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The Ups and Downs of Living With a Baker 08/23/2010
 Scott Baker has to be one of the most frustrating pitchers for any fantasy owner this year. When he is on, he is lights out (Sunday vs LAA 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 4K), but there is another side to Baker that doesn't exactly sit well with owners. I personally dropped him in my league on June 11th, after a dismal outing against the Kansas City Royals where he gave up five runs in five innings. Of course, the next game Baker pitched his best outing of the season, giving up only two hits and striking out 12. I kicked myself for a few days, but then happily smiled when he gave up 20 hits and 11 runs combined in his next two starts against the Brewers and the Mets. It's frustrating watching a guy like Scott with so much potential. Although, he may end up with a second season of 15 wins, a 4.63 ERA is just too high considering the Twins' ERA is 3.93 (without Baker they would have a 3.81 ERA) and the AL league average is 4.16. In 2008 and 2009, Baker had similar WHIP (1.19) and BAA (.247), both being respectable numbers. This year though it is clear he has struggled with his control, raising his WHIP to 1.33 and a not-so-flattering .280 BAA. Baker has been Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde in his wins vs losses. In his 11 Wins, Baker has posted a 2.43 ERA, allowed 7.53 hits/9 and a very low 1.04 WHIP. In contrast, in nine losses he has a 8.41 ERA, 14.6 hits/9 and a very high 1.83 WHIP. Obviously numbers are always inflated in losses but the difference here is staggering. On a positive note, Baker has put up impressive numbers in August, raking in four wins, 29 K, 3.08 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Clearly 2010 has been far from what owners expected when they drafted him at the beginning of the year. Maybe 2011 will hold what we've all been waiting for... an ALL-STAR! Written by Evan Marx, exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Evan's favorite movies are Goonies, Indiana Jones, and anything with the fat kid from Good Burger. Do you think Baker will finish the season strong? Leave a comment and let us know, or reply to us on twitter @TheFantasyFix Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Blog, Fantasy Sports Advice, Fantasy Baseball, MLB, Scott Baker, Minnesota Twins  Start ‘Em Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals, 23 percent owned As long as your league doesn't count fielding percentage or errors then Desmond is your man this week. He's been hot after the break, hitting .304 with a .790 OPS since. All of his games next week are at home where he's hit all but one of his home runs. Against his team's two opponents next week (CHC, STL), Desmond's hitting .500 through 20 at-bats this year. Ryan Theriot, Los Angeles Dodgers, 84 percent owned You can expect this new acquisition to pay some major dividends this week for the Dodgers. First up he plays in Milwaukee against the Brewers, where he has a career mark of .368 and a .451 OBP through 102 at-bats – great numbers with a large sample size. He also has a .400+ average against three of the five Brewers' starters. His numbers against the Rockies and at Coors Field are great too. Lifetime he's hitting .327 at Coors Field and .299 against the entire current staff. Pat Burrell, San Francisco Giants, 18 percent owned "The Bat" has been on fire since being acquired from the Rays. Five of the six pitchers that he faces this week are right-handed (40 points higher against righties, and 11 of 14 home runs). Against Cincinnati’s pitching, Burrell has a career mark of .333, in 33 at-bats, with great individual numbers against Arroyo (.333, two HR in 18 AB). Sit ‘Em Jason Kubel, Minnesota Twins, 94.8 percent owned This week is going to be Jason Kubel’s gauntlet. He’s hitting .200 with a .290 OBP against lefties this year (a career-long weakness of his). Four of the seven starting pitchers that Kubel will face this week are left-handed. Included in those four are Cliff Lee and C.J. Wilson. Against both the Rangers pitchers and Mariners pitchers, Kubel has a combined career line of .206 in 102 AB and only one HR. This might be a career year for him, but this week showcases his career weakness. Jorge Posada, New York Yankees, 92.6 percent owned Posada’s numbers away this year are dismal and his numbers at both the Rogers Centre and Kaufman Stadium fall in line. In away games Posada is hitting .197, 101 points lower than at home. This year at both fields he’s a combined two for 19 (.105). John Buck might be an affordable option to back-up since most teams only have one catcher on their roster and Buck is only owned in 12.2% of leagues. Over the last month he’s quietly hit .297.  Two-Start Pitchers To Use Jake Westbrook, St. Louis Cardinals, 16 percent owned Since being acquired from the Indians, Westbrook has thrown four consecutive quality starts. He has amassed 26 strikeouts in only 25 innings, while walking only four, and has posted a phenomenal 3.5 ground to fly-ball ratio. While he is not likely keep that rate up, this week shouldn’t be too much of a challenge for him to maintain those numbers. PNC Park provides Westbrook with the fifth-worst place for home runs and the Pirates lineup is virgin to Westbrook, limiting their scouting of him. Washington doesn’t fare much better against Westbrook. While their park isn’t as good at containing the yardball, their lineup has only 22 hits in a career 97 at-bats against him. Gio Gonzalez, Oakland A’s, 29.9 percent owned Gio’s week from a distance may look like a bumpy one since they face the powerful Rangers. Yet with good, current-year numbers, Gio should make it through this week easily. So far this year Gio has pitched two shutouts against the Indians (13.2 innings total). As for the Rangers, in three starts he has maintained a 2.65 ERA and has kept the batters in check throughout his career (.227 average through 75 ABs, only two HR). Two-Start Pitchers To Avoid Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians, 23.6 percent owned This week a large sports website posted an article about using Carmona because of his two-starts. I’m here to tell you why you should do just the opposite. As a team, the A’s are hitting .344 against Carmona, with the bigger bats crushing him. Cust is hitting .500 against him with two HR in ten AB. Carmona’s BAA post all-star game is a disgusting .335. He’s given up seven ER in ten innings against Kansas City previously this year. Huroki Kuroda, Los Angeles Dodgers, 86.7 percent owned Unfortunately for Kuroda owners, he’s taking a trip to two of the top ten HR-friendly parks in the bigs (third place for Coors Field and seventh for Miller), and his career numbers at both places are horrendous. His career ERA at Coors is 9.00 and his career ERA at Miller is 20.25! Adding to his troubles are his career numbers against the players of both teams. Colorado players have a combined career .325 average against Kuroda through 83 at-bats. Milwaukee players are hitting .294, however in his defense, this is only through 17 at-bats. *All Statistical Information was obtained through ESPN.com Written exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com by James Bryce. James is a Grad student at UCSD and is currently in his 13th year of fantasy sports. Who will you be sitting this week? Leave a comment and let us know, or reply to us on twitter @TheFantasyFix Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Blog, Fantasy Baseball, MLB, sit-em start-em, 2-start pitchers, Ian Desmond, Ryan Theriot, Pat Burrell, Jason Kubel, Jorge Posada, Jake Westbrook, John Buck, Gio Gonzalez, Fausto Carmona, Huroki Kuroda, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers  Chris Johnson Chris Johnson | HOU | 52 percent owned LAST MONTHS STATS: 12 R / 4 HR / 20 RBI / .375 AVG Johnson has been the lone bright spot on the dismal Astros since getting the everyday job June 22nd. Next year Houston fans will have a little more to look forward to with the one-two punch of Johnson and Brett Wallace at first. Believe it or not, Johnson is the lone Astro with a batting average above .300 and is 48 points above Felipe Paulino at .292! Chase Headley | SD | 55 percent owned LAST MONTHS STATS: 12 R / 2 HR / 18 RBI / .303 AVG Headley started out the season like a man possessed, and was certainly a huge component to getting the Padres to first place in the NL West. He didn't exactly fit the role of clean-up and hit a major slump in May and June, but has turned it around since. With the addition of Ryan Ludwick, a huge weight has been taken off Headley's shoulders and you can look for a solid finish to the season. Omar Infante | ATL | 39 percent owned LAST MONTHS STATS: 13 R / 2 HR / 5 RBI / 3 SB / .375 AVG Infante did an amazing job filling in for the injured Martin Prado. Fear not, even with Prado's return, Atlanta found room for the super utility man by shifting Prado to third to take over for Chipper Jones. Omar has 13 multi-game hits in the last 21 and his .375 OBP is among the NL's best. Bill Hall | BOS | 10 percent owned LAST MONTHS STATS: 10 R / 8 HR / 13 RBI / .275 AVG With injuries to Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury, Hall will continue to see playing time. He has been on a green-monster tear as of late with eight homers in the past 65 at-bats. Looking to fill A-Rod's power? Hall may be your man, assuming you can overlook your hatred for the Sox. Danny Valencia | MIN | 4 percent owned LAST MONTHS STATS: 10 R / 1 HR / 14 RBI / .350 AVG "The Franchise" is making a good case to be the Twins 3B of the future. Although there is not a ton of power here, you will get a well disciplined batter. At every level, Valencia has hit for a high average. He is currently on a seven-game hitting streak. Who will you be picking up while A-Rod is on the DL? Leave a comment and let us know, or reply to us on Twitter @TheFantasyFix Written by Evan Marx, exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Evan calls creditors and harasses them for money... just for fun. Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Sports Blog, Waiver Wire, Alex Rodriguez, DL, Calf, New York Yankees, Chris Johnson, Bill Hall, Omar Infante, Danny Valencia, Chase Headley, Evan Marx Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: The Playoff Push 08/20/2010
Whether you are fighting to make the playoffs or sitting atop the standings, it is always good to know a few quiet players making a little noise this year. These guys will help your team down the road and get you that extra stat here and there to bolster your starting lineup come playoff time. After each name is the player’s team, position, and percent owned in CBS Fantasy Baseball leagues to help you go right to the waiver wire and snatch these diamonds in the rough.  Jon Jay STL, OF, 33% owned JJ The Jet Plane took over outfield duty after Ryan Ludwick was shipped to San Diego. He’s a high average, run scorer with a great batter’s eye. Doesn’t hurt that he’s hitting 2nd in front of Albert Pujols too. In July, Jay raised his batting average from .318 to .383, and in August he is hitting .317 with ten R and 4 XBH in 11 games. He’s a safe, reliable outfielder that can help in all leagues.  Neil Walker, PIT, 2B/3B, 54% owned Jose Tabata, PIT, LF, 41% owned Pedro Alvarez, PIT, 3B, 62% owned Yo Ho, Ho, Ho, a Pirate’s life for me! These three buccaneers have been crushing the ball lately. Although they might already be owned in deeper leagues, Walker, Tabata, and Alvarez are killing the ball and hugely contributing to the blossoming Pittsburgh offense. Neil Walker - 11 R, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 0 SB, .336 AVG Jose Tabata - 23 R, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 4 SB, .327 AVG Pedro Alvarez - 14 R, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 0 SB, .274 AVG The lines above show their stats for the past 30 days. My advice is, if you need runs, speed, and average, go for Tabata. For power and the most well rounded player, Alvarez is the go to guy. If your team needs hits and a consistent infield bat, add Walker.  Chris Denorfia, SD, CF, 6% owned One of my favorite sleepers for the rest of 2010. Denorfia, in 31 games through July and August, has 22 R, eight HR, 21 RBI, four SB, .307 AVG. Even with San Diego’s crowded outfield, Denorfia seems to play everyday at all outfield positions. He shows no signs of stopping, and finds ways to continually be an offensive threat even in Petco Park. With San Diego in the heat of a playoff race, it only helps this Padres player the rest of the year.  Felix Pie, BAL, LF, 20% owned It’s been a rough year for Baltimore. But, Lord and Savior Buck Showalter seems to have turned not only the club around, but outfielder Pie as well. Felix has shown great signs of power, speed, and average since the Showalter Revolution. Whether it’s a coincidence or not, it’s hard to ignore Pie’s recent numbers, hitting .328 in August with two HR, ten RBI, and 3 SB. Buyer beware though, Pie hits .177 lifetime against lefties. Depending on your league, Pie is a great pick up, but may be an even better spot starter when facing RHP. To the skeptics out there who believe it’s a fluke, Pie is a career .288 hitter in August and September combined.  Omar Infante, ATL, 2B/3B/SS/OF, 47% owned If you need a versatile bat in your lineup who can hit for average and swipe some bags, go get Infante while he’s still available. No matter what, the Braves always seem to find a place for him on the field each night. Infante hit .429 in July and is hitting .348 in August. Don’t expect power or RBI numbers though. Even with Martin Prado’s return from the DL and Atlanta’s Derrek Lee addition, Infante should continue to see playing time in a productive Braves lineup.  * Ryan Raburn, DET, 2B/OF, 16% owned Before reading, notice the asterisk. Sure, Raburn is a sleeper, but I happen to think it’s somewhat fluky. If you have the room and the need for power, I say go ahead and grab him. Four HR in a five game span seems shaky though. Like I said, be careful, ride the streak and soak up Raburn’s surge, but the first sign of a power outage should send him to your bench or even back to free agency. Treat him as a Stash-and-Trash, or heck, trade him and sell high while he still has value. Just snoozing: Angel Sanchez, HOU, SS, 2% owned Danny Valencia, MIN, 3B, 10% owned Brooks Conrad, ATL, 2B/3B, 3% owned Chris Snyder, PIT, C, 24% owned You can follow Tyler Becker on Twitter at @fantasyprodigy for fantasy questions, advice, or just to say hello! He attends New York University for Sports Management… it’s the closest major they had to fantasy sports. Who are you picking up off the wire for your run to the playoffs? Leave a comment and let us know, or reply to us on twitter @TheFantasyFix Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Blog, Minor League Baseball, Double-A, AA, Fantasy Baseball, Jon Jay, Ryan Ludwick, Albert Pujols, Neil Walker, Jose Tabata, Pedro Alvarez, Chris Denorfia, Felix Pie, Buck Showalter, Omar Infante, Derrek Lee, Marin Prado, Ryan Raburn, Angel Sanchez, Danny Valencia, Brooks Conrad, Chris Snyder, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals August 2010 Farm Report: AA Analysis 08/18/2010
 Jason Kipnis BATTERS Beau Mills, 1B Cleveland AA Line - .231, 8 HR, 61 RBI The number 13 overall selection in the 2007 draft has regressed badly in his second season at AA. Mills, 24, hit .293 with 21 homers and 90 runs driven in at the same level in '09, drastically ahead of his current pace. He's hitting an inferior .189 in August, marking his third sub-.200 month. He also posted a .169 April and .162 June. The left-handed swinging Mills has faced significant struggles against southpaws, batting .203 with only seven extra base hits (one HR) and a 7:25 BB:K ratio. The above splits are staggering coming from a line drive hitter with a professional approach. Outside of a .320, five HR, 23 RBI July, he's been downright disappointing. Jason Kipnis, 2B Cleveland AA Line - .339, 9 HR, 34 RBI Mills' teammate in Akron has confronted no such challenges. Kipnis has been nothing short of sensational since being promoted from the Advanced A Carolina League. His Eastern League numbers are dwarfing his CAR production, raising his batting average .39 points and OPS over .100 points. He's batting .377 in August with three HR and 13 RBI. He's an impossible out with runners in scoring position, hitting .417 with a 1.226 OPS. Kipnis has yet to display a weakness at the plate through two minor league seasons and continues to raise the bar at each level of competition. He's on the fast track to the show, especially as his power continues to develop. Devin Mesoraco, C Cincinnati AA Line - .294, 13 HR, 31 RBI Mesoraco is the portrait of growth as a ball player in a short period of time. A year ago he was sputtering in the Florida State League, hitting .228 with limited pop. In 99 games between Advanced A and AA ball in 2010, he has quickly turned the corner. He's batting .313 with 23 HR and 62 RBI, with an OPS .300 points higher than last season. Mesoraco is torturing left-handed pitching with a .365 BA and five HR in 52 plate appearances. His weaknesses have been spotlighted with ducks on the pond, hitting just .204 with RISP, a figure that he will need to elevate with experience. It's time to take notice that Mesoraco is a legitimate catching prospect. Adam Loewen, OF Toronto AA Line - .254, 12 HR, 62 RBI Questioning Loewen's athletic prowess would be an exercise in futility. The former number four pick in the 2002 draft had his pitching career ripped away by arm injuries, but his future as a position player appears filled with promise. In his second minor league campaign as a full-time outfielder, the 26-year-old has made massive strides, adding .18 points to his batting average, eight HR and 31 RBI from last season's final totals in Advanced A. He's been wearing out the gaps, hitting 22 doubles in '09 and 27 this season. As expected, he's still quite raw at the dish. His strike out total is an exorbitant 119 and his .237 BA against LHP is a work in progress. But Loewen's batting eye and plate discipline give him a solid foundation to work with, already drawing 53 BB. Oh yeah, he's got wheels too, swiping 14 bags. Can you say a more talented Rick Ankiel?  Jeremy Jeffress PITCHERS Chris Archer, RH SP Chicago Cubs AA Line - 7-1, 1.26, 49 K And to think Archer's numbers in the FSL looked impressive. Holy moly! His performance through nine AA starts has been, in a word, FREAKISH. Apparently the step up in class hasn't rattled his cage. I know his ERA is tough to see, but it's there somewhere. He's allowed 32 hits in 50 innings of work for a .185 batting average against, and his groundout to air out ratio is 1.66. The one chink in his armor has been command, walking a whopping 32. When you're that tough to square up, just throw strikes. Nevertheless, despite putting base runners on, he's done a superb job pitching out of trouble. Archer was stuck on the lower levels for four years, but is still only 21 and it's coming together fast. His fastball sits in the low-mid 90's and his sharp curve is "the pitch". The Cubs acquired Archer from the Indians as part of the package for Mark DeRosa in '08. Deolis Guerra, RH SP Minnesota AA Line - 2-9, 5.99 ERA, 61 K Guerra's pitching line is not a misprint. The once highly touted Mets farmhand, and centerpiece of the Johan Santana deal, has fallen on rough times. After a mediocre at best '09 season in AA, the Twins moved him up to AAA for the start of '10. He did not reward the team's faith in him, getting hammered in four starts to the tune of a 6.84 ERA and .337 BAA. The demotion has not aided matters, as he seems flat out lost at sea right now. Opponents in AA are once again hitting over .300 against him and he's surrendered 114 hits in 94 2/3 innings. His lack of confidence is readily apparent in RISP situations, where batters are hitting .364. Escaping trouble is not his forte. Unfortunately, the positive signs are few and far between. The best news of all is he's only 21, but a young pitcher can only take so much battering. Jeremy Jeffress, RH SP/RP Milwaukee AA Line - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 9 K After serving a 100 game suspension for failing a second drug test, Jeffress is back pitching in the minors, and back with a bang. During his first stop in the Midwest League (A) he pitched eight hitless innings, striking out 14 in the process. He faced some adversity during his eight game stretch in the FSL finishing with a 5.40 ERA, but once again whiffed 14 batters in 10 innings. Through nine innings of work in the Southern League he's yet to surrender a run, allowing four hits and striking out nine. There was never any denying his talent or rare power arm (upwards of 100 MPH), but his head has always held him back. Has Jeffress turned the page, or is another blip waiting right around the corner? For baseball's sake, let's hope he's focused on pitching. He's a special one and can be a real quick riser. Recent Promotions to AA: Danny Espinosa 2B Washington, Xavier Avery OF Baltimore, Julio Teheran SP Atlanta and Randall Delgado SP Atlanta. Written by Adam Ganeles exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. Check back weekly for Adam's insight into Major & Minor League Baseball. After his 100 game suspension, what is your opinion on Jeremy Jeffress? Leave a comment and let us know, or reply to us on twitter @TheFantasyFix Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Blog, Minor League Baseball, Double-A, AA, Fantasy Baseball, MiLB, Jeremy Jeffress, Deolis Guerra, Chris Archer, Adam Loewen, Devin Mesoraco, Beau Mills, Jason Kipnis, Adam Ganeles  Roy Oswalt According to Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston, the Astros and Phillies have agreed in principle to a trade that would send Roy Oswalt to Philadelphia. Berman's sources report that all players and moneys that would be exchanged have been agreed on, but both teams await Oswalt's approval to waive his no-trade clause. Oswalt is scheduled to take the mound for the Astros this Friday. Trade details and fantasy baseball spin to follow. Follow us on Twitter for more updates @TheFantasyFix Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Advice, Fantasy SPorts Blog, Fonzy Scheme, Roy Oswalt, Houston Astros, Trade, Philadelphia Phillies, J.A. Happ, MLB, Trade Rumors, Trade Deadline Week 17's Two-Start Pitchers & C.J. Wilson 07/26/2010
 C.J. Wilson Fantasy Baseball’s Pitching Line of the Week: C.J. Wilson (SP-TEX) 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, W C.J. Wilson chucked eight innings of four-hit baseball, striking out three batters and failed to surrender a walk in a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. Wilson retired 17 of the last 18 batters he faced before giving way to young Neftali Feliz, who saved his 27th game for the Rangers and helped Wilson improve to 9-5 on the season. See Live Win Probability Game Graph of C.J.'s outing below courtesy of FanGraphs.  Courtesy of Fangraphs (Click for Original Page) Prior to the 1-0 victory over the Angels, Wilson was 8-5 with a 3.23 ERA and had accumulated a string of nine consecutive quality starts. Wilson, the pride of Fountain Valley High School, attended Santa Ana Junior College, where he was named MVP of Orange Empire Conference and California’s Junior College Player of the Year Award in 2000. The following year, he was drafted in the fifth round (121st overall) by the Texas Rangers out of Loyola Marymount University. While cruising through the minor leagues in 2003, Wilson suffered an elbow injury which required “Tommy John” surgery. C.J. needed the entire 2004 season to recover and returned to AA action in 2005. Wilson debuted for the Texas Rangers on June 10, 2005 at 24 years of age. He went 1-7 in 24 appearances, finished with a 6.94 ERA and a 1.67 K:BB ratio. From 2006-2009, C.J. primarily worked out of the bullpen. Following the Rangers trade of Eric Gagne in 2007, Wilson was asked to step into the closers role. He successfully converted his first 11 save opportunities for Texas. Wilson was once again named the Rangers closer in 2008 and converted in 24 of 28 attempts. Despite not being named the closer in 2009, Wilson still earned 14 saves. Wilson features a fastball, sinker, slider and change-up in his repertoire. C.J. Wilson is currently owned in 63% of Y! leagues.  Brandon Morrow The “Double Dipper” is a starting pitcher who will get two starts in the same week. Each Sunday we will preview top three options in each league and highlight streaming options for players owned in less than 50% of Y! leagues. The No Brainers in the NL: Josh Johnson/FLA (@ SF, @ SD) - CY front runner. That’s enough. Stephen Strasburg/WAS (vs. ATL, vs. PHI) - Tough match-ups, but take his K’s to the bank. Chad Billingsley/LAD (@ SD, @ SF) - 2-0 in three starts against SD & SF this year. The No Brainers in the AL: Felix Hernandez/SEA (@ CHW, @ MIN) - 63:10 K:BB & 8 QS in last 8. Francisco Liriano/MIN (@ KC, vs. SEA) - The “Mona Lisa” of match-ups..wait..she’s ugly? CC Sabathia/NYY (@ CLE, @ TB) - Hasn’t lost since 5/23. 10 straight QS. Warning: Streaming can be lethal. The following are owned in 50% or less of Y! leagues. Jorge De La Rosa/COL (vs. PIT, vs. CHC) - Last start looked like the JDL we knew Brandon Morrow/TOR (vs. BAL, vs. CLE) - 10.01 K/9 will get him the nod Jon Niese/NYM (vs. STL, vs. ARI) - Three ER or less in last five outings Joel Pineiro/LAA (vs. BOS, vs. TEX) - The Russian Roulette of “streaming” Bronson Arroyo/CIN (@ MIL, vs. ATK) - Six QS in last nine. Don’t Touch ‘Em Ryan Rowland-Smith, Brad Bergeson, Zach Duke, Wesley Wright Week 17 One Start Stars Owned in 50% or Less Tommy Hunter/TEX 49% Y! - Saturday @ LAA (TBD) - 8-0 in ten starts Brett Cecil/TOR 30% Y! - Friday vs. CLE (Masterson) - Last three were QS. Daniel Hudson/CWS 5% Y! - Friday @ OAK (Mazzaro) - Tons of K potential Who will win the pitching duel of the week: Josh Johnson or Matt Cain? Who will be the best 2-Start Pitcher owned in 50% or less in week 17? Leave a comment, or reply to us on Twitter @TheFantasyFix Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Two Start Pitchers, Double Dippers, Fonzy Scheme, C.J. Wilson, Josh Johnson, Stephen Strasburg, Chad Billingsley, Fellix Hernandez, CC Sabathia, Francisco Liriano, Jorge De La Rosa, Brandon Morrow, Jon Niese, Joel Pineiro, Bronson Arroyo, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Brad Bergeson, Zach Duke, Wesley Wright, Tommy Hunter, Brett Cecil, Daniel Hudson Week 16's Two-Start Pitchers & Paul Maholm 07/19/2010
 Paul Maholm Fantasy Baseball’s Pitching Line of the Week:: Paul Maholm (SP-PIT) 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W Paul Maholm, beneficiary of the Pirates unusual offensive barrage on Sunday, pitched the team to a 9-0 victory over the Houston Astros. Maholm pitched a complete game shutout, allowing three hits, no walks and struck out one. The win marked Pittsburgh’s first shutout of the 2010 season, who has surrendered 489 runs to opponents thus far, second to only the Arizona Diamondbacks (524). Prior to Sunday’s winning effort, Maholm was just 5-7 in 18 starts for the Pirates with a 4.37 ERA. The twenty-eight year old Maholm is currently striking out a career low 4.8 batters per nine innings and is walking 3.43 batters per nine, the most since his 2006 season. Maholm was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2003 MLB Amateur Draft out of Mississippi State University. He debuted for the Pirates against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 30, 2005, pitched eight shutout innings and earned his first career victory. In 2007, Paul Maholm won a career high ten games, lost a career high 15 games and finished the season with a 5.27 ERA. Maholm’s best season in Pittsburgh came in 2008 when the southpaw finished 9-9 with career bests in ERA (3.71), strikeouts per nine (6.06) and walks surrendered per nine innings (2.75). Maholm features a fastball that hits 88-89 MPH (with the wind at his back), a curveball, slider and changeup in his modest repertoire. I can’t help to wonder what his career numbers would look like if he were playing anywhere else but Pittsburgh. Paul Maholm is currently owned in 17% of Y! leagues. The “Double Dipper” is a starting pitcher who will get two starts in the same week. Each Sunday we will preview top three options in each league and highlight streaming options for players owned in less than 50% of Y! leagues. The No Brainers in the NL: Chris Carpenter/STL ( vs. PHI, @ CHC) - Back to his self after two consecutive losses. Ubaldo Jimenez/COL (@ FLA, @ PHI) - Nice and rested. Clayton Kershaw/LAD (vs. SFG, vs. NYM) - Only lasted 4.1 innings last outing. Don’t be scared. Tim Lincecum/SFG (@ LAD, @ ARI)- 2-0, 15:3 K:BB in last two trips The No Brainers in the AL: Phil Hughes/NYY (vs. LAA, vs. KC) - Monitor to be sure they don’t skip him. Matt Garza/TB (@ BAL, @ CLE) - Three of last four starts were QS. Daisuke Matsusaka/BOS (@ OAK, @ SEA) - Two strong match-ups Warning: Streaming can be lethal. The following are owned in less than 50% of Y! leagues. Tommy Hunter/TEX (@ DET, vs. LAA) - Hunter is 6-0 in eight starts. Ride it. Kris Medlen/ATL (vs. SD, @ FLA) - Solid ratios and two decent match-ups Madison Bumgarner/SFG (@ LAD, @ ARI) - 2-0 in last two, allowing only one ER and logging a 11:3 K:BB ratio. R.A. Dickey/NYM (@ ARI, @ LAD) - Lost last two, but no support. Daniel Hudson/CHW (@ SEA, @ OAK)- Tons of K potential on MLB’s hottest team. Don’t Touch ‘Em J.D. Martin, Blake Hawksworth, Jeff Karstens, Luis Atilano Who will win the pitching duel of the week: Lincecum or Kershaw? Who will be the best 2-Start Pitcher owned in 50% or less in week 16? Leave a comment, or reply to us on Twitter @TheFantasyFix Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Two Start Pitchers, Double Dippers, Fonzy Scheme, Paul Maholm, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants, Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers, Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies, Chris Carpenter, St. Lois Cardinals, Phil Hughes, New York Yankees, Matt Garza, Tampa Bay Rays, Tommy Hunter, Texas Rangers, R.A. Dickey, New York Mets, Daniel Hudson, Chicago White Sox, Madison Bumgarner, Kris Medlen, Atlanta Braves  Ike Davis Justin Morneau has been placed on the 15-day disabled list “as he continues to recover from a concussion that he suffered on July 7th”, according to the Minnesota Twins official website. Morneau was attempting to break up a potential double play at second base, when he was accidentally kneed in the head. This is Morneau’s second trip to the disabled list with concussion symptoms in his career. In 2005, he was hit in the head by a Ron Villone pitch that subsequently landed him on the DL. Justin will be eligible to come off the disabled list on July 23. Despite fantasy baseball owners only missing their starting first basemen for a week, it comes at a crucial time in the season. With week 15 shortened due to the All-Star break, head-to-head owners were hoping Morneau’s stellar first half numbers carried over into the shortened week, to cash in on a quick head-to-head victory. Morneau currently leads the majors in on-base percentage (.437), is second to Miguel Cabrera (.346), with a .345 batting average, has blasted 18 homers and has driven in 56 runs. For those managers who don’t have a player to fill the void left by Morneau over the course of the next week, check out these potentially available first basemen in mixed leagues of ten or more teams: Ike Davis - NYM (19% Y!) - 11 jacks, 43 runs and 43 RBI makes for a solid plug-n-play for the next week. Ike has hit the Giants and Dodgers well so far this season, .308 and .444 respectfully. Gaby Sanchez - FLA (33% Y!) - NL ROY candidate is batting .308 with nine homers. Marlins will be home vs. the Nationals and Rockies over the next week. Matt LaPorta - CLE (16% Y!) - Since being recalled, he’s batted .357 with four blasts and 11 runs batted in. Adam LaRoche - ARI (47% Y!) - Has hit in ten of his last 11 games. Oh...and he’s struck out 13 times in his last 11 games. Justin Smoak - SEA (9% Y!) - New scenery in Seattle + Branyan’s freak foot accident - pressure from Chris Davis in Texas = playing time in a less stressful environment. Chris Davis- TEX (9% Y!)- The Cliff Lee for Justin Smoak trade has paved his way back to Texas. Davis hit .354 with 10 jacks and 56 RBI in 64 games for Oklahoma City, however, he struck out 60 times. Here's to hoping he continues his trend of being a second half hitter. Troy Glaus - ATL (53%)- The big fella has cooled off a bit, but has fared well against the Brewers and Padres this season. Low risk, high reward if he’s available. Lyle Overbay - TOR (4%)- Batting .299 over the last month in the surprisingly powerful Toronto lineup. Who will you be slotting at first base while Morneau is seeing stars? What type of replacements are available in AL-Only legaues? Leave a comment on the top right of this article or hit us up on Twitter! Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Sports Advice, Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins, Ike Davis, New York Mets, Ty Wiggington, Baltimore Orioles, Troy Glaus, Atlanta Braves, Aubrey Huff, San Francisco Giants, Justin Smoak, Seattle Mariners, Matt Laporta, Cleveland Indians, Gaby Sanchez, Florida Marlins, Lyle Overbay, Toronto Blue Jays  Trevor Cahill Yovani Gallardo of the Milwaukee Brewers, has been officially placed on the disabled list retroactive to July 5, with a strained left oblique he suffered in the bottom of the third inning on Sunday. Fantasy baseball owners will greatly miss the 8-4 Gallardo with his 2.58 ERA and 9.83 strikeouts per nine innings. Jordan Schelling, of Brewers.com noted (link) that despite being recently named to the National League All-Star team, Yovani will not take part due to the injury. Yovani will miss a minimum of two starts, and if all goes well, will be eligible to come off the disabled list July 20. In the meantime, if you need to fill the void left by Gallardo or even Clay Buchholz who was also recently sent to the disabled list, consider these ten options: Gavin Floyd - CWS (65% Y!) - Over the last month, Gavin Floyd’s ratios have been filthy -- 1.27 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. In his last four outings, Floyd has gone 2-0, allowing four earned runs while displaying a 20:4 K:BB ratio. He is most likely taken in deep leagues, but if he’s floating on your wire, waste no time and click the add button now. Trevor Cahill - OAK (59% Y!) - Cahill has not lost since May 16th. Nine of his last ten trips to the mound have been quality starts. He’s 8-2 on the season with a 2.74 ERA, features a 1.05 WHIP and strikes out just over six batters per nine innings. Like Floyd, Trevor is likely owned in deeper leagues, but if he’s available, scoop him up. Max Scherzer - DET (46% Y!) - Since returning to the big leagues, Mad Max has gone 4-2 in seven starts while striking out 56 opponents. Over the last month Scherzer is rockin’ 2.12 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. For the fantasy baseball owner missing out on Yovani’s strikeouts, look no further. Max is your answer. Jonathon Niese - NYM (27% Y!) How is this guy owned in only 27% of Y! leagues? Since June 5, Jonathon has five wins, five quality starts and has posted a 32:9 K:BB ratio. His lone blowout came against Detroit during interleague play on June 22. Jason Hammel - COL (23% Y!) Hammel seems to have saved his rotation spot when Jorge de la Rosa returns from the disabled list. He has four wins in the last month while posting a stingy 2.04 ERA and a modest 1.24 WHIP. He is 5-0 in his last eight with six quality starts. Look for Hammel to provide a steady dose of the same medicine for the rest of the year. R.A. Dickey - NYM (28% Y!) - The former first round pick, and converted knuckleballer has been nothing less than spectacular addition to the Mets rotation thus far in 2010. Dickey is 6-1 in nine starts, all but two have been of quality and is striking out 6.48 batters per nine. A fill-in solid option in deeper leagues until he proves otherwise. Brandon Morrow - TOR (30% Y!) - Brandon Morrow, a starter for the Mariners, who was converted to a closer, has now been converted back to a starter by the Blue Jays. That’s a lot of converting! All this guy does is strike out batters. And can be a bit wild too. Morrow is embarrassing over 10.03 batters per nine innings, but walking 4.22 as well. Despite getting pretty beat up his last two outings, Morrow still sports a 2.77 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP over the last month. Similar to Scherzer, if you need the K’s, convert Morrow to your roster immediately. Kris Medlen - ATL (23% Y!) - Kris has yet to lose a game since being deployed to the starting rotation. Medlen is 4-0 in nine starts, seven of which were quality, and hasn’t surrendered more than two walks in one outing. Kris has posted a 4.21 K:BB ratio and is stranding more than 78% of those who reach base. Bronson Arroyo - CIN (37% Y!) - Arroyo is not a big strikeout guy, although if he got his cornrows back I think that would change. Bronson has accumulated eight wins so far in the first half. You can thank Joey Votto, the most talked about player in MLB this week for that. In the last month, Arroyo has three wins, a 3.07 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. Good enough for most of you in deep leagues to grab for a few starts until Clay and Yovani return. Vin Mazzaro - OAK (1% Y!) - Mazzaro, the pride of Hackensack, New Jersey has accumulated three wins, a 2.97 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in the last month. Super deep league worthy. The “Situation” has nothing on Mazzaro. Who do you plan to pick up in place of Clay or Yovani? Do you even have any DL spots open? Leave us a comment on the top of this blog, or let us know on Twitter! Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, MLB, Yovani Gallardo, Clay Buchholz, Jonathan Niese, Trevor Cahill, Vin Mazzaro, Bronson Arroyo, Kris Medlen, Brandon Morow, R.A. Dickey, Jason Hammel, Max Scherzer, Gavin Floyd, DL, disabled list, starting pitcher, All-Star Game 2010 |  CategoriesAll
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