MLB Fantasy News 2012

HacheMan · Jun 18, 2012

Can't overlook all low-BA guys

The Carlos Pena type of hitter is still plenty valuable in points leagues

By AJ Mass | ESPN.com

The old baseball saying is that a walk is as good as a hit, but that's not entirely true. For instance, if there are runners on second and third, you'd prefer your hitter bounce a base hit through the infield and drive in a pair rather than get a free pass that loads the bases and nets you a single fantasy point in many points league setups.

Perhaps a better way of spinning that old morsel of wisdom might be to phrase it like this: At least a walk is better than an out.

There are many hitters out there who are a liability in the batting average category in a 5x5 rotisserie league yet still manage to get on base regularly on a regular basis as a result of the free pass. Carlos Pena, ranked 34th among first basemen on the ESPN Player Rater, is a perfect example of a hitter who many fantasy owners want nothing to do with, as evidenced by his 61.1 ownerships in ESPN standard leagues, down 8.1 percent over the past week. But in points leagues, he is still a valuable commodity, thanks in large part to his being ranked third in the majors with 49 walks on the season. As a points-league owner, you must be careful not to judge players by rotisserie standards.

Rather than using batting average as a guide, might I suggest you take a closer look at those players who have a high on-base percentage relative to their batting average. If you're looking to improve your weekly fate, these are some guys who might not otherwise jump off the page yet could give you just enough of a boost in value to tip the scales in your favor:

<table><thead><tr><th> Player </th><th> Team </th><th> AVG </th><th> OBP </th><th> OBP-AVG </th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td> Carlos Pena </td><td> TB </td><td> .193 </td><td> .349 </td><td> .156 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Adam Dunn </td><td> CHW </td><td> .230 </td><td> .374 </td><td> .144 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Rickie Weeks </td><td> MIL </td><td> .168 </td><td> .305 </td><td> .137 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Ben Zobrist </td><td> TB </td><td> .230 </td><td> .362 </td><td> .132 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Dan Uggla </td><td> ATL </td><td> .256 </td><td> .387 </td><td> .131 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Joey Votto </td><td> CIN </td><td> .359 </td><td> .484 </td><td> .125 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Carlos Santana </td><td> CLE </td><td> .227 </td><td> .349 </td><td> .122 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Jose Bautista </td><td> TOR </td><td> .233 </td><td> .351 </td><td> .118 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Seth Smith </td><td> OAK </td><td> .269 </td><td> .383 </td><td> .114 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Josh Willingham </td><td> MIN </td><td> .283 </td><td> .394 </td><td> .111 </td></tr></tbody></table>

At the other end of the spectrum, here are some players who have never met a pitch they didn't like. With no batter's eye to speak of, they're hitters who take points from your cookie jar with every strikeout yet give little back in terms of the base on balls. Caveat emptor!

<table><thead><tr><th> Player </th><th> Team </th><th> AVG </th><th> OBP </th><th> OBP-AVG </th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td> Starlin Castro </td><td> CHC </td><td> .291 </td><td> .306 </td><td> .015 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Mike Aviles </td><td> BOS </td><td> .266 </td><td> .285 </td><td> .019 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Clint Barmes </td><td> PIT </td><td> .192 </td><td> .216 </td><td> .024 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Alexei Ramirez </td><td> CHW </td><td> .225 </td><td> .250 </td><td> .025 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Michael Young </td><td> TEX </td><td> .273 </td><td> .298 </td><td> .025 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Placido Polanco </td><td> PHI </td><td> .282 </td><td> .308 </td><td> .026 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Omar Infante </td><td> MIA </td><td> .281 </td><td> .307 </td><td> .026 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Ichiro Suzuki </td><td> SEA </td><td> .259 </td><td> .286 </td><td> .027 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Adrian Beltre </td><td> TEX </td><td> .307 </td><td> .335 </td><td> .028 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Freddy Galvis </td><td> PHI </td><td> .226 </td><td> .254 </td><td> .028 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Ian Desmond </td><td> WAS </td><td> .264 </td><td> .292 </td><td> .028 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Dayan Viciedo </td><td> CHW </td><td> .259 </td><td> .287 </td><td> .028 </td></tr></tbody></table>

Top 100 Overall Player

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 style="width: 275px;"><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;"> R.A. Dickey, SP, NYM </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;"> Matt Cain, SP, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 2 </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"> 11 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Stephen Strasburg, SP, WAS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Hamilton, OF, TEX </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;"> Carlos Gonzalez, OF, COL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Justin Verlander, SP, DET </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 12 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Gio Gonzalez, SP, WAS </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;"> Cole Hamels, SP, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joey Votto, 1B, CIN </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;"> Chris Sale, SP, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 12 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Wright, 3B, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 10 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Braun, OF, MIL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Ortiz, DH, BOS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jake Peavy, SP, CHW </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;"> Miguel Cabrera, 3B/1B, DET </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Melky Cabrera, OF, SF </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;"> Adam Jones, OF, BAL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jose Bautista, 3B/OF, TOR </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> CC Sabathia, SP, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Beltran, OF, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Madison Bumgarner, SP, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Zack Greinke, SP, MIL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ian Kinsler, 2B, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Aroldis Chapman, RP, CIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 18 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Clayton Kershaw, SP, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> C.J. Wilson, SP, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> James McDonald, SP, PIT </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jered Weaver, SP, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Hammel, SP, BAL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Capuano, SP, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ed. Encarnacion, 3B/OF, TOR </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Fernando Rodney, RP, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Johnny Cueto, SP, CIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Vogelsong, SP, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Kipnis, 2B, CLE </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Paul Konerko, 1B, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Price, SP, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Craig Kimbrel, RP, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Robinson Cano, 2B, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hunter Pence, OF, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Beachy, SP, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Prince Fielder, 1B, DET </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joel Hanrahan, RP, PIT </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kenley Jansen, RP, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jim Johnson, RP, BAL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Morrow, SP, TOR </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Curtis Granderson, OF, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Martin Prado, 3B/OF, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Yadier Molina, C, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Colby Lewis, SP, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Dempster, SP, CHC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Wade Miley, SP, ARI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Andrew McCutchen, OF, PIT </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Michael Cuddyer, 1B/OF, COL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 91 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Reddick, OF, OAK </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Willingham, OF, MIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Yu Darvish, SP, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> James Shields, SP, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Holliday, OF, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Elvis Andrus, SS, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mark Trumbo, 3B/OF, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Alex Rios, OF, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adam Dunn, 1B/OF, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 98 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Shaun Marcum, SP, MIL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jose Altuve, 2B, HOU </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Shane Victorino, OF, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Harrison, SP, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jose Reyes, SS, MIA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adrian Beltre, 3B, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 81 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> A.J. Burnett, SP, PIT </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;"> Kyle Lohse, SP, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Andre Ethier, OF, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Phillips, 2B, CIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Rafael Furcal, SS, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 76 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Johan Santana, SP, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Michael Bourn, OF, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ben Zobrist, 2B/OF, TB </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;"> Albert Pujols, 1B, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 80 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hanley Ramirez, SS, MIA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 81 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mark Teixeira, 1B, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Asdrubal Cabrera, SS, CLE </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 87 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 83 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> A.J. Pierzynski, C, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Giancarlo Stanton, OF, MIA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joe Mauer, C/1B, MIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 86 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Felix Doubront, SP, BOS </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;"> Carlos Ruiz, C, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 100 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Edwin Jackson, SP, WAS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ivan Nova, SP, NYY </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;"> Dan Uggla, 2B, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 91 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ricky Romero, SP, TOR </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Perez, RP, CLE </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 93 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tommy Hanson, SP, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 79 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Derek Jeter, SS, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 95 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Alejandro De Aza, OF, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Aramis Ramirez, 3B, MIL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jay Bruce, OF, CIN </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;"> Troy Tulowitzki, SS, COL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 72 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Vargas, SP, SEA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 100 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Austin Jackson, OF, DET </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr></tbody></table>

Pointing up

Brandon Phillips, 2B, Cincinnati Reds: Since June 6, the veteran second baseman has been on fire, with a .400 OBP and a 1.046 OPS. Even more impressive is the fact that he has driven in 12 runs over this stretch with only a single strikeout. That maximizes the run production without the lag that typically accompanies such a power surge. This week, Phillips plays three games in Cleveland followed by a home series against the Twins.

Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers: It's all relative, but after a three-week lull (from May 21-June 10) in which Braun hit a "pedestrian" .292 with a minus-5 net K/BB count, the reigning MVP is back in the good graces of his points-league owners. A six-game road trip saw the slugger crank four homers and seven RBIs, bringing his batting average above .315 for the first time since May 25.

Jason Hammel, SP, Baltimore Orioles: After a one-hit shutout versus the Atlanta Braves, Hammel saw his stock rise a bit, as any pitcher's would. In his seven wins, Hammel has an ERA of 1.69 and a 3.85 K/BB rate. But even when he loses or gets a no-decision, he strikes out just a couple fewer batters and keeps the walks at the same general rate. By avoiding the huge stinkers, he is keeping his consistency rating high.

Ivan Nova, SP, New York Yankees: It's hard to ignore his five straight wins, and while his home-road splits still lean heavily toward the away starts (3-2 record, 5.35 ERA at home; 6-0, 3.47 ERA on the road), that could be smoke and mirrors. There's no reason Nova shouldn't do just as well at Yankee Stadium, especially considering his batting average-against at home (.290) is still close to his road BAA (.284).

Austin Jackson, OF, Detroit Tigers: After his lengthy stay on the disabled list, it's easy to forget how good Jackson was playing before his injury. Sure, he has been rusty in his eight games back, but he has driven in 10 runs since his return, and pitchers seem to be concerned; he has walked seven times in his past four games.

Ryan Dempster, SP, Chicago Cubs: Dempster has given up six home runs at home (and none on the road) and has an ERA there that is more than two runs higher than on the road, making Wrigley Field the primary reason he is just 3-3 this year despite a .201 BAA and 2.11 ERA. He has won his past three games, though, and is making a case for some other team to trade for him. If he can ditch the ivy, perhaps he'll rise even higher in these points-league rankings.

Pointing down

Angel Pagan, OF, San Francisco Giants: Pagan has had three weeks of 10 or fewer fantasy points in the past five scoring periods. With just three extra-base hits in June to go along with a plus-12 K/BB count, if his OBP hasn't yet reached its ultimate resting point, it seems to have stagnated to the point where we're not sure it gets any higher the rest of the way.

Ricky Romero, SP, Toronto Blue Jays: Toronto has scored 6.63 runs per game when Romero is on the mound, which is the primary reason his record stands at 7-1. In his past five starts, he has managed to go 2-0 even with a 5.59 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. Plain and simple, batters are rarely missing when they swing at his pitches. That's a problem.

J.J. Hardy, SS, Orioles: After a three-week surge that saw him average 25 points per week, Hardy has gone into a tailspin. Hitting just .225 since May 28, Hardy has walked just twice in that span, leaving his owners with a sad .244 OBP. All of that would be fine if some power came along with the package, but apart from a two-run blast on June 8, Hardy's pop has been nonexistent.

Hanley Ramirez, SS, Miami Marlins: Since June 5, Ramirez has gone 6-for-41. What's troubling is that nine of those games came at home, where Han-Ram has hit .315 on the year. He is supposed to be padding his stats at home but is now slumping, and nine of his next 12 games are in Miami. Then he goes on the road for 13 of 17, and his batting average away from Miami is a sad .192.

Jason Vargas, SP, Seattle Mariners: On May 9, Vargas was 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA. Since then, he has gone 3-4 with a 5.24 ERA, allowing 7.4 hits per start and 10 home runs, with at least one in each outing. His lineup has bailed him out in each of his victories in this stretch. Seattle outscored the opposition 28-12 in Vargas' three wins. His point totals could be a lot worse going forward.

Ernesto Frieri, RP, Los Angeles Angels: Since joining the team in May, Frieri has gone 19 straight appearances without allowing an earned run. This past scoring period, he recorded three saves in three tries. So why is he pointing down? Well, it's the fear of Scott Downs eating into those save chances. Downs has been out with sore ribs but could return to action this week and split the closer duties.

HacheMan · Jun 19, 2012

Beached

Brandon Beachy went on the disabled list Sunday leading the majors with a 2.00 ERA over 13 starts. Unfortunately, it appears that he might end the season with those same numbers.

An MRI Monday revealed a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in Beachy’s right elbow. The 25-year-old will seek a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews Wednesday before the Braves decide the next course of action, but all signs are pointing to likely Tommy John surgery for Beachy. Such a procedure would sideline him until around midseason next year.

It’s a huge blow to a Braves team that’s in the thick of things in the NL East but has scuffled a bit of late. Randall Delgado and Mike Minor have pitched better lately, but neither are sure things, nor is Jair Jurrjens, who will replace Beachy in the rotation. Jurrjens has been given another shot despite a 5.27 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings at Triple-A Gwinnett. Julio Teheran and Kris Medlen are options for the Braves if Delgado, Minor or Jurrjens should falter.

Danks has Tear in Shoulder

Beachy wasn’t the only pitcher to get bad MRI results Monday, as John Danks was diagnosed with a Grade 1 sub-scapula tear of his left shoulder. All things considered, the diagnosis could have been worse, but it will still sideline the left-hander indefinitely.

“When you hear the word ‘tear’ it’s kind of scary,” admitted Danks in the Chicago Sun-Times. “But I don’t think it’s anything super major. It’s just a bummer that it will take longer to get back than we first thought.’’

The White Sox had hoped to get Danks back for a start Monday, but he didn’t bounce back as hoped following a rehab outing. He said his shoulder “feels good one day and then crap the next.” For now, the Sox will shut him down for a while before likely putting him on a strengthening program. He shouldn't be expected back before the All-Star break. Jose Quintana will continue to fill his spot in the rotation.

Rizzo’s Arrival Imminent?

Bryan LaHair received his first start of the season in right field Monday, which promptly set off alarms for fantasy owners looking forward to the arrival of top prospect Anthony Rizzo. As it turns out, it appears the suspicions are well-founded.

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that “about the only question left” when it comes to Rizzo is whether he’ll make his season debut in Arizona this weekend or at home against the Mets early next week. The Cubs can promote Rizzo as early as Saturday, leave him on the roster all season and still delay his free agency by a year.

Rizzo has been one of the best hitters in the minors this season, batting a robust .364/.426/.745 with 23 homers and 59 RBI at Triple-A Iowa. Of course, it must be noted that Rizzo tore it up at Triple-A last year before stinking up the place with the Padres. But, he’s made some adjustments to his swing that the Cubs think will better prepare him to handle major league pitching this time around. He’s certainly worth a speculative add in mixed leagues if he’s still sitting on the waiver wire.

Setback for Longo

The Rays were hoping to get Evan Longoria back in their lineup sometime this week, but it appears they’ll now have to wait quite a bit longer.

Longoria was playing in his second rehab game with Triple-A Durham Monday, but he lasted just one at-bat before taking himself out with renewed soreness in his left hamstring. The third baseman tweeted that it “wasn’t a re-injury,” but he “felt some discomfort and didn't want to end up doing further harm."

Longo will join the Rays in Washington Tuesday to continue his rehab, and his timetable will be delayed indefinitely. The 26-year-old has been out since May 3, and we should probably expect him to be sidelined through the All-Star break after this setback. The Rays will continue to roll out the uninspiring trio of Sean Rodriguez, Will Rhymes and Drew Sutton at the hot corner until Longo returns.

National League Quick Hits: Ryan Dempster was placed on the DL Monday with a lat strain. It’s not expected to be a long-term injury, but Dempster might have been traded soon if not for the injury … Chris Carpenter (shoulder) could be ready to throw live batting practice by this weekend after another successful bullpen session Monday. It’s early, but things are looking up for the veteran right-hander … R.A. Dickey’s magical run continued Monday, as he spun his second straight one-hitter. Remarkably, he’s now allowed just one earned run while striking out 63 over his last 48 2/3 frames … Stephen Drew (ankle) could come back as a part-time player initially later this month … Freddie Freeman (hand) is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday. He’s been nursing a hand ailment for over a week … Andrew Cashner tossed five innings of one-run ball while striking out nine in a start at Double-A Monday. He should be ready to join the Padres rotation before long.

American League Quick Hits: Jered Weaver (back) will rejoin the Angels rotation Wednesday. The Halos haven’t decided who he’ll replace in the rotation. Most feel it will be Garrett Richards, though Jerome Williams didn’t do himself any favors with a third straight less than stellar outing Monday. Williams also was rushed to the hospital after the game with a breathing problem, and it’s possible that could affect things … FOX Sports is reporting that Kevin Youkilis is "being shopped everywhere," with the Diamondbacks, White Sox, Dodgers, Indians and Pirates being "among the teams with varying levels of interest." … Kyle Drabek will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Tuesday … Roy Oswalt could join the Rangers rotation this weekend, though no decision has been made yet … Nick Markakis (hamate bone surgery) is not expected to pick up a bat until Friday. He could still be ready to return before the end of the month … Chris Getz was placed on the DL Monday with a lateral strain in his lower left leg. Yuniesky Betancourt will handle the second base job while he’s out … Brad Eldred appears headed to Japan after slugging 24 homers at Triple-A Toledo for the Tigers.

HacheMan · Jun 19, 2012

Will Dickey's dominance continue?

By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

It has been a long, wild ride, but it has culminated in this: As of Tuesday morning, R.A. Dickey is the No. 1 pitcher on our Player Rater.

Dickey is in the midst of a truly historic hot spell. He has won each of his past six starts, every one of them a quality start. His ERA during that span is 0.18, his WHIP 0.53. He has 63 strikeouts and only five walks in 48 2/3 innings. And he is the No. 1 player overall -- hitters included -- during that 30-day stretch.

Elias gives us some impressive historical notes about Dickey:

• He is the first pitcher in modern baseball history (since 1900) to pitch back-to-back complete-game one-hitters with at least 10 strikeouts in each.

• He has five straight starts with zero earned runs and at least eight strikeouts, the longest streak in history.

• He is only the fifth pitcher in history to post at least 11 wins, an ERA of 2.50 or better, and at least a 9.00 strikeouts-per-nine innings ratio in his first 14 starts of a season, joining Sandy Koufax (1966), Pedro Martinez (1999), Randy Johnson (2000) and Francisco Liriano (2006).

• He also is one of only four pitchers in modern baseball history to have a streak of seven consecutive starts of at least eight strikeouts and no more than two walks; Koufax (1965), Curt Schilling (1997) and Johnson (2001) are the others.

And here is perhaps the most perplexing fact: R.A. Dickey is a knuckleballer.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaa?!

What Dickey has done is unprecedented. We've seen many dominating pitching stretches in history -- teammate Johan Santana's 13-0, 1.21 ERA and 11.13 K's-per-nine ratio during the second half of 2004 immediately comes to mind -- but historically, no knuckleballer has come quite close to this. When analyzing Dickey this season, one thing has become clear: There isn't a "book" on this guy, and if you think you have one, throw it out. It's a fake.

Dickey currently sports a 9.36 K's-per-nine ratio. That's 11th-best among qualified starters. He has a 4.90 K-to-walk ratio. That's sixth-best. And he has thrown a knuckleball, a pitch renowned for its difficulty to command and control, 86 percent of the time so far this season.

Let's talk knuckleballer history for a moment. While there is no official, 100 percent-complete list of historical knuckleballers -- partly due to the debate as to what percentage of knuckleball use a pitcher needs to qualify as one -- this list, partly cobbled from some of former ESPN colleague Rob Neyer's research, is a pretty comprehensive list of 86 such pitchers. If you've been playing this game for any length of time, you can probably name a good half dozen, maybe more, but among those 86, these are the all-time, single-season, ERA-qualifying (162-plus innings) leaders in those two "command categories":

K's per nine innings ratio

8.13 -- Ken Johnson, 1962
7.90 -- Tim Wakefield, 2001
7.52 -- Wakefield, 2003
7.38 -- Wakefield, 2002
7.14 -- Phil Niekro, 1977
7.03 -- Charlie Hough, 1987

Strikeout to walk ratio
3.87 -- Johnson, 1962
3.39 -- Wilbur Wood, 1971
3.39 -- Niekro, 1969
3.11 -- Niekro, 1968
3.09 -- Niekro, 1972

Those are the only historical instances of a knuckleballer having managed at least seven K's per nine or three K's per walk in a single year, and in Johnson's case, understand that he wasn't nearly as reliant upon the pitch as Dickey is. Johnson threw the knuckler roughly a third of the time. And to put these numbers into perspective, assuming Dickey throws, say, 220 innings, he would need to average 7.14 K's per nine and 3.20 K's per walk from today forward to secure his place as the all-time leader on both of those charts.

History -- or at least statistics printed on a piece of paper or displayed on a screen -- might say that's about right for a Dickey expectation from today forward. Heck, even I have said it, even recently. And I've said it despite having warmed to the right-hander at blazing speed the past several weeks; apparently, I've always been lagging a few steps behind this bandwagon. Thanks to the many New York Mets/Dickey fans, such as reader @zackdanielssr, to prompt me to dig out the microscope for a more meticulous examination of Dickey's prospects moving forward.

Again, throw out that "book" on knuckleballers. Dickey's performance is not only unprecedented, his knuckling style is very likely unprecedented.

As knuckleballers' fortunes hinge primarily upon command and velocity, Dickey's mastery of each makes him special. In the past week, I've watched portions of several of his past six starts and have determined that his strengths are location, ability to throw his knuckler at a high speed, and ability to change speeds.

The stats back this up. It appears that 78 mph is the "breaking point" on Dickey's knuckler, both performance-wise and the fact that he throws almost exactly half of his knuckleballs as fast or faster (51%) than that speed. Here are his knuckleball numbers compared to that velocity in 2012:

78 mph or higher: 194 PA-enders, .111 BAA, 40.7 K%, 1.0 BB%, 32 Miss%
77 mph or lower: 137 PA-enders, .283 BAA, 12.4 K%, 10.9 BB%, 23 Miss%

Here are Dickey's splits during his Mets career (2010-12):

78 mph or higher: 778 PA-enders, .175 BAA, 29.7 K%, 1.4 BB%, 24 Miss%
77 mph or lower: 766 PA-enders, .285 BAA, 9.8 K%, 7.2 BB%, 21 Miss%

Those numbers illustrate Dickey's superb control, as well as the unhittable nature of his knuckleball at a high speed. Consider that in 2012, he has thrown his knuckler at 80 mph or faster 17 percent of the time, and it's his strikeout pitch, thrown 40 percent of the time at 80 mph or higher with two strikes. Hitting Dickey's "fast knuckler" is the effective equivalent of trying to hit a peach slathered with butter.

Unfortunately -- and this addresses the absence of a "book" on knuckleballers -- there aren't any velocity-based comparison points we can make with Dickey. Tim Wakefield is the most notable full-time knuckleballer during years for which there are velocity readings, but he averaged 65.5 mph with the pitch and never topped 74.7 mph since 2009, the first year for which we have pitch data, and per FanGraphs, he averaged 66.5 mph with the pitch since 2002, the first season for which they have velocity readings. We can assume that no knuckleballer threw the pitch harder than Dickey does, because it seems unlikely that anyone could have as frequently as him, but there are no data points to confirm that.

Addressing Dickey's ability to change speeds, consider this: Though he has thrown only four percent of his knucklers during his Mets career at 70 mph or slower, he has limited opponents to a .159 batting average, has a 27.7 percent K rate, 2.1 percent walk rate and 21 percent miss rate on those pitches. Dickey is capable of dropping in a "slow knuckler" at any moment, just to throw you off the scent.

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"> 2 </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"> 1 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Cain, SF </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;"> Cliff Lee, Phi </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, NYY </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;"> Jered Weaver, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </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"> 8 </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"> 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Zack Greinke, Mil </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;"> Felix Hernandez, Sea </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"> 11 </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"> 14 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Gio Gonzalez, Wsh </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;"> C.J. Wilson, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adam Wainwright, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 16 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> R.A. Dickey, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ian Kennedy, 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;"> Josh Johnson, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </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"> 20 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jordan Zimmermann, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Shaun Marcum, Mil </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;"> Chris Sale, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </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"> 24 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Yovani Gallardo, Mil </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Colby Lewis, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Garza, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jake Peavy, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Johnny Cueto, Cin </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;"> Jon Lester, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tommy Hanson, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Lance Lynn, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> James McDonald, Pit </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;"> Mat Latos, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Anibal Sanchez, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Johan Santana, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Moore, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Yu Darvish, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Daniel Hudson, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ricky Romero, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Morrow, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tim Hudson, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Vance Worley, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Vogelsong, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Edwin Jackson, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hiroki Kuroda, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Andy Pettitte, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Doug Fister, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Roy Halladay, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jonathon Niese, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chad Billingsley, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Wade Miley, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Trevor Cahill, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Harrison, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon McCarthy, Oak </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;"> Wandy Rodriguez, Hou </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> A.J. Burnett, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Dempster, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Beckett, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ivan Nova, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 72 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Clay Buchholz, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Max Scherzer, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Capuano, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tim Lincecum, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ubaldo Jimenez, Cle </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Phil Hughes, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jeremy Hellickson, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jarrod Parker, Oak </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kyle Lohse, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Wei-Yin Chen, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ted Lilly, LAD </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;"> Jason Hammel, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 81 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 72 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Erik Bedard, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Alex Cobb, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 79 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ervin Santana, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 80 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ricky Nolasco, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 76 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Justin Masterson, Cle </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Francisco Liriano, Min </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;"> Jeff Samardzija, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 79 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bronson Arroyo, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 87 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 80 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bud Norris, Hou </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 81 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Beachy, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 16 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Homer Bailey, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 76 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 83 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Scott Diamond, Min </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Carpenter, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Dillon Gee, NYM </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;"> Felix Doubront, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 90 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 87 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bartolo Colon, Oak </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 86 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brian Matusz, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Gavin Floyd, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 90 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Zambrano, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 91 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Trevor Bauer, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 93 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Roy Oswalt, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 93 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mike Minor, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Felipe Paulino, KC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 95 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jaime Garcia, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mark Buehrle, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Aaron Harang, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 100 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 98 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joe Blanton, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Randy Wolf, Mil </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;"> Randall Delgado, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr></tbody></table>

Might regression strike Dickey? It's certainly possible, just as it would be for any pitcher off to an equally unexpected hot start to the season, such as Ryan Vogelsong. Dickey has allowed a .249 BABIP, which is 12th-lowest among qualifiers, and his left-on-base percentage is a major league-high 83.8. Those could endure some correction given time, though even the slightest hint of "correction" would keep him among the upper tier of fantasy starters.

And here's the counterargument: Since Dickey is a knuckleballer, relying on the pitch that has been historically impossible to project, who is to say he can't continue at or near the pace he's currently on? From today forward, you could claim him the No. 1 fantasy starter, the No. 16 or the No. 50 starter, and every one of those would have an equal claim to being "right" … though the latter must reside in the camp that believes that you cannot project knuckleballers.

If you're a Dickey owner, or are targeting him in trade, what you decide as your path from today forward will very likely have a major stake in your team's finish. I've now seen enough that I deem it absurd to continue doubting him.

Streamer's delight

Among the 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, June 19: Aaron Harang at Oakland Athletics
Wednesday, June 20: Francisco Liriano at Pittsburgh Pirates
Thursday, June 21: Jarrod Parker versus Los Angeles Dodgers
Friday, June 22: Kevin Millwood at San Diego Padres
Saturday, June 23: Clayton Richard versus Seattle Mariners
Sunday, June 24: Jonathan Sanchez versus St. Louis Cardinals
Monday, June 25: Joe Blanton versus Pittsburgh Pirates
Tuesday, June 26: Jarrod Parker at Seattle Mariners

Past picks
Tuesday, June 12: Wei-Yin Chen -- 6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's
Wednesday, June 13: Brian Matusz -- 5 2/3 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 K's (moved to Friday)
Thursday, June 14: Scott Diamond -- 6 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Friday, June 15: Jarrod Parker -- W, QS, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K's (moved to Thursday)Saturday, June 16: Alexi Ogando -- scratched, now on DL
Sunday, June 17: Alex Cobb -- W, QS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K's
Monday, June 18: Jonathan Sanchez -- QS, 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K's

Week's total: 6 GS, 2 W (33.3%), 3 QS (50.0%), 38 IP, 37 H, 15 ER, 13 BB, 31 K, 3.55 ERA, 1.32 WHIP
Season total: 67 GS, 30 W (44.8%), 38 QS (56.7%), 414 IP, 376 H, 170 ER, 139 BB, 305 K, 3.70 ERA, 1.24 WHIP

Three up

Trevor Cahill, Arizona Diamondbacks: He's 3-for-3 in the month of June -- three starts, three wins, three quality starts -- and while all three games came against teams that rank among the 10 worst in the majors in terms of runs scored (@SD, OAK, @LAA), don't quickly dismiss Cahill's performance as merely matchups-driven. When Cahill is on, he's doing two specific, related things correctly: He's relying more upon his breaking pitches (curveball and slider), and he's throwing them more effectively. To that end, during those three June starts, Cahill has thrown one of those pitches 24 percent of the time overall and 50 percent of the time with two strikes, limited opposing hitters to a .091 batting average, and tallied 11 of his 20 K's. Granted, he'll always be riskier than your average pitcher because of his dependency upon his defense -- he has a lifetime 5.62 K's-per-nine ratio -- but even if Cahill regresses, that he's steadily improving (career-wise) as a strikeout artist and pitches in a division conducive to plenty of favorable matchups speaks well about his potential the remainder of the year.

Phil Hughes, New York Yankees: Speaking of young pitchers realizing their full potential, so far in the month of June, Hughes is a perfect 3-for-3 in terms of wins and quality starts and has a 1.69 ERA and 9.70 K's-per-nine ratio. Two of the three came against teams ranked among the top 11 in baseball in runs scored, and the third was on the road (at Washington, this past Friday). Hughes might be more difficult for fantasy owners to embrace, considering he's a well-publicized Yankees pitcher who has struggled with the long ball throughout his career, as well as one whose career has been remarkably up-and-down thus far. But here's something to think about: He has averaged 92.5 mph with his fastball for the season, higher than his 2010 (92.4) or 2011 (91.2) numbers and has averaged 92.7 mph with it in June. He has also thrown it in the strike zone 56 percent of the time and generated misses on 25 percent of swings; between Opening Day 2011 and the end of May 2012, his numbers in those categories were 53 and 15. That shows Hughes' fastball both has more life and he's commanding it better, and it shows that his recent uptick might portend greater things ahead.

Josh Johnson, Miami Marlins: "Luck" might be an overused, overrated and misused word, generally in fantasy baseball analysis. But in certain instances, it's entirely appropriate. When examining Johnson's performance this season, one stat stands out: In his first five starts, he allowed 20 hits on balls in play judged "soft" contact, but in nine since, he has allowed 14 hits on those total. He also allowed a .446 BABIP in those first five starts, but .319 since, compelling evidence that a few "unlucky bounces" were ruining his ERA and WHIP early on. Johnson had a 5.34 ERA and 1.74 WHIP in his first five starts, but a 3.58 ERA and 1.32 WHIP since, despite scarcely any change in K's and walk ratios or velocity, and a lower ground ball rate. He has quality starts in seven of his past eight games and a 2.18 ERA and 8.71 K's-per-inning ratio in the month of June. It's time to believe again.

Three down

Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers: Walks are unraveling his season. Among ERA qualifiers (111 of them), Darvish's 5.13 walks-per-nine innings ratio is third-worst; only out-for-the-season Kyle Drabek (5.93) and Ubaldo Jimenez (5.35) have worse. What's more, Darvish received extra rest before his most recent start this past Friday after complaining of fatigue (per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). The Rangers have begun treating Darvish more carefully, and he's taking more care with his location; his two-runs-in-eight-innings, 11-K performance in that Friday game was as much a testament to his skills as it hinted the need for more cautious management. There's little doubt he has the skills to compete for a Cy Young Award. On stuff, Darvish is that good. But he drops in this week's rankings because of the questions about his command and workload, as a top-20 starter really shouldn't face the magnitude of questions about those as he does.

Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays: Never known -- at least at the big league level -- for his strikeout ability, Hellickson's K's/walks numbers have taken a disturbing downturn in his past two starts. He issued seven walks compared to one strikeout in 4 1/3 innings of a June 8 game at Miami, then was hammered by the Mets for eight runs on nine hits, three of them home runs, in 3 2/3 innings on June 14, failing to record a strikeout. Hellickson has been nibbling too much: He has thrown 69 percent of his pitches "down" (bottom third of the zone) and only 40 percent of his pitches in the strike zone during those two starts, and if you break his stats down righty/lefty, he's throwing the majority of those pitches "away" (outer third) and far too many outside the zone. There's little question Hellickson has been missing his spots recently, and as a pitcher who induces a lot of contact -- 82.2 percent career contact rate allowed -- he needs to hit them in order to succeed.

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants: His miserable season has reached the stage at which his manager is peppered each turn of the rotation about his status; Bruce Bochy has been insistent for multiple turns now that he's neither skipping nor removing Lincecum from his starting five. But at what point might Bochy succumb to that temptation? Since May 1, Lincecum has but one quality start in nine games, his ERA 6.44 and WHIP 1.57 during that time span. What's more, his schedule since that date has featured several outstanding matchups: COL (home game) on May 15, OAK on May 20, @SD on June 5, @SEA on June 16. Not one of those resulted in a quality start for the right-hander. In fact, his ERA in those four starts combined was 6.95. Don't be surprised by a demotion from the rotation in the near future.

HacheMan · Jun 19, 2012

Can't overlook all low-BA guys

The Carlos Pena type of hitter is still plenty valuable in points leagues

By AJ Mass | ESPN.com

The old baseball saying is that a walk is as good as a hit, but that's not entirely true. For instance, if there are runners on second and third, you'd prefer your hitter bounce a base hit through the infield and drive in a pair rather than get a free pass that loads the bases and nets you a single fantasy point in many points league setups.

Perhaps a better way of spinning that old morsel of wisdom might be to phrase it like this: At least a walk is better than an out.

There are many hitters out there who are a liability in the batting average category in a 5x5 rotisserie league yet still manage to get on base regularly on a regular basis as a result of the free pass. Carlos Pena, ranked 34th among first basemen on the ESPN Player Rater, is a perfect example of a hitter who many fantasy owners want nothing to do with, as evidenced by his 61.1 ownerships in ESPN standard leagues, down 8.1 percent over the past week. But in points leagues, he is still a valuable commodity, thanks in large part to his being ranked third in the majors with 49 walks on the season. As a points-league owner, you must be careful not to judge players by rotisserie standards.

Rather than using batting average as a guide, might I suggest you take a closer look at those players who have a high on-base percentage relative to their batting average. If you're looking to improve your weekly fate, these are some guys who might not otherwise jump off the page yet could give you just enough of a boost in value to tip the scales in your favor:

<table><thead><tr><th> Player </th><th> Team </th><th> AVG </th><th> OBP </th><th> OBP-AVG </th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td> Carlos Pena </td><td> TB </td><td> .193 </td><td> .349 </td><td> .156 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Adam Dunn </td><td> CHW </td><td> .230 </td><td> .374 </td><td> .144 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Rickie Weeks </td><td> MIL </td><td> .168 </td><td> .305 </td><td> .137 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Ben Zobrist </td><td> TB </td><td> .230 </td><td> .362 </td><td> .132 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Dan Uggla </td><td> ATL </td><td> .256 </td><td> .387 </td><td> .131 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Joey Votto </td><td> CIN </td><td> .359 </td><td> .484 </td><td> .125 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Carlos Santana </td><td> CLE </td><td> .227 </td><td> .349 </td><td> .122 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Jose Bautista </td><td> TOR </td><td> .233 </td><td> .351 </td><td> .118 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Seth Smith </td><td> OAK </td><td> .269 </td><td> .383 </td><td> .114 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Josh Willingham </td><td> MIN </td><td> .283 </td><td> .394 </td><td> .111 </td></tr></tbody></table>

At the other end of the spectrum, here are some players who have never met a pitch they didn't like. With no batter's eye to speak of, they're hitters who take points from your cookie jar with every strikeout yet give little back in terms of the base on balls. Caveat emptor!

<table><thead><tr><th> Player </th><th> Team </th><th> AVG </th><th> OBP </th><th> OBP-AVG </th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td> Starlin Castro </td><td> CHC </td><td> .291 </td><td> .306 </td><td> .015 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Mike Aviles </td><td> BOS </td><td> .266 </td><td> .285 </td><td> .019 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Clint Barmes </td><td> PIT </td><td> .192 </td><td> .216 </td><td> .024 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Alexei Ramirez </td><td> CHW </td><td> .225 </td><td> .250 </td><td> .025 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Michael Young </td><td> TEX </td><td> .273 </td><td> .298 </td><td> .025 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Placido Polanco </td><td> PHI </td><td> .282 </td><td> .308 </td><td> .026 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Omar Infante </td><td> MIA </td><td> .281 </td><td> .307 </td><td> .026 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Ichiro Suzuki </td><td> SEA </td><td> .259 </td><td> .286 </td><td> .027 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Adrian Beltre </td><td> TEX </td><td> .307 </td><td> .335 </td><td> .028 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Freddy Galvis </td><td> PHI </td><td> .226 </td><td> .254 </td><td> .028 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Ian Desmond </td><td> WAS </td><td> .264 </td><td> .292 </td><td> .028 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Dayan Viciedo </td><td> CHW </td><td> .259 </td><td> .287 </td><td> .028 </td></tr></tbody></table>

Top 100 Overall Player

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 style="width: 275px;"><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;"> R.A. Dickey, SP, NYM </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;"> Matt Cain, SP, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 2 </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"> 11 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Stephen Strasburg, SP, WAS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Hamilton, OF, TEX </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;"> Carlos Gonzalez, OF, COL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Justin Verlander, SP, DET </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 12 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Gio Gonzalez, SP, WAS </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;"> Cole Hamels, SP, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joey Votto, 1B, CIN </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;"> Chris Sale, SP, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 12 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Wright, 3B, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 10 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Braun, OF, MIL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Ortiz, DH, BOS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jake Peavy, SP, CHW </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;"> Miguel Cabrera, 3B/1B, DET </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Melky Cabrera, OF, SF </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;"> Adam Jones, OF, BAL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jose Bautista, 3B/OF, TOR </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> CC Sabathia, SP, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Carlos Beltran, OF, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Madison Bumgarner, SP, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Zack Greinke, SP, MIL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ian Kinsler, 2B, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 24 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Aroldis Chapman, RP, CIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 18 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Clayton Kershaw, SP, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> C.J. Wilson, SP, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> James McDonald, SP, PIT </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jered Weaver, SP, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Hammel, SP, BAL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Capuano, SP, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ed. Encarnacion, 3B/OF, TOR </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Fernando Rodney, RP, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Johnny Cueto, SP, CIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Vogelsong, SP, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Kipnis, 2B, CLE </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Paul Konerko, 1B, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> David Price, SP, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Craig Kimbrel, RP, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Robinson Cano, 2B, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hunter Pence, OF, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Beachy, SP, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Prince Fielder, 1B, DET </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joel Hanrahan, RP, PIT </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kenley Jansen, RP, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jim Johnson, RP, BAL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Morrow, SP, TOR </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Curtis Granderson, OF, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Martin Prado, 3B/OF, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Yadier Molina, C, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Colby Lewis, SP, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Dempster, SP, CHC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Wade Miley, SP, ARI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Andrew McCutchen, OF, PIT </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Michael Cuddyer, 1B/OF, COL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 91 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Reddick, OF, OAK </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Willingham, OF, MIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Yu Darvish, SP, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> James Shields, SP, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Holliday, OF, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Elvis Andrus, SS, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mark Trumbo, 3B/OF, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Alex Rios, OF, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adam Dunn, 1B/OF, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 98 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Shaun Marcum, SP, MIL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jose Altuve, 2B, HOU </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Shane Victorino, OF, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Harrison, SP, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jose Reyes, SS, MIA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adrian Beltre, 3B, TEX </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 81 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> A.J. Burnett, SP, PIT </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;"> Kyle Lohse, SP, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Andre Ethier, OF, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Phillips, 2B, CIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Rafael Furcal, SS, STL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 76 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Johan Santana, SP, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Michael Bourn, OF, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ben Zobrist, 2B/OF, TB </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;"> Albert Pujols, 1B, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 80 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hanley Ramirez, SS, MIA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 81 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mark Teixeira, 1B, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Asdrubal Cabrera, SS, CLE </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 87 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 83 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> A.J. Pierzynski, C, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Giancarlo Stanton, OF, MIA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joe Mauer, C/1B, MIN </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 86 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Felix Doubront, SP, BOS </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;"> Carlos Ruiz, C, PHI </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 100 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Edwin Jackson, SP, WAS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ivan Nova, SP, NYY </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;"> Dan Uggla, 2B, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 91 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ricky Romero, SP, TOR </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Perez, RP, CLE </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 93 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tommy Hanson, SP, ATL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 79 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Derek Jeter, SS, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 95 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Alejandro De Aza, OF, CHW </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Aramis Ramirez, 3B, MIL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jay Bruce, OF, CIN </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;"> Troy Tulowitzki, SS, COL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 72 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Vargas, SP, SEA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 100 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Austin Jackson, OF, DET </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> N/R </td></tr></tbody></table>

Pointing up

Brandon Phillips, 2B, Cincinnati Reds: Since June 6, the veteran second baseman has been on fire, with a .400 OBP and a 1.046 OPS. Even more impressive is the fact that he has driven in 12 runs over this stretch with only a single strikeout. That maximizes the run production without the lag that typically accompanies such a power surge. This week, Phillips plays three games in Cleveland followed by a home series against the Twins.

Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers: It's all relative, but after a three-week lull (from May 21-June 10) in which Braun hit a "pedestrian" .292 with a minus-5 net K/BB count, the reigning MVP is back in the good graces of his points-league owners. A six-game road trip saw the slugger crank four homers and seven RBIs, bringing his batting average above .315 for the first time since May 25.

Jason Hammel, SP, Baltimore Orioles: After a one-hit shutout versus the Atlanta Braves, Hammel saw his stock rise a bit, as any pitcher's would. In his seven wins, Hammel has an ERA of 1.69 and a 3.85 K/BB rate. But even when he loses or gets a no-decision, he strikes out just a couple fewer batters and keeps the walks at the same general rate. By avoiding the huge stinkers, he is keeping his consistency rating high.

Ivan Nova, SP, New York Yankees: It's hard to ignore his five straight wins, and while his home-road splits still lean heavily toward the away starts (3-2 record, 5.35 ERA at home; 6-0, 3.47 ERA on the road), that could be smoke and mirrors. There's no reason Nova shouldn't do just as well at Yankee Stadium, especially considering his batting average-against at home (.290) is still close to his road BAA (.284).

Austin Jackson, OF, Detroit Tigers: After his lengthy stay on the disabled list, it's easy to forget how good Jackson was playing before his injury. Sure, he has been rusty in his eight games back, but he has driven in 10 runs since his return, and pitchers seem to be concerned; he has walked seven times in his past four games.

Ryan Dempster, SP, Chicago Cubs: Dempster has given up six home runs at home (and none on the road) and has an ERA there that is more than two runs higher than on the road, making Wrigley Field the primary reason he is just 3-3 this year despite a .201 BAA and 2.11 ERA. He has won his past three games, though, and is making a case for some other team to trade for him. If he can ditch the ivy, perhaps he'll rise even higher in these points-league rankings.

Pointing down

Angel Pagan, OF, San Francisco Giants: Pagan has had three weeks of 10 or fewer fantasy points in the past five scoring periods. With just three extra-base hits in June to go along with a plus-12 K/BB count, if his OBP hasn't yet reached its ultimate resting point, it seems to have stagnated to the point where we're not sure it gets any higher the rest of the way.

Ricky Romero, SP, Toronto Blue Jays: Toronto has scored 6.63 runs per game when Romero is on the mound, which is the primary reason his record stands at 7-1. In his past five starts, he has managed to go 2-0 even with a 5.59 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. Plain and simple, batters are rarely missing when they swing at his pitches. That's a problem.

J.J. Hardy, SS, Orioles: After a three-week surge that saw him average 25 points per week, Hardy has gone into a tailspin. Hitting just .225 since May 28, Hardy has walked just twice in that span, leaving his owners with a sad .244 OBP. All of that would be fine if some power came along with the package, but apart from a two-run blast on June 8, Hardy's pop has been nonexistent.

Hanley Ramirez, SS, Miami Marlins: Since June 5, Ramirez has gone 6-for-41. What's troubling is that nine of those games came at home, where Han-Ram has hit .315 on the year. He is supposed to be padding his stats at home but is now slumping, and nine of his next 12 games are in Miami. Then he goes on the road for 13 of 17, and his batting average away from Miami is a sad .192.

Jason Vargas, SP, Seattle Mariners: On May 9, Vargas was 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA. Since then, he has gone 3-4 with a 5.24 ERA, allowing 7.4 hits per start and 10 home runs, with at least one in each outing. His lineup has bailed him out in each of his victories in this stretch. Seattle outscored the opposition 28-12 in Vargas' three wins. His point totals could be a lot worse going forward.

Ernesto Frieri, RP, Los Angeles Angels: Since joining the team in May, Frieri has gone 19 straight appearances without allowing an earned run. This past scoring period, he recorded three saves in three tries. So why is he pointing down? Well, it's the fear of Scott Downs eating into those save chances. Downs has been out with sore ribs but could return to action this week and split the closer duties.

HacheMan · Jun 20, 2012

Cut bait on Ryan Zimmerman, others?

By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

Few things in fantasy baseball are as frustrating as owning a player performing substantially beneath preseason expectations. (Well, besides losing a weekly head-to-head matchup to a team that picks up a vulture relief win during the Sunday Night Baseball game, that is.)

Fantasy owners are usually most vocal about these underachievers, for a few possible reasons: A) Despite most teams having already played 68 games, meaning more than 40 percent of the season is in the books, these owners continue to cling to these players; B) These players tend to possess a lot of "name value," and their reputations keep their owners hopeful (and partly explains the first point); C) These players' owners fear cutting them loose, as if dropping them would serve as the "wake-up call" the guy needs to turn it around.

Considering the laws of regression -- which dictate that it's highly unlikely for a .150 hitter to continue hitting as low as .150, and a .400 hitter to continue hitting as high as .400 -- the final point is a fair concern. Any struggling player, at least the ones struggling to the magnitude of those discussed in today's column, has to exhibit even mild improvement sometime, right? You know, that old, "Hey, he can't possibly get worse," theorem.

But then there's the Adam Dunn example of 2011, such a painful, year-long story, that serves as the counterargument to patience with these players.

Misread a player's declining skills as a short-term slump, and you'll torpedo your season. Today, let's avoid that. Listed below are nine struggling players, broken down into three groups: All-year stinkers, fresh-off-the-DL strugglers and hot starters who have since run cold. Who should we fear? Read on …

All-year stinkers

Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals: Picked 37th, on average, in ESPN leagues in the preseason, Zimmerman has been perhaps the most disappointing "name brand" player among batting title-eligible players, ranking 11th-worst on our Player Rater thus far. A shoulder issue (specifically an inflamed right shoulder joint) that led to a disabled list stint earlier in the year might have contributed; he recently admitted to the Washington Post that his shoulder is not 100 percent healed. Everything in his stats points to that being the likely cause.

Here's how: Divide the zone into four quadrants, "up-and-in," "up-and-away," "down-and-in" and "down-and-away." Zimmerman has struggled mightily on hard stuff up-and-in, batting .167 with a 30 percent miss rate, as well as off-speed stuff both down-and-in and down-and-away, batting .117 with a 33 percent miss rate. Those were previously strengths: He managed a .294 batting average and missed 19 percent of the time on hard stuff up-and-in from 2009 to 2011, and .278 and 27 numbers on off-speed stuff down in the zone during that time span.

All that suggests that Zimmerman, at least today's version, is one that hits only "mistake" pitches, off-speed stuff up in the zone, or fastballs over the middle of the plate. He's not hitting quality stuff anymore, so there's every reason to be concerned about his prospects the remainder of the year. Until Zimmerman proves he's healthy with improved stats in those categories, he's worth reserving … if you can.

Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers: He was a top-100 draft pick in the preseason -- his ADP was 82.9, ranking him 80th -- yet to date, he is the fourth-worst batting title-eligible player on our Player Rater (531st overall). Incredibly, Weeks' owners, at least those who still own him (he's down to 59.5 percent ownership in ESPN leagues), continue to cling to the hopes of a return to 2010 form, perhaps because he's a respectable .263 hitter in the month of June or because he has a 14.9 percent walk rate, which would represent his second-best single-year number. The problem, however, is that Weeks continues to struggle with "fast" fastballs -- measured at 93 mph or faster, that number chosen because only the fastest 25 percent thrown are within that range -- batting .135 with a 29.7 percent K rate and .115 well-hit average against them. From 2009 to 2011, meanwhile, he batted .317 with a 25.1 percent K rate and .282 well-hit average against them, underscoring that as a past strength.

So, no, I don't have a lot of hope for Weeks completely turning his season around.

Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox: He's another top-100 draft pick -- he was picked, on average, 92nd (96.8 ADP) in ESPN leagues -- yet is not within the 300 best on our Player Rater thus far. He's a notorious free swinger, with his "chase" rate (swings at pitches outside the strike zone) at 36.7 percent, which is 12th-worst in the majors, and his walk rate is at 2.6 percent, second-worst. But in Ramirez's case, while his performance demonstrates that he's probably never going to reach top-five fantasy status at his position -- neither this year nor in future years -- his .291 batting average, 13 RBIs and six stolen bases in his past 23 games at least put him back on the map. Though he swung at non-strikes 38 percent of the time in the season's first month, he has done so only 32 percent of the time in June. He's being a bit more patient now and might still be a buy-low target in some leagues.

Fresh-off-the-DL strugglers

Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians: Widely forecasted to be the potential No. 1 fantasy catcher entering the season, Santana missed time due to a concussion recently, and he hasn't performed like his old self since returning. He's a .191/.316/.277 hitter without a home run in his past 13 games, whiffing 12 times in 47 at-bats. Let's give him a mulligan, though, because: A) That's a terribly small sample for a player fresh off a concussion; and B) Concussions can be dicey and might have contributed to the performance besides. Santana might have more health risk now, specifically for reinjury, but he's also a player with every bit the same skills he had before getting hurt. Take a look at these numbers: He has a .213 well-hit average and 19.4 percent line-drive rate since returning, compared to .155 and 19.0 before his DL stint, and his BABIP is .250 since returning, compared to .284 before. A few unlucky bounces might have contributed to his recent "funk," and considering his upside, he's well worth targeting right now.

Michael Morse, Washington Nationals: Through 15 games of his season, Morse is a .230 hitter with one home run and a 24.6 percent strikeout rate, numbers that cannot help but build impatience in his owners. Considering his lengthy absence, though, isn't 15 games an awfully small amount of time during which to make judgments about his full-season potential? Morse is doing one thing differently than he did in 2011: He has swung at first pitches in the count only 21 times in 65 plate appearances (32 percent rate), whereas last year, he did so 38 percent of the time and batted .380 with eight of his 31 home runs. Morse is, simply put, an aggressive hitter, and those stats suggest a hitter fresh off the DL who has yet to fully adjust. Maybe that'll take another two to three weeks -- the length is unknown -- but when Morse does adjust, there's no reason he can't bat in the .270-.280 range while clubbing a good 15 home runs in a half-season's time.

Desmond Jennings, Tampa Bay Rays: Taking a look at his stats since returning from a sprained left knee, I'm left with the question, "Where did the patient Jennings go?" In 13 games since his activation, he's a .196 hitter with a 33 percent chase rate, 5.1 percent walk rate and 24 percent swing-and-miss rate. In the first 98 games of his career, meanwhile, he batted .264, had a 22 percent chase rate, 10.4 percent walk rate and 21 percent swing-and-miss rate. The Jennings that fantasy owners want is the one we saw late last year and during the first two months of this season, not the one we've seen in June. Perhaps that's something a minor adjustment can fix, but until we see Jennings being more selective at the plate, I can't help but be more skeptical about his immediate future.

Hot starters run cold

Derek Jeter, New York Yankees: Remember when Jeter was batting .397 and making a legitimate case for No. 1 fantasy status at his position, or at least top-3? Well, in his past 38 games, Jeter is a .252/.307/.288 hitter, stats that might remind his owners of the mediocre version we saw during the first two months of 2011. During his cold spell, he has a 66.9 percent ground ball rate, .141 well-hit average, .037 isolated power and has directed 34 percent of his hits to the opposite field. In his first 28 contests, meanwhile, he managed 62.6, .223, .198 and 40 percent numbers in those four categories. At this stage of his career -- Jeter is 37 -- he's probably a streakier player than we've come to expect in the past. This is probably just a "down spell" in his season, but it should also remind us that his ceiling might be something closer to top-10 fantasy status than top-five.

Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox: He was the highest-drafted player of anyone in today's column, picked 17th on average in the preseason (17.4 ADP), and has been surrounded by questions in recent weeks due to a thumb injury that had the threat of surgery a few short weeks ago. In 13 games since declaring his intent to avoid surgery and play through the pain, Pedroia is a .170 hitter with a 16.7 percent strikeout rate and only three extra-base hits, all doubles. Here's why that's a concern: In only two months in his career did he endure a streak of 13 games in length during which he struck out 17 percent of the time or more: May 2011 and September 2011. Pedroia's injury is having a noticeable impact on his stats, and he even left Tuesday's game after reportedly aggravating it. He's the kind of player who has played successfully through pain in the past; at the same time, he's still a risk to go under the knife at any point.

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

Chris Young, Arizona Diamondbacks: His performance before and after his DL stint couldn't be more different; he batted .410 and whiffed only 10.9 percent of the time in 11 games to start the season, and has hit .148 with a 25.0 percent strikeout rate in 25 games since his activation. Young is a notoriously streaky hitter, but rarely runs cold to this extent. Yes, a 25-game sample remains small, and could be explained by his recovery from his shoulder ailment. At the same time, he has given back all of the gains in terms of plate discipline that he exhibited before getting hurt, meaning he's probably exactly what he has always been during his career: A .240-hitting, 20/20 candidate, albeit one who will whiff 150 times a year and endure painfully long slumps like this one.

Three up

Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks: One of the most promising power-hitting prospects at the time of his debut in 2011, Goldschmidt might finally have settled in at the big league level, batting .356 (32-for-90) with seven home runs and 15 RBIs in his past 26 games. Depending on your opinion of him, you likely reside in one of two camps: Either you believe this streak signals the beginning of his "career groove," or you think it's a mere short-term hot spell that's common from a player who whiffs as often as he does (27.5 percent so far in the big leagues). I'm leaning more toward the former, primarily because his improvement includes performance against breaking pitches, which was a notable weakness of his in 2011. Goldschmidt is a .269 hitter with a 28 percent swing-and-miss rate against curveballs and sliders this season, compared to .180 and 40 in 2011, and during his aforementioned hot streak, he's a .261 hitter with one home run in 23 at-bats plus a 24 percent swing-and-miss rate.

Dee Gordon, Los Angeles Dodgers: His inclusion in "Three up" should not be interpreted as any burgeoning breakout prediction; it's more a tip of the cap to a player who, thanks to a recent uptick in performance, has at least assured himself regular at-bats for the foreseeable future while diminishing his prospects of a minor league demotion. In 16 games in June, Gordon has batted .246 with 11 runs scored, seven stolen bases and a 6.6 percent walk rate, the batting average and walk rate at least competitive with the major league averages and the steals driving up his fantasy value. Sure enough, he's the No. 5 shortstop on our Player Rater in the past 15 days, and No. 8 in the past 30. Enjoy it, because Gordon should remain the streaky type, frustrating during his "Mendoza Line" periods. But hey, at least he's in the bigs for the long haul.

Ben Revere, Minnesota Twins: The Twins' decision to not grant Revere a starting outfield job at the season's onset was a puzzling one, but they handed him one in mid-May, and he has rewarded them ever since. In 27 games since his recall from the minors, he's a .325 hitter with 12 stolen bases and 16 runs scored, his speed an asset not only in AL-only leagues, but also in many mixed formats (including ESPN standard). Revere is quick; he has eight steals in his past 14 contests. It's for that reason that his .207 BABIP on ground balls is puzzling; the major league average is .224, and most of the quicker hitters in baseball typically range between .275 and .300. Teammate Denard Span, for example, has a .273 ground ball BABIP. It's for that reason that Revere's .319 batting average might not be as far off his true value as you might think; he has a 68.8 percent career ground ball rate and the speed to beat out many infield grounders.

Three down

Dexter Fowler, Colorado Rockies: He is renowned for being a total no-go in his road games, thanks to a .157/.231/.286 seasonal triple-slash rate away from Coors this season, but even during the Rockies' most recent six-game homestand, Fowler was 2-for-15 with five strikeouts and nary an extra-base hit. Small-sample caveats apply, but in the month of June, he's a .200 hitter with a 33.3 percent strikeout rate, zero homers and one stolen base in 15 games, eight of which were at Coors. Here's the truth about Fowler: Much of his outstanding seasonal stat line was the product of out-of-his-mind hitting during a seven-game, May 28-June 3 homestand; Fowler had 15 hits (.556 AVG), two homers, 13 runs scored and three stolen bases during that stretch. Now extract those stats from his 2012 totals: He's a .208/.309/.416 hitter in 55 games, with six homers and three steals. That sure looks like a more ordinary player, doesn't it? It underscores Fowler's streaky/matchups tendency, and he drops in the rankings accordingly.

Kelly Johnson, Toronto Blue Jays: His listing here is twofold: A) He's a .242/.296/.273 hitter in 17 games in the month of June; and B) Mostly as a product of his recent struggles, the Blue Jays have dropped him from the first or second spots in the lineup to fifth or lower. Couple Johnson's struggles with Colby Rasmus' uptick in play lately, and there's no hint of a reversal in the near future, which is a problem for a player who derives much of his value from runs scored. For instance, Johnson was on pace for 100 runs through the conclusion of May, but he's on pace for fewer than 40 apiece in runs and RBIs through the month of June now that he's hitting lower in the order. Again, small samples come into play with Johnson's June performance, but the role change is an obstacle, especially if continued struggles lead to a demotion even lower in the order.

Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox: I've said it before and I'll say it again, but why is it so easy to say that a trade is both imminent and guaranteed to restore him to his prime-year levels of production? It's a leap of faith we might not want to take with a 33-year-old whose slugging percentage has dropped by more than 100 points in each of the past two seasons (counting this one), and who has a $13 million contract (plus $1 million buyout of a $13 million option for 2013) that might prove difficult for the Red Sox to move. Youkilis' future is cloudier than people realize; they assume that a trade is easy and that fresh circumstances will be an instant cure. Here's a better question: What if the Red Sox can't move him until the July 31 deadline? Using the Red Sox's schedule as a barometer, 58 of the Red Sox's remaining 95 games are scheduled after that date, or 61 percent. There is a heck of a lot of baseball to be played between now and then, meaning potentially a heck of a lot of waiting for Youkilis owners.

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: Tyler Colvin (1B), Ryan Flaherty (OF), Tyler Moore (OF), Brandon Moss (1B), Jayson Nix (OF), Steve Pearce (OF), Will Rhymes (3B).

Nearing new position eligibility

The following players are on track to earn new eligibility in the coming weeks: Matt Downs (8 games played at 3B), Taylor Green (8 games played at 3B), Maicer Izturis (9 games played at SS), Elliot Johnson (9 games played at 2B), Jose Lopez (8 games played at 1B), Hector Luna (9 games played at 1B), Buster Posey (8 games played at 1B), Kyle Seager (8 games played at 2B), Mark Trumbo (8 games played at 3B).

HacheMan · Jun 20, 2012

Rough week-plus for Blue Jays' rotation

Stephania Bell

They say things happen in threes. If that's the case, then the Toronto Blue Jays should at least be granted a reprieve in the injury department after losing three members of their pitching staff in succession. The latest unfortunate news: Right-hander Kyle Drabek will undergo what will be his second Tommy John surgery in five years. Drabek, who had his first surgery while still a teenager (an unfortunate trend), recently experienced pain and a popping sensation in his elbow while throwing. Ultimately, the determination was that he was in need of a second surgery, and he will be operated on by Dr. James Andrews.

It's not hard to sympathize with Drabek as he received the bad news for the second time in his young career. "I was down, because they said they saw a little tear, and right when they said that, I flashed back to when I had it previously," Drabek told the National Post. " hated going through it. You miss a year of baseball, you miss a year of hanging out with the guys."

As hard as it is to go through the process of Tommy John surgery and the subsequent lengthy recovery, imagine going through it twice. This year there have been a few notable pitchers who have undergone a second such procedure, including closers Joakim Soria and Brian Wilson. The outcome on second procedures is not nearly as encouraging as the outcome following an initial surgery, and starters seem to not fare as well as closers. On the bright side, Drabek is still just 24 years old, and youth is always a bonus when it comes to a long, intensive rehab. He also has a teammate, Jason Frasor, who has undergone Tommy John surgery twice and successfully returned to pitching. Frasor's second surgery was 10 years ago and he has done well since then, but -- and it's a significant "but," given the recent statistics -- Frasor has the advantage of being a relief pitcher. Maybe Drabek should chat with Dodgers pitcher Chris Capuano, one of the few starting pitchers who has successfully returned to the same workload following a second Tommy John surgery.

Meanwhile, Brandon Morrow, who we discussed last week when he went on the DL for an oblique strain, is still in the early phase of his rehabilitation efforts (typically about a month for pitchers). Drew Hutchison is out with an elbow strain, but it does not appear to be on par with Drabek's. Still, Hutchison is scheduled to consult with Dr. Tim Kremchek in Cincinnati for further evaluation.

The Jays have to be holding out hope that this sudden injury streak has truly come to an end.

Beachy's bad elbow

Atlanta Braves pitcher Brandon Beachy has a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament; this much we know. What is not yet known is what the next step is as far as treatment. Beachy, who currently leads the league with a 2.00 ERA, is scheduled to consult with both the Braves' team physician and Dr. James Andrews, after which those steps should be outlined.

The choices would seem to be either an attempted rehab course to see if Beachy can return to throwing, or reconstructive surgery. A partial tear does not automatically dictate surgery; the location and the degree of the tear can influence the ability of the tissue to heal. If a pitcher is anything less than convinced that he absolutely requires surgery, a course of rehab may be in order. If that rehab course is unsuccessful, the timetable for recovery has been pushed back only 6-8 weeks, not necessarily significant in the context of an approximate one-year recovery from surgery. That said, the timing within the season can play a role. A year from June allows for a likely return the following year. A year from August makes a return in the subsequent season a little less certain. These variables will undoubtedly be considered as Beachy proceeds through the evaluation process. Beachy is already on the DL, but an update to his status should be forthcoming this week.

Weaver returns

Last Tuesday, I noted the big step Jered Weaver had taken in his recovery as he began throwing from a mound. Only a week later, Weaver is set to return to competition. After progressing from throwing halfway up the mound to throwing from the rubber, Weaver had no complications, and he went on to throw a simulated game and a follow-up bullpen session.

Considering how serious his injury appeared to be when it happened less than a month ago, Weaver's return has been impressive. There are no guarantees that the issue is completely behind him, though, and Weaver appears wise to that fact. According to the Orange County Register, Weaver said, "I'm 6-foot-7 and lanky, and I have a lot of torque going on. I'm sure it's not the last time there's going to be some back issues going on." Apparently Weaver has now made some of his rehab exercises part of his regular routine. Both his recognition of the potential for symptom recurrence and his efforts to protect his back with a maintenance exercise program work in Weaver's favor from a prevention standpoint going forward.

Quick hits

• Just last week, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was expressing confidence about being able to rejoin his teammates this week. He is indeed rejoining them, but not in the capacity he had hoped. Longoria has been pulled from his rehab assignment after feeling soreness in his hamstring while running Monday and remains out indefinitely.

Before Longoria began his assignment, Rays manager Joe Maddon had hinted at a lengthier rehab stint to allow him to get his legs in game shape (and undoubtedly to provide multiple opportunities for him to really test the health of his hamstring). It took only two days for Longoria's hamstring to let him know it wasn't ready. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Longoria felt soreness running to first base and did not want to push the issue. He was removed from the game in the third inning, a wise move that might have protected him from truly aggravating the injury. He is set to rejoin the team Tuesday in Washington, D.C., where he will resume a rehabilitation program. As of now, there is no renewed timetable for his return. It has been said many times in this blog space, but it's worth saying again: Until an athlete returns to competition, there is no way to truly test the readiness of a healing hamstring. Consider this episode a gentle warning for Longoria issued by his hamstring, one that told him not to rush back. It might not be so kind to him the next time.

• Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki paid a visit to Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia for further evaluation of his left-sided groin injury. Like Longoria, Tulowitzki had initiated a rehab assignment when he felt pain in the injured area, which prevented him from continuing. Meyers is considered a leading expert in the area of athletic pubalgia, or athletic injuries in the groin and abdominal region which result in pain and loss of function. These injuries are often grouped in the category of sports hernias, which are not true hernias, but rather defects in the abdominal wall that typically require surgery to repair. There are multiple potential causes of chronic groin pain (Tulowitzki's injury dates back to the start of the season), and a full evaluation by Meyers is aimed at getting to the root of the problem. Unfortunately, it sounds as though there are no definitive answers just yet. According to the Denver Post, Tulowitzki summed it up this way: "We're not sure what's wrong." For now, Tulowitzki remains sidelined, and there is no timeline to discuss until more information emerges.

• Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer is day-to-day with a bruised quadriceps, the result of a Rickie Weeks knee to Mauer's thigh in a collision at home plate. Mauer was already dealing with soreness in the hamstring of the same leg, which he was playing through despite not being able to run at full speed. After injuries limited Mauer to just 82 games last year, his 2012 campaign was off to an impressive start. Before injuring his thumb in an at-bat, Mauer had played in 52 of 53 games. The thumb did not require a DL stint, but it did force him to sit four games. Then the sore hamstring came along. He didn't miss a game but served only as a pinch hitter this past Saturday. On Sunday, Mauer returned to his normal spot behind the plate, where he sustained the bruised quad. Mauer looks as though he will again avoid the DL, despite some lingering stiffness and soreness in the thigh. So far, so good.

• The Chicago Cubs have placed pitcher Ryan Dempster on the DL with tightness in the latissimus dorsi muscle on his right (throwing) side. He had been throwing well despite the presence of soreness in his past couple starts. "It's just gotten harder and harder to get loose and maintain," Dempster told reporters. This doesn't sound like a serious strain, such as the one sidelining Phillies ace Roy Halladay, but anything affecting a pitcher's throwing arm raises eyebrows. In Dempster's case, given the potential trade interest surrounding him, the topic becomes even more relevant. The best way to avoid a significant injury is to proactively address a minor ailment, and that seems to be what the Cubs are doing with Dempster. If a brief break from throwing allows the issue to resolve itself, there should not be any significant concern going forward.

• The St. Louis Cardinals continue to have mixed news when it comes to injuries. Pitching ace Chris Carpenter is quietly making progress and could face live hitters as soon as this weekend, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Carpenter, who has been working his way back from a pinched nerve that was affecting his throwing arm, was able to throw some breaking pitches in his most recent side session. If he has another successful outing Wednesday, he could be cleared to throw batting practice a few days later. He still has a ways to go before he returns to competition -- multiple weeks, it would seem -- but even Carpenter acknowledged that progress is indeed being made. Nerve tissue has its own slow timetable for recovery, which makes it difficult for players and management to issue any sort of recovery projections. Functional progress is the best indicator that the tide is turning, and Carpenter's return to the mound certainly provides encouragement.

Meanwhile, teammate Matt Holliday has a sore hip flexor, per Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Holliday left Sunday's game because of the injury, but this reportedly has been bothering him intermittently for several months, with this being the latest flare-up. While it doesn't appear as though he's headed to the DL just yet, this could affect his availability at least this week. Hip flexor strains can be difficult to completely resolve in-season so this is something that could continue to impact him on an intermittent basis. On a positive note, second baseman/centerfielder Skip Schumaker has been activated from the DL after missing time since late May because of a hamstring injury. The Cardinals' official Twitter site has announced that Schumaker is "uniformed" for Tuesday night's game in Detroit.

• One player who won't be active Tuesday night is Milwaukee Brewers ace Shaun Marcum. He has been scratched from his scheduled Tuesday start due to tightness in his throwing elbow. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports Marcum is going to be evaluated by Brewers team physician William Raasch, after which next steps will be determined. It is worth noting that Marcum underwent Tommy John surgery on this elbow in 2008.

• And finally, keep an eye on Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew, who crossed a huge hurdle this past weekend in playing three consecutive rehab games. Drew, who suffered a severe ankle fracture last season, has been battling lingering soreness and stiffness in his surgically repaired ankle, which has prevented him, until now, from playing in back-to-back games. Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson has indicated Drew is gradually nearing a return, but as the Diamondbacks' official website reports, it might be in a part-time role. Although he is showing improvement functionally, he has not completely overcome some of the challenges associated with this type of injury, specifically the joint-related soreness that follows activity. "I don't think [when Drew returns] it will be as an everyday guy," Gibson said. "He'll have to be worked in and out of the lineup. We'll watch the whole thing with his recovery. There are going to be limitations if he comes back in the near future." Those limitations may well be the ingredient to getting -- and keeping -- Drew back with the team.

HacheMan · Jun 20, 2012

Ax Man Getting Axed?
There may be some closer turnover in Milwaukee.

John Axford blew his third save since June 13 in Tuesday night’s 10-9 loss to the Blue Jays and now carries a brutal 5.60 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in 27-plus total innings this year.

His fastball velocity is better than ever at an average of 96.3 mph and he’s striking out batters at a career-high rate (12.51 K/9), but the right-hander has coughed up far too many big hits this summer. And the Brewers can’t afford to fall further and further back in the seemingly wide open National League Central standings.

So look for some amount of change before Wednesday’s second of three games with Toronto.

The guess here is that Brewers skipper Ron Roenicke will talk about using a “committee” in the ninth inning until Axford can “get it figured out.” But we’ve got our eye on one particular guy -- and you’ve probably heard of him.

Brewers setup man Francisco Rodriguez has allowed no runs and just three hits in his last five relief appearances and boasts a cool 30/11 K/BB ratio through 32 1/3 innings this season. He obviously has tons of experience in the ninth-inning role and is capable of delivering successfully converted saves on the opportunities that the Brewers allow him to vulture. Go grab K-Rod. And stop asking us to confirm whether this is the year 2012.

Razzle Dazzle Heating Up For Toronto

Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus decided to make some changes to his plate approach late last month, converting to more of an upright and open batting stance in an effort to break out of an offensive slump that dated back to his final year with the Cardinals. And it certainly seems to have worked.

Rasmus smashed two solo home runs in Tuesday night’s 10-9 defeat of the Brewers and has now tallied eight hits in his last 17 at-bats. His batting average was a hideous .206 on May 8. It’s now .259. His OPS was a less-than-pedestrian .610 on May 17. It’s now .804. Oh, and he has 12 home runs.

Rasmus had the look of a future All-Star during his sophomore season in St. Louis and seems to be getting back to the methods that helped him to that string of success. Maybe this is just a hot streak. Maybe it’s not meant to last all summer. But the talented 25-year-old has seemed capable of big things since the day he was drafted 28th overall out of an Alabama high school, and he’s suddenly a must-start again in all mixed fantasy leagues.

CarGo Nearing Return To Colorado Lineup

Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez hasn’t appeared in a game since Saturday because of a mild right knee strain. But he reported feeling significant improvement when catching up with reporters Tuesday afternoon and is expected to be ready for Wednesday night’s game against the Phillies.

“I will be in there tomorrow,” he told Troy Renck of the Denver Post. “They just want me to rest it one more day.”

Gonzalez, 26, is batting .335/.394/.629 with 17 home runs, 51 RBI and nine stolen bases in 60 games this year.

National League Quick Hits: Major League Baseball suspended Freddy Galvis 50 games after he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Clostebol … Bud Norris (knee) is scheduled to make a rehab start Saturday at Triple-A Oklahoma City and should be ready as soon as he’s eligible to be activated from the disabled list … Marlins outfielder Logan Morrison finished 3-for-4 with five RBI in a loss Tuesday night against the Red Sox … Johan Santana scattered four hits over six scoreless innings Tuesday in a defeat of the Orioles … Braves closer Craig Kimbrel is up to 20 saves … The Cardinals activated utilityman Skip Schumaker from the disabled list before Tuesday’s loss to Detroit … Andrew McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a home run and a stolen base in Tuesday’s victory over the Twins … Nationals slugger Michael Morse belted his first home run of the season on Tuesday evening against the Rays … Lance Lynn was shelled for five earned runs on nine hits in a rough five-inning start Tuesday against the Tigers … The Rockies have moved struggling right-hander Jeremy Guthrie to the bullpen and are testing out a four-man rotation … Carlos Ruiz smacked his ninth home run of the season in Tuesday’s victory over Colorado … Ryan Howard (ruptured Achilles tendon) has been cleared for base-running workouts … The Phillies may be preparing to activate Chase Utley (knee) by the end of June … Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal is being bothered by a deep shin bruise … Phillies reliever David Herndon underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery on Tuesday afternoon … Jayson Werth could be ready to return from wrist surgery in late July.

American League Quick Hits: The Rays placed starter Jeremy Hellickson on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder fatigue … Tigers closer Jose Valverde is day-to-day with right wrist discomfort … Mitch Moreland could be headed to the disabled list with a left hamstring strain that he suffered on Tuesday night … A’s outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (hamstring) may be able to serve as Oakland's designated hitter on Wednesday … Jake Peavy tossed a complete game in a hard-luck loss to the Cubs on Tuesday night … Dustin Pedroia is day-to-day after exiting Tuesday’s game with renewed discomfort in his right thumb … Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar hurled 7 2/3 scoreless innings Tuesday in an easy defeat of the Astros … Joe Mauer (quad) is aiming to return to the Twins’ starting lineup on Wednesday … The Mariners are promoting top pitching prospect Danny Hultzen from Double-A Jackson to Triple-A Tacoma … Rays setup man Joel Peralta was ejected from Tuesday’s game against the Nationals after umpires found excessive pine tar in his glove … Matt Joyce is day-to-day with back tightness … A’s reliever Andrew Carignan underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery on Tuesday … Tigers starter Drew Smyly pronounced himself “good to go” after testing the blister on his left middle finger and should be activated from the disabled list as soon as he’s made eligible… Brett Anderson (elbow surgery) is aiming to begin throwing off a mound next week … Johnny Damon is day-to-day with lower back soreness … The Yankees are hoping that young right-hander Michael Pineda (shoulder) will be able to begin a throwing program in mid-September.

HacheMan · Jun 20, 2012

The Heat is (Back) On
It's so hot, you can barely say "It's so hot," without slurring your words because your tongue is melting. It's so hot, it's not even worth going outside if you have cardboard and ice in the house to eat for dinner. It's so hot you're afraid to crack the door to get the mail on the front mat. It's so hot, you called off the barbecue and sat in a tub of ice in front of Weekend At Bernie's Two.

It's so hot.

It's a yearly tradition, but it's worth doing every summer: we'll name the tiers after the different levels of summer heat. Because if you're feeling the heat on your recliner while watching the game, imagine being the struggling (bearded) Ike Davis facing Craig Kimbrel cracking triple digits on the radar gun while the sun cracks triple digits on the thermometer.

That's hot.

Tier 1: Elite (4) (AKA: The "Perma-Shorts" Tier.)

Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves
Jonathan Papelbon, Philadelphia Phillies
Jason Motte, St. Louis Cardinals
Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers

Wear a pair of shorts, sit on some black leather seats in your sauna of a car after a double feature, and suddenly you're always wearing those shorts. They've melted into your legs.

Craig Kimbrel has jellied more than a few legs. He struck out out two against now walks Tuesday night. He had a Kimbrel on June 13 and June 3rd (no walk, no hits, three strikeouts). He hasn't walked in twelve appearances. In those 12 innings, he has 20 strikeouts. It's like he's a college graduate in rookie ball or something. Just toying with people.

Kenley Jansen seems like he's toying with people, but he celebrated his move into the elite tier by giving up a home run against the Angels and losing the game. He got right back on the horse by striking out two White Sox against no baserunners in his next appearance. He's fine. Great, even.

Tier 2: Rock Steady (7) (AKA: The "Rat Armpit" Tier.)

Joel Hanrahan, Pittsburgh Pirates
J.J. Putz, Arizona Diamondbacks
Joe Nathan, Texas Rangers
Rafael Betancourt, Colorado Rockies
Santiago Casilla, San Francisco Giants
Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds
John Axford, Milwaukee Brewers

Ever been on a train that smelled like a gang of rats crawled up everyone's shirts and died in their armpits? I have.

Aroldis Chapman normally makes people feel like they can't keep their eyes open -- his 95+ MPH slider makes them faint -- but the last week hasn't been so kind to the new closer. He blew a save Tuesday night, and also on June 10th and June 7th. In between, he struck a lot of guys out and walked a lot of guys. Still what he does.

He belongs with John Axford, even if John Axford blew the save against Toronto Tuesday night and dropped to the bottom of the tier. Even if John Axford brew three straight games wide open June 10th, 13th and 14th. Even if John Axford has seven walks against nine strikeouts in his last ten innings… Wait, this means Axford should drop to the bottom of the tier and serve as a warning sign for bad control. Still, it's not as if Francisco Rodriguez has been lights out, and Axford is under team control until 2016. They'll give him time to find the plate. More work like this, though, and he'll switch places with a player in tier three soon. He still has one of the best strikeout rates in all of baseball, and his walks are a little less damaging in his fewer innings.

Tier 3: OK options (7) (AKA: The "Full Body Shave" Tier.)

Heath Bell, Miami Marlins
Huston Street, San Diego Padres
Rafael Soriano, New York Yankees
Chris Perez, Cleveland Indians
Fernando Rodney, Tampa Bay Rays
Addison Reed, Chicago White Sox
Jim Johnson, Baltimore Orioles

Plenty of times I've been in heat and wondered why I had long hair. Some times I've been in heat and wondered why I had any hair at all. One day, I might just act on it.

Heath Bell is starting to show something. Sure, his swinging strike rate is still bad, and his walk rate is atrocious. he was never really a ground ball guy either. But his velocity has been up from a floor around 92 mph recently, and so it's not gas he's lacking. Since he returned to the role, he's got 15 strikeouts against two walks in nine appearances -- that looks like the Bell of old. Amazingly, he could be a buy-low guy right now.

Since Rafael Soriano only blew one save while David Robertson is out, let's believe his team when they say he's still the closer. That's how fickle this role is -- if he'd blown a couple games and walked a few guys, the fan base might be aching for Robertson, and Soriano would be on the hot face. Now the guy with the serious closer face has a closer's role to go with it.

Ain't nothing wrong… with a little Fernando Rodney.

Tier 4: Question marks (6) (AKA: The "Pool BBQ" Tier.)

Ernesto Frieri, Los Angeles Angels

Ryan Cook, Oakland Athletics
Jonathan Broxton, Kansas City Royals
Alfredo Aceves, Boston Red Sox
Matt Capps, Minnesota Twins
Frank Francisco, New York Mets

Should we jump in the pool and then barbecue, or barbecue and then jump in the pool? Neither. We should find a way to barbecue while standing in the pool. That's what we should do.

It's a weird time to promote Ernesto Frieri -- he just got a hold Tuesday night -- but he's so awesome he's like eating a Bratwurst in a bathtub full of ice. He's been getting more saves than holds, and Scott Downs is the lefty closer. Frieri is more important to own.

Ryan Cook moves into sole ownership of the Athletics' closer job, but he's not without issues. He's walked 17 in 30 2/3 innings so far this year, but makes it work with the strikeouts. Remember that Henry Rodriguez once had control issues and a job. Grant Balfour has worked his way back into the eighth inning and could be relevant -- but he could also get traded pretty easily. Cook is the Aussy to own.

Alfredo Aceves has been peeing in the pool, but lately he's been cool enough for school. Will any of it matter? Even if he's struck out eight against his last in six innings of work, Andrew Bailey still looms behind him. Just enjoy what you've gotten so far. At least Vincente Padilla is not taking the job away.

Jonathan Broxton has more challengers than Aceves -- Greg Holland is a great pitcher, and Aaron Crow is much better in the bullpen -- but he overcame a blown save on June 17th to get the save Tuesday night. He's getting a few more strikeouts these days and could hold onto the job, although he really should be in the Brett Myers category. He could get traded for future Royals pieces, and his underlying stats don't suggest he'd be a closer for many teams. He's showing the worst swinging strike rate of his career.

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

Tier 5: Rollercoaster rides (6) (AKA: The "Insta-Hangover" Tier.)

Tom Wilhelmsen (first chair), Brandon League (second chair), Seattle Mariners

Brett Myers (first chair) Brandon Lyon (second chair), Wesley Wright (third chair), Houston Astros

Jose Valverde (first chair), Joaquin Benoit (second chair), Phil Coke (third chair), Detroit Tigers
Tyler Clippard (first chair), Sean Burnett (second chair), Washington Nationals

Carlos Marmol (first chair), Shawn Camp (second chair), Chicago Cubs
Casey Janssen (first chair), Francisco Cordero (second chair), Jason Frasor (third chair), Toronto Blue Jays

Adult beverages dehydrate. Sometimes, you're so dehydrated that just touching the bottle brings on the headache. It might be the most tragic of all summer phenomenons.

Tom Wilhelmsen used to be a bartender, so he knows all about the instant hangover. He's been dealing them to opposing batters -- a Kimbrel Tuesday night, and an unblemished record since he was made the closer. The team brass made some noise about returning Brandon League to the role, but he's blown up a few times and and pitched in the seventh inning in Tuesday's close game. League is an okay guy to keep around, but Wilhelmsen is the guy right now.

Brett Myers has to drop a tier for his five-run blow-up of a blown game on Monday. He gave up eight hits on the way to getting two outs. Otherwise, he's taken to the closing role. He's not striking out guys like you'd want, but his velocity is up two ticks (now over 91 mph) and his swinging strike rate is back into above-average territory. He's probably attractive to the right contender, but he's also not a slam-dunk closer in Boston, as an example. The combo of his so-so strikeout rate and trade rumors makes him a guy you keep for now, trade if you can, and don't trade for.

We've been waiting all along for Jose Valverde to realize he's got a hangover, and it took a wrist injury to point it out. He couldn't throw enough warmup tosses to go into the game in a save chance, and Phil Coke got the job. If the injury continues, though, it will be Joaquin Benoit -- who came in in the eighth inning to get a hold -- getting most of the saves chances going forward. He deserves them, and is the rare multi-year reliever contract to work out. So far.

Hey who looks like he's the Chicago closer after the carousel has stopped. Carlos Marmol still has seven walks against nine strikeouts in his eight appearances since he was recalled… Yuck. Guess that must mean Shawn Camp is really a middle innings guy (he is) and the other guys were terrible (they were). Marmol it is for now, at least until he's traded or implodes again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Injured

Andrew Bailey (thumb), Boston Red Sox
Kyle Farnsworth (elbow), Tampa Bay Rays
Drew Storen (elbow), Washington Nationals
Sergio Santos (shoulder), Toronto Blue Jays

Kyle Farnsworth made his third rehab appearance Monday night, but he's probably headed for setup duty once he returns. Drew Storen is throwing three times a week, but is not yet cleared for rehab. He wants to be back in a month or less. Sergio Santos is still shut down and Andrew Bailey is still hoping for the All-Star break.

The Deposed

Jordan Walden, Los Angeles Angels
Hector Santiago, Chicago White Sox
Grant Balfour, Oakland Athletics
Javy Guerra, Los Angeles Dodgers
Sean Marshall, Cincinnatti Reds
Henry Rodriguez, Washington Nationals
Brandon League, Seattle Mariners
Rafael Dolis, Chicago Cubs

We took Carlos Marmol off this list this week. There probably won't be another resurrection on this list.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Steals Department

We profiled the San Diego middle infield three weeks back, and then mentioned them again two weeks ago, but it's probably worth pointing out that Everth Cabrera is fourth in baseball with six steals in the past two weeks, and is probably rosterable in deeper mixed leagues where owners can stomach his bad batting average. Rajai Davis is owned in twice as many leagues and won't necessarily have a better batting average. Ditto S&S favorite Tony Campana, who is back to playing every day and is capable of dropping a three-steal day at a moment's notice. Michael Saunders, last week's deep league rec, is also close to relevant in mixed leagues. He can probably hit about .260+ going forward, and has power and speed. It's better if you can leave him on the bench and platoon him though. Alexei Ramirez is perking up if he's available in your league, by the way. The only thing missing from his overall line is his power, and that takes the longest to stabilize. He's still close to a .270 10/10 guy over the rest of the season. We've talked about Norichika Aoki in this space, too, and he can equal those projections (with a better batting average), if you need an outfielder to do that for you. Corey Hart looks comfortable at first base.

On at least one fantasy platform, Brian Bixler is owned in 0% of leagues. He should probably be owned in the deeper National League only leagues out there, though. He really strikes out too much, and won't have a good batting average, but he does have a little speed and is playing all over the diamond with the Astros right now. .230+ with 20-SB type speed? It's ugly, but the waiver wire in those kinds of leagues is pretty ugly right now. With Jed Lowrie's injury history, and the Astros' contenders at third base and in the outfield, Bixler should get some semi-regular time. At least against lefties. Hey, this is the bed you made by joining a league like this. You get to dream on Brian Bixler, a 29-year-old super utility guy with fewer than 300 plate appearances in his career (and a hefty strikeout rate to boot).

HacheMan · Jun 21, 2012

Tulo's Travails
That’s one way to distract the fans from your new four-man rotation.

One day after the Rockies unveiled their curious plan to let four starters throw 75 pitches every fourth day, they announced superstar shortstop Troy Tulowitzki requires groin surgery, and will miss a minimum of six weeks. The operation will take place this morning.

The news is a killshot to a season that already lay dying, and again clouds the future of one of baseball’s most talented but seemingly fragile players. The surgery will be the first of Tulo’s career, but the DL-stint is his fourth in five years. Of a possible 715 games since 2008, he’s appeared in just 564.

For fantasy owners, the news is more of the same. Of the top 12 players by ADP this season, four have missed significant time. The other three — Matt Kemp, Jacoby Ellsbury and Evan Longoria — are all likely to return sometime in July, but Tulo is nearly certain to be sidelined into August. With the Rox season sure to be long in the tank by then, there will be little reason to rush back roto’s top shortstop.

Marco Scutaro — who has come alive in June following a rough April and May — will continue to man short while Tulo is out, with D.J. LeMahieu holding down second.

Nothing if Not Enigmas

On May 30, Francisco Liriano was at a career crossroads while Justin Masterson was putting the finishing touches on his second consecutive disappointing month.

Flash forward three weeks, and we have two pitchers who have rediscovered relevancy. The question is, for how long?

The owner of an 8.47 ERA and 30/26 K/BB ratio through 34 innings entering his undeserved return to the rotation last month, Liriano has turned things around to a degree even his mother probably didn’t think was possible. Through five starts and 30 1/3 innings, he’s posted a 2.67 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 35/12 K/BB ratio.

Yes, he’s recorded more than 18 outs just once, and issued three or more walks twice, but there’s really been very little to quibble about with Liriano’s return. Liriano has had a maddening tendency of following up apparent progress with profound disappointment throughout his career, but he should be owned in all leagues for the time being. His next chance to keep the wave going will come Monday at home against the White Sox.

Justin Masterson

Masterson hasn’t just turned things around — he’s been dominant. Buoyed by his fourth career complete game Wednesday, Masterson is now 2-2 with a 1.24 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 27/6 K/BB ratio across four June starts and 29 innings.

This, after a near total inability to retire lefties left him with a 5.14 ERA and 1.49 WHIP entering the season’s third month. Masterson is still eminently hittable against southpaws, but if his June is any indication, not to the degree that he can’t be a functioning, above-average starter.

He’ll have his hands full on Tuesday, where he’ll be tasked with containing the Yankees’ stable of lefty thunder in hitter-friendly New York.

Officially Beached

One of the feel-good stories of 2012 wrote its ugly closing chapter on Wednesday. Four days after leaving his Saturday start against the Orioles with left elbow soreness, Brandon Beachy officially learned he needed Tommy John surgery.

By now, you likely knew that Beachy’s 2.00 ERA was tied for the MLB lead, but that it was also unlikely he’d keep it up thanks to his unsustainable (and league leading) .197 BABIP.

But what you should also know is that, exceedingly good fortune or not, Beachy is one heck of a good young pitcher. You don’t post a 3.07 ERA and 252/82 K/BB ratio through your first 237 2/3 career innings by accident.

Still three months shy of his 26th birthday, Beachy should return stronger than ever.

Game Notes: Jered Weaver (back) tossed six shutout innings in his return from the disabled list. … Yoenis Cespedes (hamstring) went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI in his. … David Ortiz hit his 11th career grand slam. … Tommy Milone pitched his first career complete game, while Jake Westbrook tossed his 14th. … Speaking of Milone, he’s now the owner of a 0.99 home ERA and...7.42 road mark. You know what to do in fantasy leagues. … Edwin Encarnacion homered for the third time in three games. … Ryan Vogelsong tossed his 10th straight quality start, completing seven innings of work for the ninth time in 10 outings. … Gavin Floyd turned in his first quality start in seven outings. … Stephen Strasburg retook the major-league strikeout lead. … Yu Darvish went eight in San Diego. … The Diamondbacks and Mariners combined for eight home runs. Franklin Gutierrez hit one of them. … Phil Hughes allowed four home runs in 4 1/3 innings.

American League Short Hops: Joe Mauer (quad) and Dustin Pedroia (thumb) both sat out. Pedroia will supposedly play this evening. Mauer remains day-to-day. … Brett Lawrie left Toronto’s loss to the Brewers with right knee soreness, but doesn’t expect to miss any playing time. The Jays have an off-day today. … Roy Oswalt will make his Rangers debut Friday against the Rockies. ... Jesse Litsch (biceps) is done for the season. … Matt Joyce (back) is day-to-day. … Jose Valverde (sprained wrist) is day-to-day, but unlikely to pitch this weekend. … John Danks (shoulder) could rejoin the White Sox rotation soon after the All-Star break. … Jerome Williams (asthma) landed on the disabled list. It will likely be a minimum stay. … Derek Holland (shoulder) is hoping to return July 1.

National League Short Hops: Justin Upton left Arizona’s win over the Mariners with a calf cramp. He’s expected to be fine for Friday’s game. … Lucas Duda is day-to-day with a “tight” hamstring. … Anthony Bass became the latest Padres starter to go down, leaving his outing against the Rangers with right shoulder inflammation. His status should be updated this afternoon. … X-rays of Allen Craig’s wrist came back negative following a scare in the outfield.

HacheMan · Jun 21, 2012

Gee Whiz
When Roy Oswalt first signed with the Rangers late last month, I wasn't sold on stashing him away in shallow mixed leagues. My reasoning at the time was that it wasn't worth wasting a roster spot on him for a couple of weeks when there were plenty of comparable or better starting pitchers who could contribute in fantasy leagues right away. Now that Oswalt is poised to make his Rangers' debut Friday against the Rockies, I'm still not sure he's a must-own. And this has nothing to do with his shaky outings in the minors.

Oswalt, who turns 35 in August, is coming off a year where he was limited to 23 starts due to two stints on the disabled list with a chronic back condition. And while he posted a perfectly useful 3.69 ERA last season for the Phillies and continued to limit walks, he also saw a decline in velocity while posting the lowest strikeout (6.02 K/9) and swinging strike rates of his major league career. Those trends already present reason for skepticism, but he will now be pitching full-time in the American League for the first time in his career and at the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the majors, to boot.

I'm not telling you to ignore Oswalt completely. With the Rangers' powerful offense behind him, he should be a decent anchor for a mixed league staff. But here's a fair warning to keep expectations in check.

MIXED LEAGUES

Anthony Rizzo 1B, Cubs (Yahoo: 13 percent owned, ESPN: 5.2 percent)

The wait is almost over. The Cubs played Bryan LaHair in right field this week, which is the biggest hint yet that Rizzo's promotion to the big leagues isn't far off. Also important: the calendar. Starting today (Thursday, if you're reading this late), the Cubs have waited just long enough to ensure that Rizzo will become a free agent following the 2018 season as opposed to 2017. Sure, the 22-year-old first baseman stumbled in his first taste of the big leagues last season, but his numbers with Triple-A Iowa this year are simply eye-popping. He should be owned on pure potential alone in mixed leagues that are 12 teams or deeper.

Justin Masterson SP, Indians (Yahoo: 46 percent owned, ESPN: 44.8 percent)

After getting off to a miserable start this season, Masterson has turned things around in dramatic fashion. The 27-year-old right-hander entered June with a disappointing 5.14 ERA, but he has allowed just four runs over his last four starts, lowering his ERA down to 3.98 for the year. This includes three straight starts of at least seven innings and one run or less allowed. His improved command is a big reason for the recent rebound, as he has walked just six batters over his last six starts after handing out 34 free passes over his first nine outings. There shouldn't be any hesitation to pick him up in most formats at this point.

Carlos Marmol RP, Cubs (Yahoo: 49 percent owned, ESPN: 43.7 percent)

He's back. Marmol has regained the Cubs' closer role over the past week, which is more a sign of how bad their bullpen is than anything else. The erratic right-hander hasn't blown any save chances yet, but his numbers since returning from the disabled list (4.32 ERA and 10/7 K/BB ratio over 8 1/3 innings) are hardly inspiring. Anybody who is getting regular save chances should be owned in mixed leagues, but Marmol remains one of the more volatile fantasy properties out there. One of his patented meltdowns could ruin your entire week. So have fun with that.

Brandon Belt 1B/OF, Giants (Yahoo: 24 percent owned, ESPN: 26 percent)

Last week I mentioned Ike Davis in this space, but another young first baseman has shown signs of breaking out recently. Belt homered in three straight games last week and is hitting .333 (15-for-45) in 16 games this month. While the power hasn't really been there until the past week or so, the 24-year-old first baseman still owns an impressive .796 OPS for the year thanks to his patient approach at the plate. With Aubrey Huff on the disabled list and Brett Pill in the minors, there's nothing standing in the way of Belt playing everyday. At least for now. The "Baby Giraffe" should be owned outside of shallow mixed leagues.

Dillon Gee SP, Mets (Yahoo: 13 percent owned, ESPN: 6.9 percent)

Well would you look at that? Gee is growing up before our eyes. After allowing two runs over 7 1/3 innings in a win over the Orioles on Wednesday night, the 26-year-old right-hander has a 4.27 ERA and 83/25 K/BB ratio in 90 2/3 innings over his first 14 starts. While the ERA is only slightly better than what we saw last year, it doesn't tell the whole story. His strikeout rate is up, his walks are down and his ground ball rate is up. Gee could be quite a find the rest of the way if he keeps up those trends and his home run to fly ball rate normalizes a bit.

Jon Jay OF, Cardinals (Yahoo: 16 percent owned, ESPN: 18.5 percent)

The Cardinals gave Jay a few weeks off to nurse a lingering shoulder injury and it appears to have done the trick. The 27-year-old center fielder is 3-for-7 with a home run and a triple over his first two minor league rehab games with Triple-A Memphis and could be back in the Cardinals' lineup as soon as this weekend against the Royals. He had 36 extra-base hits (10 homers) and eight stolen bases in 455 at-bats last year and was hitting .343 with two homers, eight RBI and four stolen bases through 27 games this season prior to the injury, so he should be plenty useful in deeper mixed leagues upon his return.

Joaquin Benoit RP, Tigers (Yahoo: 20 percent owned, ESPN: 4.9 percent)

There's a short-term opening in the Tigers' bullpen this week, as closer Jose Valverde suffered a sprained right wrist and is expected to miss a few days. Phil Coke earned a save in his place Tuesday night against the Cardinals, but Benoit should be the target here in mixed leagues. The 34-year-old right-hander has a 2.12 ERA over 161 relief appearances dating back to the start of 2010, including a 1.99 ERA and 44/13 K/BB ratio over 31 2/3 innings this season. He's a pretty safe pickup if you need to vulture for a couple save chances.

Zack Cozart SS, Reds (Yahoo: 29 percent owned, ESPN: 36.8 percent)

Cozart's rookie campaign has been a mixed bag, but he's on a pretty nice roll recently. The 26-year-old is hitting .333 (24-for-72) this month, including nine multi-hit games. It would be nice if he drew more walks and he hasn't run as much as I though he would, but he's currently tied for third among fantasy shortstops with 40 runs scored and tied for 10th in home runs with seven. He's plenty useful in deeper mixed leagues, especially if you're currently fishing for a replacement for Troy Tulowitzki.

Francisco Liriano RP/SP, Twins (Yahoo: 29 percent owned, ESPN: 13.6 percent)

It's safe to say that Liriano remains one of fantasy baseball's biggest enigmas. The 28-year-old left-hander allowed just one run over 6 2/3 innings in Wednesday's win over the Pirates and now holds a 2.67 ERA and 35/12 K/BB ratio over 30 1/3 innings in five starts since rejoining the Twins' starting rotation at the end of May. That's one way to boost your trade value. We'll obviously need to see a lot more before declaring that the old Liriano is back, but most fantasy owners can afford to take a chance on his considerable upside.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:

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

Seth Smith OF, Athletics (Yahoo: 7 percent owned, ESPN: 8.7 percent)

Smith was batting just .217 entering play on June 6, but he's hitting .432 (19-for-44) with three homers and 12 RBI over his last 14 games. Only Aaron Hill, Jose Bautista, Joey Votto and Trevor Plouffe have a higher OPS (1.173) this month among players with at least 50 plate appearances. I was worried that his production would suffer after leaving Coors Field behind, but his home/road splits were pretty even last year and he actually has an .893 OPS at O.co Coliseum this season compared to a .780 elsewhere. Smith isn't going to play much against left-handers, so he's best utilized in a daily leagues, but he should continue to do enough to warrant ownership in deeper formats.

John Mayberry, Jr. OF/1B, Phillies (Yahoo: 6 percent owned, ESPN: 3.4 percent)

Mayberry was largely irrelevant in fantasy leagues over the first two months of the season, but something has finally clicked for him recently. After collecting just two homers and 12 RBI over his first 145 at-bats, the 28-year-old has four homers and 10 RBI in just 24 at-bats over his last six games. Most who drafted Mayberry as a potential sleeper this season dumped him on the waiver wire after his slow start, so he's still widely available in most formats. With his eligibility between first base and the outfield, he's a pretty useful player to have around in deeper leagues.

Lorenzo Cain OF, Royals (Yahoo: 7 percent owned, ESPN: 2.3 percent)

After a couple stops and starts, Cain is finally on the comeback trail. The 26-year-old outfielder originally went on the disabled list with a groin injury in mid-April, but he suffered a torn hip flexor during a rehab assignment and is just making his way back now. Acquired from the Brewers as part of the Zack Greinke deal back in December of 2010, Cain was considered a sleeper in mixed leagues this spring due to his speed and modest pop. Jarrod Dyson hasn't exactly thrived in his absence and top prospect Wil Myers is likely bound for a corner outfield spot, so Cain should get an extended look in center field once he's finally healthy. 

NL ONLY

Luis Valbuena 2B/3B, Cubs (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0.2 percent)

The Cubs placed Ian Stewart on the disabled list last week due a left wrist injury, so Valbuena is getting the chance at regular playing time at third base. The 26-year-old has shown some nice pop in the minors over the past two seasons and has two homers and seven RBI in seven games since his call-up from Triple-A Iowa. Remember, he slugged 10 homers in 398 plate appearances as a 23-year-old with the Indians back in 2009, so it's not like he hasn't done it at the major league level before. With his multi-position eligibility, he makes for a pretty decent injury fill-in.

Marco Estrada SP/RP, Brewers (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

Estrada has been sidelined for nearly a month due to a right quad strain, but he should rejoin the Brewers' rotation in short order. The 28-year-old right-hander threw three shutout innings last Saturday in his first rehab start and is expected to get stretched out to 75 pitches on Thursday. If all goes well, he should return from the disabled list Tuesday against the Reds. Estrada is winless in six starts with the Brewers this season, but throws strikes and has averaged 8.66 K/9 in the majors. If healthy, he could be a nice sleeper moving forward.

Chris Nelson 2B/3B, Rockies (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

The Rockies expect to be without Troy Tulowitzki for the next eight weeks following surgery to remove scar tissue from a nerve in his groin. While it's a crushing blow for the Rockies and some fantasy owners, the injury should provide Nelson with the opportunity to play pretty regularly at second base while Marco Scutaro fills in at shortstop. The 2004 first-round pick has an underwhelming .251/.302/.389 batting line in the big leagues and doesn't run as much as he did when he was considered a top prospect, but his pop is enough to make him interesting at the second base position.

Brandon Lyon RP, Astros (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

This has nothing to do with Brett Myers' disastrous outing on Monday. One clunker shouldn't change things and the Astros appear committed to using him in the closer role in order to make him attractive in a trade. But who is the alternative if the Astros end up finding a taker? Wilton Lopez makes the most sense, but he's on the disabled list with a sprained elbow. With his status up in the air at the moment, Lyon might be the one to stash. The 32-year-old right-hander has pitched really well in his first season back from shoulder surgery, posting a 2.60 ERA and 28/7 K/BB ratio over 27 2/3 innings. Of course, if he continues to pitch well, he may also draw interest from contending teams.

AL ONLY

Chris Archer SP, Rays (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.2 percent)

After Jeremy Hellickson was placed on the disabled list this week due to shoulder fatigue, the Rays called up Archer to make his major league debut Wednesday against the Nationals. He was shaky at first, but ended up giving up three runs (two earned) over six innings while striking out seven and walking just one. The 23-year-old has struggled a bit since coming over in the Matt Garza deal, mostly due to his shaky command and control, but he has averaged 9.0 K/9 over parts of seven seasons in the minors. He should be owned as long as he has a rotation spot.

Carlos Villanueva SP/RP, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

Villanueva has bailed out of the injury-plagued Blue Jays recently, tossing four scoreless innings last Friday and 2 1/3 shutout frames on Tuesday. This is pure speculation on my part, but he's adequately stretched out if the Jays want to turn to him as an option out of the rotation. The 28-year-old right-hander had mixed results as a starter last year and was eventually moved back to the bullpen following a stint on the disabled list with a right forearm strain, but the Jays might not have any other choice right now.

Casper Wells OF, Mariners (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0.3 percent)

Wells really doesn't want to go back to the minors. The 27-year-old outfielder is hitting .524 (11-for-21) with one homer, one double and six RBI in seven games since being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma. Things could get a little crowded when Mike Carp returns from a shoulder injury, but Wells should continue to get semi-regular playing time for now while the Mariners give regular rest to Franklin Gutierrez. Wells' speed and pop makes him an intriguing short-term pickup.

Brett Cecil SP, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 1.1 percent)

More fallout from the recent string of injuries in the Blue Jays' rotation, Cecil was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas over the weekend and allowed two runs over five innings in a win over the Phillies. The 25-year-old southpaw was a 15-game winner back in 2010, but he has really fallen off the map over the past two years as his velocity has declined and his fly ball rate has jumped. That's obviously a dangerous combination in the American League East (and both runs he gave up against the Phillies were via the home run ball) so he's mostly a matchup play. But it looks like he'll hold down a rotation spot for the interim.

Derek Norris C, Athletics (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

A last-minute addition to Waiver Wired, Norris was called up from the minors on Thursday afternoon. The 23-year-old backstop was acquired from the Nationals over the winter in the Gio Gonzalez trade and was hitting .273/.331/.474 with eight homers, 36 RBI and an .804 OPS through 55 games with Triple-A Sacramento this year. His walk rate is down a bit this year, but he is highly-regarded for his power and patience. With Kurt Suzuki really struggling this season, Norris could find his way to regular playing time before long.

HacheMan · Jun 24, 2012

Forecaster: June 25-July 1

By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

On tap: It's back to "normal" baseball -- intraleague play -- with a busier schedule than we've seen in recent weeks, as 22 of the 30 teams play a full seven-game schedule. In fact, 12 of the 14 American League teams play seven games (the AL's schedule is busier partly because of a doubleheader between the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins on Saturday).

We might see the 2012 debuts of two familiar National League names: Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, the No. 1 fantasy player at his position as recently as 2009, might be activated midweek from his 20-day rehabilitation assignment with Class A Clearwater if all goes well. Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew, meanwhile, is in the midst of a rehab assignment at Triple-A Reno and might be back with the team by Wednesday. Neither player seems likely to be fully cleared to play the entire week nor have they proven their worth with a game in advance of the weekly deadline, so neither is a particularly safe player to activate. Still, their potential returns grant their fantasy owners a chance to evaluate them late in the week for possible activation in Week 13.

The two-start pitcher list also has some curious cases: Tampa Bay Rays rookie Chris Archer, who tossed five hitless innings after surrendering three runs on three hits in the first inning of his major league debut on June 20, makes career starts No. 2 (at Royals) and 3 (versus Detroit Tigers) in a two-start week. Enigmatic Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano, who has four quality starts in his past five games while facing mostly weak offenses, makes Target Field starts against the Chicago White Sox and Royals. And Texas Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish, who is 1-3 with a 6.53 ERA and 1.98 WHIP in four starts against teams he has previously faced (the proverbial "second time around the league") but 8-1 with a 2.51 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 10 starts against teams he was facing for the first time, battles two teams he has faced before, the Tigers and Oakland Athletics.

ESPN leagues: Week 12

Monday marks the resumption of intraleague play, and that means nothing but the start of new series, and therefore a 7 p.m. ET lineup deadline. Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees, on ESPN2 and ESPN3, kicks off the week. Here are the scheduled start times of the first games 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 6/25</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">7 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">CLE, NYY</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Fri 6/29</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">2:20 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">CHC, HOU</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Tue 6/26</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">7:05 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">BAL, CLE, LAA, NYY, PHI, PIT</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Sat 6/30</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">1:05 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">CHW, NYY</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Wed 6/27</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">12:35 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">CIN, MIL</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Sun 7/1</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">1:10 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">MIA, PHI</td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;">Thu 6/28</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">1:05 p.m.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;">PHI, PIT</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 12 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
6/25 </center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Tue
6/26 </center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Wed
6/27 </center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Thu
6/28 </center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Fri
6/29 </center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Sat
6/30 </center></th><th style="width: 14%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Sun
7/1 </center></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> LAA
Hunter
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> LAA
Matusz
(LHP)
P: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CLE
Hammel
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CLE
Chen
(LHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CLE
Arrieta
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> CLE
Hunter
(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"> TOR
Doubront
(LHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> TOR
Matsuzaka
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> TOR
Lester
(LHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SEA
Morales
(LHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SEA
Buchholz
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @SEA
Doubront
(LHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @SEA
Matsuzaka
(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"> @MIN
Peavy
(RHP)
P: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @MIN
Floyd
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIN
Sale
(LHP)
P: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @NYY
Axelrod
(RHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @NYY
Quintana
(LHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @NYY
Peavy
(RHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @NYY
Floyd
(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"> @NYY
Tomlin
(RHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @NYY
Masterson
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @NYY
Jimenez
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BAL
Gomez
(RHP)
P: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BAL
Lowe
(RHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @BAL
Tomlin
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @BAL
Masterson
(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
Porcello
(RHP)
P: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @TEX
Turner
(RHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TEX
Fister
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TB
Scherzer
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TB
Verlander
(RHP)
P: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @TB
Porcello
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @TB
Turner
(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"> TB
Hochevar
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> TB
Chen
(LHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> TB
Mazzaro
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIN
Mendoza
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @MIN-2
Sanchez
(LHP)
P: 7
Hochevar
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @MIN
Chen
(LHP)
P: 4 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @BAL
Wilson
(LHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BAL
Weaver
(RHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TOR
Haren
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TOR
Santana
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TOR
Richards
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @TOR
Wilson
(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"> CHW
Liriano
(LHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> CHW
Hendriks
(RHP)
P: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CHW
Blackburn
(RHP)
P: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> KC
Duensing
(LHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> KC-2
Diamond
(LHP)
P: 6
Liriano
(LHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> KC
Hendriks
(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"> CLE
Kuroda
(RHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> CLE
Hughes
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CLE
Pettitte
(LHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CHW
Nova
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CHW
Sabathia
(LHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> CHW
Kuroda
(RHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> CHW
Hughes
(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"> @SEA
Milone
(LHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @SEA
Blackley
(LHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SEA
Parker
(RHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TEX
Ross
(RHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TEX
McCarthy
(RHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @TEX
Milone
(LHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @TEX
Blackley
(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"> OAK
Ramirez
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> OAK
Vargas
(LHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> OAK
Millwood
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> BOS
Hernandez
(RHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> BOS
Noesi
(RHP)
P: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> BOS
Ramirez
(RHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> BOS
Vargas
(LHP)
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"> @KC
Archer
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @KC
Moore
(LHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @KC
Shields
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> DET
Cobb
(RHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> DET
Price
(LHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> DET
Archer
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> DET
Moore
(LHP)
P: 8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

$tex.gif$

</td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> DET
Grimm
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> DET
Darvish
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> DET
Oswalt
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> OAK
Lewis
(RHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> OAK
Harrison
(LHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> OAK
Grimm
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> OAK
Darvish
(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"> @BOS
Alvarez
(RHP)
P: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @BOS
Laffey
(LHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BOS
Romero
(LHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> LAA
Cecil
(LHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> LAA
Chavez
(RHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> LAA
Alvarez
(RHP)
P: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> LAA
Laffey
(LHP)
P: 4 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @ATL
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @ATL
Cahill
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @ATL
Saunders
(LHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIL
Kennedy
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIL
Miley
(LHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @MIL
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> ARI
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> ARI
Hanson
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> ARI
Jurrjens
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> WAS
Delgado
(RHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> WAS
Minor
(LHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> WAS
Hudson
(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"> NYM
Wood
(LHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> NYM
Wells
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> NYM
Samardzija
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> HOU
Maholm
(LHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> HOU
Garza
(RHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> HOU
Wood
(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"> MIL
Leake
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> MIL
Arroyo
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> MIL
Bailey
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SF
Cueto
(RHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SF
Latos
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @SF
Leake
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @SF
Arroyo
(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"> WAS
Francis
(LHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> WAS
Friedrich
(LHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> WAS
Outman
(LHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> WAS
White
(RHP)
P: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> SD
Francis
(LHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> SD
Friedrich
(LHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> SD
Outman
(LHP)
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"> SD
W.Rdrguez
(LHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> SD
Lyles
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> SD
Harrell
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> SD
Keuchel
(LHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @CHC
Happ
(LHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @CHC
W.Rdrguez
(LHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @CHC
Lyles
(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"> @SF
Eovaldi
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @SF
Kershaw
(LHP)
P: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SF
Capuano
(LHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> NYM
Billingsley
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> NYM
Harang
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> NYM
Eovaldi
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> NYM
Kershaw
(LHP)
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"> STL
Nolasco
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> STL
Zambrano
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> STL
Sanchez
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PHI
Johnson
(RHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PHI
Buehrle
(LHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> PHI
Nolasco
(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"> @CIN
Gallardo
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @CIN
Estrada
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @CIN
Greinke
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> ARI
Wolf
(LHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> ARI
Marcum
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> ARI
Gallardo
(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"> @CHC
Santana
(LHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @CHC
Gee
(RHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @CHC
Niese
(LHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @LAD
Young
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @LAD
Dickey
(RHP)
P: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @LAD
Santana
(LHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @LAD
Gee
(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"> PIT
Blanton
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> PIT
Worley
(RHP)
P: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PIT
Lee
(LHP)
P: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PIT
Kendrick
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIA
Hamels
(LHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @MIA
Blanton
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @MIA
Worley
(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"> @PHI
Bedard
(LHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @PHI
McDonald
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @PHI
Burnett
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @PHI
Lincoln
(RHP)
P: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @STL
Correia
(RHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @STL
Bedard
(LHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @STL
McDonald
(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"> @MIA
Westbrook
(RHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIA
Lohse
(RHP)
P: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIA
Kelly
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PIT
Wainwright
(RHP)
P: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PIT
Lynn
(RHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> PIT
Westbrook
(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"> @HOU
Volquez
(RHP)
P: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @HOU
Bass
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @HOU
Ohlendorf
(RHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @HOU
Richard
(LHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @COL
Marquis
(RHP)
P: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @COL
Volquez
(RHP)
P: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @COL
Bass
(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"> LAD
Zito
(LHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> LAD
Vogelsong
(RHP)
P: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> LAD
Lincecum
(RHP)
P: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CIN
Bumgarner
(LHP)
P: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CIN
Cain
(RHP)
P: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> CIN
Zito
(LHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> CIN
Vogelsong
(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"> @COL
Strasburg
(RHP)
P: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @COL
Gonzalez
(LHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @COL
Zimmrmnn
(RHP)
P: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @COL
Jackson
(RHP)
P: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @ATL
Detwiler
(LHP)
P: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @ATL
Strasburg
(RHP)
P: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> @ATL
Gonzalez
(LHP)
P: 8 </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 12 pitcher rankings: Top 75

1. Clayton Kershaw (LAD) -- Tue-@SF (Vogelsong), Sun-NYM (Gee)
2. Stephen Strasburg (WAS) -- Mon-@COL (Francis), Sat-@ATL (Minor)
3. Justin Verlander (DET) -- Fri-@TB (Price)
4. C.J. Wilson (LAA) -- Tue-@BAL (Hunter), Sun-@TOR (Laffey)
5. Matt Cain (SF) -- Fri-CIN (Latos)
6. James McDonald (PIT) -- Tue-@PHI (Worley), Sun-@STL (Westbrook)
7. Cliff Lee (PHI) -- Wed-PIT (Burnett)
8. CC Sabathia (NYY) -- Fri-CHW (Quintana)
9. R.A. Dickey (NYM) -- Fri-@LAD (Harang)
10. Jake Peavy (CHW) -- Mon-@MIN (Liriano), Sat-@NYY (Kuroda)
11. Madison Bumgarner (SF) -- Thu-CIN (Cueto)
12. Gio Gonzalez (WAS) -- Tue-@COL (Friedrich), Sun-@ATL (Hudson)
13. Jered Weaver (LAA) -- Wed-@BAL (Matusz)
14. Adam Wainwright (STL) -- Fri-PIT (Correia)
15. Cole Hamels (PHI) -- Fri-@MIA (Johnson)
16. Vance Worley (PHI) -- Tue-PIT (McDonald), Sun-@MIA (Nolasco)
17. Chris Sale (CHW) -- Wed-@MIN (Blackburn)
18. Zack Greinke (MIL) -- Wed-@CIN (Bailey)
19. Josh Johnson (MIA) -- Fri-PHI (Hamels)
20. Matt Moore (TB) -- Tue-@KC (Chen), Sun-DET (Turner)
21. Colby Lewis (TEX) -- Thu-OAK (Ross)
22. Lance Lynn (STL) -- Sat-PIT (Bedard)
23. Johnny Cueto (CIN) -- Thu-@SF (Bumgarner)
24. Ryan Vogelsong (SF) -- Tue-LAD (Kershaw), Sun-CIN (Arroyo)
25. Matt Garza (CHC) -- Sat-HOU (Rodriguez)
26. Hiroki Kuroda (NYY) -- Mon-CLE (Tomlin), Sat-CHW (Peavy)
27. Felix Hernandez (SEA) -- Thu-BOS (Morales)
28. David Price (TB) -- Fri-DET (Verlander)
29. Yovani Gallardo (MIL) -- Mon-@CIN (Leake), Sun-ARI (Hudson)
30. Johan Santana (NYM) -- Mon-@CHC (Wood), Sat-@LAD (Eovaldi)
31. Andy Pettitte (NYY) -- Wed-CLE (Jimenez)
32. Jon Lester (BOS) -- Wed-TOR (Romero)
33. Tim Hudson (ATL) -- Tue-ARI (Hudson), Sun-WAS (Gonzalez)
34. Shaun Marcum (MIL) -- Sat-ARI (Miley)
35. Tommy Hanson (ATL) -- Wed-ARI (Cahill)
36. Ian Kennedy (ARI) -- Fri-@MIL (Wolf)
37. Wade Miley (ARI) -- Sat-@MIL (Marcum)
38. Francisco Liriano (MIN) -- Mon-CHW (Peavy), Sat-KC, Gm. 2 (Hochevar)
39. Matt Harrison (TEX) -- Fri-OAK (McCarthy)
40. Clay Buchholz (BOS) -- Fri-@SEA (Noesi)
41. James Shields (TB) -- Wed-@KC (Mazzaro)
42. Jarrod Parker (OAK) -- Wed-@SEA (Millwood)
43. Brandon McCarthy (OAK) -- Fri-@TEX (Harrison)
44. Dillon Gee (NYM) -- Tue-@CHC (Wells), Sun-@LAD (Kershaw)
45. Chad Billingsley (LAD) -- Thu-NYM (Young)
46. Trevor Cahill (ARI) -- Wed-@ATL (Hanson)
47. Kyle Lohse (STL) -- Tue-@MIA (Zambrano)
48. Justin Masterson (CLE) -- Tue-@NYY (Hughes), Sun-@BAL (Hunter)
49. Anibal Sanchez (MIA) -- Wed-STL (Kelly)
50. Jordan Zimmermann (WAS) -- Wed-@COL (Outman)
51. Daniel Hudson (ARI) -- Tue-@ATL (Hudson), Sun-@MIL (Gallardo)
52. Max Scherzer (DET) -- Thu-@TB (Cobb)
53. Yu Darvish (TEX) -- Tue-DET (Turner), Sun-OAK (Blackley)
54. Ivan Nova (NYY) -- Thu-CHW (Axelrod)
55. Wandy Rodriguez (HOU) -- Mon-SD (Volquez), Sat-@CHC (Garza)
56. Alex Cobb (TB) -- Thu-DET (Scherzer)
57. Doug Fister (DET) -- Wed-@TEX (Oswalt)
58. Jonathon Niese (NYM) -- Wed-@CHC (Samardzija)
59. Dan Haren (LAA) -- Thu-@TOR (Cecil)
60. Phil Hughes (NYY) -- Tue-CLE (Masterson), Sun-CHW (Floyd)
61. Mat Latos (CIN) -- Fri-@SF (Cain)
62. Jason Hammel (BAL) -- Thu-CLE (Gomez)
63. Joe Blanton (PHI) -- Mon-PIT (Bedard), Sat-@MIA (Buehrle)
64. Ubaldo Jimenez (CLE) -- Wed-@NYY (Pettitte)
65. Randall Delgado (ATL) -- Fri-WAS (Detwiler)
66. Jake Westbrook (STL) -- Mon-@MIA (Nolasco), Sun-PIT (McDonald)
67. Wei-Yin Chen (BAL) -- Fri-CLE (Lowe)
68. Chris Capuano (LAD) -- Wed-@SF (Lincecum)
69. A.J. Burnett (PIT) -- Wed-@PHI (Lee)
70. Erik Bedard (PIT) -- Mon-@PHI (Blanton), Sat-@STL (Lynn)
71. Ervin Santana (LAA) -- Fri-@TOR (Chavez)
72. Mike Minor (ATL) -- Sat-WAS (Strasburg)
73. Tim Lincecum (SF) -- Wed-LAD (Capuano)
74. Nate Eovaldi (LAD) -- Mon-@SF (Zito), Sat-NYM (Santana)
75. Edwin Jackson (WAS) -- Thu-@COL (White)

Two-start options for AL-/NL-only leagues:
Chris Archer (TB) -- Mon-@KC (Hochevar), Sat-DET (Porcello)
Bronson Arroyo (CIN) -- Tue-MIL (Estrada), Sun-@SF (Vogelsong)
Travis Blackley (OAK) -- Tue-@SEA (Vargas), Sun-@TEX (Darvish)
Felix Doubront (BOS) -- Mon-TOR (Alvarez), Sat-@SEA (Ramirez)
Justin Grimm (TEX) -- Mon-DET (Porcello), Sat-OAK (Milone)
Luke Hochevar (KC) -- Mon-TB (Archer), Sat-@MIN, Gm. 2 (Liriano)
Mike Leake (CIN) -- Mon-MIL (Gallardo), Sat-@SF (Zito)
Jordan Lyles (HOU) -- Tue-SD (Bass), Sun-@CHC (Wood)
Daisuke Matsuzaka (BOS) -- Tue-TOR (Laffey), Sun-@SEA (Vargas)
Ricky Nolasco (MIA) -- Mon-STL (Westbrook), Sun-PHI (Worley)
Jacob Turner (DET) -- Tue-@TEX (Darvish), Sun-@TB (Moore)
Travis Wood (CHC) -- Mon-NYM (Santana), Sun-HOU (Lyles)

No-thank-yous, among two-start pitchers:
Henderson Alvarez (TOR) -- Mon-@BOS (Doubront), Sat-LAA (Richards)
Anthony Bass (SD) -- Tue-@HOU (Lyles), Sun-@COL (Outman)
Bruce Chen (KC) -- Tue-TB (Moore), Sun-@MIN (Hendriks)
Gavin Floyd (CHW) -- Tue-@MIN (Hendriks), Sun-@NYY (Hughes)
Jeff Francis (COL) -- Mon-WAS (Strasburg), Fri-SD (Marquis)
Christian Friedrich (COL) -- Tue-WAS (Gonzalez), Sat-SD (Volquez)
Liam Hendriks (MIN) -- Tue-CHW (Floyd), Sun-KC (Chen)
Tommy Hunter (BAL) -- Tue-LAA (Wilson), Sun-CLE (Masterson)
Tommy Milone (OAK) -- Mon-@SEA (Ramirez), Sat-@TEX (Grimm)
Josh Outman (COL) -- Wed-WAS (Zimmermann), Sun-SD (Bass)
Rick Porcello (DET) -- Mon-@TEX (Grimm), Sat-@TB (Archer)
Erasmo Ramirez (SEA) -- Mon-OAK (Milone), Sat-BOS (Doubront)
Josh Tomlin (CLE) -- Mon-@NYY (Kuroda), Sat-@BAL (Arrieta)
Jason Vargas (SEA) -- Tue-OAK (Blackley), Sun-BOS (Matsuzaka)
Edinson Volquez (SD) -- Mon-@HOU (Rodriguez), Sat-@COL (Friedrich)

Pitching notes

• "What have you done for me lately" is the wrong approach to evaluating the Yankees' pitching staff, at least as a Week 12 Baseball Challenge pick. Phil Hughes on June 20 might have snapped the team's streak of 19 consecutive starters managing six-plus innings pitched, but lump Hughes' 4 1/3-inning stinker on that day into a 20-game spell and Yankees starters still have 13 wins, 15 quality starts, a 2.91 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP and an 8.40 strikeouts-per-nine innings ratio. This is a staff on a monstrous tear: In the month of June, CC Sabathia has three wins, a 3.30 ERA and a 9.90 K's-per-nine innings ratio; Ivan Nova is 3-0 with a 0.79 ERA and 0.84 WHIP; Hiroki Kuroda has three quality starts and a 2.67 ERA; Andy Pettitte is 3-for-3 in quality starts with a 1.77 ERA; Hughes has three wins, a 3.51 ERA and a 9.82 K's-per-nine ratio; and closer Rafael Soriano is 7-for-8 in save chances with a 1.29 ERA. The Yankees play all seven of their games at home, three against the Indians and four the White Sox, and they're 14-4 with a 2.59 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 18 games at home in June. Among other recommended BBC pitching staffs: Phillies (PIT-4, @MIA-3), San Francisco Giants (LAD-3, CIN-4), Los Angeles Dodgers (@SF-3, NYM-4).

• Ricky Romero, he of the 5.59 ERA in his past five starts (entering his June 22 turn), is a no-go in Fenway Park games. He has two quality starts in seven career tries there, with a 5.85 ERA and 1.78 WHIP in those seven games.

• If you're concerned about Clayton Kershaw's plantar fasciitis, you shouldn't be. His 77 Bill James Game Score in his most recent start (June 21) represented his third-best single-game performance of 2012. He's also 4-1 with a 0.45 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in six career games (five starts) at San Francisco's AT&T Park (including a perfect 3-0 with no earned runs allowed in 22 2/3 innings there in 2011), and he's 4-0 with a 1.39 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in five career starts versus the New York Mets.

• Edwin Jackson might have six consecutive quality starts, but a matchup at Colorado's Coors Field is incredibly risky for a pitcher with a 5.27 K's-per-nine ratio during that six-game stretch (6.57 for the season). He has been hammered in all three career starts there, with an ERA of 15.75 and WHIP of 2.67 in those games, and current Rockies have combined for .372/.446/.654 lifetime rates against him.

• Jordan Zimmermann, meanwhile, isn't quite as dicey an option at Coors. His 3.96 K's-per-walk ratio is substantially higher than Jackson's 2.43, which is a plus, and he won his last start at Coors, on Aug. 5, 2011 (5 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 8 K's).

• Yovani Gallardo has three consecutive quality starts and nine in his past 10 games, and now he'll face two teams he has historically dominated. He's a perfect 6-0 with a 1.21 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in six starts versus the Diamondbacks, including a win against them on May 25, and he has six quality starts in seven career games at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park, his 3.59 lifetime ERA there merely tarnished by one stinker: 5 IP, 9 H, 8 ER on Aug. 31, 2010.

• Home runs have been a severe problem for Joe Blanton -- he has allowed 16 in his past eight starts -- but his matchups make him one of the more attractive, under-the-radar, two-start pitchers. Current Pittsburgh Pirates hitters have lifetime .220/.266/.424 triple-slash rates against Blanton, while current Miami Marlins hitters have .230/.280/.382 rates against him.

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 12, here are my picks by day:

Monday, June 25: Tommy Milone at Seattle Mariners
Tuesday, June 26: Dillon Gee at Chicago Cubs
Wednesday, June 27: Kevin Millwood versus Oakland Athletics
Thursday, June 28: Franklin Morales at Seattle Mariners
Friday, June 29: Randall Delgado versus Washington Nationals
Saturday, June 30: Francisco Liriano versus Kansas City Royals
Sunday, July 1: Jake Westbrook versus Pittsburgh Pirates

Past picks
Friday, June 15: Jarrod Parker -- W, QS, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (moved to Thursday)
Saturday, June 16: Alexi Ogando -- scratched, now on DL
Sunday, June 17: Alex Cobb -- W, QS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
Monday, June 18: Jonathan Sanchez -- QS, 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K Tuesday, June 19: Aaron Harang -- 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 8 BB, 6 K
Wednesday, June 20: Erik Bedard -- QS, 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Thursday, June 21: Francisco Liriano -- QS, 6 2/3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Week's total: 6 GS, 2 W (33.3%), 5 QS (83.3%), 36 1/3 IP, 22 H, 8 ER, 18 BB, 38 K, 1.98 ERA, 1.10 WHIP
Season total: 70 GS, 30 W (42.9%), 40 QS (57.1%), 430 1/3 IP, 387 H, 175 ER, 151 BB, 324 K, 3.66 ERA, 1.25 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
6/25 </center></th><th style="width: 11%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Tue
6/26 </center></th><th style="width: 11%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Wed
6/27 </center></th><th style="width: 11%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Thu
6/28 </center></th><th style="width: 11%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Fri
6/29 </center></th><th style="width: 11%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Sat
6/30 </center></th><th style="width: 11%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Sun
7/1 </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"> 6 total
6 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 5
L: 5
R: 6
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> LAA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> LAA
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CLE
H: 10
L: 10
R: 10
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CLE
H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CLE
H: 7
L: 6
R: 9
S: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CLE
H: 4
L: 7
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
3 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 9
L: 10
R: 8
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> TOR
H: 10
L: 10
R: 8
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> TOR
H: 8
L: 4
R: 10
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> TOR
H: 5
L: 10
R: 2
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SEA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SEA
H: 9
L: 10
R: 7
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SEA
H: 7
L: 7
R: 7
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SEA
H: 7
L: 6
R: 7
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: 4
R: 8
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIN
H: 3
L: 1
R: 5
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIN
H: 10
L: 3
R: 10
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIN
H: 10
L: 10
R: 9
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @NYY
H: 5
L: 4
R: 6
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @NYY
H: 3
L: 1
R: 4
S: 4 </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: 5
L: 5
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
0 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 3 </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: 5
L: 5
R: 6
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @NYY
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BAL
H: 5
L: 5
R: 5
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BAL
H: 5
L: 6
R: 5
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BAL
H: 8
L: 10
R: 3
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BAL
H: 7
L: 9
R: 5
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: 3
L: 5
R: 2
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TEX
H: 7
L: 8
R: 5
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TEX
H: 5
L: 6
R: 3
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TEX
H: 3
L: 4
R: 3
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TB
H: 2
L: 5
R: 1
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TB
H: 1
L: 1
R: 3
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TB
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TB
H: 2
L: 5
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
4 vs. L
3 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 6
L: 4
R: 8
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> TB
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> TB
H: 3
L: 6
R: 2
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> TB
H: 5
L: 6
R: 5
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIN
H: 5
L: 1
R: 8
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIN-2
H: 6
L: 9
R: 5
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIN
H: 10
L: 3
R: 10
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"> 6 total
0 home
3 vs. L
3 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 9
L: 6
R: 10
S: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BAL
H: 7
L: 9
R: 5
S: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BAL
H: 9
L: 4
R: 10
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TOR
H: 8
L: 5
R: 9
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TOR
H: 9
L: 7
R: 10
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TOR
H: 9
L: 10
R: 8
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TOR
H: 7
L: 4
R: 9
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
3 vs. L
4 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 4
L: 3
R: 5
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CHW
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CHW
H: 5
L: 7
R: 3
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CHW
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> KC
H: 5
L: 5
R: 5
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> KC-2
H: 3
L: 1
R: 4
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> KC
H: 6
L: 3
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
7 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: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CLE
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CLE
H: 3
L: 7
R: 1
S: 5 </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"> CHW
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CHW
H: 6
L: 4
R: 7
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CHW
H: 1
L: 3
R: 1
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CHW
H: 6
L: 7
R: 4
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: 7
R: 6
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SEA
H: 7
L: 7
R: 7
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SEA
H: 7
L: 6
R: 7
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SEA
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TEX
H: 3
L: 5
R: 1
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TEX
H: 3
L: 1
R: 4
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TEX
H: 7
L: 8
R: 5
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @TEX
H: 5
L: 6
R: 3
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
7 home
4 vs. L
3 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 5
L: 5
R: 4
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> OAK
H: 6
L: 8
R: 5
S: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> OAK
H: 4
L: 2
R: 5
S: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> OAK
H: 3
L: 4
R: 2
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> BOS
H: 3
L: 1
R: 5
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> BOS
H: 4
L: 7
R: 1
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> BOS
H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> BOS
H: 3
L: 5
R: 1
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: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @KC
H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @KC
H: 7
L: 4
R: 8
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @KC
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> DET
H: 6
L: 8
R: 3
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: 7
L: 9
R: 5
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> DET
H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

$tex.gif$

</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: 9
R: 7
S: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> DET
H: 8
L: 10
R: 7
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> DET
H: 7
L: 9
R: 6
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> DET
H: 4
L: 5
R: 2
S: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> OAK
H: 7
L: 7
R: 7
S: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> OAK
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> OAK
H: 7
L: 10
R: 7
S: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> OAK
H: 5
L: 3
R: 6
S: 2 </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
4 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 5
L: 7
R: 4
S: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BOS
H: 8
L: 10
R: 8
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BOS
H: 4
L: 6
R: 1
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @BOS
H: 3
L: 2
R: 3
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> LAA
H: 6
L: 6
R: 5
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> LAA
H: 6
L: 9
R: 2
S: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> LAA
H: 5
L: 8
R: 3
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> LAA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
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"> 6 total
0 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 2
L: 3
R: 1
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @ATL
H: 1
L: 3
R: 1
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @ATL
H: 3
L: 5
R: 1
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @ATL
H: 5
L: 7
R: 3
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIL
H: 6
L: 3
R: 7
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIL
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIL
H: 4
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"> 6 total
6 home
3 vs. L
3 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> ARI
H: 4
L: 6
R: 3
S: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> ARI
H: 4
L: 5
R: 2
S: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> ARI
H: 8
L: 2
R: 10
S: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> WAS
H: 4
L: 2
R: 5
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"> WAS
H: 2
L: 3
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"> 6 total
6 home
4 vs. L
2 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"> NYM
H: 3
L: 8
R: 1
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> NYM
H: 4
L: 6
R: 2
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> NYM
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> HOU
H: 8
L: 5
R: 9
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> HOU
H: 6
L: 3
R: 7
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> HOU
H: 6
L: 9
R: 4
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
2 vs. L
5 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 2
L: 3
R: 3
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> MIL
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> MIL
H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> MIL
H: 3
L: 5
R: 1
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SF
H: 2
L: 1
R: 4
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SF
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SF
H: 6
L: 3
R: 7
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SF
H: 1
L: 3
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
7 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> WAS
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> WAS
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> WAS
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> WAS
H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> SD
H: 10
L: 10
R: 8
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> SD
H: 9
L: 7
R: 10
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> SD
H: 7
L: 9
R: 6
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
3 vs. L
4 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 8
L: 4
R: 9
S: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> SD
H: 8
L: 5
R: 9
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> SD
H: 6
L: 8
R: 4
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> SD
H: 9
L: 10
R: 7
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> SD
H: 5
L: 1
R: 6
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @CHC
H: 8
L: 5
R: 8
S: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @CHC
H: 3
L: 2
R: 5
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @CHC
H: 5
L: 1
R: 7
S: 10 </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: 1
L: 2
R: 2
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SF
H: 6
L: 3
R: 7
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SF
H: 1
L: 3
R: 1
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @SF
H: 2
L: 2
R: 3
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> NYM
H: 4
L: 2
R: 6
S: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> NYM
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> NYM
H: 2
L: 7
R: 1
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> NYM
H: 3
L: 5
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"> 6 total
6 home
1 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: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> STL
H: 5
L: 6
R: 5
S: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> STL
H: 5
L: 5
R: 4
S: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> STL
H: 7
L: 10
R: 4
S: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PHI
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PHI
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PHI
H: 1
L: 1
R: 3
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"> 6 total
3 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 4
L: 7
R: 2
S: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @CIN
H: 6
L: 9
R: 4
S: 4 </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: 6
R: 7
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> ARI
H: 4
L: 3
R: 4
S: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> ARI
H: 1
L: 6
R: 1
S: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> ARI
H: 5
L: 7
R: 3
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
0 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: 6
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @CHC
H: 5
L: 1
R: 7
S: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @CHC
H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @CHC
H: 7
L: 10
R: 4
S: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @LAD
H: 4
L: 4
R: 3
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @LAD
H: 7
L: 7
R: 6
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @LAD
H: 4
L: 5
R: 2
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @LAD
H: 1
L: 1
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
4 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: 7
S: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PIT
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PIT
H: 3
L: 4
R: 3
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PIT
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PIT
H: 10
L: 10
R: 10
S: 8 </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"> @MIA
H: 6
L: 4
R: 7
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIA
H: 7
L: 8
R: 5
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
1 vs. L
6 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 3
L: 3
R: 4
S: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @PHI
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @PHI
H: 1
L: 1
R: 3
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @PHI
H: 2
L: 1
R: 2
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @PHI
H: 9
L: 10
R: 6
S: 5 </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"> @STL
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @STL
H: 4
L: 5
R: 4
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"> 6 total
3 home
1 vs. L
5 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"> @MIA
H: 7
L: 8
R: 5
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIA
H: 4
L: 7
R: 2
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @MIA
H: 4
L: 3
R: 6
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PIT
H: 7
L: 7
R: 7
S: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PIT
H: 3
L: 3
R: 4
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> PIT
H: 3
L: 3
R: 2
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
0 home
5 vs. L
2 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 10
L: 9
R: 10
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @HOU
H: 6
L: 2
R: 7
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @HOU
H: 6
L: 9
R: 4
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @HOU
H: 7
L: 9
R: 5
S: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @HOU
H: 5
L: 6
R: 5
S: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @COL
H: 10
L: 6
R: 10
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @COL
H: 9
L: 7
R: 10
S: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @COL
H: 9
L: 6
R: 10
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
7 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 5
L: 6
R: 2
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> LAD
H: 4
L: 6
R: 3
S: 4 </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: 7
L: 2
R: 8
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CIN
H: 3
L: 3
R: 2
S: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CIN
H: 4
L: 8
R: 1
S: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CIN
H: 6
L: 9
R: 3
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> CIN
H: 7
L: 10
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
0 home
4 vs. L
3 vs. R </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(239, 230, 186);" align="center"> H: 9
L: 6
R: 10
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @COL
H: 10
L: 6
R: 10
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @COL
H: 9
L: 7
R: 10
S: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @COL
H: 9
L: 6
R: 10
S: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @COL
H: 10
L: 10
R: 10
S: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @ATL
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @ATL
H: 7
L: 1
R: 9
S: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: top;" align="center"> @ATL
H: 1
L: 3
R: 1
S: 5 </td></tr></tbody></table>Some of the data used to generate this chart is derived from Baseball Musings' Day-by-day database.

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

Hitting notes

• So who buys Pedro Alvarez's recent hot spell? You should … as far as speculating on a good Week 12 fill-in is concerned. He has five home runs, two doubles and two singles in his past five games, striking out just twice in five at-bats, and his Pirates play four games at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, as well as six against right-handed starters. Alvarez has hit 28 of his 33 career homers against righties, has a lifetime OPS 109 points higher against righties (.741) than lefties (.632) and has homered once in three career games at Citizens Bank. And he is not the only Pirate worth a look this week: Garrett Jones, a .319/.340/.553 hitter in 15 games in June, and Neil Walker, a .267 hitter with 11 RBIs and five stolen bases in 18 games in the month, also warrant consideration.

• The Colorado Rockies also have under-the-radar hitters who should be activated in what's a seven-game week entirely played at Coors: Marco Scutaro is a .333/.367/.500 hitter in 18 games in June. Tyler Colvin, who has starts in four straight games and nine in the Rockies' past 11, is a .303/.352/.712 hitter in 27 games at Coors. Dexter Fowler, who has run cold lately but has endured most of his struggles on the road, is a .324/.436/.631 hitter in 34 Coors games. And Chris Nelson is a .289/.360/.667 hitter in 17 games in June.

• Is this a week when Rickie Weeks -- at least for these seven days -- might actually look like a fantasy asset? It's possible. Examine his matchups during the season-opening road series at the Cincinnati Reds: He's 5-for-9 (.556 AVG) with two home runs in his career against Mike Leake (Monday's starter) and 10-for-19 (.526 AVG) with one homer in his career against Homer Bailey (Wednesday), and he's a lifetime .273/.369/.492 hitter in 49 games at Great American Ball Park.

• The Los Angeles Angels, the majors' third-best team in the month of June in terms of OPS (.804) and eighth in runs scored (88), benefit from a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays' injury-riddled rotation. What's more, the Angels will miss Ricky Romero; he's slated for Wednesday, a day before their weekend series begins. Torii Hunter stands out thanks to a .302/.389/.508 triple-slash line in 17 June games, as well as .345/.424/.483 rates against lefties (the Angels face three lefty starters). Howard Kendrick, who started the season slowly, is also a .309 hitter in his past 16 games.

HacheMan · Jun 24, 2012

Marvelous McDonald
We only had six games on the schedule Thursday, which is sort of a bummer, but it also provides the perfect opportunity to discuss James McDonald's breakout campaign.

McDonald delivered yet another impressive outing Thursday night, limiting the Twins to just one run on six hits for his first career complete game as part of a 9-1 victory. The 27-year-old right-hander struck out five and walked none while throwing a career-high 120 pitches.

Through his first 14 starts this season, McDonald has a fantastic 2.19 ERA and 83/24 K/BB ratio over 90 1/3 innings. He's currently fourth in the majors in ERA and only Jake Peavy, Matt Cain, Jered Weaver and R.A. Dickey have bested his 0.95 WHIP. Where the heck did this come from? And is it sustainable?

For the most part, there's a lot to like here. With increased reliance on his slider as a secondary pitch, McDonald has made dramatic strides in his strikeout, swinging strike and walk rates from last season. He has walked three batters in a start just twice this season after doing it 16 times in 31 starts last year. The improved command and control has allowed him to complete seven innings six times this season after getting there just twice last year.

While there are skills driving McDonald's breakout, he has also been the beneficiary of some good fortune. He has allowed just four homers over 90 1/3 innings this season after serving up 24 in 171 innings last year. His fly ball rate is almost identical to last year, so don't be surprised to see a few more leave the yard in the future. His BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is also a bit on the fortunate side when you consider that opposing batters are hitting line drives at a higher rate against him than they did last season. It's nitpicking, but necessary nitpicking. I think his ERA will go up in the days ahead, but this is hardly a sell-high scenario.

A's Call Up Norris

In what figures to be the first in a wave of top prospects being called up from the minors over the next few days and weeks, the Athletics promoted catcher Derek Norris from Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday. He was thrown right into the lineup against the Dodgers and went 0-for-3 in his major league debut. His big highlight of the afternoon was throwing out the speedy Dee Gordon, who attempted to steal second base in the top of the ninth inning.

Norris, who was acquired from the Nationals as part of the Gio Gonzalez deal, was hitting .273/.331/.474 with eight homers, 36 RBI and an .804 OPS over his first 55 games at the Triple-A level this season. The 23-year-old backstop is mostly known for his combination of power and patience, but he has been more aggressive at the plate this season, walking less and cutting down on his strikeouts in the process.

The current plan calls for Norris to split playing time behind the plate with struggling veteran Kurt Suzuki, who is hitting just .215/.256/.267 with zero homers and a .524 OPS through 60 games this season. This arrangement could stick for a while, as Suzuki is owed $5 million this season, $6.45 million in 2013 and has a $9.25 million vesting option for 2014. The A's are unlikely to find any team willing to take on that kind of salary. Norris should be owned in AL-only leagues on pure potential alone, but the timeshare will limit his potential impact.

Drew Getting Closer

After missing 11 months following surgery on his right ankle, Stephen Drew is finally close to rejoining the Diamondbacks. During an appearance on Arizona Sports Radio 620 on Thursday, general manager Kevin Towers said that he expects Drew to be activated from the disabled list next Wednesday.

Drew began a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A earlier this month and is hitting .250 (9-for-36) with two home runs, one double, one triple and five RBI in nine games. The 29-year-old shortstop has gradually increased his workload throughout, having played in three straight games on two occasions.

I still think Drew makes for a good DL-stash in deeper mixed leagues, but it's worth noting that Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson recently said that he's considering using him as a part-time player upon his return. I doubt this arrangement will last long if he feels comfortable and swings the bat well out of the gate, but fantasy owners may have to be patient.

NL Quick Hits: Troy Tulowitzki is expected to miss at least six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery Thursday to remove scar tissue from a nerve in his groin … Phillies manager Charlie Manuel indicated Thursday that Chase Utley (knee) could be activated from the disabled list as soon as next week if his rehab continues to go well … Brandon Beachy underwent successful Tommy John surgery Thursday and will likely be sidelined through the early part of the 2013 campaign … Drew Stubbs (oblique) is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment Friday with Class A Dayton … Clayton Kershaw tossed eight innings of one-run ball Thursday against the A's to lower his ERA to 2.73 for the year, but was handed a no-decision … Allen Craig went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts Thursday after leaving Wednesday's game with a jammed left wrist … Drew Storen is currently throwing at about 85-90 percent and is slated to face hitters Friday for the first time since elbow surgery … Jayson Werth (wrist) worked out briefly on the field Thursday at Nationals Park …

AL Quick Hits: MLB suspended Joel Peralta for eight games after he was found to have pine tar on the inside of his glove on Tuesday. He has appealed the punishment and will continue to pitch out of the Rays bullpen for now … Joe Mauer (quad) missed his third straight game Thursday … Dustin Pedroia (thumb) went 0-for-5 in his return to the lineup Thursday … Carl Crawford (elbow) is expected to serve as the DH for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox on Saturday … Alex Avila (hamstring) went 1-for-4 with a strikeout Thursday in his return from the disabled list … Andrew Bailey (thumb) could begin facing hitters next week … Yoenis Cespedes launched a walk-off three-run homer in a win over the Dodgers on Thursday … Will Middlebrooks went 3-for-4 with a game-tying two-run homer and four RBI in Thursday's win over the Marlins … Salvador Perez (knee) was pulled from the lineup with Triple-A Omaha on Thursday, which has led to speculation that he could be joining the Royals … Brian Duensing is slated to start for the Twins on Saturday against the Red Sox … Jacob Turner tossed five innings of one-run ball Thursday afternoon against the Cardinals, but it's not clear if he'll stick in the starting rotation … Luke Scott (back) took batting practice Thursday and is expected to be activated from the disabled list Monday …

HacheMan · Jun 24, 2012

A Busy Week Ahead The upcoming week will be an eventful one for baseball, with full schedules almost across the board, so rather than focus on any one particular storyline I'll touch on a few different notes:

* There are tons of two-start options in both leagues, but the Senior Circuit clearly offers more upside. That's unsurprising considering that the NL has had some ridiculous pitching this year (Gio Gonzalez, one of the Strong Plays, currently ranks TENTH in the league with a 2.55 ERA). On the AL side, there are some intriguing options among the Decent Plays, many of whom figure to be available on waivers. I'd specifically take a look at Justin Grimm, Francisco Liriano and Chris Archer – I didn't quite feel comfortable labeling any of them Strong Plays yet (especially since Derek Holland and Jeremy Hellickson could return to supplant Archer and Grimm), but they could all have very good weeks.

* You might notice that Colorado has three two-start pitchers in the upcoming week, which is pretty unusual. That's because the desperate Rockies recently switched to a four-man rotation, imposing a 75-pitch limit on all their starters with the hopes of letting their superior bullpen make a larger impact on games.

In theory, this would be good news from a fantasy perspective, since it means more two-start pitchers, but given the ugly state of Colorado's rotation and the fact that starters will frequently be pulled after four or five innings, I'd recommend staying away from this situation.

* In looking over the lefty/righty match-ups, you'll notice that a few teams are looking ahead to lefty-loaded schedules. The Twins are slated to face left-handed starters in four of their seven games, meaning Josh Willingham (1109 OPS vs. LHP) should be in your lineup and Justin Morneau (.326 OPS vs. LHP) should be out. The Cubs are scheduled to draw lefties in four of their first five games – bad news for Bryan LaHair, who's hitting just .097 off southpaws. Meanwhile, the Padres will go against five lefty starters, including four straight to end the week, so consider benching Will Venable (.220 AVG. vs. LHP) and expect big things from Carlos Quentin (.421 AVG vs. LHP).

Going Twice…

American League

Strong Plays

Yu Darvish: DET (Smyly), OAK (Parker)
Hiroki Kuroda: CLE (Tomlin), CWS (Floyd)
C.J. Wilson: @BAL (Hunter), @TOR (Carreno)
Jake Peavy: @MIN (Hendriks), @NYY (Hughes)

Decent Plays

Justin Grimm: DET (Porcello), OAK (Milone)
Matt Moore: @KC (Mazzaro), DET (Smyly)
Chris Archer: @KC (Hochevar), DET (Porcello)
Tommy Milone: @SEA (Ramirez), @TEX (Grimm)
Phil Hughes: CLE (Masterson), CWS (Quintana)
Francisco Liriano: CWS (Gloyd), KC (Hochevar)
Vin Mazzaro: TB (Moore), @MIN (Hendriks)
Luke Hochevar: TB (Archer), @MIN (Liriano)
Rick Porcello: @TEX (Grimm), @TB (Archer)
Justin Masterson: @NYY (Hughes), @BAL (Hunter)
Daisuke Matsuzaka: TOR (Carreno), @SEA (Vargas)
Felix Doubront: TOR (Chavez), @SEA (Ramirez)

At Your Own Risk

Joel Carreno: @BOS (Matsuzaka), LAA (Wilson)
Jesse Chavez: @BOS (Doubront), LAA (Richards)
Jason Vargas: OAK (Parker), BOS (Matsuzaka)
Erasmo Ramirez: OAK (Milone), BOS (Doubront)
Liam Hendriks: CWS (Peavy), KC (Mazzaro)
Drew Smyly: @TEX (Darvish), @TB (Moore)
Gavin Floyd: @MIN (Liriano), @NYY (Kuroda)
Josh Tomlin: @NYY (Kuroda), @BAL (Arrieta)
Tommy Hunter: LAA (Wilson), CLE (Masterson)

National League

Strong Plays

Stephen Strasburg: @COL (Francis), @ATL (Delgado)
Gio Gonzalez: @COL (Friedrich), @ATL (Hudson)
Ryan Vogelsong: LAD (Kershaw), CIN (Arroyo)
James McDonald: @PHI (Worley), @STL (Westbrook)
Vance Worley: PIT (McDonald), @MIA (Nolasco)
Shaun Marcum: @CIN (Leake), ARI (Hudson)
Johan Santana: @CHC (Wood), @LAD (Eovaldi)
Dillon Gee: @CHC (Wells), @LAD (Kershaw)
Clayton Kershaw: @SF (Vogelsong), NYM (Gee)
Nathan Eovaldi: @SF (Zito), NYM (Santana)
Wandy Rodriguez: SD (Ohlendorf), @CHC (Garza)

Decent Plays

Jake Westbrook: @MIA (Nolasco), PIT (McDonald)
Erik Bedard: @PHI (Blanton), @STL (Lynn)
Ricky Nolasco: STL (Westbrook), PHI (Worley)
Jordan Lyles: SD (Bass), @CHC (Wood)
Bronson Arroyo: MIL (Gallardo), @SF (Vogelsong)
Mike Leake: MIL (Marcum), @SF (Zito)
Travis Wood: NYM (Santana), HOU (Lyles)
Tim Hudson: ARI (Hudson), WAS (Gonzalez)
Daniel Hudson: @ATL (Hudson), @MIL (Marcum)
At Your Own Risk

Barry Zito: LAD (Eovaldi), CIN (Leake)
Joe Blanton: PIT (Bedard), @MIA (Buehrle)
Jeff Francis: WAS (Strasburg), SD (Volquez)
Christian Friedrich: WAS (Gonzalez), SD (Ohlendorf)
Josh Outman: WAS (Zimmerman), SD (Bass)
Ross Ohlendorf: @HOU (Rodriguez), @COL (Friedrich)
Anthony Bass: @HOU (Lyles), @COL (Outman)

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, 6/27: Luis Mendoza vs. KC
In two starts since rejoining the Royals rotation, Mendoza has allowed only three runs over seven hits in 12 innings with a 9/3 K/BB.

Wednesday, 6/27: Kevin Millwood vs. OAK
The veteran has been surprisingly effective for the M's, and matches up well against Oakland at home.

Thursday, 6/28: Brett Cecil vs. LAA
Cecil looked sharp in his season debut this past week. Give him a look against the Halos.

National League

Wednesday, 6/27: Lucas Harrell vs. SD
The rookie has been brutal on the road this season, but at home he's 4-0 with a 2.76 ERA.

Thursday, 6/28: Chris Young @ LAD
He might not be vintage Chris Young, but he's been plenty effective thus far, allowing only two runs in each of his first three starts for the Mets.

Friday, 6/29: Paul Maholm vs. HOU
Maholm has been very good in his last two turns, both at home, turning in a pair of quality starts to go along with a 13/2 K/BB.

Total Games

American League

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

National League

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

Lefty/Righty Breakdowns

American League

BAL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
BOS: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CLE: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CWS: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
DET: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
KC: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
LAA: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
MIN: 3 vs. RHP, 4 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: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TOR: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP

National League

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

The Infirmary

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

Jerome Williams: Out until early July (head)
Brandon Beachy: Out for the season (elbow)
Scott Podsednik: Out until July (groin)
Ryan Sweeney: Out until late June (toe)
Josh Beckett: Out until late June (shoulder)
Ryan Dempster: Out until July (shoulder)
Bud Norris: Out until late knee (June)
Chris Getz: Out indefinitely (leg)
Jason Bay: Out indefinitely (head)
Jeremy Hellickson: Out until late June (head)

HacheMan · Jun 24, 2012

Top 12: Lavarnway back on radar

By Kevin Goldstein | Baseball Prospectus

1. Danny Hultzen, SP, Seattle Mariners (Last week's rank: 1)

<offer>Last week's stats (at Double-A Jackson): Did not pitch.
Season totals: 8-3, 1.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 75 1/3 IP, 79 K's
Update: Hultzen didn't pitch this week, other than a scoreless inning in the Southern League All-Star Game. That turned out to be his final Southern League appearance, as he'll make his Triple-A debut for Tacoma this weekend. He made 13 starts for Jackson, but he's not expected to need that many in the Pacific Coast League before being called up to Seattle.
What he can do: While Hultzen spent too much time at Double-A, let's let bygones be bygones now that he's where he belongs. He remains the one pitching prospect most likely to find instant success in the big leagues.</offer>

2. Travis Snider, OF, Toronto Blue Jays (Last week: unranked)

Last week's stats (at Triple-A Las Vegas): 8-for-23 (.348), HR, 4 RBIs
Season totals: .326-8-37, 4 SB in 36 games
Update: Snider is back from a wrist injury and is back to mashing, with home runs in three consecutive games. The good news for him is that nobody has taken a firm grasp of the left field job, and with the club hit hard by injuries, the second half could be spent evaluating young players (which Snider still is) for the long-term future.
What he can do: Snider has a long, and frankly disturbing, history of putting up dominant minor league numbers and doing little in Toronto, but he could get a long leash during the second half while Toronto makes what could potentially be a final decision on his future with the franchise.

3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs (Last week's rank: 2)

Last week's stats (at Triple-A Iowa): 8-for-20 (.400), 3 HR, 9 RBIs
Season totals: .350-23-59, 2 SB in 66 games
Update: The Cubs moved Bryan LaHair to right field this week and made no secret about the move being designed to accommodate Rizzo's impending arrival. The date for his call-up to make sense in terms of service time comes this weekend, which happens to correspond with when his call-up makes sense for the Cubs.
What he can do: While Rizzo's numbers are similar to last year's numbers in the same league, scouts see a different player, one who is much more prepared to hit big league pitching.

4. Wil Myers, OF, Kansas City Royals (Last week's rank: 4)

Last week's stats (at Triple-A Omaha): 6-for-21 (.286), HR, 2 RBIs
Season totals: .330-24-62, 5 SB in 69 games
Update: Myers has cooled off a bit, and Royals GM Dayton Moore has stated that the team would prefer to leave Myers in the minors all year. Myers has the ability to force the Royals' hand, of course, but there's no obvious path for him to get to the big leagues unless Jeff Francoeur is dealt.
What he can do: Not only is Myers able to hit for average and power -- and he has done so this season -- but he has begun to draw walks at a higher rate than in previous years, making him a true triple threat.

5. Travis d'Arnaud, C, Toronto Blue Jays (Last week's rank: 3)

Last week's stats (at Triple-A Las Vegas): 3-for-17 (.176), 2 RBIs
Season totals: .330-15-49 in 63 games
Update: It wasn't the best of weeks for many of the top fantasy prospects in the game, including d'Arnaud, but that doesn't mean his stock has slipped greatly. He's still the Blue Jays' catcher of the future; the only question now is when that future begins.
What he can do: A second-half call-up could allow the Blue Jays to get a head start on determining who opens the 2013 season behind the dish for them. J.P. Arencibia has plenty of power, but d'Arnaud's all-around offensive game is far superior.

6. Drew Pomeranz, SP, Colorado Rockies (Last week: unranked)

Last week's stats (at Triple-A Colorado Springs): 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K's
Season totals (minor league only): 3-4, 2.38 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 45 1/3 IP, 46 K's
Update: While Rockies manager Jim Tracy is doing strange things with his starting rotation in an attempt to solve some major problems, Pomeranz has a 2.61 ERA in one of the toughest pitching environments in the minors after six no-hit innings at Colorado Springs. Frankly, it's hard to figure out why Pomeranz, the big prize in last year's Ubaldo Jimenez deal, is not in Denver right now.
What he can do: A pure power lefty with an above-average fastball and curve, Pomeranz might always have issues with a higher-than-average walk rate, but he has the stuff to miss bats and keep runs off the scoreboard.

7. Trevor Bauer, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks (Last week's rank: 8)

Last week's stats (at Triple-A Reno): 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 7 K's
Season totals: 11-1, 2.19 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 90 1/3 IP, 111 K's
Update: Bauer's biggest issue is a lack of efficiency, and he didn't do himself any favors by needing 105 pitches to get through five frames in his most recent start. He still gets caught up in being too cute with his pitches and trying to trick guys instead of blowing them away, and until Arizona is convinced he can go deep into games, he might be stuck in Reno for a while.
What he can do: Bauer can rack up strikeouts in the big leagues immediately upon call-up, no question about it. But how many innings will he get through, and how many batters will he walk? Those are the issues he must address.

8. Mike Olt, 3B, Texas Rangers (Last week's rank: 7)

Last week's stats (at Double-A Frisco): 5-for-19 (.263), HR, 3 RBIs
Season totals: .309-20-58, 4 SB in 68 games
Update: Will he arrive in Arlington soon? After playing first base just once over a 23-game stretch, Olt played the position twice this week, and while a more permanent move there would provide some confidence in the matter, the fact that Olt doubles as one of the best trade chips in the minors only ups his value.
What he can do: Olt is a secondary-skills king with tons of power and patience, which more than offsets a high strikeout rate that could lead to a slightly disappointing batting average.

9. Ryan Lavarnway, C, Boston Red Sox (Last week: unranked)

Last week's stats (at Triple-A Pawtucket): 10-for-20 (.500), HR, 5 RBIs
Season totals: .306-7-32 in 55 games
Update: Lavarnway was one of the best hitters in the minors last year, and he's finally heating up after a slow start, with a .404-4-15 line in 14 June games.
What he can do: The bad news is there's just no room at the inn for him in Boston right now. The good news is he should generate plenty of trade interest, and Boston is suddenly just two games out in the wild-card standings.

10. Jedd Gyorko, 2B, San Diego Padres (Last week's rank: 6)

Last week's stats (at Triple-A Tucson): 4-for-24 (.167), HR, 3 RBIs
Season totals: .291-14-43, 2 SB in 67 games
Update: Remember when it seemed like Gyorko could come up at any moment? Well, that talk seems to have died down, despite the fact that nobody has really gone out and taken hold of the second base job in San Diego, although Logan Forsythe could be doing so right now.
What he can do: The Padres have one of the worst offenses in baseball, and Gyorko can at least help it. He's a high-average hitter with gap power and possibly a bit more, but you'll have to find your stolen bases elsewhere.

11. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies (Last week's rank: 10)

Last week's stats (at Double-A Tulsa): 7-for-26 (.269), HR, RBI
Season totals: .289-7-36 in 71 games
Update: With Arenado playing well but hardly tearing it up, and the Rockies quickly slipping from playoff contention, there's just no need to accelerate his timetable, as what made sense in April seems reckless now. Anything more than a September look seems like a long shot at this point.
What he can do: Despite his struggles, or more accurately the lack of a breakout, Arenado remains an outstanding long-term play, especially for those looking for help in the batting average department.

12. Corey Brown, OF, Washington Nationals (Last week's rank: 11)

Last week's stats (at Triple-A Syracuse): 10-for-28 (.357), 3 RBIs
Season totals: .292-16-42, 6 SB in 67 games
Update: Bryce Harper was called up to help the Nationals' offensive woes, and while he's more than held up his end up the bargain, the team remains 13th in the National League in runs. Why Brown doesn't get a chance to assist, or at least try to, is a bit of a mystery, so for now all he can do is keep hitting at Triple-A.
What he can do: Brown is a potential multicategory contributor, as long as one of those categories is not batting average.

Bonus round: Accelerated timetables

Last week saw many leagues hitting the halfway point, and their respective All-Star breaks tend to bring a slew of midseason promotions. Here are three players who moved up to Double-A this week and are suddenly intriguing 2013 plays for those in keeper leagues:

Jackie Bradley, OF, Red Sox: Bradley, a supplemental first-round pick in 2011, has shown plus hitting ability with one of the best approaches in the minors, hitting .359-3-34 in 67 games, with a .480 on-base percentage, at High-A Salem.

Gerrit Cole, SP, Pirates: Last year's No. 1 overall pick rarely dominated but was consistently good at High-A Bradenton, with a 2.55 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning, and he recorded six more strikeouts over five frames in his Double-A debut.

Miles Head, 3B, Athletics: Was his massive breakout in the California League a mirage? Head's .382-18-56 line in 67 games for High-A Stockton was eye-popping, and his second-half performance in the Texas League will answer that question.

HacheMan · Jun 25, 2012

Sox break up Youk/Middlebrooks logjam

Eric Karabell

It's certainly understandable to be skeptical that 33-year-old third baseman Kevin Youkilis has anything left in the proverbial baseball tank, but then again, the Chicago White Sox were using Orlando Hudson to play third base. Youkilis is a significant upgrade, and I don't think he is done helping a real baseball team or a fantasy team after Sunday's interesting trade from the Boston Red Sox.

Youkilis was, not too long ago, a coveted fantasy asset; he was hitting for batting average, taking walks and supplying power. That hasn't been Youkilis this season, as back problems have likely played a role in him hitting .225. His walk rate and power also looked little like the former version. Of course, it is relevant that Youkilis was hitting .285 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs at the All-Star break last season. His second half was painful, probably literally, but this isn't exactly a player that was last productive in 2005.
<offer>What we don't know, of course, is whether Youkilis is healthy enough to contribute at prior levels. Can a change of scenery really make a difference? We've seen it happen statistically, but in terms of durability, it doesn't. Youkilis claims he's healthy since coming off the disabled list four weeks ago, and over his past four games, after he had lost his starting job to productive rookie Will Middlebrooks, he was 6-for-14 and driving the ball again. Fenway Park is a nice place to hit, but so is U.S. Cellular Field.</offer>

If you ask me who to choose between Middlebrooks and Youkilis, knowing what we know about each player, I'd have to take the rookie. Middlebrooks is hitting for power to all fields and while he won't be hitting .326 for long with his lack of plate discipline, he's not Adam Dunn, either. Middlebrooks has played in only 41 games and he's already the No. 15 third baseman on the ESPN Player Rater (and ninth over the past 30 days), a legit threat for 25 home runs. He's not in my current top 10 at third base, but this trade does make him worth owning in all standard leagues. Currently Middlebrooks is at 57 percent owned, up 21 percent over the past week. I could see him hitting .275 with 22 home runs and 75 RBIs this season, which is fantastic considering he made his big league debut in May.
Oddly enough, Youkilis is owned in roughly the same number of ESPN standard leagues as Middlebrooks (57.3 percent), and that number should likewise rise in the coming days as well. These guys each figure to play regularly now, and that's a big deal. Before Sunday there were no guarantees. Even for a White Sox lineup that hasn't struggled to score runs, Youkilis could play a significant role immediately. Outfielder Alex Rios has been hitting fifth behind Dunn and Paul Konerko and doing a fine job, but he's allergic to drawing walks. On reputation alone, Youkilis should inherit a decent spot in the order and see opportunities to knock in runs.

While Middlebrooks is worth activating in the leagues he's owned in, with Youkilis we still don't know yet. Add him in case the power-hitting, disciplined and healthy version from previous seasons is finally back, but do add him. White Sox third basemen (Hudson, Brent Morel mostly) have hit an astoundingly miserable .167 this season (.466 OPS) with one home run. Youkilis is better than that. I won't pronounce him the ol' .300-hitting version, but I could see him hitting .270 with 10-12 home runs the final three-plus months. He was doing that before injury hit him last year. In 2010, Youkilis hit .307 with 19 home runs in only 102 games. I don't think he's done, but be prepared for missed games. There's reason for hope that he'll hit when he's playing, though, and regardless this trade is good news for Youkilis and Middlebrooks and their teams.

As for what the Red Sox received in the deal, it's not much. Well-traveled right-hander Zach Stewart is past prospect status, and had recently been demoted to Triple-A Charlotte. In 97 1/3 innings for the White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays the past two seasons he has allowed 131 hits and 21 home runs. It's unlikely he'll matter to fantasy owners or the Red Sox this season, if ever.

Defensive stalwart Brent Lillibridge managed to hit 13 home runs and steal 10 bases for the 2011 White Sox, despite receiving only 186 at-bats. He also batted .258. That was as good as it gets. Lillibridge is hitting .175 with nary a homer this year. He can play every position except catcher, and finds his way into the "SportsCenter" highlights with his defensive prowess, but it's hard to see him contributing mightily from any fantasy aspect in Boston.

HacheMan · Jun 25, 2012

Gregor Is Not Melky, But . . .
Blanco keeps proving the Wolfman right and much more in this week’s Week That Was.

Don’t forget to tune in to hear Rick Wolf and me on Colton and the Wolfman on SiriusXM fantasy sports radio (XM 87, Sirius 210) Tuesday nights from 8-11pm eastern time. It’s a fun three hours of sports, fantasy and good natured (mostly) humor.

Gregor Blanco: Gregor Blanco had a strong game to help his Giants win the battle of the bay Friday. For fantasy purposes, his three SBs are what will excite owners. Thus far this year, Blanco is hitting .259 with 12 SB and 37 runs. This is a fair expectation of what Blanco will do. He has never really hit for average. Indeed, his last .300 season anywhere was over ten years ago in rookie ball. That said, he is entrenched atop the giants lineup, has a .350+ OBP (so the runs will be there hitting in front of Melky) and the SBs have always been there. Don't get too excited, but in NL-only leagues, Gregor is a great find (something listeners heard the Wolfman predict on the air -- just saying).

Bobby Abreu: Bobby Abreu continues to provide value to his "new" LA team. Friday, Abreu launched a three run homer against his former teammates. Through Friday, he was hitting .297 with a .409 OBP in 111 at-bats for the Dodgers. If you are in an NL-only league (or have Bobby in an AL-only having drafted him there), you have a good cheap value. Prognosis: Abreu appears to have transformed himself into a contact/patient hitter only (not trying to reach the 20 homer level any more). So, if you need average, runs scored and occasional speed, Abreu could be cheap value. It is the $2-3 guys at the end of drafts that win deep leagues. If someone thinks Abreu won't play once Matt Kemp gets back, make the move now.

Jair Jurrjens: Jair Jurrjens returned from the minors in a big way, tossing 7 2/3 innings of 3 hit ball against the Red Sox. That is the good news. The bad news is that Jurrjens was just plain awful earlier in the year and has an ERA of 6.75. Yes, Jair has put up good numbers in the past (mostly his big 2009 season) but I am not a fan for roto purposes. He does not strike out many and has trouble staying healthy. Bottom Line: Sell! Talk up his prior successes and his dominance of the Sox and get out while the getting is good.

Jason Hammel: Jason Hammel was great Friday, giving up no earned runs and striking out 10 over eight to lead the O's to a win over the rival Nats. Hammel's ERA sits at a special 2.61 with a 3/1 K/BB ratio and basically a K per inning. Was this breakout foreseeable? Actually, yes. First, pitchers who escape Coors often see a bump in their production (even if they end up in another hitter's park). Second, Hammel is 29 and often pitchers learn how to pitch (rather than throw) in their late twenties. If you can grab up Hammel, do it. The Wolfman and I just traded for him in the LABR-AL expert league and were rewarded last night for doing so. He is not CC, Price, King Felix, etc., but he is a solid middle rotation roto pitcher that can make all the difference.

A.J. Burnett: A.J. Burnett continued to thrill Pirate fans and frustrate Yankee fans, winning his eighth Friday. Burnett, who has always had the talent, has numbers that this writer does not believe he can sustain: 3.24 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. The last time AJ saw an ERA that low over any real number of innings was single A Kane County 14 years ago. The last time he saw a WHIP of 1.24 was not that long ago, but it was 5 years ago when he was in his 20's. Bottom line: AJ will continue to be a solid NL only back of the rotation guy but now is the time to SELL, SELL, SELL.

Evan Longoria: Evan Longoria continues to destroy dreams of fantasy titles all over the land. The latest news is that he will be shut down without timetable because of continued hammy problems. There is no questioning the talent, but as the Wolfman says: "Injury prone players get . . . injured." Longoria is becoming that guy. He is now right there with Aramis Ramirez, Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz, Troy Tulowitzki, and Josh Hamilton -- talented players for whom you must reduce your bid by 20-30 percent because they are likely to miss that much time. Longoria has never posted 600 AB and with only 82 on June 24, this will not be the year.

Nolan Reimold: According to reports, Nolan Reimold will undergo surgery to remove a bulging cervical disk (neck area for those of you who skipped anatomy class). I think it is fair to say that his season is either over, or at least over for fantasy purposes. This is a tough break for Reimold and the O's but it does open the door for Steven Pearce to continue to play. The former Bucs "can't miss" prospect is finally not missing. Thus far, Pearce is hitting .279 with 10 RBI in just 43 AB. My view -- BUY. Pearce hit .300 or more in most minor league stops. He simply never got a full chance to play in the big leagues and now may get one.

Salvador Perez: The Royals had good and bad injury news this week. The good is that Salvador Perez returned from the DL and knee surgery and promptly went 2-4 with a dinger and two RBI. Last year, Perez hit .331 over 39 games. It is obvious that those in keeper and re-draft leagues should grab Sal if he is still around.

Felipe Paulino: Now for the Royals bad news. According to reports, Felipe Paulino has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will likely need Tommy John surgery. Ouch! Paulino appeared to have finally harnessed all that talent with a 1.67 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP and 39K over 37 innings. If you own Paulino in a deep AL league, there is little you can do. Luis Mendoza, Vin Mazzaro and crew are just not suitable replacements for the Royals or your fantasy roster. [One note -- perhaps you can trade for Luke Hochevar. He has talent and last year, this is around the time he turned his season around].

Matt Adams: In what came as a surprise to this author, the Cardinals sent Matt Adams to AAA. Adams was not great, but really was not that bad either, hitting .244 with two homers and 13 RBI over 86 at-bats. Don’t cut bait yet. Remember Adams will be back if any of these iron men get hurt -- Allen Craig, David Freese, Carlos Beltran (yes, that is sarcasm). One final note here, Matt Carpenter is back from the disabled list. He should get enough ABs to make him worthwhile in a deep NL league.

And last and but not least, this from the Baron of the Bottom of the Page -- Schultz says: “In columns like these, an inordinate amount of time is spent discussing those that can hit for average and those that can hit for power. An even greater amount of print (or whatever these cybercolumns contain) is spent discussing saves as we dissect bullpens, ratios and pitch counts to discern who might vulture a save or two in an attempt to gain an advantage in the saves category. Despite all this, it feels that too often we neglect those that steal bases, an oversight that's more glaring as it is a category all its own and the need for speed is as relevant to roto-owners as it is to Goose and Maverick.

You are likely well versed on Jason Kipnis (of the FIRST PLACE CLEVELAND INDIANS) and Mike Trout's proficiency on the basepaths as their bats have given everyone reason to take notice of their skills. You might find it curious to know that the major league leader in steals is Tony Campana, a somewhat part-time outfielder that the Cubs called up a few weeks back. While his .275 average isn't toxic, his zero home runs, 5 RBIs and the fact that he plays for the low-scoring Cubs are the green stuff dripping from the pipes of the Springfield Power Plant. By that same token, while no one was paying attention in Minnesota, Ben Revere returned from the minors and has been stealing bases at a nice clip (14 since his return). He's hitting a nice .320 but displaying no power. Revere's average won't remain that high but his legs will remain that quick. Revere and Campana may serve as poster boys for the players of the first dimension but, just like the saves category, one statistical freak can make a world of difference.

Finally, with respect to the Overlord's question concerning Justin Masterson, I rejoice in adopting the Point/Counterpoint framework. So, as to Masterson's ability to get out lefties, let me retort: Glenn you ignorant slut. (If that survives editing, Colton will verify I've been waiting a decade to use that line). I recall a few years back that everyone was told to stay away from Ryan Howard because he couldn't hit lefties. Like the great number of ball players that find success in the Major Leagues, they learn to adapt and overcome. Those that ignored the prevailing wisdom about Howard received phenomenal rewards when he started rattling off 40+ homer seasons. While Masterson's splits will likely always skew unfavorably towards lefties, his main problem is walks, not lefties. In his last five starts, Masterson has regained control of his Nintendo pitches, striking out 35 against 6 walks (in Interleague play, he's struck out 25 against 3 walks and hornswoggled Joey Votto, a pretty good lefty hitter). As long he has control over his pitches, he is the master of his domain.”

Response: Well, Schultzie watches the Indians more than I do, so there is reason to trust him on Masterson. Of course, he is so biased, it is his view that may be skewed. Time will tell!

HacheMan · Jun 25, 2012

Youk Changing Sox

It had become apparent in recent weeks that Kevin Youkilis’ tenure with the Red Sox was about to come to an end, and on Sunday the speculation became a reality.

Over a month prior to the trade deadline, the Red Sox have shipped Youkilis to the White Sox in exchange for right-hander Zach Stewart and utilityman Brent Lillibridge. Boston is also kicking in a little over $5.5 million to Chicago, so the White Sox will only have to pay a bit more than $1 million to Youk over the rest of the season.

There’s no doubt that Youkilis’ abilities have started to wane, as his OPS has gone from .975 in 2010 to .833 last year to a paltry .670 this season. He’s also injury-prone, as he hasn’t played in more than 120 games since 2009 and missed three weeks earlier this year with a back ailment.

The reality, though, is that he’s just 33, so it’s hard to believe that he’s washed up. The move is a low-risk one for the White Sox, as they didn’t give up much and didn’t take on much salary. They’ve also been stuck with Brent Morel’s and Orlando Hudson’s dreadful production at third base, so even if Youkilis only rebounds a little, he’s still an upgrade.

The Red Sox, of course, will now be able to play Will Middlebrooks every day at third base. Middlebrooks is hitting .326/.365/.583 with nine homers and 34 RBI over 41 games with the big club, and while we’d like to see him walk more, he’s clearly a capable mixed league fantasy option.

Bauer Power

The wait is over.

One of the best pitching prospects in the game, Trevor Bauer is reportedly on his way up to The Show after a dominating run of starts between Double- and Triple-A. The Diamondbacks have yet to confirm it, but the 21-year-old was pulled after just 2 2/3 innings from his start at Triple-A Reno Sunday, and FOXSportsArizona.com says it’s because Bauer will make his major league debut Thursday against the Braves.

The No. 3 overall pick in last year’s draft, Bauer has posted a 2.23 ERA and 116/48 K/BB ratio over 93 innings in the minors this season. His walk rate of 4.6 per nine innings isn’t ideal, and it’s led to him often failing to go deep into games. But, he has some of the best stuff of any prospect still in the minors, as that gaudy strikeout rate will attest to.

Bauer will assume the rotation spot of Joe Saunders, who has been placed on the DL with shoulder inflammation. If the right-hander pitches well, there’s a good chance he’ll remain among the starting five for the rest of the season.

Zim’s Shoulder

Ryan Zimmerman finally admitted Saturday what’s been obvious for a while: his right shoulder is still bothering him.

The Nationals had considered placing their stud third baseman on the disabled list in hopes that some rest would allow the shoulder to rebound. But, they chose to give him a cortisone shot instead, and Zimmerman went right back in the lineup Sunday, going 2-for-4 while driving in the team’s lone run in a loss to the Orioles.

“Relief,” Zimmerman told the Washington Post when asked how he felt after the shot. “It was so bad before that I couldn’t do anything. Obviously, I wasn’t performing. To be able to go out there today and feel a little bit like I could do the things I feel like I’ve always been able to do, it gave me a little bit more confidence. It obviously makes you happier.”

Zimmerman said he’s prepared to receive additional shots over the course of the rest of the season if needed in order to continue playing. He's batting just .223/.289/.308 with three homers this season, so hopefully the injection proves to be just what the doctor ordered.

National League Quick Hits: Frank Francisco has been placed on the disabled list with an oblique injury. Bobby Parnell will take over as the Mets’ closer … Jose Altuve left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, but the Astros are saying it’s mild and are considering the pint-sized second baseman day-to-day … Anthony Bass has landed on the DL with shoulder inflammation. It’s viewed as precautionary, and the Padres are hopeful he’ll be ready when first eligible … Chris Carpenter (shoulder) will throw to live hitters again Monday and will be cleared to begin a rehab assignment if the session goes well. He’s on track for a return shortly after the All-Star break … Jeff Karstens (shoulder) will rejoin the Pirates rotation Monday. He’ll bump Brad Lincoln back to the bullpen … Jason Heyward went 3-for-4 with a double and solo home run Sunday and is now batting over .400 in June … Aroldis Chapman blew his second straight save when Josh Willingham took him deep with an upper-deck shot. He’s allowed eight runs over his last seven games while serving up three longballs … Tyler Clippard is expected to retain the Nationals’ closer job even after Drew Storen (elbow) returns. Clippard has converted 12 straight save chances and has allowed just one hit in the last 14 1/3 innings … David Hernandez has agreed to a two-year extension with the Diamondbacks, which will cover two arbitration years. He’ll likely take over the ninth inning when J.J. Putz’s tenure ends.

American League Quick Hits: Matt Capps is likely headed to the disabled list with more shoulder problems. Both Glen Perkins and Jared Burton have been used in save situations since Capps has been injured, and the Twins appear ready to mix and match in the ninth inning. Perkins is the best bet, though … Brandon McCarthy is having more shoulder problems of his own and has been placed back on the DL. The A’s haven’t found anything structurally wrong with the right-hander, but he hasn’t felt right in a long time. He could be looking at an extended period of rest … Clay Buchholz was placed on the DL Sunday with a gastro-intestinal illness. The Red Sox are hoping he’ll be back when first eligible. Aaron Cook will fill in in the meantime … Adam Lind is back in the majors, having been called back up Sunday. He batted a blistering .395/.451/.669 with eight homers and 29 RBI over 142 plate appearances at Triple-A, but he’s obviously a risky fantasy proposition given his struggles before being demoted … Mike Moustakas slugged a pair of homers in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals. He now has 12 bombs on the year and is slugging .497 … Carl Pavano (shoulder) will resume throwing this week. There’s no timetable for his return … Andrew Bailey (thumb) suffered a setback over the weekend when his throwing arm became sore during a bullpen session. He’ll be shut down for a week before ramping it up again … Matt Harrison left Sunday’s start with lower back tightness, but he’s expected to be ready for his next outing.

HacheMan · Jun 26, 2012

Going to Francisco

When the Twins put Francisco Liriano back into their rotation, he was coming off a relief outing where he gave up four runs to push his ERA up to 8.47 for the season. Expectations were low, but the club likely was hoping the enigmatic lefty could put together a nice run and boost his potential trade value.

Mission accomplished.

Liriano on Monday notched his fifth quality start in six tries since rejoining the rotation, limiting the White Sox to just one run on four hits and two walks over seven innings while striking out five. The lefty boasts a 2.41 ERA and 40/14 K/BB ratio over 37 1/3 innings while holding opponents to a .160 average since regaining his spot among the starting five.

It’s worth noting that Liriano has faced some less than stellar offenses during this stretch, but when he’s pitching with confidence and throwing enough strikes as he is now, he can be a nightmare for the opposition.

''I'm more relaxed. I'm not trying to make a perfect pitch,'' Liriano said after Monday’s outing. ''I'm not worried about the runners like I was before.''

Liriano is firmly back on mixed league radars, and contending teams hoping to catch lightning in a bottle will surely be watching his starts closely over the next month.

Rizzo Time

Yesterday in this space I discussed the arrival of Trevor Bauer, but he’s not the only top prospect that will be summoned this week, as the Cubs will call up Anthony Rizzo prior to Tuesday’s game.

Rizzo earned the promotion by mashing to the tune of a .342/.405/.696 batting line at Triple-A Iowa to go along with 23 home runs and 62 RBI. We’ve seen similarly lofty numbers from him before, as he hit a blistering .331/.404/.652 with 26 bombs and 101 RBI last season at Triple-A for the Padres.

Of course, Rizzo struggled at the major league level last year after posting those lofty numbers in the minors, batting just .141/.281/.242 over 128 at-bats with the Pads. The Cubs have made some adjustments to his swing, though, which they feel will give him a better chance against major league pitching this time around. At the very least, he’s certainly worth a speculative add in all fantasy formats.

Rizzo's arrival pushes Bryan LaHair to right field, David DeJesus to center and Tony Campana to the bench, so Campana's value as a cheap speed option may be coming to a close. Campana is currently tied for the major league lead with 24 stolen bases.

Jays Lose Alvarez, Add Moyer

The Blue Jays have had a terrible time keeping their starters healthy this season, and another one went down Monday, as Henderson Alvarez left his outing with a sore right elbow.

The initial diagnosis on Alvarez looks favorable, and manager John Farrell is optimistic that the young right-hander won’t have to miss his next turn in the rotation. But, he’ll need an MRI first, and it wouldn’t be the first time that it shows something that escaped a preliminary exam.

Perhaps unrelated to Alvarez’s injury – or perhaps not – the Jays inked Jamie Moyer to a minor league deal Monday night. Moyer asked for his release from the Orioles last week after he didn’t receive a promotion despite a 1.69 ERA and 16/0 K/BB ratio in 16 innings with Triple-A Norfolk.

Toronto has said they’ve given Moyer no guarantees, and he’ll report to Triple-A Las Vegas first. But, if the Jays' starters keep dropping like flies, the 49-year-old could find himself back in the big leagues soon enough.

National League Quick Hits: Matt Kemp (hamstring) is not expected to return until after the All-Star break. He had been targeting an early July return, but the Dodgers don’t want him to come back too soon and aggravating the ailment again … Mat Latos was brilliant Monday, tossing his second career complete game while striking out a career-high 13 batters. Latos has gotten off to a rough start this season, but he’s bound to turn it around at some point, and perhaps this will be the outing that starts it … Jimmy Rollins homered Monday for the fourth straight day. He's turned things around in June, batting .327 with six longballs … Shaun Marcum still felt soreness in his right elbow while playing catch Monday. He’ll be shut down indefinitely and thus obviously won’t return later this week as originally hoped … Marco Scutaro left Monday’s game after being plunked on the helmet by a Stephen Strasburg fastball. It’s not clear at this point whether he suffered a concussion … Heath Bell imploded in a non-save situation Monday, losing a four-run lead in a loss to the Cardinals. He had been pitching well of late, but it won’t take him long to be back on the hot seat if he continues to struggle … Bud Norris (knee) will return from the disabled list Thursday against the Padres.

American League Quick Hits: An MRI on Alex Avila's left knee didn't show any structural damage. He could be back in the lineup Tuesday, though it’s possible this could be something he’ll have to deal with all season … Derek Holland (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment Wednesday. He’s expected to need three rehab outings before returning, putting him on track to be back at the start of the second half … Josh Beckett (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Monday and could be cleared to rejoin the rotation Friday … Miguel Tejada has been released from his minor league deal with the Orioles. His career is probably over … Jared Burton nailed down his second save in has many days Monday. He’ll get more save chances than Glen Perkins while Matt Capps is out if manager Ron Gardenhire sticks to the matchups … Luke Hochevar spun a shutout Monday and has been unscored upon in two straight starts … Erasmo Ramirez punched out 10 batters over eight three-hit innings Monday. The 22-year-old is worth keeping an eye on in mixed leagues, but we wouldn’t take the plunge just yet … Daniel Bard has struggled in three straight outings at Triple-A and doesn’t appear close to joining the Red Sox bullpen.

HacheMan · Jun 26, 2012

Is Trevor Bauer worth the hype?

By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

The Trevor Bauer era is about to begin.

The No. 3 pick overall in last summer's amateur draft, Bauer has been advertised as the most major league-ready pitching prospect in that class, and in 23 professional starts he has backed up such talk: He's 12-3 with a 3.03 ERA and a whopping 12.06 strikeouts-per-nine ratio. Bauer, of the Arizona Diamondbacks, earned Keith Law's No. 21 prospect ranking overall in the preseason -- 15th, if you extract those prospects now in the major leagues or on a major league DL -- and he has garnered arguably the most anticipation of any pitching prospect among fantasy owners this year.

Well, folks, your long wait is officially over.

Open up that FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget) wallet, break out that No. 1 waiver position, clear the top spot on our Most Added/Dropped list, because Bauer Hype surely will be at its peak these next 24 hours.

But is it warranted?

Bauer's most staunch supporters -- this columnist included -- will go straight to the stats, stressing his sparkling 1.68 ERA and 11.17 K's-per-nine ratio in eight starts for Double-A Mobile to begin this season, or better, the 2.82 ERA and 11.28 K's-per-nine he had in eight turns for Triple-A Reno. The latter numbers are key: They came in the Pacific Coast League, a hitting-rich minor league in which the average team scores 5.16 runs per contest. That is nearly a run more than in the other Triple-A league, the International League (4.20), and it's more than half a run higher than in any other competitive league Double-A or higher, the majors included.

Success in the PCL, however, historically hasn't assured the same in the majors. To give a sense of the statistical "translation" to expect between the PCL and majors, I took a look at 16 notable prospects to make the jump midseason during the past five years. All 16 pitchers shared a common thread: They cracked Baseball America's top 100 rankings in one of the past five seasons (2007-11), and made at least eight starts in the PCL and the majors in the given year.

This group managed an ERA in the majors more than a run higher (4.80) than in the PCL (3.67), it allowed hits 13 percent more often, home runs 60 percent more often and recorded a strikeout 13 percent less often. If we're to take those stats as a "translation," just for a simple experiment, this is what Bauer's major league equivalent stat line might have looked like:

8 GS, 3.98 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 4.60 BB/9, 9.84 K/9

Admitting up front that, based on the sample, this is much more example than comprehensive analysis, the result is an extremely fair, reality-check stat line, if you're punching your ticket on the Bauer Bandwagon. The 3.98 ERA is realistic, yet valuable, and perhaps slightly high. At the same time, it demonstrates the risk present with any rookie pitcher. Bauer isn't exempt from an adjustment period; it could happen Thursday, next week, August or sometime next season, and we have no idea its length or magnitude. The strikeouts, meanwhile, underscore Bauer's most valuable fantasy asset: This is a guy you want to get if for no other reason than his strikeout potential.

Bauer's arsenal, as well as his delivery, is why. He throws at least six pitches -- though he claims he throws as many as nine -- including a low-90s fastball, changeup, curveball and two different kinds of sliders, a traditional one as well as one he calls a "reverse" slider. (If you're curious what one looks like, he has a slew of videos of his delivery and individual pitches on his YouTube page.) Looking at him, comparisons to Tim Lincecum are obvious and understandable; Bauer deliberately crafted his delivery in Lincecum's style.

And, perhaps, Lincecum is an equally fair comparison point. Though Lincecum wasn't one of those aforementioned 16 PCL-to-majors starters -- he made only five starts in the PCL during his 2007 debut season -- his transition to the majors demonstrates an equal amount of excitement as a need for caution. These were Lincecum's stats between the minors and majors that year:

PCL: 5 GS, 0.29 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 3.19 BB/9, 13.35 K/9
MLB: 24 GS, 4.00 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 4.00 BB/9, 9.23 K/9

With the exception of the WHIP, which could be explained as simply as a few lucky breaks in BABIP, those are eerily similar statistics, aren't they? Treat Bauer as you might have Lincecum during his rookie year, but be careful not to cling too tightly to the player comparison. After all, Lincecum represents the best-case scenario of a prospect following this path, his having won a Cy Young Award during his second season in the majors. Bauer could follow suit, but it's not always that a pitcher travels the perfect path. He might wind up on the bumpier road, and could also face some of the same physical questions Lincecum has for years.

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"> 2 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Cain, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> CC Sabathia, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jered Weaver, LAA </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;"> Zack Greinke, Mil </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 9 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Cole Hamels, Phi </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;"> Stephen Strasburg, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Felix Hernandez, Sea </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;"> Madison Bumgarner, SF </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;"> David Price, TB </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;"> Cliff Lee, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Gio Gonzalez, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 13 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 14 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Adam Wainwright, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 15 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Johnson, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 18 </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"> 14 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> R.A. Dickey, NYM </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;"> Jordan Zimmermann, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Sale, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 20 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Johnny Cueto, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Garza, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 22 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Colby Lewis, Tex </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;"> Yovani Gallardo, Mil </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;"> James Shields, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 23 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 25 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> James McDonald, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </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"> 27 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Dan Haren, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 19 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 28 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Johan Santana, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jon Lester, Bos </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;"> Ian Kennedy, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 17 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Moore, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tommy Hanson, Atl </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;"> Yu Darvish, Tex </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;"> Mat Latos, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Wade Miley, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Vance Worley, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tim Hudson, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Lance Lynn, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hiroki Kuroda, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Vogelsong, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 41 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Edwin Jackson, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Doug Fister, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon Morrow, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 40 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Anibal Sanchez, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Max Scherzer, Det </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 61 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ricky Romero, Tor </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Andy Pettitte, NYY </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;"> Daniel Hudson, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Trevor Bauer, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 91 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jason Hammel, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 51 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Matt Harrison, Tex </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"> 49 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 53 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Roy Halladay, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ivan Nova, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 55 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chris Capuano, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jarrod Parker, Oak </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Trevor Cahill, Ari </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 52 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ubaldo Jimenez, Cle </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 59 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Shaun Marcum, Mil </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 21 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Wandy Rodriguez, Hou </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;"> Ervin Santana, LAA </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 62 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Justin Masterson, Cle </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 76 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Chad Billingsley, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 50 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 64 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Francisco Liriano, Min </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tim Lincecum, SF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 63 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ryan Dempster, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 57 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 67 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Josh Beckett, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 58 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> A.J. Burnett, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 56 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brandon McCarthy, Oak </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 54 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kyle Lohse, StL </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 68 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 71 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Phil Hughes, NYY </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 65 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 72 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Dillon Gee, NYM </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Clay Buchholz, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 60 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 74 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Wei-Yin Chen, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 69 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ted Lilly, LAD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 70 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 76 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Alex Cobb, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 73 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 77 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Erik Bedard, Pit </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 72 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mike Minor, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 93 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 79 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jeff Samardzija, ChC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 78 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 80 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Roy Oswalt, Tex </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 81 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Luke Hochevar, KC </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bud Norris, Hou </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;"> Jeremy Hellickson, TB </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 66 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 84 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Ricky Nolasco, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 75 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bronson Arroyo, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 79 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 86 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Homer Bailey, Cin </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 82 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 87 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jair Jurrjens, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Felix Doubront, Bos </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 86 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Brian Matusz, Bal </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 88 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 90 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mark Buehrle, Mia </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 91 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jake Arrieta, Bal </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;"> Jose Quintana, CWS </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;"> Scott Diamond, Min </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 83 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Joe Blanton, Phi </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 98 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 95 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Tommy Milone, Oak </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;"> Ross Detwiler, Wsh </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Gavin Floyd, CWS </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 89 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 98 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Randall Delgado, Atl </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 100 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Derek Holland, Tex </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;"> Clayton Richard, SD </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> NR </td></tr></tbody></table>

Walks are really the question for Bauer. They inflate his pitch counts, bloat his WHIP and should put him at greater risk in ERA in the majors, where opposing hitters are less forgiving of such mistakes. They're what bear watching as he adapts, and you can be sure that if he struggles in that department yet posts encouraging enough wins-ERA-K's numbers despite it, he'd be well-worth shopping on the trade market … well, in redraft leagues, that is.

Sum it up and Bauer is worth that hefty FAAB bid, or No. 1 waiver position. There might not be a rookie starter with a greater potential impact to debut all summer, but at the same time, don't get overzealous with your expectations. As you can see, the rankings to the right demonstrate that.

Streamer's delight

Among streaming starters -- 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, June 26: Dillon Gee at Chicago Cubs
Wednesday, June 27: Jonathon Niese at Chicago Cubs
Thursday, June 28: Franklin Morales at Seattle Mariners
Friday, June 29: Randall Delgado versus Washington Nationals
Saturday, June 30: Francisco Liriano versus Kansas City Royals
Sunday, July 1: Jake Westbrook versus Pittsburgh Pirates
Monday, July 2: Carlos Zambrano at Milwaukee Brewers (boy, what a bad day for streaming starters this one is)

Note: I'd love to pick Dallas Keuchel's Thursday matchup at home versus the San Diego Padres, but with Bud Norris a candidate to return that day and bump him from the rotation, Morales is the pick.

Past picks
Tuesday, June 19: Aaron Harang -- 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 8 BB, 6 K
Wednesday, June 20: Erik Bedard -- QS, 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Thursday, June 21: Francisco Liriano -- QS, 6 2/3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Friday, June 22: Kevin Millwood -- 5 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Saturday, June 23: Clayton Richard -- W, QS, 6 2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Sunday, June 24: Jonathan Sanchez -- 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 6 BB, 3 K
Monday, June 25: Tommy Milone -- W, QS, 7 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

Week's total: 7 GS, 2 W (28.6%), 4 QS (57.1%), 40 2/3 IP, 36 H, 19 ER, 24 BB, 36 K, 4.20 ERA, 1.48 WHIP
Season total: 74 GS, 32 W (42.9%), 42 QS (57.1%), 454 2/3 IP, 412 H, 189 ER, 163 BB, 341 K, 3.74 ERA, 1.26 WHIP

Three up

Jason Hammel, Baltimore Orioles: Is it possible that Hammel's month-long "blip" in his seasonal statistics -- that 30-day span not too long ago during which he had two wins, one quality start, a 4.50 ERA and 1.59 WHIP -- was entirely related to the knee soreness he had been suffering around that time? Certainly. The good news is that we've heard nary a whisper of knee troubles in either of his past two starts, which combined saw him record both wins and quality starts each time with a combined 17 innings of zero earned runs, two walks, 18 strikeouts and a .103 batting average allowed. Despite popular wisdom that you temper your expectations for pitchers who reside in the hitting-rich American League East, Hammel has made a name for himself in fantasy thanks to a 26 percent miss rate on swings, up nearly 10 percent from his 2011 number, and good for a No. 17 ranking among qualified major league starters. He also has a 3.27 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in seven starts against AL East competition, numbers that explain why he doesn't rank higher in this week's column, but those aren't the types that will turn away his owners in deep mixed or AL-only leagues.

Justin Masterson, Cleveland Indians: Your classic "must-hit-his-spots" pitcher, Masterson has done just that so far this month, going 4-for-4 in terms of quality starts with a 1.24 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 4.50 K's-per-walk ratio. During June, little in his peripheral statistics shows any marked change beyond pounding the zone with his sinker, his signature pitch: He has thrown it in the zone 59 percent of the time and generated strikes 67 percent of the time, whereas in the season's first two months he had 48 and 61 percent numbers in those categories. Masterson's improved command puts him back on the list of valuable fantasy starters, though matchup-sniffing remains smart with this type, especially one who really lacks a dominating pitch to use versus left-handers. Here's something to consider as you sift through his matchups: He has eight quality starts, a 2.73 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 10 starts at Progressive Field, compared to two, a 7.07 and 1.68 in five on the road.

Wade Miley, Arizona Diamondbacks: I tweeted this last night and I meant it, but Miley absolutely deserves consideration for an All-Star start. That doesn't say he should start -- though I'll say he should be on the team, at the very least -- but he absolutely deserves to be in the discussion based upon his performance thus far. As a starting pitcher this season, he has eight wins, nine quality starts, a 2.09 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 12 turns, and his 1.79 walks-per-nine innings ratio for the season (counting his relief work) ranks 10th-best among qualifiers. What's more, Miley's diverse arsenal has balanced his lefty-righty splits almost perfectly -- lefties actually have better numbers, .247/.278/.376, against him than do righties, .204/.253/.310 -- so success isn't close to a mirage for him. So here's the question: What does regression mean, exactly, for Miley looking forward? He has a 77.8 percent left on base rate, 20th-highest among qualifiers, a .255 BABIP that ranks 23rd, a 2.88 FIP that ranks eighth, and a 3.64 xFIP that ranks 36th (which can be easily explained by his 4.8 percent home run/fly ball rate). There's room for his ERA/WHIP to rise accordingly, but those numbers don't stand out as extreme worries. Heck, at 35th, he might still be ranked too low.

Three down

Dan Haren, Los Angeles Angels: Back problems were a question hovering over Haren a few weeks ago; could it be that they're resurfacing? We've heard nothing of the sort, but Haren nevertheless has a 6.65 ERA, 1.94 WHIP and 2.00 K's-per-walk ratio, the latter stat most perplexing because he's a pitcher who hasn't in any of his seven full major league seasons had a number lower than 3.08 in the category. Haren's full-season numbers -- 7.91 K's and 2.12 walks per nine -- as well as his reputation will have you thinking this is a mere short-term blip. But breaking down his outings individually, he has endured multiple stretches where those command numbers have wavered. Remember, during a four-start stretch from May 3-19, he had a 1.67 K's-per-walk ratio, too. The overall stats, and again his reputation, say Haren might rebound and easily be a top-25 starter from this point forward. But haven't we seen enough at this point that some hesitation is warranted?

Anibal Sanchez, Miami Marlins: Like Haren, Sanchez is another pitcher whose full-season stats might reveal little of concern, but whose recent performance is troubling. In four starts in May he's winless with only one quality start -- and that one barely met the requirements -- and a 8.06 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 1.45 K's-per-walk ratio. Sanchez simply hasn't located his offspeed stuff during that time; he has thrown 41 percent of his offspeed pitches in the zone and gotten 60 percent strikes in June, whereas in April and May those numbers were 51 and 69 percent. Fortunately, what separates Sanchez from Haren is a lack of injury question, at least this season, though he also has less of a reputation between the two. Take a step backward for now, benching and monitoring him in the short term.

Carlos Zambrano, Miami Marlins: Welcome back, 2011 version of Carlos Zambrano. One of the most encouraging pitching storylines of the season's first six weeks, Zambrano has collapsed statistically in his past six starts, during which time he has an 8.04 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and a whopping 20 walks compared to 22 strikeouts. Walks have been a huge issue for Zambrano all season; his 4.55 walks-per-nine ratio is sixth-highest among ERA qualifiers, and it raises as many questions about his future value as were present exactly one year ago. The Zambrano-Ozzie Guillen merger fueled some good feelings about the right-hander in fantasy, but that kind of thing can be fleeting. The truth is in Zambrano's peripherals, which have said for years that he's a pitcher teetering on the brink of a statistical collapse. Apparently, it appears to have arrived.

HacheMan · Jun 26, 2012

Is Anthony Rizzo a must-pickup?

Eric Karabell

A year ago at this time, fantasy owners were clamoring for the San Diego Padres to promote enticing first base prospect Anthony Rizzo to the big leagues. The prize of the Adrian Gonzalez trade in December 2010, Rizzo had produced terrific numbers for Triple-A Tucson, hitting .331 with 26 home runs and 101 RBIs in 93 games, and his OPS was well over 1.000. Rizzo eventually got the call and … he hit only .141 for the Padres in 128 at-bats.

<offer></offer>Well, he's back! Rizzo is expected to be called up to make his Chicago Cubs debut on Tuesday, after the much-discussed offseason trade from the Padres. Again, Rizzo is proving he doesn't really need more time in the minors, hitting .342 with 23 home runs in 70 games for Triple-A Iowa, and as minor league expert Kevin Goldstein noted on ESPN.com recently, scouts expect a more mature hitter this time around.

When it comes to ESPN standard (10-team) formats, I can't say I'm actively pining to add Rizzo, but there's obviously major upside here. We do need to forget about the 2011 big league numbers and open our minds to the potential, but at the same time most every hotshot minor leaguer with fancy numbers gets a bit overrated by overeager fantasy owners. Some prospects turn out to be Mike Trout or Will Middlebrooks. Others struggle initially like Matt Adams or Devin Mesoraco, or eventually look like Justin Smoak. I like Rizzo, and he can't help but hit better than he showed in 2011 for the Padres, but I suspect many of us also don't have leagues in which we're hurting at first base or corner infield.

Still, Rizzo is an impact bat and has plate discipline, and he could force his way onto shallow fantasy rosters quickly. He's already owned in one-third of ESPN standard leagues, the second-most added first baseman over the past seven days to San Francisco Giants tease Brandon Belt. Would you take Belt or Rizzo for the rest of the season? How about April hero Bryan LaHair or Rizzo?

The fact is we need to see Rizzo hit big league pitching consistently before counting on him, but I think the Cubs realize this is a guy that should be hitting third in their big league lineup. I would take Rizzo over LaHair, but he's not at the level of Belt yet and certainly not the struggling Eric Hosmer, for that matter. Belt is a conundrum on his own, having hit only four home runs this season, and all off left-handed pitching. Belt, of course, bats left-handed. I'll still take Belt over Rizzo, but I've been a Belt fan for a while.

Essentially, I'd add Rizzo in leagues in which the reward outweighs the risk of whom you're parting with. Sure, send away the likes of Justin Morneau, Chris Davis and batting average killer Carlos Pena, but hold on to Belt, Hosmer, Kendrys Morales and, as mentioned quite a bit this week, even the older but still capable Kevin Youkilis. I don't think Rizzo will hit .300 or smack 15 home runs the final three months, but those statistics are reachable. The skills are certainly there and he's a building block for dynasty formats. Of course, four months ago Hosmer was supposed to be a fantasy stud, too. It takes time for some players.

As for LaHair, the Cubs aren't benching the 29-year-old longtime minor leaguer, but rather moving him to right field, where he'll continue to face right-handed pitching. LaHair has struggled since hitting .390 (with a ridiculous .600 BABIP) in April. Since May 1, he's hitting .243, but with eight home runs. The lefty hitting LaHair can't touch left-handed pitching (.094 batting average, .404 OPS), but he remains worth owning in many leagues, including daily formats against right-handers. LaHair's BABIP will continue to normalize (it's at .376) but he's capable of a few more five-homer months. Rizzo, of course, is capable of more, though.

While those who have stashed Rizzo are winners, and LaHair will continue to play, the potential loser here is Cubs speedster Tony Campana. Nobody in baseball has more stolen bases than Campana, despite the fact he's earned a mere 143 at-bats. Dee Gordon, the guy he's tied with at 24 steals, has 269 at-bats, and his OPS is worse, for that irrelevant matter. Campana is a fourth outfielder/minor leaguer, limited offensively, and the Cubs will likely push David DeJesus (also probably a fourth outfielder, but that's a different blog entry) to center field. If you own Campana, there's no guarantee he will see enough playing time to steal enough bases to matter moving forward. Adrian Cardenas was sent to Iowa to make room for Rizzo, but Campana will lose playing time.