, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mark Teixeira, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Josh Hamilton, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Andrew McCutchen, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Prince Fielder, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Howard, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kevin Youkilis, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Drew Stubbs, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Justin Upton, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dustin Pedroia, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Phillips, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Adrian Beltre, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Hunter Pence, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Victor Martinez, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Shin-Soo Choo, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Elvis Andrus, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Rickie Weeks, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Stanton, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jay Bruce, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">B.J. Upton, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Nelson Cruz, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jayson Werth, WAS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Paul Konerko, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ian Kinsler, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Shane Victorino, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ichiro Suzuki, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">David Wright, NYM </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>66 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Buster Posey, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">David Ortiz, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Bourn, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Martin Prado, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chris Young, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Young, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jimmy Rollins, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Adam Lind, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>64 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ben Zobrist, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Adam Jones, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joe Mauer, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>62 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Andre Ethier, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Alexei Ramirez, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>77 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Adam Dunn, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Alex Rios, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Derek Jeter, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>70 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>62 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Neil Walker, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>65 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>63 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Howard Kendrick, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>64 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Rajai Davis, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>63 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>65 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Stephen Drew, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>66 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dan Uggla, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>67 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carlos Quentin, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>67 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Vladimir Guerrero, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>91 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>69 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jason Heyward, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>70 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Colby Rasmus, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>71 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chase Utley, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>87 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>72 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Starlin Castro, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>79 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Lance Berkman, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>74 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Corey Hart, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>90 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>75 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Coco Crisp, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>76 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>76 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carlos Santana, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>77 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Bobby Abreu, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>81 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>78 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Eric Hosmer, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>78 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>79 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carlos Beltran, NYM </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>72 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>80 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Billy Butler, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>69 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>81 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brett Gardner, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>93 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>82 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Nick Markakis, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>83 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>83 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brian McCann, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>85 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>84 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Zimmerman, WAS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>82 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>85 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mark Reynolds, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>116 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>86 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Logan Morrison, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>97 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>87 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Gaby Sanchez, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>75 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>88 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ian Desmond, WAS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>94 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>89 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Placido Polanco, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>86 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>90 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Torii Hunter, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>84 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>91 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ike Davis, NYM </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>80 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>92 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Johnny Damon, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>92 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>93 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Alfonso Soriano, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>74 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>94 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Joyce, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>115 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>95 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Pablo Sandoval, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>112 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>96 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Justin Morneau, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>101 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>97 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jhonny Peralta, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>98 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Grady Sizemore, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>96 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>99 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jose Tabata, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>88 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>100 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Denard Span, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>109 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>101 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brian Roberts, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>95 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>102 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Aramis Ramirez, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>102 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>103 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jason Kubel, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>100 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>104 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Rafael Furcal, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>118 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>105 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Aaron Hill, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>111 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>106 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Delmon Young, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>106 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>107 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Russell Martin, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>103 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>108 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Erick Aybar, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>109 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kelly Johnson, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>108 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>110 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chris Coghlan, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>89 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>111 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Juan Pierre, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>99 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>112 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Nick Swisher, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>105 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>113 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Casey McGehee, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>107 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>114 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Justin Smoak, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>114 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>115 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Josh Willingham, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>121 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>116 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Alex Gordon, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>71 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>117 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carlos Lee, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>118 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jeff Francoeur, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>113 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>119 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Gordon Beckham, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>123 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>120 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Danny Espinosa, WAS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>121 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Wieters, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>124 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>122 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Aubrey Huff, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>104 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>123 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Brantley, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>124 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Orlando Cabrera, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>117 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>125 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chase Headley, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Speaking of Bautista, this was the most difficult week of top-five calls all season, and you'll notice he's the new name up top. He leads the majors in home runs (19) and is fifth in batting average (.343), and is on pace for an absurd 64 home runs and 138 walks, not to mention 17 stolen bases. Go ahead and claim he'll never meet those paces, but why are we so quick to assume he can't get close? He is the majors' home run leader since Opening Day 2010, and it's not even close; his 73 bombs best Albert Pujols' total (50) by 23. He's first in runs (148) and second in RBIs (156, only Miguel Cabrera's 160 is higher). And as for the batting average -- the A-No. 1 doubt people seem to have with him -- be aware that since July 1, he's a .306 hitter, including .287 after the All-Star break last season alone. Pitchers do appear to have an intense fear of him, and if his walk rate remains in the 20 percent range -- it was 14.5 in the second half of 2010 -- there's no reason he can't keep his batting average in the .300 range.

Pujols, meanwhile, slips to fifth overall, but that's not a condemnation of the unquestioned No. 1 pick entering the year. The differential this week between first and fifth is precariously slim; but Pujols' career-low 9.1 percent walk rate is one thing that bothers me just enough regarding his slow start. In no way does a four-spot drop signal a hop off his bandwagon. It's simply that he's no more guaranteed to top the fantasy leaderboard any more than the four men ahead of him.

Three up

Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds: While Bautista terrorizes American League pitching, Bruce has given National League pitchers fits, moving into a tie for the NL lead in home runs (12) thanks to a torrid May, including .333/.395/.718 rates, eight homers and 22 RBIs in 21 games. It's a welcome change from the Bruce we knew during his first three big league seasons; even with that he's a lifetime .251/.322/.457 first-half hitter, compared to .276/.343/.527 in the second half. Now 24, Bruce appears to be realizing his full potential, which is a premier power source, a potential 40-homer, 100-RBI man for the foreseeable future. A strikeout rate hovering near 25 percent -- it's 24.6 percent so far this year -- might make him susceptible to brief cold spells and keep his batting average within range (or lower) than his current .280 mark, but as mentioned above, it's no longer so terrible to bat .270. At .270-40-110, Bruce would be one of the NL's most coveted fantasy hitters.

Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians: When you hear people whisper that Cabrera might be the AL's "best" shortstop, they're not without reason. Though his defensive metrics -- per FanGraphs his -5.6 Ultimate Zone Rating is second-worst among qualified shortstops -- don't back it up, Cabrera has historically been known for quality glove work. His bat work so far this year, meanwhile, has been superb. He's the top-ranked fantasy shortstop per our Player Rater, and is in the midst of another torrid streak, batting .393/.431/.754 with five homers, 13 RBIs and five stolen bases in his past 15 games. And while his 35-homer pace might be somewhat fluky -- his 16.7 home run/fly ball percentage is well north of his 6.6 career rate -- he's putting more of a charge into the ball than ever before, his 37.3 percent fly-ball rate a career high. Cabrera might yet hit another 10-plus homers from this point forward, and the batting average and steals aren't flukes; he batted .308 and stole 17 bases in a 131-game season as recently as 2009.

Corey Hart, Milwaukee Brewers: Isn't it funny how quickly a player can get his season back on track? Hart belted three home runs Monday, then followed it up with another homer Tuesday, putting him on pace for 24 home runs, that is, assuming he plays in every remaining Brewers game. At a pace of 145 games, he'd hit 25 home runs, which seems quite a bit like vintage Hart. Thanks to his recent power surge, he's now hitting .274/.315/.500, well within reach of 2010's .283/.340/.525, and there has been nary a whisper of issues with the oblique injury that sent him to the disabled list to begin the season. Perhaps Hart isn't quite the fantasy slugger he was in 2010 -- a 25-homer, 90-RBI full-year pace is a lot more realistic -- but he's still one who belongs in every lineup now.

Three down

Andre Ethier, Los Angeles Dodgers: It's remarkable sometimes how a hitter can begin a season so hot, then run so cold shortly thereafter. Explain Ethier's .380/.446/.556 April rates, followed by .208/.288/.250 numbers, as the "law of averages"/regression to the mean if you wish, but if it earns him the label of a streaky player, it's a frustration in fantasy. Plus, this is what's bothersome: The bruised elbow he suffered Sunday has already cost him a couple of starts, and it's hard to suppress memories of the pinkie issue he suffered last May, an injury that significantly hurt his remainder-of-year production. No, it's not fair to compare the two; they're completely different injuries. Ethier might bounce back from this superbly. But the issue with his dreadful slumps is legitimate, as he has shown a tendency throughout his career to be one of the best players in the game for months at a time, and a mediocre, forgettable non-asset in fantasy in other months. That streaky history is the one thing keeping him from joining the truly elite class.

Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers: I keep renewing my annual pass on the Kinsler-is-overrated bandwagon, as this is a guy who, in spite of his glowing fantasy reputation, has been every bit as much of a headache as a boon for our purposes during his six-year big league career. Batting average has always been a problem for him, odd for a player whose strikeout rate is somewhat modest (14.4 percent career); he has been susceptible to miserable cold spells; and he's injury-prone, having made six career trips to the disabled list and never playing in more than 144 games in a single year. Granted, the healthy returns of both Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton might make Kinsler an odd choice for "three down," as there's no better time for his value to increase. But I argue that it might merely present the ideal selling opportunity, as his .244/.341/.333 rates in 21 May games underscore how slump-prone he can be, not to mention that an untimely injury could come at any time.

Colby Rasmus, St. Louis Cardinals: Sometimes it's not all about the batting eye. Rasmus' 2011 breakout case was built upon his improvement in the walk column in 2010, as well as the increase in his fly-ball rate (from 45.7 percent as a rookie to 48.6 percent last year, according to FanGraphs), but so far this year, he's walking even more often (career-high 14.7 percent) but failing to put as much of a charge into the ball (44.2 percent fly-ball rate). Increases in his ground-ball rate and infield pop-up rate (10.5 percent) suggest he's not clicking, which leads to the inevitable follow-up question: Was it a good idea for the Cardinals to begin dabbling with dropping him in the lineup? There's still elite fantasy potential -- 20/20 caliber -- here, but so far he's on a 10/10 pace.

HacheMan · May 25, 2011

Ten things to like about the ... Mets?!

Eric Karabell

Things haven't gone so well for the New York Mets this season, both on and off the field. However, I've found 10 reasons to "think happy thoughts" about them from a fantasy aspect.

1. Jose Reyes is back!: Until Cleveland Indians overachiever Asdrubal Cabrera went nuts this weekend, Reyes was the top shortstop on the ESPN Player Rater. Reyes is still 14th overall, and while I'd rank him third at the position (behind Troy Tulowitzki and Hanley Ramirez), the fact is Reyes is on pace for 59 stolen bases and 97 runs scored. His complete lack of power makes him look a little Juan Pierre-like, but still, whether he's a Met or a San Francisco Giant or whatever, Reyes is a top-25 player again, and at this point I'd take him over Carl Crawford. Would Mets ownership?

2. David Wright will be back: From what I have read and been told, his injury kind of sounds worse than it is. Wright has a stress fracture in his lower back, but the team really does think a few weeks of rest will settle things down. Wright is absolutely a star fantasy option, a career .302 hitter with power and speed at a now-scarce position. Do you really think he'll end up hitting .226? A 20-homer season with 25 steals and a .275 batting average remains possible. After all, it's only May. And by the way, Ike Davis should return soon as well, and he's also worth owning in all leagues. 3. Putting the K in K-Rod: Enough about the clause in Francisco Rodriguez's contract about how many games he finishes, and its future repercussions. What's more important is this guy is cruising along with 15 saves, a sub-1.00 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning. He's third on the Player Rater among relief pitchers. Yes, he is potential trade bait, and in theory that trade partner might not need him to close … but fantasy owners spend too much time worrying about deals that might not occur. Bottom line is Rodriguez is on pace for 52 saves. I'll take the under on that, but he remains a top-10 closer.
4. Speaking of trades: I can't say I'd like Carlos Beltran that much more if he was traded, but that's not the point. He looks like a 25-homer hitter again, and that's enough for him to have fantasy value. In reality, Beltran is hitting far better in home games than away, but it's not enough of a sample size to scare us. He won't steal bases, but he's healthy -- unlike the team's left fielder (see No. 9 below) -- and hitting for power. It's time to like Beltran again.

5. Gee, you can pitch!: I can't say I'm high on any of the current Mets starting pitchers. Three of them have a WHIP on the wrong side of 1.50, and none make up for it with strikeouts. Jonathon Niese kind of is what he is, and it's not special. But in a deep league, I'd take a look at Dillon Gee. His career ERA in the bigs is 2.82, 2.44 as a starter, despite a high walk rate. In home games, his ERA is 1.99. Perhaps the bottom will fall out at some point, but I just feel better about him avoiding shellings than I do Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey and Chris Capuano.
6. Angel in the outfield: I know Beltran is hitting, but the team's best outfielder has been on the disabled list for a month. Angel Pagan won't be hitting .159 for long. He and his strained oblique should be active for the weekend, and this is a good player with double-digit pop and 40-steal upside. He's owned in 27.2 percent of ESPN standard leagues, but that's about to go way up. Get ahead of the curve.
7. One good month: Johan Santana is throwing. We'd like him to be throwing in games that count, but that's not possible. I believe Santana will pitch by August, make perhaps 10-12 starts, and I trust they will be good ones. If you have a head-to-head team that seems playoff-bound, stash Santana away, because I think he will pitch effectively when he does return.
8. Turn the page: Justin Turner doesn't have the power to play third base regularly, but he should move back to second base, at least in a platoon, when Wright returns. Turner makes contact and recently had a stretch in which he knocked in runs in seven consecutive games (12 RBIs), helping him to the top of ESPN's most-added list. He hit .309 over more than 2,200 minor league plate appearances, so don't be surprised if he hits upward of .300 for the Mets. If he's your middle infielder in a deep league, you could do worse.
9. Fine Fernando: When Jason Bay (calf) hits the DL again -- it seems inevitable -- perhaps Fernando Martinez will get a legit chance to play. Sure, he hasn't shown much in parts of three big league seasons, but he's only 22! Will he hit enough for mixed league owners this season? Probably not, but the good news here is his age. He has plenty of time to show us what he can do.
10. Bullpen depth: If K-Rod is dealt, I have little doubt Jason Isringhausen, former Mets draft pick and owner of 293 career saves, can handle the closer role. Izzy is actually one hold off the major league lead! Plus, Rule 5 pick Pedro Beato looks legit, former Rockie Taylor Buchholz has resurrected his game, and at some point I think right-hander Bobby Parnell will figure out how to harness his 98 mph fastball.

HacheMan · May 25, 2011

What defines a 'good' starting pitcher?

As statistical standards improve, perceived benchmarks should change

Tristan H. Cockcroft

Baseball is a game deeply rooted in statistics, and as the years progress, those roots grow deeper with more and more advanced metrics. Each season, we seem to become a bit smarter about numbers.

We also become a little bit lazier.

Perhaps it's the lure of history -- many of us have played fantasy baseball through the entire decade-plus of the steroids era -- or something deeply ingrained from our fandom's infancy, but so many of us cling to specific pitching benchmarks and won't let go, no matter how much baseball's trends try to persuade us to.

An informal poll of friends and colleagues revealed the consensus opinion that a "good" performance is an ERA beneath 3.50, WHIP beneath 1.20 and strikeouts-per-nine-innings ratio of 7.50 or higher. (Although that one varied, signaling that there may be no accepted "benchmark.") Keeping in mind, of course, that there is varied definition of the word "good"; some had different benchmarks for "excellent" or simply "OK."

For me, "good" always meant "worth having in a standard mixed-league lineup" or, from a real-game angle, "worth bringing up in conversation." And those benchmarks sounded about right, although I tended to desire better in ERA (around 3.25).

This year, we're all apparently wrong.

The following chart shows how many qualified major league pitchers have reached those specific benchmarks as well as certain more demanding numbers in each of the past three seasons. To tackle the sample-size problem -- that 53 days of season hardly equals 180-plus of 2009 or 2010 -- these statistics are only through the games of May 22 each year, balancing the samples.

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<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=2><CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=3><CENTER>ERA</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=3><CENTER>WHIP</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=3><CENTER>K/9</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>No.</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>2.50</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>3.00</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>3.50</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>1.00</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>1.10</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>1.20</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>9.00</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>8.00</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>7.50</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2011</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>116</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2010</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>113</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2009</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>108</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Apparently, it's no longer so special to achieve a 3.50 ERA, with a 3.00 ERA in 2010-11 looking like a comparably impressive feat to a 3.50 in 2009 or earlier. WHIP standards also have elevated; the value of a 1.20 WHIP in 2009 or earlier might now be equivalent to a 1.10. Strangely enough, there has scarcely been any movement in the strikeout department; it's odd considering the presence of such strikeout-prone sluggers as Mark Reynolds, Adam Dunn and Ryan Howard.

But perhaps that's no surprise to you. After all, 2010 has been described the year of the pitcher, and looking at leaguewide averages, the 2011 ERA is 3.90, WHIP 1.30 and K's per nine 6.78, all of those even better than their 2010 counterparts. In fact, that 3.90 ERA represents a 6.3 percent drop from last year and 12.6 percent from the 4.46 league-average ERAs of 2008 and 2009.

What this pitching-rich landscape has done to our definitions of an elite fantasy starter is what's most notable. Collecting data of the top 10, 25, 50 and 100 starting pitcher-eligibles on our Player Rater from 2009, 2010 and 2011, the chart below shows how much the standards for those groups has changed:

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<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=3><CENTER>2011</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=3><CENTER>2010</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom" colSpan=3><CENTER>2009</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>ERA</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>WHIP</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>K/9</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>ERA</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>WHIP</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>K/9</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>ERA</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>WHIP</CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>K/9</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Top 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2.18</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>0.98</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8.59</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2.81</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1.09</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8.29</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2.77</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1.10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8.74</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Top 25</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2.34</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1.01</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7.96</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2.93</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1.14</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8.04</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3.01</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1.15</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8.15</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Top 50</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2.77</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1.10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7.74</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3.25</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1.18</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7.66</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3.41</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1.21</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7.75</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Top 100</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3.16</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1.17</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7.16</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3.50</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1.23</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7.34</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3.71</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1.27</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7.17</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Granted, sample sizes come into play here -- the 2009 and 2010 numbers are indeed full-year rankings and statistics -- but that's still considerable movement of those bars. A top-50 starting pitcher probably would reside on most fantasy rosters much of the year, and look at how those pitchers' average ERAs and WHIPs have trended: From 3.41 and 1.21, nearly our perceived benchmarks, to 3.25 and 1.18, to 2.77 and 1.10. It seems that this year, you want a sub-3 ERA and sub-1.1 WHIP from your starters.

And that top-25 group is most exclusive: That group has gone from a 3.01 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 2009, to 2.93 and 1.14, down to a sparkling 2.34 and 1.01 this year.

Suddenly, it's a lot more understandable why my top-25 rankings each week are incredibly difficult to crack and why even the hottest of streaks often doesn't amount to a significant movement in the ranks.

Let's take a look at a specific member of that group, CC Sabathia (3.06 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 7.85 K/9), whom I've ranked 11th. When you think CC Sabathia, you think surefire top-10 starter, right? Not so fast. During his Yankees career, he has been remarkably consistent -- his ERAs have gone 3.37-3.18-3.06, WHIPs 1.15-1.19-1.30 and K's per nine 7.71-7.46-7.85 -- but those numbers meant a lot more in 2009 than they do in 2011. That 3.06 ERA would've ranked him 14th in 2009; it ranks him 29th this year. Yankee Stadium probably keeps his ERA in over-3 territory and therefore him out of my top 10. His two saving graces are that he's as good a bet for 20 wins as there is in baseball and has a strong second-half history (2.64 ERA the past five seasons).

Chad Billingsley (3.47 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 7.80 K/9), meanwhile, narrowly made the top 25 partly because of the ballpark but also because his strikeout potential is greater than this. He has averaged 8.41 K's per nine since 2007, seventh-best among qualified starters. Without that ratio, he'd be a lot more ordinary.

Beneath the top 25, things get a bit hazier, and the demands for a higher rank are greater. Let's take a look at three such pitchers I'm often accused of "disliking":

Brett Anderson, Oakland Athletics (36th; 3.18 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 7.20 K/9): I'm a fan, and those numbers feel nearly elite, but they're not. Consider this: Only nine pitchers had a qualified ERA lower than 3.18 in 2001, 10 seasons ago; 35 qualified pitchers have a lower ERA this season. Anderson's two wins don't help matters, and his elbow problems from 2010 -- two trips to the disabled list totaling 75 days -- are what keep him outside the top 25.

Wandy Rodriguez, Houston Astros (38th; 3.41 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 7.23 K/9): The man for whom the "Wandy Line" was named, Rodriguez fits said boundary because his ratios are "just better than league-average." I've always felt that only about 40 starting pitchers regularly belonged on ESPN standard rosters.

Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays (52nd; 3.14 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 6.28 K/9): Two things keep him a rung beneath guys like Anderson and Rodriguez: One is the lower strikeout rate, and the other is the prospect of an innings cap, as his 155 2/3 innings of 2010 might mean 185 is about his 2011 limit. In the short term, he's really no less attractive a fantasy option than that lefty duo.

TOP 100 STARTING PITCHERS

Note: Tristan H. Cockcroft's top 100 starting pitchers are ranked for their expected performance from this point forward, not for statistics that have already been accrued.
<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Rnk </CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom">Player, Team <CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Prev
Rnk </CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Roy Halladay, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tim Lincecum, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Felix Hernandez, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cliff Lee, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jon Lester, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jered Weaver, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Justin Verlander, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dan Haren, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tommy Hanson, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cole Hamels, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">CC Sabathia, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Clayton Kershaw, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">David Price, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Cain, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Zack Greinke, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ubaldo Jimenez, COL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Shaun Marcum, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Trevor Cahill, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Max Scherzer, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Josh Johnson, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Josh Beckett, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jhoulys Chacin, COL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Roy Oswalt, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chad Billingsley, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ricky Nolasco, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jaime Garcia, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Daniel Hudson, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">James Shields, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Yovani Gallardo, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jonathan Sanchez, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Garza, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Anibal Sanchez, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mat Latos, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Gio Gonzalez, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chris Carpenter, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brett Anderson, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ian Kennedy, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Wandy Rodriguez, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Colby Lewis, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Pineda, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Morrow, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tim Hudson, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ricky Romero, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jorge De La Rosa, COL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Gavin Floyd, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jair Jurrjens, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ted Lilly, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Hiroki Kuroda, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">John Danks, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Clay Buchholz, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">C.J. Wilson, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jeremy Hellickson, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ervin Santana, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>65 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Scott Baker, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Johnny Cueto, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Francisco Liriano, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Justin Masterson, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Bud Norris, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Derek Lowe, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jake Peavy, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>85 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">A.J. Burnett, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>62 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Dempster, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>76 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>63 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Madison Bumgarner, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>62 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>64 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Zach Britton, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>63 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>65 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Bronson Arroyo, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>64 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>66 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Edwin Jackson, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>67 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Alexi Ogando, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>67 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Wade Davis, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>69 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kyle Lohse, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>70 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>70 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Homer Bailey, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>77 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>71 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Travis Wood, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>89 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>72 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carlos Zambrano, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>66 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brett Myers, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>74 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jordan Zimmermann, WAS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>74 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>75 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kyle McClellan, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>75 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>76 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Fausto Carmona, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>72 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>77 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jason Hammel, COL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>92 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>78 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tim Stauffer, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>69 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>79 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Erik Bedard, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>84 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>80 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tom Gorzelanny, WAS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>81 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jake Arrieta, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>78 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>82 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brian Matusz, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>82 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>83 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Bartolo Colon, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>81 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>84 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Derek Holland, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>88 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>85 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joel Pineiro, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>71 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>86 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Beachy, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>80 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>87 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jeremy Guthrie, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>79 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>88 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Josh Tomlin, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>96 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>89 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Randy Wolf, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>99 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>90 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jason Vargas, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>91 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">James McDonald, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>86 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>92 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Randy Wells, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>93 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Rick Porcello, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>95 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>94 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Javier Vazquez, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>95 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Aaron Harang, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>93 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>96 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kevin Correia, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>98 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>97 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brad Penny, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>87 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>98 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chris Narveson, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>99 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Charlie Morton, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>100 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Minor, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Finally, what of Francisco Liriano (5.73 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 6.29 K/9), the hot preseason breakout pick who has struggled so far this year (despite a no-hitter under his belt)? In a season when even pitchers like Doug Fister, Charlie Morton and Josh Tomlin have sub-3 ERAs, Liriano's 5.73 ERA looks especially ugly. It's the fourth-worst mark among qualified starters, and although his May ERA is 2.52 (thanks in part to his May 3 no-hitter), his peripherals haven't exactly backed up his recent resurgence. His strikeout rate has dropped in May to 5.76 per nine, and his .154 BABIP speaks to a great deal of good fortune. Liriano's recent hot spell might be mostly smoke and mirrors and should provide a short-term selling opportunity more than restore his owners' faith. (For more on Liriano's potential going forward, check out Jason Grey's latest scouting report.)

Three up

Colby Lewis, Texas Rangers: That 6 2/3-inning, seven-hit, two run performance at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, albeit in a 2-0 losing effort, was an important one. With it, Lewis dropped his ERA to 3.69, beneath 2010's 3.72, and kept his WHIP (1.16) beneath his 2010 number (1.19). Quite a turnaround for a pitcher who had a 6.95 ERA through his first four starts of the season, right? A somewhat favorable schedule (@OAK, @SEA, OAK, @CHW, @PHI) has helped, but Lewis nevertheless has quality starts in all five of those outings plus a 1.85 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and 6.92 K's-per-nine and 5.00 K's-per-walk ratios, the latter two particularly remarkable when you consider he went 7 1/3 innings without a strikeout during his May 10 win over the Oakland Athletics. Lewis' slider/cutter (it has been classified as either depending upon the source) has been every bit as effective in 2011 as it was in 2010 or before that in Japan, and it's that reinvention that has made him so much safer a long-term fantasy asset. In 2010, he was our No. 29 starting pitcher on the Player Rater. A repeat isn't unthinkable.

Michael Pineda, Seattle Mariners: In two outings last week, he amassed a .104 batting average allowed, 10.29 K's-per-nine ratio and 14.6 percent swing-and-miss rate. Given that those two starts came against the Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres, arguably the worst offenses in the American and National Leagues, respectively, the stats might not necessarily be eye-popping, but at the same time, let's not discredit Pineda for the efforts. Elite talents must feast upon the softest matchups, and feast the rookie did, and with those outings he now has eight quality starts in nine tries to begin his career. Two things continue his climb in my rankings in spite of his limited big-league experience: One is his pinpoint command, throwing strikes on 70.4 percent of his pitches, tops in the majors. The other is my diminished fear of his "second time around the league," a topic previously discussed in the May 3 "60 Feet 6 Inches" and a concern alleviated by his acceptable second outing against the Texas Rangers on May 4 (7 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 9 K). If Pineda can hang in there after scouts get a firmer read on him, he might even be underranked here.

Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox: There were days during the spring when, had someone said to you, "On May 18, Jake Peavy is going to shut out the Cleveland Indians on three hits," you'd probably reply, "Snore, result of a super-soft matchup, nothing big." Flash forward and, with Peavy having suffered some injury setbacks in March and April plus the Indians boasting by far the American League's best record -- you read that right -- it's actually an impressive feat. Peavy's success in two starts since recovering from shoulder problems -- a detached latissimus dorsi muscle in 2010 and inflammation in 2011 -- can be attributed to his command (zero walks in 15 innings) and diversity of his arsenal. (His fastball, slider and changeup have all been successful.) A healthy Peavy is certainly capable of a sub-4 ERA and nearly a strikeout per inning, the limitation that U.S. Cellular Field's cozy confines mix poorly with his fly-ball tendencies, and could be a bit more than that. Tuesday's outing in Texas proves an interesting test.

Three down

Tim Hudson, Atlanta Braves: I'm a Hudson fan, but as he's a low-strikeout, extreme ground baller, everything has to be going right for him to be consistently successful. That's why whispers of back stiffness, which led to a disastrous 3 2/3-inning, eight-run outing this past Friday, the worst start of his career, are troublesome. Hudson looked fine for two innings but beginning in the third afforded opponents five hits -- including two doubles and a home run -- in nine at-bats, two walks and three hit batsmen before exiting. He'll miss his next scheduled start on Wednesday and could be a disabled list candidate. Claim "we should've known" about something like this, but I'd reply, how could we? Hudson had been so good, so reliable, since Opening Day 2010; he had a 2.88 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 31 quality starts in his previous 43 tries and never went more than two straight outings during that span without a quality start. It's unfortunate luck, and the injury might be enough to derail that absurd hot streak.

Carl Pavano, Minnesota Twins: He spent all of 2010 earning fantasy owners' trust with the best control (1.51 walks per nine) and highest ground-ball rate (51.2 percent) of his entire career, and so far in 2011, he has done everything to fritter it away. Pavano's command -- specifically his 1.44 K's-per-walk ratio -- represents a career worst, his ground-ball rate (47.2 percent) has returned to his career norm (45.8, per FanGraphs) and his .295 BABIP shows that his bloated ERA and WHIP are no mirage. On a game-to-game basis, he has been both great and awful; he's the only pitcher in baseball to have at least two outings of a 70-plus game score and two of a game score beneath 20 (three of those). Target Field should help Pavano to some matchups-based usefulness, but the magic he displayed in 2010 isn't evident on a long-term basis.

Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati Reds: If he's going to fix his first-inning woes -- he allowed 20 earned runs and .432/.556/.886 rates in the opening frame in his 10 starts -- he'll do it in Triple-A, as the Reds tired of the right-hander's struggles on Monday. Some have speculated that Volquez's criticism of the Reds' offense after his Sunday meltdown might be responsible: "I think everybody has to step up and start getting some runs," he told the team's official website. "The last five games, we've scored how many runs? Thirteen in five games? It's not the way we were playing last year. We're better than that." How about that Volquez's miserable year-to-date performance was mostly behind the move? His walk rate had soared to 6.71 per nine, and he had served up nine homers in 51 innings. At this point, you can safely cut Volquez in all but NL-only leagues with deep benches.

HacheMan · May 26, 2011

Posey Punished at the Plate
If the risk with drafting young players is that they don't play to their upside, the risk with drafting old players is that they don't play at all. The doctor came calling for some of those veterans on Wednesday.

On the position player side of the ledger, the biggest news might be Buster Posey. He was leveled by Scott Cousins at the plate late in their extra-inning matchup and was carried from the field after he could not put weight on his left ankle. More news coming, but it didn't look good. Orlando Hudson just came back from the DL but came up lame on an infield single and might be headed back. Vernon Wells began agility drills but said he won't call himself ahead of schedule with respect to his groin injury rehab. The Angels will also make a decision about Howie Kendrick and his hamstring on Thursday. News in either direction would be helpful. Ian Stewart pulled his hamstring at Triple-A, literally adding injury to insult.

Jorge De La Rosa has finally looked healthy after his offseason forearm surgery, but during his last start he walked off the mound holding his elbow. Now he is in for Tommy John surgery. Makes one wonder about the effect of throwing so many non-fastballs, which stress your elbow more than straightforward four-seamers. Joe Blanton will be shut down for about a month with his elbow issues. It counts as good news that he survived a trip to Dr. James Andrews, but this passable-if-portly pitcher won't be taking the mound for a while. Rafael Soriano visited the same doctor and also will avoid surgery, but he might be out as much as two months. Amid trade rumors, Kevin Slowey went on the DL for an abdominal strain. Tough year.

It's not all bad news though. Geovany Soto is expected back this weekend from his groin injury, which is great news. Snap him up if he's on the wire. Joe Mauer also took three at-bats in the minor leagues - baby steps. The Athletics will decide Thursday whether or not their closer Andrew Bailey needs another rehab appearance for his forearm - the way things are going in the pen there they probably will call him up. Andre Ethier should be 100% by Friday says his manager, and teammate Casey Blake should be activated that same day or the next. Nyjer Morgan will also be back from his broken finger Friday, so the outfield is ready to get an infusion of healthy players. Adam Lind's back is feeling better and he wants to play in some extended spring training games this weekend. Reid Brignac is back in Tampa Bay but will share time with Sean Rodriguez at shortstop.

* That said, the excitement of youth is just too much to bear. Brandon Belt didn't have a great debut but is now hitting over .350 with power in Triple-A. Still, Bruce Bochy doesn't think that the team will call him up to replace Darren Ford, who is probably headed to the DL with an ankle injury. Why not call him up and insert him into the starting lineup? That offense needs help. Mike Stanton has a ton of power for his age, but he showed it on doubles instead of home runs Wednesday night when he went four-for-four with two doubles and four RBI in the Marlins' extra-inning win.

Everyone is always chasing young pitching, too, and the Rockies' Juan Nicasio, who will start on Sunday, has been showing great numbers in the minor leagues. He could stick with the big league team with the news about Jorge De La Rosa. Mat Latos was finally sharp this season and showed why he was so exciting by allowing just one run on six hits in eight innings against the Cardinals. He struck out seven and walked one and is definitely worth a buy low if you can swing it. Mike Minor has the strikeout punch, the control, and the left arm of an exciting prospect. He also struck out five in 5 2/3 against the Pirates and held his opponents to one run. He's useful even in re-draft leagues until Brandon Beachy returns. Ian Kennedy doesn't have the best strikeout stuff and is a fly-ball pitcher in a home-run park, but his control is solid enough to make the package work. He struck out three and walked two against the Rockies in eight one-run innings.

* The biggest bullpen news of the day might be that Francisco Rodriguez said he'd waive his prohibitive $17.5 million option if it spurred a trade. Of course, he said it would be in the context of renegotiating a long-term deal, so it still doesn't make a trade easy, but obviously the Mets will be motivated to complete a deal. Rodriguez is an upper-tier closer by talent, but there's risk there and a Jason Isringhausen handcuff might make sense. Matt Guerrier blew a save for the Dodgers, with Javy Guerra pitching the eighth inning. Guerra might get the next chance, unless exciting prospect Rubby De La Rosa steps in. De La Rosa struck out two Astros in his debut and looked dominant. In Philadelphia, Jose Contreras won't be activated Thursday, but it's only in order to give him another day of rest. He'll probably set up when he returns because of Ryan Madson's excellent performance so far. Kameron Loe got the save Wednesday for the Brewers, but only because John Axford had pitched in four of the past five days. Still interesting to know who's behind the occasionally wild, mustached man. Frank Francisco's manager said that the team could go with matchups from time to time. He's still the closer, but obviously he's on thin ice and Jon Rauch should be owned. Leo Nunez blew his first save of the year against the Giants. He's not dominant, but he's safe.

* Pitcher performances are probably pretty practical to recap. Alliteration! Zach Greinke hasn't gotten the ground balls he used to and has been unlucky on fly balls, but even with allowing one homer Wednesday, his season-high ten strikeouts (against one walk) were enough to dispatch the Nationals. Buy low if you can. C.J. Wilson gets enough ground balls to overcome his lower strikeout rate, and he struck out five in seven innings to hold the White Sox to one run in 5 1/3 Wednesday. That conversion seems to have worked. Gavin Floyd does it with great control for the most part, and he allowed one earned run over seven innings with five strikeouts and one walk in the loss against the Rangers. Chris Carpenter has been suffering with some poor luck. His two earned in eight innings with six strikeouts showed that he's still got it and could be a good buy-low. Aneury Rodriguez held the Dodgers to one run with five strikeouts in six innings but just doesn't have the strikeout ability to succeed night-in and night-out. Ted Lilly was fine, but he should have been against the Astros at home. He only struck out two and his velocity is still down.

National League Quick Hits: Chase Utley got the day off Wednesday as the team looks to keep him healthy … Raul Ibanez has been better of late, and his sacrifice fly in the 19th inning won the game late Wednesday night … After two hits and a stolen base against the Rockies, Kelly Johnson has now had two big games in a row … Seth Smith collected two hits and should be at least a bench bat in all leagues deeper than ten teams … Before the eventual loss, Aubrey Huff tied the game with a two-run single in the ninth off of closer Leo Nunez, but this still looks like an off year for the Giant … Mike Morse, getting more playing time because of Adam LaRoche's injury, hit a three-run home run off of Greinke and is interesting in deeper leagues … Steven Pearce hit his first home run of the season and is finally getting some playing time at the corners in Pittsburgh … Jason Hammel continued his good run with two unearned runs in seven innings with five strikeouts and two walks … He's better than Dillon Gee, who did get the win but only struck out four with two walks in six innings against the Cubs in a rain-shortened complete game … Juan Miranda (hand) could return Thursday … Andrew Cashner (shoulder) might come back as a reliever, says his GM … Takaishi Saito was transferred to the 60-day disabled list and is expected to miss a few more weeks … The hype is about Anthony Rizzo in San Diego's farm system but big Kyle Blanks is hitting over .300 with power in Double-A and in the major leagues Brad Hawpe just homered for the second straight day - he might even have something left … Hong-Chih Kuo (anxiety disorder) is throwing at 90 percent with no command problems … Brooks Conrad won the game for the Braves with a pinch-hit home run but doesn't play enough to be very useful … J.R. Towles delivered the winning hit for the Astros Wednesday but just doesn't hit enough line drives to be successful at the major league level … Juan Guttierez (shoulder) hit the DL … Brian Bogusevic was optioned back to Triple-A with Jeff Kepping returning to the utility infielder role … Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said the team will use fireballer Henry Rodriguez more in the future … Ian Snell (!) signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers … The Brewers claimed infielder Josh Wilson.

American League Quick Hits: Carl Crawford announced his return to glory with a home run, two doubles and a single in four at-bats Wednesday … Kevin Youkilis (hand) was a scratch against the Indians … Ben Zobrist is going the other way, with just one hit in his last 26 at-bats, but since it looks like his power has returned he's still an excellent second baseman in most leagues … Erik Bedard went six innings and gave up no runs and is worth rostering in most leagues while he's healthy … Ervin Santana has pitched better than his ERA and one run in six inning against Oakland counts as a good start … Jake Arrieta held the Royals to two runs in six innings with seven strikeouts and three walks, but his stuff doesn't scream front-of-rotation-starter … Luke Hochevar has more pitches with more movement, but the Orioles tagged him for seven earned on one strikeout and three walks in seven innings … Back from irritable bowel syndrome for a week, Franklin Gutierrez had his best game as he went two for three with a home run; he's interesting in deeper leagues … Chone Figgins still has mixed league upside, but his hitless night against the Twins dropped him to .202 and he's harder and harder to roster … Mark Reynolds hit a home run … He kept the Mariners to three runs in seven innings, but Brian Duensing is a marginal starter and the Mariners are a bad offense … Brandon League picked up his 12th save and is secure while he's in there if only because there's little else in that Seattle pen … Michael Cuddyer (hip) got his second straight day off but was available off the bench … Freddy Garcia gave up three in 6 1/3 against the Blue Jays and that seems about right for his true talent level … Elliot Johnson (knee) went on the DL … Don Kelly started at third base for the second straight day Wednesday as the Tigers try to find more offense … Phil Hughes was transferred to the 60-day DL but might come back in three weeks anyway since he's been out so long … Looks like Jorge Posada is sitting against lefties … Mitch Talbot is not a great pitcher, and the Red Sox touched him for eight runs in three innings … Mike Trout is killing it at Double-A (.308/.415/.538) but his major league manager says that he's not a short-term option in the outfield.

HacheMan · May 26, 2011

Win With Edwin
This is one of my favorite weeks of the baseball calendar.

Yes, Memorial Day weekend is a great time to take stock of your fantasy team, as we're nearly a third of the way through the season, but it's also when we can begin to speculate on when some of the game's top prospects will be called up to the major leagues.

Stephen Strasburg, Buster Posey, Mike Stanton, Carlos Santana, Pedro Alvarez and Jose Tabata, just to name a few, were all called up to the majors shortly after Memorial Day last year. I highly doubt this rookie class will have the same impact as last year's impressive group, but it would be wise to familiarize yourself with names like Dustin Ackley, Mike Moustakas, Anthony Rizzo, Brett Lawrie, Desmond Jennings, Jesus Montero, Kyle Gibson, Lonnie Chisenhall and Jordan Lyles over the next few days. If you aren't already, that is.

Let's move on to the good stuff.

MIXED LEAGUES

Mike Morse 1B/OF, Nationals (Yahoo: 10 percent owned, ESPN: 2.3 percent)

Morse was a popular draft day sleeper, but his .211 batting average through the end of April caused most fantasy owners to jump ship. That's all about to change. The 29-year-old is batting .395 (17-for-43) this month and has homered in each of his last three games. And if that's not enough, Adam LaRoche's shoulder injury paves the way for regular playing time at first base. Sure, Morse's plate discipline leaves something to be desired (33/4 K/BB ratio), but there's 20-plus homer potential here. Invest in deeper mixed formats.

Angel Pagan OF, Mets (Yahoo: 35 percent owned, ESPN: 27.2 percent)

I recommended Pagan earlier this month when he was seemingly on the verge of being activated from the disabled list, but his return was delayed after he felt more pain in his oblique. Though he'll have to make it through one final rehab game with Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday, it appears he'll finally rejoin the Mets for Friday's series opener against the Phillies. Of course, Pagan was batting just .159 over his first 69 at-bats before going on the disabled list, but remember that this is the same guy who batted .290 with 49 extra-base hits and 37 stolen bases last season. Go ahead and stash him in most mixed leagues.

Grant Balfour RP, Athletics (Yahoo: 24 percent owned, ESPN: 9.5 percent)

This is a quick fix option more than anything else, but Balfour will handle ninth-inning duties now that the struggling (and outspoken) Brian Fuentes has been formally removed from the closer role. Andrew Bailey could return from the disabled list any day now, but he's no lock to be the primary closer right away. Balfour has an excellent 2.08 ERA and 26/11 K/BB ratio over 21 2/3 innings this season and should be owned in all formats as long as he has the job.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka 2B/SS, Twins (Yahoo: 16 percent owned, ESPN: 17.7 percent)

Nishioka is scheduled to play in his first extended spring training game Friday, so what better time to stash him than right now? The Twins want Nishioka to play at least 10 rehab games before bringing him from the disabled list, so we're probably looking at a return in the second week of June. Still, that shouldn't bother most fantasy owners given the lack of quality options at the shortstop position this season. Double-digit stolen bases are still a possibility if his leg is back to 100 percent.

Edwin Jackson SP, White Sox (44 percent owned, ESPN: 21.5 percent)

Jackson owns an unimpressive 4.26 ERA and 1.53 WHIP over his first 10 starts this season, so he hardly looks like mixed league material on the surface. However, he has managed a 2.08 ERA and 20/7 K/BB ratio over his last four starts and has walked three batters or less in all of them. While his line drive rate is a bit concerning, his secondary numbers are still very much in line with what we saw last season. Why not pick him up to see if he can finish his contract year strong?

J.P. Arencibia C, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 44 percent owned, ESPN: 33.8 percent)

This may come as a surprise, but Arencibia's eight homers trail only Russell Martin (nine) among MLB catchers. The 25-year-old backstop has been especially impressive lately, batting .344 (11-for-32) with three homers, three doubles and 12 RBI over his last nine games. His contact rate is an issue, so his current .250 batting average may be the best-case scenario, but he has a legitimate chance to top 20 homers in his rookie season. While he's probably already gone in deeper mixed formats, he can function as Buster Posey insurance for some.

Scott Baker SP, Twins (Yahoo: 30 percent owned, ESPN: 9.2 percent)

Another one of my "Under the Radar Hurlers" from over the winter, Baker continues to, well, fly under the radar. Granted, the 29-year-old right-hander has been knocked around to the tune of a 7.04 ERA over his last three starts, but he still has a very solid 55/20 K/BB ratio over 54 2/3 innings for the year. Home runs are always going to be part of his game given his penchant for the fly ball, but that shouldn't be a major deterrent since he has good command and pitches half of his games in Target Field. He's one of the better buy lows out there.

Seth Smith OF, Rockies (Yahoo: 28 percent owned, ESPN: 46.7 percent)

With back-to-back multi-hit games under his belt, Smith has pulled his batting average all the way up to .312 for the season. Though many have doubted him as an everyday player, the 28-year-old currently ranks sixth in the league with a .553 slugging percentage and ninth with a .927 OPS. I still wouldn't start Smith against southpaws, but he makes for a fine option in deeper mixed formats if used strategically.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:

(Players owned in less than 10 percent of Y! and ESPN.com leagues)

Randy Wells SP, Cubs (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 0.5 percent)

Wells, who has been sidelined since early April with a right forearm strain, will make his long-awaited return Saturday against the Pirates. Here's why you should care. While the 28-year-old right-hander posted a 4.26 ERA over 32 starts last season, he averaged 6.67 K/9 and 2.92 BB/9 while keeping his ground ball rate at 46.9 percent. In contrast to his rookie season, it's fair to say that he was a bit unlucky. I would probably keep him in reserve for his first outing back from the DL, but there's value here in deeper formats if he's healthy.

Brett Lawrie 2B, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 0.3 percent)

Acquired from the Brewers in the Shaun Marcum deal over the winter, Lawrie is currently batting .337/.398/.628 with 12 homers, 39 RBI and 10 stolen bases over his first 46 games with Triple-A Las Vegas. While some have questioned his attitude and makeup, Baseball America ranked the 20-year-old as the game's No. 40 prospect coming into this season. The Blue Jays have acknowledged that it's only a matter of time before Lawrie is called up to the major leagues, so file him away with an eye on June. His power-speed combo could be an asset from the get-go in mixed leagues.



AL ONLY

Andy Oliver SP, Tigers (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

Phil Coke went on the disabled list with an ankle injury this week, which means that Oliver will take his place in the starting rotation Sunday against the hot-hitting Red Sox. Armed with a fastball that touches the mid-90s, the 23-year-old southpaw has a 3.31 ERA and 49/20 K/BB ratio over his first nine starts with Triple-A Toledo this season. It would be risky to use him against Boston this weekend, but I'd still file him away just in case Coke requires an extended absence or Brad Penny inevitably gets hurt.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia C, Red Sox (Yahoo: 7 percent owned, ESPN: 0.7 percent)

Look at who has been showing some real signs of life lately. Salty went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer Wednesday afternoon against the Indians and is now batting .292 (9-for-25) with four homers and seven RBI over his last seven games. His batting average has gone up from .200 to .240 in the process. While I have him filed under AL-only here, I could even see using him in deeper mixed formats or two-catcher leagues while he's swinging a hot bat.

Josh Outman SP, Athletics (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

Outman filled in for the injured Brandon McCarthy in the starting rotation Monday against the Angels and allowed just one run over seven innings. It was his first start in the big leagues since undergoing Tommy John surgery in June of 2009. Outman has predictably struggled to regain his command post-op, as evidenced by his 27 walks over 37 2/3 innings with Triple-A Sacramento, so there will likely be some bumps in the road here, but I like him for the upside he showed prior to surgery.

NL ONLY

Vance Worley SP, Phillies (Yahoo: 5 percent owned, ESPN: 6.6 percent)

Joe Blanton won't begin a throwing program for approximately 3-4 weeks, so Worley should get the chance to fill in until sometime around the All-Star break. The 23-year-old right-hander stumbled a bit on Tuesday night against the Reds, walking four while allowing three runs over five innings, but he still owns a 1.85 ERA and 30/14 K/BB ratio over his first 34 innings in the big leagues. Worley won't be this fortunate forever, of course, but he's a must-own in NL-only leagues for now.

Juan Miranda 1B, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.4 percent)

The release of Russell Branyan over the weekend just happened to coincide with a hot streak for Miranda, as he went 9-for-18 (.500) with one home run, three doubles, a triple and five RBI over the course of five games. The Cuban first baseman is now batting a very respectable .272/.392/.494 over his first 98 plate appearances this season. He hasn't played since being hit by a pitch on his right hand this past Sunday, but he is expected to return to the lineup soon. Xavier Nady may steal some at-bats away against left-handers, but I could see Miranda having value in deeper mixed leagues eventually.

Reed Johnson OF, Cubs (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, 0.9 percent)

Marlon Byrd is out indefinitely after being hit in the left eye by a pitch last Saturday and suffering multiple facial fractures. Johnson has started each of the last three games in center field and figures to get most of the playing time during his absence. The 34-year-old is batting .367/.435/.633 with two homers, eight doubles, one triple and 18 RBI over his first 60 at-bats this season. He rarely ever walks these days and his batting average on balls in play (.426) is completely unsustainable, but he's worth using with a clear path to playing time.

Jeff Keppinger 2B/SS, Astros (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, 0.1 percent)

Keppinger, who underwent surgery in January to remove a sesamoid bone from his left foot, was finally activated from the disabled list following Wednesday's game. Brad Mills hasn't said how they'll use him, but he could take playing time away from the struggling Bill Hall at second base, especially if the Astros want to showcase him for a potential trade. The veteran utility man batted .288/.351/.393 with six homers and 59 RBI this season, so he's plenty useful in a MI (middle infield) spot if given the opportunity.

Rubby De La Rosa RP, Dodgers (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

The Dodgers are really hurting in their bullpen right now, so De La Rosa got the call from Double-A Chattanooga on Tuesday night. The 22-year-old right-hander has exclusively worked as a starting pitcher this season, notching 52 strikeouts over 40 innings at the minor league level, but it's possible his high-90s fastball could play even bigger out of the bullpen. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly hasn't settled on a closer, even using Javy Guerra for a save opportunity Tuesday night, so the opportunity is there for the taking.

HacheMan · May 26, 2011

Fifty Facts
Matthew Berry

Wish I had known that before.

That was the thought that ran through my mind as my buddy told me the story a few days ago. You see, my friend had just gotten back from vacation, where he was hanging out with his cousin. His cousin, you see, was a former roommate of a current prominent major league baseball player who happens to be off to a very poor start this year.

My friend tells me this: Every single night, his buddy gets a text from the player. It's always a picture, of an attractive girl in various states of undress, and it's always a different girl. My buddy saw all the texts himself, and he was impressed. He also immediately traded the player off his fantasy team.

Sigh.

If the story is true, is this the reason for his surprisingly slow start? Who knows? Going out every night and chasing (and catching) women could certainly catch up with a player. There are a few other factors that could be blamed for his slow start, but that one is as good as any. And that's the thing that depressed me.

It's not that I fault the player for the behavior. Hey, he's young, single and a pro ballplayer. Have at it, if that's your thing. It's just that I can't do anything with that information. I can't verify it, I can't print it and I have no way to tell you whether that's the reason for his slow start, even if I could both print and verify the story.

I bring this all up because as I always say, especially when I do this particular column, there is no way to know the whole story. Even if I could give you every single stat known to man, there's no analysis that tells you whether a guy is worried more about scoring at home than at the stadium.

I write a version of this column a few times a year, almost always in the preseason. The idea of the column is to present a bunch of facts to try to lead you in one direction or illuminate a certain player in a particular light, while highlighting and underlining and trying to announce in all bold caps the secret that most people who do analysis never want to admit: Every piece of analysis is skewed by the stats we show and those we don't. That nothing tells the whole story, especially less than two months into the season, where small sample sizes rule the day.

These are 50 facts. Every single one of them is true. Not a one of them tells the whole story.

1. Since taking over for Adam LaRoche as the starting first baseman Sunday, Michael Morse is hitting .412 and has three home runs and eight RBIs in four games.

2. Morse is available in 97 percent of leagues.

3. In the month of May, Darren Ford of San Francisco has four at-bats. And four steals.

4. Derek Jeter 's ground ball-to-fly ball rate is 2.34.

5. It's a career worst for Jeter, whose previous high was last year (1.96).

6. Before that, Jeter had never had one higher than 1.55.

7. "It was fun while it lasted" is a bit clichéd, but it's fitting.

8. Ichiro Suzuki 's strikeout rate (the number of times he strikes out per 100 at-bats) is the lowest in major league baseball at 5.5 percent.

9. Placido Polanco 's 8.2 percent is fourth-best.

10. And ranking sixth is Darwin Barney, at 8.8 percent.

11. I'm thrilled that Dallas is in the NBA Finals. With the Lakers out, the Mavs are the team I'm rooting for.

I just hope Dallas as a city does a better job of hosting the NBA Finals than it did the Super Bowl. I've been to a few, and this season's was by far the poorest experience I've had at a major sporting event. People (especially police) were rude and unhelpful; traffic was brutal, as roads were changed or closed with no clear sign on alternate routes; attendants at the game itself were brusque and unhelpful; and then, of course, that whole unavailable-seats fiasco. Just brutal. And I know a lot of people shared that sentiment. As someone who grew up in Texas and has Texas pride, I'm really rooting for Cuban to do a better job than Jerry Jones.

12. Only one player in baseball has a lower BABIP (batting average on balls in play) than Dan Uggla's .194.

13. Dan Uggla 's career BABIP is .306.

14. The fourth-lowest BABIP, .214, belongs to Alex Rios, whose averaged a .309 BABIP the past three seasons.

15. The No. 1 catcher this year on our Player Rater is Jonathan Lucroy, hitting .321, with five home runs and 22 RBIs.

16. He's available in 71 percent of leagues.

17. In his past 10 games, J.P. Arencibia has three home runs, 12 RBIs and is hitting .306.

18. Arencibia is currently the No. 7 catcher for the year on our Player Rater. He is available in 63 percent of leagues.

19. Buster Posey, owned in 100 percent of leagues, suffered a potentially serious leg injury in a home-plate collision Wednesday.

20. Rickie Weeks, Matt Kemp, Kevin Youkilis, Ryan Howard, Troy Tulowitzki, Hunter Pence and Joey Votto each have 22 extra-base hits this season.

21. Chipper Jones has 21.

22. Over his past six starts, Erik Bedard is 3-1 with a 1.66 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and 30 strikeout with only 12 walks in 38 innings pitched.

23. He's available in 60 percent of leagues. And is above the Wandy Line.

24. For those asking, here is my list of pitchers currently above the Wandy Line: Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee, Jon Lester, Jered Weaver, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Dan Haren, Tommy Hanson, Cole Hamels, CC Sabathia, Clayton Kershaw, David Price, Shaun Marcum, Josh Johnson, Josh Beckett, Michael Pineda, Jhoulys Chacin, James Shields, Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy, Trevor Cahill, Matt Cain, Zack Greinke, Roy Oswalt, Jaime Garcia, Anibal Sanchez, Yovani Gallardo, Gio Gonzalez, Ricky Romero and Alexi Ogando.

25. Wandy Rodriguez is the first one below the line, and Ubaldo Jimenez -- whose K/9 rate is still at an elite level -- has been demoted until he gets his walk and ground ball-to-fly ball rates under control, which I expect to happen.

26. I can't tell you how long it took me to decide to do a "50 Facts" column. Among the rejected ideas for this week's column: A "fantasy hangover" thing, in which I tied in "The Hangover 2" to players that were struggling but would snap out of it; a whole vacation thing, because after this column, I'm off for a week (so no column next week); a written version of the "Hard Justice" that we do on the podcast; something about guys that have terrible numbers overall but have recently played well and make good buy-low opportunities. The last one was the most interesting to me, and there are a few guys like that strewn throughout this column, but man, I hated every idea. Probably a good time for that vacation.

27. The best part about football season is that I know what I'm writing every week. Of course, it's also the worst part.

28. Raul Ibanez, hitting .246 on the year, is hitting .333 this month, with four of his five home runs and 14 of his 22 RBIs coming in May.

29. Ibanez is a career .283 hitter who has averaged 88 RBIs per season since coming to Philadelphia.

30. His former teammate, Jayson Werth, is hitting .254 this year, but .293 in May. The power and speed have been there. Calm down.

31. Over his past four starts, Yovani Gallardo is 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and a 29 strikeouts with 11 walks in 27 innings pitched.

32. Of course, the teams he faced during that stretch were the Cardinals, Pirates, Padres and Nationals.

33. Fun with small sample sizes: In the month of May, Brad Hawpe has four home runs, 11 RBIs and is hitting .324, including home runs each of his past two days.

34. Saw "Bridesmaids" last weekend. Hilarious. Really, really enjoyed it. Highly recommend it for guys and girls alike. And thrilled to see its success, which further proves the same point "The Hangover" did. If a movie is funny with a great script, you don't need "stars." I think the whole "You must have a movie star to open a movie" is one of the dumbest things Hollywood does.

35. This year, Brett Gardner has been caught stealing six times in 14 stolen-base attempts.

36. Last season, Gardner was caught stealing just nine times in 56 attempts.

37. Ian Kennedy has a 4.14 ERA at home this year in six starts but a 1.62 ERA in five road starts.

38. More small-sample splits: In five home starts, Jason Hammel has a 5.17 ERA. In four starts on the road, he has a 1.71 ERA.

39. One last one, this one from the "How lucky do you feel?" department: On the road, this pitcher has a not-surprising 5.60 ERA over six starts. But in five home starts, he has three wins, a 1.80 ERA and 21 strikeouts with just three walks in 35 innings.

40. His name is Livan Hernandez.

41. I'm fascinated by the people who, week after week, post negative comments on any column; mine or someone else's. You have to click the column, then click "Post a comment," then write it, then click again to submit. It's three clicks and some writing. It's a lot of work (not to mention triple the traffic for someone you don't like) to express how much you dislike something. What's the thought process there? Why spend the energy? Repeatedly? Will someone please email me that thought process? Like, what are you hoping to accomplish? Why do you continue to spend energy and time on something you don't enjoy? Especially when that time and energy goes to actually making someone more popular and successful? The concept is so foreign to me, I'm totally fascinated by this.

42. So far in May, only five players in Major League Baseball have more RBIs than Ryan Ludwick. He also has four home runs and is available in 27 percent of leagues.

43. Looking to spot-start a speedster? No pitcher has allowed more stolen bases this year than Tommy Hanson and Edwin Jackson, who have each allowed 13.

44. There are only 11 pitchers with a better strikeout-to-walk rate than Big Fat Bartolo Colon's 3.73.

45. No. 13 on that list is the currently DL'ed Brandon McCarthy and his 3.70 rate.

46. Only one pitcher has a left-on-base rate (the number of runners a pitcher puts on that don't score) of over 90 percent: Alexi Ogando.

47. Only four others are 86 percent or higher: James Shields, Josh Beckett, Trevor Cahill and Colby Lewis.

48. Only four pitchers currently get less run support than Chris Narveson's 2.43 per game. Yet the Brewers are tied for 10th best in baseball in runs scored.

49. There are only eight pitchers in baseball with more quality starts this year than Jake Arrieta, who has eight.

50. As you read this, I'm on my way to a beach with the current Mrs. Roto, where I will spend the next 10 days or so drinking margaritas, lying in the sun and reading the Tina Fey book, the ESPN book and the new Michael Connelly, among others. See ya in June.

HacheMan · May 26, 2011

Who to trust in Athletics bullpen

Tristan H. Cockcroft

For a team that has excelled on the mound all year -- their team ERA is a major league-best 2.87 -- the Oakland Athletics' bullpen has fallen on hard times.

For a team that has excelled on the mound all year -- their team ERA is a major league-best 2.87 -- the Oakland Athletics' bullpen has fallen on hard times.

Through 23 games in May, Athletics starters have 19 quality starts, a 2.45 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, despite having to use seven starters during the month. Here's how remarkable their starting pitching performance has been in May: Even 27-year-old journeyman fill-in Guillermo Moscoso, a Tuesday spot-starter, handed them six shutout innings of three-hit baseball in a winning effort.

The Athletics' bullpen, meanwhile, hasn't been nearly as sharp, blowing two of five save chances, absorbing six losses and posting a 4.12 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.

Fill-in closer Brian Fuentes deserves much of the blame; five of the losses were his and he has a 6.48 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in his 11 May appearances. It's that slump -- and perhaps his comments critical of manager Bob Geren following a Monday loss -- that cost him a demotion from the closer role.

Fortunately for the Athletics, 2009-10 closer Andrew Bailey is on the mend and could be back in the ninth inning within hours, not days. He's currently on a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Sacramento after recovering from a forearm injury and already has three scoreless innings of relief. Bailey was one of fantasy's most effective closers when healthy the past two seasons; he had 51 saves, a 1.70 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in his first two big league seasons combined.

But Bailey is hardly a model of health, this representing the second DL stint of his young career. The previous one was for a back injury, one that cost him 28 days in 2010. He has also had two surgeries on his elbow -- Tommy John surgery in college in 2004 and September 2010 surgery to remove scar tissue and bone chips that prematurely ended his season. There's no guarantee Bailey's forearm issues are completely behind him, so handcuffs are a relevant discussion in Oakland.

TOP 75 RELIEF PITCHERS

Note: Tristan H. Cockcroft's top 75 relief pitchers are ranked for their expected performance from this point forward, not for statistics that have already been accrued.
<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Rnk </CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom">Player, Team <CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Prev
Rnk </CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brian Wilson, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mariano Rivera, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carlos Marmol, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Heath Bell, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jonathan Papelbon, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Neftali Feliz, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chris Perez, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Huston Street, COL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Francisco Rodriguez, NYM </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Craig Kimbrel, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Leo Nunez, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jose Valverde, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joakim Soria, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Francisco Cordero, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Drew Storen, WAS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">J.J. Putz, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">John Axford, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joel Hanrahan, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jordan Walden, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kyle Farnsworth, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Sergio Santos, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Andrew Bailey, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Madson, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kevin Gregg, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mark Melancon, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon League, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Frank Francisco, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jonny Venters, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Fernando Salas, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Capps, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Adams, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Koji Uehara, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joe Nathan, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brad Lidge, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kenley Jansen, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Grant Balfour, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Eduardo Sanchez, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Thornton, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Daniel Bard, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Guerrier, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Luke Gregerson, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tyler Clippard, WAS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Wilton Lopez, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Sean Marshall, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">David Hernandez, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jose Contreras, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joba Chamberlain, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Lyon, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ernesto Frieri, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jonathan Broxton, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Aaron Crow, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jon Rauch, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chris Sale, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Fernando Rodney, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Octavio Dotel, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Louis Coleman, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Sergio Romo, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>63 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joey Devine, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joel Peralta, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brian Sanches, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">David Pauley, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>62 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Hong-Chih Kuo, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>63 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Scott Downs, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>65 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>64 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jesse Crain, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>65 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Javy Guerra, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>66 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brian Fuentes, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>67 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Vicente Padilla, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Belisle, COL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>69 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tony Sipp, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>70 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Dunn, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>67 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>71 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chad Qualls, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>72 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Rubby De La Rosa, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Evan Meek, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>74 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Nick Masset, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>74 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>75 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kameron Loe, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

If not Fuentes, though, then who?

Grant Balfour, the Athletics' temporary closer to bridge things from Fuentes to Bailey, is one smart choice. He's the team's leader in holds (9) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.80) and sports a healthy 2.08 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. It's the third year out of his past four that he has been a lights-out setup man, though that might actually work against him, being that Geren probably prefers him as an eighth-inning reliever, rather than full-time closer. On performance, Balfour is certainly the next most deserving to Bailey, and even if it turns out he never gets a single save chance, his ERA, WHIP and K's can be of help in AL-only leagues.

Meanwhile, Joey Devine, the former Atlanta Braves prospect, is the sleeper of the bunch. Though he lost all of the 2009 and 2010 seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery, Devine's numbers between Triple-A Sacramento and the Athletics so far this season show the operation hasn't adversely affected him one bit. He had 12 1/3 scoreless innings of 17 K's and a .098 batting average allowed in 11 games for Sacramento and three shutout innings in as many games for the A's, numbers that compare favorably to his last healthy season of 2008, when he set a record-low ERA (0.59) for pitchers with 45-plus innings in a single year.

Devine might not be an immediate candidate to close, but he might not have to be. With Bailey due back, Devine can work himself back into the mix in a setup role, earning Geren's trust as an injury-replacement fill-in later in the year. AL-only owners might want to stash him on a bench if he's available.

New faces in La-La Land

The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't had much better luck with their bullpen lately, the group combining for five losses, a 4.34 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in the month of May. Matt Guerrier and Kenley Jansen, their two most obvious options to close, have each absorbed the loss in their most recent appearances; Jansen blew a save on Monday (2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER), while Guerrier lost in a tie game Wednesday (2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER).

It's problems such as that which make most any Dodgers reliever a viable option to close these days, and NL-only owners might want to familiarize themselves with two lesser-known names from their bullpen: Javy Guerra, who notched his first career save on Tuesday, and Rubby De La Rosa, who was recalled the same day and set Guerra up with a shutout inning of two-hit relief.

Guerra has swing-and-miss stuff, having accrued a 13.0 percent rate in his first five big league appearances after averaging 8.81 strikeouts per nine innings during his minor league career and 10.07 per nine since 2009. A mid-90s fastball and slider are mostly responsible for that. The problem, however, is that Guerra's command has wavered throughout his professional career; he averaged 5.23 walks per nine in the minors (4.53 per nine since 2009) and has served up a great number of fly balls when his command is off. That's a recipe for disaster if he enters one of those bad periods, and the Dodgers might not be able to stomach it in the ninth.

De La Rosa, meanwhile, was rated the No. 90 prospect overall by Baseball America this preseason and ranked 67th in Jason Grey's preseason top 100 fantasy prospects for 2011, and while everyone seemed to view his future as that of a starter, the Dodgers apparently felt his stuff was good enough to help coming out of the bullpen. He throws in the mid-90s with a slider and splitter and dominated Double-A ball late last season and the beginning of this one to the tune of a 2.08 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 9.00 K's per nine in 16 starts. The Dodgers might be rushing him, but in shorter outings opponents might have a more difficult time getting a read on him, and in terms of skill he's capable of quickly rising up the depth chart and putting himself into the saves equation.

Neither Guerra nor De La Rosa appears ready to make an immediate impact in shallow mixed leagues, but certainly both are on the NL-only radar and could rise in value quickly. If you have the bench space to take a chance, do so.

Do relievers' benchmarks need adjustment?

You might notice that this week's Relief Effort lead story went in a different direction than 60 Feet, 6 Inches and Hit Parade before it; those two columns discussed the need to adjust statistical benchmarks in today's increasingly pitching-rich game. There's a reason: Examination of the data shows that there isn't much of a need to adjust our benchmark for what's considered a "good" closer.

Oh, sure, there's the matter of the major league averages for relief pitchers, which have progressed steadily the past three seasons:

2011: 3.69 ERA, .243 BAA, 1.35 WHIP, 7.62 K/9
2010: 3.94 ERA, .250 BAA, 1.36 WHIP, 7.85 K/9
2009: 4.08 ERA, .252 BAA, 1.39 WHIP, 7.61 K/9

But there are a couple problems with taking those numbers at face value: One is the matter of sample size; the 2011 statistics account for only 56 days' worth of a season, compared to 180-plus for either 2009 or 2010. It's for that reason I won't even bother publishing what the top X Player Rater relief pitchers have done the past three years for a comparison; relievers' samples are the tiniest of the three groups I've examined this week, so the regression argument is most valid here.

The other problem is that there's a substantial difference between your average "relief pitcher" and a "closer" -- the latter the far more desirable asset in fantasy. Remember, the vast majority of fantasy owners are targeting saves first and foremost when scouting relief pitchers, and the early returns show that there has been next to no change in that particular category:

• The major league leader had 18 through May 24, but in the past 10 seasons, the leader actually had more on that date in 2008 (21) and 2004 (21).

• Twelve closers had double-digit saves through May 24, but that's actually tied for the second-fewest to do so by that date in the past 10 seasons (2009, 11).

• The top 25 closers totaled 273 saves through May 24, and although that's the fourth-best total on that date in the past 10 seasons, consider that Opening Day 2011 was on the earliest date (March 31) of any of those 10. If you calculate the average number of saves by calendar day of the top 25, the 2011 season actually ranks third-worst (4.96 per day), ahead of only 2006 (4.96, just percentage points behind) and 2009 (4.65).

• Through May 24, only four relievers had double-digit saves and an ERA beneath 2.00, down from five on that date in 2010. There were actually more on that date in 2007 (6), 2008 (7) and 2009 (8).

So who's benefiting from the league-wide drops in relief ERA and WHIP? Perhaps it's the middle relievers: Three of the five relievers with sub-1.00 ERAs and 25 of the 43 with sub-2.00 ERAs didn't have a single save, and 31 of those 43 with ERAs under 2.00 had two saves or fewer. It's for that reason pitchers such as Jonny Venters and Mike Adams earn such generous rankings in Relief Efforts. These days, it seems foolish to stomach a high-ERA/WHIP starting pitcher in your lineup, what with so many talented middle men available to bolster those ratios.

HacheMan · May 26, 2011

Lack of walks hurting Ian Desmond, others

Eric Karabell

Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond went hitless in four at-bats Wednesday, striking out in two of them. That last point isn't a huge surprise, since the Milwaukee Brewers started Zack Greinke, and he's a strikeout pitcher. Then again, Desmond seems like an equal opportunity whiffer this season. He's fanned 50 times in 44 games and is pace for 165 strikeouts. That's not Mark Reynolds record-setting territory, but it sure is a lot, especially when there are only seven walks to go with them.

Desmond is owned in 92.7 percent of ESPN standard (10-team) leagues, which makes sense since he has stolen 15 bases -- a pace for 50 -- and he offers power potential from a scarce fantasy position. However, with a strikeout rate like his, and with three consecutive multi-strikeout games, I'd argue things aren't getting better. Desmond is hitting .230, and it's just not going to get much better with such poor plate discipline. No matter how you spin it, seven walks and 50 strikeouts are not good, and it's hard to overcome.

On occasion, I like to take a peek at the strikeout leaders to see who might be overcoming their porous walk-strikeout rate. And let's be clear, Reynolds, Adam Dunn and Rickie Weeks, the top three strikeout guys from last season, each took plenty of walks. This isn't about them. I'm talking about strikeout leaders that do not walk, like Desmond. If you're still in single digits for walks in the final week of May, you're not walking enough.

Desmond hit .269 a year ago, with 28 walks and 109 strikeouts. The walk rate over 154 games was kind of awful, just like the .308 on-base percentage, but fantasy owners bought into Desmond for the good stuff, like the double-digit home runs and the stolen bases. I'm rethinking that stance. This guy might really hit .230 this season. He hasn't been unlucky. He just doesn't make enough contact, and he's not on base enough to steal 50 bases or score 75 runs, despite his current pace. Be careful here; Desmond last walked on May 16. He has two walks and 27 strikeouts in May. That's just hard to fathom.

Here are other players with the most egregious ratios of walks to strikeouts, and again, these aren't the guys with the most strikeouts per se, like Dunn and Ryan Howard, because they do walk. Only single-digit walkers need apply here.

Ryan Raburn, OF, Detroit Tigers: Just when you think you know a sleeper candidate. Raburn is hitting .204 and, with 51 strikeouts and eight walks, it's easy to see why. Perhaps he'll get going in the second half again, but he'll be a free agent in most leagues by then. I really thought Raburn would step up and hit 20 home runs. I don't think that now.

Alfonso Soriano, OF, Chicago Cubs: Remember when he hit those 10 home runs in April? He had many fans, though not me. In May, however, he's homered once, and it happened May 2. Since then, he has two RBIs. Still like him? The six walks against 45 strikeouts paint an ugly but predictable picture for a declining player.

Chris Johnson, 3B, Houston Astros: This regression candidate was so obvious, but I didn't expect a .216 batting average, either. Johnson had 15 walks and 91 strikeouts in his breakout rookie season, with an unsustainable .308 batting average. Perhaps a .216 mark is a bit too far in the other direction, but you don't want to invest here. You never should have. Johnson has five walks and 42 strikeouts this season, and his career numbers are 21 walks and 139 strikeouts. I feel like that might approach some record.

Gordon Beckham, 2B, Chicago White Sox: He's raised his batting average 26 points in a week, but I can't buy any turning of the proverbial corner with nine walks against 42 strikeouts, though four of the walks are in his past 10 games. Put simply, I feel duped from his rookie year, when he had 41 walks and 65 strikeouts. He's regressing, and it's not getting better.

Michael Saunders, OF, Seattle Mariners: It's tough to provide a .494 OPS … and keep playing. Welcome to the Mariners' offense.

Rod Barajas, C, Los Angeles Dodgers: Here it's OK, because he has seven home runs. Wow, he has more home runs than walks.

Carl Crawford, OF, Boston Red Sox: Hmmm, one of these names doesn't seem to belong here, does it? What's a first-round pick doing on this list with unowned players? There are many shocking numbers amongst Crawford's awful start, but how about the seven walks (and 35 strikeouts) in 187 at-bats? Crawford's career high in walks is 51, but he's nowhere near that pace now. Yes, Crawford went off Wednesday against the Cleveland Indians' Mitch Talbot, and you still have to own him, but I'm approaching the point I wouldn't trade a top-50 player to acquire him. Seven walks in two months! Even for him, that's a statement.

Michael Morse, OF, Washington Nationals: He now has five home runs and four walks. I actually think Morse can overcome the walk-strikeout rate to hit for enough power to matter, but that .281 batting average is going to drop. Same with teammate Laynce Nix, hitting .306 with power despite four walks and 32 strikeouts. It's not logical to expect that to continue.

HacheMan · May 29, 2011

Dunn Dirt Cheap
When the White Sox signed designated hitter Adam Dunn to a four-year, $56 million contract this past winter, it caught the attention of many fantasy baseball enthusiasts. He slugged 38 home runs in 2009 for the Nationals and another 38 in 2010. Between 2004 and 2008, he averaged 41 homers per season. Dunn would flourish inside the cozy dimensions of U.S. Cellular Field, we thought, possibly reaching the 50-homer plateau for the first time in his career and tallying a gaudy RBI total along the way while batting in a quality lineup.

Unfortunately, it hasn't been that easy. Dunn went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts on Thursday afternoon against the Blue Jays and is batting just .186 with a .660 OPS through 184 plate appearances as a first-year member of the Pale Hose. His career OPS is a proud .895.

Dunn also has just five home runs and has struck out a whopping 65 times.

We're still optimistic that the slugger will settle in and turn his 2011 campaign around, but 50 homers seems to be out of the question and there's little doubt that he was selected too early in some fantasy drafts.

This is Friday's edition of the Daily Dose...

* Blue Jays manager John Farrell broke the hearts of desperate fantasy owners on Thursday when he announced that Toronto is going to begin using a closer-by-committee approach at the back end of their bullpen. Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch and Octavio Dotel will all be getting chances and will be thrown into games at random. Jason Frasor will also get looks from time to time. It's a smart baseball strategy. As a manager, you want to deploy your most reliable relievers in the tightest situations, and that doesn't always mean the ninth inning. But it's a big pain for fantasy owners and the news took a significant bite out of Francisco's overall value.

National League Quick Hits: Reds phenom Aroldis Chapman allowed three runs in a two-inning rehab appearance Thursday at Triple-A Louisville … Buster Posey has been diagnosed with a broken left fibula and a couple of severely strained ankle ligaments … Anibal Sanchez threw a shutout Thursday and now has a 2.60 ERA on the year … Phillies speedster Shane Victorino is scheduled to play his first rehab game Saturday … Hanley Ramirez is day-to-day with a foot contusion … The Phillies activated setup man Jose Contreras from the 15-day disabled list … Reds starter Homer Bailey has been sent back to Cincinnati to have his shoulder examined by a specialist … R.A. Dickey will have his right foot and heel examined Friday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York … The Cubs acquired swing man Rodrigo Lopez from the Braves for young left-hander Ryan Buchter … Juan Gutierrez underwent an MRI Thursday that showed inflammation and irritation in his right shoulder but no structural damage … The Rangers have inquired about Nationals reliever Todd Coffey … Carlos Zambrano is day-to-day with stiffness in his neck … Jay Bruce slugged his fourth homer in five games Thursday against the Phillies … Ryan Vogelsong took his first loss of the season Thursday against the Marlins … Braves starter Derek Lowe had his DUI charges dropped Thursday in court due to a "lack of evidence" … Mike Leake will be promoted from Triple-A Louisville to start Friday's series opener against the Braves … Nick Hundley is aiming to begin a minor league rehab assignment next week … The Giants recalled Brandon Belt from Triple-A Fresno.

American League Quick Hits: The Royals designated Robinson Tejeda for assignment and acquired Felipe Paulino via trade from the Rockies … Carl Crawford is officially locked in offensively and has 12 hits and 10 runs scored in his last 28 at-bats … Sergio Santos earned his eighth save of the season in Thursday's victory over Kansas City … A's closer Andrew Bailey will make another rehab appearance Thursday at Triple-A Sacramento … Grady Sizemore could be activated from the disabled list as soon as Friday afternoon … Mariners reliever Shawn Kelley is headed for Alabama to be reexamined by Dr. James Andrews … Brett Anderson threw eight shutout innings Thursday in the A's defeat of the Angels … The Twins have sent future trade bait Kevin Slowey all the way to extended spring training … Max Scherzer allowed seven runs in less than three innings Thursday in a loss to the Red Sox … A's third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff remains day-to-day with a groin injury … Josh Reddick had three hits and three RBI in his season debut Thursday against the Tigers … The Angels placed Howie Kendrick on the disabled list with a hamstring strain … Dustin McGowan is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment next week … Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold went 4-for-4 Thursday with two homers, four RBI and a walk … Jesse Carlson is out for the season following surgery to fix his torn left rotator cuff … Twins reliever Jose Mijares began a rehab assignment Thursday evening at Single-A Fort Myers … The Angels have signed Russell Branyan to a minor league contract.

HacheMan · May 29, 2011

Better Latos Than Never

After emerging as one of the top pitchers in the National League last year with a 2.92 ERA and 1.08 WHIP to go along with 189 strikeouts in 184 innings, Mat Latos saw his 2011 campaign lurch to a rather inauspicious start. The 23-year-old right-hander opened the season on the disabled list after being bothered by his shoulder in spring training, and continued to raise concern after his return by going 0-4 with an ERA near five in the month of April while allowing five home runs in four starts.

Since then, however, Latos has settled back into a 2010-like groove, with a 3.45 ERA and 25-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in five May starts. His latest outing, a home win over the Cardinals, stands as his most impressive of the season, as he allowed just one run on six hits over eight innings while striking out seven and walking none. It marked the first time this season that Latos has completed seven innings in a start.

Over his past six turns, the righty has lowered his ERA by almost two full runs. I'm very comfortable labeling him a high-end "Strong Play" for the upcoming week, in which he draws match-ups against the Braves and Astros. Latos joins a sizable slate of two-start options for both leagues, all of whom are listed below.

Going Twice...

American League

Strong Plays
C.J. Wilson: @TB (Sonnanstine), @CLE (Talbot)
Trevor Cahill: NYY (Sabathia), @BOS (Lester)
CC Sabathia: @OAK (Cahill), @LAA (Santana)
Jake Peavy: @BOS (Lester), DET (Penny)
Jon Lester: CWS (Peavy), OAK (Cahil)

Decent Plays
Derek Holland: @TB (Davis), @CLE (Carmona)
Andy Sonnanstine: TEX (Wilson), @SEA (Bedard)
Wade Davis: TEX (Holland), @SEA (Fister)
Doug Fister: BAL (Arrieta), TB (Davis)
Erik Bedard: BAL (Guthrie), TB (Sonnanstine)
Nick Blackburn: @DET (Penny), @KC (Hochevar)
Brian Duensing: @DET (Scherzer), @KC (Francis)
Ervin Santana: @KC (Hochevar), NYY (Sabathia)
Jeff Francis: LAA (Pineiro), MIN (Duensing)
Brad Penny: MIN (Blackburn), @CWS (Danks)
Fausto Carmona: @TOR (Reyes), TEX (Holland)
Jake Arrieta: @SEA (Fister), TOR (Reyes)

At Your Own Risk
Jo-Jo Reyes: CLE (Carmona), @BAL (Arrieta)
Luke Hochevar: LAA (Santana), MIN (Blackburn)
Mitch Talbot: @TOR (Morrow), TEX (Wilson)

National League

Strong Plays
Roy Halladay: @WAS (Hernandez), @PIT (McDonald)
Kyle McClellan: SF (Bumgarner), CHC (Dempster)
Ryan Vogelsong: @STL (Carpenter), COL (Chacin)
Madison Bumgarner: @STL (McClellan), COL (Nicasio)
Mat Latos: @ATL (Minor), HOU (Rodriguez)
Chad Billingsley: COL (Chacin), @CIN (Wood)
Jhoulys Chacin: @LAD (Billingsley), @SF (Vogelsong)
Tim Hudson: SD (Harang), @NYM

Decent Plays
Livan Hernandez: PHI (Halladay), @ARI (Collmenter)
Jason Marquis: PHI (Lee), @ARI (Kennedy)
Chris Carpenter: SF (Vogelsong), CHC (Coleman)
Aaron Harang: @ATL (Hudson), HOU (Happ)
James McDonald: @NYM, PHI (Halladay)
Jeff Karstens: @NYM (Gee), PHI
Dillon Gee: PIT (Karstens), ATL (Jurrjens)
Chris Narveson: @CIN (Wood), @FLA (Volstad)
J.A. Happ: @CHC (Coleman), @SD (Harang)
Chris Volstad: @ARI (Collmenter), MIL (Narveson)
Travis Wood: MIL (Narveson), LAD (Billingsley)
Josh Collmenter: FLA (Volstad), WAS (Hernandez)
Ian Kennedy: FLA (Sanchez), WAS (Marquis)

At Your Own Risk
Aneury Rodriguez: @CHC (Zambrano), @SD (Latos)
Casey Coleman: HOU (Happ), @STL (Carpenter)

Streamer City

The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Tuesday, 5/31: Freddy Garcia @ OAK
The veteran righty boasts a 3.26 ERA and 1.29 WHIP and draws a very pitcher-friendly assignment this week.

Wednesday, 6/1: Rick Porcello vs. MIN
Porcello is on a roll, with two or fewer runs allowed in his last six starts and a four-game winning streak.

National League

Tuesday, 5/31: Mike Minor vs. SD
The talented young southpaw certainly merits a look against the punchless Padres.

Wednesday, 6/1: Jake Westbrook vs. SF
Over his past two starts (both wins), Westbrook has allowed only one run on eight hits over 15 innings.

Thursday, 6/2: Mike Pelfrey vs. PIT
The Mets right-hander has turned in a quality start in three of his past four trips of the mound.



Total Games

American League

6: BAL, BOS, CWS, DET, LAA, NYY, OAK, TOR
7: CLE, KC, MIN, SEA, TB, TEX

National League

6: ATL, CHC, CIN, COL, FLA, HOU, LAD, MIL, PHI,
7: ARI, NYM, PIT, SD, SF, STL, WAS

Lefty/Righty Breakdown

American League

BAL: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
BOS: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CWS: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CLE: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
DET: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
KC: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
LAA: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
MIN: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYY: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
OAK: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SEA: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
TB: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TEX: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
TOR: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
ATL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CHC: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CIN: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
COL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
FLA: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
HOU: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
LAD: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
MIL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
NYM: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PHI: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PIT: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SD: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
SF: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
STL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
WAS: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP

The Infirmary

You can get a full listing of injured players at Rotoworld's Injury Page, but here's the latest on a few prominent players who have been out of action:

Howie Kendrick: Out until early June
Nate McLouth: Out until mid-June
Jason Heyward: Out until late June
Matt Garza: Out until mid-June
Alex White: Out until late July
Jorge De La Rosa: Out for the season
Phil Coke: Out until early June
Josh Johnson: Out until early June
Kevin Slowey: Out indefinitely
Glen Perkins: Out until late June
Tyson Ross: Out until late June
Joe Blanton: Out until late June
Pedro Alvarez: Out until early June
Buster Posey: Out for the season

HacheMan · May 29, 2011

The Real Crawford Exists!
Buy low and sell clues populate this week's The Week That Was.

Carl Crawford: Carl Crawford is finally, well . . . Carl Crawford. Last night, the once and soon to be again superstar jacked a two run shot to help the Sox beat the Tigers. April was so bad, that it is hard to see how good May has been. Indeed, Crawford is 11 for his last 19 with 3 HR and 8 RBI. As my labr and tout partner (and FSTA hall of fame inductee) Rick Wolf wrote me earlier this week "Heeeee's Back!. Don't forget that Crawford has hit .300 or better in 5 of the last 6 years and has averaged 44 SB over the last three years. That is the kind of production you are going to get from here on. I doubt there is anyone dumb enough to sell low but if there is, fleece them and don't tell them about this column!

Melky Cabrera: Melky Cabrera showed the flair for the dramatic he acquired in New York, hitting a 14th inning blast Friday night. I know I have written about this before but Melky is for real. He is only 26, but yet has 5 full seasons under his belt. As I have said many times before, players that make the show at 20 or 21 are likely to become stars. They struggle at that tender age and then reach their peak while fantasy owners are reading irrelevant historical information. Fantasy lesson -- bargain time! Melky has paid off for the faithful big time this year and is on pace to hit 22 HR, 106 RBI and 16 SB. Sweet!

Neftali Feliz: Neftali Feliz blew a save last night -- his third save in his last five chances. Should you worry? Probably not. Should you go out and roster Darren Oliver to back up Feliz just in case, probably yes. I don't see Feliz losing his job, but there is at least a little reason for worry because the Rangers pursued that silly frolic and detour of stretching him out as a starter in the spring.

Brandon Crawford: In the nice story but don't get suckered category is another Crawford -- Brandon Crawford. Brandon not only went yard, he hit a granny in his first game last night. If it is not already clear, do not get too excited. He is only a career .270 hitter in the minors and was a 24 year old playing with 18 and 19 year olds in high A ball before his call up. Move along.

Javier Vazquez: Javier Vazquez had his second solid game in a row last night giving up two runs and three hits in six innings. If there ever was a guy to dump now, Javy is it. The quality start run will surely come to an end. He has proven he cannot pitch on the big stage, having failed miserably on two tries in NY. His velocity is way down and he just doesn't look like the pitcher he was in Atlanta or Chicago. 30K/27BB and a 6+ ERA may be even worse than Javy is, but he will not help your fantasy team do anything other than get an early draft pick next year.

Brandon Belt: According to reports, the Giants are planning to use recently recalled Brandon Belt as a bench player. Really? The plan is to run with a cold Aubrey Huff and Pat the "I was unemployed last year at this time Bat" Burrell? This writer cannot imagine Belt will stay on the bench. If you have an opportunity to make a small investment, do it while you can. He will be a star, it is just a question of when.

Eric Young, Jr.: In what seems like an annual rite of roto passage, the Rockies called up speedster Eric Young Jr. The bad news is that EY has posted a weak .245 average in the bigs. The good news is the he can absolutely fly and was raking at AAA with a .363 avg and 17 SB. If you are like Goose and Mav and have a "need for speed", EY is worth a shot. One day, he will stick and be a roto stud (think Michael Bourne plus). The only question is whether it will be now. The Rox are frustrated with Dexter Fowler and jettisoned Jose Lopez, so this looks like as good of a time as any.

Sean Rodriguez: In the "its about time" category, according to reports, Joe Maddon will insert Sean Rodriguez at SS on almost a daily basis for the near future. While he seems to have been around for a while, SRod is just 26 and has that power/speed combo real and fantasy managers love. For example, in partial seasons in the minors in 2008-09, SRod smacked 50 HR in 613 AB. Serious pop. Buy.

Scott Sizemore: In what this writer considers a surprise move, the Tigers gave up on Scott Sizemore, trading him to the A's for David Purcey. This is a deal the Tigers should not have made. Yes, Sizemore has been awful in the bigs, but he is a real prospect who has had minor league success. Trading him for a middle reliever just doesn't make sense. Sizemore will report to the A's AAA team, but with Kouzmanoff, Laroche and Ellis all cold, Sizemore will arrive in the bay area soon. If you have a bench spot in a deep Al-only league, it makes sense to store Sizemore.

Nyjer Morgan: Nyjer Morgan came off the shelf and should see a good bit of PT for the brew crew. Carlos Gomez has likely used the last of his 9 baseball lives. Look for Morgan to play CF, lead off, steal a ton of bases, score a lot of runs (being driven in by Braun, Fielder and Hart) and to add serious value. Just don't count on a high average if he does get that kind of PT.

And last but not least, Schultz Says: "In his time with the Tigers and Rays, Matt Joyce has always shown flashes of brilliance, making up for a questionable batting eye with above-average displays of power. Starting the season as a platoon option against right handers, Joyce has emerged as one of the most feared hitters in baseball, leading the majors with a .377 batting average and pairing it with 8 HR and 27 RBIs. Given that Joyce's career batting average coming into the season was .242, the question now becomes whether these two months are to be believed. While conventional wisdom would say no, sometimes you have to look beyond statistical analysis. It might be wishful thinking to think that Joyce will flirt with a chase for .400 but he's swinging the bat with confidence and making the most of his opportunity as an every-day player. Ignore the fact that he'll sit against a lefty or two and trust in the lightly publicized outfielder.

Another late bloomer starting to blossom in Detroit is Jhonny Peralta. After wearing out his welcome in Cleveland by not being Omar Vizquel and running over Asdrubal Cabrera, Peralta was dumped on the Tigers as part of the Tribe's 2010 fire sale. (Which, as a consequence, has resulted in the Indians having the best record in the American League, a fact that Glenn has still not admitted being wrong about despite ample evidence of his incorrect prognosticatory abilities). Always a streaky hitter, Peralta is in the midst of a serious scorcher boosting his average up to .306 while notching near-identical power numbers to Joyce. Double digit home runs from a middle infielder is always a bonus, especially when it comes with above-average average. Peralta's always had the potential to be a near-premier talent, his unpredictability makes him unreliable. Thus, it's simple, play him while he's hot and bench him he's not. And now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

After a slow, injury-plagued start, Rajai Davis has been on a small tear in May, stealing 11 bases in May, a feat only bettered by Jacoby Ellsbury. Davis was an extremely productive outfielder in the second half of 2009, mainly because he discovered a penchant for getting on base, sort of a big prerequisite to stealing bases. The Blue Jays lineup has been surprisingly potent and Davis appears to be as healthy as ever. He could be a source of cheap speed. Unfortunately, his current owner very likely to be salivating over his month of May and will be overvaluing him in any trade discussions. If you really want him, you may have to wait this one out."

Response: Credit where credit is due. The Tribe have played extremely well so far. However, one cannot help but see them as the 2011 version of the Padres. A lot of excitement, but still nothing more than golf in October.

HacheMan · May 29, 2011

AL Notes: Feliz's Royal Pain
The Tigers likely would have been more patient with Scott Sizemore had he possessed a better glove at second base. His track record suggests that he's going to hit -- he's batting .315/.392/.487 in 170 career games in Triple-A -- but his glove at second base has always been shaky and it doesn't look like that's going to change.

The A's highly value defense these days, as evidenced by their decision to spend $6 million to bring back Mark Ellis to play second, so Sizemore may struggle to make inroads at his usual position. The hot corner, though, is ripe for the picking, and Sizemore does have a bit of experience there: he made 11 starts there in Triple-A last year and four more with the Tigers.

Besides, the A's already have an heir apparent at second base: Jemile Weeks is batting .322/.412/.454 while playing the position exclusively at Triple-A Sacramento this year. They lack a third baseman of the future (though they did give a 16-year-old named Renato Nunez a big bonus last year). Longtime prospect Adrian Cardenas has seen some time there in Triple-A this year, but he's mostly played the outfield and served as a DH.

Sizemore isn't necessarily the answer either, but he's worth a shot with the way that Kevin Kouzmanoff and Andy LaRoche have played this year. I still expect him to turn into a nice .280 hitter with 30-double power. He'll take over as Sacramento's third baseman for now, and if he adjusts well, he could be back in the majors in a couple of weeks.

American League Notes

- The Tigers traded Sizemore even though they have no idea when they might get Carlos Guillen back from knee surgery. He was shut down from baseball activities last week, so there would no longer seem to be any chance of him returning before the All-Star break. The Tigers called up Danny Worth to replace Sizemore and can mix and match him, Ramon Santiago and Ryan Raburn at second base. Worth, who was hitting .270/.341/.443 with three homers and four steals in Triple-A, could get a chance to win the job outright, so AL-only leaguers in need of an infielder can pick him up. If Worth fails, then Will Rhymes might get another look in a month or so.

- Andy Oliver will make his season debut Saturday evening against the Red Sox after posting a 3.31 ERA and a 49/20 K/BB ratio in 51 2/3 innings for Triple-A Toledo. The Tigers are downplaying the idea that Oliver could remain in the rotation after Phil Coke returns from his bruised ankle, and Coke has done nothing to deserve losing his rotation spot, even if he does have a 1-5 record (his ERA stands at 3.81). Oliver is due a long look at some point, though, and he should have some value in AL-only leagues when it happens.

- After Jon Rauch got the job done against the White Sox on Friday night, Frank Francisco blew his second straight save opportunity on Saturday. Rauch hit a skid of his own earlier this month, but he might be back as the favorite for saves in the Toronto pen as a result of Francisco's struggles. Manager John Farrell said after Francisco's previous blown save Tuesday that he was still the man, but Francisco has given up runs in six of his 11 appearances this month and three of the last four.

- I'm not sure it's fair to say that Neftali Feliz is struggling, not when he has a 1.50 ERA. However, the 9/14 K/BB ratio in 18 innings is stunning, especially in light of his 71/18 mark in 69 1/3 innings a year ago. His velocity has been fine, but he hasn't found his curveball since coming off the disabled list. I imagine it's just a matter of time until he figures it out. At least he's not going to have to worry about the Royals again for a while.

- Joakim Soria, on the other hand, hasn't had his best stuff at any point during the season, and it led to another blown save last week against the Orioles. I still think he'll be effective enough to keep his job as Kansas City's closer, but I doubt he'll return to 2010 form anytime soon. He looks like a pretty average reliever right now.

- Anyone still holding on to Mike Aviles in a mixed league? He's gone three weeks without a homer or a steal after fast starts in both categories, and he's been so putrid against right-handers (.188/.217/.327 in 101 at-bats) that the Royals appear better off using Chris Getz over him 70 percent of the time.

- With Howie Kendrick (hamstring) joining Vernon Wells (groin) on the disabled list, the Angels have plenty of at-bats available for the newly signed Russell Branyan at the moment. It's uncertain whether that will last, but he should have some short-term value in AL-only leagues. If Branyan hits, then it's possible he'll supplant Mark Trumbo against right-handers when Kendrick and Wells return. The Angels would prefer to keep Trumbo at first base, though. Alberto Callaspo also has some extra value while Kendrick is out.

- Things are messier than ever in Minnesota after the Twins revealed following Friday's game that Francisco Liriano was getting scratched from his Saturday start with a sore shoulder, that Joe Nathan was nursing a sore elbow and might need to go on the DL and that Jim Thome was battling a sore shoulder that might require a cortisone shot. The hope is that Liriano will miss just the one start, but don't count on it. He needs to be reserved. Nathan hasn't put himself in position to capitalize on Matt Capps' struggles, so it wouldn't be the worst thing if he needs to take a couple of weeks off. Thome can be left active in AL-only leagues in the hopes that he'll only need a couple of days off.

- At least Joe Mauer (legs) and Tsuyoshi Nishioka (leg) seem to be making some real progress. Neither figures to return this week, but there's a chance that both are 10-14 days out. Nishioka is the better bet to meet that timetable.

- Kevin Slowey is on the DL with an abdominal strain that may or may not exist. A trade seems to be the only answer there. If he goes to another big ballpark, he could yet be useful in mixed leagues this season. But given his tendency to allow a bunch of long flyballs, so much hinges on the ballpark with him.

- While the struggles of Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter have gotten a ton of attention, it's Nick Swisher's power outage that has taken the biggest toll on the Yankee offense. He's slugging .290, compared to .357 for Posada and .318 for Jeter. Last year, Swisher traded walks for singles: he batted .288, 26 points higher than his previous career high, but he lost 39 walks from his 2009 total. This year, the walks are back, but the singles and homers are gone. It looks like a huge fluke: his strikeout rate is the same as always and he actually has a career-best line-drive rate. The Yankees aren't going to make any changes -- they lead the AL in runs scored even with three regulars having off years -- and Swisher is worth hanging on to in mixed leagues.

- Orioles manager Buck Showalter had the right idea when he indicated going into spring training that Koji Uehara would probably be the team's closer. Uehara got hurt and missed most of the spring, so the job went to Kevin Gregg instead. But Uehara has been healthy since the start of the year, and he's outpitching Gregg at the moment. I don't think Showalter wants to make the switch; Uehara has big-time durability issues and removing Gregg from the role, only to return him to ninth-inning duties a few weeks down the line, would undermine his confidence. Still, another blown save or two might force Showalter's hand.

- Nolan Reimold didn't do much of anything in Triple-A for six weeks, but he's quickly made a case for serving as the Orioles' primary left fielder until Derrek Lee (oblique) gets back. He could have considerable fantasy value if Luke Scott's troublesome shoulder eventually shuts him down. Scott hasn't been very productive of late, and if he's not 100 percent, the Orioles may well be better off with Reimold starting over him, considering that Reimold is better defensively.

- Brian Matusz (intercostal) is likely to be activated to make his season debut against the Mariners on Wednesday. AL-only leaguers will want him active, and there are worse plays in mixed leagues.

- With a .185/.274/.215 line in 65 at-bats during May, Indians third baseman Jack Hannahan is back hitting a lot more like one would expect him to hit. Lonnie Chisenhall is batting .309/.375/.489 for Triple-A Columbus this month, so the Indians could be tempted to make a switch in early June. A straight platoon might work: Chisenhall is a left-handed batter and Hannahan is batting .324/.390/.568 in 37 at-bats against southpaws this season.

- Tampa Bay's Reid Brignac has gone four straight days without a start since coming off the bereavement list Wednesday. I don't understand why the Rays haven't chosen to ship him to Triple-A and give him regular playing time for a couple of weeks. He's going to hit, but he's not going to escape his slump from the bench. Perhaps the move will come when Elliot Johnson (knee) returns from the DL.

- Oakland's Andrew Bailey is set to come off the DL this week, but manager Bob Geren said he wouldn't be inserted into the closer's role immediately. It still figures to happen soon. Grant Balfour may pick up another save or two first, but Brian Fuentes can be dropped in mixed leagues.

- Josh Outman and Guillermo Moscoso were very impressive in their season debuts after stepping into the A's rotation last week. I recommended Moscoso in AL-only leagues, but I was wary of Outman given his control issues in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. I do like Outman's upside, and he could post a sub-4.00 ERA for Oakland if he throws strikes. He's worth grabbing now.

- Juan Pierre's 10-game hitting streak has him off the hot seat in Chicago, for better or worse. He's even back running again now, so he can be picked up in any mixed leagues in which he was dropped.

- Fortunately, Gordon Beckham avoided a serious eye injury when he was hit in the face by a thrown ball Friday. He's aiming to rejoin the White Sox lineup on Monday.

- Injuries to J.D. Drew (hamstring) and Darnell McDonald (quad) are getting Josh Reddick a look in Boston. Reddick had upped his walk rate and his power production in Triple-A this year, though it came with a modest .244 average. The audition of sorts comes at a good time for him. He's one of Boston's best remaining pieces of trade bait, but he's also a legitimate candidate to take over as the team's right fielder next year with Drew set to become a free agent. Ryan Kalish entered the season as the heir apparent there, but he's down with a shoulder injury and Reddick may well have the greater offensive upside of the two. All that doesn't necessarily make him worth picking up in AL-only leagues now -- Drew is expected back Sunday -- but he might have some value if one of Boston's starting outfielders lands on the DL.

- John Lackey (elbow) is slated to come off the DL to face the A's on Sunday. That's a very favorable matchup, but AL-only leaguers with alternatives will probably want to keep him reserved anyway.

- Adam Lind might be back in the Blue Jays lineup on Friday, but it's not enough of a sure thing to make him a worthy play in AL-only leagues. Eric Thames has at least a few more days left to make an impression before the Jays have to decide who to demote.

- Magglio Ordonez is about ready to play after missing two weeks with right ankle weakness, but the Tigers are going to send him to the minors to get some at-bats before they activate him. Keep him reserved.

- The Mariners are giving Carlos Peguero a chance to take over as the left fielder against right-handers, but with a .196/.226/.373 line through 51 at-bats, he's not making much of a case for the job. He's struck out 17 times and walked just twice. He's also quite a downgrade from Michael Saunders defensively. It's hard to blame the Mariners for giving him a look, given that Saunders has had his chances and failed miserably. He does have very impressive power. Saunders, though, is probably the better option anyway, simply because of his glove.

- Julio Borbon (hamstring) is making steady progress and could rejoin the Texas lineup towards the end of the week. After six weeks as a regular, it looks like David Murphy will soon return to being a fourth outfielder. He's struggled anyway, having hit .228/.301/.335 on the year.

HacheMan · May 29, 2011

AL Notes: Feliz's Royal Pain
The Tigers likely would have been more patient with Scott Sizemore had he possessed a better glove at second base. His track record suggests that he's going to hit -- he's batting .315/.392/.487 in 170 career games in Triple-A -- but his glove at second base has always been shaky and it doesn't look like that's going to change.

The A's highly value defense these days, as evidenced by their decision to spend $6 million to bring back Mark Ellis to play second, so Sizemore may struggle to make inroads at his usual position. The hot corner, though, is ripe for the picking, and Sizemore does have a bit of experience there: he made 11 starts there in Triple-A last year and four more with the Tigers.

Besides, the A's already have an heir apparent at second base: Jemile Weeks is batting .322/.412/.454 while playing the position exclusively at Triple-A Sacramento this year. They lack a third baseman of the future (though they did give a 16-year-old named Renato Nunez a big bonus last year). Longtime prospect Adrian Cardenas has seen some time there in Triple-A this year, but he's mostly played the outfield and served as a DH.

Sizemore isn't necessarily the answer either, but he's worth a shot with the way that Kevin Kouzmanoff and Andy LaRoche have played this year. I still expect him to turn into a nice .280 hitter with 30-double power. He'll take over as Sacramento's third baseman for now, and if he adjusts well, he could be back in the majors in a couple of weeks.

American League Notes

- The Tigers traded Sizemore even though they have no idea when they might get Carlos Guillen back from knee surgery. He was shut down from baseball activities last week, so there would no longer seem to be any chance of him returning before the All-Star break. The Tigers called up Danny Worth to replace Sizemore and can mix and match him, Ramon Santiago and Ryan Raburn at second base. Worth, who was hitting .270/.341/.443 with three homers and four steals in Triple-A, could get a chance to win the job outright, so AL-only leaguers in need of an infielder can pick him up. If Worth fails, then Will Rhymes might get another look in a month or so.

- Andy Oliver will make his season debut Saturday evening against the Red Sox after posting a 3.31 ERA and a 49/20 K/BB ratio in 51 2/3 innings for Triple-A Toledo. The Tigers are downplaying the idea that Oliver could remain in the rotation after Phil Coke returns from his bruised ankle, and Coke has done nothing to deserve losing his rotation spot, even if he does have a 1-5 record (his ERA stands at 3.81). Oliver is due a long look at some point, though, and he should have some value in AL-only leagues when it happens.

- After Jon Rauch got the job done against the White Sox on Friday night, Frank Francisco blew his second straight save opportunity on Saturday. Rauch hit a skid of his own earlier this month, but he might be back as the favorite for saves in the Toronto pen as a result of Francisco's struggles. Manager John Farrell said after Francisco's previous blown save Tuesday that he was still the man, but Francisco has given up runs in six of his 11 appearances this month and three of the last four.

- I'm not sure it's fair to say that Neftali Feliz is struggling, not when he has a 1.50 ERA. However, the 9/14 K/BB ratio in 18 innings is stunning, especially in light of his 71/18 mark in 69 1/3 innings a year ago. His velocity has been fine, but he hasn't found his curveball since coming off the disabled list. I imagine it's just a matter of time until he figures it out. At least he's not going to have to worry about the Royals again for a while.

- Joakim Soria, on the other hand, hasn't had his best stuff at any point during the season, and it led to another blown save last week against the Orioles. I still think he'll be effective enough to keep his job as Kansas City's closer, but I doubt he'll return to 2010 form anytime soon. He looks like a pretty average reliever right now.

- Anyone still holding on to Mike Aviles in a mixed league? He's gone three weeks without a homer or a steal after fast starts in both categories, and he's been so putrid against right-handers (.188/.217/.327 in 101 at-bats) that the Royals appear better off using Chris Getz over him 70 percent of the time.

- With Howie Kendrick (hamstring) joining Vernon Wells (groin) on the disabled list, the Angels have plenty of at-bats available for the newly signed Russell Branyan at the moment. It's uncertain whether that will last, but he should have some short-term value in AL-only leagues. If Branyan hits, then it's possible he'll supplant Mark Trumbo against right-handers when Kendrick and Wells return. The Angels would prefer to keep Trumbo at first base, though. Alberto Callaspo also has some extra value while Kendrick is out.

- Things are messier than ever in Minnesota after the Twins revealed following Friday's game that Francisco Liriano was getting scratched from his Saturday start with a sore shoulder, that Joe Nathan was nursing a sore elbow and might need to go on the DL and that Jim Thome was battling a sore shoulder that might require a cortisone shot. The hope is that Liriano will miss just the one start, but don't count on it. He needs to be reserved. Nathan hasn't put himself in position to capitalize on Matt Capps' struggles, so it wouldn't be the worst thing if he needs to take a couple of weeks off. Thome can be left active in AL-only leagues in the hopes that he'll only need a couple of days off.

- At least Joe Mauer (legs) and Tsuyoshi Nishioka (leg) seem to be making some real progress. Neither figures to return this week, but there's a chance that both are 10-14 days out. Nishioka is the better bet to meet that timetable.

- Kevin Slowey is on the DL with an abdominal strain that may or may not exist. A trade seems to be the only answer there. If he goes to another big ballpark, he could yet be useful in mixed leagues this season. But given his tendency to allow a bunch of long flyballs, so much hinges on the ballpark with him.

- While the struggles of Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter have gotten a ton of attention, it's Nick Swisher's power outage that has taken the biggest toll on the Yankee offense. He's slugging .290, compared to .357 for Posada and .318 for Jeter. Last year, Swisher traded walks for singles: he batted .288, 26 points higher than his previous career high, but he lost 39 walks from his 2009 total. This year, the walks are back, but the singles and homers are gone. It looks like a huge fluke: his strikeout rate is the same as always and he actually has a career-best line-drive rate. The Yankees aren't going to make any changes -- they lead the AL in runs scored even with three regulars having off years -- and Swisher is worth hanging on to in mixed leagues.

- Orioles manager Buck Showalter had the right idea when he indicated going into spring training that Koji Uehara would probably be the team's closer. Uehara got hurt and missed most of the spring, so the job went to Kevin Gregg instead. But Uehara has been healthy since the start of the year, and he's outpitching Gregg at the moment. I don't think Showalter wants to make the switch; Uehara has big-time durability issues and removing Gregg from the role, only to return him to ninth-inning duties a few weeks down the line, would undermine his confidence. Still, another blown save or two might force Showalter's hand.

- Nolan Reimold didn't do much of anything in Triple-A for six weeks, but he's quickly made a case for serving as the Orioles' primary left fielder until Derrek Lee (oblique) gets back. He could have considerable fantasy value if Luke Scott's troublesome shoulder eventually shuts him down. Scott hasn't been very productive of late, and if he's not 100 percent, the Orioles may well be better off with Reimold starting over him, considering that Reimold is better defensively.

- Brian Matusz (intercostal) is likely to be activated to make his season debut against the Mariners on Wednesday. AL-only leaguers will want him active, and there are worse plays in mixed leagues.

- With a .185/.274/.215 line in 65 at-bats during May, Indians third baseman Jack Hannahan is back hitting a lot more like one would expect him to hit. Lonnie Chisenhall is batting .309/.375/.489 for Triple-A Columbus this month, so the Indians could be tempted to make a switch in early June. A straight platoon might work: Chisenhall is a left-handed batter and Hannahan is batting .324/.390/.568 in 37 at-bats against southpaws this season.

- Tampa Bay's Reid Brignac has gone four straight days without a start since coming off the bereavement list Wednesday. I don't understand why the Rays haven't chosen to ship him to Triple-A and give him regular playing time for a couple of weeks. He's going to hit, but he's not going to escape his slump from the bench. Perhaps the move will come when Elliot Johnson (knee) returns from the DL.

- Oakland's Andrew Bailey is set to come off the DL this week, but manager Bob Geren said he wouldn't be inserted into the closer's role immediately. It still figures to happen soon. Grant Balfour may pick up another save or two first, but Brian Fuentes can be dropped in mixed leagues.

- Josh Outman and Guillermo Moscoso were very impressive in their season debuts after stepping into the A's rotation last week. I recommended Moscoso in AL-only leagues, but I was wary of Outman given his control issues in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. I do like Outman's upside, and he could post a sub-4.00 ERA for Oakland if he throws strikes. He's worth grabbing now.

- Juan Pierre's 10-game hitting streak has him off the hot seat in Chicago, for better or worse. He's even back running again now, so he can be picked up in any mixed leagues in which he was dropped.

- Fortunately, Gordon Beckham avoided a serious eye injury when he was hit in the face by a thrown ball Friday. He's aiming to rejoin the White Sox lineup on Monday.

- Injuries to J.D. Drew (hamstring) and Darnell McDonald (quad) are getting Josh Reddick a look in Boston. Reddick had upped his walk rate and his power production in Triple-A this year, though it came with a modest .244 average. The audition of sorts comes at a good time for him. He's one of Boston's best remaining pieces of trade bait, but he's also a legitimate candidate to take over as the team's right fielder next year with Drew set to become a free agent. Ryan Kalish entered the season as the heir apparent there, but he's down with a shoulder injury and Reddick may well have the greater offensive upside of the two. All that doesn't necessarily make him worth picking up in AL-only leagues now -- Drew is expected back Sunday -- but he might have some value if one of Boston's starting outfielders lands on the DL.

- John Lackey (elbow) is slated to come off the DL to face the A's on Sunday. That's a very favorable matchup, but AL-only leaguers with alternatives will probably want to keep him reserved anyway.

- Adam Lind might be back in the Blue Jays lineup on Friday, but it's not enough of a sure thing to make him a worthy play in AL-only leagues. Eric Thames has at least a few more days left to make an impression before the Jays have to decide who to demote.

- Magglio Ordonez is about ready to play after missing two weeks with right ankle weakness, but the Tigers are going to send him to the minors to get some at-bats before they activate him. Keep him reserved.

- The Mariners are giving Carlos Peguero a chance to take over as the left fielder against right-handers, but with a .196/.226/.373 line through 51 at-bats, he's not making much of a case for the job. He's struck out 17 times and walked just twice. He's also quite a downgrade from Michael Saunders defensively. It's hard to blame the Mariners for giving him a look, given that Saunders has had his chances and failed miserably. He does have very impressive power. Saunders, though, is probably the better option anyway, simply because of his glove.

- Julio Borbon (hamstring) is making steady progress and could rejoin the Texas lineup towards the end of the week. After six weeks as a regular, it looks like David Murphy will soon return to being a fourth outfielder. He's struggled anyway, having hit .228/.301/.335 on the year.

HacheMan · May 29, 2011

Tim Hudson returns to two-start week

Tristan H. Cockcroft

On tap: How about those Cleveland Indians? They're the American League's top team in terms of overall record (30-17, through May 26) and winning percentage at home (19-6, .760), and have swept five of their eight home series of three games or more. But they're coming off an embarrassing, 14-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field on May 26, and face another challenge when the AL West-leading Texas Rangers visit for a four-game series Thursday-Sunday. It's series like these that test the Indians' mettle; success against the Rangers might cement their contender status … or a poor performance against the suddenly healthy Rangers offense might signal the end of the magic.

Speaking of tests, the Los Angeles Angels' pair of fantasy aces, Dan Haren (third among starting pitchers on our Player Rater) and Jered Weaver (fourth), each make weekend starts versus the visiting New York Yankees. Interestingly enough, despite their lofty rankings, Haren hasn't recorded a win since April 17, Weaver since April 25. Of course, Haren has a 2.92 ERA during his seven-start non-win streak, Weaver 4.35 during his five-start string. Wins aren't everything!

Over in the National League, two of the five best staffs in terms of ERA square off in a four-game series at St. Louis, as the San Francisco Giants (3.22 team ERA, third in NL) and St. Louis Cardinals (3.36, fifth) should engage in a series in which pitchers are in the spotlight. Four of the top 50 starting pitchers on our Player Rater -- Tim Lincecum (10th), Jaime Garcia (11th), Kyle McClellan (38th) and Ryan Vogelsong (41st) -- are scheduled to pitch during the series.

The Atlanta Braves expect to get Tim Hudson (back stiffness) back in their rotation on Monday versus the San Diego Padres, setting him up for a two-start week with a pair of phenomenal-on-paper matchups (Sunday at New York Mets is the other). It's quite the risk/reward conundrum for fantasy owners. On one hand, despite his miserable May 20 outing (3&frac23; IP, 7 H, 8 ER), Hudson still has a 1.12 WHIP for the season and was an every-start option before getting hurt. On the other, the back issue probably directly contributed to that dreadful statistical performance and we have no idea what kind of short-term effect it might have.

Reminder: For those of you in weekly-transactions leagues, there are day games to begin Week 9 on Monday, Memorial Day. First pitch Monday is 1:05 p.m. ET. Here are this week's other scheduled first pitches by day: Tuesday 6:40 p.m. ET, Wednesday 1:05 p.m. ET, Thursday 1:10 p.m. ET, Friday 7:05 p.m. ET, Saturday 4:10 p.m. ET, Sunday 1:05 p.m. ET.

Quick click by section, if you're seeking advice in a specific area:
Projected starting pitchers | Pitching strategies
Team advantages | Hitting strategies
Weather report | Week 9 pitcher rankings

Projected starting pitchers

The chart below lists each of the 30 MLB teams' schedules and projected starting pitchers, and provides a matchup rating for each day's starter. Pitchers scheduled to start twice this week are in gray/beige boxes.

<STYLE type=text/css>.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</STYLE>
<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="WIDTH: 30px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Team </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Mon
5/30 </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Tue
5/31 </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Wed
6/1</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Thu
6/2 </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Fri
6/3</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Sat
6/4</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Sun
6/5 </CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Arrieta
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Guthrie
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Matusz
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TOR
Tillman
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TOR
Britton
(LHP)
P: 7 </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TOR
Arrieta
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Lester
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Aceves
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Wakefield
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Buchholz
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Beckett
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Lester
(LHP)
P: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
Peavy
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
Floyd
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
Humber
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Buehrle
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Jackson
(RHP)
P: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Danks
(LHP)
P: 6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Carmona
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Talbot
(RHP)
P: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Tomlin
(RHP)
P: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
Carrasco
(RHP)
P: 3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
Masterson
(RHP)
P: 7 </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
Carmona
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
Talbot
(RHP)
P: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
Penny
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
Scherzer
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
Porcello
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHW
Oliver
(LHP)
P: 4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHW
Verlander
(RHP)
P: 9 </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHW
Penny
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
Hochevar
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
Francis
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
Adcock
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
O'Sullivan
(RHP)
P: 3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
Duffy
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
Hochevar
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
Francis
(LHP)
P: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
Santana
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
Pineiro
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
Chatwood
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Weaver
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Haren
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Santana
(RHP)
P: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@DET
Blackburn
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@DET
Duensing
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@DET
Baker
(RHP)
P: 4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
Liriano
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
Pavano
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
Blackburn
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
Duensing
(LHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@OAK
Colon
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@OAK
Garcia
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@OAK
Burnett
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
Nova
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
Sabathia
(LHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
Colon
(RHP)
P: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Cahill
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Anderson
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Gonzalez
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
Outman
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
Moscoso
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
Cahill
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
Fister
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
Bedard
(LHP)
P: 10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
Pineda
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
Hernandez
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
Vargas
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
Fister
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
Bedard
(LHP)
P: 10</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
Davis
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
Sonnnstne
(RHP)
P: 3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
Price
(LHP)
P: 9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Shields
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Hellickson
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Davis
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Sonnnstne
(RHP)
P: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

$tex.gif$

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
Holland
(LHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
Wilson
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
Lewis
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
Harrison
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
Ogando
(RHP)
P: 9 </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
Holland
(LHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
Wilson
(LHP)
P: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
Reyes
(LHP)
P: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
Morrow
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
Drabek
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
Villnueva
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
Romero
(LHP)
P: 6 </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
Reyes
(LHP)
P: 1</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>FLA
Collmenter
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>FLA
Kennedy
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>FLA
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Duke
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Saunders
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Collmenter
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Kennedy
(RHP)
P: 9</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
Minor
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
Hanson
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Lowe
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Jurrjens
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Coleman
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Zambrano
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Davis
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Wells
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Dempster
(RHP)
P: 5 </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Coleman
(RHP)
P: 2</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
Wood
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
Bailey
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
Leake
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
Arroyo
(RHP)
P: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
Cueto
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
Wood
(LHP)
P: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
Hammel
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
Mortensen
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
Jimenez
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
Cook
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
Chacin
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
Hammel
(RHP)
P: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
Volstad
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
Sanchez
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
Vazquez
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
Nolasco
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
Volstad
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
Sanchez
(RHP)
P: 9</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
Happ
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
A.Rdrguez
(RHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
Myers
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
W.Rdrguez
(LHP)
P: 8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
Norris
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
Happ
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
A.Rdrguez
(RHP)
P: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
Billingsley
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
Lilly
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
Garland
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Kuroda
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Kershaw
(LHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Billingsley
(RHP)
P: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Narveson
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Greinke
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Marcum
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
Wolf
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
Gallardo
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
Narveson
(LHP)
P: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
Gee
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
Dickey
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
Capuano
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
Pelfrey
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Niese
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Gee
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Dickey
(RHP)
P: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
Halladay
(RHP)
P: 10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
Lee
(LHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
Oswalt
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
Hamels
(LHP)
P: 7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
Worley
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
Halladay
(RHP)
P: 10</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Morton
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
McDonald
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Correia
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Maholm
(LHP)
P: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
Karstens
(RHP)
P: 4 </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
Morton
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
McDonald
(RHP)
P: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
McClellan
(RHP)
P: 10 </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
Carpenter
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
Westbrook
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
Garcia
(LHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHC
Lohse
(RHP)
P: 6 </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHC
McClellan
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHC
Carpenter
(RHP)
P: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ATL
Harang
(RHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ATL
Latos
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ATL
Richard
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Stauffer
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Moseley
(RHP)
P: 5 </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Harang
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Latos
(RHP)
P: 10</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Bumgarner
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Vogelsong
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Lincecum
(RHP)
P: 10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Sanchez
(LHP)
P: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
Cain
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
Bumgarner
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
Vogelsong
(RHP)
P: 9</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
Hernandez
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
Marquis
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
Lannan
(LHP)
P: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
Zimmrmnn
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
Gorzelanny
(LHP)
P: 1</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
Hernandez
(RHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
Marquis
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>P: The starting pitcher's matchup rating, which accounts for past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days), opponent and ballpark. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst.

Tristan's pitching strategies

• There's talk that the Chicago White Sox might soon ditch their six-man rotation, with "No. 6" Philip Humber rumored the most likely man out. That puts their starting assignments in flux for Week 9 and, coupled with a three-game road series against the Boston Red Sox, means the White Sox's pitching matchups overall look especially poor. The Red Sox are baseball's hottest-hitting team, leading the majors in all of the "triple-slash" rate categories in May with .298/.360/.481 numbers, and have averaged 6.77 runs per game with .310/.378/.513 rates during an 11-2 hot streak from May 13-26. In addition, the Detroit Tigers, the White Sox's weekend opponent, batted .350 and scored 21 runs as a team in a three-game sweep of the teams' head-to-head series April 22-24. Something the White Sox might want to consider: If they drop Humber from their rotation and pitch Mark Buehrle at Fenway on Wednesday, they'll be chancing a guy who hasn't won in three straight Fenway starts, his ERA 8.20 there during that span.
Of course, Gavin Floyd, scheduled for Tuesday at Fenway, is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in three career starts there. So it's not all bad.
• Still doubt the Seattle Mariners' rotation? Bullpen problems or not -- their 3.96 team relief ERA ranks 22nd in the majors -- the Mariners' rotation has excelled, its 3.14 ERA the second-best mark in the game. It's not entirely a Safeco Field thing; their home ERA is 3.68 and road ERA 3.09. The Mariners are also on a monstrous starting-pitching hot streak: In 21 May games, their rotation has 15 quality starts, a 2.39 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 8.04 strikeouts-per-nine innings ratio. Erik Bedard, available in 45.6 percent of ESPN leagues (as of May 27), is your Week 9 standout: He has the motivation of a matchup with his former team, the Baltimore Orioles, on Tuesday, and hasn't allowed a run in either of his past two starts.
• St. Louis Cardinals at home, St. Louis Cardinals at home, St. Louis Cardinals at home. I can't stress those matchups enough; this team has the second-lowest home ERA in the majors (2.80), and since Busch Stadium opened in 2006, the Cardinals' home ERA (3.65) is third best. And check out the career ERA/WHIPs of their individual five starters at Busch: Chris Carpenter 2.48 and 1.06 (54 starts), Jaime Garcia 1.74 and 1.07 (24 G's, 19 GS), Kyle Lohse 3.60 and 1.21 (48 starts), Kyle McClellan 2.92 and 1.10 (102 G's, 4 GS), Jake Westbrook 3.93 and 1.24 (11 starts). Those five are also riding a 10-start streak during which time they have nine quality starts, a 1.62 ERA and 0.88 WHIP. Load up.
• Pick and choose your Houston Astros matchups, but there are four awfully good weekend ones: That four-game set at San Diego's Petco Park. Petco starts -- especially for opponents -- are pretty much automatic this season; in 29 games, visiting starters have 23 quality starts, a 16-4 record, 1.89 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 8.54 K's-per-nine ratio. The four pitchers scheduled to start there -- Wandy Rodriguez, Bud Norris, J.A. Happ and Aneury Rodriguez -- might have small career samples at Petco, but they also have combined for a 3.52 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 19 starts in the month of May. Brett Myers, whose only start of the week comes Wednesday at Chicago's Wrigley Field, is the Astro to avoid.
Also favorable: Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays
Also unfavorable: Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics
For more insight into Week 9 pitching matchups, see my rankings for the top 75 starting pitchers, as well as every two-start pitcher, at column's end.

Team advantages

The chart below lists each of the 30 teams' total number of scheduled games, home games and games versus right- and left-handed pitchers, and provides a matchup rating for the week's games in terms of overall offense, offense for left- and right-handed hitters and base stealing. Matchup ratings for each individual game are listed under the corresponding date.

<STYLE type=text/css>.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</STYLE>
<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="WIDTH: 30px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Team </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Games</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Overall
Rating</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Mon
5/30</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Tue
5/31 </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Wed
6/1 </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Thu
6/2 </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Fri
6/3</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Sat
6/4</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Sun
6/5</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
3 vs. L
3 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 3
L: 5
R: 3
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 5
L: 6
R: 5
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TOR
H: 3
L: 4
R: 2
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TOR
H: 5
L: 9
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TOR
H: 10
L: 9
R: 10
S: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
6 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 3
L: 4
R: 3
S: 8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 2
L: 3
R: 1
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 3
L: 4
R: 2
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 5
L: 3
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 6
L: 8
R: 5
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 5
L: 7
R: 3
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
2 vs. L
4 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 4
L: 1
R: 6
S: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
H: 4
L: 1
R: 5
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
H: 2
L: 1
R: 4
S: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 7
L: 8
R: 7
S: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 2
L: 2
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 7
L: 5
R: 9
S: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
4 home
4 vs. L
3 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 8
L: 7
R: 8
S: 9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 10
L: 9
R: 10
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 3
L: 6
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 8
L: 9
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
H: 7
L: 6
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
H: 9
L: 5
R: 10
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
3 vs. L
3 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 7
L: 7
R: 8
S: 3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
H: 7
L: 7
R: 6
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
H: 6
L: 1
R: 9
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHW
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHW
H: 7
L: 6
R: 7
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHW
H: 5
L: 6
R: 5
S: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
7 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 9
L: 7
R: 10
S: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
H: 6
L: 6
R: 5
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
H: 6
L: 9
R: 4
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
H: 5
L: 1
R: 7
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
H: 7
L: 8
R: 7
S: 4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
H: 7
L: 7
R: 6
S: 2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
H: 6
L: 1
R: 9
S: 2</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
2 vs. L
4 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 7
R: 4
S: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
H: 7
L: 9
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
H: 7
L: 3
R: 8
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
H: 6
L: 5
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 6
L: 10
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 7
L: 10
R: 3
S: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
0 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 10
L: 9
R: 10
S: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@DET
H: 6
L: 4
R: 9
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@DET
H: 6
L: 7
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@DET
H: 4
L: 6
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
H: 10
L: 9
R: 10
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
H: 7
L: 9
R: 6
S: 7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
H: 7
L: 3
R: 8
S: 6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
0 home
2 vs. L
4 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 1
L: 3
R: 1
S: 8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@OAK
H: 4
L: 6
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@OAK
H: 2
L: 1
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@OAK
H: 3
L: 6
R: 2
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
H: 3
L: 4
R: 2
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
H: 2
L: 2
R: 2
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 9</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 7
L: 10
R: 3
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
H: 3
L: 4
R: 1
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
H: 4
L: 1
R: 5
S: 9</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
7 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
H: 6
L: 10
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
H: 6
L: 8
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
H: 5
L: 1
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
H: 5
L: 5
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
H: 2
L: 8
R: 1
S: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
H: 7
L: 6
R: 9
S: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
H: 9
L: 10
R: 8
S: 5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
3 home
4 vs. L
3 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 3
L: 3
R: 4
S: 7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
H: 9
L: 5
R: 10
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TEX
H: 2
L: 7
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 4
L: 5
R: 4
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 5
L: 6
R: 5
S: 3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

$tex.gif$

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
0 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 9
L: 10
R: 8
S: 7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
H: 7
L: 6
R: 9
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
H: 9
L: 10
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
H: 4
L: 8
R: 1
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
H: 6
L: 8
R: 4
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
H: 9
L: 10
R: 8
S: 4 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 7
L: 8
R: 5
S: 3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
H: 7
L: 8
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
H: 10
L: 10
R: 9
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
H: 8
L: 7
R: 9
S: 4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
H: 7
L: 10
R: 1
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
7 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 10
L: 9
R: 10
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>FLA
H: 8
L: 9
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>FLA
H: 3
L: 3
R: 2
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>FLA
H: 6
L: 9
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 5
L: 5
R: 5
S: 3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 10
L: 3
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 9
L: 9
R: 9
S: 2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 7
L: 8
R: 7
S: 3 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
2 vs. L
4 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 4
R: 8
S: 3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
H: 9
L: 10
R: 8
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
H: 2
L: 2
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
H: 7
L: 1
R: 9
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 7
L: 5
R: 7
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 7
L: 6
R: 7
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 5
L: 2
R: 6
S: 1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 5
L: 7
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 8
L: 3
R: 10
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 1
L: 1
R: 3
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 3
L: 2
R: 3
S: 1</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
6 home
2 vs. L
4 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 2
L: 1
R: 2
S: 4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
H: 6
L: 2
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
H: 4
L: 6
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
H: 3
L: 1
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
H: 4
L: 6
R: 1
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
H: 3
L: 5
R: 2
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
0 home
2 vs. L
4 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 1
L: 2
R: 3
S: 4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
H: 4
L: 8
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
H: 7
L: 8
R: 7
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
H: 3
L: 1
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
H: 2
L: 1
R: 4
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
2 vs. L
4 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 3
L: 1
R: 4
S: 4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
H: 3
L: 5
R: 1
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
H: 3
L: 2
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
H: 3
L: 5
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
H: 6
L: 4
R: 7
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
H: 6
L: 2
R: 7
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
0 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 9
L: 10
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 5
L: 7
R: 2
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 8
L: 9
R: 8
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
H: 6
L: 8
R: 5
S: 7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 5
L: 7
R: 4
S: 4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
H: 7
L: 9
R: 5
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
H: 1
L: 3
R: 1
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 7
L: 10
R: 2
S: 3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 4
L: 2
R: 5
S: 2</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
0 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 6
R: 5
S: 4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 4
L: 2
R: 5
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 8
L: 8
R: 8
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
H: 4
L: 4
R: 5
S: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
H: 2
L: 2
R: 1
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
7 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
H: 6
L: 10
R: 1
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
H: 5
L: 4
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
H: 6
L: 1
R: 7
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 4
L: 3
R: 5
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 3
L: 5
R: 1
S: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
0 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 8
L: 9
R: 6
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
H: 8
L: 8
R: 8
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
H: 7
L: 7
R: 7
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
H: 8
L: 10
R: 3
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
H: 6
L: 10
R: 1
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
H: 5
L: 4
R: 6
S: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
3 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 4
R: 7
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 7
L: 6
R: 7
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 8
L: 1
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 6
L: 6
R: 5
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
H: 6
L: 4
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
7 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 3
L: 3
R: 4
S: 8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
H: 1
L: 1
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
H: 3
L: 1
R: 4
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHC
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHC
H: 5
L: 6
R: 3
S: 7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHC
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
4 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 5
L: 4
R: 6
S: 8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ATL
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ATL
H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ATL
H: 1
L: 3
R: 1
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 4
L: 1
R: 5
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 3
L: 5
R: 3
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 7
L: 1
R: 10
S: 8 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
3 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 2
L: 3
R: 3
S: 1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 1
L: 1
R: 3
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 3
L: 2
R: 3
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 4
L: 6
R: 3
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
H: 7
L: 9
R: 4
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 7 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
3 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R </TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 5
L: 3
R: 5
S: 5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
H: 3
L: 2
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
H: 2
L: 2
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
H: 9
L: 9
R: 9
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
H: 8
L: 4
R: 10
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
H: 3
L: 5
R: 1
S: 2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
H: 3
L: 2
R: 4
S: 5 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Some of the data used to generate this chart is derived from Baseball Musings' Day-by-day database.

H: Hitters' matchup rating, which accounts for the opposing starting pitcher's past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days) as well as ballpark factors. L: Hitters' matchup rating accounting only for left-handed hitters.R: Hitters' matchup rating accounting for only right-handed hitters.S: Base stealing matchup rating, which accounts for the opponent's catchers' ability to gun down opposing base stealers. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst.

Tristan's hitting strategies

• Though I've listed the Athletics' pitching matchups as "also unfavorable," and offered cause for concern with those Angels fantasy aces, above, pressed to pick, I'm sticking by the Athletics and Angels' pitchers getting the upper hand on the vaunted Yankees lineup. Yankees hitters might struggle as they complete their nine-game, West Coast swing this week, as in addition to Haren and Weaver, they'll also have to battle Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, Gio Gonzalez and Ervin Santana. There is not a breather here. That's not to say you should sit guys like Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez or Mark Teixeira. But sluggish starters like Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Nick Swisher? That's another story.
• Get this: Minnesota Twins hitters are actually fantasy-worthy this week! Keep in mind that perfect-10 rating is a mere measure of matchups; in no way does it take into account the strength of the team's individual hitters. Matchups-only, remember that. That in mind, the Twins do have two players who have picked up the pace in May: Michael Cuddyer (.324/.387/.441 rates in 18 games) and Denard Span (.291 AVG, 12 R in 22 G). A couple of other useful nuggets: Danny Valencia is a .400/.462/.629 hitter in nine career games at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium, where the Twins visit for a four-game weekend series; while Jason Kubel is a .299/.377/.417 lifetime hitter in 37 games at Detroit's Comerica Park, where the Twins begin their week with a three-game set.
• The other perfect-10 team is the Arizona Diamondbacks, and that shouldn't surprise you at all, being that this has historically been a team far more productive with the bat in home than road games. Since 2008, the Diamondbacks as a team have batted .266/.343/.448 at Chase Field, their .791 OPS sixth best in the majors during that span, but only .235/.307/.382 on the road, their .689 OPS ranking fifth worst. Look at some of the individuals' stats there: Justin Upton (.283/.393/.556 in 2011, .293/.382/.528 career), Juan Miranda (.326/.463/.698 in 2011), Ryan Roberts (.290/.383/.449 in 2011, .297/.382/.447 career), Chris Young (8 HRs, .604 SLG in 2011). Florida's Anibal Sanchez, their scheduled Tuesday opponent, presents the Diamondbacks their toughest challenge; there are five other games in which this team faces opposing starters with "5" ratings or worse.
• The Colorado Rockies are effectively the parallel of the Diamondbacks; they're fantastic at Coors Field and mediocre at best on the road. Since 2008, they're .284/.359/.473 hitters at Coors, their .831 OPS second best in baseball, but only .236/.314/.376 on the road, their .690 OPS sixth worst. That's why six games on the road -- three apiece at pitcher-friendly Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium and San Francisco's AT&T Park -- presents some challenges for this squad. Blasphemous as this is, there are places where even Carlos Gonzalez is a poor matchup -- Baseball Challenge immediately comes to mind -- as he's a .214/.274/.345 road hitter this season who has lifetime .225/.319/.275 rates at Dodger Stadium and .240/.310/.347 rates at AT&T Park.
But it's Chris Iannetta, Dexter Fowler and Seth Smith who are your "scary" plays: Iannetta is a .169/.338/.237 road hitter in 18 games this season; Fowler is a .250/.311/.294 hitter in 17 career games at Dodger Stadium, .182/.262/.218 in 17 at AT&T Park; and Smith is a .279/.380/.326 hitter in 22 games at Dodger Stadium, .140/.173/.220 in 19 at AT&T Park.
Also favorable: Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers
Also unfavorable: Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals

Weather report

Weatherproof games: Indians at Blue Jays (3, Mon-Wed); Marlins at Diamondbacks (3, Mon-Wed); Nationals at Diamondbacks (4, Thu-Sun); Orioles at Mariners (3, Mon-Wed); Rays at Mariners (4, Thu-Sun); Rangers at Rays (3, Mon-Wed).

Tristan's Week 9 pitcher rankings: Top 75

Rankings take into account several factors: The pitcher's raw talent, historical and recent performance; number of starts; strength of opponent(s); and ballpark factors. Be aware that different leagues might emphasize different pitching statistics that could change these rankings slightly. These are based upon a fairly standard Rotisserie scoring system, like ESPN's.
1. Roy Halladay (PHI) -- Mon-@WAS (Hernandez), Sun-@PIT (McDonald)
2. Anibal Sanchez (FLA) -- Tue-@ARI (Kennedy), Sun-MIL (Narveson)
3. Felix Hernandez (SEA) -- Thu-TB (Shields)
4. Chad Billingsley (LAD) -- Mon-COL (Hammel), Sun-@CIN (Wood)
5. Tim Lincecum (SF) -- Wed-@STL (Westbrook)
6. Cliff Lee (PHI) -- Tue-@WAS (Marquis)
7. Clayton Kershaw (LAD) -- Sat-@CIN (Cueto)
8. Ian Kennedy (ARI) -- Tue-FLA (Sanchez), Sun-WAS (Marquis)
9. Tommy Hanson (ATL) -- Wed-SD (Richard)
10. Jon Lester (BOS) -- Mon-CHW (Peavy), Sun-OAK (Cahill)
11. Justin Verlander (DET) -- Sat-@CHW (Jackson)
12. Dan Haren (LAA) -- Sat-NYY (Sabathia)
13. Michael Pineda (SEA) -- Wed-BAL (Matusz)
14. Erik Bedard (SEA) -- Tue-BAL (Guthrie), Sun-TB (Sonnanstine)
15. Josh Beckett (BOS) -- Sat-OAK (Moscoso)
16. Mat Latos (SD) -- Tue-@ATL (Minor), Sun-HOU (Rodriguez)
17. Jhoulys Chacin (COL) -- Sat-@SF (Bumgarner)
18. Jered Weaver (LAA) -- Fri-NYY (Nova)
19. Cole Hamels (PHI) -- Fri-@PIT (Karstens)
20. James Shields (TB) -- Thu-@SEA (Hernandez)
21. Alexi Ogando (TEX) -- Fri-@CLE (Masterson)
22. CC Sabathia (NYY) -- Sat-@LAA (Haren)
23. C.J. Wilson (TEX) -- Tue-@TB (Sonnanstine), Sun-@CLE (Talbot)
24. Jaime Garcia (STL) -- Thu-SF (Sanchez)
25. Kyle McClellan (STL) -- Mon-SF (Bumgarner), Sat-CHC (Dempster)
26. Ervin Santana (LAA) -- Mon-@KC (Hochevar), Sun-NYY (Colon)
27. Matt Cain (SF) -- Fri-COL (Cook)
28. Jeremy Hellickson (TB) -- Fri-@SEA (Vargas)
29. Jair Jurrjens (ATL) -- Sat-@NYM (Gee)
30. Shaun Marcum (MIL) -- Wed-@CIN (Leake)
31. Yovani Gallardo (MIL) -- Sat-@FLA (Volstad)
32. Clay Buchholz (BOS) -- Fri-OAK (Outman)
33. Daniel Hudson (ARI) -- Wed-FLA (Vazquez)
34. Wandy Rodriguez (HOU) -- Thu-@SD (Stauffer)
35. Roy Oswalt (PHI) -- Wed-@WAS (Lannan)
36. Ubaldo Jimenez (COL) -- Wed-@LAD (Garland)
37. Ryan Vogelsong (SF) -- Tue-@STL (Carpenter), Sun-COL (Hammel)
38. Zach Britton (BAL) -- Sat-TOR (Romero)
39. Colby Lewis (TEX) -- Wed-@TB (Price)
40. Madison Bumgarner (SF) -- Mon-@STL (McClellan), Sat-COL (Chacin)
41. Chris Carpenter (STL) -- Tue-SF (Vogelsong), Sun-CHC (Coleman)
42. David Price (TB) -- Wed-TEX (Lewis)
43. Brandon Morrow (TOR) -- Tue-CLE (Talbot)
44. Jason Hammel (COL) -- Mon-@LAD (Billingsley), Sun-@SF (Vogelsong)
45. Ricky Romero (TOR) -- Sat-@BAL (Britton)
46. Trevor Cahill (OAK) -- Mon-NYY (Colon), Sun-@BOS (Lester)
47. Jonathan Sanchez (SF) -- Thu-@STL (Garcia)
48. Johnny Cueto (CIN) -- Sat-LAD (Kershaw)
49. Kyle Lohse (STL) -- Fri-CHC (Wells)
50. Ricky Nolasco (FLA) -- Fri-MIL (Wolf)
51. Max Scherzer (DET) -- Tue-MIN (Duensing)
52. Zack Greinke (MIL) -- Tue-@CIN (Bailey)
53. Brett Anderson (OAK) -- Tue-NYY (Garcia)
54. Gio Gonzalez (OAK) -- Wed-NYY (Burnett)
55. J.A. Happ (HOU) -- Mon-@CHC (Coleman), Sat-@SD (Harang)
56. Jeremy Guthrie (BAL) -- Tue-@SEA (Bedard)
57. Doug Fister (SEA) -- Mon-BAL (Arrieta), Sat-TB (Davis)
58. James McDonald (PIT) -- Tue-@NYM (Dickey), Sun-PHI (Halladay)
59. Charlie Morton (PIT) -- Mon-@NYM (Gee), Sat-PHI (Worley)
60. Tim Hudson (ATL) -- Mon-SD (Harang), Sun-@NYM (Dickey)
61. Jason Vargas (SEA) -- Fri-TB (Hellickson)
62. Ted Lilly (LAD) -- Tue-COL (Mortensen)
63. Derek Lowe (ATL) -- Fri-@NYM (Niese)
64. Hiroki Kuroda (LAD) -- Fri-@CIN (Arroyo)
65. Francisco Liriano (MIN) -- Thu-@KC (O'Sullivan)
66. Jordan Zimmermann (WAS) -- Thu-@ARI (Duke)
67. Bud Norris (HOU) -- Fri-@SD (Moseley)
68. Ryan Dempster (CHC) -- Sat-@STL (McClellan)
69. Jake Peavy (CHW) -- Mon-@BOS (Lester)
70. Travis Wood (CIN) -- Mon-MIL (Narveson), Sun-LAD (Billingsley)
71. Rick Porcello (DET) -- Wed-MIN (Baker)
72. Jake Arrieta (BAL) -- Mon-@SEA (Fister), Sun-TOR (Reyes)
73. Jake Westbrook (STL) -- Wed-SF (Lincecum)
74. Bartolo Colon (NYY) -- Mon-@OAK (Cahill), Sun-@LAA (Santana)
75. Gavin Floyd (CHW) -- Tue-@BOS (Aceves)

Two-start options for AL-/NL-only leagues:
Nick Blackburn (MIN) -- Mon-@DET (Penny), Sat-@KC (Hochevar)
Josh Collmenter (ARI) -- Mon-FLA (Volstad), Sat-WAS (Hernandez)
Wade Davis (TB) -- Mon-TEX (Holland), Sat-@SEA (Fister)
Dillon Gee (NYM) -- Mon-PIT (Morton), Sat-ATL (Jurrjens)
Derek Holland (TEX) -- Mon-@TB (Davis), Sat-@CLE (Carmona)
Chris Narveson (MIL) -- Mon-@CIN (Wood), Sun-@FLA (Sanchez)
Brad Penny (DET) -- Mon-MIN (Blackburn), Sun-@CHW (Danks)
Aneury Rodriguez (HOU) -- Tue-@CHC (Zambrano), Sun-@SD (Latos)

No-thank-yous, among two-starts:
Fausto Carmona (CLE) -- Mon-@TOR (Reyes), Sat-TEX (Holland)
Casey Coleman (CHC) -- Mon-HOU (Happ), Sun-@STL (Carpenter)
R.A. Dickey (NYM) -- Tue-PIT (McDonald), Sun-ATL (Hudson)
Brian Duensing (MIN) -- Tue-@DET (Scherzer), Sun-@KC (Francis)
Jeff Francis (KC) -- Tue-LAA (Pineiro), Sun-MIN (Duensing)
Aaron Harang (SD) -- Mon-@ATL (Hudson), Sat-HOU (Happ)
Livan Hernandez (WAS) -- Mon-PHI (Halladay), Sat-@ARI (Collmenter)
Luke Hochevar (KC) -- Mon-LAA (Santana), Sat-MIN (Blackburn)
Jason Marquis (WAS) -- Tue-PHI (Lee), Sun-@ARI (Kennedy)
Jo-Jo Reyes (TOR) -- Mon-CLE (Carmona), Sun-@BAL (Arrieta)
Andy Sonnanstine (TB) -- Tue-TEX (Wilson), Sun-@SEA (Bedard)
Mitch Talbot (CLE) -- Tue-@TOR (Morrow), Sun-TEX (Wilson)
Chris Volstad (FLA) -- Mon-@ARI (Collmenter), Sat-MIL (Gallardo)

One-start sleepers:
Alfredo Aceves (BOS) -- Tue-CHW (Floyd)
Freddy Garcia (NYY) -- Tue-@OAK (Anderson)
Mike Minor (ATL) -- Tue-SD (Latos)
Joel Pineiro (LAA) -- Tue-@KC (Francis)
Joe Saunders (ARI) -- Fri-WAS (Gorzelanny)
Tim Stauffer (SD) -- Thu-HOU (Rodriguez)
Randy Wolf (MIL) -- Fri-@FLA (Nolasco)
Vance Worley (PHI) -- Sat-@PIT (Morton)

HacheMan · May 29, 2011

Fifty Facts

Matthew Berry

Wish I had known that before.

That was the thought that ran through my mind as my buddy told me the story a few days ago. You see, my friend had just gotten back from vacation, where he was hanging out with his cousin. His cousin, you see, was a former roommate of a current prominent major league baseball player who happens to be off to a very poor start this year.

My friend tells me this: Every single night, his buddy gets a text from the player. It's always a picture, of an attractive girl in various states of undress, and it's always a different girl. My buddy saw all the texts himself, and he was impressed. He also immediately traded the player off his fantasy team.

Sigh.

If the story is true, is this the reason for his surprisingly slow start? Who knows? Going out every night and chasing (and catching) women could certainly catch up with a player. There are a few other factors that could be blamed for his slow start, but that one is as good as any. And that's the thing that depressed me.

It's not that I fault the player for the behavior. Hey, he's young, single and a pro ballplayer. Have at it, if that's your thing. It's just that I can't do anything with that information. I can't verify it, I can't print it and I have no way to tell you whether that's the reason for his slow start, even if I could both print and verify the story.

I bring this all up because as I always say, especially when I do this particular column, there is no way to know the whole story. Even if I could give you every single stat known to man, there's no analysis that tells you whether a guy is worried more about scoring at home than at the stadium.

I write a version of this column a few times a year, almost always in the preseason. The idea of the column is to present a bunch of facts to try to lead you in one direction or illuminate a certain player in a particular light, while highlighting and underlining and trying to announce in all bold caps the secret that most people who do analysis never want to admit: Every piece of analysis is skewed by the stats we show and those we don't. That nothing tells the whole story, especially less than two months into the season, where small sample sizes rule the day.

These are 50 facts. Every single one of them is true. Not a one of them tells the whole story.

1. Since taking over for Adam LaRoche as the starting first baseman Sunday, Michael Morse is hitting .412 and has three home runs and eight RBIs in four games.

2. Morse is available in 97 percent of leagues.

3. In the month of May, Darren Ford of San Francisco has four at-bats. And four steals.

4. Derek Jeter 's ground ball-to-fly ball rate is 2.34.

5. It's a career worst for Jeter, whose previous high was last year (1.96).

6. Before that, Jeter had never had one higher than 1.55.

7. "It was fun while it lasted" is a bit clichéd, but it's fitting.

8. Ichiro Suzuki 's strikeout rate (the number of times he strikes out per 100 at-bats) is the lowest in major league baseball at 5.5 percent.

9. Placido Polanco 's 8.2 percent is fourth-best.

10. And ranking sixth is Darwin Barney, at 8.8 percent.

11. I'm thrilled that Dallas is in the NBA Finals. With the Lakers out, the Mavs are the team I'm rooting for.

I just hope Dallas as a city does a better job of hosting the NBA Finals than it did the Super Bowl. I've been to a few, and this season's was by far the poorest experience I've had at a major sporting event. People (especially police) were rude and unhelpful; traffic was brutal, as roads were changed or closed with no clear sign on alternate routes; attendants at the game itself were brusque and unhelpful; and then, of course, that whole unavailable-seats fiasco. Just brutal. And I know a lot of people shared that sentiment. As someone who grew up in Texas and has Texas pride, I'm really rooting for Cuban to do a better job than Jerry Jones.

12. Only one player in baseball has a lower BABIP (batting average on balls in play) than Dan Uggla's .194.

13. Dan Uggla 's career BABIP is .306.

14. The fourth-lowest BABIP, .214, belongs to Alex Rios, whose averaged a .309 BABIP the past three seasons.

15. The No. 5 catcher this year on our Player Rater is Jonathan Lucroy, hitting .321, with five home runs and 22 RBIs.

16. He's available in 71 percent of leagues.

17. In his past 10 games, J.P. Arencibia has three home runs, 12 RBIs and is hitting .306.

18. Arencibia is currently the No. 7 catcher for the year on our Player Rater. He is available in 63 percent of leagues.

19. Buster Posey, owned in 100 percent of leagues, suffered a potentially serious leg injury in a home-plate collision Wednesday.

20. Rickie Weeks, Matt Kemp, Kevin Youkilis, Ryan Howard, Troy Tulowitzki, Hunter Pence and Joey Votto each have 22 extra-base hits this season.

21. Chipper Jones has 21.

22. Over his past six starts, Erik Bedard is 3-1 with a 1.66 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and 30 strikeout with only 12 walks in 38 innings pitched.

23. He's available in 60 percent of leagues. And is above the Wandy Line.

24. For those asking, here is my list of pitchers currently above the Wandy Line: Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee, Jon Lester, Jered Weaver, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Dan Haren, Tommy Hanson, Cole Hamels, CC Sabathia, Clayton Kershaw, David Price, Shaun Marcum, Josh Johnson, Josh Beckett, Michael Pineda, Jhoulys Chacin, James Shields, Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy, Trevor Cahill, Matt Cain, Zack Greinke, Roy Oswalt, Jaime Garcia, Anibal Sanchez, Yovani Gallardo, Gio Gonzalez, Ricky Romero and Alexi Ogando.

25. Wandy Rodriguez is the first one below the line, and Ubaldo Jimenez -- whose K/9 rate is still at an elite level -- has been demoted until he gets his walk and ground ball-to-fly ball rates under control, which I expect to happen.

26. I can't tell you how long it took me to decide to do a "50 Facts" column. Among the rejected ideas for this week's column: A "fantasy hangover" thing, in which I tied in "The Hangover 2" to players that were struggling but would snap out of it; a whole vacation thing, because after this column, I'm off for a week (so no column next week); a written version of the "Hard Justice" that we do on the podcast; something about guys that have terrible numbers overall but have recently played well and make good buy-low opportunities. The last one was the most interesting to me, and there are a few guys like that strewn throughout this column, but man, I hated every idea. Probably a good time for that vacation.

27. The best part about football season is that I know what I'm writing every week. Of course, it's also the worst part.

28. Raul Ibanez, hitting .246 on the year, is hitting .333 this month, with four of his five home runs and 14 of his 22 RBIs coming in May.

29. Ibanez is a career .283 hitter who has averaged 88 RBIs per season since coming to Philadelphia.

30. His former teammate, Jayson Werth, is hitting .254 this year, but .293 in May. The power and speed have been there. Calm down.

31. Over his past four starts, Yovani Gallardo is 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and a 29 strikeouts with 11 walks in 27 innings pitched.

32. Of course, the teams he faced during that stretch were the Cardinals, Pirates, Padres and Nationals.

33. Fun with small sample sizes: In the month of May, Brad Hawpe has four home runs, 11 RBIs and is hitting .324, including home runs each of his past two days.

34. Saw "Bridesmaids" last weekend. Hilarious. Really, really enjoyed it. Highly recommend it for guys and girls alike. And thrilled to see its success, which further proves the same point "The Hangover" did. If a movie is funny with a great script, you don't need "stars." I think the whole "You must have a movie star to open a movie" is one of the dumbest things Hollywood does.

35. This year, Brett Gardner has been caught stealing six times in 14 stolen-base attempts.

36. Last season, Gardner was caught stealing just nine times in 56 attempts.

37. Ian Kennedy has a 4.14 ERA at home this year in six starts but a 1.62 ERA in five road starts.

38. More small-sample splits: In five home starts, Jason Hammel has a 5.17 ERA. In four starts on the road, he has a 1.71 ERA.

39. One last one, this one from the "How lucky do you feel?" department: On the road, this pitcher has a not-surprising 5.60 ERA over six starts. But in five home starts, he has three wins, a 1.80 ERA and 21 strikeouts with just three walks in 35 innings.

40. His name is Livan Hernandez.

41. I'm fascinated by the people who, week after week, post negative comments on any column; mine or someone else's. You have to click the column, then click "Post a comment," then write it, then click again to submit. It's three clicks and some writing. It's a lot of work (not to mention triple the traffic for someone you don't like) to express how much you dislike something. What's the thought process there? Why spend the energy? Repeatedly? Will someone please email me that thought process? Like, what are you hoping to accomplish? Why do you continue to spend energy and time on something you don't enjoy? Especially when that time and energy goes to actually making someone more popular and successful? The concept is so foreign to me, I'm totally fascinated by this.

42. So far in May, only five players in Major League Baseball have more RBIs than Ryan Ludwick. He also has four home runs and is available in 27 percent of leagues.

43. Looking to spot-start a speedster? No pitcher has allowed more stolen bases this year than Tommy Hanson and Edwin Jackson, who have each allowed 13.

44. There are only 11 pitchers with a better strikeout-to-walk rate than Big Fat Bartolo Colon's 3.73.

45. No. 13 on that list is the currently DL'ed Brandon McCarthy and his 3.70 rate.

46. Only one pitcher has a left-on-base rate (the number of runners a pitcher puts on that don't score) of over 90 percent: Alexi Ogando.

47. Only four others are 86 percent or higher: James Shields, Josh Beckett, Trevor Cahill and Colby Lewis.

48. Only four pitchers currently get less run support than Chris Narveson's 2.43 per game. Yet the Brewers are tied for 10th best in baseball in runs scored.

49. There are only eight pitchers in baseball with more quality starts this year than Jake Arrieta, who has eight.

50. As you read this, I'm on my way to a beach with the current Mrs. Roto, where I will spend the next 10 days or so drinking margaritas, lying in the sun and reading the Tina Fey book, the ESPN book and the new Michael Connelly, among others. See ya in June.

HacheMan · May 29, 2011

Minors: Previewing potential June call-ups

Jason Grey

"I remember I was a scared rookie, hitting .220 after the first three months of my baseball season, and doubting my ability." -- Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski

That particular outcome -- a .220 average after three months of a rookie season -- is the chance we take with any youngster in fantasy baseball. For all the talent a player might have, it could take awhile for it to show up as the player adjusts to the big stage. Of course, that doesn't help your team win a fantasy title.
Still, every fantasy -- and major league -- team is looking for a boost, and as the calendar turns to June, the concerns over "service time" or "super-two" status or "starting a player's (major league service) clock" are lessened, and we start seeing more prospects make their ascent. Today we'll look at a few of the bigger names, and what you should expect from them.
For the purpose of this blog, I don't address players who have already seen major league time this season, such as Brandon Belt, who is getting called up again following the Buster Posey injury, and Julio Teheran, one of the top starting pitching prospects in baseball (though he's not quite ready to stick in the bigs just yet). I also don't address players who have recently been called up, such as Eric Hosmer, Domonic Brown, Andrew Oliver and Rubby De La Rosa, who has emerged in Los Angeles and could move to the back of the Dodgers' bullpen soon.
This list is not an exhaustive one, just some quick capsules that focus on some of the key players:

Desmond Jennings, OF, Rays

His offensive ability and potential opportunity make Jennings the best bet in the minor leagues for fantasy teams chasing stolen bases. Sam Fuld, the story of the first few weeks of the season, has come back to Earth, and quickly; he now has a cumulative stat line of .224 AVG/.273 OBP/.339 SLG. So there's a good possibility Jennings will step up and take the left field job.
Jennings is hitting .271 with a .378 on-base percentage at Triple-A, and though he hasn't attempted as many steals as expected, he has gone a perfect 9-for-9 on the basepaths this season. He stole a combined 91 bases (in 104 attempts) the previous two seasons and would likely get the green light often with the Rays. Most encouraging is that he has stayed healthy thus far -- he has proved he has recovered from prior shoulder and wrist injuries -- and that has allowed him to produce seven homers as well. Jennings' good approach at the plate, contact skills and ability to utilize his speed to leg out infield hits gives him plenty of fantasy potential down the stretch. He could offer steals in bunches.
Projected role and fantasy utility: Starting left fielder who could provide steals, runs and maybe even a decent batting average, making him useful in all formats.

Brett Lawrie, 3B, Blue Jays

Viewed by Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos as a potential five-tool player, Lawrie is hitting .337 with 12 homers and 10 steals at Triple-A. Reviews on Lawrie's defense at the hot corner continue to be mixed, but that won't keep him from the big leagues.
The club did have some concerns earlier in the year regarding Lawrie's selectivity at the plate and propensity to expand the strike zone, but they reportedly are pleased with his progress. He's an aggressive hitter with very good bat speed and balance; he can make hard contact with a short stroke and go the other way with authority. He's also an above-average runner. "If he keeps doing what he's doing, he's going to certainly force our hand," Anthopoulos told the team website last week.
Projected role and fantasy utility: Starting third baseman worth a potential add in all league formats given the current lack of depth of the third base pool right now. He has the ability to provide owners decent across-the-board production.</B>

Mike Moustakas, 3B, Royals

The second overall pick in the 2007 draft tied for the minor league lead in homers (36) last season, and though he got off to a slow start this April, he has been mashing the ball over the past month or so at Triple-A. While Moustakas' approach has been solid throughout, he got into a mechanical rut earlier this season in which he was drifting forward too much at the plate instead of staying back. That resulted in his not keeping his bat in the zone, and it sapped his power. But he has corrected that issue, for the most part, using his adjustments and great bat speed to post a .943 OPS in May.
Moustakas is one of those guys who can hit for power without sacrificing contact ability. He's also putting to rest any lingering concerns about his ability to hit southpaws.
Projected role and fantasy utility: He'll be a starting third baseman who can provide homers and RBIs. Like Lawrie, the lack of depth at the position makes Moustakas a strong pickup consideration in all formats.

Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Padres

Rizzo is mashing the ball in a hitter-friendly environment at Triple-A Tucson, batting .366 with 14 homers and a 1.162 OPS through his first 42 games. When I've seen him play this season, what has impressed me the most, besides his consistently hitting the ball with the barrel of his bat, is his ability to generate a lot of power with an easy swing, even if it does get a tad long at times. I think he can mash big league righties now, though lefties could give him some trouble, especially on the inner half.
Projected role and fantasy utility: When he gets the call, it likely will be to play regularly, with him getting most of the starts at first base. That said, he might sit against southpaws in the early going. Petco Park won't do his power any favors, but he could hit for both average and power, enough to make him useful in deeper mixed leagues and NL-only formats.</B>

Trayvon Robinson, OF, Dodgers

Robinson has slumped after a hot start, with scouting reports indicating that he began to press at the plate and lose his discipline when it appeared he was very close to being called up. He's still hitting a respectable .272 with eight homers and five steals on the year.
Robinson could be a part of the Dodgers' second-half plan in left field, given some of their offensive struggles this season, and the switch-hitter has shown some decent on-base skills to go with his gap power.
Projected role and fantasy utility: He should receive the majority of at-bats in left field if (when?) he's promoted, and would help NL-only owners in average, steals and maybe runs scored.

Dustin Ackley, 2B, Mariners

After hitting just .211 in April, Ackley has been on fire in May, raising his average to .268, with seven homers and six steals. He's still a work in progress defensively at second base, but the team is committed to keeping him there. Ackley is getting a more consistent load and hitting with a firmer front side than he had last year, continuing to progress on the improvements he showed late last season and in the Arizona Fall League. His approach at the plate remains impressive -- he has drawn more walks than strikeouts in his pro career -- and that could help him adjust to the big leagues fairly quickly.
Projected role and fantasy utility: When he arrives, he will be the Mariners' starting second baseman, and batting average and a little speed will be what he brings to the table for now. Whether or not he's worth adding in shallower mixed leagues depends on your middle-infield depth, but he's definitely a strong pickup consideration in 12-owner (and deeper) formats.</B>

Brett Jackson, OF, Cubs

This first-round pick in 2009 has been out since May 11 because of a strained ligament in his finger that he suffered while stealing a base, but you have to think the Cubs will consider summoning him shortly after he returns, following the serious injury to Marlon Byrd. The Cubs have never been shy about promoting prospects aggressively, and Jackson is getting on base at a .420 clip at Double-A, with 13 steals.
Projected role and fantasy utility: If he is summoned, it will be to play every day in center field, and his steals potential makes him enticing in NL-only play. That said, he might have some issues making contact consistently at this stage of his career.</B>

The Indians' infield triumvirate

The Tribe has three infielders who can hit at Triple-A should they need to reach down there for any reason, which is a distinct possibility, considering they're not getting much offensive production out of Jack Hannahan or Orlando Cabrera right now. (The other Cabrera is obviously doing just fine.)
Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall has the biggest upside of the three and sports an .808 OPS at Triple-A, though he still has questions to answer about his ability to hit lefties. Second baseman Jason Kipnis is handling the strike zone well, projects to hit for some power from the second base position, and has gone 8-for-8 in steal attempts this season. Meanwhile, Cord Phelps is playing shortstop at Triple-A, but also has played second and third, and that versatility could come into play. Phelps has the best numbers of the three right now, but the lowest long-term upside. The bottom line is the Indians have some internal options they can call upon to help their playoff push.
Projected role and fantasy utility: If Chisenhall or Kipnis gets the call, they likely will be in the Indians' lineup regularly. Phelps, however, could be summoned for a utility role. I don't see any of them as mixed-league assets at the moment, except in the deepest of leagues, but they make for decent adds in AL-only formats.

Jesus Montero, C, Yankees

There has been a spotlight on the Yankees' DH slot of late, but Montero hasn't exactly forced the issue with his bat. He's hitting .311 thus far, but with little power and the reports of his defense behind the plate continue to be negative.
As I've mentioned before, we also must monitor his teammate, Jorge Vazquez, a 31-year-old first baseman signed out of the Mexican League. He swings at about everything but has hit 17 homers and batted .301 thus far. We just don't know if either player will get a look in the near future. Also, Montero could still be trade bait (for a starting pitcher), just as he was last season.
Projected role and fantasy utility: If Montero comes up, I think he's probably worth a look at the catcher slot in most mixed leagues because he has the ability to hit for both average and power. It's just a question of how quickly it all comes together for him. Vazquez, meanwhile, would be an AL-only consideration as a pure power-category play.</B>

Mike Montgomery, SP, Royals

Danny Duffy is already up, and "Monty" might not be far behind. Like Duffy, Montgomery is a three-pitch southpaw who can dial it up to the mid-90s, with advanced secondary stuff for his age. However, Montgomery's control has been inconsistent this season -- he has 31 walks in 53 innings -- and he has had some rough outings of late because of it. I think we'll see him at some point in the second half, just maybe not as close to midseason as originally expected. I profiled Montgomery earlier this season.
Projected role and fantasy utility: Montgomery would be worth a look in AL-only leagues if he comes up, but the control concerns should keep mixed-league owners away initially. Long-term, he has the ability to pitch near the front of a big league rotation.</B>

Dayan Viciedo, OF, White Sox

Converted to right field for this season, Viciedo has made some strides with his plate discipline, drawing almost as many walks already as he did in 447 at-bats last season. That's the good news. The bad: Scouting reports indicate he still has a ways to go, and his free-swinging ways will be an issue if given regular at-bats in the big leagues.
Projected role and fantasy utility: The White Sox have been searching for offense this season, but they have passed over Viciedo in favor of players such as Dallas McPherson because they don't want to call up Viciedo unless he's going to play regularly, and his time at third base is mercifully over (he hasn't played a single inning there this year). If he comes up, though, he likely will play a lot, and he could help you in the power categories. But anything respectable in the batting-average category must be considered a bonus, and his contact issues might even limit the pop.</B>

Juan Nicasio, SP, Rockies

Nicasio is expected to get the call this weekend to replace Jorge De La Rosa in the Rox rotation after posting a 63-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 2.22 ERA in nine Double-A starts. He also led the Cal League in strikeouts last season.
The 24-year-old righty can dial it up to the high 90s, and scouting reports suggest he can command the fastball fairly well. When I saw him last season, I saw a live arm, but he still had work to do on his secondary pitches. He has two versions of his breaking ball, though usually just one of them is working on a given day, and his changeup does have potential. He's a little more polished than your typical Double-A righty, which gives him a chance to have some success in the big leagues this season.
Projected role and fantasy utility: He's worth an immediate add in NL-only leagues, especially given his ability to rack up strikeouts. Ideally, he carries over some of his minor league control and helps his WHIP by limiting the walks.</B>

Charlie Blackmon, OF, Rockies

Blackmon is hitting .345 with 10 homers, 11 steals and a 1.014 OPS in the hitting paradise known as Colorado Springs, and could be forcing his way into the big league picture given Dexter Fowler's struggles this season. Blackmon has a solid swing, and looks like he should hit both lefties and righties. He also can play all three outfield positions, helping his case for a lineup spot.
I saw a lot of Blackmon in the Arizona Fall League and really liked his athleticism, but I ultimately graded him out as a fourth outfielder (albeit a good one) as opposed to a regular. I'm keeping my mind open that he could prove me wrong, though, given his tools and the way he has started this season.
Projected role and fantasy utility: A big league call likely would mean a regular role in the outfield, and he has the offensive ability to contribute a little something in all categories.</B>

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Diamondbacks

I recently wrote an extensive profile of Goldschmidt, though things have changed a bit since then. Juan Miranda has begun to heat up -- he also has a hand injury, though it's considered minor -- which has lessened the urgency to promote Goldschmidt.
(It's also worth mentioning that one-time prospect Wily Mo Pena is hitting .364 with 15 homers in the launching pads of the PCL. The D-backs could decide to give him some at-bats at the expense of Gerardo Parra.)
Projected role and fantasy utility: If Goldschmidt were to get the call, it'd likely be to play every day at first base, and you'd be looking at him strictly for his long-ball potential. However, my gut says a call-up isn't imminent, and that we might not see him until the August/September time frame.</B>

Eric Young Jr., 2B, Rockies

Young has shown he's past last season's stress fracture in his leg by going 17-for-18 on the basepaths at Triple-A. He also has hit .363 and posted a .462 on-base percentage. The question is if he's going to get a legitimate shot at a starting role with the Rockies, who seem to view him as more of a utility player, given his defensive struggles at both second base and in the outfield (where he has been playing lately). Still, the Rockies have lacked production at both second and in the leadoff slot for much of this season.
Projected role and fantasy utility: You know what you're getting EY Jr. for. Unfortunately, the consistent playing time might not be there, relegating his fantasy usefulness to NL-only leagues.

Jordan Lyles, SP, Astros

A supplemental first-round pick in the 2008 draft, Lyles was the only teenager in the Pacific Coast League last season, and has been pushed aggressively. He has solid command of his low-90s fastball, spotting it all over the zone, along with two advanced secondary pitches. He also has a good feel for mixing things up and has weapons for batters on both sides of the plate. To top it off, he's a great athlete, which allows him to repeat his clean delivery well and throw strikes.
Projected role and fantasy utility: The Astros aren't going anywhere, so they don't really need to rush Lyles, especially given his age. But injuries could open the door and make him a sleeper starter in NL-only leagues. He's not a big strikeout pitcher at this juncture, but he does have the capability to be more of one in the future.</B>

Kyle Gibson, SP, Twins

Gibson, a first-round pick in 2009, was expected to move through the minors quickly, but he didn't pitch after signing in 2009 because of a stress fracture in his forearm. He made up for lost time last year, though, advancing three levels to finish the year at Triple-A, posting a combined 2.96 ERA and 1.15 WHIP along the way. His ground ball profile and two above-average secondary pitches have him close to the majors, as he has posted a 49-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 47 1/3 innings this season. It's worth noting that manager Ron Gardenhire said during spring training that he would have liked to consider Gibson for a rotation spot then but knew the club wanted him to start the year in the minors. So Gibson is definitely on the radar screen.
Projected role and fantasy utility: There's no room in the Twins' rotation at the moment, but the next opportunity is likely to be Gibson's. He would be worth an immediate add in AL-only leagues and is a player to monitor in mixed formats.

Yonder Alonso, LF, Reds

A first baseman by trade, the seventh overall pick in the 2008 draft is obviously blocked there, so he has been working in left field, where the early reviews have not been kind. It hasn't affected Alonso at the plate, however; he has posted a .376 OPS and slugged .509 while also showing progress against southpaws and a good understanding of the strike zone.</B>
Projected role and fantasy utility: Given the unsettled nature of the Reds' left field spot, Alonso could get an extended look in the second half if his defense gets to a "passable" level. Also in the picture at Triple-A is Todd Frazier, who has been playing third base but also has played left field and recently got a cup of coffee with the big club. But Alonso has the bigger upside. There's also the small possibility that Alonso is traded somewhere where he could play first base regularly. It's worth noting that manager Dusty Baker recently told the Cincinnati Enquirer that Alonso isn't being considered right now, but of course, these things can change.

Jemile Weeks, 2B, Athletics

The A's are getting little offensively out of the second base spot right now; Mark Ellis has a .511 OPS, and Andy LaRoche is at .593. In fact, the club has not gotten a single homer out of the spot all season. That means Jemile, Rickie's brother, should at least be on the team's radar screen, especially since he finally seems healthy after having never made it through a full campaign as a pro. The 12th overall pick in the 2008 draft is a different hitter than his brother. Jemile is more of a slashing-type hitter with less power, though he still brings the bat speed. He's hitting .318 with a .407 on-base percentage and eight steals at Triple-A.
A's director of player development Keith Lipman told the team website recently that they're trying not to rush Weeks, given the limited number of minor league at-bats he has had because of his injuries. But Lipman added that "the way things are going right now, on a natural progression, he's a guy you start looking at toward the end of the season." Continued problems at the second base position could accelerate that timetable.
Projected role and fantasy utility: Weeks has gap power and can hit a few out of the park, but his main fantasy assets will be hitting for average and stealing a handful of bases, though multiple hip problems have robbed him of some of his previous burst.

HacheMan · May 30, 2011

NL Notes: Free Belt!
June rankings coming up next week.

National League Notes

- I'm not buying into the notion that Eli Whiteside can be an adequate regular for the Giants with Buster Posey down. I ran through some possible alternatives over at HardballTalk last week. The Giants say they're not shopping yet, but they will, and I think there's a pretty good chance they'll come away with Ivan Rodriguez, even if it doesn't happen for a month or so.

- True to his word, manager Bruce Bochy hasn't started Brandon Belt in either game since his recall. Belt hit a robust .337/.470/.525 in 101 at-bats after his demotion to Triple-A Fresno, but the Giants had no plans to call him up until Posey's injury left them desperate for offense and they still aren't ready to sacrifice defense to plug him back in as a regular. A Belt-Pat Burrell platoon in left field would likely be pretty productive, but the Giants are getting nice results from Nate Schierholtz in right field and they're not ready to send Cody Ross to the bench. Frankly, I think Ross is overrated and using him strictly against lefties is something the team needs to consider. It might happen if the club begins to struggle, but probably not while the team is in first place.

- Brandon Crawford hit a grand slam in his major league debut Friday, but since he's a left-handed hitter, the Giants put him right back on the bench against southpaw Randy Wolf on Saturday. Crawford will play against righties and have a bit of value in NL-only leagues while Mike Fontenot is out. If he produces, the Giants shouldn't be afraid to stick with him.

- This certainly looks like the right time to trade for Dan Uggla. I never bought into the notion that his outstanding career numbers at Turner Field were going to lead to a great first year with the Braves, but there also wasn't any reason to expect this kind of decline. He should be good for about 20 homers and 70 RBI over the final two-thirds of the season. He's more of a .250 hitter than the guy who batted .287 last year, but he's a top-10 second baseman.

- Tim Hudson (back) will come off the disabled list and make two starts this week, so get him active in all formats.

- The Braves don't expect Jason Heyward (shoulder) to return when eligible Saturday. Eric Hinske and Jordan Schafer should remain nice plays in NL-only leagues.

- Vicente Padilla (forearm) is slated to return from the DL this week and go right back into the mix for saves in the Dodger pen. No one else has stepped up in his absence. Keep a close eye on Rubby De La Rosa, though. He throws 95-98 mph, and I was surprised by just how good his changeup is. He might turn into a strong candidate for saves in a month or so, depending on what happens with Jonathan Broxton (elbow).

- Jose Lopez actually hit .319 (15-for-47) over his final three weeks with the Rockies, but the team gave up on him anyway. It's not as though it was coming with any power at all. Eric Young Jr., his replacement on the roster, would be worth using in mixed leagues if given regular playing time, and he has started three games in a row, the last two over Jonathan Herrera at second base. Those in need of steals can give him a try. Herrera appears likely to revert to being nearly worthless in NL-only leagues.

- With Ian Stewart on the shelf at Triple-A Colorado Springs due to a pulled hamstring, Ty Wigginton is going to receive at least a couple of weeks of regular playing time at third for the Rockies. Too bad the Rockies play on the road for the next week and a half or he might be an option in mixed leagues.

- Juan Nicasio impressed against the Cardinals in his audition for Jorge De La Rosa's rotation spot. Or at least I assume he did, considering that FOX didn't want me see the game. He started out throwing 95-97 mph before losing a bit of velocity as the evening went along. Nicasio doesn't have a top-notch secondary pitch, but above average command of such a good fastball could lead to some more strong outings before the league figures him out. His long-term future may be in the pen. With Aaron Cook coming back this week, the Rockies will have to choose between Nicasio and Clayton Mortensen as their fifth starter.

- There's not much to be said about Jaime Garcia's nightmare outing Saturday, in which he was charged with 11 earned runs and had his ERA jump from 1.93 to 3.28. It sure would have been nice had Tony La Russa gotten him out of there before he could be charged with five runs in the fourth, but he was trying to save the pen.

- Eduardo Sanchez got the Cardinals' last save, but that's only because Fernando Salas had worked the previous three days. Salas is still the obvious favorite for saves there.

- The Mets' R.A. Dickey is going to try to pitch with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. NL-only leaguers can keep him active and see what happens. If he struggles with the injury and ends up on the DL, then Chris Schwinden will likely take his rotation spot. D.J. Carrasco has been stretched out as a starter in Triple-A, but he's sporting a 4.94 ERA to Schwinden's 2.36 mark.

- David Wright (back) and Ike Davis (ankle) both look like long shots to come off the DL before the end of the week.

- It sounds like the Phillies will keep Domonic Brown around after Shane Victorino (hamstring) comes off the DL on Friday. He's going to get a chance to turn Ben Francisco back into a fourth outfielder.

- The Cubs needed Rodrigo Lopez before they combined to go 3-13 in games started by Casey Coleman, James Russell and Doug Davis. Obviously, he's nothing special -- he led the NL in losses last year for good reason -- but he will do a better job of keeping the team in games than the alternatives did. He'll start in Matt Garza's place in Monday and likely keep a rotation spot in place of Davis if Garza returns from a bruised elbow next weekend as hoped. He's not worth picking up in NL-only leagues.

- It'd sure be nice to see Aramis Ramirez start pulling some balls with authority. He's hitting a respectable .280, but he has just one homer. Hamstring tenderness has limited him during the last week, yet that hardly deserves the brunt of the blame. I'm far from an expert, but I do think he's lost some bat speed. While I'm not confident enough to suggest dropping him in mixed leagues, I am seriously concerned.

- With Reed Johnson (back) joining Marlon Byrd (eye) on the disabled list, the Cubs are down to Tony Campana in center field. They decided against bringing back Tyler Colvin to replace Johnson, opting for Brad Snyder instead. Brett Jackson, who might have been another possibility, remains on the DL in Double-A with a finger injury. Campana will be a decent one- or two-week play in NL-only leagues.

- Brandon Wood is homerless in 52 at-bats with the Pirates, and the team has been giving Steve Pearce more time at third base as a result. It makes one wonder if they might put Wood on waivers once Pedro Alvarez (quad) comes off the disabled list. They'll probably just drop Pedro Ciriaco instead, but Wood isn't doing them any good so far.

- I'm still not a believer in Kevin Correia at all. His success has come with just 30 strikeouts in 70 2/3 innings, and while he was the first National Leaguer to seven victories, he's pitching worse than teammate Paul Maholm, the first National Leaguer to seven losses. His luck is going to run out soon.

- The Padres said Chris Denorfia would be their right fielder after they demoted Will Venable last week, but Blake Tekotte, taking advantage of a minor injury to Cameron Maybin, really impressed in his first start Friday, collecting a triple and a double, and could be in line for considerable playing time against right-handers. He's a left-handed hitter, while all three of San Diego's starting outfielders are righties, and he was batting .305/.431/.568 in 95 at-bats against righties in Double-A. I'm not confident that he has a future as a regular, but he wouldn't be a bad pickup in NL-only leagues right now. That he has some speed -- he was 14-for-16 stealing bases for San Antonio -- is a big plus.

- Eric Patterson and Alberto Gonzalez are also hanging around, but it looks like the Padres would prefer to see Logan Forsythe step up and become their second baseman while Orlando Hudson (groin) is out. Forsythe was hitting .270/.388/.459 with five homers and three steals in 111 at-bats for Triple-A Tuscon before his callup last week. He's not a great defender, so he's going to have to hit in order to justify his place in the lineup. My guess is that the Padres would prove better off with Patterson starting against righties and Forsythe playing versus lefties.

- Adam LaRoche isn't ready for season-ending shoulder surgery yet, but it seems likely he'll go that route sooner or later. At least Mike Morse is finally giving the Nationals some production at first base. Ideally, former top prospect Chris Marrero would step it up in Triple-A and turn himself into an option by midseason. He's hitting a modest .274/.333/.394 at the moment, though.

- It turned out that a sore elbow was the cause of Tom Gorzelanny's recent struggles. He went on the DL Friday, and Cuban defector Yunesky Maya will come up to start in his place. The Nationals have plenty of spare rotation candidates in Maya, Ross Detwiler, Brad Meyers, Craig Stammen, J.D. Martin and Tom Milone. None of them are sure things, but the quantity of options will make it easier for them to part with Gorzelanny and Jason Marquis in July.

- Casey McGehee still isn't hitting, and he could have cost the Brewers a win Saturday with his seventh error of the season. He's batting .251/.312/.369, and though he's getting the enviable assignment of hitting behind Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, he has fewer RBI (in 78 more at-bats) than Jonathan Lucroy. Unfortunately, there's no one for the Brewers to replace him with. Mat Gamel is hitting .309/.382/.489 in Triple-A, but the team has given up on him as a third baseman; he's continued to get all of his playing time at first base even with McGehee slumping. Taylor Green is something of a prospect, but at .240/.347/.413 in Triple-A, he's not putting any pressure on McGehee. The Brewers are probably stuck with him. Given all of the teams with a need, it's going to be costly to come up with a third baseman in a trade thus summer.

- Zach Duke, who shut out the Astros for seven innings on Saturday, probably won't have many starts to match his Diamondbacks debut. Hopefully he'll solidify the fifth spot in Arizona's rotation, but it's doubtful that he'll prove to have value in NL-only leagues.

- Juan Miranda is suddenly sporting a 900 OPS after his two-homer game Friday, and it looks like he'll get a chance to play everyday at first base, considering that he's off to a hot start against lefties and Xavier Nady hasn't done much of anything yet. I don't expect that Miranda will end up turning into a solid mixed-league first baseman, but stranger things have happened.

- The Astros didn't name Jeff Keppinger their second baseman after he came off the DL on Wednesday, but he deserves a chance to win the job away from Bill Hall, who is probably better off in a utility role. Third baseman Chris Johnson has been a little more productive this month, so he's probably safe.

- Top prospect Jordan Lyles will step into Houston's rotation this week in place of the injured Wandy Rodriguez (elbow). After a rough first couple of weeks, Lyles had turned in quality starts in six of his last seven outings for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Overall, he was 3-3 with a 3.20 ERA and a 41/16 K/BB ratio in 59 IP. That's not a great strikeout rate for a modest flyball pitcher, but Lyles is awfully young at 20 and he has plenty of room to improve. Right now, I'd say he's a fourth starter. NL-only leaguers shouldn't break the bank to add him, but he's certainly worth a pickup if he comes free of charge.

- J.R. Towles' value should get a nice boost with Humberto Quintero (ankle) on the DL for the next two weeks.

- The Marlins probably won't be activating Josh Johnson (shoulder) on Wednesday as originally hoped. Expect him back next week.

- It looked like the Reds had a ton of rotation depth going into the season, but now they're dipping into the minor league system for veteran Chad Reineke after Homer Bailey went back on the DL with another shoulder injury. The 29-year-old Reineke had a nice 2.52 ERA in 53 2/3 innings for Louisville, but he's a two-pitch pitcher with a mediocre fastball. Expect little.

- After six days off, Jonny Gomes went 4-for-5 in his return to the lineup Saturday, raising his average from .168 to .191. That's all the excuse manager Dusty Baker needs to give him the next several starts in left field, and if Gomes gets hot, he could always go back to having some value in mixed leagues.

- Bronson Arroyo's ERA is all of the way up to 5.74 after he gave up five runs in three innings Saturday against the Braves. Of course, it was his previous start, in which he allowed nine runs to the Phillies, that was the even bigger problem. But Arroyo has always had more horrible days than one expects from a quality starter. When the breaking balls aren't working, he can't simply fall back on the fastball and hope for the best. I don't think we're witnessing Arroyo falling apart; he should rebound and post an ERA right around 4.00 over the rest of the season. That said, he never looked like a very good bet in mixed leagues this year.

HacheMan · May 30, 2011

Sorry Rates for Soria There's a reason we watch things like strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates even in the face of good ERAs and WHIPs. They can help us spot a problem with a pitcher before it manifests itself and becomes a real situation.

We're probably at a full-blown situation with Joakim Soria - he might even be a step away from being a Mexcloser (badumching). He's now blown three of his last four save chances and future closer Aaron Crow inches his way to being the present closer. But we've known something was wrong with Soria all year, as his strikeout rate is down about a third and his walk rate has doubled. He's getting fewer ground balls. His velocity is down. He's only pitched 21 innings, and he could turn it around, but it seems likely that a health or mechanical issue is plaguing him right now.

John Danks is in trouble. A pitcher with average career rates all around, he had above-average control last year and had a decent year. This year his control is average and the whole package is meh. He gave up nine runs on three homers in four innings against the Jays and doesn't look like a buy-low. Carl Pavano is also in trouble. He's still got his control, but he's not striking out anyone and his ground balls have not returned. Giving up five runs on ten hits in eight innings with just three strikeouts seems about right for him. Even though he didn't walk a guy, his upside is so muted that he's droppable in most leagues. J.A. Happ only gave up one run against the Diamondbacks. He even struck out eight. But Happ is also an extreme fly-ball pitcher with poor control and mediocre strikeout punch. He's not worth picking up in mixed leagues.

Sometimes those rates can tell us to be suspicious of a good start. Jair Jurrjens has seven wins and a league-leading 1.51 ERA. But he also has a below-average strikeout rate and a career ground-ball rate that's right on average. He's good, but not league-leader good. Until his opponent Sunday night, Johnny Cueto, finds the strikeout rate from his rookie year, he's in the same boat. No rate stands out as distinctly above-average. Alexi Ogando's hot start has masked the fact that, other than his excellent control, his rates are below-average. He struck out four and walked one while giving up five runs in six innings in a loss to the Royals, and selling high will be a good idea after his next good start. Josh Collmenter struck out five Astros and walked one to hold them to two runs and continue his good start. But he also doesn't have a great strikeout rate and his strange delivery might just mean that the deception will run out once he sees teams a second time.

And of course, sometimes those rates can help us spot a buy-low. Ryan Dempster's rates are the same they've always been, but the results have been off because he's been unlucky with home runs. Sunday, he allowed two runs in six innings and struck out five. And didn't give up any home runs. Ricky Nolasco might have given up eight runs to the Dodgers in the worst start of his career, but he's got excellent control and only walked two in five innings on Sunday. He's still an excellent pitcher. Justin Masterson's rates show us that he hasn't been especially lucky - he's deserved his good start. If someone thinks they are selling high on Masterson after his six earned in five innings against the Rays, take him off their hands for cheap.

* A few bullpens deserve highlighting. Craig Kimbrel hit a sketchy stretch a while back but now has four straight saves. His extremely awesome strikeout rate made him worth hanging on to through thick and thin. Kenley Jansen was given a save chance recently and might be the closer of the future because of his strikeout punch, but now he's on the DL with shoulder inflammation. Matt Guerrier and Javy Guerra are still in the front seats in that pen, with hot prospect Rubby De La Rosa perhaps the dark horse. Don't forget Vicente Padilla, who is rehabbing now. Andrew Bailey returned from the DL finally and pitched a scoreless inning. He'll be closing soon. Joe Nathan's inflammation in his elbow is no big deal for Tommy John survivors, say the Twins. They put him on the DL anyway. There's still a non-zero chance he gets the closer role back. Frank Francisco blew his second straight save Saturday and had to be bailed out by Jason Frasor. Most likely, Jon Rauch gets the next save chance, but don't drop Francisco yet. Though Neftali Feliz has been terrible, and was removed in the middle of his save chance on Sunday, his manager still says he's the closer going forward.

* Docta docta give me the news. Buster Posey will miss the rest of the season, his trainer confirmed. In some leagues, you might be able to pick up the returning Geovany Soto, who is back from his groin injury. Hanley Ramirez left Sunday's game with lower back stiffness, but there's no news yet about how much time he might miss. Matt Holliday should return to the lineup Monday after missing some time over the weekend with a sore quad. Wandy Rodriguez is on the DL with fluid in his pitching elbow, which is bad news. Rafael Furcal has been off the DL for a week but finally had his best game since that return with three hits (one a home run) on Sunday. Carlos Beltran was removed from Sunday's game with tightness in his hamstring but doesn't expect to miss time. Julio Borbon and his hamstring will begin a rehab assignment Monday. Corey Hart has some sort of virus that has kept him out of the weekend's games, but should be back soon. Cameron Maybin's knee has kept him out of two straight games, but there's no talk of a DL stint yet.

Gordon Beckham will return to the lineup Monday because the swelling around his eye has gone down. Steve Pearce had been playing well at the hot corner for the Pirates but his calf has him on the DL. Josh Harrison will come up to replace him and though he doesn't have a ton of power or speed, he could be able to manage a decent batting average and be interesting in deeper league. Teammate Ryan Doumit was the latest victim of a takeout slide, and after leaving the game with crutches he'll head back to Pittsburgh for an MRI and should miss some time.

* We're a third of the way through the season, but bounce-backs are still possible for position players, too. Aramis Ramirez hit his second home run of the year (and first since April 6), but everything else about his game has been okay. The power will come. Same for Nick Swisher, who homered and drew two walks Sunday against the Mariners. Power is a fickle beast. Colby Rasmus has great power upside, but just hit his first home run in 33 games Sunday. That shouldn't happen again. Justin Morneau has power - this we know - but he hasn't shown it yet this year. Three hits, even if they were singles, means that at least he's making contact and that makes him a better buy-low. J.J. Hardy collected two hits in Baltimore's loss and could have some better batted-ball luck coming. Even with major-league average power and a mediocre batting average, he has to be owned in all AL-only leagues because of how terrible that league's shortstop pool is. Mike Napoli collected three hits (one a home run) against the Royals. His power has been there all along, and even at his best he won't show a great batting average, but he should be able to manage better than his current .212 number there. Ryan Ludwick took his time, but he's hitting .361 over his past 16 games and collected three hits against the Nationals. He's not a great mixed-leaguer because of his home park, but he should be owned in all deeper leagues. Aaron Hill finally hit his first home run of the season (a grand slam). If he finds his power, then his bad batting average (and all those fly balls he hits) will have been worth it. But power is a fickle beast.

National League Quick Hits: Clayton Kershaw was dominant against the Marlins with ten strikeouts and one walk in a two-hit shutout, but we knew that already … Yovani Gallardo kept the Giants scoreless in eight innings with five strikeouts - he had a great May and looks to be back on track … Brandon Beachy (oblique) will return to a mound Monday … Eric Young Jr started at second base for the Rockies and collected two RBI - he's now had 14 at-bats since Friday and looks like an everyday player … In a facepalm of a move, it looks like Brandon Belt is going to play every-other-day in left field; he is still very exciting if he can get regular playing time … Kyle Lohse continued his strong work with two runs in six innings in Colorado; his best skill is control, and he's not this good, but he can help at the back of a staff … Allen Craig was never known for his glove, but he could become the Cardinals' second baseman according to his manager, and his bat is nice … Ryan Roberts got a hit and a stolen base against the Astros and though his power is mostly mirage, the rest of his game is real … Jhoulys Chacin has more strikeout punch and ground-ball ability, and though he allowed four runs to the Cards, his seven strikeouts mean he's still on track … Juan Nicasio didn't show the strikeouts that he had in the minor leagues, but keeping the Cardinals to one unearned in seven innings makes him immediately interesting even if he did only strike out two … Jon Niese struck out six and didn't give up an earned run, but it was against the Phillies' JV lineup as many regulars were out … Vance Worley was knocked around by the Mets and his minor league record agrees - he's a fly-ball pitcher without much strikeout punch most years and is best left for the deepest of leagues … Josh Thole collected three of those hits and despite his lack of power is interesting because he's a living, breathing, starting catcher … Jeff Karstens allowed two runs in five innings against the Cubs but we've got a long resume that's less exciting … Dustin Moseley gets ground balls and has okay control; that continued when he allowed two runs in five innings against the Nationals … Yunesky Maya allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Padres and is a wait-and-see even in deeper leagues … Jeff Baker (groin) lost his battle and was placed on the DL - prospect D.J. LeMahieu will come up to be a utility guy in his place … The Astros' Jordan Lyles is up and will take Wandy Rodriguez's turn, but his upside is muted enough to make him more of a deep-league speculative add … The Rockies called up Chris Nelson, who was playing well in Triple-A, but it's unclear where he'll play in that crowded infield … The Padres traded for Steven Tolleson from the A's, but he's not much of a prospect and shouldn't jump ahead of Logan Forsythe at second base, who himself deserves a look in deeper leagues because of his pop and patience and current playing time.

American League Quick Hits: Jeremy Hellickson's rate don't look stellar right now, but his minor league stats suggest that he can continue to pitch like he did Sunday, when he kept the Indians scoreless with six strikeouts and two walks in seven innings … Zach Britton gave up six runs in Oakland, but he's still got the excellent ground-ball rate and just needs to strike a few more guys out to be even better … Danny Duffy still has excellent upside, his three runs with four strikeouts and one walk in six innings Sunday against the Rangers was an excellent step in the right direction … Jason Vargas only made it through three innings against the Yankees despite being at home, which means now he's even a sit at home against decent offenses … Ian Kinsler was merely ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes - no injury there … David Ortiz pinch-hit a game-winning home run Sunday, but his positional value (none) and strange career-best strikeout rate (at 35 years old) seem to suggest he's a sell-high … Erick Aybar had three hits and is smoking hot … Adam Jones thinks he'll be able to play Monday after leaving Sunday's game with a sore shoulder … Josh Willingham hit a home run and has value in deeper leagues despite his home park … Justin Smoak hit his first home run in 13 games and should be a little better in June than he was in May … Lefty Andy Dirks had two hits (one a home run) against the Red Sox, should play against righties going forward, and looks like he might be able to keep this up … Alex Cobb, a prospect with mid-rotation upside, will replace Andy Sonnanstine and start for the Rays on Tuesday … Jim Thome got a cortisone injection in his right shoulder Saturday and missed Sunday's game … Corey Patterson had four hits (one a home run), but we know who Corey Patterson is … Russel Branyan made two starts over the weekend for the punchless Angels and deserves a look in deeper leagues … Brennan Boesch hit a solo homer and an RBI double in the doubleheader Sunday but will need more to stave off the PT loss coming when Magglio Ordonez back … Miguel Olivo missed Sunday's game with a swollen face he got from a head-first slide into first on Saturday … Guillermo Moscoso allowed four runs in five innings to the Orioles and is not really a great spot starter … Bobby Jenks (biceps) finished his rehab … John Jaso has been terrible, but he's been unlucky on batted balls and is still walking enough to be interesting in OBP leagues; He had a single and a home run against the Indians … Rich Harden threw a bullpen session.

HacheMan · May 30, 2011

Trends: Young and Miranda SURGING

Juan Miranda, 1B, ARI

Stats: .379 avg (11-for-29) with three homers and 10 RBI in his last eight games entering a Monday night matchup with the Marlins.

Bottom line: Having watched some of Miranda's recent power-hitting work in person (and by in person, I mean on TV), I'm very much a believer that the 28-year-old lefty can continue to produce in Arizona. Still owned in just seven percent of Yahoo leagues – and with five homers in just 96 at-bats on the season – Arizona's first baseman is worth a close look in mixed leagues given his recent run.

Chris Young, OF, ARI

Stats: .306 avg (11-for-36) with a homer, six RBI, two steals and nine runs scored in his last 11 games entering a Monday evening matchup with Florida.

Bottom line: He's still hitting just .233 after a frustrating first couple months of the season, but Young is clearly seeing the ball as well as he has all year (seven walks in his last eight games) and could be on the verge of a prolonged run of productivity. Don't hesitate to buy low if the opportunity is there.

Mike Morse, 1B/OF, WAS

Stats: .393 avg (11-for-28) with four homers and 10 RBI in his last seven games entering a Monday afternoon matchup with Philadelphia.

Bottom line: Morse has already been added in a lot of leagues after homering in four straight games last week, but he's worth adding if still out there in your shallow mixed league. After hitting nine homers this spring, he now has 21 dingers in his last 391 regular season at-bats dating back to last year.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattStroup

Josh Willingham, OF, OAK

Stats: .320 avg (8-for-25) with three homers and 10 RBI in his last eight games entering a Monday afternoon matchup with the Yankees.

Bottom line: Willingham, who is on pace for 27 homers and 105 RBI, remains owned in just 17 percent of Yahoo leagues despite his solid power numbers. Make the move if he's available in your shallow mixed league.

Corey Patterson, OF, TOR

Stats: .750 avg (9-for-12) with two homers, six runs and four RBI in his last two games entering a Monday night matchup with Cleveland.

Bottom line: Now hitting .301 with four homers, 24 RBI, 27 runs and seven steals on the season, Patterson currently has the look of a solid mixed league play. The 31-year-old has 12 homers and 28 steals in his last 484 at-bats dating back to last season.

Eric Young Jr., 2B/OF, COL

Stats: .357 avg (5-for-14) with a steal and three RBI in his first three games prior to a Monday evening matchup with the Dodgers.

Bottom line: He's not yet guaranteed regular playing time, but Young – who has hit leadoff in each of his first three games – could be headed toward a consistent spot atop the Colorado order if he can hit enough. And considering that he was hitting .363 with 17 steals at Triple-A, and already has 2B eligibility in many leagues, there's plenty to appreciate about the 26-year-old's potential.

Allen Craig, 2B/OF, STL

Stats: .448 avg (13-for-29) with two homers, six RBI and a steal in his last 10 games.

Bottom line: Craig gets mentioned here not only because he has two first names, but more importantly because he's now carrying 2B eligibility (and showing no interest in forfeiting his regular spot in the lineup). He's not yet a must-add in mixed leagues, but there are worse ways to fill a middle infield spot right now.

Jordan Schafer, OF, ATL

Stats: .286 avg (6-for-21) with four runs scored in his first five games entering a Monday afternoon matchup with the Padres.

Bottom line: I don't think Schafer currently warrants consideration in mixed leagues, but he's already a must-add in NL-Only formats after posting a .400 OBP in his first five games as Atlanta's leadoff hitter. The production may not last given that he was hitting just .256 in 164 at-bats at Triple-A, but the former top prospect has looked impressive thus far, and his speed has already added a much-needed new dimension to the Atlanta lineup. If Schafer continues to find a way to get on base, Nate McLouth (oblique) may return as a backup.

Javier Vazquez, SP, FLA

Stats: 1.38 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 10/3 K/BB ratio in his last two starts (13.0 IP).

Bottom line: It's too soon to declare that we're seeing a full-scale resurgence from Vazquez (who has a terrifying 6.02 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 30/27 K/BB ratio on the season), but his last two starts have looked quite a bit more like the pitcher we should have expected to see in his return to the National League. I'm not running to add him in mixed leagues, but I will be watching his next start closely.

STRUGGLING

Chone Figgins, 2B/3B, SEA

Stats: .115 avg (7-for-61) with no steals and three runs scored in his last 14 games entering a Monday afternoon matchup with Baltimore.

Bottom line: Now carrying a 496 OPS on the season, Figgins is looking more and more droppable in mixed leagues. I understand the appeal because of his 2B eligibility and potential for steals, but the 33-year-old is no longer a tremendous base-stealing threat (he's on pace for just 22 steals this year after recording 42 in 2010). I won't argue with keeping him on your bench for a couple more weeks in hopes that he might awaken, but I'm not anticipating a significant resurgence this summer.

Aubrey Huff, 1B/OF, SF

Stats: .209 avg (9-for-43) with no homers and three RBI in his last 10 games entering a Monday afternoon matchup with the Cardinals.

Bottom line: Huff has had an odd tendency to alternate productive seasons with mediocre ones in recent years, and this year's incarnation is looking a lot more like Mediocre Odd-Numbered Year Aubrey (who totaled 15 homers in 2007 and 2009) than Productive Even-Numbered Year Aubrey (who hit 32 homers in 2008 and hit 26 dingers last year). I still expect him to improve on his current 623 OPS, but Huff doesn't look like he's planning to spend this summer as a standout mixed league option.

Editor's Note: For exclusive columns, rankings, projections and more, check out Rotoworld's MLB Season Pass.

Dan Uggla, 2B, ATL

Stats: 4-for-44 with one RBI in his last 12 games entering a Monday afternoon matchup with the Padres.

Bottom line: After seemingly forecasting a breakout with a decisive homer off Roy Halladay a couple of weeks ago, Uggla has gone directly back to smelling up the batter's box, recording no extra-base hits in his last 12 games to see his average drop to .180 for the season. If there is a positive here, it's that he has been making consistent contact (just seven strikeouts in his last 12 games), and he's still too established to struggle like this all season. We can forget about seeing a repeat of his .287 average from last year, but I'm still not ready to rule out Uggla (seven homers thus far) making a run at his fifth straight 30-homer campaign.