Fantasy Sports Advice, Analysis and Projections | The Fantasy Fix
The NL-Central boasts a few great pickups this week and one real surprise Sit ‘Em candidate. While there is great outfield help abound, a couple could use some rest on your bench. Low-percentage owned pitchers rounds out the help in this week’s fantasy baseball forecast. Congratulations to those of you who followed last week’s advice in starting Neil Walker and sitting Dexter Fowler.  Start ‘Em Jonny Gomes | Cincinnati Reds | 36.1 percent He hasn’t been as hot as he was before the All-Star break, but Gomes might be able to find a spark this week against some weak pitching and playing in hitter-friendly parks. His lifetime stats at Coors field include a .409 average and three home runs in 22 at-bats. Against the four starters for Colorado, Gomes is hitting .474 with five home runs in 19 at-bats for his career. He’s also hitting .310 with two home runs through 29 career at-bats against the Pittsburgh starters. Colby Rasmus | St. Louis Cardinals | 78.7 percent Look for the newly disgruntled Cardinal to have a great week. Against Atlanta this year Colby is hitting .600 in ten at-bats with one home run. His bigger strength though, is hitting against the Brewers. This year against the Brewers Colby is hitting .393 with a .514 OBP and three home runs in 28 at-bats. Also, all of Colby’s games are away games this week, in which he’s hitting .305 (79 points higher than at home).  Sit ‘ Em Luke Scott | Baltimore Orioles | 96.7 percent One of the streakier players in baseball, Scott is headed for a cold-snap this week. All six of his games are away from Camden Yards. On the road Scott is hitting .222 with a .294 OBP (128 points lower than his home split!). You’d think that Scott was playing for Colorado with those splits. In 137 career at-bats against the Yankees, Scott has a .204 average and slugs a weak .365. Jayson Werth | Philadelphia Phillies | 100 percent This is the “do you or don’t you have the stones” call of the week. The Phillies start their week off against the Marlins in which Werth is hitting .189 in 37 at-bats against them. Against the three Marlins starters that Werth will face, he has a career line of 1-23 (.043). While their second opponent, the Mets, Jayson has great numbers against overall. However, when you isolate his Citi Field stats they lose all value. At Citi Field this year, Worth is hitting .190 in 21 at-bats. You should also keep in mind Werth’s stats with runners in scoring position (.150 113 at-bats this year)  Two-Start Pitchers To Use Madison Bumgarner | San Francisco Giants | 16.5 percent Bumgarner's season has been nothing impressive so far, unless you look at his away game stats (2.62 ERA, 5-2 record), where both of his starts will take place. Against both Arizona and San Diego, Bumgarner has a 2.57 ERA and two wins this year. Pitching away at PETCO Park should give him a boost too. Kevin Slowey | Minnesota Twins | 39.2 percent You may hesitate starting him this week because of his recent stint on the DL, but Slowey has posted great stats against the Royals and Indians. Against Cleveland he is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA. Against the Royals he is 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA. Also in Slowey's favor is his one start at home this week, in the best park for keeping the long-ball contained, Target Field.  Two-Start Pitchers To Avoid Mike Pelfrey | New York Mets | 48.5 percent This week poses a tough challenge for the Mets' Mike Pelfrey. He might not be facing the most formidable lineup in the Nationals, but they have proven a difficult challenge for him this season (4.63 ERA in 12 innings). Historically against the Phillies, Pelfrey has allowed a horrendous ten home runs in only 70 innings pitched. That doesn't exactly make for winning ball games. His numbers against the heart of the Phillies order is horrible too (.330 BAA in 88 at-bats). Tommy Hunter | Texas Rangers | 47.8 percent This week Hunter faces a murderer’s row of offensive opponents against the Blue Jays and Yankees. Combined against the two teams during his career, Hunter has given up 15 runs in 16.1 innings of work. During this week he’ll be pitching in the fourth and seventh best ballparks for home runs. Since the All-Star break Hunter has been crushed by giving up home runs. Before the break he gave up three in 42 innings. Since the break he’s given up 14 in 56 innings. That’s a jump from 0.64HR/9 innings to 2.25HR/9 innings, almost a 400% increase in HR/9. 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. Follow James on Twitter @BoltLife4Me Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Sports Blog, Two-Start Pitchers, MLB, James Bryce, Jonny Gomes, Colby Rasmus, Luke Scott, Jayson Werth, Madison Bumgarner, Kevin Slowey, Mike Pelfrey, Tommy Hunter, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets  Don't be fooled, Sabermetrics can be simple too! SABR has provided us with some complex statistics to interpret Baseball production, but sometimes we need to take a step back and look at some simple stats to uncover telling information. In part three of our Sabermetric Series, we're looking at K/9 and how to use it for Fantasy pwnage. There is no better counting statistic to measure the dominance of a pitcher than the Strikeout. The Strikeout is one of the few statistics which the Pitcher has the ability to allow his skill to show as compared to statistics where defense is a factor. It's no coincidence that the league leaders in Strikeouts make up a list of the who's who in our Fantasy game. But to look simply at the number of strikeouts a pitcher tallies would devalue pitchers who have thrown in a limited number of innings.... Say hello to K/9, Strikeouts per nine Innings The formula for K/9 is: K/9 = Strikeouts / (Innings Pitched / 9) A simple percentage of Strikeouts to batters faced is a telling statistic, but K/9 presents the Strikeouts against the base of one full baseball game. The baseline allows for interpretation in meaning full baseball terms, as compared to a percentage. For example, Bud Norris strikes out 23.4% of the batters he faces and Norris tallies 9.20 Strikeouts per nine innings. The strike out percentage doesn't indicate how well he'll tally Strikeouts while K/9 does. When evaluating K/9, any pitcher approaching a Strikeout per Inning has pitched very well. Anything above that is very special for starting pitcher, but for a reliever it could be skewed by appearances where the pitcher is in a favorable situation. The only starting pitchers to produce a K/9 of nine or more in at least 100 IP this year according to Fan Graphs are: Brandon Morrow - 10.95 Yovanni Gallardo - 9.99 Jered Weaver - 9.89 Clayton Kershaw - 9.75 Francisco Liriano - 9.69 Jon Lester - 9.51 Tim Lincecum - 9.47 Jhoulys Chacin - 9.39 Jonathan Sanchez - 9.27 Mat Latos - 9.25 Bud Norris - 9.20 Manny Parra - 9.13 Cole Hamels - 9.10 One name that may stand out in that list could be Manny Parra, but as an owner of his I can attest that many of his poor outings have been full of Strikeouts. I've owned him in a points league where his Strikeout tallies have helped me fade the negative points he racked up in his worst appearances. This probably goes a long way to explaining the persistence of the Brewers as they keep sending him out there every fifth game. With that said, you don't want to own Parra. Let him and the Brewers figure things out and keep an eye on the situation, but for the rest of this year, hes a very risky start. Instead, take a look at Norris as the playoffs start this summer, at only 12% owned in Y! leagues, Bud Norris could be available in your league. Jhoulys Chacin is another great option and is only owned in 11% of Y! leagues, but there is a risk that the Rockies will move Chacin between MLB and AAA. As I said earlier, anything above nine K/9 is special. But a pitcher who finds his K/9 above seven is still doing a lot of the right things. Like Gio Gonzalez for example, who has put up a 7.49 K/9 and is only owned in 52% of leagues. Or how about the 23% owned Travis Wood and his 7.19 K/9 and his 10% owned teammate Homer Bailey, with a 7.17 K/9. It doesn't matter what your format is, Strikeouts matter in your league. Anyone of the guys listed above is going to help you increase your strikeout numbers. On the other end of the spectrum, there are guys that "pitch to contact" or just haven't been pitching well. Nick Blackburn at 3.52 and John Lannan at 3.73 have put up the lowest K/9 with at least 100 IP. It should be no surprise that both of these pitchers have high ERA's, WHIPs, and have been disappointing pitchers in 2010. Written by James Weston for theFantasyFix.com. When James isn't spittin' statistics down on paper he's hacking away at Fantasy apps at http://valuetownfantasy.com You can also find him on Twitter @TheRealJamesA Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, K/9, Sabermetrics, SABR, Fangraphs, Brandon Morrow, Yovanni Gallardo, Jered Weaver, Clayton Kershaw, Francisco Liriano, Jon Lester, Tim Lincecum, Jhoulys Chacin, Jonathan Sanchez, Mat Latos, Bud Norris, Manny Parra, Cole Hamels The FantasyFix.com is proud to present part two of our final fantasy baseball roundtable of the 2010 Major League Baseball season. We asked five prominent voices in the fantasy sports industry the following question: As the conclusion of the 2010 Major League Baseball regular season approaches, identify one pitcher that you are keeping close tabs on, in anticipation of the 2011 season. Briefly describe their 2010, why you are keeping tabs, and what you expect from them in the 2011 season.  Bud Norris Bud Norris | RHP | Houston Astros One of the best ways to find value on draft day is late round pitching. Mat Latos and Clay Buchholz are prime examples for this season. With that in mind, the player I am going to be keeping a keen eye on in September is Astros’ starter Bud Norris. As a prospect, Norris had been highly touted due to a plus-fastball and power breaking ball. However, the lack of a true third pitch (his changeup) and concerns over the combination of his size and high-effort delivery had caused many prospect gurus to foresee a late inning role in the bullpen. Norris, at least for now, has silenced any of those concerns. ERA aside, which we’ll get into later, Norris has been one of the most dominant starters in baseball since July 1st. Now with over 100 innings under his belt this season, Norris has compiled a 9.27 K/9, good for eighth best among major league starters. That K/9 ranks him above Jon Lester, Mat Latos, Josh Johnson and Felix Hernandez to name a few. His command was poor to start the season, but in July Norris posted a respectable 3.45 BB/9 and this month he has shown tremendous improvement in his BB/9 rate, lowering it to 2.48. Stuff wise, Norris can miss bats with the best of em. His 24.6 percent whiff rate puts him among names like Tim Lincecum and Clayton Kershaw. About that five-plus ERA…Norris has been a victim of his environment this season. His BABIP against is probably a bit high (.331), but his strand rate (runners left on base) is quite low. Norris’ strand rate is at 63.8 percent, which is well below the league average of 72 percent. Both his BABIP against and strand rate have been products of one of the worst defenses in baseball and both rates should improve next season. These are two factors that Norris can’t control on his own and two big reasons that his xFIP is at 3.91, over a full run lower than his ERA. The best part about targeting Norris in the late rounds of 2011 drafts is that he is all upside with just about no risk. Sure, the Astros are not going to give him a lot of run support and the defense may not improve much, but you know that Norris is going to rack up the strikeouts when he’s out there. If he continues to show the strikeout potential and improved control/command in September, Bud Norris is going to be a player I target in every league on draft day 2011.  Charlie Saponara is the owner/author of FantasyBaseball365.com and can be contacted at cs.fb365@gmail.com. Twitter @FB365. You can also read his work at Fire Brand of the American League and Project Prospect.  Madison Bumgarner Madison Bumgarner | LHP | San Francisco Giants On a San Francisco Giants team that is loaded with terrific starting pitching, Madison Bumgarner is currently a gem tucked away at the back end of the rotation. The former number ten pick overall of the 2007 MLB June Amateur Draft has provided the Giants with a reliable option this season behind Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, and Jonathan Sanchez. Bumgarner, 21, is a 6'4'', 215 pound left-handed youngster who demonstrates good strike zone control with all of his pitches. Prior to the 2010 season, Bumgarner was praised for having a mid-90's fastball with an above-average slider and change-up and was ranked as the number fourteen overall best prospect in baseball by Baseball America. Madison was making a name for himself and was easily the favorite to land the number five spot in the rotation when Spring Training ended. Then something happened; Bumgarner lost velocity on his fastball. His fastball was sitting in the high-80's to low-90's, allowing hitters to tee-off against him near the end of March. Bumgarner would open the season in Triple-A Fresno where the Giants could work on his mechanics, hoping to reestablish his fastball to a respectable level. After compiling a 7-1 record with a 3.16 ERA over 14 starts in the Pacific Coast League, which included a 59/22 K/BB ratio over 82 2/3 innings, Bumgarner was finally ready to join the Giants during the month of June. Since his callup, Bumgarner hasn't been Stephen Strasburg dominant, but he's been consistently good during every outing (minus his last start against the Cincinnati Reds - yikes). During his first full month at the Big League level, he held a 4-2 record over six starts with a 2.27 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP and posted a 7.0 K/9 ratio and three home runs over 39 2/3 innings. While AT&T Park is known as a "pitcher's park", Madison has struggled while pitching at home this season, as he's posted an 0-2 record over five starts with a 6.04 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, and has allowed five home runs. On the road, Madison has posted a 5-2 record with a 2.62 ERA over seven starts. So what does Madison need to do so that he can be successful for the rest of 2010 and 2011? First thing is first, Madison will need to do a better job against right-handed hitters. RHH are hitting .299/.340/.473 against him with seven home runs. As expected, he's held lefties to hitting just .239/.311/.418 with just three home runs. To this point of the season, Bumgarner has also received some help from hitters, as according to FanGraphs, batters have swung at 30% of his pitches that were outside of the strike zone, which can be attributed to Bumgarner's ability to remain around the strike zone as the game moves along. As far as pitch types, Bumgarner will need to steer clear of throwing his low-90's fastball over and over to the hitter during one at-bat. I've noticed that he will pump 4-5 fastballs in a row to the hitter, instead of mixing in his change-up or slider when he falls behind. For fantasy purposes, Madison Bumgarner should be targeted on your keeper teams and NL-Only teams for next season. Depending on how the Giants decide to handle his innings the rest of the way (He's already surpassed his 2009 total of 141 innings between the minors and bigs) - he becomes a late-round number five or six starter for your fantasy team. Remember, Bumgarner will be 21-years old for a good chunk of the 2011 season and while he hasn't been the dominant lefty we all thought he would be, Bumgarner still has the talent to become a number two or three starter for the Giants down the road. Along with Bumgarner pitching in "pitcher friendly" AT&T Park, he also plays in the weak NL West, which is up for grabs every season. For the 2011 season, Bumgarner will certainly be back in the Giants' rotation as a number three or four starter. Fantasy owners should expect more development from Bumgarner's off-speed pitches, which will surely help his low-90's fastball against right-handed hitters. With Madison get a full workload in 2011, he's capable of posting a ~4.00 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP and just over six strikeouts per nine innings.  Reggie Yinger is a programmer in the IT field and also writes for BaseballPress.com. He previously worked for a Minor League Baseball team and hopes to return to baseball full-time in some fashion. You can follow Reggie on Twitter @sacksjacked.  Chris Tillman Chris Tillman | RHP | Baltimore Orioles My love for Orioles pitchers runs pretty deep, for whatever reason. I mean there’s nothing better than a starting pitcher on a losing team in the worst division for pitchers in the league. Yet there I’ve been, on guys like Erik Bedard, Daniel Cabrera, Hayden Penn, Jeremy Guthrie, Adam Loewen, and even Sidney Ponson to name a few recent ones. I can pretty much count on one finger how many of those guys have been successful. Enter Chris Tillman. After putting up high strikeout totals to go along with high walk totals over his first three years in the minors, it looked like we had another Daniel Cabrera on our hands: lots of missed bats, just as many missed strike zones. But last year it finally started to come together after he put together a nifty 9.22 K/9 to go along with a 2.42 BB/9 in the minors. But as soon as he entered the majors, balls stopped missing bats and started getting planted into the outfield bleachers. Still, a 5.40 ERA from a rookie pitcher in the AL East is probably what should be expected. Heck, even everyone’s favorite rookie pitcher two years ago, David Price, put up a 4.42 ERA in his first year starting. Then came 2010. Again, Tillman was pretty much a train wreck in the majors, while finding success in the minors. In fact, Tillman has seemed to regress since last season. He’s basically mixed good start with awful start this year, while seeing his K/9 decrease and BB/9 increase since last year. His ERA is inflated due to an absurd 54.8% strand rate, but it still sits well above 5 when all is accounted for. However, when he has had some success, it has been against some pretty solid offenses: Toronto, the Yankees, and Texas in Texas, in the middle of summer. So when he puts it together, he can be pretty solid. Tillman’s working on adding a two-seamer to his repertoire, which could help some. Even more, not getting jerked around by the organization, getting bounced up and down from the big league club could help just as much. Either way, I’ll be watching his September call-up closely, and even more so his offseason. He’s still young at 22 years old, and is super talented, so it’s just too soon to write him off just yet. If he shows any encouraging signs of improvement, I wouldn’t be afraid to grab him with one of my last picks next year. Might as well take the plunge on a guy with big strikeout upside.  Written by Eric Yeomans. If you’re tired of the same old number-crunching fantasy sites, and can’t fill your fix of fantasy shenanigans over at my friend’s www.milliondollarsleeper.com, then swing by my blog at http://mister52pickup.wordpress.com/. Here you’ll find daily coverage on basically whatever comes to mind on any of the big four fantasy sports, and even the occasional sports story that has no fantasy relevance. But if numbers are your thing, then check out http://www.profootballfocus.com/, where there is an absolutely insane amount of statistical analysis that goes on there that is completely unmatched by the rest. There, you can check out my weekly IDP columns The Monday Morning Cornerback, where I take a look at the week that was, and The Pick-Six, where I take a look at some solid buys for the week to come. Also, feel free to follow me on twitter @PFF_Yoms.  Jeremy Hellickson Jeremy Hellickson | RHP | Tampa Bay Rays Originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft, Jeremy Hellickson entered 2010 rated as the 18th best prospect by Baseball America. Prior to getting the call, Hellickson appeared in 109 games in six Minor League Baseball seasons, earning a 49-16 record while posting a 2.71 ERA. More impressively, "J-Hell" racked up 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings and achieved a 4.63 strikeout to walk ratio through 588+ innings pitched. Since getting the call to the big show for his 8/2 debut, J-Hell is 3-0 in four starts with a 2.05 ERA and has recorded 8.54 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents have been hitting a measly .177 against Jeremy, and of those who reached base, 82.4% have been left stranded. The Rays sent him back to A+ after his 8/20 start versus Oakland as a technicality. While Hellickson is slated to get called back up when rosters expand, Jeremy is likely headed to the bullpen. His fantasy baseball value will be minimal, although he may be worth the stream if he earns a spot start versus the right opponent. Although many of the statistics used in this article are taken from the small sample of MLB appearances, I'm confident Hellickson's success in MiLB was not a fluke. I expect Hellickson to be a solid #3/4 starter for fantasy baseball owners in 2011. His excellent command leads us to believe he will provide owners with miniscule ratios and a plethora of strikeouts. Written by Fonzy for TheFantasyFix.com. You can follow the Fonz on Twitter @TheFantasyFix  Jordan Zimmermann Jordan Zimmermann | RHP | Washington Nationals One of the most highly touted prospects in the minor leagues heading into the 2009 season, Jordan Zimmermann should be on your radar for 2011. Let's look at his minor league career averages prior to his callup in 2009 (2010 was rehab-focused on a pitch count, so not representative of his talent): 2.81 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 195.2 IP 9.9 K/9 3.1 BB/9 0.7 HR/9 Clearly, Zimmermann is a guy who gets a good number of Ks, doesn't walk too many batters, and keeps the in the park. It should come as no surprise that he had elite-caliber ratios on the way up. Looking at his 2009 numbers, we find a pitcher who had a little bit of bad luck (.339 BABIP, 67.5 LOB%, 12.2% HR/FB) behind his disappointing 4.63 ERA. By normalizing those numbers to league averages, though, his ERA should have been closer to 3.50 than 4.60 (FIP of 3.59). I chalk up some of his struggles, particularly in July of 2009, to the budding elbow injury that eventually shut him down until last week. During June, Zimmermann appeared to be turning the corner (8.9 K/9, 1.90 ERA, 0.97 WHIP), and I believe that is a glimpse of what he can offer us in 2011. The problem is that he had the surgery, returned about a year afterward as expected, and was promptly shelled for 5 ER by the Cardinals. Now, St. Louis can do that to nearly anyone, so you can't really draw much of a conclusion from that game. Regardless of the sample size, his luck was worse than ever in that game (.452 BABIP, 52.6 LOB%, and one shiny dinger from Sir Albert Pujols himself). The rest of 2010 will tell us a lot about Zimmermann. Can he keep the ball in the park like he did in the minors? His 43% GB rate suggests he will, although there are examples of GB pitchers who can't (Jorge De La Rosa, I'm talking to you). Can he continue to mow down batters post-surgery? Will his control hold up on a rebuilt elbow? These questions are important. Stephen Strasburg is following his path, pitching well for a large part of his rookie campaign, only to go down with a UCL injury that will result in Tommy John surgery as well. In other words, their "new" franchise pitcher is out for a year, while their previous franchise candidate will be more than 18 months removed from the surgery by opening day. This is Jordan Zimmerman's chance to take the rotation anchor role and run with it. I'll be watching you Jordan. And I expect you will be up to the task. Tommy Landry (http://twitter.com/tommy_landry), co-founder of RotoExperts.com and long time veteran of the fantasy sports industry, is the Fantasy Basketball Examiner for Examiner.com and is also a respected social media and marketing blogger on http://ReturnOnNow/. He was a finalist for the 2008 FSWA Fantasy Baseball Series of the Year. What pitchers will you be targeting in 2011? Let us know by leaving a comment or replying to us on Twitter @TheFantasyFix Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, 2011, Pitchers, Roundtable, Prospects, Madison Bumgarner, Jeremy Hellickson, Bud Norris, Chris Tillman, Jordan Zimmermann The FantasyFix.com is proud to present our final fantasy baseball roundtable of the 2010 Major League Baseball season. We asked eight prominent voices in the fantasy sports industry the following question: As the conclusion of the 2010 Major League Baseball regular season approaches, identify one batter that you are keeping close tabs on, in anticipation of the 2011 season. Briefly describe their 2010, why you are keeping tabs, and what you expect from them in the 2011 season.  Alexi Casilla | 2B/SS | Minnesota Twins Two seasons ago Casilla looked like a budding star at the second base position. He was a switch-hitter with speed, surprising extra base pop and a master manipulator of the strike zone. Not an easy commodity to find. He finished 2008 with a .281 BA, seven HR and 50 RBI before a thumb injury ended his season in July. Attitude concerns buried him deep in the doghouse in 2009, and his performance on the field took a nose- dive. He barely scraped above the Mendoza Line at .202. Most organizations would have cut ties with a troubled 26-year old, but the Twins never gave up on his potential (even when he was out of options). Injuries in the middle infield presented him with another opportunity to showcase his skills, and he ran with it. In 20 starts between July 24th and August 24th he posted very useful stats: .297 (22-74), 13 runs, 11 RBI, six doubles, 2 triples and four stolen bases. He has yet to flash the 50 SB potential he displayed in the minors, but the wheels are there. With Orlando Hudson signed to a one year deal, Casilla could be the Twins starting second baseman and number two hitter in 2011. Likely to be available at a bargain basement price, this risk/reward proposition is quite an attractive one. Adam Ganeles is a senior writer for TheFantasyFix.com. Additionally, Adam contributes to the famed NBADraft.net.Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamGaneles  Pablo Sandoval | 3B | San Francisco Giants Coming into the year, Sandoval was going off the board as a top-30 option in many drafts. At this point, he isn't even a top-30 infield option in the National League. At the same time, I think his down season this year leaves him as a player who will make a great bargain next season. After all, Pablo still owns a 3-year average of about .310-20-85-80 with a .850 OPS per 162 games played, and those numbers will play in any league. So why the struggles this season? His walk rate is slightly down, as is his K-rate, and the resulting 0.59 K/BB mark is virtually identical to his 0.63 mark from last season. Pablo also is sporting a 1.20 GB/FB mark that is right in line with his 1.25 career rate, so the type of ball he has hit hasn't changed much at all. The real issue this season has been an erosion of his line drive rate which has led to a .050 point drop in his BABIP mark. A little bit better luck next season, and a few more line drives, should allow him to once again hit over .300. The biggest issue for the Kung Fu Panda though might be his willingness to take care of his body. Only 24 years old, Sandoval reminds me of a 34 year old Mo Vaughn – and that's not a fattering, I mean flattering, comparison. If Pablo dedicates himself to an offseason regimen to get his body in shape, he'll be primed to be a solid bargain on draft day in 2011.  Ray Flowers is Managing Editor for Fanball.com Owners Edge and RotoTimes.com. You can also hear Ray’s thoughts at the Fanball.com Sirius XM Homepage (Ray is the co-host of a daily radio show on XM 147 and Sirius 211 satellite radio). Follow Ray on Twitter @BaseballGuys  Domonic Brown | OF | Philadelphia Phillies Domonic Brown is that special someone atop my watch list. I often find myself saying, “Sit on my face” in robotic voices when day dreaming about the Phillies Outfielder. Domonic, which I prefer to pronounce as Demonic, may very well be the main character in a J.P. Alex created video game and anyone who doesn’t want a piece of him in 2011 should be labeled as a Grandma’s Boy. The power/speed threat was the Phillies No.1 ranked prospect coming into this season and he should slide into an everyday role when Jayson Werth and his beard hit the free agent market this coming off season. Domonic has all the tools to become a superb fantasy option and the Philadelphia lineup/ballpark is a great environment to find big time production. Brown has power, speed and a good eye at the plate. He also has a track record of producing an above average BABIP, so if his strikeout rate is hovering near 30%, he should still be able to produce a respectable Batting Average. Splitting 93 minor league games between AA and AAA this season, Brown hit 20 HR and stole 17 bases before being promoted to the big leagues. He hit .318 in AA (65 games) and .346 in AAA (28 games). Brown has struggled a bit since his promotion, but he is far too talented to worry about the small sample size. He is getting his feet wet (he only played 28 games in AAA) and the poor numbers (.229 AVG, 2 HR, SB) only helps us get him at a cheaper price in 2011. Listen to my main man Dante, if you don’t draft the Brown Bomber, you may end up shitting your pants.  By Andrew Holm aka Million Dollar Sleeper. Read more of his rants at www.milliondollarsleeper.com and follow him on Twitter@Andrewakamds  Chris Carter | 1B/OF | Oakland Athletics 0-for-19. When Oakland A's prospect Chris Carter tells his grandchildren the story of his major league career, he'll probably look back and chuckle. But living through the worst possible way it could start isn't so easy. After being among the minor league leaders in home runs, Carter was promoted from Class AAA Sacramento to make his big-league debut at age 23 … and in his first six games with the A's, he never collected a single hit. Then Conor Jackson and Travis Buck returned and Carter went back to the minors without so much as a souvenir from his time in The Show. But that horrible start doesn't make Carter any less interesting for 2011. He'll most certainly get another chance with the A's when rosters are expanded on Wednesday. And there's a lot to like about the 6-5, 230-pound slugger. First of all there's the raw power, which is something Oakland needs badly. (The A's are dead last in the majors in home runs.) Carter had 27 homers and 89 RBI when he was called up Aug. 9 -- and since he was sent back to Triple-A he's added four more dingers. His manager at Sacramento, Tony DeFrancesco, told ESPN.com earlier this year that Carter has "the most power I have seen from a young player coming up." That's high praise from someone who's spent 16 years as a minor league skipper. Sure, Carter amassed those gaudy numbers in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but when you put up an ISO of .271 in any league, people will take notice. In six minor league seasons, Carter's already hit 149 homers. In fact, he has been such an intriguing prospect since he was taken out of high school in the 15th round of the 2005 draft that he's been involved in not one, but two high-profile trades. The White Sox dealt him to Arizona in 2007 for Carlos Quentin. Less than two weeks later, he was a key component in the blockbuster deal the Diamondbacks made with Oakland for Dan Haren. What makes Carter even more intriguing for 2011 is that he's become a more versatile player in the field. A first baseman throughout his pro career, Carter was moved to the outfield this season to help facilitate his path to the majors. That transition is still a work in progress, but with 25-year-old Daric Barton establishing himself as the A's everyday first baseman, Carter stands a better chance finding a starting spot in the outfield. Like most young power hitters, Carter does tend to rack up the strikeouts -- 138 of them in 465 minor-league at-bats this season -- so that will be his biggest challenge facing major league pitchers. (He did whiff nine times in those 19 at-bats with the A's.) To make an impression in 2011, Carter will need to improve his plate discipline. That will be one thing worth watching with the A's in September and in the Arizona Fall League. If he can improve in that area, his 0-for-19 start in the majors will be a distant memory.  Steve Gardner has been with USA TODAY in one form or another since 1993. He started at USATODAY.com in 1996, taking over as the website's baseball editor in 1999. See Steve's Fantasy Windup Here! Follow him on Twitter @SGardnerUSAT  Matt Wieters | C | Baltimore Orioles In 2009, keeper league owners drafted Matt Wieters hoping he would be the next Joe Mauer, or at the very least, a consistent top three fantasy catcher. Thanks to a .356 BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play), Wieters posted a .288 average in his first 96 games of big league action with nine home runs. To be sure, Wieters’ 2009 campaign did not impress quite like Buster Posey has in 2010, but it was a respectable debut that seemed likely to be improved upon. Unfortunately, Wieters has taken a step back in his sophomore season. His 2010 BABIP is a more reasonable .280, and as a result, his batting average has tumbled all the way down to .244. On the bright side, his home run, runs scored and RBI totals are almost identical to what they were last season, and he is striking out less while walking more. So, is Wieters an elite fantasy catcher just taking a little longer than expected to adjust to the big leagues, or was he an overrated prospect that is destined to be an average major league player? Only time will tell. Written by Brett Talley exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. Be sure to follow Brett on Twitter @TheRealTal  Gordon Beckham | 2B/3B | Chicago White Sox Beckham burned many a fantasy "expert" this season, including me. His woeful .216 batting average and horrific .581 OPS before the All-star break saw him dropped in all but the deepest of fantasy leagues. The fantasy world expected better of him after his solid major league debut in 2009, during which he put up a respectable .808 OPS with 14 homers and 7 steals in just 103 games. Fantasy owners couldn't help but salivate over a potential .300 hitting, 20/20 middle infielder (with position flexibility at both 2B and 3B). Hindsight is always 20/20, but we shouldn't have been surprised to see Beckham experience growing pains in 2010. He did play college ball at Georgia, but had only played 59 games in the minor leagues before his major league debut in 2009. Entering 2010, Beckham had played just 162 professional games in total. Every young player not named Albert Pujols, Ryan Braun or Evan Longoria faces adversity in the big leagues at some point, and has to make adjustments as the league adjusts to them. It may have been a lost season, but all hope is not lost. In July, Beckham hit .354 with 3 home runs and a .949 OPS, and had continued success in August. Beckham has yet to turn 24, and has the pedigree (8th overall draft pick in 2008, set the Georgia school record with 59 career homers). He's still a great keeper option, and next year I expect him to put up at least a .280/20/10 season. Maybe that's all he will ever be (and that ain't bad), but he may yet develop into a .300-hitting, 30 HR, middle of the order bat.  Written by Alex Shear. Follow Alex on Twitter @RotoSleeperz.  Mike Moustakas | 3B | Kansas City Royals Looking for an odds on favorite for the American League Rookie of the Year in 2011? Look no further than Kansas City's Mike Moustakas. Finally living up to the potential the Royals saw from him when they took him out of Chatsworth High School with the second overall pick in the 2007 draft, Moustakas has had an all world 2010 season. Combined between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha, the Moose is hitting an eye popping .323 with 38 Doubles, 30 Home Runs, and 107 RBI. Most impressive is that he's struck out just 63 times in in 443 at bats this season. Having seen Moustakas in person at both Double-A and Triple-A this season, I would label him as one of the top 5 most advanced young hitters in either the Texas or Pacific Coast League this year. While there may be a bit of an adjustment at the big league level, as there is for most young hitters, it would not surprise me at all to see a .280, 25HR, 80RBI season from Moustakas who should break camp as the Royals opening day third baseman in 2011.  Written by Ben Nicholson of TopProspectAlet.com. TopProsepctAlert.com is the premiere source for updates on Minor League Baseball. Follow Ben on Twitter @MinorLeagueBlog  Pedro Alvarez | 3B | Pittsburgh Pirates The Pirates' Pedro Alvarez has the makings of a star. Sweet-swinging third baseman, college stud, 2nd overall pick in last year's draft, and tons of power. He has shown the ability to hit at every level of the minors, where he hit a combined .284 with 40 home runs and an OPS of .908 in A, AA, and AAA over 192 games (40 homers in a season and a third is pretty darn good), plus 10 more in just over 2 months in the majors. Pedro does, however, have three knocks against him - 1) he strikes out A LOT (197 K's in those 192 games, plus 87 more in his first 65 major league games); 2) he makes way too many errors (36 in the minors, 10 in two months the majors); 3) he's a Pirate, and the Pirates haven't had a top prospect pan out since Aramis Ramirez...and that was many years and a couple shoulder surgeries ago. If you're not in a keeper league, Alvarez isn't worth owning right now but is definitely someone to have on your radar for next year. He could become Ryan Zimmerman...or Alex Gordon. If you're in a keeper league, he should be (and probably already is) owned, but if not - GO GET HIM NOW. He's your classic stud prospect, and needs to at least in the keeper discussion next year. Jesse Mendelson, Partner and Senior Writer for www,fantasybaseball101.com,has been playing fantasy baseball almost as long as Ron Shandler with a long history of both tremendous successes and spectacular flameouts. You can contact him at fantasy_baseball101@yahoo.com, and be sure to follow Jesse's writing on www.fantasybaseball101.com and on Twitter @fb101. Stay tuned for Part II of the roundtable scheduled to be published Wednesday, where pitchers are discussed... Leave a comment and let us know what you think, or reply to us on twitter @TheFantasyFix Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Blog, Fantasy Sports Advice, Fantasy Baseball, MLB, Alexi Casilla, Minnesota Twins, Orlando Hudson, NBADraft.net, Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants, Ray Flowers, Fanball.com, Sirius XM, Domonic Brown, Philadelphia Phillies, Jayson Werth, Andrew Holm, Million Dollar Sleeper, Chris Carter, Oakland Athletics, Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles, Gordon Beckham, Chicago White Sox 2010 has blessed Major League Baseball with a memorable rookie class. Fantasy owners in Dynasty and Keeper leagues were quite familiar with this cast of characters long before they arrived in the show. In commemoration of their foresight, let's take a gander at the top ten pitching keepers for 2011.  1. Mat Latos*, SP San Diego Padres Latos turned ace potential into ace performance in one off-season. His arm strength was never in doubt, but his secondary pitches and command are much crisper in 2010. His 0.98 WHIP and .192 batting average against are sick. He's not simply a product of PETCO Park either, as proven by his 9-3 record and 2.41 ERA away from home. His innings are being monitored, but Latos is showing no signs of slowing down in the home stretch: Through 58 innings in June and July he's allowed 39 hits, struck out 66 and pitching, to the tune of a 1.40 ERA. He had minor elbow discomfort earlier in the season, but it’s not a major concern at this point. *missed MLB rookie threshold by 2/3 of an inning, so he can’t win ROY, but he tops our list regardless 2. Neftali Feliz, CL Texas Rangers Once upon a time Feliz was envisioned as a front of the rotation starter, but he's found his true calling finishing games. He's converted 32 of 35 save opportunities, storming through June and July without blowing a game. His control, once gazed upon as an area of weakness, is now a virtue. He's walked 16 batters in 56 innings. His easy heat is a sight to behold, looking like he's playing soft toss, but hitting 101 on the radar gun. Most importantly, Feliz appears unphased by the pressures of a pennant race and is blessed with a rare 'extra gear'. Top three closer (minimum). 3. Jhoulys Chacin, SP Colorado Rockies The 22-year old Chacin has filthy stuff and is capable of utter dominance. He's allowed 82 hits and struck out 109 in just 102 innings. He's a nightmare on right-handed hitters (.178) with his boring sinker, late breaking slider and change. He's carried over his ground ball mastery from the minor leagues, posting a 1.31 GO/AO ratio in the Bigs. He has all the tools in his toolbox, but needs to hone his command and find a consistent arm slot. 4. Jaime Garcia, SP St. Louis Cardinals Garcia is a Tommy John Surgery success story, undergoing the procedure following the 2008 season. He came from out of nowhere to win a rotation spot in spring training and has put together a remarkable campaign. He's posted a 2.33 ERA and has been an absolute ground ball machine (1.93 GO/AO). He's allowed seven HR all season and only one to a left-handed batter. His critics popped up after a rough June, but he's responded with a 2.68 ERA since the All Star Break. His major flaw has been length, averaging under six innings per start. 5. Brian Matusz, SP Baltimore Orioles Matusz is far from overpowering, but his pitches are refined and his mound intelligence is outstanding. He's still learning on the job at 23, so it's hard to put much credence in his 6-12 mark. Matusz has been devastating against left-handed hitters, striking out 40 in 31 innings of work. He has a tendency to leave pitches up in the zone and simply doesn't possess the stuff to overcome lack of pitch precision. His 0.79 GO/AO ratio must improve. 6. Daniel Hudson, SP Arizona Diamondbacks Hudson has been on a tear since being traded to the National League. He's pitched at least seven innings and allowed no more than three ER in all six starts. He appears to be on the verge of harnessing the command issues that have prevented his breakthrough (eight BB in 43 2/3 innings). Hudson has natural movement and late life on his pitches that make him a real difficult at bat. It looks like the White Sox gave up on his front line potential too early. 7. Wade Davis, SP Tampa Bay Rays Davis is the quintessential bulldog on the mound, with a power arm to back it up. He uses his fastball relentlessly and challenges opposing hitters. The problem is his secondary offerings have been erratic at best. He's struck out only 82 batters in 126 2/3 innings, a figure hard to fathom with his repertoire. He gets ahead, but can't put the finishing touches on hitters. In spite of a low strikeout total and inducing predominantly fly ball outs, Davis has managed to accumulate ten victories (5-0 last seven). He had a 15-day DL stint with shoulder soreness. 8. Jeremy Hellickson, SP Tampa Bay Rays Indeed, back to back Rays. After toying with AAA (finalist for MiLB POY), Hellickson burst onto the major league scene going 3-0 in his first four starts, going at least six innings in each. At 6'1 185 he's not a big man, but features a sneaky fastball and power breaking stuff. He uses a deliberate windup, but jumps towards the batter at release making him tough to center up. His 25:4 K:BB ratio is sparkling. Hellickson is not a lock for the Rays 2011 rotation, likely facing a spring training battle with Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann for the 5th spot. Widely considered the top high-level pitching prospect, he's a prized keeper. 9. Madison Bumgarner, SP San Francisco Giants Much like he did in AAA, Bumgarner continues to get it done with mirrors. Despite allowing 83 hits and ten HR in 73 innings pitched, he's won five games with an ERA below four. How? He doesn't issue many free passes (19) and gets the ground ball when he needs it. He won't 'wow' you, but he's a winner. Bumgarner just turned 21 years of age and will be a fixture in the Giants rotation. Ace projections might have been a tad strong, but he can be a solid two-three. 10. Drew Storen, RP/CL Washington Nationals Nationals manager Jim Riggleman calls Storen the "closer of the future". Whether it's closing or setting up, he's been impressive. In 43 innings of work he's surrendered 34 hits (1.19 WHIP) and just a single HR. He's closed three of four save opportunities and has ten holds. There's no question he's equipped to handle late game pressure, but needs the experience. Young closers are tough to come across, making Storen a cherished keeper asset. He's far and away the Nationals top option in 2011. * Stephen Strasburg, SP Washington Nationals The exploits of Mr. Strasburg have been well documented, from his lights out curveball to his 92:17 K:BB ratio. Unfortunately, after being labeled the savior of the Nationals organization, Tommy John will sideline him for at least a year. Full recovery from the procedure has become the expected outcome, so use your DL spot wisely and stash the Stras (I'm sure you needed me to tell you that). Honorable Mention: Mike Minor, ATL/ Andrew Cashner, CHC/ Jonny Venters, ATL Written by Adam Ganeles exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. Check back weekly for Adam's insight into Major & Minor League Baseball. Anyone else you think should have made the top ten list? 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, Mat Latos, Neftali Feliz, Jhoulys Chacin, Jaime Garcia, Brian Matusz, Daniel Hudson, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson, Madison Bumgarner, Drew Storen, Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres Welcome back for this week’s edition of the NL Wire. Last week’s edition was focused mainly on a group of older, somewhat grizzled group of veterans. So for this week, I decided to return to the fountain of youth, so to speak. This week’s selections are focused on a trio of youngsters, two of whom are returning for another go-around with their big league club, while the other is in the process of transforming himself from a top prospect to a solid rotation contributor. Check ‘em out…  Homer Bailey, SP – CIN –Owned in 27 percent of CBS leagues Homer (the pitcher, not the poet) has been on quite an odyssey thus far in his professional career. He’s been given the opportunity to stick in the Cincy rotation for four seasons, starting in 2007. At one point, he was a highly touted prospect who began his tenure in the Reds’ system at 18, after being drafted seventh overall in 2004. Prior to the 2007 season, Bailey was named the top prospect in the Reds’ farm system by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. Since then, very little has gone Homer’s way in the majors. His first shot came in June of ’07 after 12 starts for AAA-Louisville where he went 6-3 with a 3.08 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. However, in only nine starts split between June/July and a September recall, he was 4-2 with a 5.78 ERA and 1.57 WHIP. Bailey surrendered 43 hits in 45 innings and had an underwhelming K:BB ratio of 28:28. His fortunes did not turn around until the tail end of the ’09. He finished the season with a 4.53 ERA in 113 innings with 86 K’s while posting a record of 8-5. Subsequently, he made the Reds’ rotation out of spring training, but his good fortunes came to an end. Bailey was forced to the DL in May and the Reds considered moving him to the bullpen during his rehab. However, a few weeks ago he was summoned back to the big league club and given another shot at the rotation. In his two starts since returning, Bailey is 2-0 and has allowed one ER in 13 innings with ten K’s and only two BB’s. He managed to lower his ERA by one full point in only two starts. We can only hope that Homer has finally found his way at the ripe old age of 24 and that he continues his hot streak. Bailey has always had the tools to succeed, but never seemed to stay on-track long enough. As a fresh arm for the playoff-contending Reds’, Bailey’s value is on the rise for this season (already up 12% this week), and surely for next season in keeper leagues.  Eric Young, 2B – COL – Owned in 10 percent of CBS leagues EY2 was summoned from AAA-Colorado Springs on August 14 and has started every game since. He had a previous stint for the Rockies in ’09 which lasted 30 games, but he was in the starting lineup only 11 times. The speedster led all minor leaguers back in ’06 with 87 stolen bases, but at 25 is hardly a top prospect. Throughout his minor league career, Young’s batting average has hovered between .290 - .300 and his OBP between .359 - .407. In addition, he’s been a legit stolen base threat compiling 303 SB’s in 5+ seasons. He’s been a consistent run-producer scoring over 100 runs twice and driving in as many as 63 runs. Needless to say, he’s a well-seasoned minor leaguer ready for an opportunity. The Rockies would like to get a long look at Young through the rest of the season and give him that long-awaited opportunity. They are hoping he can be the spark-plug and offensive catalyst teams look for in the leadoff spot. In ten games since his recall, Young has 12 hits, five stolen bases and a .293 average. His on-base percentage is a respectable .341 and he has been crushing right-handed pitching with a .417 overall batting average in 19 total games this season. Young is garnering attention in mixed leagues as well as NL-only leagues. His ownership will jump to 18% next week, but is still low enough that he’s flying under the radar in most leagues. Whether you play in a rotisserie league or a H2H points league, Young can be a valuable contributor down the stretch. He will be firmly entrenched in the leadoff spot and will be playing his home games at Coors field where he’s hitting .333 on the season.  Bud Norris, SP – HOU – Owned in 22 percent of CBS leagues David Norris, more commonly known as “Bud” in baseball circles, was previously considered the top pitching prospect for the Astros. He was drafted in the 6th round in 2006 and got his first taste of the majors in 2009. That audition lasted only ten starts before he was shut down to prevent injury after logging 175 combined innings. Bud did manage to garner national attention when he was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year after leading the league with a 2.63 ERA. In 19 starts he posted only four wins but he had a 112:53 K:BB ratio in 120 innings to add to his league-leading ERA. His performance clearly earned him a shot at the Astros’ rotation to start the ’10 season. Norris has had a rocky season thus far for the lowly Astros. In 18 starts he has only five wins and a 5.42 ERA to go along with his mediocre 1.50 WHIP. On the bright side, he has 108 K’s in 99.7 innings. Norris seems to struggle the second and third time against the opposing lineup posting a 5.86 ERA versus 3.69 the first time through. Norris appears to be turning the corner as of late going at least six innings in seven straight starts. In his last three starts, he hasn’t allowed more than two runs and has thrown in a 14 K effort against the Pirates. Since the All-Star break, he is 4-1 with a 4.14 ERA and 43 K’s in 43 innings with an opponents’ batting average of .232. It’s time to strike while the iron is hot and pick up Norris. He’s putting together a nice run of starts and has logged slightly less than 100 innings. He’s in no danger to be pulled from the rotation as the Astros have very little left to play for this season. Norris should be a mainstay in the Astros rotation for years to come. Honorable Mention: Joe Blanton, SP – PHI – Owned in 40 percent of CBS leagues Blanton is 4-1 since the break with a 3.63 ERA. He has 44 K’s in 52 innings and is a solid starter for a playoff-contending team with a potent offense. Randy Wolf, SP – SF – Owned in 50 percent of CBS leagues Wolf is 3-0 with a 2.67 ERA in the month of August and a 20:6 K:BB ratio over that span. He seems to be finally finding his groove in Milwaukee. Blake DeWitt, 2B – CHC – Owned in 13 percent of CBS leagues DeWitt has been hitting leadoff for the Cubs recently and is batting .338 with three HR’s in 22 games since his trade from LA. He’s batting .304 since the break – solid production from the 2B position. Written by Rosti Satanovsky exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter@TheSportsFariah Who are your NL waiver wire gems of the week? Leave a comment and let us know, or reply to us on Twitter@TheFantasyFix Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, The NL Wire, Waiver Wire, Homer Bailey, Eric Young, Bud Norris, Joe Blanton, Randy Wolf, Blake DeWitt, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs 2010 has blessed Major League Baseball with a memorable rookie class. Fantasy owners in Dynasty and Keeper leagues were quite familiar with this cast of characters long before they arrived in the show. In commemoration of their foresight, let's take a gander at the top ten positional keepers for 2011.  1. Buster Posey, Catcher, San Francisco Giants Posey is a line drive hitting machine (22.3%) batting .342 in his real taste of big league action. The overwhelming majority ofhis extra base hits are directed towards right field and right-center. As he learns to pull the ball, his power numbers will escalate (nine HR). His natural opposite field approach is tailor made for RISP situations, as evidenced by his .366 batting average in those spots. His pitch selection and discipline (18 BB) will only improve with experience. The feeble catching position only buttresses his case as the top keeper.  2. Jason Heyward, Outfield, Atlanta Braves Not many can hit the ball harder than Heyward. His talent level is extraordinary, but his performance has taken a notable dip in the past three months. Over his last 58 games he's hit just four HR and driven in 19 runs. It should be noted that a trip to the DL with a groin injury in late June halted his progress. Pitchers better take advantage of him while he's down because it won't be for long. Heyward hit ten HR with 38 RBI in his first two months in the majors, look for him to maintain that form in 2011.  3. Starlin Castro, Shortstop, Chicago Cubs Castro served blatant notice driving in six in his major league debut, but not many expected a .316 batting average through 95 games. At 20 years of age, his quick on the job study has been remarkable. On June 24th his BA was down to .255, but it's safe to say he's made the necessary adjustments. The HR pop is not there yet, but he's only just beginning to grow into his 6'0 frame. Castro has the potential to be number one on this list.  4. Domonic Brown, Outfield, Philadelphia Phillies Brown's 1:15 BB:K ratio is ugly, but not quite as bad as it looks. He's seeing 4.33 pitches per plate appearance meaning he's not opposed to working counts. As he settles in, he'll finish those AB's with walks rather than chasing and getting himself out. He's knocked in 11 of his 12 runs in ten starts. The big picture is a clear one: he WILL be a fixture in the Phillies outfield in 2011 and years to come. The 22-year old has all the tools, he just needs time to show them off.  5. Carlos Santana, Catcher, Cleveland Indians Santana posted a sick 37:29 BB:K ratio in 150 big league at bats prior to injury, an unheard of figure for a first year player. When he got his pitch, he did damage with 13 doubles, six homers and 22 RBI. His .152 BA with RISP and .146 as a right-handed hitter are worrisome. Santana should be good to go for spring training barring a setback to his surgically repaired knee. He'll turn 25 just after opening day '11.  6. Mike Stanton, Outfield, Florida Marlins Stanton possesses inhuman power. After smashing 21 HR in 53 AA games, he's hit 14 in 63 games for the Fish. Fantasy players will trade power for strikeouts, but his 80 K's are exorbitant. He'll never hit for a reasonable average unless he changes his two-strike approach, and shortens up. Stanton is an excellent athlete and it's not out of the question that he could steal 15-20 bases.  7. Tyler Colvin, Outfield, Chicago Cubs A .468 18 RBI spring landed Colvin a spot on the Cubs opening day roster. Despite rookie peaks and valleys, he hasn't disappointed. He's flashed his easy lefty power stroke, mashing 18 homers with a .502 SLG %. He needs to be more selective at the dish (.302 OBP) and prove he can be a reliable middle of the lineup run producer (.200 RISP).  8. Austin Jackson, Outfield, Detroit Tigers Jackson is still a raw product offensively, which makes his .307 BA even more intriguing. If he can close some holes in his swing (9% swinging strike), and shave a few dozen strikeouts off his 130 total, he'll be a force. He has a solid idea the plate, putting all sections of the diamond to work for him. With 28 doubles and seven triples, double digits HR's should be in his future. 30 stolen bases is a reasonable expectation as well.  9. Pedro Alvarez, Third Base, Pittsburgh Pirates After a miserable June, Alvarez has put the pieces together since, hitting .265 with ten HR and 30 RBI in 44 games. He strikes out far too frequently (78) but lack of patience is not a concern. He uses left field adroitly, but is too occupied with pulling for power. Alvarez is likely to become a true fantasy bopper at the hot corner, but can he keep his BA above respectability?  10. Ike Davis, First Base, New York Mets The ball explodes off Davis' bat, but he has rarely found the sweet spot as of late. He was far more under control upon first arrival to the bigs, using the whole field. He has only two extra base hits (both doubles) and four RBI in August. Much like Alvarez, Davis has sensational power, but needs to the find the balance between swinging from his heels and poking the ball the opposite way. Honorable Mention: Chris Carter (OAK), Chris Johnson, Jon Jay, Brennan Boesch, Gaby Sanchez Written by Adam Ganeles exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. Check back weekly for Adam's insight into Major & Minor League Baseball. Anyone else you think should have made the top ten list? 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, Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants, Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves, Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs, Domonic Brown, Philadelphia Phillies, Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians, Mike Stanton, Florida Marlins, Tyler Colvin, Chicago Cubs, Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers, Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates, Ike Davis, New York Mets, Chris Carter, Oakland Athletics, Chris Johnson, Houston Astros, Jon Jay, St. Louis Cardinals, Brennan Boesch, Gaby Sanchez  SLUGGERS Coco Crisp, OAK, 52 percent owned 8 R / 1 HR / 4 RBI / 5 SB / .323 AVG The Fantasy Gods commend any courageous Coco Crisp owner. His speed paid off with eight runs and five stolen bases last week, possibly single-handedly winning you stolen bases. It would be hard to keep this pace up, but looks nice as of now. Lyle Overbay, TOR, 27 percent owned 7 R / 3 HR / 11 RBI / .273 AVG Streaky hitter who had no more than 1 hit in 17 straight games, but blasted three home runs in two games this past week. His power is recharged and could help out the next few weeks. Bats in the middle of a potent Toronto offense too. Yuniesky Betancourt, KC, 32 percent owned 3 R / 3 HR / 10 RBI / .296 AVG Gearing for one of his best seasons yet, this guy is hitting .358 in August with six home runs and 15 runs batted in. Among the top five home run hitting short stops, ownership percentage should rise by next week. Don Kelly, DET, 0 percent owned 4 R / 2 HR / 6 RBI / .381 AVG Seems to have taken over as the main utility man in Detroit. As manager Jim Leyland mix-and-matches his starting roster, Kelly has found time to play almost every game at different positions. He’s a versatile utility man who has sprung to life and emerged as a hitting threat to opposing pitchers. HURLERS Homer Bailey, CIN, 34 percent owned 13 IP, 2 W, 10 K, 0.69 ERA, 0.69 WHIP What a return for Bailey. Allowing one run in 13 innings helped his team win two games. He missed most of the season but is back and already making an impact on the Reds. He is one of Cincinnati’s top starting pitchers and deserves to have the ball each week. Jonathon Niese, NYM, 68 percent owned 12 IP, 1 W, 10 K, 1.50 ERA, 1.08 WHIP Niese got the win in a rain-shortened match against Pittsburgh last week. Besides his good fortune from Mother Nature, his last four starts before this one were all one-earned run/seven innings pitched gems. Alex Sanabia, FLA, 2 percent owned 7.2 IP, 1 W, 5 K, 1.17 ERA, 0.52 WHIP This Triple-A stud was recalled again from the Marlins, and continued to dominate. In four of his five Marlins starts, he has allowed one or no runs. Last week he got to the eighth inning allowing one run, striking out five, and walking no one. Armando Galarraga, DET, 13 percent owned 12 IP, 1 W, 13 K, 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP In round two of Galarraga vs. Cleveland, the Detroit pitcher took a perfect game into the 5th, and ended the day scoreless through seven innings of three hit ball. In his first start last week, Galarraga had five strikeouts in five innings, and ended the week with a 9.75 K/9 ratio. Written by Tyler Becker exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Look for Tyler’s weekly insight into MLB, NFL, & NHL. You can follow Tyler on Twitter @FantasyProdigy Who do you think is a Must from this list? Leave a comment and let us know, or reply to us on twitter @TheFantasyFix Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Blog, Fantasy Baseball, MLB, Coco Crisp, Lyle Overbay, Yuniesky Betancourt, Don Kelly, Homer Bailey, Jonathon Niese, Alex Sanabia, Armando Galarraga, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Florida Marlins 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 |  CategoriesAll
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