 Clint Barmes A quick look at last week's Fantasy Baseball top performing and least owned players on the waiver wire. Jim Thome's four homers. Clint Barmes' hit streak continues. Max Scherzer dominates yet again. Dexter Fowler is back and on a mission. Can they really keep it up for another week? Check out who's a Must or a Bust.
SWINGERS
Jim Thome - 4% of Y! Leagues
7 R / 4 HR / 8 RBI / .538 BA
He's turning 40 this year and there really isn't much left in this once mighty bat, but this week was special for Thome. With two homers on Saturday, he passed Twins HOF Harmon Killebrew, on the all-time home run list. The next day he passed Andre Dawson for 34th place in RBIs. Although getting more playing time this past week, he is a hard pickup, since he is only a DH.
Clint Barmes - 38% of Y! Leagues
8 R / 2 HR / 7 RBI / .400 BA
Barmes has been great as of late – currently on a 12 game hitting streak. In that stretch eight have been multi-hit games. In the past month he's raised his average from .215 to .257! If you are going to jump on the Barmes train, now is the time.
Andres Torres - 10% of Y! Leagues
6 R / 1 HR / 2 RBI / 3 SB / .381 BA
Torres continues to add speed to the Giants lineup. He already has 16 stolen bases and 39 runs. Far from a power bat, Torres can certainly give you a boost in SB each week.
Dexter Fowler - 7% of Y! Leagues
8 R / 3 RBI / 2 SB / .417 BA
After getting a demotion at the beginning of the month, Fowler is back and a man on a mission. In the past four games against the Giants, he racked up 10 hits, 7 runs, 3 RBIs & 2 SB. Four games hasn't proved to me that he fixed himself, but its a step in the right direction.
Sean Rodriguez - 24% of Y! Leagues
5 R / 1 HR / 3 RBI / 2 SB / .429 BA
The proud owner of a 15 game hitting streak through June, Rodriguez is now on another run at six. Of those six games, five have been multi-hits. He started off very slow, so even after both hit streaks, his season average is still low at .276. 2B and OF eligible certainly helps make a case of Sean being owned especially with Pedroia & Utley on the DL.
Corey Patterson - 4% of Y! Leagues
3 R / 1 HR / 3 RBI / 3 SB / .417 BA
He hasn't played a full season since 2004, but a .292 average and 15 stolen bases could make Patterson a halfway decent pickup in deeper leagues.
HURLERS
Russ Ohlendorf - 2% of Y! Leagues
7 IP / 1 W / 8 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.86 WHIP
Okay so a 1-6 record isn't anything to write home to mom about, but the past two have been gems and Ohlendorf may have turned a leaf. Past 13 IP, zero runs and 11 Ks.
Randy Wells - 47% of Y! Leagues
13.2 IP / 1 W / 11 K / 1.32 ERA / 0.95 WHIP
Wells was a real nice surprise last year. In '10 things have been up and down. Although he's pitched nine quality starts so far, he's also imploded six times for five or more runs. Wells is certainly in the running for the bi-polar award.
Brad Lincoln - 7% of Y! Leagues
7 IP / 1 W / 6 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.71 WHIP
The Pirates top pitching prospect finally put everything together in his fifth big league game. Confidence is a rookie's best weapon so let's see if this last game against the Cubs gets him going in the right direction.
Max Scherzer - 43% of Y! Leagues
8 IP / 1 W / 7 K / 1.12 ERA / 0.63 WHIP
Scherzer continues to dominate since being called back up. In the past seven games, Max is averaging eight Ks, has a 2.64 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Under 50% owned, come on!
Hong-Chih Kuo - 12% of Y! Leagues
3 IP / 1 W / 1 SV / 7 K / 0.00 ERA / 1.00 WHIP
Kuo is turning out to be one of the best middle relief pitchers in '10. In 26.1 innings, he's only given up three runs for a low 1.03 ERA. He's blowing batters away with 36 Ks already and his WHIP is well below one at .072. Kuo has been rewarded with a three wins and a few saves as well.
Bruce Chen - 1% of Y! Leagues
7.1 IP / 1 W / 3 K / 1.23 ERA / 0.41 WHIP
In his 12th season and 10th team, Chen is trying to mimic his 2005 stellar performance. Since 2005 though, he certainly lost his mojo and has been coming out of the bullpen the majority of the time. This week's game against the Angels, started off with six scoreless and retiring the first 18 batters (2nd best in Royals history to start a game, only behind Bret Saberhagen's 20). Certainly a great game, but don't expect too much more this year.
Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Week 14, Must or Bust, The Fantasy Marx, Jim Thome, Minnesota Twins, Clint Barmes, Colorado Rockies, Andres Torres, San Francisco Giants, Dexter Fowler, Sean Rodriguez, Tampa Bay Rays, Corey Patterson, Baltimore Orioles, Russ Ohlendorf, Pittsburgh Pirates, Brad Lincoln, Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers, Hong-Chi Kuo, Los Angeles Dodgers, Bruce Chen, Kansas City Royals
 Madison Bumgarner Madison Bumgarner, the touted rookie, lost his second game since being called up and you have to ask yourself – will he come around this year in the majors and how long should I give him a roster spot if he doesn't?
After loses to the Red Sox and the Rockies, the initial numbers are somewhat skewed by a 5.14 ERA. Looking past that though he has a 5 to 1 K:BB ratio and lasted seven innings both games. In fact, against Boston, Madison settled in quite comfortably after the 2nd inning, only giving up one hit through the next five innings. Colorado was a bit different though, tagging him in the 1st, 4th and 5th innings.
So after the first two games what I think we are seeing is a rookie who is a little nervous to finally be on the big stage. Remember, there is only one Stephen Strasburg this year (there may only be one Strasburg this decade), so lets try not to directly compare the two. There is one huge advantage that Bumgarner has been given though - he is pitching besides arguably the best starting staff in the league. As a rookie you can't ask for more… getting tips from Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez & Barry Zito will quickly improve your game. Strasburg has, well… nobody worth mentioning.
Final analysis and recommendation is to hold onto this stud in the making for at least another 4 starts. If he starts to damage your team (which I doubt he will) drop him. Even in keeper leagues, he may not be worth as a keeper, since it is rare that SP are kept. His next two starts are against Milwaukee and then Washington. Milwaukee has started to heat up, so it will be a big task for Madison to get the W. Also doesn't look like we will be getting the Bumgarner/Strasburg matchup this time around… Bummer!Bumgarner Owners: How long will you give him to get a win?
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Tags: Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants, Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, The Fantasy Fix, Featured Blog, Minor League Baseball, Fantasy Marx, MLB, NL, AL, Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Matt Cain, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies
 John Buck Victor Martinez is officially on the 15-day DL with a fractured thumb. So far this has been the year of the thumb injury, from Aramis Ramirez to Jason Heyward now to Victor Martinez. Martinez's is a bit different though with an actual fracture unlike A-Ram and Heyward's bruises. V-Mart will be the hardest to fill in a weak catcher position.Here is a list of catchers owned in less than 50% of Y! Leagues, who are hopefully available for you on the waiver wire. They aren't great, but beggars can't be choosers...John Buck 48% owned in Y! Leagues25 R / 13 HR / 40 RBI / .265Don't overlook Buck. If you are a win-now kinda of fantasy player, then having Buck on your team may very well benefit you over a big name guy like Weiters. Buck's problem has always been hitting for a decent average and so far he's about 30 points above his career numbers. With three multi-homer games already, he could easily hit 25 by seasons end (he's already halfway there with 13 and leads the league for catchers).Buster Posey 48% owned in Y! Leagues10 R / 1 HR / 10 RBI / .293The rookie sensation has cooled off since his stellar start, watching his average drop 60 points in the past 10 games. Even with the drop-off Posey will find his groove again and when not starting as catcher will play 1B. Good keeper option.Rod Barajas 44% owned in Y! Leagues26 R / 11 HR / 31 RBI / .249Again another catcher with a low average but on his way to 20+ homers. Playing for the red-hot Mets has certainly benefited Barajas. It's been a slow month though only hitting .196 with 3 RBIs. A.J. Pierzynski 20% owned in Y! Leagues18 R / 4 HR / 20 RBI / .243A.J. has turned it up the last month hitting .304 with 2 HR, 7 RBIs and 7 runs. For a position notoriously know for low BA, Pierzynski has somehow managed to keep a career average above .280.Ronny Paulino 16% owned in Y! Leagues25 R / 3 HR / 28 RBI / .305There aren't many everyday catchers out there but Paulino is on his way. He's played 20 straight games only one behind Kendall and Martin this year for most in row. Not getting a ton of runs or RBIs but the average is above .300, so at least he won't be hurting your team.John Jaso 6% owned in Y! Leagues20 R / 3 HR / 25 RBI / .271Nothing spectacular here but at least he's playing for the run-scoring Rays, so he may have more opportunities for RBIs than other players.Matt Treanor 1% owned in Y! Leagues17 R / 5 HR / 23 RBI / .234Getting the majority of playing time in Texas, but low numbers all-around. Hope that he isn't your only option.Gerald Laird 1% owned in Y! Leagues13 R / 2 HR / 13 RBI / .192Worse numbers than Treanor, but at least he's been hot as of late, batting .345 in the past eight games, with a homer and 7 RBIs.Smaller League PossibilitiesCarlos Santana 54% owned in Y! Leagues8 R / 4 HR / 14 RBI / .333It's doubtful that Santana is out there, but if he is, please please pick him up. Carlos is a stud in the making and a great keeper candidate. Since the callup he has better numbers than some of these guys have produced all year so far. Geovany Soto 57% owned in Y! Leagues25 R / 8 HR / 19 RBI / .270Soto started off extremely strong but ran out of gas around the middle of May. He has though picked it back up since May 30th, hitting four HR and four multi-hit games. The potential is definitely there from his 2008 numbers (66/23/86/.285)Martinez Owners: Who is available on your wire? How do you plan on replacing VMart?
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Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Victor Martinez, Boston Red Sox, John Buck, Buster Posey, Rod Barajas, A.J. Pierzynski, Ronny Paulino, John Jaso, Gerald Laird, Carlos Santana, Geovany Soto, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays
 Carlos Quentin A quick look at last week's Fantasy Baseball top performing and least owned players on the waiver wire. Edwin Jackson's insane no-hitter. R.A. Dickey's 6th straight. Carlos Quentin's four dingers. Brandon Morrow & Jhoulys Chacin are strikeout machines. Is Jamie Moyer really father time in disguise? Can they really keep it up for another week? Check out who's a Must or a Bust.SWINGERSCarlos Quentin - 57% of Y! Leagues6 R / 4 HR / 11 RBI /.389 BABig Q is finally showing some of that swing from 2008. The average is still way low (.229) but at least he's raised it 22 points in the last month. In the last ten games he has hit .394, 4 homers, and 13 RBI's while posting a .487 OBP, and a .879 slugging giving him a 1.366 OPS! Way too low of an ownership for someone with that much potential. Even Aramis who is having ten-times worse a season, is owned at 67%.Will Venable - 8% of Y! Leagues4 R / 3 HR / 8 RBI / 1 SB / .286 BAWhat a week for Venable. Not only has he homered every other game in the past eight but they were at key moments. Low average and high strikeout percentage makes Venable a tough pickup but for deeper NL leagues he isn't bad, plus he's sure to be on the wire. Don't expect this streak for much longer though, especially going against Jimenez tonight.Coco Crisp - 33% of Y! Leagues7 R / 1 HR / 3 RBI / 1 SB / .368 BACoco has never played more than 145 games in his career and this year is no different missing almost practically the whole season so far. Since coming back for the past five games, he's hit in four of five with two multi-hit games and six runs. The good news is that Crisp has the center-field job locked down and whatever little offense the A's have, Coco will be in the middle of it. Great pickup for runs and stolen bases.Ike Davis - 17% of Y! Leagues4 R / 1 HR / 7 RBI / .333 BAIt's amazing how much hype is around these rookies when they get the call-up and if they don't perform in the first week or two owners forget about them. Davis has been a big factor in the Mets recent success and already has 9 homers. He isn't even playing to his full potential yet so as the season progresses, he should shoot from someone only owned in 17% of leagues to possibly 50%. If first-base wasn't so heavy with talented hitters, Ike could be considered as a quality late-round keeper. Oh yeah, he's hit five home runs ranging from 434 to 450 so far too... booya!Gaby Sanchez - 17% of Y! Leagues4 R / 1 HR / 4 RBI / .417 BASanchez is doing one hell of a job holding off rookie prospect Logan Morrison. Solid numbers all around from runs to RBIs to average. He should be able to hold off Logan for a while longer and possibly the year if he keeps playing like this. In the last 11 games, Gaby has nine multi-hitters.Clint Barmes - 16% of Y! Leagues4 R / 1 HR / 3 RBI / 1 SB / .381 BAGreat week but nothing super special here. A possible last resort pickup replacement for Dustin Pedroia (see here Filling The Void: Dustin Pedroia)HURLERSJamie Moyer - 15% of Y! Leagues15 IP / 2 W / 12 K / 1.80 ERA / 0.60 WHIPYou certainly will not get better performances from a 47 year-old. Hell you can't even find another 47 year-old pitching in the Bigs. I'm sure Moyer would love to follow the footsteps of Satchel Paige and pitch into his 60's but something tells me that he only has another year at best left. Minus Moyer's complete meltdown against Boston (1 IP, 9 ER), his numbers last month have been very impressive with a sub 1.00 WHIP and four wins. Trevor Cahill - 37% of Y! Leagues7.2 IP / 1 W / 10 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.65 WHIPThe A's have been a source of solid pitcher development for a long time now and they seem to have another ace on their hands. In his sophomore year, Cahill has been lights out with eight out of twelve quality starts. He's yet to give up more than four runs in '10 and hit a benchmark in strikeouts with ten against Pittsburgh (yeah its Pitt but still). Absolute pickup if he's not taken already.Chris Narveson - 2% of Y! Leagues13 IP / 2 W / 10 K / 2.08 ERA / 0.92 WHIPSince being converted to a starter, Narveson has had a few ups-and-downs, but pitched his best performance this week against Seattle and shut them down for only four hits in eight innings. Not convinced yet, but he has had four games of seven or more strikeouts, so he is certainly one to watch.Brandon Morrow - 27% of Y! Leagues8 IP / 1 W / 8 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.75 WHIPMorrow had a rough start to the season but the bad losses seem to be a thing of the past. His last game against St. Louis showed how good he can be, going eight innings, zero runs and eight strikeouts. In the last five games Morrow has a 1.32 ERA, .094 WHIP and 27 strikeouts. Like Cahill, Morrow is turning out to be a solid pickup.J.J. Putz - 8% of Y! Leagues3 IP / 2 W / 1 SV/ 1 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.00 WHIPOne thing is for sure J.J. certainly hasn't been pitching like a putz! In the past 16 appearances he hasn't given up a single run and amassed an amazing 4 wins with a save too! Putz has turned into one of the best options for middle relief out there and if Jenks goes down, I think we know who they are handing the ball over to.Luke Gregerson - 26% of Y! Leagues3 IP / 1 W / 1 SV/ 3 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.33 WHIPWhat a year this set-up man is having! A 1.60 ERA and 51Ks in only 39.1 innings puts him with the best. On top of that he has a crazy low WHIP (0.51) and batters are only hitting .121 against him. Great guy to have on your team to lower a few categories plus get the occasional win.Edwin Jackson - 59% of Y! Leagues9 IP / 1 W / 6 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.89 WHIPThe talk of the week, Jackson pitched the leagues fourth no-hitter this year, albeit a strange one with eight walks. Since getting hammered against Colorado and Chicago (18 total earned runs) at the end of April, Jackson has turned it around with a 3.46 ERA, 68 Ks & 1.29 WHIP in 70.2 innings. Although owned much higher, it's still worth taking a peak to see if he's out there. Just keep a close eye since he did throw 149 pitches for the no-hitter.Jhoulys Chacin - 11% of Y! Leagues12.2 IP / 1 W / 17 K / 1.42 ERA / 1.34 WHIPAfter a monster start to his career and then falling out of the light, its time to put Jhoulys back on the radar. One thing we know is Chacin can strike batters out! 12 Ks against the Angels wasn't enough for the win because of three unearned runs but a magnificent game nonetheless. If Jhuoulys can turn some of the losses into wins for the second half, we will have a fantasy stud on our hands!R.A. Dickey - 31% of Y! Leagues8 IP / 1 W / 4 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.75 WHIPThe unusual Mets staff has been light outs this year with Dickey, Niese and Pelfrey. Dickey has six straight wins and a sick 2.33 ERA. No signs of the Mets slowing down anytime soon.
Who is the best waiver wire pickup this week? Who do you think is just getting started?
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Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Week 13, Must or Bust, The Fantasy Marx, Carlos Quentin, Will Venable, Coco Crisp, Ike Davis, Gaby Sanchez, Clint Barmes, Jamie Moyer, Trevor Cahill, Luke Gregerson, Edwin Jackson, Jhoulys Chacin, R.A. Dickey, Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks
 Max Scherzer A quick look at last week's Fantasy Baseball top performing and least owned players on the waiver wire. Justin Smoak is smoking the ball and Max Scherzer dominates twice. Can they really keep it up for another week? Check out who's a Must or a Bust.SWINGERSJohn Buck - 40% of Y! Leagues4 R / 3 HRS / 8 RBI / .389 BAWith all this hype around catchers this year, most owners seem to overlook guys like Buck. If you are a win-now kinda of fantasy player, then having Buck on your team may very well benefit you over a guy Weiters. Buck's problem has always been hitting for a decent average and so far he's 33 points above his career numbers. Three multi-homer games already, he could easily hit 25 by seasons end.Chipper Jones - 53% of Y! Leagues5 R / 1 HR / 7 RBI / .471 BAYes he's older and hitting 50 points below his career .306 average but he's still one of the best 3B of the past 20 years. If Glaus can have a comeback year, then Chipper can too. Expect better numbers in the second half assuming he doesn't get injured like the past few years.Scott Podsednik - 53% of Y! Leagues5 R / 1 HR / 7 RBI / 2 SB / .286 BAI'm so tempted to call the Royals the worst team in the league but the truth is that the Indians and Orioles are certainly worse. Regardless, Speedy Scotty is back to his old form and running the bejeezus out of the bases. Injuries have really dropped Podsednik off the radar but he's healthy this year and on track to at least 40 stolen bases.Justin Smoak - 13% of Y! Leagues5 R / 2 HRS / 8 RBI / .320 BAAfter a dismal start, Smoak has put together a solid last month (15 RUNS / 4 HRS / 21 RBIs /.278 avg). With the influx of all the call-ups owners have forgotten to come back around and take a look at what Smoak is doing. He won't be available for much longer, go get him.Angel Pagan - 33% of Y! Leagues3 R / 5 RBI / 2 SB / .417 BAPagan has been on fire the past month, batting .327, 15 Runs, 13 RBIs and 9 SBs. I seem to be less and less worried about Beltran coming back and squeezing Pagan out. Angel really has been at the center of the revitalized Mets.HURLERSCarl Pavano - 16% of Y! Leagues16 IP / 2 W / 7 K / 2.25 ERA / 0.63 WHIPDespite Pavano's 8-6 record, this is actually his best season since 2004. There's still plenty of time for Carl to get back to his usual mediocre numbers, but right now he is pretty much pitching career bests in ERA, WHIP & BAA. His last game was a gem against the struggling Phils, going nine and only giving up one. 10 of 15 have been quality starts!Max Scherzer - 34% of Y! Leagues13 IP / 2 W / 17 K / 2.77 ERA / 1.15 WHIPThere is so much talent in this kid. Owners were expecting a lot more out of Scherzer this year and a few have jumped back on the boat since his return. In 5 games since returning, he has a 3.48 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 41Ks. If you lack strikeouts, Mad Max is your guy!J.J. Putz - 3% of Y! Leagues
3 IP / 1 W / 1 SV/ 3 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.33 WHIPIt's truly amazing how quickly Relief Pitchers fall from grace. In 2006 through 2007 Putz amassed an amazing 76 saves with just a 1.86 ERA. Those days are long gone and J.J. has been reduced to a set-up guy, just silently waiting for Jenks to get injured or implode. Unless you are in a crazy deep league, there are better middle relievers out there.Joel Pineiro - 27% of Y! Leagues8 IP / 1 W / 5 K / 1.12 ERA / 0.50 WHIPI feel like a broken record saying this, but Pineiro is a roller-coaster ride. He pitches well against the tough teams then blows-up against teams like the Royals. There is no rhyme or reason to whether he will have a good game or not and so I've always stayed away. When he is on though, he can be as good as they come. In his last two games, Pineiro has pitched 17 innings, 8 hits, 2 runs and 12 K's while only giving up 2 walks! Like clockwork though, Joel will have a bad game in the next one or two, regardless of who they is playing.Jason Vargas - 29% of Y! Leagues7.2 IP / 1 W / 4 K / 1.17 ERA / 0.65 WHIPPast his first game, Vargas has put up a quality start in all of his games since (1 game was only 5 innings, but he still only gave up 2 runs). Honestly if the Mariners we're any better we could be looking at 9-2 record instead of a 5-2. Season ERA is under 3.00, WHIP is just above 1.00 and batters are only hitting .225. In his fifth year, Vargas may have finally figured it out.Who is the best waiver wire pickup this week? Who do you think is just getting started?
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Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Week 12, Must or Bust, Double Dippers, The Fantasy Marx, John Buck, Chipper Jones, Scott Podsednik, Justin Smoak, Angel Pagan, Carl Pavano, Max Scherzer, J.J. Putz, Joel Pineiro, Jason Vargas. Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners
 Aramis Ramirez Later this week we will hopefully see the return of Aramis Ramirez. It's been a rough year for fantasy owners, having to either drop the All-Star third baseman or painfully hold on and possibly waste a DL spot. Somehow I've ended up with Aramis two years in a row and I literally punch a wall every time I see an article about how his poor thumb hurts him. Get a freaking Band-Aid!
THE GOOD
Numbers don't lie. Sports is analytical and looking at career numbers can tell you a lot. Aramis's career average is 83 runs, 30 homers, 108 rbis, and a .282 average. These numbers aren't inflated either, this isn't a guy who who hits 50 homers one year and then 20 the next. From 2001-2008 Ramirez really was as cornerstone of the corner.
Last year though was a huge test. A separated shoulder early on kept Aramis out for 2 months and owners didn't know what to expect when he returned. Well he returned with a passion and finished the season relatively strong with 46 runs, 15 hrs and 65 rbis in only 306 AB. Owners in 2010 never saw this coming…
THE BAD
The season didn't start with the finger injury, just really really poor hitting. So far 17 runs, 5 homers and 22 rbis in 179 AB. Plus the dreaded .168 average – Ramirez is a career .282 hitter for god's sake! Every time owners saw a sparse home run this year they thought , "yeah, this is the game he needed, he'll turn it around now" , only to be hugely disappointed the game after.
Enter the thumb injury. I joked earlier calling him a big baby. Honestly getting a good grip on the bat is almost as important as seeing the ball. Trainers have changed his grip and padding to relieve the discomfort and hopefully get him back on track. The hard part for Ramirez will be fully adjusting to the new specs after holding his bat the same way for 13 seasons.
I personally still have faith in the big boy. He's been really good for a long time and this is just a hiccup that will hopefully be forgotten in a few months. He's still only 31 and has a good 5+ years left in him. For all you fantasy owners out there who have stuck it out - god bless you. If Aramis is on the waiver wire in your league, now is a good time to make the pickup. Brighter days lie ahead!Do you think Aramis will turn it around in 2010?
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Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs, NL, MLB, 3B
 Roy Halladay In less than half the year we've had some amazing, and I mean amazing games by pitchers. Three no-hitters from Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay & Dallas Braden with the last two being perfect. Technically we've had three perfect games if you count Galarraga's, which I think we should. Have the pitchers finally taken the lead in fantasy value over batters? Lets take a look…
2010
3 no-hitters (Jimenez, Halladay, Braden)
5 CG one-hitters (Cain, Cueto, Niese, Latos, Galarraga)
4 CG two-hitters (Wainwright, Moyer, Neimann, Masterson)
3 one-hitters in eight IP (Cain, Cecil, Lilly)
2009
2 no-hitters
4 CG one-hitters
12 CG two-hitters
2 one-hitters in eight IP
2008
2 no-hitters
5 CG one-hitters
8 CG two-hitters
1 one-hitter in eight IP
As you can see in less than half the games, we already have more complete game no-hitters and one-hitters than 2008 and 2009. So again the question is – are pitchers more valuable in fantasy terms this year?
Out of the top 25 ranked players eight are ranked under 25 (Chris Carpenter number 26 so I'm including him too). Of those eight two are relief pitchers. Not even making the top 25 list are some names who are having unreal years too like David Price (33), Jon Lester (36), Mat Latos (37), Andy Pettitte (38), Phil Hughes (42), Mike Pelfrey (44) and Jaime Garcia (46).This gives us a total of 15 in the top 50. Here's the best part - Tim Lincecum isn't even on the top 50 yet, but we know that will change by years end. In comparison to 2009, there were 9 top 25 and 14 in the top 50. For 2008 there were only 5 in the top 25 and only 12 in the top 50.
Okay so the rankings weren't a tell-tale sign of how good the 2010 pitchers are but a quick look at ERA definitely shows us the truth:
The 2006 MLB league average ERA was 4.53
The 2007 MLB league average ERA was 4.47
The 2008 MLB league average ERA was 4.32
The 2009 MLB league average ERA was 4.32
The 2010 MLB league average ERA was 4.18
All-in all its still early in the year and you never know what will happen. Jimenez could go down with an injury tomorrow and offset the whole league's ERA.
So why the huge drop in ERA? Are pitchers actually getting better or are batters getting worse? Did the steroid era catch up with us and batters are finally human again?
Let's hear your thoughts.
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Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, The Fantasy Fix, Pitcher, Fantasy Marx, MLB, NL, AL, Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay, Dallas Braden, Armando Galarraga, Chris Carpenter, David Price, Jon Lester, Mat Latos, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, Mike Pelfrey, Jaime Gsrcia, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Johnny Cueto, Jonathan Niese, Jaime Moyer, Jeff Neimann, Justin Masterson, Brett Cecil, Ted Lilly, Colorado Rockies, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians
 Ted Lilly A quick look at last week's Fantasy Baseball top performing and least owned players on the waiver wire. Jonathan Niese and Ted Lilly throw a 1 hitter. Aubrey Huff and Gaby Sanchez's hit 2 bingers each. Can they really keep it up for another week? Check out who's a Must or a Bust.
BATTERS
Sean Rodriguez - 9% of Y! Leagues5 R / 2 HRS / 5 RBI / .478 BAI really like what we're seeing from this kid. Riding a 14 game hitting streak, he's boosted his average from a measly .245 to respectable .288. He even had a 9 game tear of 1 run per game. We'll see exactly how good Rodriguez is in the next few weeks, but if he's gonna do it anywhere it will be on the hard hitting Rays.Gaby Sanchez - 7% of Y! Leagues5 R / 3 HRS / 7 RBI / .409 BAA big guy who can hit for power that is owned in under 10% of leagues? Slightly larger than Cody Ross, we may have a winner on our hands.Ryan Spilborghs - 1% of Y! Leagues5 R / 3 HRS / 3 RBI / .625 BAWell we all know that playing in Colorado always produces big numbers but not for a part-time player. He's got real competition in the OF with CarGo and Hawpe but if Smith doesn't produce Spillborghs could see increased time. Good numbers for the week but let's not get crazy here.Brennan Boesch - 36% of Y! Leagues5 R / 3 HRS / 5 RBI / 1 SB / .360 BAA fantastic start for a fantastic rookie. The average, homers and rbi's are all there. Only category that is low is the runs, but they will come. Aubrey Huff - 30% of Y! Leagues5 R / 3 HRS / 7 RBI / .348 BAHuff is starting to heat up and must I remind you that we are only 1 year removed from 32 homers? 6 of his 10 bingers have come in the last month. The potential is absolutely there.Erick Aybar - 46% of Y! Leagues6 R / 3 RBI / 2 SB / .419 BASwitching to the leadoff spot has turned things around for Aybar. Aybar wont ever get you homers or rbis but if you lack runs and stolen bases he's your guy. Aybar already has 11 stolen bases - he had 14 in twice as many at bats in '09. 12 multi-hit games in the past month too.Garrett Jones - 55% of Y! Leagues4 R / 2 HRS / 4 RBI / 2 SB / .333 BAGarrett grabbed everyone's attention last year with monster numbers in half a season. The beginning of this year hasn't been all-star worthy but he's started to heat up again. In the past 12 games, Jones has 7 multi-hit games and 5 homers. He's also raised his average 39 points in the last month.PITCHERS
Ted Lilly - 51% of Y! Leagues16 IP / 1 W / 11 K / 0.56 ERA / 0.38 WHIPWhat a week for Lilly! First a 4 hitter, 1 run game against MIL then a shutout, 1 hitter against CHW. The Wins have been few and far between but can you really blame a pitcher with a sub 3 ERA? 8 Quality Starts out 10. He is a MUST in all leagues right now.Jason Hammel - 9% of Y! Leagues15.1 IP / 2 W / 9 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.98 WHIPHammel is on a lot of people's watch-lists as a break through for 2010. He has put the groin injury behind him and dominated the past two starts, giving up zero runs and only 3 runs in the past 4. (for more detailed numbers see Tommy Landry's take - The Fantasy Fix Roundtable: Post All-Star Break Targets)Jonathon Niese - 9% of Y! Leagues9 IP / 1 W / 6 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.11 WHIPSantana seriously needed the backup after getting absolutely nothing from Perez and Maine, so Niese and Pelfrey have stepped it up. A 1-hitter against San Diego has him on everyone's watch list… is another dominant game in order against the lowly Indians? Couldn't pick a better team to follow up against!Justin Masterson - 7% of Y! Leagues9 IP / 1 W / 6 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.44 WHIPThe potential is certainly there and his last game against his former team sure was magical (CG, 2 hits). My only concern is that Masterson has only pitched over 7 innings twice this year. Batters are hitting .287 against him and he has a crazy high WHIP (1.64). I won't say his last game was a fluke but I will need a bunch more quality starts to get on this train.Wade LeBlanc - 11% of Y! Leagues13IP / 2 W / 6 K / 0.69 ERA / 1.15 WHIPAfter 4 straight losses, Wad has turned it around the last two only giving up 1 run in 13 innings. The Padres pitching this year has been outstanding, and LeBlanc is right there in the mix. A high WHIP but a low ERA, keeps me with a watchful eye.Joel Piñeiro - 25% of Y! Leagues9 IP / 1 W / 7 K / 1.00 ERA / 0.67 WHIPI've said it before and I'll say it again - Pineiro is a ROLLERCOASTER! He pitches 1 good game he gives up 6 runs the next. He pitches 2 great games, he give up 9 the next. I don't have the stomach for him. As many weeks that he will win for you, he will singlehandedly lose the rest. Someday, Joel, someday.Gavin Floyd - 51% of Y! Leagues14 IP / 1 W / 17 K / 1.29 ERA / 1.00 WHIP2008 may be the best we will ever get from Floyd, but there is a reason why he was the Phillies 1st round pick. He has amazing control and can win a game without dominating the batters. Two solid starts in row hopefully has Floyd back on track. Higher owned, but still worth taking a peek to see if he's out there.
Is Niese the real deal? Will Lilly keep it up?
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Tags: Waiver Wire, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, The Fantasy Fix, Must or Bust, Fantasy Marx, MLB, NL, AL, Sean Rodriguez, Gaby Sanchez, Ryan Spilborghs, Brennan Boesch, Aubrey Huff, Erick Aybar, Garrett Jones, Ted Lilly, Jason Hammel, Jonathon Niese, Justin Masterson, Wade LeBlanc, Joel Piñeiro, Gavin Floyd, Mike Pelfrey, Johan Santana, Brad Hawpe, Carlos Gonzalez, Tampa Bay Rays, Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants, Los Angels Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Saint Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox.
As a long time card collector, I've come across some of the most ridiculous names ever. Every time I buy a collection, I sort through and put the funny ones to the side. Honestly, I'm glad they exist… I mean who wants to root for a Joe Smith or Bob Jones? So every time I come home absolutely trashed from a good night of debacle, I bring out the cards and laugh until I puke, literally. Be prepared to piss your pants…  WHAT A BUNCH OF DICKS
I'm sorry but I giggle anytime I hear someone with the name Dick. A long long time ago there must have been a guy named Dick who was just such a jackass, that the name took on new meaning. I feel bad for the Dicks who are actually good guys, cause to me they are still dicks.
THE NUMBER ONE DICK
Dick Pole
Boston Red Sox (1973-1976)
Seattle Mariners (1977-1978)
He's no ordinary Dick with that last name. If I had the misfortune to be named Dick, I would definitely want this kickass name.
Used in a sentence - "Ride that Dick Pole ladies."
THE RUNNERS UP
Dick Bass, Dickie Thon, Dick Green
 NOW THAT'S JUST DIRTY
Following the Dicks are a bunch of guys who I wish they would name cities after or at the very least stripclubs. Could you imagine the Human Resources problems there would be if these guys worked in an office (some of them probably do have sales jobs these days)?
THE WINNER
Rusty Kuntz
Chicago White Sox (1979-1983)
Minnesota Twins (1983)
Detroit Tigers (1984-1985)
Hands down the best name ever. So many jokes, so little time.
Used in a sentence - "I was feeling a bit lonely so I drove down to the corner but all I saw was a bunch of Rusty Kuntz. I went home instead and broke out the lotion."
THE RUNNERS UP
Buzz Nutter, Woody Held, Pete Beathard, Boobie Clark, Pete LaCock
 I SWEAR YOU WERE A GARBAGE PAIL KID
Not sure what their parents were smoking or if they just had awesome senses of humor, but with names like these, who can't love them.
THE WINNER
Wilbur Wood
Boston Red Sox (1961-1964)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1964-1965)
Chicago White Sox (1967-1978)
Alliteration at its finest, plus we get the word "wood" in there. Insert Beavis & Butthead laughs.
THE RUNNER UPS
Britt Burns, Sixto Lezcano, Steve Stonebreaker, Randy Ready, Clay Kirby, Pat Putnam, Minnie Minoso, Dick Drago, John Henry Johnson
 YOUR NAME IS WHAT???Some guys' names aren't perverted or even rhyme. They are just ridiculous and awesome at the same time.THE WINNERS (2-way tie)JOHNNY WOCKENFUSSDetroit Tigers (1974-1983)Philadelphia Phillies (1984-1985)What's all the Wockenfuss about? The bushy haired, thick mustached Wockenfuss just screams 80's pornstar. He is what every man aspires to be. Someone please make me a Johnny Wockenfuss t-shirt.Shooty BabittOakland Athletics (1981)His real name was Mack Neal Babitt. Even that is pretty damn funny. But somehow, someone nicknamed him "Shooty". I have no idea what it means or where it came from and for once I am extremely disappointed in the Internet.THE RUNNER UPSRod Scurry (hope I didn't catch the Rod Scurry), Champ Summers, Vida Blue, Mickey Klutts, Johnnie LeMaster, Bake McBride, Doc Medich
I wanted this to be all Baseball but a few Football names made it in here cause they were just too good to leave off - Pete Beathard, come on!
I know I left off a million names here. We would love to hear some of your favorites!
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Tags: Funniest Names, Waiver Wire, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Marx, MLB, NL, AL, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Atletics, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Florida Marlins
 Troy Glaus A quick look at last week's Fantasy Baseball top performing and least owned players on the waiver wire. Since no one else is, we are giving Armando Galarraga a no-hitter. Glaus is finally back to his dominant ways on the red hot Braves and Smoak is coming around. Plus 2 young stud pitchers in Toronto. Can they really keep it up for another week? Check out who's a Must or a Bust.BATTERSTroy Glaus - 59% of Y! Leagues 8 R / 4 HRS / 10 RBI / .308 BA Glaus should be owned in all leagues now. As long as Troy can stay healthy he will produce and playing for the red hot Braves has certainly helped his numbers. Looks like Glaus is on his way to at least 2008 numbers (69/27/99) and we can certainly pray for 2006 numbers (105/28/104). 5 homers in the past 7 games... Chris Coghlan - 47% of Y! Leagues 7 R / 1 HR / 3 RBI / 1 SB / .533 BA This is Coghlan's first real sign of quality numbers in 2010. He's got a lot of catching up to do – even after batting over .500 this last week he is still hitting a measly .262. Hopefully the sophomore slump is over and we can have faith again in the 2009 NL ROY. Bill Hall - 2% of Y! Leagues 8 R / 1 HR / 5 RBI / 2 SB / .368 BA A great utility guy but until we see that Hall can get a permanent spot on a roster, don't expect anything like his 2006 stats (101/35/85). Justin Smoak - 12% of Y! Leagues 7 R / 2 HR / 6 RBI / .444 BA After a huge jump in ownership from the callup, owners dropped Smoak as quick as Tyson dropped Sphinx. In the past week Smoak has raised his average 37 points. He's the was the Rangers top hitting prospect this year so it looks like a little patience was needed. Keep a very close eye, ownership will easily double if he puts up one more solid week. Kevin Kouzmanoff - 9% of Y! Leagues 4 R / 3 HR / 6 RBI / .400 BA It's highly unlikely Kouz can put up better numbers in Oakland than he did two years ago in San Diego (71/23/84/.260). Only a viable option in deep leagues. Delmon Young - 13% of Y! Leagues 3 R / 2 HR / 9 RBI / 1 SB / .321 BA Minnesota has been waiting for Young to wakeup since acquiring him in 2008. A thinner Delmon has so far produced solid numbers. It certainly helps to play with all-star hitters like Mauer and Morneau. PITCHERS Armando Galarraga - 13% of Y! Leagues 9 IP / 1 W / 3 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.00 WHIP We at The Fantasy Fix don't much care for Jim Joyce's poor eyesight and Selig being his usual mule-self, so we are changing the WHIP line from 0.11 to a perfect ZERO. Congrats Armando, you are a standup guy and as deserving as your halfway decent counterpart Dallas Braden. Don't expect any more games like this though out of Galarraga any time soon - he's only pitched 3 shutouts in his career with only 1 over 7 innings. Brandon Morrow- 11% of Y! Leagues 14 IP / 1 W / 9 K / 1.29 ERA / 0.71 WHIP Morrow is jumping on the Blue Jay bandwagon with Marcum and Cecil. 2 quality starts in a row and a handful of relatively good games. He held the two best hitting teams in the league (TAM & NY) to 7 hits over 14 innings. Morrow has 4 good pitches and one thing is for sure - he can strike batters out (74 in 64 innings). Yes he's been tagged for 6 runs against Boston and then against Arizona but he's also thrown a handful of gems. I'm predicting good things for Morrow here on out. Brett Myers - 16% of Y! Leagues 13.2 IP / 1 W / 16 K / 1.98 ERA / 1.17 WHIP Brett is one of those Vets who has good years and then decent years, but never terrible. He can get you 10-13 wins and even 150-175Ks, but he also owns a career 4.31 ERA. Certainly a player worth owning while he's hot but also an easy player to drop if he starts affecting your teams stats. Good in the ERA and Ks so far but batters are hitting a whopping .275 off him and unfortunately thats not a new thing with him. Tommy Hunter - 4% of Y! Leagues 9 IP / 1 W / 4 K / 1.00 ERA / 0.56 WHIP In Hunter's first game of the season he absolutely manhandled Tampa for a complete game 5 hitter plus it's the 2nd of his career. With Derek Holland on the DL, he has at least 1 more game to prove he belongs in the rotation. Feldman and Harden haven't pitched well so far, but its doubtful they are going anywhere. It will be interesting to see how this plays out if Hunter pitches another gem. Felipe Paulino - 2% of Y! Leagues 8 IP / 1 W / 7 K / 1.12 ERA / 0.88 WHIP After losing his first 6 games, Paulino has put up 4 quality starts in a row, but playing for the last place Astros has only amounted to 1 win. If Paulino was on a team that could actually win, we might be looking at a 7-1 instead of a 1-7 record. But he not on a winning team and he will struggle to get Wins all season. Brett Cecil - 34% of Y! Leagues 8 IP / 1 W / 5 K / 1.12 ERA / 0.75 WHIP I'm finally a believer in this guy. 4 solid starts in a row, the last being a total dominance over the Yankees. He only has one really bad game and all the rest have been quality starts. I say pick Cecil up now before its too late.Do you think Galarraga will breakout this year or go back to his usual self?
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Tags: Waiver Wire, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, The Fantasy Fix, Must or Bust, Fantasy Marx, MLB, NL, AL, Troy Glaus, Chris Coghlan, Bill Hall, Justin Smoak, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Delmon Young, Armando Galarraga, Brandon Morrow, Brett Myers, Tommy Hunter, Felipe Paulino, Brett Cecil, Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres
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