MLB Fantasy News 2012

[HacheMan]

Closing Time for Kenley

If you were wise and purchased the 2012 Rotoworld Baseball Draft Guide, you would have noticed that we had Kenley Jansen ranked well ahead of The Dodgers’ skipper announced the change at closer Monday, saying Jansen will be his guy going forward. Jansen’s major league career has gotten off to a rousing start, as he’s averaged an absurd 15.2 K/9 over his first 92 appearances while limiting the opposition to a lowly .150/.262/.224 batting line. Yes, he’s also walked 4.4 per nine innings, but when you’re missing so many bats and giving up so few hits, you can get away with a few free passes.



Obviously, Jansen should be scooped up right away if he still happens to be sitting on the waiver wire in your league. He has the tools to be a top-flight fantasy closer right away.



Big Night for Big Z

​

There’s no doubt that the Marlins were taking a gamble when they dealt for

But, fellow Venezuelan native Ozzie Guillen felt he could coax the best out of Big Z in south Florida, and so far, he’s been right. The big right-hander notched his first shutout since 2009 Monday night, limiting the Astros to just three hits while walking one and punching out nine. Zambrano now boasts a 1.98 ERA and 1.02 WHIP through his first six starts with the Fish.



Of course, we can’t help but think Zambrano will go through his rough patches. He’s sporting a 3.1 BB/9 rate right now, which is much better than his career rate, but he walked six in a start in April against the Astros, so he’s still prone to wildness at times. He was also averaging just 89.1 mph (according to Fangraphs.com) going into Monday’s start, which would be the lowest mark of his career.



But, Big Z is pitching in a big new home park, and he seems to be in a good place right now, saying his faith has changed him. We're optimistic he can hold some mixed league value this season.



Carp Unlikely for First Half?

​

When

Mozeliak is now referring to Carp’s absence as "open-ended," but the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Joe Strauss writes that the club is “rapidly approaching a time when Carpenter's availability any time prior to the July 9-12 All-Star break is in question.” He notes that the 37-year-old will need a minimum of 5-6 weeks of recovery and conditioning once he's ready to return to the mound. He’s still currently working on strengthening his shoulder.

​

Of course, the Cardinals haven’t really missed Carpenter to this point. His replacement,

Lance Lynn, became baseball’s first six-game winner Monday, lowering his ERA to a microscopic 1.40 in the process. Kyle Lohse (2.11 ERA) and Jake Westbrook (2.12) have been good, as well. The Cards no doubt would love to get Carp back, but there’s no reason for them to rush him.





National League Quick Hits: Josh Thole is likely to be placed on the 7-day disabled list following a collision at home plate Monday with the Phillies’ Ty Wigginton. Mike Nickeas should get most of the playing time during his absence … Carlos Quentin (knee) thinks he could be ready to rejoin the Padres as early as Friday. He started a rehab assignment early last week and has been happy with how his surgically-repaired knee feels … Chris Young (shoulder) hopes to go out on a minor league rehab assignment this weekend. If he accomplishes that goal, a return sometime next week seems likely … Drew Pomeranz left Monday's start against the Padres with a right quadriceps contusion after being hit with a comebacker. He initially stayed in, so it’s probably not a big deal, but his next start is up in the air for now … Jhoulys Chacin has been placed on the DL with inflammation in his shoulder. But, Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd notes that Chacin’s mind and delivery need as much work as his health … Guillermo Mota has been suspended 100 games after a second positive test for a performance-enhancing drug. He’ll appeal … Cole Hamels has been suspended five games for plunking American League Quick Hits: Will Middlebrooks went 3-for-5 with a pair of homers and five RBI in a win over the Royals, giving him three homers and nine RBI over the last two games. Though he’s making a case to stay even after Kevin Youkilis (back) returns, we still doubt he will … Josh Beckett (lat) has been cleared to start Thursday after a successful bullpen session Monday. He had his last start skipped … Ernesto Frieri or Jordan Walden is expected to receive save chances until Scott Downs (knee) returns. Downs isn’t expected to be out long, though … Desmond Jennings was diagnosed with a sprained left knee after exiting Sunday’s game. He’s day-to-day … Blake Beavan left Monday’s start after three innings after being hit by a liner on his pitching elbow. We should know more about his status Tuesday … Miguel Tejada has passed his physical and will officially become an Oriole Tuesday. He’ll go to extended spring training first … LaTroy Hawkins could miss 4-to-6 weeks because of his fractured right pinkie finger … Tommy Hunter was optioned to Triple-A by the Orioles Monday after posting a 5.00 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in six starts. It’s not clear at this point who will take his spot in the rotation … Francisco Liriano was blasted again Monday, this time by the Angels for four runs on five hits and three walks over five innings. His grip on a rotation spot can’t be strong at this point, as he has a woeful 9.45 ERA and 2.10 WHIP over six outings.​

 

[HacheMan]

Aroldis Chapman deserves to start

By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

Call it a hunch, but we'd guess that at least one fantasy owner in 84.8 percent of ESPN leagues is frustrated, dumbfounded even.
That's the percentage of leagues in which Aroldis Chapman is already owned.


His owners, naturally, cannot understand how a pitcher with Chapman's skills, and the kind of performance he has enjoyed to date, remains buried in middle relief -- the one role on a pitching staff that has minimal impact in fantasy baseball. Chapman might, by measure of our Player Rater, be the 42nd-most valuable pitcher in the game thus far. But his owners surely know he's capable of more.


The Chapman tale, both career and season, has been well-documented. A 24-year-old left-hander imported from Cuba, Chapman brought with him a blazing 100 mph fastball and a lethal slider, a combination destined to make him one of the game's brightest strikeout artists. During his first two big league seasons in 2010-11, he struck out 90 hitters in 63 1/3 innings, posted a 3.27 ERA, and had 17 holds and one save. Command, however, presented an obstacle; he averaged 5.55 walks per nine innings between the majors and minors in those seasons.


Still, the Cincinnati Reds and scouts alike agreed on one thing: Chapman had a tremendous future as a starting pitcher ahead, and before long, the Reds would need to give him that chance and work through those issues.


This spring, it appeared they would. Chapman made four Cactus League starts, was in the running for the Reds' No. 5 starter spot until the exhibition season's end, and even exhibited one substantial improvement that appeared to make him the natural choice: He issued only two walks compared to 18 strikeouts in 17 innings.


Naturally, the Reds instead went with Homer Bailey for that job, partly because Bailey, a former top prospect himself, was out of minor league options, and returned Chapman to the setup relief role he occupied in 2011.

All Chapman has done since is continue demonstrating the gains he made this spring. He has pitched 14 2/3 innings without surrendering a run, allowing only five hits. He has struck out 25 hitters, with his 15.34 strikeouts-per-nine innings ratio fifth-best among qualified relievers. Most importantly, however, he has continued to show good command, allowing only four walks, while throwing strikes 7 percent more often and pitches within the strike zone 17 percent more often.


The entire package makes Chapman by far the No. 1 rotation candidate in the game who is not currently in his respective team's rotation, a point Keith Law also made a few weeks back. As Law noted then, Chapman exhibited good off-speed stuff during his days in Cuba, and I'm in agreement that any tradeoff in lost fastball velocity would be made up for by the value of his slider. Chapman's stuff could translate to top-10 closer or top-20 starter potential, should the Reds decide to make a move.


Unfortunately, the Reds have no imminent plans to move Chapman into their rotation, despite No. 4 starter Mike Leake's team-leading four losses and 5.97 ERA.


"It's not on the front burner," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty told the team's official website last week. "Right now, [Chapman is] serving an important role in the bullpen. Until we get healthy there, it'd be hard to take him out of that role."


Nevertheless, fantasy owners might yet extract some value out of Chapman, the relief version. Again per our Player Rater, his ERA contributions rank 18th among pitchers, his WHIP 22nd, and he's 79th in the majors in strikeouts. That's a useful back-end option even in mixed formats, but there remains no question that should Chapman be elevated to starter -- or closer -- his value would skyrocket.


Sticking with the "starter-worthy, yet not currently starting" theme, here are five more pitchers who are completely deserving of big league rotation spots:


Trevor Bauer, Arizona Diamondbacks: I don't care that he has walked 25 batters in 41 1/3 innings' work in his seven starts for Double-A Mobile. What else about his game don't you like? Bauer is 6-1, has a 1.96 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 11.10 K's-per-nine ratio, meaning that between the minors and spring training so far this season, he has a 2.28 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 10.52 K's-per-nine ratio in 11 appearances. What rotation can't find a space for a prospect like that? Sure, he might require an adjustment period at the big league level, considering he's just 21 with only 11 starts' experience at the Double-A level, but his stuff compares to any of the best prospects currently in the minors and he needs be the next pitcher picked when the Diamondbacks have an opening. Should Patrick Corbin continue to struggle in his next couple of starts, for instance, it should be Bauer's turn.

Kris Medlen, Atlanta Braves: Again I agree with Law -- Medlen was also in his Chapman column in April -- as Medlen has been a sleeper of mine since the onset of spring training; he was a cheap pickup of mine in the annual League of Alternative Baseball Reality (LABR) draft under the premise that he might make a run at a rotation spot at some point. It might make sense today for the Braves to use Medlen in a minor role, considering he's still only 21 months and 19 innings removed from Tommy John surgery, but at the time he got hurt he was one of the team's more promising rotation prospects. Medlen's critics might be quick to point out that he has a pedestrian 3.24 K's-per-nine ratio; I counter with the fact that he's throwing just as hard post-surgery as before it (91.1 mph average fastball this season, 90.1 in 2010), plus he's relying more on a two-seamer that has elevated his ground-ball rate to 56 percent, helping make up for some of the lost K's. By midsummer the Braves should seriously consider giving Medlen some starts, and if or when they do, fantasy owners should be quick to scoop him up.


Alex Cobb, Tampa Bay Rays: Cobb's curse is that he's a Rays pitcher, and that's an organization overflowing with starting-pitching talent. Still, he has demonstrated his mastery of Triple-A ball, posting a 2.38 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 9.00 K's-per-nine ratio in 18 career starts at the level, and he even chipped in with six quality starts during a nine-start fill-in stint with the big league club last summer, some of those against lofty competition. Cobb has turned in four quality starts in his past five outings for Triple-A Durham, and with rookie Matt Moore off to a rocky start with the big club, he could soon warrant another look in Tampa Bay.


Brad Peacock, Oakland Athletics: This one might be cheating a bit, as speculation has already begun that Peacock might supplant Tyson Ross in the Athletics' rotation within its next turn. Even if it doesn't, it's going to soon, because Ross never should've been picked over Peacock in the first place. Granted, Peacock struggled to the tune of 11 runs (10 earned) in seven spring innings, but he was also the most polished prospect the team received in the Gio Gonzalez trade this winter, and certainly one with a higher ceiling than Tommy Milone, who made the team. Through six starts for Triple-A Sacramento, Peacock has a 3.24 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 8.64 K's-per-nine ratio, and keep in mind the Pacific Coast League isn't exactly a pitching-friendly environment. The right-hander has endured only one poor start for Sacramento thus far, and as he's a fly-baller, he's in the right place to break into the majors, the Athletics' home ballpark one of the most spacious ones in the game. Peacock warrants a stash today, and an instant pickup in any format once the Athletics summon him … which might be within hours.



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 </th><th style="vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Prev
Rnk </center></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Justin Verlander, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 1 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Clayton Kershaw, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jered Weaver, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Roy Halladay, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 2 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Felix Hernandez, Sea </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Cole Hamels, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Cain, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Cliff Lee, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 10 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Stephen Strasburg, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 9 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Zack Greinke, Mil </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 11 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Price, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 12 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Madison Bumgarner, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 12 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> CC Sabathia, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 11 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Yu Darvish, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Dan Haren, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 16 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> C.J. Wilson, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Garza, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 16 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 18 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> James Shields, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 18 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Gio Gonzalez, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Beachy, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jordan Zimmermann, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ian Kennedy, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ricky Romero, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tim Lincecum, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Morrow, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jake Peavy, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Johnny Cueto, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mat Latos, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Anibal Sanchez, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jon Lester, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tommy Hanson, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jeremy Hellickson, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adam Wainwright, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Beckett, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Shaun Marcum, Mil </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Yovani Gallardo, Mil </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Wandy Rodriguez, Hou </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Vance Worley, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Daniel Hudson, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Johan Santana, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ted Lilly, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chad Billingsley, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Colby Lewis, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Lance Lynn, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jaime Garcia, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Neftali Feliz, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon McCarthy, Oak </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tim Hudson, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Derek Holland, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mike Minor, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ervin Santana, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jonathon Niese, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hiroki Kuroda, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Johnson, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Max Scherzer, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ricky Nolasco, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Erik Bedard, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Moore, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Gavin Floyd, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Dempster, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Trevor Cahill, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Edwin Jackson, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bartolo Colon, Oak </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bud Norris, Hou </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Doug Fister, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Henderson Alvarez, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jake Arrieta, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 80 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ubaldo Jimenez, Cle </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Harrison, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ivan Nova, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Vogelsong, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 72 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kyle Lohse, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 72 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Drew Smyly, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Hammel, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 79 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jeff Niemann, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 76 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 76 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> John Danks, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Zambrano, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> James McDonald, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 79 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Danny Duffy, KC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 80 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ross Detwiler, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 87 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 81 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Juan Nicasio, Col </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Barry Zito, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 81 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 83 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kyle Drabek, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 83 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Andy Pettitte, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 86 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jeff Samardzija, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 86 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Daniel Bard, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 87 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> R.A. Dickey, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Wei-Yin Chen, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 95 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Capuano, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 90 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Philip Humber, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 91 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jarrod Parker, Oak </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Vargas, Sea </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 93 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joe Saunders, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Justin Masterson, Cle </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 90 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 95 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jerome Williams, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jake Westbrook, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 100 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Anthony Bass, SD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 98 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 98 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> A.J. Burnett, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Edinson Volquez, SD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 100 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bronson Arroyo, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr></tbody></table>




Streamer's delight



Among streaming starter -- something I define as single-start options in daily leagues among pitchers owned in 25 percent of ESPN leagues or fewer -- options for the upcoming week, here are my picks by day:


Tuesday, May 8: Joe Blanton versus New York Mets
Wednesday, May 9: Anthony Bass versus Colorado Rockies
Thursday, May 10: Henderson Alvarez at Minnesota Twins
Friday, May 11: James McDonald versus Houston Astros
Saturday, May 12: Trevor Cahill versus San Francisco Giants
Sunday, May 13: Jake Arrieta versus Tampa Bay Rays
Monday, May 14: Ryan Vogelsong versus Colorado Rockies
Tuesday, May 15: Wade Miley at Los Angeles Dodgers


Past picks
Tuesday, May 1, Felix Doubront: 4 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Wednesday, May 2, Carlos Zambrano: QS, 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Thursday, May 3, Jeff Niemann: 5 2/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Friday, May 4, Drew Smyly: QS, 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Saturday, May 5, James McDonald: W, QS, 6 1/3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Sunday, May 6, Bronson Arroyo (pitched Monday): W, QS, 6 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Monday, May 7, Carlos Zambrano: W, QS, 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K


Week's total: 7 GS, 3 W (42.9%), 5 QS (71.4%), 44 2/3 IP, 40 H, 12 ER, 11 BB, 50 K, 2.42 ERA, 1.14 WHIP
Season total: 30 GS, 16 W (53.3%), 20 QS (66.7%), 193 IP, 153 H, 55 ER, 59 BB, 139 K, 2.56 ERA, 1.10 WHIP


Three up



Mat Latos, Cincinnati Reds: Rumors of Latos' demise were apparently premature. The right-hander exploded for 11 strikeouts in six shutout innings' work this past Sunday, and while the opponent was the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates, Latos' arsenal looked as dominant as ever. Per ESPN Stats & Information, he induced a career-high 18 swings and misses, including 10 on his fastball; he had only 13 swings and misses on his fastball in his first five starts of the season. Latos also blew his fastball by Pirates hitters up in the zone; they were 1-for-13 (.077) with 7 K's on pitches up, after previous foes were 21-for-63 (.333) with 5 K's against pitches up in his first five starts. That gave Latos two solid outings in his past three, and perhaps it signals him getting more comfortable with his new surroundings. Keep him in your lineup.


Lance Lynn, St. Louis Cardinals: Only one pitcher in baseball has won all six of his starts so far this season, and his name is Lance Lynn. He's also tied for the most starts of two or fewer runs (6), and his 1.40 ERA trails only Johnny Cueto (1.31) among qualified starters. Lynn might have endured his share of good fortune: He has a 93.8 percent left-on-base rate and a .209 BABIP, and the fact that his 2.90 Fielding Independent Pitching score ranks only 24th in the majors shows he's going to regress to a certain degree. But a No. 24 ranking is still a good one, and Lynn's performance has done one thing for sure: It has cemented his status as a permanent member of the Cardinals' rotation, the only things left to threaten it being poor performance, an untimely injury or a team plan to cap his innings. Lynn has two key things going for him: He has a 3.36 K's-per-walk ratio and a 52 percent ground-ball rate, numbers that say he has quite a lot of staying power.


Brandon Morrow, Toronto Blue Jays: Was last week's column premature? Have Morrow's high-strikeout ways returned? The raw numbers hint "yes," being that he has 17 whiffs in 15 innings in his past two starts, during which he has allowed zero runs and eight hits. Still, last week's point remains valid: Morrow's improvements are related to command and his ability to generate ground balls, and sure enough, he didn't walk a batter in either of his past two turns, and he generated 16 ground balls on 35 balls in play (45.7 percent). He's still throwing his fastball with greater command than ever, 57 percent of the time putting it in the strike zone, and his slider continues to be a dominant swing-and-miss pitch, responsible for 12 of his 17 K's in those past two outings. Heck, if last week's column shortchanged Morrow on anything, it was this: If he indeed can whiff as many batters as he throws innings, he might yet become a top-25 starter.


Three down



A.J. Burnett, Pittsburgh Pirates: Ask any New York Yankees fan -- or Burnett owner in 2010 or 2011 -- about the right-hander's stinker on May 2 and you'll get the same response, "Same ol' A.J. Burnett." His performance was poor in epic fashion; he allowed 12 runs on 12 hits and failed to survive the third inning. That erased much of the buzz building after he posted back-to-back quality starts for his new team, and it served as a reminder that, at any moment, Burnett might burn you. He's like a lesser version of the oft-predictable Ricky Nolasco; Nolasco at least has a stronger track record of fantasy success.


Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers: There's enough in Gallardo's pitch data to cause some alarm, and while he might possess the stuff to rebound into the top 25 starting pitchers in time, he's anything but one today. Two things stand out: He's throwing substantially fewer first-pitch strikes, his 63 percent rate of 2011 dropping to 52 percent this season, and his fastball has suffered, its average velocity dipping from 92.6 mph in 2011 to 91.4 mph this season and his OPS allowed with it soaring from .746 last season to 1.059 this. In Gallardo's defense, he started last season slowly, too, and his numbers in all of those departments increased as temperatures did midsummer. But his stats remain substantially beneath what they were at this point last season, so his owners are understandably concerned.


Philip Humber, Chicago White Sox: Nobody expected that Humber would remain perfect, but in three starts since his April 21 perfecto at Seattle's Safeco Field, he has been anything but. During that time, he has surrendered 20 runs on 21 hits, five of them home runs, in 13 1/3 innings of work, and he has walked 11 batters compared to 12 K's. Most distressing: Humber averaged 91.5 mph with his fastball during his perfect game, and he generated seven swings and misses and six K's with his slider. In three starts since, meanwhile, he has averaged 90.1 mph with his fastball, and has gotten six swings and misses and five K's with his slider. Humber appears to have given back all of the gains he had entering that outstanding April 21 start; until he shows more signs of the pitcher we saw on that day, he belongs either on your bench, or, in a shallow league, the free-agent list.

 

[HacheMan]

Will Middlebrooks showing he belongs

Eric Karabell

It was probably somewhere between the first and second home runs Boston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks bashed in Kansas City on Monday night that the tweets and emails really started coming in: Should I drop Player A to add this awesome prospect? Or can I really trade Player B for him? Middlebrooks is 8-for-21 after four games, with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs, and I'm guessing Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine isn't questioning whether he's mentally or emotionally into the game.

Of course, that last comment was in reference to Valentine questioning Kevin Youkilis' drive a few weeks into the season, and while there's little doubt where Youkilis (back) will slot in when he's ready to play again -- and it will be at third base -- there's no denying that Middlebrooks certainly looks ready to help the Red Sox. There's no room at first base, unless Adrian Gonzalez going 0-for-8 on Sunday (including a strikeout versus an infielder who was pitching) was truly a harbinger, and the designated hitter spot is ably filled by David Ortiz, the team leader in home runs and RBIs.


While Middlebrooks is good enough to stick around for Boston and hit for power, a healthy Youkilis is certainly good enough to send him back to Triple-A Pawtucket until opportunity presents itself again. It seems doubtful either one of them, or Gonzalez, will play left field any time soon. It took Middlebrooks four games to match the nine RBIs Youkilis delivered over 18 contests, and he already has surpassed Youk's extra-base hits. This could all be viewed as ironic, but no matter how much Red Sox fans pine for this kid to stay in Boston, if Youkilis is ready to play Monday, when he's eligible to come off the DL, he will, and the kid will not.


This is the primary reason I cautioned fantasy owners about switching out relatively safe veterans at third base, such as Chase Headley, Martin Prado and Aramis Ramirez, to acquire Middlebrooks as a fantasy free agent. Sure, each of those veterans present levels of concern, be it with health, power or batting average, but at least their long-term playing time is secure. I would, however, take the shot on Middlebrooks and cut the likes of Ryan Roberts, Brent Morel and Ian Stewart. It's not like they're producing at a high level, so the risk is worth the reward.


Just to prepare people in advance, especially those competing in on-base percentage formats or leagues that favor walks, Middlebrooks isn't going to be like Youkilis. One of them (Youk) was once labeled the "Greek god of walks," while the other is going to do a lot more swinging early in the count. Middlebrooks is 10 years younger than Youkilis -- he's 23 -- but across three levels of the minor leagues last season, he drew 26 walks versus 114 strikeouts. He produced 50 extra-base hits (23 home runs) in those 116 games, and that power should translate to the majors, especially since he drives the ball to the opposite field. But there's little similarity with Youkilis when it comes to on-base percentage.


Middlebrooks will cool off, but for now he's hitting strikes and producing runs. Eventually opposing pitchers will make him chase off-speed stuff a foot off the plate, and the rookie will need to make adjustments. So far he's 7-for-14 on pitches in the strike zone, with five extra-base hits and a crazy .786 isolated power. That cannot continue. Middlebrooks homered just inside the right-field foul pole Monday, then smacked a double to center field and homered to left field. Each home run for the right-handed hitter came off a lefty. It's rare to see a young hitter hit to all fields, but plate discipline does remain a concern, and we need to see him hit right-handed pitching consistently.

If Youkilis was done for the season, or unceremoniously shipped off to another team today, which isn't happening, I think Middlebrooks would hit around .260 this season with 18 home runs, and that would be enough to make him a borderline top-15 third baseman. A year ago, Chipper Jones hit .275 with 18 home runs and 70 RBIs, and it was good enough for the No. 14 spot among third basemen on the ESPN Player Rater. Comparing a rookie with four big league games to Jones is kind of ridiculous, but in terms of the sheer numbers, this gives an idea what Middlebrooks can do, and I view it more as the ceiling for 2012 than a given.


Give Middlebrooks credit for his Sunday grand slam and the rockets he hit Monday, but the third-base job isn't safely his until at least the 2013 season, which is why fantasy owners shouldn't get overly excited. Youkilis does have value and I expect he'll return in a week healthy enough to save his season. If we find out his back problem is more serious, that changes things. Youkilis is available in 15 percent of ESPN standard mixed leagues today, and I think he's a wise free-agent signing. Durability is an issue, but he's not too old or injured to produce the 17 home runs and 80 RBIs he did last season over 120 games, or hit .307 with a high walk rate like in 2010. Don't give up on him. Add Middlebrooks for the short term if you don't have a better option, but be prepared for his pending -- if unfortunate, for eager Red Sox fans -- demotion to Pawtucket.

 

[HacheMan]

It's All About The Hamilton

The Rangers own the best record in baseball at 20-10.

And -- with apologies to Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp -- they also have baseball's hottest hitter.

Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton mashed four two-run homers and a double in Tuesday’s 10-3 romping of the Orioles, finishing the night 5-for-5 with eight RBI and an American League-record 18 total bases. He’s just the 16th player in major league history to homer four times in a game and the first since Carlos Delgado accomplished the feat with the Blue Jays back in 2003.

Hamilton has five home runs in his last six plate appearances and is sporting a .406/.458/.840 batting line on the year. The 30-year-old impending free agent undoubtedly had dreams of dollar signs on Tuesday night. And fantasy owners who assumed the injury risk and went ahead and drafted him are reaping serious early rewards.

Thayer The Slayer Goes Back-To-Back

When the Padres placed closer Huston Street on the 15-day disabled list Saturday evening with a right lat strain, the general assumption was that hard-throwing right-hander Andrew Cashner would take over ninth-inning duties. But Cashner allowed four runs on three hits in less than an inning of work Sunday afternoon against the Marlins, temporarily damaging the Friars’ confidence in him. He hasn't made an appearance since.

Which is where mustached 31-year-old righty Dale Thayer enters the picture.

Taking advantage of an up-in-the-air situation out in San Diego, Thayer has earned saves in consecutive victories over the Rockies and has not allowed a run since being promoted from Triple-A Tucson at the end of April.

The good times aren’t meant to last. Thayer is far from a dominant thrower and only has 28 career major league relief appearances on his resume (with a 4.94 career ERA and 5.2 career K/9). But he’s the one getting the Padres’ save chances right now and has converted all two of them, so he’s certainly worth grabbing and starting in mixed fantasy leagues until Street returns from the disabled list later this month.

Robertson Locks Down Ninth-Inning Gig

Thayer might not leave us overly optimistic, but the Yankees’ David Robertson sure does.

The 27-year-old right-hander registered a fantastic 1.08 ERA and 100/35 K/BB ratio across 66-plus innings last season as a setup man for the American League East champs and is now getting a shot at ninth-inning responsibilities in the Bronx with Mariano Rivera (knee) ruled out for the remainder of the 2012 campaign.

Robertson earned his first save of the year on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium after tossing a scoreless ninth inning against the Rays and has now gone 13 frames this season without allowing a single run, earned or unearned. He also boasts a dominant 23 strikeouts against just five walks.

Rafael Soriano may see some ninth-inning action here and there, but Robertson is the guy to own.



National League Quick Hits: Astros closer Brett Myers is a perfect 8-for-8 in save opportunities thus far … Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran hit two homers and tallied six RBI in Tuesday’s defeat of the Diamondbacks … Ryan Braun is questionable for Wednesday’s matinee against the Reds after aggravating his troublesome Achilles tendon on Tuesday night … Yadier Molina was pulled in the ninth inning Tuesday with a bruised left hand … Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan suffered his first blown save of the season on Tuesday night … Jay Bruce is already up to 10 home runs and 23 RBI … Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster owns a 1.02 ERA and 36/10 K/BB ratio through 35 1/3 innings this season … Omar Infante hit his sixth home run Tuesday night … Bryce Harper batted second for the Nationals on Tuesday … Mets catcher Josh Thole will be idle for at least a week due to a concussion … Marlins ace Anibal Sanchez has a 2.01 ERA and 46/11 K/BB ratio through 40 1/3 innings … Adam LaRoche (oblique) hit a two-run homer in his return to the Nationals’ lineup Tuesday … Drew Pomeranz (quad) is optimistic that he’ll be able to make his next scheduled start … The Padres signed pitchers Kip Wells and Anthony Reyes to minor league contracts … Laynce Nix is day-to-day with a sore calf … Casey Blake has announced his retirement from baseball … The Nationals signed lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez to a minor league deal … Cole Hamels will return from his five-game suspension Sunday against the Padres.

American League Quick Hits: Veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte has been cleared to join the Yankees' starting rotation Sunday against the Mariners … Red Sox rookie Will Middlebrooks was pulled from Tuesday’s game due to left hamstring tightness … Desmond Jennings (knee) is aiming to return to the Rays’ starting lineup on Wednesday … Alex Avila will be out for at least two games due to renewed soreness in his left knee … New Angels closer Scott Downs (knee) expects to be available on Wednesday … The A’s are skipping Brandon McCarthy on his next turn in the starting rotation because of shoulder soreness … Francisco Cordero blew his third save of the season in ugly fashion Tuesday night, allowing five earned runs while recording only one out against the A’s … The Rays placed Jeff Keppinger on the restricted list because of a personal matter … Billy Butler hit his sixth home run Tuesday and lifted his RBI total to 23 … Twins spot starter Scott Diamond threw seven shutout innings in Tuesday’s defeat of the Angels … Yoenis Cespedes is day-to-day with a sore wrist … Ivan Nova struck out eight Tuesday in a victory over the Rays … White Sox setup man Jesse Crain (oblique) is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this weekend … Raul Ibanez launched two home runs in Tuesday’s defeat of the Rays … The Orioles have finalized a minor league contract with Miguel Tejada … Denard Span sat out of Tuesday’s game due to general body soreness … Brett Anderson (elbow) is aiming to make a start at extended spring training next week … Eric Stults will remain in the White Sox rotation for at least one more start.

 

[HacheMan]

Change in Every Tier

It's Josh Hamilton's world and we're just happy to be a part of it.



The Rangers' slugger popped four home runs last night in an awesome display of power and discipline. That would make five in two games, too. It was enough to shake your head and wonder if you just saw something that hadn't been done before.



Except Hamilton was the 16th player to hit four home runs in one game. 16th! No player has hit five in a game, but 15 others hit four. We could fit three four-home-run players into each of our tiers! It's almost pedestrian.



Of course it's not. And in Hamilton's honor, we'll name the tiers after members of the four-home-run club. The more impressive, the higher the tier. Here's looking at you, kid.



Tier 1: Elite (3) (AKA: The "Mark Whiten" Tier.)



Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves
Jonathan Papelbon, Philadelphia Phillies
John Axford, Milwaukee Brewers



Mark Whiten might be the standard in single-game power production. He hit four home runs -- like the rest of this crew -- but amassed 12 RBI in a 15-2 win in 1993. That's the most RBI, by three, over the next-most in the group. And we all remember him for it, too. Of course, we could have named this tier after Lou Gehrig, who was the first to manage the feat (back in 1932), but he's known for so many other things.



We'll all remember Mariano Rivera's dominance, but hopefully he'll be back to remind us for another year, as he proclaimed. In the meantime, we're left looking at this young trio, wondering if any of them can manage the longevity it takes to be a legend, yet knowing that none of them is Mo.



We'll move Craig Kimbrel ahead of Jonathan Papelbon this week, but it's not because of Jordany Valdespin's walkoff home run. And it's not to shmear Paps' name. No we move him back in the rankings because he's showing the worst fastball velocity of his career and is using the pitch less than ever. Kimbrel, on the other hand, still has the same velocity, the same pitches, the same gaudy strikeout rate, and the same wonky control as ever. It's a bit of a high-wire act, but it's exciting. Ditto Tier 2: Rock Steady (5) (AKA: The "Josh Hamilton" Tier.)



J.J. Putz, Arizona Diamondbacks
Jason Motte, St. Louis Cardinals
Joel Hanrahan, Pittsburgh Pirates
Rafael Betancourt, Colorado Rockies

Sean Marshall, Cincinnati Reds



Josh Hamilton went 5-5 (only four people managed that or better) and amassed 8 RBI (once again a feat that four managed). Put those two together, and only Mike Schmidt (5-for-6 with 8 RBI in 1976) and Gil Hodges (5-for-6 with 9 RBI in 1950) were his equal. That sounds about right for this tier.



On talent and talent, alone, J.J. Putz and Jason Motte belong in the elite tier. They are not in the elite tier, for separate reasons. Putz has averaged only 47 innings per season for the past four years, and his owners have to have Bryan Shaw on auto-dial in order to feel secure. Motte, on the other hand, is the youth to Putz' age. He's got 17 career saves to his name. It may not require a special mindset to become a closer -- more likely, it requires skills -- but it does require a great combo of longevity, health, and leash to stay elite. If Axford and Kimbrel continue to walk the ballpark, however, we could see change this year.



Joel Hanrahan blew a save Tuesday night. Strangely enough, it was by way of home run and not by way of walk. Because most of this year, the Hammer has been walking too many guys (without the elite strikeout rate of a Kimbrel or Axford), and the home run has only been an occasional problem. He's still showing 96 MPH gas, hasn't changed his pitching mix, and was fresh off a two-year run with great control. He's safe.



Sean Marshall has impeccable peripherals. He has a strikeout rate over 12, a walk rate under three, and is getting over 70% of his contact on the ground. He'll avoid the big home run, and he won't walk his team out of the game. Right now, he's got some bad luck on batted balls going on. Once that corrects, we have another guy who could join the elite by the end of the year… even with a 90 MPH heater.



Tier 3: OK options (6) (AKA: The "Carlos Delgado" Tier.



Joe Nathan, Texas Rangers

Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers
Jim Johnson, Baltimore Orioles
Brandon League, Seattle Mariners
Santiago Casilla, San Francisco Giants

David Robertson, New York Yankees



Delgado del got a lot of those balls in 2003, when he muscled in six RBI in a 10-8 win. His team needed every run in one of the closest matchups that included a four-homer dude. Remember how good Carlos Delgado once was?



Remember how good Jose Valverde once was? His last year in Arizona, he almost struck out a dozen batters per nine, showed average control, and kept the ball on the ground almost at an average rate. That was the last year he was really a candidate for the elite, and it was also his first year as a full-year closer. Since, he's lost strikeouts and swinging strikes every year, and is proving this year that his control problems never went away. Now his swinging strike rate is below average for a late-game reliever, his strikeout rate is as well, his walk rate is terrible (even for him) and he's got the same old average ground ball rate. He deserved to drop, even before that blown save last week.



Brandon League slips behind fellow ground baller Jim Johnson because he's walking too many batters this year. He only walked ten all year last year and he's already got six in the first month. He doesn't strike enough guys out to do that.



Newcomer David Robertson follows in Santiago Casilla's footsteps as he leapfrogs into this tier from nowhere. Robertson is showing the best control of his career this season, and to pair that with his outstanding strikeout punch gives him a heck of a lot of upside. He only got his first save Monday night, but it will be the first of many. Don't bother with Rafael Soriano unless Robertson gets hurt. You could say the same for Casilla, but you have to walk back the strikeout rate. Then again, he has the swinging strike rate of a guy that should get more punchouts. Expect more of those, and ground balls. And saves, even if Tier 4: Question marks (8) (AKA: The "Mike Cameron" Tier.)



Jonathan Broxton, Kansas City Royals
Fernando Rodney, Tampa Bay Rays
Brett Myers, Houston Astros
Frank Francisco, New York Mets
Matt Capps, Minnesota Twins
Grant Balfour, Oakland Athletics
Henry Rodriguez, Washington Nationals

Alfredo Aceves, Boston Red Sox



Dude. Mike Cameron hit four home runs… with four RBI. That's right, they were all solo home runs. In a 15-2 blowout in 2002. Somehow, that's not quite the awesome as some of the other performances. And all of these guys are unquestioned closers for their teams right now, but they just aren't quite as awesome as the other closers.



Even Jonathan Broxton, for example. His velocity is back, but his swinging strike rate is still down. He hasn't blown a save in a while, but seven strikeouts in almost eleven innings is not great. Fernando Rodney has been great -- and his new spot on the rubber might be the reason for his newfound control -- but there's always the threat that he reverts to the Rodney of old, or Kyle Farnsworth gets healthy some day.



There really is little to dislike about Brett Myers, but his team would move him for a prospect at the drop of a dime. And he's probably not going to close at his next destination. Grant Balfour -- despite blowing two saves as the calendar turned -- has the peripherals to be a decent closer, but once he gets it together, he could get the Myers treatment. Henry Rodriguez is the most exciting of the three, but he has a terrible walk rate, and it led to the second blown save of the season for him Tuesday night. Plus, Drew Storen.



Alfredo Aceves gets his own paragraph. He's now thrown 8 2/3 innings of scoreless ball with 13 strikeouts against two walks over that stretch. That's pretty impressive for a guy that looked like a miscast swingman trying to close earlier in the year. He nows has the best strikeout rate of his career going, and the swinging strike rate to support it. Then again, he went multiple innings in both of his last appearances, and that sorta looks like his old usage. He's not anything to bank on, but you might as well hold onto him now. Andrew Bailey will be gone a while. Tier 5: Rollercoaster rides (8) (AKA: The "Bob Horner" Tier.)

Kenley Jansen (first chair), Javy Guerra (second chair), Los Angeles Dodgers

Chris Sale (first chair), Addison Reed (second chair), Hector Santiago (third chair), Chicago White Sox

Steve Cishek (first chair), Edward Mujica (second chair), Heath Bell (third chair), Miami Marlins
Chris Perez (first chair), Vinnie Pestano (second chair), Cleveland Indians

Rafael Dolis (first chair), Carlos Marmol (second chair), Michael Bowden (third chair), Chicago Cubs
Scott Downs (first chair), Jordan Walden (second chair), Ernesto Frieri (third chair), Los Angeles Angels

Dale Thayer (first chair), Andrew Cashner (second chair), Luke Gregerson (third chair), San Diego Padres

Francisco Cordero (first chair), Casey Janssen (second chair), Jason Frasor (third chair), Toronto Blue Jays



Bob Horner hit four home runs, like the rest of these guys. He amassed six RBI, so he didn't even hit four solo jobs. And he did it in 1986, so it wasn't the height of the power boom. But Bob Horner hit his home runs in an 11-8 loss. He was the only one to lose his four-homer game. For that, Bob Horner, you get the final tier. Which is full of closers that may lose you some games, fittingly.



Well, Kenley Jansen was a favorite of ours from the beginning, and shame on us for beginning to believe in Guerra. I suspect Jansen will move quickly -- his strikeout rate is elite, and his control has been better this year -- but everybody has to start somewhere. And Guerra's control has not actually been his problem this year, it's been more about his batted ball luck, so he could end up back in the role. Congratulations to those that held on to Jansen. He's the better pitcher.



Chris Sale is the next guy to zoom up the rankings, but his first move back in the pen was to blow a save, so let's start him somewhere easy. Safe to say, this lefty is lights-out, and he's not returning to the rotation this year, so he's going to be a great closer if the tender elbow holds up. Sure, Addison Reed is great, but his long-term closer hopes just got dashed. There's always the trade market!



Next up on the list is Steve Cishek, who's a great pitcher, but has the misfortune of pitching in the same pen as a nigh-$30 million man. Cishek hits the trifecta -- many strikeouts, few walks, many ground balls -- and hasn't suffered any velocity loss, but if Heath Bell figures out his curveball again, then he'll be back in the role. Cishek is better than Edward Mujica, though, so let's put Cishek ahead.



Chris Perez blew the first save of his season today. Seems like he should have blown more. He's recovered some of his swinging strikes though (almost average!) and is showing the best control of his career (almost average!). He's getting a few ground balls too (almost average!). So maybe he'll move up in the rankings next week.



Carlos Marmol has no idea where the ball is going, so he's been demoted. His manager says there's no guarantee he'll get the job back, even. Rafael Dolis is the guy now, but he has no idea where the ball is going, and also doesn't get strikeouts. Ground balls only get you so far. James Russell has an idea where the ball is going, but has trouble against righties -- and the league is three-quarters right-handed. Kerry Wood is still Kerry Wood, and would make a fine closer, but he's only signed for one year and his manager has already ruled him out. What about dark horse Michael Bowden? He's got decent skills and is under control for a while. Think about it.



Supposedly it's still Scott Downs in Los Angeles of Anaheim once his knee is feeling better. But Downs is a lefty and managers prefer righties in the closer role. Jordan Walden has his jump step and no control, but his strikeout punch means he's still in the picture. Ernesto Frieri is a bit of a dark horse, since he's new to the picture, but he's probably the best option of the three. Consider picking him up if you have, say, Andrew Cashner on your team.



Because it looks like Dale Thayer (and his amazing mustache) is the guy in San Diego. Two straight days, Cashner has gotten the eighth and Thayer the ninth. Thayer hasn't traditionally struck anyone out, but he does have good control and gets grounders. And this year, he's altered his pitching mix -- tons of sliders -- so he's getting more swinging strikes. He could be fine for the month or so Street is out.



It's a scrum in Toronto. Casey Janssen should get the next save if Francisco Cordero has lost the job. Janssen has been used after Jason Frasor in most wins in the past week, and his peripherals are exciting even if his ERA is not. Injured




Andrew Bailey, Oakland Athletics
Kyle Farnsworth, Tampa Bay Rays
Drew Storen, Washington Nationals
Sergio Santos, Toronto Blue Jays
Huston Street, San Diego Padres



Nothing really new here for most guys. Drew Storen thinks he's ahead of schedule, but there's no news other than the fact that around the All-Star break is the plan. The Deposed




Heath Bell, Miami Marlins
Jordan Walden, Los Angeles Angels
Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs
Hector Santiago, Chicago White Sox



These guys aren't here permanently. Well, Hector Santiago might be. Chris Sale is in the pen for his elbow, so he won't go back to the rotation. And he's a better pitcher (and lefty) than Santiago or The Steals Department




Depends on how desperate you are, but a mainstay of the steals section -- Juan Pierre -- is almost definitely on your wire. He's not starting every day, but even on days he doesn't start, he's still able to steal bases. He's done it twice this year. And as a lefty, he's got the hefty part of the platoon. Go old school?



Deep leaguers, look to Kansas City! Johnny Giavotella has been called up and the word is that the team is looking into trading Chris Getz (who will be quite the 'get' for his new team, amiright). Johnny G doesn't have great power or speed, so he's not a great option in most leagues, but deeper leagues will like his decent batting average, just-under-league-average owe, and double-digit steals from here on out. He could manage .280 5/10 pretty easily, and the job is supposedly his. A bonanza! Of course, if you really want steals, you should check if Lorenzo Cain replacement Jarrod Dyson is still out there for you. Dyson's got no power whatsoever, and a below-average walk rate, but this year he's finally making contact. He could hit .260 or so with eight-to-ten steals a month while Cain is out.

 

[HacheMan]

Matt Wieters finally lives up to hype

By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

Some players are worth the wait.

Take Matt Wieters, for example. Baseball's No. 1 prospect -- per Keith Law's top 100 -- entering his rookie season of 2009, Wieters, by all accounts, was destined for fantasy superstardom. He was described as a future MVP, and was generously projected even during his rookie campaign.


Things didn't go particularly smoothly for Wieters during his first two big league seasons, however. He failed to earn a single vote in the Rookie of the Year balloting. He finished 15th among catchers on our 2009 Player Rater. And as a sophomore in 2010, he fared even worse, 20th at his position.


As is often the case, fantasy owners began to lose faith in Wieters' skills entering 2011; he was selected eighth among catchers on average, and was projected for modest .280-19-72 numbers. He would finally break through, hitting a career-high 22 home runs, 14 of those coming after the All-Star break.


Wieters serves two important lessons for fantasy owners: First, catchers tend to experience lengthier adjustment periods at the big league level than players at other positions. That could be a result of the physical demands of the position, or the mental demands of handling an entire pitching staff, or both. Second, any prospect could be subject to a multiyear adjustment period before realizing his full potential. Big league competition, after all, is substantially more challenging than anything a player might experience in the minors.


This season, though, Wieters appears on track for the superstar status projected for him a few years back. He is the No. 2 catcher, No. 44 hitter and No. 61 player overall on our Player Rater, and there's reason to believe he'll maintain those healthy rankings all season … if not improve upon them. Wieters, so far, has been this year's top "post-hype sleeper," a delayed success story in the same mold of Alex Gordon in 2011.

Let's rattle off some of Wieters' statistical improvements, all of which support his candidacy to be fantasy baseball's No. 1 catcher come season's end:


• His isolated power -- or his slugging percentage minus his batting average, which helps measure a player's power -- has enjoyed a steady rise, going from .128 in 2010, to .141 during the first half of 2011, to .246 in the second half of 2011, to .280 through his first 27 games of 2012.


• He has maintained a better-than-80 percent contact rate both this and last season, and has seen his well-hit average -- the percentage of his at-bats that ended with hard contact -- go from .220 in 2010, to .242 in 2011, to .270 in 2012.


• He continues to exhibit the gains as a right-handed hitter -- remember that he's a switch-hitter -- that he enjoyed in 2011: He's a .381/.458/.476 hitter in 24 plate appearances from that side, after .339/.430/.694 triple-slash rates in 142 PAs in 2011, all of those numbers substantially improved upon his 2009-10 stats.


• As a left-handed hitter -- and this is the key -- so far this season he has reverted to the successful slugger that he was from that side in 2009-10, managing .278/.360/.608 triple-slash rates and a 16 percent miss rate. Much of that has been the result of more consistently hard contact: He has elevated his well-hit average from that side from .219 last season to .266 this season.


While Wieters' .311 BABIP and 20.6 percent home run/fly ball rate might hint at some regression in his fantasy stats, his improvement at the plate cements his status as a .290-hitting, 25-homer performer at the very least. In the best-case scenario, he could bat north of .300 and stick to his current 38-homer pace.


Wieters isn't the only "2012's Alex Gordon" post-hype breakout. Let's take a look at some other youngsters who, after a few early seasons of big league struggles, appear to have hit their strides this year:


Edwin Encarnacion: What is it with the Toronto Blue Jays and out-of-nowhere power surges? Encarnacion has long been regarded as a power-hitting prospect, earning top-100 status on Baseball America's 2005 list, and his having managed a career-best 26 homers in 2008. But this season, Encarnacion's age-29 season, he has enjoyed a start hotter than any other, his nine home runs in 30 games projecting to 49 over a full year. Colleague Eric Karabell recently analyzed Encarnacion's hot start in detail, with two key points about the slugger's outburst being that he's playing for a new contract, and he's embracing his status as a pure pull-power hitter. To the latter point, Encarnacion has pulled 59 percent of his balls in play, up from 50 percent in 2011, and he has pulled seven of his nine home runs. Jose Bautista, another career late bloomer, exhibited similar traits when he broke out with a 54-homer campaign in 2010. Encarnacion might by all rights manage a career high in homers this season. Is 40 possible? Perhaps.


Adam Jones: He's not an ideal fit for the "post-hype sleeper" label, as Jones did break through to a noticeable degree in 2011, but there's little doubt that he has elevated his game yet again so far this season. He's on pace for 43 home runs, 27 stolen bases and 124 runs scored; all of those would easily shatter his previous career bests. What has made the difference for Jones has been more consistent contact; his 86.0 percent contact rate would represent a career high, and with two strikes, he has slashed his miss rate from 23 percent in 2011 to 18 percent this season. Now 26, Jones looks like he has arrived as a fantasy star.



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 </th><th style="vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Prev
Rnk </center></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Kemp, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 1 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Braun, Mil </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Miguel Cabrera, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 2 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joey Votto, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hanley Ramirez, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Troy Tulowitzki, Col </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Dustin Pedroia, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adrian Gonzalez, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ian Kinsler, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 10 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Gonzalez, Col </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 11 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Albert Pujols, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 11 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 12 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Hamilton, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 16 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Robinson Cano, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 12 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Prince Fielder, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Curtis Granderson, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 16 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jose Bautista, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 9 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Justin Upton, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 18 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jay Bruce, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adrian Beltre, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Andrew McCutchen, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 18 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Wright, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Michael Bourn, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Starlin Castro, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Paul Konerko, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mark Teixeira, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adam Jones, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Elvis Andrus, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Giancarlo Stanton, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Ortiz, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Dan Uggla, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Santana, Cle </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jose Reyes, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Wieters, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Holliday, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mike Napoli, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Shane Victorino, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hunter Pence, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Desmond Jennings, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Heyward, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Beltran, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Alex Rodriguez, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brett Lawrie, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Eric Hosmer, KC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Billy Butler, KC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Derek Jeter, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Michael Young, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brian McCann, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Alex Gordon, KC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Phillips, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Nelson Cruz, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Andre Ethier, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jimmy Rollins, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Corey Hart, Mil </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Asdrubal Cabrera, Cle </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Buster Posey, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ben Zobrist, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Michael Cuddyer, Col </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Shin-Soo Choo, Cle </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Nick Swisher, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brett Gardner, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Freddie Freeman, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Freese, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Martin Prado, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Cameron Maybin, SD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Evan Longoria, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joe Mauer, Min </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Howard Kendrick, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Pablo Sandoval, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Melky Cabrera, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Edwin Encarnacion, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Joyce, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 72 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ichiro Suzuki, Sea </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Zimmerman, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Lance Berkman, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Yadier Molina, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 81 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 76 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> B.J. Upton, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Kipnis, Cle </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 90 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Aramis Ramirez, Mil </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 79 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 79 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Alex Avila, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 72 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 80 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Nick Markakis, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 81 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jesus Montero, Sea </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 83 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Young, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 83 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Miguel Montero, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 76 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Emilio Bonifacio, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 86 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Austin Jackson, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 95 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 86 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Michael Morse, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 87 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 87 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Yoenis Cespedes, Oak </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kelly Johnson, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 93 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> J.J. Hardy, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 90 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Willingham, Min </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 91 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kevin Youkilis, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 80 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jose Altuve, Hou </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 104 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 93 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Dee Gordon, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Pena, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 95 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adam Dunn, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 106 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jordan Schafer, Hou </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 103 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Davis, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 112 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 98 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mike Aviles, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 113 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bryan LaHair, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 108 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 100 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chase Headley, SD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 98 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 101 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Aaron Hill, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 102 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 102 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chase Utley, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 107 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 103 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Drew Stubbs, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 109 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 104 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Luke Scott, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 111 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 105 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mike Moustakas, KC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 115 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 106 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Dustin Ackley, Sea </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 107 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Logan Morrison, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 108 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jed Lowrie, Hou </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 109 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Angel Pagan, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 110 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Neil Walker, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 114 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 111 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Lee, Hou </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 91 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 112 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jacoby Ellsbury, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 116 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 113 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Torii Hunter, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 118 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 114 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Rickie Weeks, Mil </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 115 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Rafael Furcal, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 116 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Kubel, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 120 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 117 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Zack Cozart, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 118 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Lucas Duda, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 110 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 119 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Alejandro De Aza, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 120 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mark Trumbo, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 124 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 121 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adam LaRoche, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 117 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 122 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> J.D. Martinez, Hou </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 101 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 123 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Doumit, Min </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 124 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mike Trout, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 123 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 125 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Pedro Alvarez, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr></tbody></table>




Jed Lowrie: Two things have always stood in Lowrie's path to success, injuries and consistent at-bats. The latter is no longer an issue; the Houston Astros acquired him with the intent to play him every day for so long as he's healthy. Thrive in his new surroundings Lowrie has, as he's a .307 hitter with four home runs in his first 23 games for his new team. Before you get too excited, though, be aware that this isn't the first time he has enjoyed one hot month's play; he was a .286/.375/.527 hitter in September 2010 and a .368/.389/.574 hitter in April 2011. Maybe this is only a brief hot spell before Lowrie struggles with injuries, but considering this isn't the first time he has enjoyed a hot spell while at full health, it's well worth taking the chance that this is the year he finally stays on the field.


Jason Heyward: Many fantasy owners soured on Heyward after his disastrous sophomore campaign in 2011; he finished 380th on our Player Rater after being tabbed the No. 43 player on average in live drafts in the preseason. Injuries ruined his year and spawned awful habits, including an extreme ground ball tendency that severely impacted his power. Through a month-plus of this season, however, Heyward has looked much more like his 2010 rookie self than the undesirable 2011 model, the most encouraging development his nine stolen bases. At the plate, however, Heyward appears a new man. What was a 53 percent ground ball rate last season has become a 36 percent rate in 2012, and on pitches on the inside third of the plate he's a .261/.393/.522 hitter in 28 PAs, quite improved upon 2011's .180/.327/.247 numbers. Heyward has an outside chance at a 30/30 season, and that's exactly what people who drafted him a year ago were hoping they'd get. It's why patience is warranted with many youngsters.


Three up



Ryan Doumit, Minnesota Twins: If there is any silver lining to be found in Justin Morneau's injury, it's the resulting increase in at-bats due Doumit. The reason for the boost is twofold: The Twins desperately need productive bats like his in their lineup, and they lack many viable alternatives to eat up the abandoned designated hitter at-bats. Doumit has three home runs in his past three games, and is a .286 (12-for-42) hitter in his past 14 contests. He has also started each of the Twins' past 10 games, five at DH, four at catcher and one in right field, illustrating his status as an everyday player who is catcher-eligible in fantasy. Doumit has always been a good hitter -- he has averaged .279-20-78 numbers per 162 games played since the start of 2008 -- but health is the question, as he has played in only 417 of 676 team games during that time.


Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox: He's baaaaaaack. Well, almost back. Dunn is off to a nine-homer, 23-RBI start, both of those ranking him among the American League's top five in either category; last season he didn't hit his ninth homer until July 8 or drive in his 23rd run until May 28. He's also on pace for 47 home runs and 120 RBIs, both of which would represent career highs. One reason for Dunn's improvement is his selectivity; the aspects of his game that presented the most problems last season, left-handed pitching, hard fastballs and pitches up, are the ones in which he's swinging less often overall and less often when out of the zone. Still, lefties remain an issue, as he has .097/.256/.161 triple-slash rates against them, and he's on pace for 240 K's, showing that some flaws remain. Treat Dunn like a bounce-back candidate, but only in that he's better than his 2011 self, but still maybe only 90 percent of his 2010 self.


Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins: A mere four-inch adjustment to his batting stance apparently made all the difference for Stanton, who, after a .247/.286/.342, one-homer April, is off to a .300/.400/.867, five-homer start to May. He attributes the improvement to his moving his hands back four inches in his stance. "Keep [the hands] back here and the shoulder stays down," Stanton told the Miami Herald. "Four damn inches was the whole thing." Improved plate discipline has also helped; he has chased 7 percent fewer pitches outside the strike zone (32 percent in April, 25 so far in May) and has five walks, up from four in April. The jury remains out on the effects of Marlins Park on power -- it ranks 26th in home runs on our Park Factor page through nearly six weeks -- but that Stanton hit two homers in three games at San Diego's Petco Park shows that he has the kind of power that could clear any fence. Maybe it's premature to declare him a 40-homer candidate once more, but it's not unthinkable that he could do it.


Three down



Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals: Talk about a sophomore slump. Espinosa's free-swinging ways have only worsened this season, as his chase rate (swings at non-strikes) has risen from 30 percent in 2011 to 35 percent this year, and his 31.1 percent strikeout rate would represent a professional high. His fantasy owners have long known not to trust him for batting average, and that he'll endure painful, extended slumps, but Espinosa hasn't shown us anything to hint at future excitement yet. There might come a stretch where he warrants a pickup for a short-term period -- something in the neighborhood of Pedro Alvarez's recent performance -- but Espinosa has quickly become more headache than help.


Colby Rasmus, Toronto Blue Jays: Here's a player who might have fit this week's lead topic … had he gotten off to a good start. Rasmus was once considered nearly as good a prospect as anyone already discussed in this week's "Hit Parade" -- he was Keith Law's No. 12 prospect overall in 2009 -- but through three seasons and a month he's a .248/.319/.427 career hitter who has averaged 20 home runs and 66 RBIs per 162 games played. Optimists hoped Rasmus might thrive in new surroundings in Toronto this season; pessimists latched onto his struggles with breaking pitches as a reason he might never realize his full potential. To the latter point, he's a lifetime .212/.239/.379 hitter who has a 34 percent miss and 35 percent chase rate against breaking pitches (curveball, slider, knuckleball, screwball), and as a result opponents are throwing him more of them. Perhaps at some future point, Rasmus will make the necessary adjustments, but his 24.6 percent strikeout rate, up from last year's 22.1 percent, is discouraging for now.


Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers: This has not been a great year for the Weeks brothers; combined they're hitting .178 in 225 at-bats. Rickie is the one off to the most troubling start, as he's the National League's leader in strikeouts with 37. One aspect of his game sums up his problems: Against pitches clocked at 93 mph or higher, he's a .100/.182/.250 hitter in 22 plate appearances this season, whereas from 2009 to 2011 he managed .292/.384/.520 triple-slash rates in 232 PAs against them. Weeks has long been a mediocre hitter when he gets behind in the count, and it doesn't help that pitchers are working him more aggressively, throwing first-pitch strikes to him 2 percent more often (58 percent in 2011, 60 in 2012). There's legitimate reason to be concerned about his slow start.


New position eligibility



The following players have become eligible at new positions -- it's 10 games to qualify at a new spot -- in ESPN standard leagues during the past week: Joaquin Arias (SS), Stephen Lombardozzi (3B), Jesus Montero (C), Laynce Nix (1B), Andy Parrino (SS), Trevor Plouffe (OF), Cody Ransom (3B).


Nearing new position eligibility



The following notable fantasy players are on track to earn new eligibility in the coming weeks: Jonathan Herrera (9 games played at 3B), Elliot Johnson (8 games played at 2B), Andy Parrino (8 games played at 2B), Nick Punto (8 games played at 3B), Mark Trumbo (8 games played at 3B).

 

[HacheMan]

Expectations for Yanks' Gardner, Pettitte

Eric Karabell

Two important members of the New York Yankees will be back in the majors this week, and it's a wise time to acquire them in fantasy leagues. Speedy outfielder Brett Gardner has been out of action since April 17 because of an elbow injury, and while his return has been a bit delayed with soreness, he reported no issues in Tuesday's game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, as he singled twice in three at-bats. There are rumors he could actually be back in the lineup as soon as Wednesday night, when the Tampa Bay Rays visit Yankee Stadium on ESPN.




Meanwhile, the Yankees announced Tuesday that 39-year-old Andy Pettitte, who struggled a bit in his Triple-A start earlier this week and last pitched in the big leagues in 2010, will make his season debut Sunday at home against the Seattle Mariners.

<offer>Gardner is owned in more than 93 percent of ESPN standard mixed leagues -- the glass-half-full people will note that means there are still leagues in which he's available -- after being a 10th-round choice, on average, in ESPN live drafts. Pettitte went largely undrafted, but both of these players will make an important impact for the Yankees and fantasy leaguers. Gardner's role is obvious; over the past two seasons, he has 96 steals, second in the majors to Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Bourn, and there's little reason to question whether he can maintain his stolen-base rate.</offer>


Frankly, it's surprising Gardner remains available in any standard leagues. Grab him now before he returns or trade for him with confidence. There doesn't seem to be any negative impact for this move affecting other fantasy options, as getting Raul Ibanez back to a more appropriate designated hitter role is a win for everyone, except for Yankees opponents who hit the ball to left field. One minor thing to watch, however, is the play and health of third baseman Alex Rodriguez.


With Ibanez and Andruw Jones having handled left field in Gardner's absence, with a bit of Eduardo Nunez and Jayson Nix sprinkled in (none of those four options are good defenders in left field), Rodriguez has been able to start a third of his games at DH. While there's nothing special about his current .811 OPS -- it would be a career low, actually -- at least he's staying healthy and is on pace for 30 home runs. Rodriguez is hitting considerably better as a third baseman this season (.876 OPS versus .689), but it's a small sample size. Perhaps Gardner's return will actually help Rodriguez, while also creating more run-producing opportunities for the top of the lineup, particularly the scorching Derek Jeter.


As for Pettitte, I can make the case he will finish the season as New York's third-best starting pitcher. We know pretty much what left-hander CC Sabathia will do, and there are no concerns there. I like right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, but we all knew leaving pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium for the AL East wouldn't help his numbers; Kuroda is only two years Pettitte's junior, and while it's only six starts in the AL, his strikeout numbers are ordinary. Kuroda's WHIP is inflated by not only being hittable but for an unusual number of walks for him, and he's fanning 5.5 hitters per nine innings. His career rate is 6.7. Pettitte's also is 6.7, and in 2010 it was 7.0. For now I'd take Kuroda over Pettitte, but it's pretty close.
As for right-handers Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes, it's risky to trust either one in a 10- or 12-team league. Yes, Nova won 16 games a year ago, and there's nothing wrong with a 3.70 ERA, but the 1.33 WHIP was high in relation, and with many extreme ground ball pitchers, there's fear of regression. This season Nova hasn't been inducing the grounders, but rather many line drives, and oddly enough his strikeout rate is way up. I liked him better in 2011. Only four qualified pitchers have allowed a higher opponent's batting average (Josh Johnson, Clay Buchholz, Randy Wolf and Juan Nicasio), and Nova already has given up eight home runs. Last year he allowed 13 for the season. I think he can provide a 4.50 ERA and win games, but there's so much pitching depth for shallow leagues these days, you can do better. Colleague Tristan H. Cockcroft ranked Nova 70th among starting pitchers in his Tuesday column, which might have even been too generous.
Hughes saved his rotation spot with a few decent starts last week, and certainly walks have not been a problem, but he gets vastly overrated for his 18-win campaign in 2010. Wins are nice, and if it's a Yankee one can assume they're more likely to be plentiful than with most teams, but ERA and WHIP matter, too. Hughes remains inconsistent.
I think Pettitte can duplicate his 2010 success and win games without getting lit up, which is why I believe he'll be among the top 75 starting pitchers by June, and some of that will be because of win potential. Look, if Nova were with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, he wouldn't have won 16 games. He might not win eight. Yes, there is risk with Pettitte as well. He's older, and while 2010 was good for him, he did miss much of the second half injured, and we can't forget he was largely overrated in the years prior, with ERAs on the other side of four and a cumulative WHIP of 1.41 from 2006-09. Pettitte comes more recommended for road games; in 2010, he allowed three home runs in nine road outings, with an 8.6 rate of strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.22 WHIP; at home he was much like Nova in 2011, with a 3.89 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and an ordinary K rate.Pettitte is readily available in standard leagues, and Sunday's opponent is surely an attractive one. After that, Pettitte seems on pace to face the Cincinnati Reds at home and the Oakland Athletics on the road, and neither of those matchups scare me, as the Reds rank 28th in scoring runs against lefties and the A's are, well, the A's. Pettitte is more of a deeper-league pick, but for standard formats I'd take Pettitte over these top-75 starters from Cockcroft's rankings: Henderson Alvarez, Jake Arrieta, Nova, Drew Smyly, Jason Hammel and Jeff Niemann. After this Sunday, the 240-game winner will be a lot more popular.

 

[HacheMan]

Twin Pities

Besides more losing, there’s only one thing an 8-22 team can expect: changes.

That’s what arrived in Minnesota on Wednesday, where the Twins sent Danny Valencia to Triple-A Rochester and banished Francisco Liriano to the bullpen.

Neither move could be considered particularly surprising. Set to become a free agent at season’s end, the Twins were surely hoping to pump up Liriano’s trade value, but pitchers with a 9.45 ERA and 2.10 WHIP simply don’t stay in the rotation.

Now the question for Liriano isn’t if he can reclaim his rotation spot, but save his career. That may sound reactionary, but the reality is this: Liriano is 28 years old with a lengthy injury history. Since Opening Day 2011, he’s the owner of a 5.90 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 133/94 K/BB ratio in 161 innings. A fastball that used to top out at 94-95 now struggles to hit 92.

Liriano has increasingly seemed to have no idea where the ball is going, and there’s no telling if being called on to throw a few innings every few days will do anything to make it better.

Of course, it’s possible that Liriano will find himself reinvigorated by smaller workloads and decreased expectations, perhaps even regaining some lost miles per hour along with his confidence.

But if he doesn’t turn things around in the bullpen — and quickly — it will be fair to wonder if the magic his left arm once possessed has been lost forever.

As for Valencia, a decent minor-league hitter has simply proven to be a below-average major-league one. Allergic to walks (two in 99 plate appearances) and displaying even less power than usual this season (one home run), he’ll be given plenty of time for reflection on the farm. A combination of Alexi Casilla, Jamey Carroll and Wrench In the Best Laid Plans?

Cardinals fans call Allen Craig “The Wrench,” but it’s likely many fantasy owners are calling him “The Dream.”

Eligible at second base, first base and the outfield in a large majority of leagues, Craig has flat out raked since making his 2012 debut last Tuesday, going 9-for-27 with three home runs, three doubles and an eye-popping 11 RBI. Yes, that’s as many RBI as Albert Pujols has collected in 31 games.

The problem, of course, is that as of Friday, Craig will become a bench player. That’s when Lance Berkman (calf) is scheduled to come off the disabled list. So will “The Wrench” be worth keeping around in mixed leagues? The odds are heavily in favor of “yes.”

Although the Cardinals lineup is indisputably the National League’s best, it’s also one of its oldest and most injury prone. Craig could find himself thrust into a starting job at any moment.

But even if all of Craig’s elderly teammates miraculously stay healthy, he should still be in line for plenty of playing time.

Despite what his 2011 numbers would suggest, Berkman is no longer a force against left-handed pitching. Craig could be slotted in at first base against southpaws once or twice per week. Meanwhile, manager Mike Matheny will almost certainly use Craig’s presence as an excuse to give Carlos Beltran and his creaky knees more frequent days off as spring turns into summer. There’s another weekly start.

On the other corner of the outfield, Matt Holliday — who missed 38 games in 2011 — is a candidate to be rested once every seven or eight days despite his salary, production and pre-2011 history of durability.

Throw in the occasional shifting of Beltran to center field to spell Jon Jay and get Craig a start in right, and you have a “Wrench” slated for 3-4 starts per week. It’s not ideal, but if Craig’s young career rates hold, it will be enough to make it worth fantasy owners’ while.

Death, Taxes and...

What Erik Bedard had done in his two most recent starts: strike out 20 batters in 10 innings. What Erik Bedard had done in each of his first two home starts of the season: go seven innings.

Unfortunately, what Bedard had been doing came into conflict with what he’s never done on Wednesday: stay healthy. Pittsburgh’s de-facto ace could make it through only one inning of his home start against the Nationals before heading to the clubhouse with back spasms.

Back issues are certainly preferable to a shoulder or elbow ailment for a pitcher, but with Bedard, there’s no such thing as a simple injury. There’s yet to be any indication Bedard is DL bound, but that should always be the expectation with a pitcher who has made just 60 starts since 2007.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst and expect something that wouldn’t even seem possible for anyone other than Erik Bedard.

Game Notes: David Robertson melted down in a blown save. Of course, the runs he allowed were his first runs of the season. As long as manager Joe Girardi isn’t an alarmist, Robertson should remain in the driver’s seat for Mariano Rivera’s job. … After going 25 games without a home run to begin the season, Andrew McCutchen went deep for the second straight day. … Cliff Lee (oblique) was quality in his return from the disabled list, holding the Mets to two runs on five hits in six innings. Expect the struggling Phillies to quickly stretch out their co-ace. … Ike Davis homered, doubled and drove in three runs. The multi-hit night was his first in eight games, the homer his first in 18 games and the multi extra-base hit effort his first...of the season. Pray for mojo. … Aroldis Chapman made it 15 2/3 innings, zero runs (not to mention 27 strikeouts). … Kenley Jansen looked great in a non-save situation. J.J. Putz didn’t. … For the first time since he arrived in Beer City, the Brewers lost a game Zack Greinke started at home. Of course, he fanned 11 in eight scoreless innings. … Tim Lincecum struggled yet again. He’s now recorded just 15 outs in three of his past four starts.

National League Short Hops: Both Troy Tulowitzki (groin) and Yadier Molina (hand) are targeting Friday returns to the lineup. … Cory Luebke will get a second opinion on his pitching elbow Thursday. It will likely confirm he needs Tommy John surgery. … Luebke’s teammate Joe Wieland will be placed on the disabled list with “tightness” in his pitching elbow. An MRI revealed no structural damage, however, meaning his absence could be brief. … Joel Hanrahan will be placed on the bereavement list Friday, and could miss the Bucs’ entire weekend series with the Astros. Pittsburgh is expected to go with a ninth-inning committee in its closer’s absence.

American League Short Hops: Chris Sale will undergo an MRI on his left elbow this morning. The White Sox have hinted he could return to the rotation if he gets a clean bill of health. … Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine revealed Will Middlebrooks is not currently expected to play in the outfield. Don’t be surprised if that changes sometime in the next month. … Francisco Cordero’s short, disastrous stint as the Blue Jays closer has come to an end. Casey Janssen will now fill-in during Sergio Santos’ (shoulder) absence. … Jonathan Sanchez (fake injury) was sent to the disabled list. … Knee soreness may force Jason Hammel to miss a start. … Yoenis Cespedes has been diagnosed with a strained muscle in the “back of his left hand.” He appears to be truly day-to-day.

 

[HacheMan]

Shark Week

OK, this is getting pretty ridiculous. Since spring training, 14 closers have either landed on the disabled list or lost their jobs. This group includes Mariano Rivera, Ryan Madson, Joakim Soria, Brian Wilson, Drew Storen, Sergio Santos, Huston Street, Kyle Farnsworth, Carlos Marmol, Javy Guerra, Heath Bell and Hector Santiago. And we're only in the second week of May.

It's often said that you shouldn't "pay for saves," but I'm not sure I completely agree with that. Some of these changes are just the result of bad luck. Rock-solid closers like Jonathan Papelbon or John Axford could have easily suffered a freak injury like Rivera did. It's baseball. Weird things happen. Pitchers get hurt. However, there are times when paying for saves doesn't make sense. For example, going all in on Guerra when the more talented Kenley Jansen lingered as an obvious threat to his job. Or targeting Carlos Marmol after he blew 10 saves last year and saw a sharp decline in velocity. The warning signs were there all along.

We've had plenty of twists and turns in the chase for saves this week, as you'll see below. Given the unusual amount of volatility that we've seen recently, most of these recommendations will probably be rendered meaningless a couple of weeks from now. Enjoy.

MIXED LEAGUES

Rafael Dolis RP, Cubs (Yahoo: 31 percent owned, ESPN: 34.1 percent)

Cubs' manager Dale Sveum is breathing a bit easier these days, as Dolis has two saves and a win since taking the closer role from the struggling Carlos Marmol last week. I'm not a big believer in Dolis, as he has struck out just five batters in 19 1/3 innings this year and he averaged 4.5 BB/9 in the minors, but his recent success has likely bought him a little bit of rope. Marmol has struggled for just about a year now, so he'll need an extended period of success to get his job back. Not holding my breath on that.

Jeff Samardzija SP/RP, Cubs (Yahoo: 48 percent owned, ESPN: 46.8 percent)

Samardzija's move to the rotation appeared to hit a pretty severe road bump last month when he was knocked around for five runs in consecutive starts, but he has responded by allowing just two runs over his past three starts while posting a dominant 23/6 K/BB ratio over 21 1/3 innings. "The Shark" has a swinging strike rate of 12.7 percent (only three starting pitchers are higher) over his first six starts and a ground ball rate of 49.5 percent, so there's an awful lot to like here. Don't let him sit on the waiver wire any longer.

Bud Norris SP, Astros (Yahoo: 42 percent owned, ESPN: 47.5 percent)

Norris owns a mediocre 4.58 ERA through six starts this season, but aside from one really bad start against the Brewers last month, he's been actually pretty solid. The 27-year-old right-hander has an impressive 33/13 K/BB ratio over 37 1/3 innings and continues to make encouraging strides with this command. He lines up for a start against the Pirates on Friday night, so this is a pretty good time to take him for a spin in all formats.

Ryan Doumit C/OF, Twins (Yahoo: 14 percent owned, ESPN: 3 percent)

Look at who is finally showing some signs of life. After struggling through most of April, Doumit is hitting .289 (13-for-45) with seven extra-base hits (three homers), 11 RBI and a .946 OPS over his last 15 games. This includes a two-homer day against the Mariners on Sunday. Doumit's injury history is a concern and playing in the field regularly probably won't help, but he has been serving as the Twins' designated hitter recently while Justin Morneau is on the disabled list. Those in shallow mixed leagues likely have better options, but Doumit should be owned and started in deeper leagues and two-catcher formats.

Rafael Soriano RP, Yankees (Yahoo: 33 percent owned, ESPN: 22.9 percent)

David Robertson isn't off to the best start as Mariano Rivera's replacement. After walking the tight rope Tuesday night, Robertson imploded Wednesday by giving up four runs in the ninth as part of a 4-1 loss to the Rays. Blown saves will happen and Yankees manager Joe Girardi is saying all the right things in support of Robertson, but it would be smart to keep Soriano stashed away in all formats for now. Ultimately I think Robertson will take to the job quite nicely, but Soriano did save 45 games with the Rays back in 2010. Sometimes that "proven closer" tag wins out.

Kyle Seager 3B/SS, Mariners (Yahoo: 38 percent owned, ESPN: 23.6 percent)

Chone Figgins better get pretty comfortable on the bench, because Seager isn't giving up his spot in the starting lineup anytime soon. The 24-year-old is hitting .298 over his first 28 games this season, including a .344/.382/.719 triple-slash to go along with three homers and 13 RBI in May. While Seager has primarily played third base for the Mariners, he's eligible at shortstop in most fantasy leagues, where his potential for double-digits in homers and steals gives him quite a bit of value. I wouldn't hesitate picking him up in most formats right now.

Addison Reed RP, White Sox (Yahoo: 25 percent owned, ESPN: 10.6 percent)

Let me preface this by saying I have no idea what the White Sox are doing right now. Chris Sale appeared set to serve as the closer for the rest of the season after he was abruptly pulled from the starting rotation last week, but he's now being sent for an MRI on his tender left elbow and the team is already waffling on whether they think he'll be a starter or a reliever. Amid all the uncertainty, Reed remains a worthy alternative for the ninth inning. The 23-year-old right-hander has yet to allow a run in 10 innings this season and has a solid 14/3 K/BB ratio. He should be owned until there's some clarity with the situation.

Casey Janssen RP, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 16 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

Francisco Cordero melted down Tuesday night against the Athletics, blowing his third save and bringing his ERA to 9.53 on the year, so Blue Jays manager John Farrell has decided to remove him from the closer role and use Janssen until Sergio Santos is ready to return fro the disabled list. Janssen owns a very solid 3.18 ERA since the start of the 2010 season and has a career ground ball rate right around 50 percent, so he should do just fine as a temporary fill-in. Just know that Santos could be back by the end of the month if all goes well, so you may only get a handful of saves.

Ike Davis 1B, Mets (Yahoo: 50 percent owned, ESPN: 40.2 percent)

Expectations for Davis were admittedly out of whack coming into the season, but nobody saw anything like this coming. Through his first 114 plate appearances, the 25-year-old first baseman is hitting just .179/.237/.311 with six extra-base hits and 32 strikeouts. I'm a bit concerned that Davis has so many moving parts in his swing, so we may have to live with extreme ups and downs production-wise, but he has shown an ability to adjust in the past. He went 2-for-3 with a double and a three-run homer on Wednesday night, so this is the ideal time to see if he's on the verge of turning things around.

Dale Thayer RP, Padres (Yahoo: 12 percent owned, ESPN: 4 percent)

Here's one recommendation I never thought I would make. Like many fantasy owners, I was under the assumption that young fireballer Andrew Cashner was the one to own with Huston Street on the disabled list. However, Padres manager Bud Black surprisingly went with Thayer for back-to-back saves earlier this week. The mustachioed journeyman hasn't been given many opportunities in the big leagues, despite amassing 173 saves over 10 seasons in the minors. He could easily get the boot with a couple poor outings, but his command and ground ball tilt gives him a chance to serve as a decent bridge until Street is ready.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:

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

Andres Torres OF, Mets (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 1.8 percent)

Torres has played well since returning from a strained left calf at the end of April, hitting .353 (12-for-34) while collecting hits in eight of nine games. This includes his first home run of the season on Wednesday night. The 34-year-old isn't known for his power and he's unlikely to sustain such a high batting average, but he should be able to steal 15-20 bases and score plenty of runs while hitting atop of the Mets' lineup. He's well worth considering in five-outfielder mixed formats.

Nyjer Morgan OF, Brewers (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 2.1 percent)

Carlos Gomez is currently on the disabled list with a left strained hamstring, so Morgan has a chance to get his starting center field job back. T-Plush has hit an unusual number of ground balls so far this season, so it's not a big surprise that his batting average has taken a pretty severe nosedive, but we're talking about a .284 career hitter who has speed and should hit near the top of the Brewers' lineup on most nights. Norichika Aoki figures to get a start here and there, but Morgan should be owned in five-outfield mixed formats, at least until Gomez returns.

Suitable streamer:

Kyle Drabek SP, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 25 percent owned, ESPN: 14.7 percent)

Drabek had his worst start of the season Saturday against the Angels and has walked 20 batters over just 35 innings this season, so I recognize I'm playing with fire here. However, I'm pretty confident about his chances for a bounce back performance with a start against the light-hitting Twins on Friday night. Easy target, I know. Drabek's next projected opponents are the Yankees, Rays, Rangers and Red Sox, so enjoy it while you can. <!--RW-->

NL ONLY

Christian Friedrich SP, Rockies (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.9 percent)

Friedrich pitched well in his major league debut Wednesday afternoon, allowing two runs (one earned) over six innings while striking out seven and walking just one in a win over the Padres. While his star has faded a bit over the past couple of years due to injuries and ineffectiveness, he earned the promotion by posting a 3.00 ERA and 27/4 K/BB ratio over his first five starts with Triple-A Colorado Springs this season. The 24-year-old southpaw may not be up for good, but he's a pretty solid option with a start against the Giants on tap next week.

Michael Bowden RP, Cubs (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

Remember how I mentioned I wasn't high on Rafael Dolis? Yeah, here's where I'm hedging by bets. Bowden, who came over from the Red Sox in the Marlon Byrd deal, struck out 78 batters in 72 2/3 innings between Triple-A Pawtucket and the majors last year, his first season as a full-time relief pitcher. The former top prospect has the reputation as a fly ball pitcher, so there's some reason for concern here, but don't be surprised if he gets a save chance or two if (or when) Dolis stumbles.

Taylor Green UT, Brewers (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

Travis Ishikawa is hitting .195/.250/.415 over his first 45 plate appearances this year and has a .723 career OPS in the big leagues, so there's hoping Green gets a proper look at first base in the days ahead. The 25-year-old owns a healthy .291/.373/.455 batting line in the minors and had 22 home runs last year with Triple-A Nashville. Granted, Green accomplished those power numbers in the Pacific Coast League, but he has always had decent pop and a solid approach at the plate. If the Brewers don't end up signing Derrek Lee, look out.

Cesar Izturis SS, Brewers (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

The Brewers haven't had much luck on the injury front lately, as they have lost Mat Gamel and Alex Gonzalez to torn ACLs in the past two weeks. While there's some uncertainty about Gamel's replacement, as I detailed above, Izturis is expected to step right in for Gonzalez at shortstop. The 32-year-old is a .255/.295/.322 career hitter, so keep expectations modest, but he reached double-digits in stolen bases each year from 2008-2010. There's some value there.

AL ONLY

Johnny Giavotella 2B, Royals (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

Giavottella should already be gone in most competitive leagues, but here's your reminder that he's a must-add in AL-only leagues following his promotion on Wednesday. The 24-year-old was hitting .331/408/.504 with five homers, 25 RBI and a .912 OPS over his first 152 plate appearances with Triple-A Omaha this season. While it's great that he's back in the big leagues, it looks like he'll be sharing playing time with Chris Getz at second base. He'd be worth considering in deeper mixed leagues if he manages to wrestle away the regular gig.

Brad Peacock SP, Athletics (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

Again, here's someone who should be stashed away in all AL-only leagues at this point. Peacock, who was acquired from the Nationals in the Gio Gonzalez deal, has a 3.24 ERA and 32/13 K/BB ratio in 33 1/3 innings over his first six starts with Triple-A Sacramento this season and is merely biding his time before he gets called up to the A's. The hard-throwing right-hander is a bit of a fly ball pitcher, but fortunately O.co Coliseum is a pretty forgiving home environment. My guess is that he'll be Oakland's rotation by June.

Matt LaPorta 1B, Indians (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

LaPorta has a pretty lousy .238/.304/.397 batting line over his first 1,008 plate appearances in the big leagues, so I don't blame you if you aren't excited to see his name here, but he is hitting .346 with nine homers and a 1.082 OPS over 29 games with Triple-A Columbus this season. Meanwhile, Casey Kotchman has back-to-back multi-hit games under his belt, bringing his batting average up to .198 on the year. Yeah, he's been that bad. LaPorta might end up being your typical "Quad-A" bat, but he has little to prove in the minors. The Indians could bring him up if Kotchman finds himself in another prolonged funk.

Brian Dozier SS, Twins (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

Part of a major shakeup with the Twins' roster, Dozier got the call from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday and is expected to serve as the regular shortstop moving forward, pushing Jamey Carroll into a utility role. The 24-year-old is coming off a strong season in which he batted .322/.423/.472 with nine homers and 24 stolen bases between High-A Fort Myers and Double-A New Britain. Dozier is known as a contact hitter and has a solid approach at the plate, so he should be able to maintain a decent batting average and get on base at a good clip. He has hit out of the second spot in the Twins' lineup in each of his first three games, so he could be a nice find if he continues to get regular playing time.

 

[HacheMan]

Plenty of turnover in closer ranks

By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

Since Jan. 20, 15 closer jobs have changed hands. Fifteen.

Why bury the lede? That's a fact that speaks for itself.


For full details, Jan. 20 was a significant date for us; that was the second day of our annual fantasy baseball rankings summit, the day that we, the ESPN Fantasy team, gathered to project and rank every team's closer. And since that date, 15 of the closers we all agreed upon then have lost their jobs.


Now, a 50 percent success rate might strike you as horrendous, especially since we're not even one-fifth of the way through the season. But to be fair, at the summit we successfully predicted the winners of two closer battles up for grabs this spring: Jim Johnson (Baltimore Orioles) and Grant Balfour (Oakland Athletics). Hey, at least we got a couple of 'em right.


Most of the 15 closers who have since lost their jobs, meanwhile, took everyone by surprise. Nine of them have done so since Opening Day. There have been seven closer changes, in fact, since last week's "Relief Efforts!" Heck, the first four bullpens discussed last week -- the topic was setup men with greater skills than the closers ahead of them -- are among those seven changes.


We've had four closers lost for the season due to injury: Joakim Soria (Tommy John surgery announced March 23, occurred April 3), Ryan Madson (Tommy John surgery announced March 24, occurred April 4), Brian Wilson (Tommy John surgery announced April 15, occurred April 19) and now Mariano Rivera (torn ACL and meniscus May 3, surgery date not yet set). You read that right: Even the game's all-time best closer wasn't safe from the injury bug.

We've had five other closers lost for extended periods, though perhaps not yet for the season, due to injury: Andrew Bailey (thumb surgery April 4, expected recovery time was three to four months), Kyle Farnsworth (elbow soreness, DLed April 5, return date unclear, though ineligible for activation before June 5), Drew Storen (elbow surgery April 11, expected recovery time was two months), Sergio Santos (shoulder inflammation, DLed April 21, expected recovery time was at least four weeks) and Huston Street (strained lat May 5, return date unclear).


We've had four closers lose their jobs due to ineffectiveness: Jordan Walden (demoted April 27), Carlos Marmol (demoted May 4), Heath Bell (demoted May 5) and Javy Guerra (demoted May 7).


And, finally, we've had two closers replaced because their teams moved starting pitchers into the role: Brett Myers took over the vacant Houston Astros gig on Feb. 28, while Chris Sale was announced Friday as the Chicago White Sox's new closer, supplanting Hector Santiago.


Oh, for some more fun, we've even had a closer role that has changed multiple times: The Toronto Blue Jays began the year with Santos, replaced him with Francisco Cordero, then recently replaced Cordero via manager's decision with Casey Janssen.


Got all that?



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 </th><th style="vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Prev
Rnk </center></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Craig Kimbrel, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 1 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jonathan Papelbon, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> John Axford, Mil </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kenley Jansen, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Motte, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Robertson, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jose Valverde, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joel Hanrahan, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Rafael Betancourt, Col </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> J.J. Putz, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 9 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 11 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joe Nathan, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 12 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 12 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon League, Sea </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 11 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Henry Rodriguez, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Fernando Rodney, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 16 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jim Johnson, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 16 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Santiago Casilla, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 18 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brett Myers, Hou </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 18 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Perez, Cle </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Grant Balfour, Oak </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Sean Marshall, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Aroldis Chapman, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jonathan Broxton, KC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Scott Downs, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Sale, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Capps, Min </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Addison Reed, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Huston Street, SD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 10 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mike Adams, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Frank Francisco, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Rafael Dolis, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Sergio Santos, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jordan Walden, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Alfredo Aceves, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jonny Venters, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Heath Bell, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Rafael Soriano, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Steve Cishek, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Vinnie Pestano, Cle </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Sergio Romo, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Hernandez, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Casey Janssen, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Javy Guerra, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tyler Clippard, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Marmol, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Dale Thayer, SD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Alexi Ogando, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Andrew Cashner, SD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Cook, Oak </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Francisco Rodriguez, Mil </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Thornton, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Drew Storen, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jon Rauch, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Andrew Bailey, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mitchell Boggs, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joaquin Benoit, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ernesto Frieri, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bryan Shaw, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Edward Mujica, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Luis Perez, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tom Wilhelmsen, Sea </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Rex Brothers, Col </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Luke Gregerson, SD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Pedro Strop, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Aaron Crow, KC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joel Peralta, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Greg Holland, KC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hector Santiago, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Juan Cruz, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Antonio Bastardo, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Lindstrom, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kris Medlen, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 72 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kerry Wood, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kyle Farnsworth, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Lindblom, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Francisco Cordero, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td></tr></tbody></table>




As always, the rankings to the right attempt to evaluate every relief pitcher -- closer or middle man -- based upon their value in the five prominent Rotisserie categories. If you're interested in one man's opinion of fantasy production by closers from this very date through the final date of the 2012 regular season, my thoughts are right there. My long-term preferences rank accordingly.


But this one man also says that, for this season at least, anything goes with closers. The proverbial "dart board" is as relevant an evaluation tool as ever, and a reactionary approach is fair. Yes, change might be the annual story at the closer position, but when was the last time you can recall this much change this quickly?


Here's what's most remarkable about this season: Statistically speaking, closers as a whole haven't been any more or less productive in 2012 than in the three seasons before it. Entering Wednesday's games, here were their average numbers, the stats from past seasons also through May 8 of those years:


2012: 65.4% conversion rate, 0.51 SV/G, 0.27 BS/G
2011: 66.3% conversion rate, 0.50 SV/G, 0.26 BS/G
2010: 63.1% conversion rate, 0.47 SV/G, 0.27 BS/G
2009: 62.4% conversion rate, 0.48 SV/G, 0.29 BS/G


Apparently it's not that closers as a whole are becoming less efficient, it's that the position itself has become more volatile. That makes sense, especially considering two of the top five closers we agreed upon on Jan. 20 no longer have any chance at finishing among the top 25 at the position, let alone top 5.


So in order to help you straighten out this mess, as well as provide a handy partner to this week's rankings, let's take a quick-hitting look at those seven bullpens in which the closer role changed hands in the past week:


Chicago Cubs: A bullpen discussed in detail last week both in this space as well as by AJ Mass on Friday, the Cubs finally tired of Carlos Marmol's spotty command, demoting him to a setup role. Though his anticipated replacements were to be a righty-lefty combination of Rafael Dolis and James Russell, Dolis appears to have stepped up as manager Dale Sveum's go-to guy, receiving each of the team's two save chances since. Dolis faces two obstacles when addressing his long-term prospects: He has a troubling eight walks compared to five strikeouts -- though his five K's compared to zero walks in his past five appearances at least hints at improvement -- not to mention he's too reliant upon his fastball; and Cubs management clearly prefers to get Marmol back into his original role in time. Dolis' hold on the closer job might be lengthy enough that he'll be of service in NL-only and deep mixed leagues -- think two to three weeks, as a guess -- but he shouldn't be mistaken for a high-upside save-getter.


Chicago White Sox: This one borders on bizarre. After surprisingly tabbing Hector Santiago his closer on Opening Day, manager Robin Ventura gave Matt Thornton an out-of-nowhere save opportunity on April 25, then the team announced during the past weekend that Chris Sale, a starter-turned-reliever-turned-starter, would again return to the bullpen and take over as closer beginning with this past Monday. You probably know the story since: Addison Reed, the hotshot prospect most fantasy owners probably want to see in the role, picked up back-to-back saves May 5 and 8, then Sale's first "save chance" involved him coming into a game with no one out in the eighth inning on Monday, a chance he promptly blew. To top it off, now the White Sox have sent Sale home to Chicago for an MRI on Thursday to determine the source of his elbow soreness, the injury the team used as its rationale for restoring him to the bullpen in the first place.


Got all that?


What's most frustrating about the White Sox's bullpen is that the individual arms involved in the chase for saves -- arguably excluding Santiago -- are extremely attractive fantasy prospects, based upon their potential in ERA, WHIP and strikeouts. Sale, Reed or Thornton could be a borderline top-10 closer if the team made a commitment to any one. It's for that reason that Sale warrants a look in his new role, though his elbow issues are a noticeable concern, but if I'm projecting the White Sox's top save-getter from Thursday forward, Reed is my pick. In fact, if the team gets, say, 30 more saves, I think Reed gets 20, Sale 7, Thornton 2, Santiago 1.


Los Angeles Dodgers: Another bullpen discussed in detail in last week's "Relief Efforts," the Dodgers finally tired of Javy Guerra's continued ineffectiveness -- he's 3-for-6 in save chances with a 9.82 ERA in his past nine appearances -- and installed one of the most sought-after fantasy sleepers at the position, Kenley Jansen, on Monday. I've sung Jansen's praises for a while now, and most people are quick to make the comparison, talent-wise, to what Craig Kimbrel did in fantasy leagues in 2011. There's no question Jansen has that kind of potential, but can he polish his command to the point that he, too, won't surrender the job? Certainly it's a chance worth taking, and as Kimbrel possessed similar questions at this time last season, the comparison fits. Let's run with it.


Miami Marlins: The Marlins sunk $27 million over the next three years in Heath Bell, and to date, the only positives he has offered them are three saves and six scoreless appearances. Unfortunately, the negatives include four blown saves, six scored-upon appearances and a 10.24 ERA through 12 games overall. Manager Ozzie Guillen couldn't accept that kind of ineffectiveness forever, so over the past weekend, he demoted Bell to middle relief, nominating Steve Cishek as Bell's replacement. Then, naturally, Guillen gave the next available save chance to Edward Mujica, who promptly converted it. Cishek did get the ball during Wednesday's game, then blew it, meaning this bullpen, again, is somewhat up in the air. Cishek's 1.17 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and experience both as brief fill-in for the big club last September and closer on occasion in the minors should grant him another chance, but Mujica's 3.14 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, as well as six consecutive scoreless appearances, have him edging closer. NL-only owners should want Cishek first, Mujica second, but Bell should recapture the job at some point if he's at all effective in the middle frames. He's paid to close, after all.


That's not to say that Bell will be effective; after suffering a troubling dip in his strikeout rate in 2011 (7.32, down from 11.06 in 2010), his number in the category has dropped again this season (6.52).

New York Yankees: No one saw this one coming. Oh, sure, maybe you've at one point said, "Mariano Rivera is 42 years old, at some point he has to break down." But if you claim you knew that he'd suffer tears to both the ACL and meniscus in his knee while shagging fly balls during batting practice, an exercise he has performed for the vast majority of his career, you're lying.


Rivera is done for the year, setting up outstanding setup man David Robertson as the new Yankees closer, and a potential top-five fantasy option for the remainder of the year. My thoughts on Robertson can be read here, but let's not ignore the follow-up to this story: He endured a miserable blown save on Wednesday, allowing four runs in two-thirds of an inning, potentially putting this role back in the questionable category. Nevertheless, I remain firm on my Robertson pick; be aware that he's a pitcher who tends to throw taxing pitches, and he had thrown 25 the night before while escaping a jam he created, meaning he might have been tired. I'd give him another chance, though he bears watching.


San Diego Padres: In news that can't surprise anyone, Huston Street is on the disabled list. Street's owners had to have been prepared for some missed time, considering his injury history, but it's the Padres' strategy in his absence that's most curious. Andrew Cashner, he of the near-100 mph fastball, and Luke Gregerson, the team's veteran setup man, have apparently been passed over in an initially projected committee, in favor of Dale Thayer, a journeyman who returned to the Padres this season after spending the past five in the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets organizations. Thayer converted each of his past two opportunities with both Cashner and Gregerson setting him up, and those eager to dismiss him as an option at least for the foreseeable future are probably overlooking what has been an astounding 20 K's compared to one walk in his 32 career big league innings. Thayer is the pickup in NL-only leagues, but a month from now Street could be back at closer (if healthy), and if Street gets hurt again, Cashner might by all rights have earned the next opportunity. There's really only one reason Cashner is an iffy choice now: His command is in need of some polish.


Toronto Blue Jays: The first bullpen to formally change twice this season, the Blue Jays are finally giving save chances to one of the most surprisingly deserving members of their bullpen, Casey Janssen. Francisco Cordero, one of 2011's better closers who signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal to be the team's setup man and emergency closer backup, performed horribly as Sergio Santos' stand-in; he was 2-for-5 in save chances with a 15.19 ERA in his past six games. Janssen, meanwhile, might not have struck fantasy owners as a viable choice, primarily because of his 4.76 ERA so far this season. But in his defense, he has a 2.69 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 66 games since the beginning of last year, and he's a much more valuable reliever now than, say, two to three years ago because of the introduction of a cutter to his arsenal. That has helped Janssen narrow his platoon splits and keep hitters off balance and it makes him a meaningful AL-only and deep mixed addition, at least in the short term. But make no mistake: The Blue Jays' bullpen is better with Santos as its closer and Janssen free to help anywhere in the mid-to-late frames, so he's probably only a short-term pickup.

 

[HacheMan]

Stanton HR total affected by home park

Eric Karabell

Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is surely one of the preeminent power hitters in the game, having mashed 56 home runs in his first two big league seasons in fewer than 1,000 plate appearances. Stanton's power should occur regardless of ballpark and pitcher, and while ongoing knee soreness has surely hampered him so far in 2012, he is on pace for 31 home runs. Perhaps we expected more, but as anyone that owns Albert Pujols will tell you, don't complain about "only" 31 home runs.


<offer></offer>The thing is, Stanton's home ballpark -- the shiny, new and full of bells and whistles Marlins Park -- hasn't been the easiest place to launch monster fly balls for home runs. It's still early May and way too small a sample size, but while run scoring hasn't seemed to be a major problem there, hitting home runs has: According to MLB Park Factors only four ballparks, each notable for its long-ball challenges (Citi Field, Petco Park, Safeco Field and AT&T Park), have posed more of a challenge to hit home runs.


That doesn't bode so well for Stanton, who has hit one home run at home this season in 11 games (and five on the road), a ninth-inning, center field bomb in a 8-1 game off ordinary Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Mike Zagurski on April 29. Journeyman Zagurski doesn't pitch in high-leverage situations and isn't exactly Zack Greinke. Otherwise, Stanton has been flummoxed by Marlins Park, especially to left field, where the new park is more spacious than the old dump. Stanton generally pulls his home runs to left field, and now they're being caught. We should mention Stanton is hitting more ground balls than normal and hasn't been Matt Kemp on the road, either.


While I wouldn't jump off the Stanton bandwagon nor question his third-round status in ESPN average live drafts nor cancel potential Hall of Fame plans in 20 years, the fact is his home run prowess would be better served in perhaps 25 other home ballparks. I don't see the Marlins trading him, though. This is the hand he's been dealt, and rather than presume a 40-home run campaign is pending I'll be satisfied when he hits 32 home runs and knocks in 98, while hitting .250. It's not quite Jose Bautista circa 2011, but it could be far worse. Perhaps another name change is in order.


Here are other power hitters whose fantasy value has been affected by home ballpark, either one that has changed dimensions or the player has changed his, um, team dimension:

• Prince Fielder, 1B, Detroit Tigers: The big fella has launched five home runs so far, including a majestic blast at Safeco Field on Tuesday. I think we knew hitting in Detroit wouldn't be as comfortable for him as Milwaukee, where Fielder hit 24 of his 38 blasts last season. The truth is Fielder has three of his five home runs at home this season, but no other extra-base hits; he's slugging .418 at home, but .558 on the road. He won't be hitting 38 home runs if he continues to slug .418 -- Johnny Damon slugged .418 last season! Still, a 30-110 campaign will suffice.


• David Wright, 3B, New York Mets: He has two of the team's seven home runs at Citi Field, while opponents have hit 12 in the 16 games there. It's a bit early to track pace, but initially the fences moving in haven't seemed to have altered production much. Lucas Duda and a few opponents have hit home runs there that wouldn't have left the ballpark in 2011, though. Wright is hitting .376 overall, but .289 at home.


• Yonder Alonso, 1B/OF, San Diego Padres: Not that he would have been Joey Votto had he stayed in Cincinnati, but I've seen a few of Alonso's deep fly balls caught at Petco Park. In other places, they wouldn't have been. Alonso hasn't homered anywhere so far but does have nine doubles and a .809 OPS at home. His problems have been on the road (.593 OPS). I think there's a 15-homer guy lurking, perhaps even in 2012.


• Michael Cuddyer, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies: An obvious offseason winner for leaving Target Field for Coors Field, Cuddyer is performing well at home, as expected. In road games, especially against right-handed pitching, he's not worth using in fantasy.


• Jesus Montero, C, Seattle Mariners: An obvious loser in terms of ballpark changes (but not for opportunity), Montero has hit half his four home runs at Safeco Field. He's also hitting 105 points worse there as opposed to the road (.212 versus .317). Frankly, his three walks in 117 plate appearances are a bigger concern than home ballpark.


• Josh Willingham, OF, Minnesota Twins: Few Twins are hitting well, especially at Target Field, but kudos to Willingham for hitting for four home runs and astronomical 1.565 OPS there. He's hitting 302 points lower on the road (.487 to .185). Yeah, makes little sense to me as well, but it won't continue.


• Ian Stewart, 3B, Chicago Cubs: You know, he didn't exactly rake at Coors Field. His career numbers there are ordinary (.243 AVG/.337 OBP/.430 SLG). He's actually slugged better in his career away from Coors! So far at Wrigley Field Stewart is hitting .194. He's hitting .195 on the road. Ignore him everywhere.


By the way, had I written this blog entry in March, I would have included Yoenis Cespedes, the slugging Oakland Athletics outfielder. The Cuban import probably could have signed with any of 20 teams, but he chose this franchise and its uninspiring yet spacious home digs of O.co Coliseum. Anyway, Cespedes is a bit like Stanton, sans the plate discipline and with the ability to play center field. He also has hit four of his five home runs at home. He has seven of his 10 extra-base hits there, and his OPS is more than double at home (1.085 versus .505). I do think Cespedes will be hampered by his home ballpark's dimensions in time, but it hasn't happened yet.

 

[HacheMan]

Waiting on Gardner

After Brett Gardner made it through his second minor league rehab game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, the expectation was that he would be activated from the disabled list in time for Thursday's game against the Rays. Unfortunately for the Yankees and fantasy owners, that didn't happen.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced Thursday afternoon that Gardner was being sent for an MRI after suffering "a little setback" with his right elbow during his rehab assignment. It turns out that he aggravated the muscle in the elbow and will need to be shut down for 10 days before picking up a bat again.

Girardi estimated that Gardner will miss 15-25 days because of the setback, so we're likely looking at a return in late May or early June. It's a tough break for fantasy owners, as there aren't many better sources for speed out there. Tony Campana (Yahoo: 10 percent owned, ESPN: 14.4 percent), Jose Tabata (Yahoo: 27 percent owned, ESPN: 8.7 percent), Denard Span (Yahoo: 20 percent owned, ESPN: 39.3 percent), Jarrod Dyson (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 4.6 percent), Nyjer Morgan (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 2 percent) and Andres Torres (Yahoo: 5 percent owned, ESPN: 2.8 percent) are just a few widely available speedy outfielders if you're currently hurting in the stolen base department.

Vlad Latches on with Jays

Vladimir Guerrero is headed north of the border again. Well, maybe. The Blue Jays announced Thursday that they signed Vlad to a minor league contract. He's scheduled to report to extended spring training in Dunedin, Florida before joining a minor league affiliate.

Guerrero, 37, failed to attract much interest this offseason after batting just .290/.317/.416 with 13 homers, 63 RBI and a career-low .733 OPS over 590 plate appearances with the Orioles last season. He recently worked out for the Diamondbacks, but GM Kevin Towers ultimately decided that he wasn't a good fit. Can't argue with him there.

Guerrero isn't being promised anything with the Jays, but he could be used as a part-time DH against left-handers if he eventually makes his way to the major league level. That would put him on the weak side of a platoon situation, which gives him limited value in AL-only leagues. Edwin Encarnacion has been one of the most productive hitters in the American League dating back to the second half last year, so it's likely that he would slide over to first base whenever Guerrero is in the lineup. The struggling Iannetta Needs Wrist Surgery

If the Angels are going to make a move in the American League West, they're going to have to do it without their starting catcher. At least for a little while.

Chris Iannetta will undergo surgery on his right wrist on Friday and is expected to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks. The 29-year-old backstop suffered the injury when he was hit in the wrist by a pitch from Twins' right-hander Liam Hendriks back on May 2, the very same night he caught Jered Weaver's no-hitter.

Iannetta has really struggled recently and is only hitting .197 so far this season, but he still had four homers, a decent .312 on-base percentage and a .706 OPS. His replacement, Bobby Wilson, owns a .208/.271/.331 batting line and a .602 OPS over 276 plate appearances in the majors. I don't have to set the bar very high here, but it's safe to say Iannetta will be missed by the Halos.

Hank Conger is currently on the disabled list with Triple-A Salt Lake due to an elbow injury, so John Hester is expected to replace Iannetta on the active roster. Still, given that Iannetta will be out for such a long time, it's not a bad idea to stash Conger in AL-only leagues in case he makes quick progress. Those in mixed leagues can ignore this situation for the next month or two.

NL Quick Hits: Stephen Strasburg struck out 13 while allowing just two runs (one earned) over six innings in a win over the Pirates on Thursday night … Diamondbacks' center fielder Chris Young (shoulder) went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks and a stolen base Thursday in his first extended spring training game. He could return from the disabled list at some point next week … Joel Hanrahan was placed on the bereavement list Thursday and is expected to miss a minimum of three days. Jason Grilli or Juan Cruz will likely handle save chances for now … Ryan Vogelsong traveled to Arizona early in order to get an injection in his back, but he's still expected to make his next start Monday … Jeremy Guthrie tossed four scoreless innings in a minor league rehab start Thursday and is expected to be activated from the disabled list to start Tuesday against the Giants … Stephen Drew (ankle) played in another extended spring training game Thursday, but it's not clear when he'll go out on a minor league rehab assignment. He should be stashed in a DL spot in most mixed leagues … Mets' right-hander Chris Young (shoulder) spun five shutout innings Thursday in his first start with High-A St. Lucie, but he's still multiple weeks away from being a legitimate consideration for the major league rotation …

AL Quick Hits: In his first start since coming down with lat soreness and dealing with the fallout of golf-gate, Josh Beckett was blasted for seven runs over 2 1/3 innings in a loss to the Indians on Thursday night … Josh Hamilton slugged his 15th home run of the season Thursday in the second game of a doubleheader against the Orioles … Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that the Angels and Nationals have discussed a trade that would send Peter Bourjos to Washington … Yoenis Cespedes (hand) missed his third straight game Thursday and is considered more likely to return Saturday than Friday … Rafael Soriano, not David Robertson, notched the save in a win over the Rays on Thursday night … Jason Hammel (knee) is expected to return to the O's starting rotation Monday against the Yankees … Brandon McCarthy (shoulder) declared himself ready to start Saturday against the Tigers after making it through a bullpen session Thursday with no issues … Colby Lewis had a career-high 12 strikeouts in a loss to the Orioles on Thursday and became the first pitcher since 1918 to give up five homers and strike out at least 10 batters in one game … Nolan Reimold is scheduled to receive an epidural injection in his sore neck Friday morning, but he's unlikely to return from the disabled list until late this month … Brandon Inge exacted revenge against his former team on Thursday by launching his second grand slam in the past three games, but we still wouldn't pick him up outside of deeper AL-only leagues ...

 

[HacheMan]

Full Deck

The upcoming week marks the first on this year's major-league schedule in which no team is slated for a day off. That's good news for fantasy players, as it means there will be a veritable smorgasbord of two-start pitchers to choose from in the first week of interleague action. I see a lot of options worth liking, especially in the National League where a combination of great pitchers and good pitchers with favorable match-ups has led to a stacked "Strong Plays" category.

Speaking of match-ups, keep an eye on the lefty/righty match-ups. It's worth noting that the Rangers are lined up to face a left-handed starter in four of their first five games this week, so you may want to consider sitting David Murphy (648 career OPS vs. LHP) and Mitch Moreland (593 career OPS vs. LHP).

In the NL, the Diamondbacks are looking at southpaws in five of their seven match-ups, which is unwelcome news for Jason Kubel (673 career OPS vs. LHP) and Miguel Montero (648 career OPS vs. LHP).

Going Twice…

American League

Strong Plays

Brandon Morrow: TB (Niemann), NYM (Batista)
Colby Lewis: KC (Chen), @HOU (Harrell)
David Price: @TOR (Alvarez), ATL (Hudson)
Bartolo Colon: @LAA (Santana), @SF (Lincecum)
CC Sabathia: @BAL (Chin), CIN (Cueto)
Ervin Santana: OAK (Colon), @SD (Bass)
Dan Haren: OAK (Ross), @SD (Suppan)
Drew Smyly: @CWS (Danks), PIT (Bedard)
Jake Peavy: DET (Scherzer), @CHC (Peavy)
Jon Lester: SEA (Millwood), @PHI (Lester)
Josh Beckett: SEA (Vargas), @PHI (Lee)

Decent Plays

Henderson Alvarez: TB (Price), NYM (Gee)
Jeff Niemann: @TOR (Morrow), ATL (Delgado)
Jason Vargas: @BOS (Beckett), @COL (Friedrich)
Ivan Nova: @BAL (Arrieta), CIN (Bailey)
Bruce Chen: @TEX (Lewis), ARI (Miley)
Danny Duffy: @TEX (Feldman), ARI (Kennedy)
Max Scherzer: @CWS (Peavy), PIT (Correia)
Derek Lowe: @MIN (Marquis), MIA (Johnson)
Jeanmar Gomez: @MIN (Pavano), MIA (Sanchez)
Wei-Yin Chen: NYY (Sabathia), @WAS (Strasburg)
Jake Arrieta: NYY (Nova), @WAS (Detwiler)

At Your Own Risk

Kevin Millwood: @BOS (Lester), @COL (White)
Tyson Ross: @LAA (Haren), @SF (Vogelsong)
Carl Pavano: CLE (Gomez), @MIL (Gallardo)
Jason Marquis: CLE (Lowe), @MIL (Greinke)
John Danks: DET (Smyly), @CHC (Maholm)

National League

Strong Plays

Stephen Strasburg: SD (Bass), BAL (Chen)
Ross Detwiler: SD (Suppan), BAL (Arrieta)
Kyle Lohse: CHC (Volstad), @LAD (Billingsley)
Jake Westbrook: CHC (Maholm), @LAD (Kershaw)
Tim Lincecum: COL (Friedrich), OAK (Colon)
Ryan Vogelsong: COL (White), OAK (Ross)
Anthony Bass: @WAS (Strasburg), LAA (Santana)
Cliff Lee: HOU (Harrell), BOS (Beckett)
Joe Blanton: HOU (Rodriguez), BOS (Lester)
Zack Greinke: @NYM (Gee), MIN (Marquis)
Anibal Sanchez: PIT (Bedard), @CLE (Gomez)
Clayton Kershaw: ARI (Kennedy), STL (Westbrook)
Chad Billingsley: ARI (Miley), STL (Lohse)
Johnny Cueto: @ATL (Hudson), @NYY (Cueto)
Wade Miley: @LAD (Billingsley), @KC (Chen)
Ian Kennedy: @LAD (Kershaw), @KC (Duffy)

Decent Plays

Jeff Suppan: @WAS (Detwiler), LAA (Haren)
Kevin Correia: @MIA (Johnson), @DET (Scherzer)
Erik Bedard: @MIA (Sanchez), @DET (Smyly)
Dillon Gee: MIL (Greinke), @TOR (Alvarez)
Yovani Gallardo: @NYM (Batista), MIN (Pavano)
Josh Johnson: PIT (Correia), @CLE (Lowe)
Christian Friedrich: @SF (Lincecum), SEA (Vargas)
Alex White: @SF (Vogelsong), SEA (Millwood)
Paul Maholm: @STL (Westbrook), CWS (Danks)
Tim Hudson: CIN (Cueto), @TB (Price)
Randall Delgado: CIN (Bailey), @TB (Niemann)

At Your Own Risk

Miguel Batista: MIL (Gallardo), @TOR (Morrow)
Lucas Harrell: @PHI (Lee), TEX (Lewis)
Homer Bailey: @ATL (Delgado), @NYY (Nova)
Chris Volstad: @STL (Lohse), CWS (Peavy)
<!--RW-->
Streamer City

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

American League

Wednesday, 5/16: Felipe Paulino vs. BAL
Paulino has good stuff and shut down the Yankees in his season debut this past week.

Thursday, 5/17: Jerome Williams vs. CWS
The veteran sinker-baller is off to a strong start this year and will look to keep it going at home against the Sox.

Friday, 5/18: Andy Pettitte vs. CIN
How will the 39-year-old southpaw fare in his return to baseball after a year away? Depending on how he looks against the Mariners in his debut Sunday, he might be a worth a play in this following nod against the Reds.

National League

Wednesday, 5/16: James McDonald @ WAS
McDonald is off to a tremendous start with a 2.70 ERA through his first six turns. The Nationals, despite their success, have struggled to score runs.

Thursday, 5/17: Aaron Harang @ SD
Harang's ERA is a bit bloated at 5.24, but he's turned in three quality starts in his past four trips and is averaging nearly a strikeout per inning.

Friday, 5/18: Barry Zito vs. OAK
Zito can be difficult to trust, but he's been effective this year and figures to fare well at home against his former team.

Total Games

American League

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

National League

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

Lefty/Righty Breakdowns

American League

BAL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
BOS: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CLE: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
CWS: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
DET: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
KC: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
LAA: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
MIN: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
NYY: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
OAK: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SEA: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TB: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
TEX: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
TOR: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 2 vs. RHP, 5 vs. LHP
ATL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CHC: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CIN: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
COL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
HOU: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
LAD: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
MIA: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
MIL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYM: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PHI: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PIT: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SD: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SF: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
STL: 3 vs. RHP, 4 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 (http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/teams/injuries/mlb/all/) but here's the latest on a few prominent players who have been out of action:

Chris Iannetta: Out until late June (wrist)
Jhoulys Chacin: Out indefinitely (shoulder)
Jonathan Sanchez: Out until late May (elbow)
Juan Rivera: Out indefinitely (knee)
Justin Morneau: Out until late May (wrist)
Alex Gonzalez: Out for the season (knee)
Carlos Gomez: Out until late May (hamstring)
Josh Thole: Out until late May (head)
Jayson Werth: Out until August (wrist)

 

[HacheMan]

Is Josh The Best in Baseball?

Josh Hamilton: Tuesday was a really good day for Josh Hamilton. He didn’t just go 5-5. He didn’t just score four runs. He didn’t just knock in eight runs. Josh Hamilton homered four times against the Orioles. Hamilton is arguably the best player in the Major Leagues, with Matt Kemp the only real threat to that title. However, the impending free agent has his off-field issues that could give teams pause when pursuing him this off-season. Will a team like, say Matt Kemps’ Dodgers, who has a brand new owner with tons of money and a gaping hole in left field where Albert Pujols: The man who used to be the best player in baseball finally connected with his first homerun of the season Sunday. Obviously you aren’t going to sell Pujols, but that .198 average is so hard to look at. A possible silver lining is Pujols’ seven RBI in nine games this month. Of course, Pujols has just five hits this month and is hitting a paltry .147 in May, but who knows, maybe he’ll turn it around soon. For what it’s worth, Pujols has never had a month where he hit below .200 in his illustrious career.


Andres Torres: Torres has been unconscious since coming off the DL, hitting safely in nine of ten games, plating eight runs, scoring another seven, and adding both a homer and a steal. Obviously Torres is going at an unsustainable rate -- just take a look at 2010, where after hitting .284 through August, Torres was just 11 for his last 67. With the Mets also going at an unsustainable rate, this might be the time to sell high on the man who hit just .221 last season and turned 34 in January.


Brandon Snyder: All Snyder does is hit when he’s in the lineup. Monday night Snyder picked up three hits and brought home six runs, which is one more than Jeff Francoeur has knocked in this season in 111 at bats. Snyder doesn’t play enough to warrant an add quite yet in most leagues, he has just 10 at bats this month, but if a corner infielder or outfielder ends up on the DL for the Rangers, Snyder will quickly become a must-own commodity.

Will Middlebrooks: Middlebrooks is hitting .323, but there is almost no chance he can keep it up. In fact, five of his 10 hits came in a two game span from May 6 to 7, as well as all three of his homers and all nine of his RBI. Someone is going to give up a lot for Middlebrooks, but the fact of the matter is that when Kevin Youkilis returns, Middlebrooks won’t have a defined role on the Red Sox. Since Middlebrooks hasn’t played anything but third base in his minor league career and Danny Valencia: I’m not sure how long the Twins can keep running Valencia out at third base and I’m fairly sure you can’t afford to keep him in your lineup. The 27 year old has gone 0-for-May, drawing just one walk and plating a single run with a groundout. The best part? Valencia and his .204 OBP hit 6th for the Twins on Friday. Wow.

David Robertson: Breaking News: David Robertson is not Mariano Rivera. But then again, no one is or ever has been on par with Mariano Rivera. Robertson locked down his first save opportunity, despite allowing a hit and two walks. His second opportunity was miserable, allowing four runs on three hits and a walk. Don’t panic. Robertson hadn’t allowed a run since August 29th, when J.J. Hardy took him deep. Before that it was July 24th, when Hideki Matsui and Cole Hamels: Cole Hamels didn’t make very many friends this week when he plunked super-phenom Bryce Harper. To top it all off, Hamels admitted, “I was trying to hit him…I’m not going to deny it.” Unsurprisingly, Hamels was slapped with a five game suspension. Back to baseball, Hamels remains one of the best pitchers in the Major Leagues, despite playing third fiddle behind Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Subtracting a rough first start, Hamels has a 2.06 ERA, and a 1.93 ERA in May. Hamels shouldn’t be undervalued in leagues, as he is just the pitcher Halladay and Lee are.


Carlos Zambrano: Zambrano has been undoubtedly the best off-season addition thus far for the Marlins. Big Z fired nine shutout innings against the Astros on Monday, giving him 16 shutout innings in May. Zambrano has been an elite starter in the past, and if he keeps his head on straight there’s really no reason he can’t have success this year. He won’t post a sub-2.00 ERA all year, but it seems like a good time to buy on the crazy right-hander.


Josh Beckett: Beckett missed his start on Saturday, played golf on the team’s off day, and proceeded to get shelled by the Indians, allowing seven runs in 2.1 innings. Needless to say, Red Sox Nation is none too pleased with the starter. Beckett has been as miserable as the rest of the Red Sox rotation, and while he may well turn it around and become the pitcher who posted a 2.89 ERA last season, this year he looks more like the 5.78 ERA pitcher he was in 2010. It’s too early to cut Beckett, but benching him could be advisable.

Of course, before concluding, we have to hear what Schultz Says: “Every so often, it's fun to give Colton the ability to add "that's what the T in SMART stands for" to the end of the column. Since I'm in that type of this mood this week, let's talk about the Chicago White Sox shall we? Setting aside what goes on in Dusty Baker's mind with respect to Aroldis Chapman and what passes for logic from Ozzie Guillen, figuring out what exactly is going on with the Pale Hose may be baseball's biggest exercise in futility. From a simple roto-standpoint, Gordon Beckham, Brent Morel and Dayan Viciedo refuse to live up to their potential as if they were 6-year-old children being told to go to bed; Philip Humber has followed up his perfect game with whatever would qualify as the polar opposite of a perfect game and the closer situation has been a game of hot potato, only the potato is a meatball being hurled in the 9th inning. That the Sox are hovering near .500 and sit only 2 1/2 games behind the FIRST PLACE CLEVELAND INDIANS similarly defies logic.

Most troubling with the Sox has been their handling of Chris Sale. Over the past seven days, the Sox moved their best starter not named Jake Peavy to the bullpen to be their closer due to worries about pain in his left elbow, inserted him in the 8th inning of a game with the FIRST PLACE CLEVELAND INDIANS, watched him implode in that game against the FIRST PLACE CLEVELAND INDIANS, sent him for an MRI, endured the criticism from Sale's agent over the order of pitching and MRI and then moved him back to the starting rotation. If you don't think this is going to have an effect on the 23-year-old, think again.

Josh Hamilton? Can we all just agree that barring injury, he and Matt Kemp are clearly hitting 80 home runs apiece and driving in 200 runs? We can. Good. Let's move on.

I remember when The Week That Was was the weather column as all it talked about was catching lightning in bottles. When did we become the financial column with all this talk of buying and selling? Did we get Jim Cramer to sponsor us? If so, where's my Mad Money money?

Since this is the only column of the year my mother reads (she wants to see if I mention her), I will finish by being a good son. Happy Mother's Day Mrs. Schultz. (Yes, Mrs. Schultz - despite that name I'm often called, my parents were and are married).”

Glenn Colton’s response: Enjoy the Indians’ success while it lasts. The financial/weather stuff is pretty funny, well played. Most importantly, of course, I agree – Happy Mother’s day to all the moms out there (especially to those in the Colton family!)

 

[HacheMan]

Forecaster: May 14-20

By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

Fantasy Forecaster updated Saturday, May 12 at 10:12 p.m. ET.


On tap: Interleague play arrives -- at least the brief, single-weekend preview before it gets fully underway in June -- causing that annually odd mid-May week in which all 30 teams play seven games and three series apiece: a pair of two-game series on Monday-Tuesday and Wednesday-Thursday followed by an interleague series Friday-Sunday. It is a true "quality over quantity of matchups" week because of the equal number of games by team, the only exception being that, as a result of interleague play, National League teams visiting American League parks get three days' worth of additional at-bats thanks to the designated hitter, while AL teams visiting NL parks lose those DH at-bats.

There are more of the latter than the former this week, but remember, it's only three days, so the impact of those lost DH at-bats won't be felt as much as they might in June, when two entire weeks (fantasy Weeks 10-11; June 8-10, the weekend of Week 9, is also interleague play) are consumed by interleague play. Still, the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers head to NL parks and lose their DHs, while the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins, New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates head to AL parks and get the DH. Doug Mittler examined in detail the NL players most likely to benefit from DH at-bats, and you can also find a general overview of DH/no-DH fantasy impact in the Hitting notes section below.


Among the interleague series of interest: White Sox at Chicago Cubs is always one packed with intensity, and don't overlook that the White Sox have won 12 of their past 18 meetings. They'll throw John Danks and Jake Peavy on Saturday and Sunday, and those two are a combined 5-1 with a 2.64 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and five quality starts in seven career Crosstown Classic games.


Reds at New York Yankees sets up a rematch of the 1976 World Series and is only the fourth interleague meeting between the two. Andy Pettitte will make his second start of the season Friday, then interleague dynamo CC Sabathia, 11-2 with a 2.53 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 17 interleague starts the past five seasons, will pitch Sunday.


Finally, one of the most anticipated interleague series entering the season, Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies, now represents a meeting of teams that have failed to meet expectations. Struggling right-hander Josh Beckett, 12-5 with a 3.11 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 20 career interleague starts, will be challenged yet again at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, where he's 2-3 with a 6.52 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in five career starts.


ESPN leagues: Week 6



Thanks to the packed schedule with nothing but new, two-game series beginning Monday, you have extra time to set your lineups this week, as the first game of Week 6, the Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals "Monday Night Baseball" game on ESPN, begins at 7 p.m. ET. It's quite the patterned -- mostly -- week as a result: Night games, getaway days, night games, getaway days, weekend series. These are the specific start times of the first game each day:



<style type="text/css">.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</style><table style="margin: 0px; width: 100%;"><thead><tr><th style="vertical-align: bottom;">Date</th><th style="vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Time (ET)</center></th><th style="vertical-align: bottom;">Teams</th><th style="width: 1px; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> </center></th><th style="vertical-align: bottom;">Date</th><th style="vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Time (ET)</center></th><th style="vertical-align: bottom;">Teams</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Mon 5/14</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">7 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">CHC, STL</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Fri 5/18</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">2:20 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">CHC, CHW</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Tue 5/15</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">1:05 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">HOU, PHI, SD, WAS</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Sat 5/19</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">1:05 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">CIN, NYY</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Wed 5/16</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">6:35 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">LAD, SD</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Sun 5/20</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">1:05 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">CIN, CLE, DET, MIA, PIT, NYY</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Thu 5/17</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">12:05 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">CLE, SEA</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> </td></tr></tbody></table>



Quick click by section, if you're seeking advice in a specific area:
Probable starting pitchers | Week 6 pitcher rankings | Pitching notes
Streamer's delight | Hitting ratings | Hitting notes

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 at least twice this week are in gold/beige boxes.



<style type="text/css">.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</style><table style="margin: 0px; width: 100%;"><thead><tr><th style="width: 35px; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Team</center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Mon
5/14</center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Tue
5/15</center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Wed
5/16</center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Thu
5/17</center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Fri
5/18</center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Sat
5/19</center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Sun
5/20</center></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">NYY
Hammel
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">NYY
Chen
(LHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@KC
Hunter
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@KC
Matusz
(LHP)
P: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@WAS
Arrieta
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@WAS
Hammel
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@WAS
Chen
(LHP)
P: 8</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">SEA
Lester
(LHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">SEA
Beckett
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TB
Buchholz
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TB
Doubront
(LHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@PHI
Bard
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@PHI
Lester
(LHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@PHI
Beckett
(RHP)
P: 6</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">DET
Danks
(LHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">DET
Peavy
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@LAA
Floyd
(RHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@LAA
Sale
(LHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CHC
Humber
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@CHC
Danks
(LHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@CHC
Peavy
(RHP)
P: 10</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@MIN
Gomez
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@MIN
Lowe
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">SEA
Jimenez
(RHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">SEA
McAllister
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIA
Masterson
(RHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">MIA
Gomez
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">MIA
Lowe
(RHP)
P: 6</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@CHW
Smyly
(LHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@CHW
Scherzer
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIN
Porcello
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIN
Fister
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PIT
Verlander
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">PIT
Smyly
(LHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">PIT
Scherzer
(RHP)
P: 7</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@TEX
Chen
(LHP)
P: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TEX
TBD

P: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BAL
Paulino
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BAL
Hochevar
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ARI
Duffy
(LHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">ARI
Chen
(LHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ARI
TBD

P: 1</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">OAK
Haren
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">OAK
Santana
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CHW
Williams
(RHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CHW
Wilson
(LHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SD
Weaver
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@SD
Haren
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@SD
Santana
(RHP)
P: 7</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">CLE
Pavano
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">CLE
Marquis
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@DET
Blackburn
(RHP)
P: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@DET
Walters
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@MIL
Diamond
(LHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@MIL
Pavano
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@MIL
Marquis
(RHP)
P: 3</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@BAL
Nova
(RHP)
P: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@BAL
Sabathia
(LHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TOR
Kuroda
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TOR
Hughes
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CIN
Pettitte
(LHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">CIN
Nova
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">CIN
Sabathia
(LHP)
P: 9</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@LAA
Ross
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@LAA
Colon
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TEX
Milone
(LHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TEX
McCarthy
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SF
Parker
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@SF
Ross
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@SF
Colon
(RHP)
P: 3</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@BOS
Vargas
(LHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@BOS
Beavan
(RHP)
P: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CLE
Hernandez
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CLE
Noesi
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@COL
Millwood
(RHP)
P: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@COL
Vargas
(LHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@COL
Beavan
(RHP)
P: 2</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@TOR
Niemann
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@TOR
Price
(LHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BOS
Hellickson
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BOS
Moore
(LHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ATL
Shields
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">ATL
Niemann
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">ATL
Price
(LHP)
P: 9</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">KC
Feldman
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">KC
Lewis
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">OAK
Darvish
(RHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">OAK
Harrison
(LHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@HOU
Feliz
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@HOU
Holland
(LHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@HOU
Lewis
(RHP)
P: 5</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">TB
Morrow
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">TB
Alvarez
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">NYY
Drabek
(RHP)
P: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">NYY
Hutchison
(RHP)
P: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">NYM
Romero
(LHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">NYM
Morrow
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">NYM
Alvarez
(RHP)
P: 7</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@LAD
Kennedy
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@LAD
Miley
(LHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@COL
Corbin
(LHP)
P: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@COL
Cahill
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@KC
Saunders
(LHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@KC
Kennedy
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@KC
Miley
(LHP)
P: 6</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">CIN
Delgado
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">CIN
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIA
Minor
(LHP)
P: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIA
Beachy
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TB
Hanson
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@TB
Delgado
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@TB
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 8</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@STL
Dempster
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@STL
Maholm
(LHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PHI
Garza
(RHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PHI
Volstad
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CHW
Samardzija
(RHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">CHW
Dempster
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">CHW
Maholm
(LHP)
P: 5</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@ATL
Bailey
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@ATL
Cueto
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@NYM
Leake
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@NYM
Latos
(RHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@NYY
Arroyo
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@NYY
Bailey
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@NYY
Cueto
(RHP)
P: 5</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@SF
Friedrich
(LHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@SF
Guthrie
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ARI
Moyer
(LHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ARI
Nicasio
(RHP)
P: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">SEA
White
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">SEA
Friedrich
(LHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">SEA
Guthrie
(RHP)
P: 5</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@PHI
A.Rdrguez
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@PHI
Harrell
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIL
Norris
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIL
Happ
(LHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">TEX
W.Rdrguez
(LHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">TEX
A.Rdrguez
(RHP)
P: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">TEX
Harrell
(RHP)
P: 1</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">ARI
Kershaw
(LHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">ARI
Billingsley
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SD
Capuano
(LHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SD
Harang
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">STL
Lilly
(LHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">STL
Kershaw
(LHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">STL
Billingsley
(RHP)
P: 4</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">PIT
Sanchez
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">PIT
Johnson
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@ATL
Buehrle
(LHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@ATL
Nolasco
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CLE
Zambrano
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@CLE
Sanchez
(RHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@CLE
Johnson
(RHP)
P: 9</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@NYM
Gallardo
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@NYM
Greinke
(RHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@HOU
Wolf
(LHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@HOU
Marcum
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIN
Estrada
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">MIN
Gallardo
(RHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">MIN
Greinke
(RHP)
P: 9</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">MIL
Batista
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">MIL
Gee
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CIN
Santana
(LHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CIN
Dickey
(RHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TOR
Niese
(LHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@TOR
Batista
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@TOR
Gee
(RHP)
P: 5</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">HOU
Blanton
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">HOU
Lee
(LHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CHC
Worley
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CHC
Halladay
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BOS
Hamels
(LHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">BOS
Blanton
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">BOS
Lee
(LHP)
P: 8</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@MIA
Lincoln
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@MIA
Correia
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@WAS
McDonald
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@WAS
Morton
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@DET
Burnett
(RHP)
P: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@DET
TBD

P: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@DET
Correia
(RHP)
P: 4</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">CHC
Westbrook
(RHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">CHC
Lohse
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SF
Garcia
(LHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SF
Wainwright
(RHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@LAD
Lynn
(RHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@LAD
Westbrook
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@LAD
Lohse
(RHP)
P: 4</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@WAS
Stauffer
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">@WAS
Bass
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">LAD
Richard
(LHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">LAD
Volquez
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">LAA
Suppan
(RHP)
P: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">LAA
Stauffer
(RHP)
P: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">LAA
Bass
(RHP)
P: 7</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">COL
Vogelsong
(RHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">COL
Lincecum
(RHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">STL
Bumgarner
(LHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">STL
Cain
(RHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">OAK
Zito
(LHP)
P: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">OAK
Vogelsong
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">OAK
Lincecum
(RHP)
P: 10</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">SD
Detwiler
(LHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">SD
Strasburg
(RHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PIT
Gonzalez
(LHP)
P: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PIT
Zimmrmnn
(RHP)
P: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BAL
Jackson
(RHP)
P: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">BAL
Detwiler
(LHP)
P: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">BAL
Strasburg
(RHP)
P: 10</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 Week 6 pitcher rankings: Top 75



1. Clayton Kershaw (LAD) -- Mon-ARI (Kennedy), Sat-STL (Westbrook)
2. Stephen Strasburg (WAS) -- Tue-SD (Bass), Sun-BAL (Chen)
3. CC Sabathia (NYY) -- Tue-@BAL (Chen), Sun-CIN (Cueto)
4. Zack Greinke (MIL) -- Tue-@NYM (Gee), Sun-MIN (Marquis)
5. Jake Peavy (CHW) -- Tue-DET (Scherzer), Sun-@CHC (Maholm)
6. David Price (TB) -- Tue-@TOR (Alvarez), Sun-ATL (Hudson)
7. Cliff Lee (PHI) -- Tue-HOU (Harrell), Sun-BOS (Beckett)
8. Dan Haren (LAA) -- Mon-OAK (Ross), Sat-@SD (Stauffer)
9. Jered Weaver (LAA) -- Fri-@SD (Suppan)
10. Justin Verlander (DET) -- Fri-PIT (Burnett)
11. Brandon Morrow (TOR) -- Mon-TB (Niemann), Sat-NYM (Batista)
12. Anibal Sanchez (MIA) -- Mon-PIT (Lincoln), Sat-@CLE (Gomez)
13. Felix Hernandez (SEA) -- Wed-@CLE (Jimenez)
14. Johnny Cueto (CIN) -- Tue-@ATL (Hudson), Sun-@NYY (Sabathia)
15. Roy Halladay (PHI) -- Thu-@CHC (Volstad)
16. Jon Lester (BOS) -- Mon-SEA (Vargas), Sat-@PHI (Blanton)
17. Ian Kennedy (ARI) -- Mon-@LAD (Kershaw), Sat-@KC (Chen)
18. Gio Gonzalez (WAS) -- Wed-PIT (McDonald)
19. C.J. Wilson (LAA) -- Thu-CHW (Sale)
20. Matt Cain (SF) -- Thu-STL (Wainwright)
21. Tim Lincecum (SF) -- Tue-COL (Guthrie), Sun-OAK (Colon)
22. Cole Hamels (PHI) -- Fri-BOS (Bard)
23. Brandon Beachy (ATL) -- Thu-MIA (Nolasco)
24. Ervin Santana (LAA) -- Tue-OAK (Colon), Sun-@SD (Bass)
25. Matt Garza (CHC) -- Wed-PHI (Worley)
26. Yu Darvish (TEX) -- Wed-OAK (Milone)
27. Tim Hudson (ATL) -- Tue-CIN (Cueto), Sun-@TB (Price)
28. Adam Wainwright (STL) -- Thu-@SF (Cain)
29. Madison Bumgarner (SF) -- Wed-STL (Garcia)
30. Max Scherzer (DET) -- Tue-@CHW (Peavy), Sun-PIT (Correia)
31. Jordan Zimmermann (WAS) -- Thu-PIT (Morton)
32. Josh Johnson (MIA) -- Tue-PIT (Correia), Sun-@CLE (Lowe)
33. Drew Smyly (DET) -- Mon-@CHW (Danks), Sat-PIT (TBD)
34. Mat Latos (CIN) -- Thu-@NYM (Dickey)
35. Yovani Gallardo (MIL) -- Mon-@NYM (Batista), Sat-MIN (Pavano)
36. Ricky Romero (TOR) -- Fri-NYM (Niese)
37. Colby Lewis (TEX) -- Tue-KC (TBD), Sun-@HOU (Harrell)
38. Lance Lynn (STL) -- Fri-@LAD (Lilly)
39. Neftali Feliz (TEX) -- Fri-@HOU (Rodriguez)
40. James Shields (TB) -- Fri-ATL (Hanson)
41. Johan Santana (NYM) -- Wed-CIN (Leake)
42. Doug Fister (DET) -- Thu-MIN (Walters)
43. Shaun Marcum (MIL) -- Thu-@HOU (Happ)
44. Henderson Alvarez (TOR) -- Tue-TB (Price), Sun-NYM (Gee)
45. Gavin Floyd (CHW) -- Wed-@LAA (Williams)
46. Ryan Vogelsong (SF) -- Mon-COL (Friedrich), Sat-OAK (Ross)
47. Ted Lilly (LAD) -- Fri-STL (Lynn)
48. Tommy Hanson (ATL) -- Fri-@TB (Shields)
49. Ross Detwiler (WAS) -- Mon-SD (Stauffer), Sat-BAL (Hammel)
50. Vance Worley (PHI) -- Wed-@CHC (Garza)
51. Ryan Dempster (CHC) -- Mon-@STL (Westbrook), Sat-CHW (Danks)
52. Jeremy Hellickson (TB) -- Wed-BOS (Buchholz)
53. Jeff Niemann (TB) -- Mon-@TOR (Morrow), Sat-ATL (Delgado)
54. Wei-Yin Chen (BAL) -- Tue-NYY (Sabathia), Sun-@WAS (Strasburg)
55. Josh Beckett (BOS) -- Tue-SEA (Beavan), Sun-@PHI (Lee)
56. Ubaldo Jimenez (CLE) -- Wed-SEA (Hernandez)
57. Derek Holland (TEX) -- Sat-@HOU (Rodriguez)
58. Jeff Samardzija (CHC) -- Fri-CHW (Humber)
59. Chad Billingsley (LAD) -- Tue-ARI (Miley), Sun-STL (Lohse)
60. Jake Westbrook (STL) -- Mon-CHC (Dempster), Sat-@LAD (Kershaw)
61. Jaime Garcia (STL) -- Wed-@SF (Bumgarner)
62. Jason Hammel (BAL) -- Mon-NYY (Nova), Sat-@WAS (Detwiler)
63. John Danks (CHW) -- Mon-DET (Smyly), Sat-@CHC (Dempster)
64. Chris Capuano (LAD) -- Wed-@SD (Richard)
65. Carlos Zambrano (MIA) -- Fri-@CLE (Masterson)
66. Chris Sale (CHW) -- Thu-@LAA (Wilson)
67. Ricky Nolasco (MIA) -- Thu-@ATL (Beachy)
68. Joe Blanton (PHI) -- Mon-HOU (Rodriguez), Sat-BOS (Lester)
69. James McDonald (PIT) -- Wed-@WAS (Gonzalez)
70. Edwin Jackson (WAS) -- Fri-BAL (Arrieta)
71. Derek Lowe (CLE) -- Tue-@MIN (Marquis), Sun-MIA (Johnson)
72. Jerome Williams (LAA) -- Wed-CHW (Floyd)
73. Hiroki Kuroda (NYY) -- Wed-@TOR (Drabek)
74. Jarrod Parker (OAK) -- Fri-@SF (Zito)
75. Jake Arrieta (BAL) -- Fri-@WAS (Jackson)



Two-start options for AL-/NL-only leagues:
Anthony Bass (SD) -- Tue-@WAS (Strasburg), Sun-LAA (Santana)
Bartolo Colon (OAK) -- Tue-@LAA (Santana), Sun-@SF (Lincecum)
Randall Delgado (ATL) -- Mon-CIN (Bailey), Sat-@TB (Niemann)
Christian Friedrich (COL) -- Mon-@SF (Vogelsong), Sat-SEA (Vargas)
Dillon Gee (NYM) -- Tue-MIL (Greinke), Sun-@TOR (Alvarez)
Jeanmar Gomez (CLE) -- Mon-@MIN (Pavano), Sat-MIA (Sanchez)
Kyle Lohse (STL) -- Tue-CHC (Maholm), Sun-@LAD (Billingsley)
Wade Miley (ARI) -- Tue-@LAD (Billingsley), Sun-@KC (TBD)
Ivan Nova (NYY) -- Mon-@BAL (Hammel), Sat-CIN (Bailey)
Tim Stauffer (SD) -- Mon-@WAS (Detwiler), Sat-LAA (Haren)
Jason Vargas (SEA) -- Mon-@BOS (Lester), Sat-@COL (Friedrich)



No-thank-yous, among two-start pitchers:
Homer Bailey (CIN) -- Mon-@ATL (Delgado), Sat-@NYY (Nova)
Miguel Batista (NYM) -- Mon-MIL (Gallardo), Sat-@TOR (Morrow)
Blake Beavan (SEA) -- Tue-@BOS (Beckett), Sun-@COL (Guthrie)
Bruce Chen (KC) -- Mon-@TEX (Feldman), Sat-ARI (Kennedy)
Kevin Correia (PIT) -- Tue-@MIA (Johnson), Sun-@DET (Scherzer)
Jeremy Guthrie (COL) -- Tue-@SF (Lincecum), Sun-SEA (Beavan)
Lucas Harrell (HOU) -- Tue-@PHI (Lee), Sun-TEX (Lewis)
Paul Maholm (CHC) -- Tue-@STL (Lohse), Sun-CHW (Peavy)
Jason Marquis (MIN) -- Tue-CLE (Lowe), Sun-@MIL (Greinke)
Carl Pavano (MIN) -- Mon-CLE (Gomez), Sat-@MIL (Gallardo)
Aneury Rodriguez (HOU) -- Mon-@PHI (Blanton), Sat-TEX (Holland)
Tyson Ross (OAK) -- Mon-@LAA (Haren), Sat-@SF (Vogelsong)



Pitching notes



• My Baseball Challenge pitching staff pick of Week 6 is the Los Angeles Angels, and it's not especially close. Few teams all season, not merely this week, can ask for a schedule more favorable than a pair of two-game series at home versus the Athletics and White Sox followed by a three-game interleague series at the pitching heaven that is San Diego's Petco Park. Angels pitchers have managed 14 quality starts in their past 15 games (through May 10), including a no-hitter by Jered Weaver and a 2.36 ERA and 1.01 WHIP during that span. Among individual Angels starters, two-start pitcher Ervin Santana is the standout. In addition to a weekend Petco start, he'll face the Athletics, against whom he's 13-4 with a 2.15 ERA in 24 career games (22 starts), on Monday. Here are my other recommended BBC pitching staffs: Detroit Tigers (@CHW-2, MIN-2, PIT-3), Washington Nationals (SD-2, PIT-2, BAL-3) and Milwaukee Brewers (@NYM-2, @HOU-2, MIN-3).


• The Twins and Pirates have become remarkably favorable matchups for opposing starting pitchers this season -- the Twins particularly for ERA/WHIP and the Pirates for strikeouts. In their past 10 games, Twins opposing starters have nine quality starts, a 1.78 ERA and 0.86 WHIP, while Pirates' foes during their past 10 have seven quality starts, a 1.04 WHIP and 8.82 K's-per-nine ratio.


That's a plus for both the Marlins' Josh Johnson and the Tigers' Max Scherzer, two strikeout pitchers coming off recent solid outings who will face the Pirates during the upcoming week. Johnson, incidentally, tossed seven shutout innings of two-hit, 9-K baseball versus the Pirates on April 19, 2011, against a lineup that was largely the same as the one he'll face this week. Rookie Drew Smyly, who will face the Pirates in his second turn of the week, gets a considerable advantage as a strikeout pitcher the Pirates have never seen.


Among Twins foes, take a look at Wednesday opponent, Rick Porcello, who has seven quality starts, a 2.86 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 12 career starts against them. They represent one of the few matchups for which he can be deemed trustworthy. Derek Lowe also warrants consideration for his Tuesday Twins matchup. Lowe and Porcello share an important, common bond: They're two of the 41 qualified pitchers with at least a 50 percent ground ball rate this season. Those 41 ground ball pitchers have combined to make 10 starts versus the Twins this season and have eight quality starts, a 2.19 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in them.


• Johnny Cueto should be the least scary fantasy option of the three Reds starters scheduled to pitch at New York's Yankee Stadium, as he has a 1.50 ERA in two career starts (both since 2008) versus the Yankees and has limited current Yankees to combined .191/.216/.362 career triple-slash rates in 53 plate appearances. Cueto also has posted a quality start in each of his two career appearances at Atlanta's Turner Field (1.93 ERA), one in 2009, the other in 2011.


• A.J. Burnett has three solid starts and one stinker so far this season, but his career history facing the Tigers hints at something much closer to another stinker. He has a 6.33 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in eight career starts against them, and current Tigers hitters have .273/.365/.443 lifetime rates in 106 PAs against him.


• Kyle Lohse, despite his torrid streak to begin the season, is an unexpectedly risky fantasy option this week. He's coming off a hamstring injury that cut short his most recent outing (May 9), and while his Tuesday matchup versus the Cubs might be favorable, his Sunday turn at the Los Angeles Dodgers is not. Lohse has a 5.45 ERA in eight career games versus the Dodgers, and he was pounded for 10 runs on 14 hits in 10⅓ innings in two starts against them last season. Between that and the health risk, he's probably better to avoid if your roster can afford it.


• Ryan Vogelsong, meanwhile, is a more palatable fantasy option than Lohse in what is also his return start from injury; he's coming off a back issue. Vogelsong has also gotten off to a hot start, but it's the strength of his Monday matchup versus the Colorado Rockies that stands out. He was 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA and 0.71 WHIP in five games (four starts) against them last season. The Saturday start versus the Athletics also represents a favorable matchup for the right-hander.


Streamer's delight



Among streaming starter -- something I define as single-start options in daily leagues among pitchers owned in 25 percent of ESPN leagues or fewer -- options for Week 6, here are my picks by day:


Monday, May 14: Vogelsong versus Colorado Rockies
Tuesday, May 15: Lowe at Minnesota Twins
Wednesday, May 16: Jerome Williams versus Chicago White Sox
Thursday, May 17: Aaron Harang at San Diego Padres
Friday, May 18: Jarrod Parker at San Francisco Giants
Saturday, May 19: Vogelsong versus Oakland Athletics
Sunday, May 20: Henderson Alvarez versus New York Mets


Past picks
Friday, May 4: Smyly - QS, 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Saturday, May 5: James McDonald - W, QS, 6⅓ IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Sunday, May 6: Bronson Arroyo (pitched Monday) - W, QS, 6⅔ IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Monday, May 7: Carlos Zambrano - W, QS, 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Tuesday, May 8: Joe Blanton - 6⅔ IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Wednesday, May 9: Anthony Bass - 5⅔ IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Thursday, May 10: Henderson Alvarez - W, QS, 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K


Week's total: 7 GS, 4 W (57.1 percent), 5 QS (71.4 percent), 47⅓ IP, 43 H, 10 ER, 11 BB, 45 K, 1.90 ERA, 1.14 WHIP
Season total: 32 GS, 14 W (43.8 percent), 18 QS (56.2 percent), 201 IP, 170 H, 67 ER, 69 BB, 138 K, 3.00 ERA, 1.19 WHIP


Hitting ratings



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: 35px; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Team</center></th><th style="width: 12%; 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
5/14</center></th><th style="width: 11%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Tue
5/15</center></th><th style="width: 11%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Wed
5/16</center></th><th style="width: 11%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Thu
5/17</center></th><th style="width: 11%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Fri
5/18</center></th><th style="width: 11%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Sat
5/19</center></th><th style="width: 11%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Sun
5/20</center></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
2 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 6
L: 5
R: 7
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">NYY
H: 10
L: 8
R: 10
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">NYY
H: 2
L: 2
R: 2
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@KC
H: 7
L: 10
R: 4
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@KC
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@WAS
H: 6
L: 6
R: 5
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@WAS
H: 2
L: 1
R: 4
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@WAS
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
2 home
4 vs. L
3 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 4
L: 5
R: 5
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">SEA
H: 5
L: 4
R: 5
S: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">SEA
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TB
H: 2
L: 5
R: 1
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TB
H: 7
L: 10
R: 6
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@PHI
H: 2
L: 5
R: 1
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@PHI
H: 5
L: 5
R: 6
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@PHI
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 6</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
2 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">DET
H: 4
L: 6
R: 3
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">DET
H: 7
L: 9
R: 4
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@LAA
H: 3
L: 2
R: 3
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@LAA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CHC
H: 3
L: 5
R: 1
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CHC
H: 5
L: 7
R: 3
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CHC
H: 6
L: 1
R: 7
S: 5</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
5 home
0 vs. L
7 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@MIN
H: 7
L: 6
R: 7
S: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@MIN
H: 8
L: 9
R: 6
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">SEA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">SEA
H: 7
L: 10
R: 3
S: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIA
H: 3
L: 5
R: 1
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIA
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIA
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 7</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
5 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 8
L: 7
R: 9
S: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CHW
H: 5
L: 6
R: 5
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CHW
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIN
H: 10
L: 10
R: 9
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIN
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PIT
H: 8
L: 7
R: 8
S: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PIT
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 10</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PIT
H: 7
L: 6
R: 7
S: 7</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
5 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 9
L: 5
R: 9
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TEX
H: 7
L: 4
R: 10
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TEX
H: 6
L: 10
R: 1
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BAL
H: 7
L: 10
R: 3
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BAL
H: 9
L: 5
R: 10
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ARI
H: 8
L: 1
R: 10
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ARI
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ARI
H: 4
L: 3
R: 5
S: 1</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
4 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 6
L: 6
R: 5
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">OAK
H: 8
L: 10
R: 7
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">OAK
H: 9
L: 10
R: 2
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CHW
H: 2
L: 3
R: 1
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CHW
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SD
H: 9
L: 10
R: 8
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SD
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SD
H: 3
L: 3
R: 2
S: 6</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
2 home
0 vs. L
7 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 6
L: 8
R: 5
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CLE
H: 7
L: 8
R: 5
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CLE
H: 6
L: 8
R: 4
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@DET
H: 7
L: 10
R: 4
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@DET
H: 2
L: 3
R: 1
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@MIL
H: 6
L: 5
R: 7
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@MIL
H: 4
L: 6
R: 3
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@MIL
H: 3
L: 6
R: 1
S: 6</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
3 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 9
L: 10
R: 7
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@BAL
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@BAL
H: 4
L: 3
R: 4
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TOR
H: 10
L: 10
R: 9
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TOR
H: 8
L: 10
R: 7
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CIN
H: 7
L: 10
R: 2
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CIN
H: 6
L: 8
R: 5
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CIN
H: 3
L: 4
R: 2
S: 3</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
0 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 4
L: 3
R: 6
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@LAA
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@LAA
H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TEX
H: 5
L: 4
R: 5
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TEX
H: 8
L: 3
R: 10
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SF
H: 5
L: 3
R: 6
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SF
H: 3
L: 6
R: 1
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SF
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 6</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
0 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 7
L: 8
R: 7
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@BOS
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@BOS
H: 5
L: 7
R: 4
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CLE
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CLE
H: 6
L: 8
R: 4
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@COL
H: 9
L: 10
R: 8
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@COL
H: 6
L: 8
R: 5
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@COL
H: 8
L: 10
R: 5
S: 1</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
5 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 4
L: 7
R: 3
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TOR
H: 4
L: 4
R: 3
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TOR
H: 4
L: 7
R: 2
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BOS
H: 7
L: 7
R: 6
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BOS
H: 6
L: 8
R: 5
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ATL
H: 3
L: 6
R: 1
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ATL
H: 5
L: 8
R: 1
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ATL
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 6</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
4 home
3 vs. L
3 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 8
L: 7
R: 9
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">KC
H: 8
L: 5
R: 9
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">KC
H: 7
L: 7
R: 7
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">OAK
H: 7
L: 10
R: 5
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">OAK
H: 4
L: 5
R: 2
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@HOU
H: 4
L: 1
R: 6
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@HOU
H: 6
L: 6
R: 5
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@HOU
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 7</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
7 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 7
L: 6
R: 6
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">TB
H: 4
L: 6
R: 3
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">TB
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">NYY
H: 3
L: 6
R: 1
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">NYY
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">NYM
H: 7
L: 3
R: 8
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">NYM
H: 8
L: 10
R: 4
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">NYM
H: 6
L: 9
R: 4
S: 7</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
0 home
4 vs. L
2 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 10
L: 6
R: 10
S: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@LAD
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@LAD
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@COL
H: 9
L: 10
R: 9
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@COL
H: 10
L: 10
R: 6
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@KC
H: 9
L: 5
R: 10
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@KC
H: 7
L: 5
R: 8
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@KC
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 4</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
4 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 4
L: 4
R: 5
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CIN
H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CIN
H: 3
L: 4
R: 2
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIA
H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIA
H: 5
L: 5
R: 5
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TB
H: 5
L: 5
R: 5
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TB
H: 3
L: 5
R: 2
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TB
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 5</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
5 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 4
L: 4
R: 5
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@STL
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@STL
H: 6
L: 4
R: 7
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PHI
H: 6
L: 5
R: 7
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PHI
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CHW
H: 5
L: 7
R: 1
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CHW
H: 5
L: 6
R: 5
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CHW
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 7</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
0 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 3
L: 3
R: 4
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@ATL
H: 5
L: 8
R: 1
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@ATL
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@NYM
H: 2
L: 3
R: 2
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@NYM
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@NYY
H: 5
L: 2
R: 6
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@NYY
H: 9
L: 7
R: 10
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@NYY
H: 2
L: 2
R: 2
S: 4</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
5 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SF
H: 3
L: 6
R: 1
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SF
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ARI
H: 8
L: 10
R: 7
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ARI
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">SEA
H: 10
L: 10
R: 9
S: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">SEA
H: 5
L: 5
R: 5
S: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">SEA
H: 9
L: 10
R: 6
S: 9</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
5 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 4
L: 2
R: 6
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@PHI
H: 5
L: 5
R: 6
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@PHI
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIL
H: 6
L: 4
R: 7
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIL
H: 3
L: 1
R: 5
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">TEX
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">TEX
H: 7
L: 2
R: 8
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">TEX
H: 6
L: 10
R: 1
S: 4</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
5 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 3
L: 1
R: 6
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ARI
H: 3
L: 5
R: 2
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">ARI
H: 4
L: 2
R: 5
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SD
H: 5
L: 1
R: 7
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SD
H: 3
L: 2
R: 4
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">STL
H: 1
L: 3
R: 1
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">STL
H: 5
L: 5
R: 4
S: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">STL
H: 6
L: 5
R: 7
S: 1</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
2 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 7
L: 9
R: 7
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PIT
H: 6
L: 8
R: 5
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PIT
H: 7
L: 6
R: 7
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@ATL
H: 10
L: 10
R: 10
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@ATL
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CLE
H: 4
L: 8
R: 1
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CLE
H: 7
L: 8
R: 5
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CLE
H: 6
L: 8
R: 4
S: 5</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
3 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 10
L: 10
R: 9
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@NYM
H: 8
L: 10
R: 3
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@NYM
H: 6
L: 9
R: 3
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@HOU
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@HOU
H: 8
L: 3
R: 9
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIN
H: 5
L: 8
R: 4
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIN
H: 7
L: 7
R: 8
S: 9</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIN
H: 8
L: 10
R: 7
S: 8</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
4 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 4
L: 7
R: 3
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIL
H: 4
L: 6
R: 3
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">MIL
H: 3
L: 6
R: 1
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CIN
H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CIN
H: 2
L: 3
R: 1
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TOR
H: 3
L: 10
R: 1
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TOR
H: 4
L: 4
R: 3
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@TOR
H: 4
L: 7
R: 2
S: 5</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
5 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 5
L: 5
R: 6
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">HOU
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">HOU
H: 9
L: 10
R: 6
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CHC
H: 3
L: 1
R: 5
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@CHC
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BOS
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BOS
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BOS
H: 5
L: 6
R: 3
S: 7</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
0 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 1
L: 3
R: 1
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@MIA
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@MIA
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@WAS
H: 2
L: 5
R: 1
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@WAS
H: 3
L: 5
R: 2
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@DET
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@DET
H: 3
L: 6
R: 2
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@DET
H: 6
L: 9
R: 4
S: 5</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
2 home
4 vs. L
3 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 1
L: 1
R: 3
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CHC
H: 4
L: 6
R: 2
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">CHC
H: 5
L: 1
R: 7
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SF
H: 2
L: 1
R: 2
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@SF
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@LAD
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@LAD
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@LAD
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 4</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
5 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 2
L: 1
R: 4
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@WAS
H: 2
L: 1
R: 4
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">@WAS
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">LAD
H: 3
L: 1
R: 4
S: 4</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">LAD
H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">LAA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">LAA
H: 2
L: 2
R: 2
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">LAA
H: 5
L: 6
R: 5
S: 8</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
7 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 6
L: 6
R: 5
S: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">COL
H: 5
L: 7
R: 4
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">COL
H: 6
L: 9
R: 4
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">STL
H: 3
L: 2
R: 3
S: 2</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">STL
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 1</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">OAK
H: 4
L: 2
R: 6
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">OAK
H: 8
L: 10
R: 7
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">OAK
H: 9
L: 10
R: 2
S: 5</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">7 total
7 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center">H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 5</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">SD
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">SD
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 6</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PIT
H: 5
L: 7
R: 3
S: 7</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">PIT
H: 8
L: 10
R: 5
S: 8</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BAL
H: 6
L: 10
R: 1
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BAL
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 3</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center">BAL
H: 4
L: 3
R: 4
S: 3</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.




Hitting notes



• With the designated hitter out of the picture from Friday-Sunday -- a span of three of a team's seven Week 6 games -- for eight AL teams, a handful of meaningful fantasy names might lose at-bats and therefore be somewhat less attractive options. The Red Sox's David Ortiz is the most notable, as he played only two games at first base during the team's nine road interleague contests in 2011. The White Sox's Adam Dunn -- he's a virtual lock to sit Sunday against left-hander Paul Maholm -- and the Angels' Kendrys Morales are two others who might find themselves glorified pinch hitters for nearly one-half of the week's schedule.


• NL hitters who stand to receive a few extra at-bats thanks to the DH include the Reds' Chris Heisey, who now has a place to play for an entire series; the Pirates' first-base platoon of Garrett Jones and Casey McGehee; and the Mets' Jordany Valdespin, who could play in the field while Daniel Murphy or Lucas Duda gets some at-bats in the DH spot.


• How convenient is it that two of the three teams to face as many as four left-handed starters this week rank among the top two in the majors in team OPS versus lefties? The St. Louis Cardinals (.856 OPS, first) and Boston Red Sox (.846, second) are the teams, and in the case of the Cardinals, two of their hitters in the more "questionable" category this week rank among their most prominent lefty killers: Allen Craig and Yadier Molina. Craig, seven games removed from knee surgery, is a lifetime .278/.319/.571 hitter versus lefties (4-for-11, 1 HR this season) who is too valuable for the Cardinals -- or his fantasy owners -- to bench due to the matchups. Molina, battling a bruised left hand he suffered May 8, is a .308/.396/.521 hitter versus left-handers since the beginning of last season, not to mention that the specific pitcher matchups suit him well. He's a combined .343 hitter (23-for-67) in his career versus Cubs starters Ryan Dempster (Monday) and Paul Maholm (Tuesday), .357 (5-for-14) versus San Francisco Giants starters Madison Bumgarner (Wednesday) and Matt Cain (Thursday) and .357 (5-for-14) versus Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley (Sunday).


Among Red Sox hitters, spark plugs Mike Aviles (.371/.436/.686 versus lefties this season) and Will Middlebrooks (4-for-12, 2 HRs) need to be kept active in a week full of left-handed competition. In the case of Middlebrooks, his at-bats remain secure for at least this week with news that, as of May 10, Kevin Youkilis (back) had not yet resumed baseball activity.


• The Diamondbacks are the third team to face four left-handed starters, and it's weeks such as this that favor fantasy megastud Justin Upton, he of the .913 lifetime OPS against southpaws. But Upton isn't the only hitter who benefits from such a schedule; Aaron Hill stands out as a strong Week 6 matchups play. Hill is 9-for-28 (.321 AVG) with three home runs versus lefties this season, and it's the individual opposing starters who make him an attractive option. He's a lifetime .423/.464/.808 hitter versus Wednesday starter Jamie Moyer and a .300/.364/.600 hitter versus Saturday starter Bruce Chen.


• Assuming he's cleared to play by your league's lineup deadline, Desmond Jennings should be started with confidence in all formats. He has two of his most attractive individual matchups right off the bat. He's 3-for-7 with two home runs in his career versus each of the Toronto Blue Jays' two scheduled starters, Brandon Morrow (Monday) and Henderson Alvarez (Tuesday).

 

[HacheMan]

Top 12 for '12: Gyorko ready for call

By Kevin Goldstein | Baseball Prospectus

Note: The top 12 fantasy prospects (players currently in the minor leagues) for 2012 are below. These rankings are a bit different from other prospect rankings; these are strictly for 2012 fantasy purposes. So not only do talent and recent performance play a role in the rankings, but potential paths to the big leagues also factor in. In addition, all young players in the minors are eligible, including those in "prospect purgatory," those who have exceeded rookie status but are still young and unproven commodities.



<offer></offer>1. Jedd Gyorko, 2B, San Diego Padres (Last week's rank: 3)




Last week's stats (at Double-A San Antonio): 5-for-17 (.294), 2 RBIs
Season totals: .266-6-17, 1 SB in 27 games
Update: The Padres have the worst record in the National League, and their offense, or lack thereof, is largely to blame; they rank last in the circuit in batting average and slugging percentage. Rumors of a housecleaning and commitment to youth continue to surface, and that could include a new middle infield that features Gyorko at second base. Since moving to the middle of the diamond (from third base), Gyorko is batting .297-5-11 in 64 at-bats.
What he can do: Gyorko is just waiting for the Padres to pull the trigger. It's coming. The only question is when.



2. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies (Last week's rank: 4)

Last week's stats (at Double-A Tulsa): 6-for-24 (.250), 3 RBIs
Season totals: .289-1-17 in 20 games
Update: The Rockies still don't have a reliable third baseman; Arenado has begun to hit again; and the magic service-time date has been passed on the calendar. The Rockies seem to be waiting for just one more hot streak from him.
What he can do:Arenado is still five-plus years away from his power ceiling (which is merely average at 15-20 homers per year), and he doesn't run. The good news is scouts believe he can hit big league pitching right now and compete for batting titles down the line.



3. Everth Cabrera, SS, Padres (Last week's rank: 2)




Last week's stats (at Triple-A Tucson): 11-for-31 (.355), 4 RBIs, 2 SB
Season totals: .325-0-13, 14 SB in 29 games
Update: Like Gyorko, Cabrera is biding his time at Triple-A and waiting. He's also scorching the ball and running all over the place to make sure the Padres know he's ready for another shot at the everyday shortstop job. However, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the decision to bring him up is complicated by a domestic violence case in Arizona. A pretrial conference in the case is scheduled (in court) for next week.
What he can do: For fantasy purposes, he's a shortstop who can steal bases. For sim leagues, he adds above-average defense. He'll always have more value in the shadow versions of the game than the real one, but we're also living in a world that doesn't have 30 legitimate big league shortstops.



4. Heath Hembree, RP, San Francisco Giants (Last week's rank: 6)




Last week's stats (at Triple-A Fresno): 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 0 K's
Season totals: 1-0, 8 SV, 2.08 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 13 IP, 10 K's
Update: Brian Wilson is out for the season; Guillermo Mota has been suspended 100 games; and nobody is quite sure what the Giants are waiting for. Hembree is ready.
What he can do: Hembree has late-innings stuff and is throwing more strikes than ever. He can help right now, and he's likely the Giants' closer of the future.



5. Matt LaPorta, 1B, Cleveland Indians (Last week's rank: 1)


Last week's stats (at Triple-A Columbus): 4-for-21 (.191), RBI
Season totals: .336-9-21 in 30 games
Update: LaPorta might have cooled off, but Casey Kotchman is still hitting below the Mendoza line. Also worth noting: LaPorta would add a right-handed bat to an overwhelmingly left-handed lineup.
What he can do: Yes, LaPorta has struggled in previous big league stints, but he has been better than Kotchman has been in 2012, and the American League Central race suddenly looks a lot more interesting than it did in April.



6. Trevor Bauer, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks (Last week: unranked)

Last week's stats (at Double-A Mobile): 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 5 K's
Season totals: 6-1, 1.96 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 41 1/3 IP, 51 K's
Update: Bauer nearly broke camp with the big league squad, but in the end the third overall pick in the June 2011 draft was sent to Double-A for some seasoning. It would take injuries and/or ineffectiveness at the big league level for Bauer to get a call-up, but it just so happens injuries (Daniel Hudson) and ineffectiveness (Josh Collmenter and Patrick Corbin) are exactly what is plaguing the Diamondbacks' rotation right now.
What he can do: Bauer has the ability to miss major league bats with a wide arsenal of power pitches, but control and pitch efficiency remain his bugaboos, as he's averaging nearly five-and-a-half walks per nine innings. Even when he's missing the strike zone, he can keep runs off the scoreboard; he just can't pitch deep into games with any regularity.



7. Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs (Last week: unranked)





Last week's stats (at Triple-A Iowa): 6-for-23 (.261), 3 HR, 9 RBIs
Season totals: .347-10-33, 1 SB in 31 games
Update: Rizzo is hitting well, but the Cubs have multiple reasons to leave him in the minors, at least for now. Bryan LaHair is raking for the big league club, so there's no way to get Rizzo into the lineup without finding a taker for Alfonso Soriano, which would allow LaHair to move to left field. It's a complicated issue, but at some point the Cubs are going to show the Wrigley faithful their shiny new toy.
What he can do: Rizzo can hit, and hit for power. That said, he did that last year at Triple-A, and his big league stint with the Padres was nothing short of a disaster. That has to be in the back of the Cubs' collective mind.



8. Mark Melancon, RP, Boston Red Sox (Last week's rank: 8)





Last week's stats (at Triple-A Pawtucket): 3 1/3 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K's
Season totals (at Pawtucket): 0-0, 3 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 10 IP, 18 K's
Update: Considering 70 percent of his outs last week came by way of strikeout, it's time for the Red Sox to realize that Melancon has served his time for his early-season struggles in Boston. Come on, Red Sox, let's let bygones be bygones; you need all the help you can get these days.
What he can do: Well, he can be a heck of a lot better than he was the first two weeks of the season.



9. James Darnell, 3B/OF, Padres (Last week: unranked)




Last week's stats (at Triple-A Tucson): 7-for-25 (.280), 3 HR, 8 RBIs
Season totals: .267-7-21, 1 SB in 19 games
Update: Yup, another Padres prospect, and for good reason. Like Gyorko, Darnell's recent position switch (from third base to the outfield) could be a sign of things to come. Starting third baseman Chase Headley has been one of the few bright spots in the Padres' lineup, which prompted a move of Darnell to left field, where the big league team is getting little production.
What he can do: Darnell has consistently put up good numbers in the minors, as he's a solid hitter who can work the count, and he has at least average power. He's athletic, but he's not a base stealer, so you'll have to find your stolen bases elsewhere.



10. David Cooper, 1B, Toronto Blue Jays (Last week: unranked)





Last week's stats (at Triple-A Las Vegas): 8-for-21 (.381), 3 HR, 6 RBIs
Season totals: .325-4-28 in 31 games
Update: The Blue Jays have an exciting young team that is just two games out of first place (with an 18-14 record) while competing in baseball's toughest division. What they don't have is a productive first baseman; the shocking decline of Adam Lind since his monster 2009 campaign continues. Enter the club's first-round pick in the 2008 draft. Cooper is a career .300 hitter in the minors, and he's putting up big numbers in Las Vegas for the second straight year.
What he can do: Cooper's best skill is simply his ability to avoid making outs; he can hit for average while drawing plenty of walks. But be forewarned that he does not have the power normally associated with a corner-infield position, and he has nothing to offer in terms of stolen bases.



11. Travis Snider, OF, Toronto Blue Jays (Last week's rank: 5)



Last week's stats (at Triple-A Las Vegas): 0-for-6 (.000), RBI
Season totals: .370-4-24, 2 SB in 21 games
Update: Snider returned from a minor wrist injury this week, but the Blue Jays have more pressing needs at other positions. Arguably their least productive outfielder has been Jose Bautista, and he's obviously not going anywhere.
What he can do: Left fielder Eric Thames isn't exactly rocking anybody's socks off. If Snider can get back on a hot streak, he could get another (and possibly last) chance to make an impact in Toronto.

12. Josh Bell, 3B, Diamondbacks (Last week: unranked)

Last week's stats (at Triple-A Reno): 11-for-28 (.393), HR, 12 RBIs
Season totals: .420-3-24 in 17 games
Update: From the "Where is he now?" file comes Bell, the former Orioles third baseman of the future. He was grabbed by the Diamondbacks at the end of April when the Orioles removed him from their 40-man roster and tried to pass him through waivers. Much of his recent hitting prowess could be a result of hitting in the friendly confines of Reno, but Ryan Roberts has some friendly confines himself in Arizona and he's doing little for the D-backs.
What he can do: While replacing Roberts with Bell would be an act of desperation, desperate times call for desperate measures, as injuries have left the defending National League West champs scrambling.


Falling out




7. (last week's rank) Danny Hultzen, SP, Seattle Mariners (at Double-A Jackson): Had a strange outing this week in which he allowed just a hit over 4 1/3 innings but walked seven. For an extreme command and control specialist, that's a bit concerning.
9. Joe Benson, OF, Twins (at Double-A New Britain): Benson did change teams this week, but instead of heading to Minnesota he was dropped down to Double-A to see if he can get his bat going again.
10. Johnny Giavotella, 2B, Royals: Giavotella was called up to the big leagues and placed in a platoon with Chris Getz at second base. But what will happen when Yuniesky Betancourt returns from the disabled list?
11. Mike Olt, 3B/1B, Rangers (at Double-A Frisco): A bruised hand has temporarily delayed any chance Olt had at what would admittedly be a dramatic move by the Rangers.
12. Rudy Owens, SP, Pirates (at Triple-A Indianapolis): Erik Bedard's injury turned out to be back spasms, and the team sees Brad Lincoln as the next in line for starts.

Bonus round: September help


There are plenty of prospects tearing up Double-A, but they're likely not in line for anything more than a September look because of either their youth or that they're not on a 40-man roster, and such a move would require extra roster machinations. Here are three players who might not help immediately, but could be key options in September:


Evan Gattis, C/OF, Braves (at Double-A Mississippi): Anything but young for a prospect (he turns 26 in August), Gattis walked away from baseball for nearly four years, but he has done nothing but mash since returning, including four home runs in his first 10 games after being called up to Mississippi. Because of his age, the Braves won't hesitate to move him through the levels quickly.
Wil Myers, OF, Royals (at Double-A Northwest Arkansas): One of the best young hitters in the game, Myers has bounced back from an injury-plagued and ineffective 2011 campaign. Now healthy, Myers is crushing Texas League pitching to the tune of .342 AVG/.405 OBP/.718 SLG and 11 home runs for the Naturals, including a recent run of home runs in four straight games.
Oscar Taveras, OF, Cardinals (at Double-A Springfield): Tavares flirted with .400 last year in the Midwest League, but he was limited to a half-season because of hamstring troubles. While it was surprising that the Cardinals advanced him to Double-A as a 19-year-old, he has proved it was the right decision by batting .320/.366/.656, with nine home runs, in 31 games.

 

[HacheMan]

Vladimir Guerrero: Yea or nay?

Eric Karabell

The first reaction for most to Vladimir Guerrero signing a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays is probably one of ambivalence.




After all, Guerrero is a shell of the once-dominant player he was the last time he played home games in Canada (for the Montreal Expos). He is 37, draws fewer walks than ever, doesn't run well and offers no help defensively. The fact that the Blue Jays will take a look at him with a minor league deal -- with no assurances that he will play for them -- doesn't need to send shock waves through the American League East or the fantasy baseball community.

Then again, Guerrero was a relevant player in 2011, when he hit .290 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs for the Baltimore Orioles. That season doesn't seem like much, but it was enough to make Guerrero the 101st best hitter on the ESPN Player Rater; he topped Jayson Werth, Alex Rodriguez, Carl Crawford, Kevin Youkilis, Andre Ethier and David Wright, among many others. The year before that, Guerrero was an All-Star and earned MVP votes for hitting .300 with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs. Maybe this isn't such a meaningless signing after all.




<offer>For now, Guerrero will head to extended spring training, but I can't imagine he'll need much time there. A decent comparison would be Johnny Damon, who played last season (he was 67th among hitters on the Player Rater), couldn't find a job this winter, signed with the Cleveland Indians on April 12 and was leading off for the team May 2. Guerrero will likely need two-plus weeks, and then he'll be in Toronto's lineup, likely as the designated hitter. For those wondering, Guerrero did not play any games in the outfield last season, so he is DH-only for ESPN leagues. He'd need 10 games this season to become outfield-eligible, but don't bet on that happening.</offer>




Guerrero is a Blue Jay because the team feels he can still hit enough to matter, and the team's current first baseman is quickly becoming someone who doesn't matter. Adam Lind was awesome in 2009, but in the two-plus years since, he's hitting .240 with a brutal .290 on-base percentage and not enough power to make up for it. Lind is also anemic against left-handed pitching. Currently he's anemic against right-handers too, batting .216 against them over 74 at-bats with two home runs. Guerrero, even in his current state, is an upgrade, and the Blue Jays can move regular DH Edwin Encarnacion, currently in the top five overall on the Player Rater, to first base.

Guerrero is a free swinger, but he still makes contact; he hasn't struck out more than 60 times in a season since 2008. His 17 walks in 145 games last season were the second-lowest among the 145 qualifiers for the batting title (Yuniesky Betancourt drew 16 walks), but Guerrero always manages to overcome this to hit for a decent average. Only 41 qualified hitters topped his .290 batting average. The power was unimpressive and he hits into way too many double plays, but he's also not one of those right-handed hitters getting overwhelmed by right-handed pitchers. Guerrero hit 11 of his home runs against right-handed pitching last season, batting .291 off them with a .743 OPS. It's not great, but it easily trumps what Lind is doing. Guerrero destroyed lefties in 2010, and it's clear some semblance of bat speed remains. While some speculate Guerrero and Lind might be platooned, with Encarnacion switching between DH and first-base duties, don't be surprised if Guerrero earns regular at-bats against all pitchers at DH.





So what is Guerrero worth in a 10- or 12-team standard league? I don't think fantasy owners need to necessarily hit their waiver wire today to get him, but Guerrero has hit for enough average to warrant a look, even in shallow leagues, in the utility spot. Remember, two years ago, though buoyed by the friendly home confines of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Guerrero hit 20 home runs by the All-Star break. I seriously doubt we'll see that, but he's capable of at least 12 home runs and 50 RBIs for a four-month period, from June 1 on. On many fantasy teams in this watered-down offensive era, that's going to matter. Plus, if Guerrero can hit .290 like last season -- he never has hit worse in a full season, and I don't see why he'd plummet now -- his batting average has more impact to a fantasy team because it comes in more at-bats since the guy just doesn't take walks.
Add it all up and I admit it's a bit surprising that Guerrero actually matters to this extent. It surprised me that he was nearly a top-100 hitter in 2011. Guerrero was once one of the top five fantasy players in all the land, a joy to watch hit, run and throw. He's not nearly at that level anymore, but even based on last season's rather modest production, the future Hall of Famer can still help the Blue Jays and fantasy owners. Have a great weekend!

 

[HacheMan]

Wilson!

It’s a blow to the now second-place Nationals, as Ramos is considered a good defensive catcher who is valued for his ability to handle a staff. He was also hitting .265/.354/.398 with three homers after a .267/.334/.445 batting line with 15 bombs last year.

​

Ramos’ replacement behind the dish will be

Jesus Flores, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI Sunday. Flores has some pop in his bat, having put up a 20-homer season in the minors and putting eight over the boards in 90 games for the Nats back in 2008. He’s also had numerous injury issues, and the average likely isn’t going to help you, but he’s a viable replacement for those that were left with a hole at catcher following Ramos’ injury.



Fuentes Takes Over the Ninth



A’s manager Bob Melvin announced that Brian Fuentes would be taking over for the struggling Balfour in the ninth inning. He picked up his second save of the season Saturday and the four-time All-Star is having a nice year, having posted a 3.86 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 12/2 K/BB ratio over 14 innings.



Of course, Fuentes hasn’t been able to hold on to the closer job the last couple times it’s been handed to him, and it’s clear his best days are behind him. Balfour, who told Melvin he was “pissed” about the demotion, will reportedly get a chance to win the job back eventually, but obviously Fuentes is worth scooping up in all formats as long as he’s calling the ninth inning home. When Desmond Jennings sprained his left knee on May 6, the Rays called it a day-to-day injury and felt the talented young outfielder would be back in action in a couple days. Initially, they looked like they’d be right, as Jennings experienced improvement the first few days after the injury. But, he’s since then hit a wall.



"We really thought it wasn't going to be a normal 15-day situation, so that's why we refrained from the DL," manager Joe Maddon said in the Tampa Bay Times. "We've got to stay on top of it because we are not seeing great progress. We're not seeing regress or progress. We're still seeing pretty much the same feeling on a day-to-day basis. We were expecting a little bit more progress by now."



Maddon now won’t rule out a DL move, saying a decision on Jennings will need to be made soon. If he does have to be disabled, he’ll be out until at least May 27, as he’s made a few pinch-hitting appearances since the initial injury. The Rays will continue to mix and match with Matt Joyce and National League Quick Hits: The Mets are expected to make an aggressive push to sign David Wright to an extension, and an offer could come as soon as this summer. It’s no surprise that they’re apprehensive about losing him after Jose Reyes bolted last winter … Frank Francisco blew his second straight save Sunday and now holds an 8.56 ERA and 1.98 WHIP on the year, prompting Mets manager Terry Collins to consider a change at closer. We’re betting he goes with Jon Rauch … Matt Kemp will get an MRI on his tender left hamstring. He says he won’t go on the DL but admits that he might miss some games … Lance Berkman (calf) was activated from the disabled list Sunday and returned to the lineup for the Cardinals. He missed 20 games … Buster Posey’s surgically-repaired leg feels “a little cranky,” according to Giants manager Bruce Bochy. Bochy isn’t concerned, but they won’t push their star catcher … Joaquin Arias has been named the starting third baseman for San Francisco until Pablo Sandoval (hand) returns in about a month. Arias is an unappealing fantasy option … Ruben Tejada (quad) has yet to be cleared to resume baseball-related activities. He’s eligible to be activated from the DL on May 22, but he will not be ready by then. Ronny Cedeno will continue to handle shortstop for the Mets … Jorge De La Rosa had to exit his rehab outing Saturday after one inning due to forearm tightness. The Rockies are saying it was a precaution, and it doesn’t sound like De La Rosa’s rehab schedule will be affected … Stephen Drew (ankle) was able to perform sliding drills for the first time since his season-ending injury last July. It was the last baseball-related activity Drew had yet to perform. He’s nearing a rehab assignment … Dale Thayer nailed down his third straight save chance Saturday and is looking like the man to own in the Padres bullpen until Huston Street (lat) returns … Chris Carpenter (shoulder) could start a throwing program by mid-June. He won’t return before the All-Star break … Henry Rodriguez blew his third save of the season and second in his last four chances Sunday. He should still keep the job until Drew Storen (elbow) returns, which could be in less than a month … The man that hung the blown save on Rodriguez was American League Quick Hits: Danny Duffyleft Sunday’s start in the first inning with what’s being described as medial left elbow tightness. The young left-hander had a start skipped late last month due to an elbow issue, and this issue is considered similar. He’ll have an MRI Monday … Kevin Youkilis (back) has been cleared to resume hitting. Youkilis is unlikely to need a rehab assignment, but he won’t be activated until later in the week … The Twins are considering moving Brian Duensing into the rotation. They know he’s better suited for the bullpen, but they’re running out of options to fill out their starting five … Jacoby Ellsbury (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list Sunday, which means he can’t return until at least June 13. He probably wasn’t going to be ready before then, anyway … Andy Pettitte was up and down Sunday in his first major league outing since 2010. He didn’t allow a hit for the first three innings, but he wound up giving up four runs on a couple homers and three walks. Fantasy owners should give Pettitte a few starts to get his feet wet before sticking him into their lineups … Carl Pavano had a precautionary MRI on his shoulder, which revealed only inflammation. Although he doesn’t have anything structurally wrong, his range of motion and velocity have been affected, which obviously compromises his results. He’ll make his next start but get a cortisone shot if the pain persists … Brandon McCarthy struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings Saturday. He had his previous outing pushed back due to a sore shoulder, but it appears that he’ll be fine … Mark Melancon has spun 10 scoreless innings while boasting an 18/0 K/BB ratio since his demotion to Triple-A Pawtucket. It’s not clear when he’ll be recalled, but he certainly seems ready … Andrew Bailey (thumb) hopes to be cleared to resume throwing during an exam this week. Boston hopes to get their closer back sometime around the All-Star break.​

 

[HacheMan]

Dale Thayer could keep closer gig a while

Eric Karabell

The first time fantasy owners were introduced to right-hander Dale Thayer was likely back in 2009. That March, Thayer seemed to at least be in the running for the Tampa Bay Rays' closer role, since at the time he boasted five different minor league seasons of 20 or more saves. However, Thayer didn't make the team and ended up in Triple-A Durham. He saved his first big league game for the Rays in May that season, but it was one of those misleading three-inning jobs in a 15-2 blowout win. Left-hander J.P. Howell led the Rays in saves and Thayer pretty much disappeared from the fantasy radar screen until … last week.




<offer></offer>Now, believe it or not, Thayer is the closer for the San Diego Padres, which seems a bit hard to believe since the journeyman is 31, signed a minor league deal this offseason, was called up only two weeks ago and certainly lacks the upside of fireballer Andrew Cashner. Thayer has appeared in seven games for the Padres, finishing five and saving three, including Saturday's 2-1 victory in Philadelphia, and he hasn't allowed a run or a walk yet. He's on ESPN's most-added list, but still available in more than 80 percent of ESPN standard mixed leagues, which should be remedied this week.

It was certainly presumed that either Cashner, who routinely hits 100 mph on the radar gun, or Luke Gregerson, a Padres fixture and strong source of ERA help the past few seasons, was next in line for saves upon the inevitable Huston Street injury (sorry, but it's true). However, seemingly out of nowhere Thayer has stepped in and thrived. Street hit the DL with a strained shoulder muscle on May 5, and while it's not expected to be a long-term problem or one that requires surgery, Street isn't the most durable reliever around, either. He last pitched at least 62 innings in 2008. He's also obvious July trade bait if healthy. Thayer could keep this job a while.




Of course, while Padres manager Bud Black might not admit it, this could have easily been Cashner's job, too. The day after Street hit the DL, Cashner was pummeled by the Miami Marlins for four runs. He was unavailable the next day and Thayer got the save. Thayer is still getting the saves. It's all about the timing, sometimes. In Cashner's case it's also about the walks; he's issued 14 of them in 15&frac23; innings, including one in each May outing. If Cashner was dominating like Cincinnati Reds lefty Aroldis Chapman, he'd likely be closing. Alas, he's not, Gregerson leads the team in holds and Thayer, who saved 21 games for Triple-A Buffalo last season (his sixth season of 20-plus saves), should be a lot more popular in fantasy than he is today.




And rather than focus on Cashner's missteps, let's give Thayer credit. The guy has 173 minor league saves over 10 years, a 2.45 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, with nearly a strikeout per inning. He served his time. No, he doesn't throw 100 mph nor does he have an impressive big league track record, but all that matters is he has the job and even in a crazy season in which half the teams have switched closers, this is one situation that might be consistent for another month, at least.




Here are some other thoughts on closers from yet another wild weekend:

• Right-hander Grant Balfour has had a few hiccups this season, but he seemed relatively safe to keep the Oakland Athletics' ninth-inning job. Balfour saved his seventh game May 5 and earned the win Tuesday, despite allowing a run in the ninth inning of a tie game. His ERA is a bit inflated at 4.24, but he hasn't been Carlos Marmol, either. Regardless, left-hander Brian Fuentes, two years older (he's 36) and with many more career saves, took the closer role Saturday. Manager Bob Melvin made the announcement and then gave Fuentes the ball against the Detroit Tigers; Fuentes allowed a run but earned the save. Fuentes should be added even in standard leagues and Balfour should be dropped, but it's worth noting this situation could easily change back. Those in AL-only formats or deep leagues should try to keep Balfour owned. Frankly, the best Oakland relief pitcher this season has been right-hander Ryan Cook; he's allowed three hits in 16&frac23; scoreless innings, with 16 strikeouts, and is second in the big leagues with nine holds. Cook closed in the minors last season and should get a chance for Oakland this summer, perhaps soon.




• The New York Mets should have a new closer any minute, as right-hander Frank Francisco didn't retire any hitters Sunday; he was charged with three runs and for the weekend he allowed five runs while getting only two outs. In his past 10 appearances, he's permitted two or more hits in half of them, and his season ERA is 8.56, his WHIP 1.98. While Tim Byrdak and Bobby Parnell have a combined 14 holds, 11 more than right-hander Jon Rauch, look for Rauch to get the shot to close this week. He filled in for Francisco to save last Tuesday's win in Philadelphia, and he has 59 career saves. Parnell throws harder and has major strikeout potential, but Rauch is likely next in line.




• As for the Chicago White Sox, when Friday began Chris Sale was apparently closing, though he didn't have a save. Then he started Saturday's game. It's been an odd week for Sale, with a sore elbow and an ever-changing role. Regardless, he's not the closer. It's expected that seemingly deserving rookie right-hander Addison Reed will share the ninth inning with lefties Hector Santiago and Matt Thornton, but then on Sunday Reed and his 0.00 ERA were obliterated by the Kansas City Royals. He pitched the ninth down 3-1 and was charged with six runs, allowing two hits, issuing two intentional walks and hitting a batter. Right-hander Jesse Crain should come off the DL on Monday to complicate things even more. I still pick Reed to lead this team in saves. Had he not pitched Sunday we'd be talking about his 14 strikeouts over 10 scoreless innings, and his dominant minor league numbers. Look for Santiago to get the occasional chance, but Reed has the long-term potential and should be added now.

 

[HacheMan]

McCutchen does plenty with little help

By AJ Mass | ESPN.com

We all know the old adage that baseball is a team sport, and players can't win games all by themselves.

Certainly, over the past week, Josh Hamilton did his best to try and prove that theory wrong, but even with an insane 64-point week (ESPN standard scoring), the Texas Rangers still didn't go undefeated. However, there's no disputing that Hamilton has a lot of weapons surrounding him, both in the lineup and on the mound.



For a fantasy owner, however, all that matters is whether or not a player is able to provide you with fantasy points. Whether or not his real-life team wins is irrelevant, so long as the stats keep coming. A perfect example is Andrew McCutchen, who hit .524 last week which translated into 33 fantasy points.


He gets little, if any, help from his teammates in terms of run production. Case in point, in the four Pittsburgh wins last week, McCutchen went 10-for-14. In their two losses, he went 1-for-7. For McCutchen, it does seem he is winning games all by himself and he remains one of the few Pirates worth owning in points leagues as a result.


All of which leads me to a statistical indicator to use when deciding whether or not a player is a product of his supporting cast, or if he has value to you independent of the rest of the players on his team. I like to look at the OBP of players when nobody is on base in order to glean exactly how well a player is doing in terms of generating fantasy points "on his own."


Let's take a quick look at the best players in the majors so far in 2012 at this stat with a minimum of 40 qualifying at-bats:


<table><thead><tr><th> Top Hitters </th><th> Team </th><th> AB </th><th> OBP </th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td> Rafael Furcal </td><td> STL </td><td> 80 </td><td> .500 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> David Wright </td><td> NYM </td><td> 54 </td><td> .492 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Bryan LaHair </td><td> CHC </td><td> 57 </td><td> .478 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Mitch Moreland </td><td> TEX </td><td> 40 </td><td> .457 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Nick Swisher </td><td> NYY </td><td> 49 </td><td> .455 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Juan Pierre </td><td> PHI </td><td> 62 </td><td> .443 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Mark Ellis </td><td> LAD </td><td> 75 </td><td> .442 </td></tr></tbody></table>



If a fantasy owner is looking to figure out whether or not a player from a weak offense is worthy of a spot in their starting lineup, this stat can be a solid guide. McCutchen's OBP in these situations is a solid .388, for example. Anything below .350 on a team that simply isn't generating any runs and you might want to consider benching a player until he can start to produce some offense on his own.


A list of some of the names at the bottom end of the spectrum showcases a whole heap of players you wouldn't ever dream of drafting alongside some of the more frustrating players to fantasy owners in 2012:


<table><thead><tr><th> Bottom Hitters </th><th> Team </th><th> AB </th><th> OBP </th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td> Clint Barmes </td><td> PIT </td><td> 69 </td><td> .139 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Eric Sogard </td><td> OAK </td><td> 43 </td><td> .140 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Ryan Raburn </td><td> DET </td><td> 57 </td><td> .150 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Danny Valencia </td><td> MIN </td><td> 58 </td><td> .183 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Kurt Suzuki </td><td> OAK </td><td> 63 </td><td> .188 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Albert Pujols </td><td> LAA </td><td> 85 </td><td> .195 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Alexei Ramirez </td><td> CHW </td><td> 79 </td><td> .198 </td></tr></tbody></table>



All players are going to go through slumps, and hitters can't be expected to drive in too many runs if they never have anyone on base when they get to the batter's box. But forget about their teammates, whose stats don't count for you. Players need to be able to get on base for themselves, or else there will be very little chance of them winning any games for you.



TOP 100 OVERALL PLAYERS

Note: AJ Mass' top 100 overall players are ranked based on statistics that have already been accrued in ESPN standard points formats and should be used as a supplement to the ESPN Player Rater.
<table><thead><tr><th style="vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Rnk </center></th><th style="vertical-align: bottom;"> Player, Team </th><th style="vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Prev
Rnk </center></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Hamilton, OF, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jered Weaver, SP, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 1 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Lance Lynn, SP, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 2 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jake Peavy, SP, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> CC Sabathia, SP, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 16 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> S. Strasburg, SP, WAS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Johnny Cueto, SP, CIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Kemp, OF, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Capuano, SP, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Gio Gonzalez, SP, WAS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 12 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 11 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Felix Hernandez, SP, SEA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 12 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Justin Verlander, SP, DET </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 11 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Beltran, OF, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Cole Hamels, SP, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Cain, SP, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 16 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Morrow, SP, TOR </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Hammel, SP, BAL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 9 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 18 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Ortiz, DH, BOS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Beachy, SP, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ian Kinsler, 2B, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ted Lilly, SP, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adam Jones, OF, BAL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kyle Lohse, SP, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Dustin Pedroia, 2B, BOS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 87 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Wright, 3B, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Anibal Sanchez, SP, MIA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> James Shields, SP, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Yu Darvish, SP, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Rafael Furcal, SS, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> E. Encarn., 3B/1B, TOR </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Derek Jeter, SS, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Fernando Rodney, RP, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Gonzalez, OF, COL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jake Westbrook, SP, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Vargas, SP, SEA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> A. Chapman, RP, CIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Price, SP, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 10 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ricky Romero, SP, TOR </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Braun, OF, MIL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jeff Samardzija, SP, CHC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Gavin Floyd, SP, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Clayton Kershaw, SP, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Andre Ethier, OF, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> M. Bumgarner, SP, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jay Bruce, OF, CIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Kipnis, 2B, CLE </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Roy Halladay, SP, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jim Johnson, RP, BAL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Reddick, OF, OAK </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> R.A. Dickey, SP, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Melky Cabrera, OF, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Garza, SP, CHC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Zack Greinke, SP, MIL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Elvis Andrus, SS, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Omar Infante, 2B, MIA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Michael Bourn, OF, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Dempster, SP, CHC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> C. Granderson, OF, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> C.J. Wilson, SP, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 18 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> A. Cabrera, SS, CLE </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 93 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Colby Lewis, SP, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> James McDonald, SP, PIT </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> M. Cabrera, 1B/3B, DET </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adrian Beltre, 3B, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mike Aviles, SS, BOS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Craig Kimbrel, RP, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 90 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> W. Rodriguez, SP, HOU </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Paul Konerko, 1B, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Yadier Molina, C, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Willingham, OF, MIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tommy Milone, SP, OAK </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 72 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adam Dunn, 1B, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Holliday, OF, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> J. Zimmermann, SP, WAS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Vance Worley, SP, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 76 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Wei-Yin Chen, SP, BAL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joey Votto, 1B, CIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 95 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Austin Jackson, OF, DET </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 79 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Shane Victorino, OF, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 98 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 80 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Ruiz, C, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 81 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Pedro Strop, RP, BAL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jeremy Hellickson, SP, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 80 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 83 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Shaun Marcum, SP, MIL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kenley Jansen, RP, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adam LaRoche, 1B, WAS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 86 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> B. McCarthy, SP, OAK </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 87 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Freddie Freeman, 1B, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jose Altuve, 2B, HOU </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Derek Holland, SP, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 90 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> A. De Aza, OF, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 91 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Drew Smyly, SP, DET </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 91 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Starlin Castro, SS, CHC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 93 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> J. Bautista, 3B/OF, TOR </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ross Detwiler, SP, WAS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 95 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bud Norris, SP, HOU </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Martin Prado, 2B, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Edinson Volquez, SP, SD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 98 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ricky Nolasco, SP, MIA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hunter Pence, OF, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 100 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> C. Zambrano, SP, MIA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr></tbody></table>