Having dropped two of three from the Mets this week, the Phils have now seen their NL East lead completely evaporate and now find themselves a game behind New York and just a half-game above the Fish.

Since an excellent start that saw the Phillies at 39-26 in early June, the team has sputtered, going just 15-22. If 90 wins is the magic number to make the playoffs this season – and with St. Louis still two and a half games ahead for the NL Wild Card lead it would seem that many victories will be a necessity – Philly needs to play .600 ball (36-24) from here on out to achieve that goal.

The offense continues to shine, ranking second in the NL in runs and slugging (yet surprisingly just eighth in team BA), but the pitching has been middling at best, currently eighth in OPS against and in WHIP.

Although So Taguchi grounded out Thursday in his pinch-hitting assignment, he’s gotten off the schneid recently, and could emerge with some value should injury strike the deep Philly outfield. Relegated to a very bit role this season, Taguchi failed to record a successful pinch hit until Tuesday, when his two-run double tied the game and helped complete a tremendous comeback win for the Phils. Taguchi has been in manager Charlie Manuel’s doghouse, but with bench coach Jimy Williams handling the team after Manuel had been ejected, Taguchi got his chance and delivered. Remember that last year he led all of baseball with a .406 BA as a pinch hitter, but this season he’s been so bad that, at the age of 39, looked to be ready to pack it in. It’s been a long time since Taguchi was someone worth considering for fantasy purposes, and it’s going to take an injury to provide him with any real PT, but with hits in three of his last four at bats before Thursday, he’s at least working his way out of the doghouse.

He slowed a bit in June, but with six homers and a .318 BA in July, including hits in six of his last seven games, Pat Burrell’s career year has continued. Having already reached 25 homers for the sixth time in his career, things are going so well for Pat the Bat that he’s recently been shifted from fifth to third in the revamped Philly lineup, with Chase Utley moving up to the two-hole and Shane Victorino dropping to sixth. This should mean plenty more RBI chances, but note that over the last three years, Burrell has hit only .240 as the number three hitter. During that period, he’s enjoyed the most success as the No. 6 man in the Phils lineup, batting .316 and slugging .616. By the way, as impressed as we were last year with his improved patience, he’s been even better this season.

Dropping in the batting order hasn’t seemed to have affected Victorino so far, as he’s hit safely in six straight games. The way things are going for him now, it makes more sense to have him batting lower in the order. Victorino is suddenly bashing the ball, with five July homers compared to four total at the end of June, and he isn’t stealing bases (just two this month). But with a BA over .300 this month, I like the RBI possibilities he brings to the table suddenly. Of course, that’s not why you drafted the speedster, is it? But hey, if he isn’t swiping bags, I’m sure you won’t moan about getting some surprise pop from him. By the way, despite his injury and awful start this year, how consistent has Victorino been? Since becoming a more or less full-time player starting in 2006, check out his season OPS totals: 760, 770 and 765.

Joe Blanton, who we’ve been waiting to be moved since the preseason, certainly didn’t do much in his first start as a Phillie to make NL-only owners jump all over him, did he? Tuesday’s outing was pretty ugly, in fact, although with the Phils coming back for a dramatic win, the focus was taken off his beating. Blanton seems to be getting worse as the season has gone on, but I do believe that once he adjusts to the NL, and understands how to treat the bottom of the order, he’ll put up better results. He was definitely helped by pitching in Oakland, but Citizen’s Bank Ballpark has actually been fairly friendly to pitchers this year, and I really believe that Blanton will be able to reduce his home runs allowed by pitching there. I’m expecting him to rack up more wins in the second half, and record an ERA in the low 4s. If that interests you, keep an eye on his waiver wire status in your league.

I really like the idea of Utley going back to the two-hole. In recent years, he’s had more success there than in any other batting spot and with him slumping badly now, this may be just the ticket to get him back to his 2007 performance levels. How bad a year would Utley be having if he hadn’t had that unbelievable April? He’s batting just .262 since May 1. Okay, so he’s 0-for-12 in the three games since moving up in the order – not exactly inspiring confidence in my theory – but don’t worry, RotoRob says this is the right move to get him going. Make it so.

Ryan Howard took an 0-for-3 Thursday, fanning three times to run his total to 135 Ks in 389 at bats (on pace for a career worst 214 Ks), but don’t sweat it. He came in with a six-game hitting streak and has been really grooving in July with a .320 BA, nine homers and 20 RBI. Remember the second half he put up during his MVP season in 2006? I’m not saying he’ll duplicate that .355, 30 HR, 78 RBI showing, but you know what he’s capable of. I expect RyHo to be one of the NL’s top performers from here on out.

July 24th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, RotoRob, Team report . Author: RotoRob . Comments: No Comments

Gio Gonzalez, Oakland, SP: The recent trade of Joe Blanton to the Phillies has opened up a spot in the Oakland rotation and it looks like Gio Gonzalez is the current frontrunner for the vacancy. Gonzalez is coming off a great run for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. In his last four starts, he has allowed only three earned runs while striking out 34 in just 28 1/3 IP. Included in this run were back-to-back one-hitters. The 22-year-old southpaw looks like he’s ready for the Show, so if Gonzalez is a free agent in your league, grab him quick before he’s gone.

Maicer Izturis, Los Angeles Angels, 2B/SS: Izturis is owned by a scant 15 per cent of all teams in CBS leagues. Since July 7, he has batted .429, bringing his season average up to .275 with nine stolen bases. The middle infield position is rather thin, making Izturis worthy of a waiver-wire grab in AL-only formats.

Fernando Tatis, New York Mets, OF: The Met outfield has been truly decimated by injuries this year. Currently, Moises Alou, Ryan Church, Angel Pagan, and the recently acquired Trot Nixon are all on the DL. Tatis has been playing in a full-time capacity since July 6, and has amassed an impressive .366 BA, with four homers and 11 RBI. He’s currently the hot hand in New York, so the Mets will keep trotting him out there until either he cools off, or they can find a better solution. I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to roll the dice on Tatis in both NL-only and H2H formats for the coming week.

Juan Rivera, Los Angeles Angels, OF: It has been a long road to recovery for Rivera from that broken leg he suffered playing winter ball way back in 2006. The knee injury to Gary Matthews Jr. has provided Rivera with a recent increase in playing time and he’s responded with a .379 BA, three homers and eight RBI since the beginning of July. Rivera is a solid acquisition in AL-only leagues and should be on the radar in deeper mixed formats.

Jamie Moyer, Philadelphia, SP: Moyer, at 45 years of age, just keeps on chugging along. The ageless wonder is currently tied with Cole Hamels for the team lead in wins, with nine. His ERA (3.90 ERA) hasn’t been this low since his days as a Mariner, way back in 2003. Moyer, in his last eight starts going back to June 6, has not allowed more than three earned runs and is on pace for yet another season of 200 plus innings pitched. He’s a solid option in all formats heading into the second half of ‘08.

Nomar Garciaparra, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1B/SS/3B: Since coming off the DL(again) on July 4, Garciaparra is batting a solid .316, with three homers and ten RBI. In the absence of the injured Rafael Furcal, Garciaparra has recently been back playing his original postion of shortstop. That has to leave Dodger groundball pitchers like Derek Lowe feeling absolutely ecstatic. Garciaparra is a decent option in NL-only leagues and deeper formats that use middle infielders, assuming he’s still healthy by the time RotoRob drags his sorry ass out of bed and edits this.

Grant Balfour, Tampa Bay, RP: Troy Percival went on the DL July 2 with a left hamstring strain. The Rays promptly announced that they were going with the dreaded closer-by-committee approach, with Dan Wheeler being the frontrunner for saves during Percy’s absence. Moving forward a couple of weeks, Balfour has three saves. So much for the-closer-by-committee approach. The former Twin, coming off Tommy John surgery and a rebuild on both his labrum and rotator cuff, has been very solid. In 23 2/3 innings pitched, he has allowed only ten hits and has struck out 36. Percival is tentatively scheduled to return this week, which will push Balfour back into a set-up role, but he remains a solid acquisition in all leagues counting holds and as the go-to-guy if Percival has any future health issues (which is a strong possibility).

Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers, RP: The injury to Takashi Saito (a sprained ligament in his right elbow) will leave the Dodger closer sidelined until at least September. The 24-year-old Broxton has been the closer-in-waiting seemingly forever and now he finally has that opportunity to close. He recorded his first save Friday and with 48 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings pitched, has all the tools to be successful. In CBS leagues, he has gone from 38 to 76 per cent ownership. The 24 per cent that don’t believe, should; roster Broxton immediately.

Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland, 2B: The Cleveland Indians recalled the 22-year-old Cabrera from the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons this past week. It is currently time for the Indians to start evaluating players for 2009, and Jamey Carroll is obviously not the long-term solution at second base. Cabrera had a solid .326 BA in the minors and has the potential to garner some thefts over the balance of the season. He did manage 23 thefts for Double-A Akron in 2007. Cabrera is a solid addition in AL-only leagues.

Fausto Carmona, Cleveland, SP: I happened to be scanning the current player ownership trends, as I do on a regular basis, and the name of Fausto Carmona leapt out at me. In CBS leagues, he is currently owned to the tune of only 48 per cent in all formats. There has to be a lot of H2H leagues or leagues with a very short bench using CBS as a stat provider this year. The 24-year-old, currently sidelined with a hip strain, is scheduled to be coming off the DL in the next several weeks. If, by chance, he is available in your league, grab him now before the memories of that 19-win season in 2007 are splashed all over the ‘Net.

Bryan LaHair, Seattle, 1B: The release of Richie Sexson has opened the door for LaHair, who was recalled July 18 from Triple-A Tacoma. LaHair has mashed 12 dingers and driven in 53 runs for Tacoma and is currently expected to handle the strong side of the platoon at 1B, batting against righthanders. The Mariners are a mess and it is definitely time to start looking at some of the kids on the farm. Jose Vidro is not the solution and could quite possibly be the next to go in the Mariner purge. LaHair is a solid grab in AL-only formats and, depending on the direction the Mariners head in over the next several weeks, the 25-year-old could have value in deeper mixed formats.

Denard Span, Minnesota, OF: Span was recalled from Triple-A Rochester June 29 to fill the vacancy created by the Michael Cuddyer injury. The 24-year-old is currently batting .316 with five stolen bases, so he’s a solid play while Cuddyer is on the mend. It’s possible upon the return of Cuddyer that Span ends up stealing at bats from the slumping Carlos Gomez, making him a very solid grab in AL-only leagues and someone who should be on the radar in deeper mixed-formats, if you need a late-season push in the stolen base category.

Anibal Sanchez, Florida, SP: Do you remember this guy? If you don’t, think back to 2006 and that no-hitter that he threw in only his 13th big league start; or maybe you recall his fine rookie campaign of ten wins and solid 2.83 ERA. The torn labrum that cost him the 2007 season looks to be healing just fine. In Sanchez’s last rehab start for Double-A Carolina on Friday, he went six innings, allowing only two earned runs while striking out five. If all goes well in his final rehab start this coming week, he could be back in the Marlin rotation and a possible two-start pitcher in the last week of July. Sanchez is a solid add in NL-only, H2H, and all keeper formats.

July 20th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, The Wire Troll, Tim McLeod . Author: Tim McLeod . Comments: 3 Comments

While Tim McLeod regales us with his Mid-Season Awards specials, including Wednesday’s National League Report, and the American League report, which will follow either later Thursday or Friday, I thought I’d weigh in with some of my own observations from a fantastic first half of baseball.

I bet you thought you were going to get more out of Vladimir Guerrero, a likely second round pick, than what he’s delivered so far. As a rookie, he posted a line of .302/.350/.483, which until now, represented the worst totals of his career. Currently, Vladdy is at .286/.348/.483, and he entered the break in a nasty slump. He’s still trying to shake off a sup par April (.272/.353/.437) and horrid May (.219/.260/.417). Can he do it? I think so, especially since he started heating up back in May. Guerrero has slugged .570 after the break compared to .541 beforehand over the last three years, so I think he’s a good buy-low candidate.

The Giants are doing better than expected, but you can’t credit Barry Zito. The team is 5-14 when he takes the mound. Opponents are batting .299 against him compared to his previous worst of .263. Just imagine what San Francisco could have done with that $126 million they handed this stiff. Zito has been better in his two July starts, so he might be worth another look in NL-only leagues, but the fact that he’s been a better first-half pitcher in recent years does not bode well for a recovery in 2008.

Talk about not making contact, have you seen that in almost exactly half of Jack Cust’s plate appearances (181 of 364), he’s either walked or struck out? After scuffling badly in June and most of July so far, Cust was heating up before the break, so could be worth taking a flyer on in an AL-only league. Once Frank Thomas returns, Cust will head back out to left field, and I see him as merely a short-term pickup; I expect him to lose PT to Matt Murton in the second half, assuming Murton starts hitting.

Rockie starters have combined for 26 wins and 11 of those belong to Aaron Cook, who authored three shutout frames in Tuesday’s All-Star game. As solid as Cook has been this month, he may still be available in more shallow leagues, but not for long.

Josh Hamilton, who cemented his place in history at the Home Run Derby, leads the AL with 95 RBI. His closest competitor is Carlos Quentin, who has 70. A 25-RBI lead at the break? Are you freaking kidding me? Hamilton is on pace to drive in 162 runs. Uh, that’ll do.

Bengie Molina and Geovany Soto are tied as the major’s leading run producers at catcher with 56 RBI apiece. I bet you all saw that coming. Consider this, however. Soto has struck out 84 times; Molina has whiffed just 23 times. I guess he took replacing Barry Bonds as the Giants’ clean-up hitter pretty seriously.

Speaking of Quentin, he entered the season with 14 homers and 63 RBI in 136 career games. This year, he’s smashed 22 dingers and driven in 70 in just 91 games. Can you say breakout, baby?

Manny Corpas is pitching much better lately, and very much deserves consideration for your NL-only bullpen, but after his sensational breakout season in 2007 that likely had him drafted by the 10th round this year, he’s saved just four games in ten tries. Even with Brian Fuentes on the trading block, I doubt Corpas gets the closing gig back. Taylor Buchholz deserves first crack at it once Fuentes is dealt.

Pop quick: name the only American League hitter who has an OPS of over 1000 at the break. A-Rod? Nope. Hamilton? Wrong again, but getting closer. It’s none other than Josh’s teammate, the fiery Milton Bradley, whose 1049 OPS ranks 65 points ahead of his closest competitor, J.D. Drew. Raise your hand if you saw this pair ranking one-two in OPS in the AL.

Talk about developing power. Let’s take a look at Adrian Gonzalez’s homer and RBI totals since he entered the league in 2004: 1-7, 6-17, 24-82 and 30-100 last year. This season, he’s already mashed 22 homers and driven in 71, fourth best in the NL. That puts him on pace for 38 homers and 121 RBI. I remember when Gonzalez was a prospect in the Marlin system and the scouts kept saying the power will catch up to his average later on. Uh, ya. They nailed that one. You may be wondering how he’s been this productive on such a weak-hitting team. Well, while Gonzalez is hitting .276 overall, he’s ratcheted that up with runners on (.287) and with runners in scoring position (.283).

How about the emergence this year of Mariner reliever Brandon Morrow, currently handling the closing reins with J.J. Putz on the DL? He recovered from his first blown saves this week with a perfect save against the Royals. Talk about dominant – he’s fanned 42 batters in 30 2/3 IP, while giving up just 16 hits. Opponents are batting .147 against Morrow. Other than some mild gopheritis, this kid has stud closer written all over him. No wonder I had some owner in my league sniffing around about Morrow.

Closing in on 40, Jim Edmonds is done, right? Sure looked that way when he toiled for the Padres, when, through 26 games, he had managed just one homer, six RBI, a .178 BA and a .233 slugging percentage. He’s been reborn at Wrigley, and in 44 games as a Cub, Edmonds has nine jacks, 29 RBI, a .269 BA, and .552 slugging percentage. Can you explain to me why he’s still barely owned in fantasy circles? NL-only owners need to grab this dude.

While Ian Kinsler took baby steps in his growth last year, even regressing in some areas, he’s taken giant leaps in 2008. His 134 hits at the break leads all AL players by ten; his 84 runs is 17 ahead of the competition. By the way, Kinsler is on pace for 229 hits and 144 runs.

How bad a start to the season did Roy Oswalt have? Consider that over his last eight appearances, he’s lowered his ERA every time out, dropping it over a run from 5.61 to 4.56, yet he’s still over a run higher than his worst season ever (3.49 in 2004).

July 17th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, Fantasy Notes, RotoRob . Author: RotoRob . Comments: 1 Comment

It’s that time again, as the mid-summer classic brings a much-needed break before we head into the second half of the season. It is always nice at this time to take a quick look at some of the first half accomplishments of the masses. Today, we’ll take a gander at some of my personal favourites from the first half around the National League, followed by the American League on Thursday.

MVP

Chase Utley, Philadelphia, 2B: The best in the business at second base has continued his offensive prowess this year and has certainly fulfilled that pre-season top ten ranking. Utley is currently on pace to establish new highs in virtually all offensive categories. Is a 40-homer, 20-stolen base year in the works for 2008?

Hanley Ramirez, Florida, SS: Well, it looks like the shoulder healed just fine this past offseason. A .311 BA with 23 homers, 23 stolen bases and an NL-leading 80 runs scored certainly justifies that top three pick status heading into this year. The Marlins are currently five games over .500 and Ramirez is a big reason for that success.

Ryan Howard, Philadephia, 1B: Okay, the guy can’t hit for average but when you are leading the league in both home runs and RBI, it is certainly something that we can tolerate. Howard has amassed 28 dingers and 84 RBI at the break, demonstrating why he is one of the most feared pure power hitters in the game today.

Lance Berkman, Houston, 1B: The power potential was obvious, but where did those 15 stolen bases come from? Berkman’s previous high was nine, way back in 2004. A .347 BA, 22 homers, 73 RBI and a OPS of 1096 with those surprising thefts, leaves Berkman in a class with very few others this year.

Jose Reyes, New York Mets, SS: The stir that straws the drink for the Mets, Reyes is enjoying a very solid 2008. The power that was missing in 2007 has returned with ten homers to date, and those 32 thefts currently have him sitting in third spot in the NL. The Mets are in a virtual tie for first place in their division, and one of the biggest reasons is the resurgence of a well-rounded Reyes.

CY YOUNG

Brandon Webb, Arizona, SP: Ranked as one of the top starting pitchers in baseball heading into this year, Webb has done nothing to disappoint in the first half. He is currently the NL leader in wins with 13 at the break. Toss in the fact that he’s also in the top 10 with a 3.23 ERA and 112 strikeouts and you have an elite starting pitcher. If the Diamondbacks are going to be at the top of the heap come October they are going to need more of the same from Webb in the second half.

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco, SP: The kid is for real beyond any shadow of a doubt. Lincecum is currently leading the NL with 135 strikeouts, second with a 2.57 ERA and those 11 wins represent 28 per cent of the total Giant wins this season. For those who believed, the rewards have been huge.

Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati, SP: Volquez was acquired this past off-season for none other than Josh Hamilton. Talk about a win-win trade situation. Volquez broke camp as the fifth starter for the Reds, and has been nothing short of phenomenal this year. Currently, he is sitting with 12 wins, tied for third with 126 strikeouts and leads the NL with a 2.29 ERA. Not too shabby for a guy that went undrafted in most formats this past spring. If you were smart enough to grab him early, I take off my hat to you.

Ben Sheets, Milwaukee, SP: Sheets had a stellar first half. Those ten wins to go along with a 2.85 ERA and 108 strikeouts earned him the start in this year’s All-Star game. Sheets’ skills have never been in question, just the ability to stay healthy long enough to display them. Other than the one scare with triceps tightness in April, Sheets has stayed injury free and is on pace to produce at levels we haven’t seen since 2004. Will this be the year that we actually see 200 innings pitched out of Sheets?

Johan Santana, New York Mets, SP: The only chink in the armor to date has been the rather disappointing lack of wins. Heading into the break with a 2.84 ERA to go along with 114 strikeouts, Santana has adapted to his new league very well. Now if he can get a bit of run support in the second half, both the Mets and your fantasy team will be in very good shape.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Jair Jurrjens, Atlanta, SP: This 22-year-old righthander has been a very pleasant surprise for the struggling Braves. Other than one rough patch at the end of May, Jurrjens has been a very consistent force in the Atlanta rotation. Heading into the break with nine wins, a 3.00 ERA, and 81 strikeouts, Jurrjens has established himself as a solid number two starter on the Braves.

Hiroki Kuroda, Los Angeles, SP: The former starter from the Hiroshima Toyo Carp has fit in very nicely on the west coast. A lack of run support has limited him to just five wins, but his 3.43 ERA and 1.20 WHIP have been very solid. Kuroda bounced back after a two-week stint on the DL because of sore shoulder with that stellar one-hitter on July 7. With a bit of run support, Kuroda could be a big asset down the stretch for the Dodgers.

Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs, C: Soto has followed up that Pacific Coast League MVP season with a stellar rookie campaign. Currently, he is batting .288 with 16 home runs and 56 RBI and is the front runner in the rookie of the year battle. Manager Lou Pinella has shown an amazing level of confidence in this rookie, going so far as to have him hit in the cleanup slot for the Cubbies.

Kosuke Fukudome, Chicago Cubs, OF: There is always concern when looking at the offensive potential of Japanese players coming to MLB. Fukudome has delivered pretty much as promised for the Cubs. He has batted virtually everywhere in Chicago lineup, but seems to have settled in nicely at the top of the order. His offense has been steady with seven homers, 36 RBI and 59 runs scored in the first half. Toss in the eight stolen bases and the stellar defense and the Cubs have to be very happy with their free-agent acquisition this season.

Joey Votto, Cincinnati, 1B: Thank goodness someone in Cincinnati, namely Dusty Baker, realized that Scott Hatteberg wasn’t the answer. Votto has been very solid with 13 homers and 40 RBI in the first half. The one area of concern to date would be in the area of stolen bases where he only has four this season. With 40 thefts over the past two seasons in the minors, you had every right to expect a bit more. So hopefully Votto posts stolen base totals more in line with his history as he settles into the Red lineup in the second half.

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Ryan Ludwick, St. Louis, OF: While it’s hard to say he’s a Comeback Player of the Year candidate (which, by it’s very nature suggests this player was once good), Ludwick certainly deserves a nod as a major surprise. Coming off a solid second half last year, he has built on that momentum with the Cardinals in 2008. With 21 homers and 65 RBI at the midway point, Ludwick has already established career highs. A June slump saw the Cardinals move him into the two slot and he broke out with homers in five out of the seven games leading up to the break. For those that gambled on Ludwick as an end play this spring, the rewards have been huge.

Ryan Dempster, Chicago Cubs, SP: Last year at this time, Dempster was struggling in his role as the closer for the Cubs. Shifted back into the rotation this season, it’s been a fantastic transition as Dempster has ten wins, a 3.25 ERA and 104 strikeouts so far this year. Where are those strikeouts coming from, not to mention the improved hit rates? He has only allowed 97 hits in 124 2/3 innings pitched this season. Dempster hasn’t posted numbers like we’re currently seeing since that solid 2000 season. The decision to move this Canuck into the rotation and shift Kerry Wood into the closer role has been a huge factor in the Cubs surge to first place this season.

Kerry Wood, Chicago Cubs, RP: Has Wood finally found his niche in life? The oft-injured starter has moved into the bullpen and half way through the year is not only healthy (which is amazing in and of itself), but is also currently just one save behind the NL leader with 24. Heading into the season, the Cub bullpen was a huge question mark, with multiple closing options, but Wood has been a most effective solution.

Ricky Nolasco, Florida, SP: Hopes were very high heading into the 2007 season for Nolasco after a very solid rookie campaign. The inflamed elbow injury cost him virtually all of the last year, but he has rebounded with a great start to 2008. Currently sitting at ten wins with a 3.70 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, Nolasco has become a very solid contributer for an overachieving Marlins team in 2008.

Jason Bay, Pittsburgh, OF: Kudos to the slugging Canuck and those that believed he’s bounce back this season. It would appear that 2007 was an aberration and with 19 HR and 53 RBI to go along with a .287 BA at the break, Bay has rebounded with a vengeance. In 2007, Bay drew 59 walks in 538 at bats. This year, he’s already at 56 walks in only 341 at bats. Rediscovering the strike zone has put Bay on pace for a virtually identical year to his stellar 2006 campaign.

BUST OF THE YEAR

Brett Myers, Philadelphia, SP: At least he’s coming off a quality start heading into the break; too bad it was for Double-A Reading. When you allow 24 homers at the break, it will have a tendency to translate into disappointing numbers. The conversion back to the rotation has not gone well at all, but if Myers can find a way to get the long ball under control, he could be a decent second half option.

Andruw Jones, Los Angeles Dodgers, OF: Jones was signed this past offseason to a two-year deal worth $36.2 million. It’s hard to believe that he is less than two years removed from a 41-homer, 129-RBI season. When you report to camp at a rumoured 240 pounds and follow that up with a .164 BA-, two-homer and ten-RBI first half, one would have to question whether Jones has the motivation to continue playing the game. It would appear that new hitting coach Don Mattingly is going to have his hands full in Los Angeles.

Aaron Harang, Cincinnati, SP: A consensus top 15 starting pitcher heading into the season, Harang has stumbled badly in the first half. A 4.76 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP to go along with that ugly 3-11 record is definitely not what we’d call “ace†calibre numbers. Harang was placed on the DL just prior to the break with a strained forearm and let’s hope the rest allows him to bounce back in the second half.

Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado, SS: For those that invested in Tulowitzki following his tremendous 2007 rookie campaign, odds are pretty good you’re not at the top of your league standings this year. When the stat line reads three homers and 16 RBI combined with a .166 BA, it just doesn’t get much worse.

Chris Young, Arizona, OF: Let’s face it, none of us were really counting on a .300 batting average, but five stolen bases in the first half? When you bat near the Mendoza line you better deliver in those other categories, and so far he simply hasn’t.

July 16th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, RotoRob Awards, Tim McLeod . Author: Tim McLeod . Comments: 10 Comments

There was a familiar face taking the mound Friday for the Peoria Chiefs, the Cubbies’ Class-A Midwest League affiliate. Reliever Scott Eyre, rehabbing a groin injury he suffered last month, was touched up for two hits and an earned run in one inning in his first rehab appearance. Sunday, he got ripped for four hits and two earned runs in an inning and a third of work, so while the Cubs expect him to return after the All-Star break, it doesn’t look like we’ll see a new and improved Eyre. In fact, he’s been getting progressively worse since arriving at Wrigley three years ago, and is a complete non-fantasy factor at this point. Interestingly, however, Eyre became just the fourth Cub to make a rehab appearance at Peoria’s Elfstrom Stadium since 2005. Scott Williamson, Wade Miller and Juan Mateo are the others, and we’ve seen how well their careers have gone since then, so let’s hope that’s not some foreshadowing for the 36-year-old lefty, who has never really been the same since leaving the Giants.

Lefty Scott Mitchinson, selected as a Midwest League All-Star, got some good news this week when an MRI on his injured elbow showed no structural damage. He’s been cleared to start rehab, and that’s great news considering the breakout season he was enjoying for Kane County. Originally signed by the Phillies in 2003 from Australia, the 23-year-old was taken by the A’s in the Minor League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft last year, and after a strong 2007 at three levels, he really has put himself on the map this season. Through 71 innings, Mitchinson has given up just 54 hits, one homer and 11 walks, while fanning 70. Overall, he’s 5-3, 1.90, and if he can regain his health soon, could be in line for a promotion to High-A before season’s end.

Tyson Ross, the A’s second round pick in last month’s draft, is also dealing with injury issues. He was put on the DL July 1 because of his shoulder, but also was given the go-ahead for rehab after a clean MRI. The 21-year-old righty had only made two professional appearances so far, but was impressive, giving up just two hits and one earned run, walking none and striking out five in five innings. Ross was a Pac 10 All-Star at California last year when he went 6-6, 2.49 with 120 strikeouts and just 39 walks in 115 2/3 IP.

The A’s look like they have another solid bat on their hands in Corey Brown, a first round supplemental pick (59th overall) in last year’s draft. The 22-year-old outfielder was leading Kane County in homers (14), RBI (48), was second in steals (12) and was batting .270 with 40 walks in 84 games before getting promoted to High-A Stockton last week. In four games in the Cal League, Brown is not looking overmatched at all, batting .333 with six runs, a homer and four RBI. Keep an eye on this kid, keeper league owners.

Talk about the fast track, have you seen what Ben Revere, the Twins’ first rounder from last season, has done? The 20-year-old outfielder is batting .401 through 59 games with 20 walks and 28 steals. Talk about top-of-the-order skills. This is definitely Minnesota’s centrefielder of the future, and keeper league owners would be wise to jump on him soon. A kid with a batting eye like that doesn’t come around very often.

The Tigers prospect cupboard has been accused of being fairly barren, but they’ve hit a home run this year with 24-year-old righty Alfredo Figaro. He struggled at High-A after a mid-season promotion in 2007, but he’s dominating at Class-A this year, going 11-2, 1.76 with 86 strikeouts against just 29 walks. Opponents are batting a mere .200 against Figaro. Still, because he took a step backward this year, I’ll be more excited when I see him doing this in High-A ball or higher.

Another speedster who has consistently put up high averages is Adrian Ortiz, a 21-year-old outfielder taken in the fifth round last year by the Royals. He’s batting .316 through 91 games with 27 steals, but unlike Revere, Ortiz’s command of the strike zone isn’t advanced, so I worry that he’ll struggle as he moves up. He’s young enough to adjust, so at least bears watching over the long term.

Another young Tiger hurler who’s taken a big step up this year is 21-year-old southpaw Jonathan Kibler. Just a 30th round pick in 2007, Kibler has already proved to be a bit of a diamond in the rough, enjoying a strong pro debut last year, split between the GCL and NYPL. This season he’s been even more impressive, going 8-3, 1.99 through 15 starts. In 99 2/3 IP, Kibler has been virtually unhittable (62 hits allowed), while showing tremendous command (81 Ks to 21 BBs).

Another Midwest League kid I’m keeping my eye on is outfielder Engel Beltre. Originally signed by the BoSox out of the Dominican Republic, Beltre was dealt to Texas in last season’s Eric Gagne deal. This 18-year-old is having no problem in Class-A, an impressive feat. Through 87 games, he’s batting .287 with 19 doubles, eight triples and seven homers. He’s shown some speed, but like many youngsters, needs to learn to take a walk. Still, Beltre is heating up, with four straight multi-hit games, so I think the Rangers could have a future star in the making here.

I also like the development shown this year by 21-year-old righty Jackson Quezada, signed by the Padres from the Dominican in 2003. He’s looking like a potential future closer, having saved 16 games in 40 appearances for Fort Wayne. He’s certainly been dominant enough, fanning 48 in 43 2/3 IP, with just 31 hits and only one homer allowed while compiling a very sweet 2.27 ERA. Quezada looks ready to move up to High-A ball shortly.

July 14th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, Minor Matters, RotoRob . Author: RotoRob . Comments: No Comments