San Diego Padres

All-Star Break Awards—National League

It’s that time of year, with no games to watch and no fantasy stats to rack up, when we are all Jonesing for baseball. To help us get through the next couple of days and fill the void, everyone likes to come out with their own mid-season awards. I guess I’ll be like everyone else and do my own awards.

These are only the awards from the National League. The American League is soon to follow.

NL Player of the First Half

(1) Lance Berkman

(2) Chase Utley

(3) Chipper Jones

NL Cy Young

(1) Edinson Volquez

(2) Tim Lincecum

(3) Dan Haren

NL Rookie of the First Half

(1) Geovany Soto

(2) Joey Votto

(3) Kosuke Fukudome

Most Disappointing Player

(1) Andruw Jones

(2) Eric Byrnes

(3) Troy Tulowitzki

Most Disappointing Pitcher

(1) Barry Zito

(2) Jeff Francis

(3) Brad Penny

Most Disappointing Team

(1) San Diego

(2) Arizona

Most Surprising Player

(1) Ryan Dempster

(2) Nate McLouth

(3) Ryan Ludwick

Most Surprising Team

(1) Florida

(2) St. Louis

Most Shocking Moment

(1) Dodgers getting no-hit and still winning

(2) Shawn Chacon shoving around Astros management

 

There is plenty to argue about for many of these little awards. The Cy Young, for instance, was a tough call as was the other rookies behind Soto. Also, it was really hard to narrow down the most disappointing players, because there were so many—sorry Todd Helton, Rickie Weeks, Aaron Harang and Roy Oswalt.

I also would like to add two more awards to this list. With so many injuries during the first half of the season, I think there should be some mention to those who went down heroically.

Most Heartbreaking Injury

John Smoltz

I am a huge Braves fan and Smoltz is my favorite Brave of all-time. I would like to see one more year of Smoltz on the mound whether he is starting or closing.

Another trend showing itself during the first half of the season, has been all of the old guys who are still out on the field plugging away to pad their stats. Here is a little award for them.

Old Guy Who Really Should Just Give It Up Because He Doesn’t Have It Anymore And Is Just Stealing Money And A Young Prospect’s Position

(1) Randy Johnson

(2) Pedro Martinez

(3) Trevor Hoffman

 

Fantasy Free Agent Pickups—Hitters

The fantasy draft is what you wait all off-season for. You get your little draft board out and come up with the new season’s draft strategy; you know who is going to be the steals of the draft and who will be a bums. While the draft is important, and a good draft is necessary to have a good season, the waiver wire and free agent pickups are what put your team over the top.

The season is young, but there have already been a ton of injuries to big time stars such as A-Rod, David Ortiz, Jimmy Rollins to name only a few. There are also plenty of guys that have underperformed and need to cut. Because of this you have to be ready to pluck someone from the free agent list. The number of teams and size of your lineup will determine how deep you need to go in search of a replacement for an injured player, or a guy who is just not getting it done.

Here is a list of a few guys that are available in most leagues and can help take the sting out of a draft strategy gone wrong or the loss of David Ortiz.

 Juan Pierre, OF: With Andrew Jones gone, he is starting and stealing bases. He can steal 60 bases and score 100 runs while hitting .290. According to both CBSsportsline and Yahoo, he is still available in 30 percent of their leagues.

Randy Winn, OF: Winn is not very fancy, but he will be a solid replacement until one of your injured stars returns. He hits for a decent average, steals a few bases and will score a few runs for you.

Andre Either, OF: He is starting now as well and is a .300 hitter with 20 home run pop. A good young player to take a chance on that is available in about 50 percent of leagues.

Blake Dewitt, 3B: Another Dodger, Dewitt is the reason Andy LaRoche is still in the minors and no one is missing Nomar. He has a good eye for a young player and I don’t see him giving up that corner spot this season. He is a .300 hitter with enough pop for 15-20 home runs.

Ryan Spilborghs, OF: He is an excellent hitter who only gets the chance to play when there is an injury. Right now, Holliday and Hawpe are on the DL and Spilborghs is again tearing things up. He will go back to the bench once these guys come back, but for now grab him.

Brian Giles, OF: If you fantasy league rewards on-base percentage, or is a points league that considers walks and strikeouts, Giles is a steal. He no longer has the pop he used to have, but he is again hitting near .300 and his BB/K ratio is one of the best in the league.

Mark Ellis, 2B: His batting average is a little rough, but he too has an excellent BB/K ratio and has good pop for a second baseman. According to CBSsportsline, Ellis is available in almost 60 percent of leagues. As of this point in the season, he is a better option than Jeff Kent, Aaron Hill, Robinson Cano and Placido Polanco.

Chris Snyder, C: He is a better option that Pudge, Varitek, Johjima and Hernandez, and at this point in the season he is more productive than Victor Martinez. His 29 RBI’s are 4^th among catchers and he has brought his average up to .268.

Heroes and Bums—Week 8/Hitters

Heroes 

5. Adrian Gonzalez: .333, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 5 Runs 

Walk-off home run on Sunday night off of Edison Volquez to end an 18 inning marathon against the Reds highlighted the week. 

4. Frank Thomas: .454 BA, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 5 Runs 

How did the Blue Jays, who have no power in their lineup, think it was a good idea to get rid of the Big Hurt? 

3. Jason Bay: .480 BA, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 Runs, 1 SB 

Having a nice comeback season after a poor 2007, Bay is on pace for 39 home runs and 16 stolen bases. 

2. Magglio Ordonez: .478 BA. 3 HR, 9 RBI, 7 Runs 

Magglio and Guillen are the only two Tigers who have been getting it done all season. He’s not going to match his career year of 2007, but his pace is not far off. 

1. Bengie Molina: .652 BA, 9 RBI, 5 Runs, 6 2B, 1 HR 

Molina’s week was sparked by going 6 for 7 during a double header on Sunday. Molina is one of the top 5 fantasy catcher’s including last year and this year. It’s a pity that his talents are wasted in San Francisco. 

Others: Adam Dunn, Evan Longoria, Josh Hamilton, Kevin Kouzmanoff

 Bums 

5. A.J. Pierzynski: 1-20, 5 KO, No RBI, No Runs, 1 SB 

After a hot start to the season, A.J. has certainly cooled off. He stills remains a useful fantasy catch, but you have to deal with his streaky hitting. 

4. Raul Ibanez: 1-21, 6 KO, 2 RBI, No Runs 

Ibanez is another guy who started off hot and has cooled a bit. He is one of the streakiest hitters in baseball, so you have to learn to deal with that. By the end of the season he will put up respectable numbers. 

3. Mike Jacobs: 3-19, 9 KO, No RBI, No Runs 

He seems ready to break out and then he goes into a deep slump. He is still on pace for 35+ home runs this season, but with a .250 average and a ton of strikeouts. 

2. Nick Markakis: 3-20, 10 KO, No RBI, No Runs 

Markakis is not living up to last year’s hype just yet. He has been pretty good this year and draws a ton of walks, but he needs to stop whiffing and start banging out some hits. 

1. Justin Upton: 0-20, 14 KO, 1 RBI, 3 Runs 

Upton did draw 3 walks and score 3 runs, but 14 KO’s out of 20 at-bats is ridiculous. He is having a pretty strong rookie season, but you will have to live with these types of slumps. 

Other Bums: Edwin Encarnacion, Kevin Youkilis, Melvin Mora, Victor Martinez, Joe Crede

Fantasy News and Notes

There is plenty of news in major league baseball this week as with any other week. There are a few stars expected back in action, which should bode well for your fantasy teams as well as your favorite teams. 

• A-Rod: He made it back on Tuesday and promptly went yard, he then went yard again on Wednesday. 
• Chone Figgins: He returned to the starting lineup on Wednesday and reached base twice. It is probably a safe bet that he will miss some more time to injury later in the season. He is very familiar with the DL. 
• Hank Blalock: He has finished his rehab assignment and is ready for the move to first base when he returns on Friday. 
• Mark Ellis: Ellis has not officially gone on the DL, but he hasn’t played since May 11 missing 8 games. He is hoping to play on Friday after taking some ground balls and running the bases on Wednesday. 
• Rafael Furcal: Furcal is expected back as early as Friday, but certainly sometime over the weekend. He is not expected to be sent down for any rehab games. 

In other news, after all the in-fighting and media second guessing, it appears that Joba Chamberlain will be making his appearance in the starting rotation fairly soon. Chamberlain pitched 2 innings in a relief appearance against the Orioles on Wednesday. Afterward, Manager Joe Girardi confirmed the suspicion that he was being stretched out for a rotation spot. It’s hard to say when he will get his first start, but it should come within the next couple of weeks. 

Chris Young took a line drive off the nose from Albert Pujols on Wednesday, and it is still unsure of how much damage is done or whether or not Young will go on the DL. Young and the rest of the Padres have had a rough start to the season and this does not make things any better. 

Eric Gagne has been shut down indefinitely with a stiff shoulder. If you still have him on one of your fantasy teams, you have either a deep league or you haven’t been paying attention to how bad he sucks. He is not worth a spot on most rosters and who knows how long he will be out.

National League Predictions for 2008

The season is just under way and there are many surprises, but as we all know, baseball has a long season and things will look much different in September and October. Now is the time to make idiotic predictions that will be way off the mark and serve no purpose. So here we go with the National League! 

NL East Winner

Atlanta Braves: The East will be tough this year, and the Braves will have to fend off the Mets and Phillies down the stretch. The Braves have the most balance in the East, and they have no glaring weakness. The bullpen is strong, and I have confidence in Rafael Soriano closing out games. 

NL Central Winner

Chicago Cubs: They have the talent and the Central is pretty weak this year. I think they beat out Houston and St. Louis rather easily. Milwaukee could possibly make some noise, but I don’t think they will be loud enough.  

NL West Winner

Arizona Diamondbacks: This is the toughest division to call. San Diego, Los Angeles, and Colorado all could win this division, but I am going to go with Arizona because they have added Dan Haren and their younger hitters are starting to come into their own.  

NL Wild Card

New York Mets: I think the teams in the West are going to beat themselves up to much to contend for the Wild Card, and I don’t see anyone from the Central putting up much of a fight. 

NL Winner

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs have a lot of talent and pretty good balance. If there pitching can hold up and Woods can last the whole season as the closer, this may be the year for the Cubs. 

NL MVP

David Wright: He runs, he hits for power, he hits for average, and have you seen him with the glove. It will happen some day, why not in 2008.

Other Contenders: Ryan Zimmerman, Jimmy Rollins, Mark Texeira 

NL Cy Young

Jake Peavy: He has nasty stuff, pitches for a good team, and pitches in a pitcher friendly ball park. He will just beat out Santana.

Other Contenders: Johan Santana, Carlos Zambrano, Chris Young 

NL Rookie of the Year

Kosuke Fukudome: It may not be fair that a 30 year old former Japanese league MVP could be considered for the ROY, but he does qualify. He is polished and will be an every day starter for one of the best teams in the league.

Other contenders: Cameron Maybin, Johnny Cueto

Fantasy Preview—Catchers

1.)    Victor Martinez: He hits cleanup, he drives in over 100 runs, he hits 20-25 home runs, he hits .300, and he gets to play more games than most catchers because the Indians rest him with the DH or a game her and there at 1B.  He is the clear number 1 because of his proven consistency.

2.)    Russell Martin: He stole 21 games last season and may do the same again this year.  You should get these steals while you can, because those types of years go quick in the career of a catcher.  Still, Martin is worthy beyond his steals.  He has the power to hit 20 home runs, he will hit around .300, and he came close to 100 runs and RBI’s last season.

3.)    Brian McCann: McCann had a strong season in 2007, but it was not as good as 2006.  His production over the past 2 ½ seasons makes him someone you can pretty well trust.  He will probably hit .280-.300, 20-25 home runs, and could possibly drive in 100 runs.

4.)    Joe Mauer: The injury bug hit Mauer last season and short circuited any chances of him repeating the year he had in 2006.  He should hit well over .300 in 2008 which is what he offers the most to his fantasy owners.  He will probably chip in 10 home runs and 60-70 runs and RBI’s. 

5.)    Jorge Posada: It would probably not be a good idea to expect the same numbers he put up in 2007 to show up again in 2008, especially the batting average.  He should still produce solid numbers for a catcher and many will take him ahead of Mauer because of the run production.  Not a bad pick if you don’t go for him too early.

6.)    Kenji Johjima: He has been pretty consistent in his two years in the league and all things point to the same production again in 2008.  He has the power to get you 15 home runs and should hit over .280.  Johjima is a good pick at a thin position.

7.)    Bengie Molina: He may be hitting clean up for the Giants, which means more opportunities to drive in runs.  It also means it is a sad state of affairs in the San Fran lineup.  You can probably expect the same numbers as last year, but with possibly more RBI’s.

8.)    Ramon Hernandez: Injuries have hurt him in 3 of the last 4 years.  Last year was his worst season, but he is supposedly healthy.  When healthy he can produce with the guys in the top 5.  Be careful of the injury risk, but if he is there in the later rounds, grab him.

9.)    Ivan Rodriguez: Pudge is no longer the hitter he was, and his numbers are dropping each year.  He will still give you some quality production at a thin position, mainly because of the Detroit lineup that will offer him plenty of pitches to hit.

10.)  Jason Varitek: He still has some pop in his bat, but he is not the player he was a couple of years ago.  Expect 15+ home runs and about 60-70 RBI’s.  Hopefully, he can pull his average up from the .250 range. 

11.)  Jarrod Saltalamacchia: “Salty” has plenty of power and, despite last year’s batting average; he has a minor league history of hitting over .300.  Other than Martinez, he is the only other catcher that has legitimate 30 homer potential, especially playing in
Texas.  He is a youngster, so he could blow up or flop.  Jarrod could also play some first base. 

12.)  Chris Snyder: Snyder has good power and has been hitting well in spring training.  There is talk of him moving into the clean-up spot in the Diamondbacks lineup.  He could be a nice draft day steal if he can continue his spring through the season.

13.)  Mike Napoli: If he gets the full-time at bats he could get you 20 homers.  His batting average may hurt you, but with the Angels he may have ample opportunities to drive in some runs with the long ball.

14.)  A.J. Pierzynski: Not much excitement with A.J., but he has been reliable and should continue to give you some decent fantasy numbers at an incredibly thin position.

15.)  Ryan Doumit: He may not play much catcher in 2008, but he played enough (28 games) in 2007 to hold catcher eligibility in most leagues.  He will probably play mostly outfield and possibly some first.  Most likely he will not be worthy of a fantasy spot at any of those positions, but as a catcher his 15-20 home runs and 60-80 RBI’s could serve your fantasy team well. 

Others to Consider: Carlos Ruiz, Ronny Paulino, John Buck, Johnny Estrada, J.R. Towles

Fantasy Preview—Closers

The closer position seems to be going through a changing of the guard.  It was only a few years ago when Rivera, Hoffman, Percival, Gagne, and Wagner were the elite.  Now only Wagner is still a top 5 closer.  The once un-hittable Rivera is still a very good closer, but he has lost some of his mystique. 

I have attempted to list the top 20 fantasy closers for 2008.  The number 1 spot on the list is a fairly new name, but he has proven himself over the last 3 years.  I think the top 3 guys are virtually the same and the only difference between them may be the amount of save chances they will have. 

I have moved Rivera down to 7^th on the list which may be crazy to some, but I think it has become apparent that he is not the closer he was before.  If Houston Street could stay healthy, he would be much higher on this list.  At the 20^th spot I threw in two names because of the injury situation in Toronto.  I think if we could be absolutely sure about B.J. Ryan, I would put him into the top 10.  Ryan may be able to go in the early season, but it is still a bit tenuous.  Accardo is a good replacement and drafting him as protection in a late round would not be a bad idea. 

1.)          J.J. Putz

2.)          Jonathan Papelbon

3.)          Joe Nathan

4.)          Francisco Rodriquez

5.)          Billy Wagner

6.)          Jose Valverde

7.)          Mariano Rivera

8.)          Takashi Saito

9.)          Bobby Jenks

10.)        Francisco Cordero

11.)        Rafael Soriano

12.)        Matt Capps

13.)       Houston Street

14.)        Manny Corpas

15.)        Trevor Hoffman

16.)        Jason Isringhausen

17.)        Joakim Soria

18.)        Brad Lidge

19.)       Chad Cordero

20.)        B.J. Ryan/Jeremy Accardo 

Others to Consider: Kevin Gregg, C.J. Wilson, Brandon Lyon, Joe Borowski, Troy Percival, Rafael Betancourt

Fantasy Preview—Starting Pitchers

Starting pitching is the most unpredictable aspect of fantasy baseball.  A stud can become a dud and visa versa in only one season, sometimes in only one half of a season.  Not to mention the injury bug that can strike down a pitcher for a whole season.  That is something I know all too well as last season I had the honor of drafting Chris Carpenter in the second round.  Regardless of this unpredictability, I will attempt to list what I think are the top 50 fantasy starting pitchers. 

Just some notes about the list.  I think Santana and Peavy have separated themselves as the top 2 guys.  I think Dan Haren has a chance to move up to possibly the number 3 guy.  I also think Chris Young could have a huge year.  I would have put Francisco Liriano higher, but he may not get back to his old form until the second half of the season.  I am not a believer in Pedro Martinez just yet, but I put him in the #50 slot because he could be valuable in short stretches of the season.  Be wary of Ben Sheets, Rich Harden, and Scott Kazmir; they have loads of talent but are too often injured. 

1.)           Johan Santana

2.)           Jake Peavy

3.)           Brandon Webb

4.)           Eric Bedard

5.)           C.C. Sabathia

6.)           Dan Haren

7.)           Josh Beckett

8.)           Chris Young

9.)           Justin Verlander

10.)        Roy Oswalt

11.)        Aaron Harang

12.)        John Smoltz

13.)        Roy Halladay

14.)        Cole Hamels

15.)        Fausto Carmona

16.)        Daisuke Matsuzaka

17.)        Felix Hernandez

18.)        A.J. Burnett

19.)       Chad Billingsley

20.)        Yovanni Gollardo

21.)        Javier Vazquez

22.)        James Shields

23.)        Carlos Zambrano

24.)        Rich Hill

25.)        Brett Myers

26.)        Tim Hudson

27.)        Matt Cain

28.)        Scott Kazmir

29.)        Tim Lincecum

30.)        Ian Snell

31.)        Francisco Liriano

32.)        Kelvim Escobar

33.)        John Maine

34.)        Ted Lilly

35.)        Brad Penny

36.)        Jeff Francis

37.)        Ben Sheets

38.)        Chien-Ming Wang

39.)        Dustin McGowan

40.)        Derek Lowe

41.)        Joe Blanton

42.)        Jered Weaver

43.)        Oliver Perez

44.)        Jeremy Guthrie 

45.)        Dontrelle Willis

46.)        Rich Harden

47.)        Ubaldo Jimenez

48.)        Shawn Hill

49.)        Micah Owings

50.)        Pedro Martinez 

Others to Consider: Tom Gorzelanny, Chuck James, Andrew Miller, Brian Bannister, Zack Greinke, Orlando Hernandez, Gil Meche, Mark Buehrle, Adam Wainwright, Greg Maddux, Wandy Rodriquez, Chris Capuano

Fantasy Preview—Outfield

Today we will take a look at the top 50 fantasy outfielders.  Matt Holliday seems to have distanced himself from the field and the consistency of Carlos Lee makes him my number 2 (I don’t see Magglio hitting .363 again).  From the 3rd spot all the way down to the 12^th spot there is very little difference in overall production.     

There is a ton of talent in the outfield, especially young talent.  Some of the young guys like Hunter Pence, Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Chris Young, and Matt Kemp to name only a few could put up some big numbers in 2008.  There are plenty of sleepers available at the later part of this list.  I personally like Jeremy Hermida to finally come through with a big season. 

1.)          Matt Holliday

2.)          Carlos Lee

3.)          Vlad Guerrero

4.)          Magglio Ordonez

5.)          Carl Crawford

6.)          Carlos Beltran

7.)          Alfonso Soriano

8.)          Lance Berkman

9.)          Grady Sizemore

10.)        Ichiro Suzuki

11.)        B.J. Upton

12.)        Manny Ramirez

13.)        Nick Markakis

14.)        Curtis Granderson

15.)        Bobby Abreu

16.)        Tori Hunter

17.)        Eric Byrnes

18.)        Alex Rios

19.)        Hunter Pence

20.)        Corey Hart

21.)        Hideki Matsui

22.)        Jeff Francoeur

23.)        Brad Hawpe

24.)        Jason Bay

25.)        Adam Dunn

26.)        Raul Ibanez

27.)        Josh Hamilton

28.)        Chris Young

29.)        Vernon Wells

30.)        Juan Pierre

31.)        Matt Kemp

32.)        Pat Burrell

33.)        Nick Swisher

34.)        Shane Victorino

35.)        Jose Guillen

36.)        Michael Cuddyer

37.)        Delmon Young

38.)        Jermaine Dye

39.)        Ken Griffey Jr.

40.)        Andruw Jones

41.)        Jeremy Hermida

42.)        Aaron Rowand

43.)        Johnny Damon

44.)        Jacoby Ellsbury

45.)        Josh Willingham

46.)        Chris Duncan

47.)        Adam Jones

48.)        Kosuke Fukudome

49.)        Josh Fields

50.)        Willie Tavaras 

Others to consider: Mark Teahan, David DeJesus, Justin Upton, Melky Cabrera, Rick Ankiel, Michael Bourn, Gary Matthews Jr., Jack Cust, Ryan Church, and Moises Alou

Fantasy Preview—Third Base

1.)  Alex Rodriguez: Enough Said! 

2.)  David Wright: Another 30-30 season is likely. At this point his stolen bases separate him from Cabrera. 

3.)  Miguel Cabrera: With a potent offense around him for the first time in his career, it’s hard to say how many runs he will drive in or score.  The numbers could be gaudy this year. 

4.)  Ryan Braun: Braun was an instant success last year beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.  His numbers will probably resemble Wright’s, but I need to see him do it for more than just ¾ of season before I put him in that category. 

5.)  Garrett Atkins: Atkins got over his first half slump and was a beast after the all-star break.  Hitting in Colorado and in a productive lineup, I see a season along the lines of 300-28-110-90, but he doesn’t steal any bases for you. 

6.)  Aramis Ramirez: Ramirez puts up excellent numbers consistently, but he also gets hurt fairly consistently. If he gets more than 500 at bats, he should get to .300-30-100-90. 

7.)  Ryan Zimmerman: Finally getting to move out of that hitter’s trap of a ballpark, Zimmerman should put up some good power numbers.  35+ home runs would not be too crazy to expect. A great young hitter that could vault into the top 5 of third basemen. 

8.)  Chipper Jones: He will probably struggle to get 500 at bats because of the ever-present injury bug. Regardless, Jones is a stud when he plays, so don’t be scared to draft him, but do grab a decent backup in the later rounds. 

9.)  Chone Figgins: He is supposedly over his injuries and ready for a full season. He can hit for a high average, score a ton of runs, and will steal 50+ bases. Also, his position flexibility (2B, 3B, OF) makes him extremely valuable. 

10.)  Mike Lowell: Lowell had a rebirth with the Red Sox in 2007, and while you shouldn’t expect the same numbers in 2008, he should still be an excellent source of production.  Be careful not to pay too much for him, or to let him slip through your fingers in the middle rounds. 

11.)  Adrian Beltre: He seems to get a bad rap because he has never been able to come close to matching the production in 2004. He is still a consistent source of home runs, runs, and RBI’s. 

12.)  Edwin Encarnacion: This is based mostly on potential, but he could hit 25-30 homers in that ballpark, and steal 15-20 bases. He also hit .289 last year and is only 24. 

13.)  Kevin Kouzmanoff: The Kouz is also a youngster who could have a breakout season in 2008. San Diego’s ball park will hold in a few of his homers, but he should still put up some good numbers. 

14.)  Ty Wigginton: 2007 was kind to him, and a trade to Houston may be even kinder.  He is not the big name many are looking for, but he could be a steal that could produce good power numbers and is eligible to play 1B, 2B, and 3B.  

15.)  Alex Gordon: Many are expecting great things from Gordon, but he is yet to produce at the big league level.  He showed flashes in 2007 at the end of the season with his combination of speed and power, but he hit only .247. 

Others to consider: Evan Longoria, Mark Reynolds, Hank Blalock, Scott Rolen, Troy Glaus, Josh Fields 

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