Buy & Sell

Note: Ownership is based in Yahoo! Leagues.

Lance Berkman (.239/.372/.479, 97% Ownership)

Although Lance Berkman’s batting average has been a disappointment this season, his BB/K rate is excellent and the power is still there. There are a couple of signs that Berkman could be headed for a big second half of the season. Even though his BABIP stands at .247, Berkman has never had a BABIP below .300 in a season. This means that he has been hitting in a lot of bad luck so far in 2009 despite having virtually the same LD% as 2008. This could be a complete opposite from last season where Berkman raked during the first half and leveled off over the summer.
 

Adam LaRoche (.267/.363/.498, 31% Ownership)

A classic slow starter, LaRoche got off to better start this season only to tail off during April and May. A potential free agent next year, LaRoche has been rumored as the next Pittsburgh Pirate to be shipped out of town. That leaves a question about what hitting environment he will be in after the All-Star break. But for his career, LaRoche has a second half line of .297/.360/.548 so if he is available on the waiver wire, now might be the time to stash him on your bench.

Aaron Harang (5-7, 3.66 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 93.1 IP, 77 K, 82% Ownership)

From 2005-2007, Harang went from an under the radar to dominant fantasy pitcher. He suffered through a painful 2008, which scared off a lot of owners. It now appears that Harang is back to those previous levels. His K/9 and BB/9 rates are right in line with what he was doing in his past outstanding seasons. Going forward it looks like he can maintain this level of success because his FIP is almost exactly the same as his current ERA and his BABIP is right around league average. Acquiring Harang now will give your pitching staff a boost for the second half of the season.
 

(.294/.369/.412, 62% Ownership)

The Bourn Ultimatum has been pretty impressive so far this season considering how awful he was last year. The reason you have Bourn on your roster is for stolen bases, but if Bourn can’t get on base, it makes that skill null and void. With that said, Bourn is still striking out quite a bit. His BABIP of .369 is well above the league average, which means he has hit in a lot of luck so far this season. Another concern is that Bourn is hitting fewer ground balls this season and not trying to leg out base hits. I know some players can make dramatic improvements from year to year, but right now it appears that Bourn is playing way above his head.
 

Mark Reynolds (.263/.350/.546, 86% Ownership)

This slugging Diamondback has shown some improved skills so far in 2009. Despite his development, there are still some questions about his continued production. Obviously, his strikeouts are the most glaring worry as he is striking out 37.4% of the time. That tells us that his batting average will most likely continue to come down quite a bit. If that is the case, no matter how many home runs he hits, that low batting average will be a hindrance to your roster. One other point, Reynolds is also hitting fewer fly balls this season, which could lead to fewer home runs during the summer months.

Rick Porcello (8-4, 3.55 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 78.2 IP, 44 K, 56% Ownership)

Porcello has produced 8 wins through June 2009 despite being in only his second professional season. Not known as a strikeout pitcher, he uses a heavy sinker to get outs. Although Porcello has done well so far, there are many glaring question marks about him going forward. His BABIP is well below the league average and there is a huge discrepancy between his ERA and his 4.82 FIP. But the main thing to remember is that he is a very young pitcher and the Tigers are going to have to monitor his innings during the second half of the season. If this is a case, he will have fewer starts to make an impact on your roster.

…Rajai Davis, Oak.-OF. For the time being, Davis has won the centerfield job in Oakland. With Rajai on your roster, he brings the threat of stolen bases as he stole 29 while playing for San Francisco and Oakland last year. Normally the Athletics have shown a distain for the stealing bases, but they must feel safe in letting Davis run as he has 9 SB in thirteen attempts so far this season. If he can start to get on base a little more, the more of an opportunity he will have to use his speed to aid in the stolen base category.

Where Did All the Outfielders Go?

On draft day, most fantasy baseball managers like to go after a couple of top tier outfielders during the early rounds of the draft. There is a misconception that the outfield position is a deep one considering each major league team starts three each game. But when platoon situations and offensive struggles are figured in, there aren’t many elite outfielders available. I like to follow this strategy because normally the outfield position thins out quickly and it becomes difficult to find quality players to fill the five outfield spots on a roster. Through the first quarter of this season, this particular approach has not been very effective because of some of the struggles the top tier outfielders have had. Below is a list of the preseason top ten outfielders and how they have faired so far this season.

1. Grady Sizemore-Injured

2. Ryan Braun

3. Josh Hamilton-Injured

4. Carlos Beltrán

5. B.J. Upton-Injured & struggled

6. Alfonso Soriano

7. Carlos Lee

8. Manny Ramírez-Suspended

9. Carlos Quentin-Injured

10. Carl Crawford

As you can see from the list, half of the top ten outfielders have not produced as expected whether it has been because of injuries, offensive struggles, or because of taking some medication that “prescribed” by a doctor. Managers might have been better off passing on these players and drafting from the second tier of outfielders.

11. Nick Markakis

12. Ichiro Suzuki

13. Jason Bay

14. Matt Kemp

15. Carlos Quentin-Injured

16. Matt Holliday

There was even more depth in the draft as the following outfielders are producing like the top players in the position

113. Torii Hunter

122. Raúl Ibañez

124. Nelson Cruz

132. Brad Hawpe

179. Adam Jones

What has occurred with the players from the top tier is almost certainly a fluke. Very rarely will injuries beset as many top players as is happening this season. With that said, I think we can come away with a couple important ideas based on this information. First, there is a lot of the baseball season left which means there is plenty of time for those struggling players in the top tier to improve. I find it hard to believe that players with the track records like Sizemore and Upton will continue to play this poorly. Secondly, on draft day, don’t panic if you miss out on some of the elite players. Continue to try and find value to add depth to your roster and you might be pleasantly surprised by some of the players you discover.

Named Comedian of the Year by the American Comedy Awards on ABC, Craig Shoemaker’s half-hour Comedy Central special has been voted by viewers as one of the network’s “Top 20” stand-up specials of all time.

Craig’s feature film credits include the box office hit Scream 2, co-starring opposite Patrick Stewart in Safe House and his featured role opposite Daryl Hannah as her love interest in 2007’s Dark Honeymoon. Last year, Craig won Best Supporting Actor at the Elevate Film Festival. His own film The Lovemaster (with Farrah Fawcett), won “Best Film” honors at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival.

Craig began his career in his hometown of Philadelphia, where he honed his comedy and characters winning the “Best of Philly” Award while working as a bartender and attending Temple University. As a voiceover artist, Craig’s dead-on impression of Don Knotts was featured in the film Pleasantville (which he also played the narrator) and has voiced many hit animated series including Teamo Supremo, Monsters, and I M Weasel.

Craig’s small screen credits include his one-hour special on Comedy Central titled, The Lovemaster... Unzipped, co-hosting duties on HBO’s Comic Relief 2006, roles on numerous prime time series and he was actually Joy Behar’s first guest in her Comedy Corner on ABC’s The View.

As a scribe, Craig most recently wrote, produced and starred in Totally Baked, a movie which was conceived from his own son asking if his dad had ever smoked marijuana. The film was distributed world-wide by Universal and can be found in all major retail outlets, including WalMart. Totally Baked was asked to be a featured film in the Austin Film Festival, was nominated for the 2008 High Times “Stony Award,” and is ranked in the top ten on Hulu.com. Craig’s writing credits also include ABC’s Just The Ten of Us, and Real Funny. He also wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed one-man show, Who’s Your Daddy? at the Coronet Theater.

Buy & Sell

Note: Ownership is based in Yahoo! Leagues.

Jerry Hairston Jr. (.264/.319/.481, 30% Ownership)

There are a few reasons to like Hairston in terms of fantasy. First, he is batting second ahead of Joey Votto and Jay Bruce which means he has the potential to score a ton of runs. Secondly, in the Yahoo! format, Hairston is eligible at 2B, 3B, SS, and OF. This gives a manager quite a bit of flexibility when setting a roster for a particular day. Thirdly, he is producing right around his career line of .260/.330/.374. If he can remain healthy, Hairston should provide solid value from a player that went undrafted in most leagues.

Luke Scott (.311/.398/.544, 9% Ownership)

Fresh of a DL stint, Scott returned to Baltimore’s line up and delivered a few home runs. Scott’s BB/K rate is much healthier than it has been in the past, so that will need to be watched. But his home run totals has increased each of the last three years, so the power potential is there. Although the Orioles deploy a strict platoon with Scott, it is pretty clear that he can provide solid production as a fifth outfielder for most fantasy teams.

Scott Baker (2-5, 6.32 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 47 IP, 35 K, 46% Ownership)

Many fantasy managers jumped off the Scott Baker struggled immensely to begin the year. Struggle is putting it nicely as he has already given up twelve home runs. But Baker is coming off a good start against the Brewers in which he made some mechanical adjustments. For his career, Baker’s post-All Star break ERA is 3.87 with a .269 batting average against. All the signs point to this being the right time to buy low on Baker as it looks like he is poised for a big second half.

(0-3, 8.82 ERA, 2.33, 89% Ownership)

Daisuke has been injured for most of the year, but even when he has been able to toe the rubber, he hasn’t been very impressive. Although, some how Daisuke won 18 games last year, there really isn’t much upside. Because of all the walks, he destroys your WHIP and because of high pitch counts he doesn’t pitch deep into games, the opportunities for wins is decreased. There might be a manager trying to buy low on Daisuke because of last year’s success, my advice is to go ahead and let them.

Marco Scutaro (.291/.403/.449, 82% Ownership)

Is it possible that in another life Scutaro was really Honus Wagner? Probably not. Scutaro has gone from a reserve infielder to being one of the best shortstops in the American League. Never mind the fact that is current OPS of .852 is nearly one hundred points greater then that of his career (.715). Or that 2008 was the first time in his eight-year career that he received over five hundred at bats and produced middling results. For those who picked up Scutaro off the waiver wire, be prepared for him to fall back to earth quickly.

Michael Cuddyer (.284/.371/.517, 54% Ownership)

Cuddyer has been one of the most added players in fantasy baseball over the last few days and rightly so as he has started to turn it on at the plate. The numbers, however, say this hot streak is unsustainable. Cuddyer’s ground ball rate has increased by leaps and bounds to 1.20 which means he is getting somewhat lucky on the few balls he does actually hit into the air. While he will can still serve as a serviceable fifth outfielder, owners shouldn’t ask for much more.

…Andy LaRoche, Pit.-3B. Adam’s younger brother is starting to make a name for himself. Always a highly touted prospect coming up through the Dodgers’ system he is finally being given a chance at a full time job. This season, LaRoche is showing a good BB/K rate, which was prevalent in the minors, and has lead to a solid batting average. The power hasn’t shown yet, but as he continues to grow as a hitter, LaRoche is capable of producing at a twenty home run clip.

Buy & Sell

Note: Ownership is based in Yahoo! Leagues.

Max Scherzer (1-3, 3.35 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 37.2 IP, 33 K, 90% Ownership)

The time to buy low on Mad Max may be closing fast. After some early season struggles, Scherzer has turned in five good starts in a row. At this point, however, he is not going to be a pitcher that goes deep into a game, which makes the possibility of wins shaky. But it is hard to discard the strike out numbers. There is no doubt that Scherzer is on the cusp of following through on his potential.

Colby Rasmus (.250/.331/.411, 18% Ownership)

Rasmus was considered the top prospect for the Cardinals and hit his way onto the team in Spring Training. He was only a part time player for much of the early season. But with injuries to outfielders Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick has meant regular playing time for Rasmus and he has responded quit nicely. The BB/ K rate is still a concern, but he is still on pace for a solid 15/15 season, which could serves nicely for a fifth outfielder candidate.

Jorge De La Rosa (0-4, 4.27 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 46.1 IP, 46 K, 42% Ownership)

Throw out his last clunker start against the Braves, DLR has had a very effective season. It is always difficult to trust a Rockies pitcher (I’m talking about you, Ubaldo!), but the numbers dictate that this may be real. First, DLR is averaging a strike out per inning, so he has the ability to miss bats. Secondly, his .279 BABIP, which is lower than his career average, but still doesn’t cry that he has been extremely lucky. Thirdly, his strikeout rate has improved for three straight years, and his walk rate is at its lowest in his career. There still might be times that he could be a match up problem, especially at Coors, but if he continues these trends, there might be some good starts lay ahead for DLR.

Alex Rios (.266/.322/.420, 92% Ownership)

It seems like Rios has turned into the new Carl Crawford. A speedster that has tantalized many fantasy owners with some home run power. But the problem, like Crawford, is that power isn’t materializing. In many leagues, Rios was drafted as a number two outfielder, but he hasn’t really delivered those types of numbers. Because of name recognition, he will bring back plenty of value in a trade.

Jason Bartlett (.375/.422/.586, 80% Ownership)

Bartlett is producing at a Hanley Ramirez type pace so far this season. This is more a mirage than reality for someone that was thought of as little more than a middle infield guy on draft day. Consider that his career line is .285/.345/.382 there is a good chance that Bartlett will come back to earth at some point this season.

Matt Wieters (Triple-A: 285/.368/.504, 52% Ownership)

The most talked about prospect in the game is still stuck in Triple-A. Baltimore has struggled this year, so there is no real rush to bring Wieters up to the big club and start is free agency clock. Because of this, it is somewhat shocking that he is still owned in 52% of leagues. Even though he is taking up a roster spot, it’s tough to just drop a prospect like Wieters especially if you have hung on to him all season. Try finding another manager that has faith in Wieters and move on.

…Tony Gwynn, Jr, S.D.-OF. The prodigal son returns home. The son of Padre legend, Tony Gwynn, was recently traded to San Diego. At the time of the trade, he was hitting .309/.387/.395 for Triple-A Nashville with 15 stolen bases. He has only 242 Major League at bats and there is some concern about playing time issues initially. But because of his lineage, Gwynn will be given every opportunity to win the centerfield job and could be a good source of batting average and stolen bases.

Here’s the full Draft Weekend schedule (all times ET):

Saturday, April 25
—10am: Fantasy Football Facts
—11am: All Access Football
—12pm: Johnny Archive
—1pm: Inside the Trenches
—2pm: Red vs. Blue
—3pm: The Thundering Blurb
—5pm: The Fantasy Football Guys
—6pm: Fantasy Sports Group
—7pm: Fantasy Sharks
—8pm: Two Feet in Bounds
—9pm: Radio Grumblings
—11pm: RotoRadio

Sunday, April 26
—9:30am: All Access Football
—11am: The Scott Engel Show
—12pm: Fantasy Sharks
—1pm: 643 Sports
—2pm: Inside the Trenches
—3pm: Fantasy Football Roundtable
—5pm: Johnny Archive
—7pm: Phat Guys on Fantasy
—8pm: The Fantasy Exchange
—10pm: Fantasy Sharks
—11pm: Sports from Frankie’s Point of View