Blog: Fantasy Baseball Part 2 - The Postgame Pub

PGPzilla · 06-02-2008, 11:33 PM

Fantasy Baseball Part 2:

Ok, this is my second part of the my fantasy baseball section. I know some of you don’t play fantasy baseball and that’s fine as well. If don’t play you can at least enjoy the production put up by some of these players and might eventually decide to hop on the bandwagon. For today I will be giving my opinions on my top players of the year so far in both hitting and pitching categories, young and up comers, most improved, fantasy keepers and fantasy players to drop, as well as my top 5 fantasy baseball players. These players will be based upon past performances(ex. past 3 years), recent performances, and ability to sustain current production based on; ballpark, batting order, and injuries. So lets get started!

Top 5 Fantasy Studs

1.

Lance Berkman: This guy is raking it like no other right now; not only does he give you great HR totals and RBI’s, he is currently leading all 1st Basemen with 10 SB’s which is incredible. He also hits in an excellent park in Minute Maid which I can’t really see his production going down even though he is a very streaky player.
A-May-zing: .475, 9 HR, 22 RBI, 31 R, 6 SB in 27 May games.
Avg.
Hr’s
RBI’s
Runs
SB
.385
17
47
57
10

2.

Albert Pujols: Do we expect anything less from this guy? Early in the year we received reports that he would need surgery to repair his elbow. For What? He’s 7th in the majors home runs and 19th in RBI’s.
Has produced an OPS above 1.100 in both April and May
Avg.
Hr’s
RBI’s
Runs
SB
.369
14
37
36
2

3.
Chase Utley: This is a hard pick to swallow since I’m a Mets fan, but never the less he is having another outstanding year and is well deserved on the rank. I based this pick on the scarcity of productive 2nd Basemen in the league as well as his incredible HR total so far.
Projected pace is a feast for the eyes: .319, 52, 139, 127, 14
Avg.
Hr’s
RBI’s
Runs
SB
.311
19
49
45
5

4.
Alex Rodriguez: Alex would ranked in the top 3 if it weren’t for his little stint on the Disabled List. A-Rod has been his usual since his return and has been of recent some good protection from various other Yankees such as Abreu and Giambi. Rodriguez has gone 11-for-36 (.306) with three homers and eight RBIs over his last 10 games.
Avg.
Hr’s
RBI’s
Runs
SB
.288
7
21
21
6

5.
David Wright: This kid is the “Wright Stuff.” New York Mets 3B David Wright hit two home runs Thursday night, May 29, against Los Angeles Dodgers SP Brad Penny, reports The Associated Press' Ben Walker. It was his first multihomer game of the season and the eighth of his career. He's now 11-for-19 (.579) with four homers and five walks versus Penny. Wright is now hitting .284 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs.
Despite mixed start, 8th in RBI (40) and on 34/21 pace
Avg.
Hr’s
RBI’s
Runs
SB
.284
11
40
36
7

Lights Out Pitcher of the Month:
Brandon Webb- Webb is leading the majors with 10 wins and currently has a 2.86 ERA. As of recently he was having trouble with the command of his pitches, but threw a stellar outing last night. Webb is currently 7th in the league with 72 K’s. Brandon Webb threw his eighth career shutout and second complete game of 2008 Saturday, defeating the Washington Nationals 4-0 in the shortest game in Chase Field history (1:52). The win is Webb's 10th, and snapped a two-game losing streak after he had won his first nine starts of the season. Webb lowered his ERA from 3.01 to 2.69.

Lights Out Batter of the Month:

Josh Hamilton- Hamilton is leading the league with 61 RBI’s, he also has 10 more RBI (58) than 2nd place Quentin, Utley (48). Josh is hitting in a very hitter friendly ballpark in Arlington which is making his stats looking a little more bloated than usual. Add to the fact that he has studs like Ian Kinsler and Michael Young hitting consistently in the lineup and you have a very good dose of pitches to hit.

Young Up and Comers: Jay Bruce and Clayton Kershaw- Bruce has worked wonders for my team since his debut. Joe Kay, of The Associated Press, reports Cincinnati Reds OF Jay Bruce has gone 11-for-19 since being recalled from Triple-A Louisville. He has two three-hit games and one four-hit game. As for Clayton, he has some grooming to do in terms of his control, but has a nasty 95 mph fastball and a knee breaking curveball that starts off at the head of the batter and just flips into the catchers glove. Kershaw, a first-round draft pick two years ago, was pulled from a start at Carolina after one inning Thursday night. He allowed only one run and struck out 19 in 14 innings for the Dodgers during spring training, and was 0-3 with a 2.28 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 43 1-3 innings with Jacksonville.

Most Improved:

Nate Mclouth- This kid has bloomed into an all-star caliber player with a very well defensive presence in the outfield. Nate has already matched his season high total of Hr’s with 13 last night in only his 53rd game and has also exceeded his RBI total from last year. Even though he doesn’t have much support in terms of players getting on base and other hitters driving him in, Nate has proven that he is a legitimate hitter and will continue this great run he is having.

Fantasy Keepers and Droppers: Now I don’t want people to start sending me hate mail for this because I will be giving my opinion on some of these players and giving assertions on what their trend will start to be. In terms of keepers I mean try and get this guy on your team or possibly sign him. As for droppers, try to get the highest trade value for him or simply just let him go, lol.

Keepers: Andre Ethier- In his past nine contests, Ethier has collected five multi-hit games, raising his batting average 16 points to an amazing .307. Given his sparkling 85.1 contact percentage and natural pole-to-pole stroke, the former Sun Devil will continue to be a lucrative batting average source through the All-Star break. Because he's more Mark Grace than Mark McGwire, Ethier will likely never surpass 20 homers, but his consistency at the dish should eventually yield gainful run totals once Jeff Kent returns from back spasms. Frankly, the 25-year-old is statistically comparable to Kosuke Fukodome but at a fraction of the cost.

Droppers: Paul Konerko- Virtually destitute for much of May, the Sox first baseman has been bothered by a barely tolerable right thumb injury. The pain has been so overwhelming Konerko has even had difficulties tying his shoes. Undoubtedly, the setback explains why his contact percentage has tumbled ('07: 83.4, '08: 77.1) and GB/FB numbers have skyrocketed ('07: '0.85, '08: 1.31). Because hand injuries can linger, Konerko is expendable in shallow mixed leagues.

Other Sources: http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/mlb/...e-noise_052908

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06-02-2008, 11:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
PGPzilla PGP HoFer Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 0 vCash: 2500 Donate Rep Power: 0	Blog: Fantasy Baseball Part 2 Fantasy Baseball Part 2: Ok, this is my second part of the my fantasy baseball section. I know some of you don’t play fantasy baseball and that’s fine as well. If don’t play you can at least enjoy the production put up by some of these players and might eventually decide to hop on the bandwagon. For today I will be giving my opinions on my top players of the year so far in both hitting and pitching categories, young and up comers, most improved, fantasy keepers and fantasy players to drop, as well as my top 5 fantasy baseball players. These players will be based upon past performances(ex. past 3 years), recent performances, and ability to sustain current production based on; ballpark, batting order, and injuries. So lets get started! Top 5 Fantasy Studs 1. Lance Berkman: This guy is raking it like no other right now; not only does he give you great HR totals and RBI’s, he is currently leading all 1st Basemen with 10 SB’s which is incredible. He also hits in an excellent park in Minute Maid which I can’t really see his production going down even though he is a very streaky player. A-May-zing: .475, 9 HR, 22 RBI, 31 R, 6 SB in 27 May games. Avg. Hr’s RBI’s Runs SB .385 17 47 57 10 2. Albert Pujols: Do we expect anything less from this guy? Early in the year we received reports that he would need surgery to repair his elbow. For What? He’s 7th in the majors home runs and 19th in RBI’s. Has produced an OPS above 1.100 in both April and May Avg. Hr’s RBI’s Runs SB .369 14 37 36 2 3. Chase Utley: This is a hard pick to swallow since I’m a Mets fan, but never the less he is having another outstanding year and is well deserved on the rank. I based this pick on the scarcity of productive 2nd Basemen in the league as well as his incredible HR total so far. Projected pace is a feast for the eyes: .319, 52, 139, 127, 14 Avg. Hr’s RBI’s Runs SB .311 19 49 45 5 4. Alex Rodriguez: Alex would ranked in the top 3 if it weren’t for his little stint on the Disabled List. A-Rod has been his usual since his return and has been of recent some good protection from various other Yankees such as Abreu and Giambi. Rodriguez has gone 11-for-36 (.306) with three homers and eight RBIs over his last 10 games. Avg. Hr’s RBI’s Runs SB .288 7 21 21 6 5. David Wright: This kid is the “Wright Stuff.” New York Mets 3B David Wright hit two home runs Thursday night, May 29, against Los Angeles Dodgers SP Brad Penny, reports The Associated Press' Ben Walker. It was his first multihomer game of the season and the eighth of his career. He's now 11-for-19 (.579) with four homers and five walks versus Penny. Wright is now hitting .284 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs. Despite mixed start, 8th in RBI (40) and on 34/21 pace Avg. Hr’s RBI’s Runs SB .284 11 40 36 7 Lights Out Pitcher of the Month: Brandon Webb- Webb is leading the majors with 10 wins and currently has a 2.86 ERA. As of recently he was having trouble with the command of his pitches, but threw a stellar outing last night. Webb is currently 7th in the league with 72 K’s. Brandon Webb threw his eighth career shutout and second complete game of 2008 Saturday, defeating the Washington Nationals 4-0 in the shortest game in Chase Field history (1:52). The win is Webb's 10th, and snapped a two-game losing streak after he had won his first nine starts of the season. Webb lowered his ERA from 3.01 to 2.69. Lights Out Batter of the Month: Josh Hamilton- Hamilton is leading the league with 61 RBI’s, he also has 10 more RBI (58) than 2nd place Quentin, Utley (48). Josh is hitting in a very hitter friendly ballpark in Arlington which is making his stats looking a little more bloated than usual. Add to the fact that he has studs like Ian Kinsler and Michael Young hitting consistently in the lineup and you have a very good dose of pitches to hit. Young Up and Comers: Jay Bruce and Clayton Kershaw- Bruce has worked wonders for my team since his debut. Joe Kay, of The Associated Press, reports Cincinnati Reds OF Jay Bruce has gone 11-for-19 since being recalled from Triple-A Louisville. He has two three-hit games and one four-hit game. As for Clayton, he has some grooming to do in terms of his control, but has a nasty 95 mph fastball and a knee breaking curveball that starts off at the head of the batter and just flips into the catchers glove. Kershaw, a first-round draft pick two years ago, was pulled from a start at Carolina after one inning Thursday night. He allowed only one run and struck out 19 in 14 innings for the Dodgers during spring training, and was 0-3 with a 2.28 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 43 1-3 innings with Jacksonville. Most Improved: Nate Mclouth- This kid has bloomed into an all-star caliber player with a very well defensive presence in the outfield. Nate has already matched his season high total of Hr’s with 13 last night in only his 53rd game and has also exceeded his RBI total from last year. Even though he doesn’t have much support in terms of players getting on base and other hitters driving him in, Nate has proven that he is a legitimate hitter and will continue this great run he is having. Fantasy Keepers and Droppers: Now I don’t want people to start sending me hate mail for this because I will be giving my opinion on some of these players and giving assertions on what their trend will start to be. In terms of keepers I mean try and get this guy on your team or possibly sign him. As for droppers, try to get the highest trade value for him or simply just let him go, lol. Keepers: Andre Ethier- In his past nine contests, Ethier has collected five multi-hit games, raising his batting average 16 points to an amazing .307. Given his sparkling 85.1 contact percentage and natural pole-to-pole stroke, the former Sun Devil will continue to be a lucrative batting average source through the All-Star break. Because he's more Mark Grace than Mark McGwire, Ethier will likely never surpass 20 homers, but his consistency at the dish should eventually yield gainful run totals once Jeff Kent returns from back spasms. Frankly, the 25-year-old is statistically comparable to Kosuke Fukodome but at a fraction of the cost. Droppers: Paul Konerko- Virtually destitute for much of May, the Sox first baseman has been bothered by a barely tolerable right thumb injury. The pain has been so overwhelming Konerko has even had difficulties tying his shoes. Undoubtedly, the setback explains why his contact percentage has tumbled ('07: 83.4, '08: 77.1) and GB/FB numbers have skyrocketed ('07: '0.85, '08: 1.31). Because hand injuries can linger, Konerko is expendable in shallow mixed leagues. Other Sources: http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/mlb/...e-noise_052908 More... __________________ Postgame Sports Discussion Forum I'm Not an F'N Bot damnit