Tagged: fantasy baseball
Bloomberg Sports National League Fantasy All-Star Team
Twitter: @RobShawSports and @BloombergSports
Bloomberg Sports Anchors Julie Alexandria and Rob Shaw discuss whether the fans’ selections for the National League All-Star team were right and who should be starting the All-Star Game in Kansas City on July 10.
Catcher
Buster Posey was not the right choice for the All-Star team. Phillies backstop Carlos Ruiz is having a sensational season, hitting .357 with 13 home runs, 46 RBI and a surprising three stolen bases. He has definitely been the best catcher in baseball this season.
First Base
The fans got this one right by selecting Reds first baseman Joey Votto, who is probably the MVP of the first half of the season. He’s batting .350 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI.
Second Base
Brandon Phillips of the Reds should be starting rather than Dan Uggla. Phillips has a .279 average, 10 home runs and 47 RBI. He is also a good defensive player, which Uggla is not.
Third Base
The fans made the wrong choice by selecting Pablo Sandoval, who has missed plenty of time this season due to injury. David Wright of the Mets should have been the pick, as he has been an MVP candidate so far this year with a .350 average, 10 home runs, 55 RBI and eight stolen bases.
Shortstop
Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro should be starting in place of Rafael Furcal. Castro is batting .291 with six home runs, 40 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Despite those numbers, he can be frustrating because he makes a lot of boneheaded plays but he is young and will hopefully grow out of that.
Outfield
Not one of the three outfielders chosen by the fans was the right pick. Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies should be starting instead of Melky Cabrera. Gonzalez is batting .340 with 17 home runs, 58 RBI and 10 stolen bases, though he is helped out by playing at Coors Field.
Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun should have been selected over Matt Kemp. Braun is once again putting up MVP numbers with a .309 average, 23 home runs, 59 RBI and 13 stolen bases.
Finally, Pirates centerfielder Andrew McCutchen should have been chosen rather than Carlos Beltran. McCutchen is batting .360 with 16 home runs, 54 RBI and 14 stolen bases. Beltran would have been a good selection if the National League had a designated hitter. He has a .304 average, 20 home runs, 63 RBI and eight stolen bases this season.
For more insight, visit BloombergSports.com.
Bloomberg Sports American League Fantasy All-Star Team
Twitter: @RobShawSports and @BloombergSports
Bloomberg Sports Anchors Julie Alexandria and Rob Shaw discuss whether or not the fans’ selections for the American League All-Star team were right and who should be starting the All-Star Game in Kansas City on July 10.
Catcher
Mike Napoli of the Rangers was the fan choice, but White Sox backstop A.J. Pierzynski should be starting in the All-Star Game. Pierzynski is not one of the more popular players in baseball and was actually expected to lose his job coming into this season. However, he is hitting .285 this year with 14 home runs and 45 RBI.
First Base
Edwin Encarnacion of the Blue Jays should be starting instead of Prince Fielder. Encarnacion has always had great potential but has been inconsistent in the past. This season, however, he is deserving of a starting spot in Kansas City with a .291 average, 22 home runs, 55 RBI and eight stolen bases.
Second Base
The fans got this one right, voting in Robinson Cano of the Yankees. He’s batting .310 with 20 home runs and 46 RBI. Not only is he an All-Star but he is clearly the Yankees’ MVP.
Third Base
The fans chose Adrian Beltre of the Rangers, which is a good pick because he is one of the best defensive players in baseball. Miguel Cabrera, however, is the best third baseman in the American League with a .314 average, 16 home runs and 62 RBI.
Shortstop
Derek Jeter is having a good season, but Elvis Andrus of the Rangers is the best shortstop in the American League right now. He is not a power hitter with just one home run but he’s batting .307 with 32 RBI and 16 stolen bases. The fans should have voted in Andrus instead of Jeter.
Outfield
Of the three outfielders voted in, only one was the right pick by the fans. It wasn’t a surprise that Josh Hamilton was selected, and he is the right choice. He’s on pace for more than 50 home runs and 140 RBI this season.
Angels rookie Mike Trout should be starting in place of Curtis Granderson. Trout is batting .339 with nine home runs, 33 RBI and 22 stolen bases, and keep in mind that he started this season in the minor leagues.
Adam Jones of the Orioles should have been selected in place of Jose Bautista. Jones has a .302 average, 19 home runs, 42 RBI and 11 stolen bases. He has a bright future and is likely one of the next big stars in baseball.
Designated Hitter
David Ortiz was the right pick by the fans. He continues to put up big numbers with a .302 average, 21 home runs and 54 RBI this season. This is Ortiz’s eighth All-Star selection.
For more fantasy baseball insight, visit BloombergSports.com.
Fantasy Baseball Weekend Recap: Perez, Young, Thome, Davis, Alvarez, and Hosmer
Twitter: @RobShawSports and @BloombergSports
Bloomberg Sports Anchor Rob Shaw breaks down the weekend in baseball and how it affects your fantasy team.
Martin Perez, SP, Rangers
Perez made his major league debut Saturday night against Oakland. The 21-year-old southpaw had five strikeouts and gave up six hits, one walk and two earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched. He had struggled in the minor leagues this season with a 1.29 K/BB ratio at AAA. However, he has been better in the past and there is reason to be excited about his future.
Chris Young, SP, Mets
Young has only started 13 games since 2010, but his numbers during that stretch are among the best in baseball. He has a 2.19 ERA and 1.16 WHIP, compared to Roy Halladay’s 2.60 ERA and 1.05 WHIP and Cliff Lee’s 3.00 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. This season, he has started five games, his greatest workload since 2009. The last time he made 20 starts was in 2007.
Jim Thome, Orioles
Thome spent his first 12 seasons with the Cleveland Indians and has since been on seven teams over the last 10 years. Moving to Baltimore allows him to play more regularly as a designated hitter. He has had 40 home runs in 553 at-bats over the last two years and could bring some power to the Orioles’ lineup and your fantasy team.
Shaw also discusses three players whose slumps have ended and who are putting up big numbers in recent weeks. First is Mets first baseman Ike Davis, who has six home runs, 24 RBI and a .333 average in 19 games since June 9th. Second, Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez has seven home runs, 19 RBI and a .377 average in 15 games since June 16th. Finally, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer has a .423 average, one home run and three RBI in his last seven games.
For more fantasy insight, visit BloombergSports.com.
Fantasy Baseball Twitter Trends: Arroyo, Rizzo, Ruiz, and Chapman
Twitter: @RobShawSports and @BloombergSports
Bloomberg Sports Anchor Rob Shaw discusses the performances of four players who were trending on Twitter Tuesday night.
Bronson Arroyo, SP, Reds
Arroyo brought a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Brewers Tuesday night, but left with a no decision. He gave up three hits, one walk and three earned runs in 7.2 innings pitched. He is now 3-5 with a 4.13 ERA and 1.25 WHIP this season. The biggest surprise from Arroyo this season is his strikeouts. He has 60 strikeouts this year compared to just 14 walks.
Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Cubs
Rizzo made his debut with the Cubs Tuesday night against the Mets. He went 2-4 with one RBI and one double. In 70 games at AAA in Iowa this year, he had a .342 batting average, 23 home runs and 62 RBI. Rizzo was brought up to play first base, which moves Bryan LaHair to the outfield.
Carlos Ruiz, C, Phillies
Ruiz is having an incredible season. He went 3-4 Tuesday night with one home run, two runs and two RBI. He now has a career-high 10 home runs this season, as well as a .361 average and 41 RBI. Overall, Ruiz is providing much-needed offensive production to the Phillies lineup.
Aroldis Chapman, RP, Reds
Chapman bounced back from back-to-back blown saves Tuesday night. He had three strikeouts and one walk in one inning pitched to pick up his ninth save of the season. His numbers this year are still outstanding, especially his 64/12 K/BB ratio.
For more fantasy baseball insight, visit BloombergSports.com.
Fantasy Baseball Surprising Base-Stealers: Molina, Kipnis, Saunders, and Beltran
Twitter: @RobShawSports and @BloombergSports
Bloomberg Sports Anchor Rob Shaw breaks down four players who have a surprising number of stolen bases this season.
Yadier Molina, C, Cardinals
Molina had a career-high nine stolen bases in 2009, which is impressive from a catcher. He already has seven steals this season, in addition to 11 home runs and a .319 batting average. It’s hard to believe, but the Cardinals may have picked correctly when it came to which free agent to give a big contract to in the offseason, Molina or Albert Pujols. So far, Molina is performing at a higher level this season.
Jason Kipnis, 2B, Indians
Kipnis’ career high in stolen bases was 17, which he achieved last year between AAA and the majors. He already has 17 steals this year and is on pace for nearly 40 by the end of the season. He’s also contributing in the power area with 11 home runs, 46 runs and 42 RBI.
Michael Saunders, OF, Mariners
Saunders stole 29 bases in 2009 in the minors and has 12 stolen bases so far this season. What is surprising is how much playing time he is getting, but he can’t be taken out of the lineup with a .267 average, eight home runs and 35 runs.
Carlos Beltran, OF, Cardinals
We know that Beltran has speed, as he became just the eighth player in MLB history to have 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases. However, he only had seven stolen bases in the past two seasons combined, making his seven steals this year so surprising. He is also batting .312 with 20 home runs and 57 RBI.
For more fantasy baseball insight, visit BloombergSports.com.
Fantasy Baseball Injury Report: Kyle Drabek, Brandon Beachy, Evan Longoria, and Chris Carpenter
Twitter: @RobShawSports and @BloombergSports
Bloomberg Sports Anchor Rob Shaw discusses four players dealing with injuries that may affect your fantasy team. Shaw brings in Dr. Oz to provide some insight on these injuries.
Kyle Drabek, SP, Blue Jays
After a hot start, Drabek cooled off considerably in his last eight starts, going 2-5 with a 6.31 ERA. During a start against the Washington Nationals last week, he suffered a torn UCL, forcing him to undergo Tommy John surgery.
Drabek will go under the knife this week with hopes of returning next season in July. This is his second Tommy John surgery. Brett Cecil and Carlos Villanueva have been thrown into the Blue Jays starting rotation due to the loss of Drabek, Brandon Morrow and Drew Hutchinson to injury.
Brandon Beachy, SP, Braves
Though Beachy is just 5-5 this season, he has been dominant with a 2.00 ERA and .171 average against. His first major league season will be cut short, however, as he has suffered a partial tear of the UCL and could need Tommy John surgery.
Evan Longoria, 3B, Rays
Evan Longoria’s comeback from a partially torn hamstring has been put on hold as he dealt with some pain Monday night in a rehab game. This is an ugly, nagging injury. We saw it with Jose Reyes for many years with the Mets. Longoria’s fantasy value is in question this season as his return date remains uncertain.
Chris Carpenter, SP, Cardinals
After a heck of a workload last season that included heroics in the World Series, Chris Carpenter may be nearing a return from his shoulder soreness. The Cardinals veteran resorted to rest and physical therapy to get his arm back in motion and now he could be a week or two from returning to the mound. Everything has been positive so far in his recovery and the fantasy implications are huge.
Shaw also responds to comments from Twitter about some trending players.
Mark Trumbo, OF, Angels
Trumbo hit his 16th home run of the season Monday against Matt Cain in the 2nd inning. He is hitting .319 with four steals and 42 RBI.
Wade Miley, SP, Diamondbacks
C.C. Sabathia was a no-brainer to pick up and I liked Dickey early for his ERA, WHIP and more than 10 expected wins. Miley, however, may be the biggest surprise of the season. The southpaw is 8-3 with a 2.30 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.
Ike Davis, 1B, Mets
Davis hit his first career grand slam Monday and now has seven home runs and 32 RBI. He’s riding a nine-game hit streak that has raised his average by 38 points, from .158 to .196.
For more fantasy baseball insight, visit BloombergSports.com.
Fantasy Baseball Hot Performers: Hammel, Moss, Harrison, and Roberts
Twitter: @RobShawSports and @BloombergSports
Bloomberg Sports Anchor Rob Shaw breaks down four players who are hot right now and worth scooping up for your fantasy team.
Jason Hammel, SP, Orioles
At 29 years old, Jason Hammel is a rare hurler who is enjoying his best season this late in his career. Hammel has never before surpassed 180 innings of work in a season, and though he reached 10 wins in 2009 and 2010, his career 4.78 ERA suggests that he’s little more than an innings eater.
However, this season it’s been a sudden turn of events as he returned to the American League from Colorado and has already matched last year’s total with seven wins. His ERA is way down while the K’s are way up, and he has not allowed more than four runs to score in a start this season. Most recently, Hammel hurled a one-hitter against a solid Braves squad. Hammel starts against the Nationals at home on Friday.
Brandon Moss, OF, Athletics
A prospect with the Red Sox in the mid-2000s, Brandon Moss has enjoyed a shocking resurrection with the A’s. Called up to replace Kila Ka’aihue on the roster on June 6, Moss blasted six home runs with three doubles and 11 RBI over his first 10 games with the A’s.
The big question is whether the sudden production is sustainable by the 28-year-old outfielder. The answer is complicated. Moss did blast 15 home runs in 51 games at Triple-A this season, so he has been smashing. On the other hand, his recent tear included six games at Arizona and Colorado, two of the most homer-friendly ballparks in baseball. Things are at the opposite end in Oakland. Moss could end up with more than 15 home runs this season, but there is little speed or high-end potential involved.
Matt Harrison, SP, Rangers
The Rangers haven’t had many things go their way so far this season and yet they sit comfortably in first place. A large part of the reason has to be the play of Matt Harrison, a southpaw with an 8-3 record and 3.54 ERA. Harrison had some success a year ago with 14 wins and a 3.39 ERA, but he is not the best in fantasy circles because of his low strikeout total.
However, Harrison is a winner, now 16 games over .500 through 60 decisions. He has not allowed a run to score in either of his last two starts, and with left-handed batters hitting just .160 against him this season, the 26-year-old makes for a fine start against all teams with a heavy left-handed lineup.
Brian Roberts, 2B, Orioles
Welcome back Brian Roberts. The veteran second baseman who has made two All-Star games returns after two injury-ravaged seasons. He has now offered hits in four of his five games and has a .318 average while driving in four RBI. At 34 years old, Roberts may not be the speedster who once swiped 50 bases, but he is a leadoff batter with a high on-base percentage who can rack up a lot of runs in a solid Orioles lineup.
For more fantasy baseball insight, visit BloombergSports.com.
Fantasy Baseball Trends: Cain, Beltran, Lynn, Plouffe, and Dickey
Twitter: @RobShawSports and @BloombergSports
Bloomberg Sports Anchor Rob Shaw discusses five players who are making an impact in fantasy baseball.
Matt Cain, SP, Giants
Coming into the season, it was already clear that Matt Cain was the best starting pitcher in baseball to never reach 15 wins in a season. He averaged 13 wins over the last three seasons despite having an ERA less than three over that period. This year it looks like Cain is finally going to get the overdue respect he’s earned.
Whether it’s because of Tim Lincecum’s struggles, the 8-2 record, or the absurd 0.85 WHIP, Cain has shined bright this season and has become the clear ace for the Giants. Wednesday night was simply a celebration of that as he was not only perfect, but the accompanying 14 strikeouts tells you that he struck out the majority of the batters he faced. Best of all, his past tells us that Cain usually gets better in the second half of the season.
Carlos Beltran, OF, Cardinals
Year after year we see veteran players find their second winds in St. Louis. Well, you can add Carlos Beltran to the list that already includes such names as Larry Walker, Will Clark, Jim Edmonds, and more recently Lance Berkman. Beltran offered three hits on Wednesday including a solo shot, which would end up being the only run of the game.
His average is now at .298, which is not the biggest surprise, but the shock comes with the 19 home runs. The 35-year-old is on pace for a career high in home runs, perhaps up to 45. However, his pace is probably not sustainable because of the biggest threat of all: injuries.
Lance Lynn, SP, Cardinals
Not many people have heard of Lance Lynn, but he is the lone reason that the Cardinals are competing despite the slow start from Adam Wainwright, who is rebounding from a missed season, plus the loss of Chris Carpenter due to an injury of his own. Lynn is a former first-round pick who showed some life in the bullpen a season ago, but no one predicted his performance this season. He is now 10-2 with a 2.42 ERA and has 23 strikeouts over the last two starts. Will he keep it up? The odds are against him. He is approaching 82 innings of work, which is a big boost from a season in which his innings were limited.
Trevor Plouffe, OF, Twins
In his first two seasons, Trevor Plouffe was a disappointment with the Twins, but now he’s one of the hottest sluggers in baseball. Plouffe blasted his 11th home run on Wednesday, which was his sixth over the last 10 games. His average remains low, less than .240, but his power has more than made up for that. So is it sustainble? Probably not. We have never seen this type of power in the minor leagues and there isn’t really much else that he offers to fantasy managers.
R.A. Dickey, SP, Mets
The Mets have protested the official scoring of Dickey’s start on Wednesday night against the Rays with hopes that the one hit he surrendered will be called an error on David Wright. While it was Johan Santana who picked up the no-no a little while ago, the ace on this team is very much R.A. Dickey. Not only is he incredibly durable, which is often the case for knuckleballers, but he is also changing speeds from the 50s to the 80s and throwing strikes with his knuckleball, which is very rarely seen.
The big story this season is that Dickey has recently turned into a strikeout artist, and he did so again on Wednesday with 12 K’s. He is now 10-1 with a 2.20 ERA and 0.94 WHIP, and is looking like Roy Halladay at his best with the numbers that he’s posting. So is he really this good? Yes, he is very good and I do think he may be a top-five pitcher for the remainder of the season. His ERA has always been splendid with the Mets, as in sub-3, and now with the run support, he’s getting the much deserved wins. The only question is whether he will keep racking up the K’s, and so far, so good!
For more fantasy baseball insight, visit BloombergSports.com.
Fantasy Baseball Top Canadian Hitters: Martin, Morneau, Lawrie, Saunders, and Votto
Twitter: @RobShawSports and @BloombergSports
Bloomberg Sports Anchor Rob Shaw counts down the top five Canadian hitters who could help your fantasy team.
5) Russell Martin, C, Yankees
Russell Martin only had two hits in the Subway Series against the Mets, but the Yankees backstop made them count with two home runs. After belting 18 home runs a season ago, Martin is again offering some pop with eight home runs this season. On the other hand, his batting average continues to sink, as it is down to .208 after Martin hit just .237 last season. Regardless, the combination of power and plate discipline with fine defense makes Martin a key component of the Yankees success.
4) Justin Morneau, 1B, Twins
Twins fans have to be thrilled with what we’ve seen from Justin Morneau so far this season. After missing time and struggling due to a concussion and wrist issues, Morneau has blasted 11 home runs for a Twins offense desperate for power. He is still far from his peak form, as his average is down to .247, but we’ve seen enough progress to think that the 31-year-old veteran still has some nice production left in the tank.
3) Brett Lawrie, 3B, Blue Jays
The biggest Canadian prospect in quite some time, Brett Lawrie has struggled to meet expectations so far this season. Though his .275 average, 30 runs, and eight steals aren’t anything to complain about, his power has been lacking. Lawrie’s on-base percentage has suffered as well. The Blue Jays are trying to jumpstart Lawrie by placing him at the top of the lineup. It seemed to work on Sunday, as he blasted a home run and scored two runs.
2) Michael Saunders, OF, Mariners
The Mariners improvement this season comes from a few surprising sources including rising hitter Michael Saunders. The Mariners centerfielder has provided some pop with six home runs, and also some speed, as he already has a career-high nine stolen bases. Most importantly, Saunders is reaching base more often with a .272 batting clip that is significantly higher than his .216 career average. Though he still strikes out a bit too often, his .341 on-base percentage makes it much more tolerable.
1) Joey Votto, 1B, Reds
Joey Votto is making his case for a second NL MVP Award. On Tuesday he blasted his 11th home run of the season while driving in three RBI and increasing his batting average to .357. Despite the Reds impressive collection of sluggers including Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips batting behind him, the opposition is again opting to issue walks to Votto. His on-base percentage is near 50%, which in itself reflects the dominance of Votto this season. Forget calling Votto the best player in Canada, so far this year he is making a case to be the best in the world.
For more fantasy baseball insight, visit BloombergSports.com.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Report: Frazier, Maxwell, Aoki, and Wallace
Twitter: @RobShawSports and @BloombergSports
Bloomberg Sports Anchor Rob Shaw discusses four low-cost hitters worth adding to your fantasy roster this week.
Todd Frazier, 3B, Reds
At first Todd Frazier looked a lot like an all-or-nothing guy. He has some pop, but his average has been low and he does not draw many walks. However, over the last few weeks he has enjoyed the chance to play everyday and have confidence that he will not be pulled. Ever since, Frazier has found a comfort zone, hitting both right-handers and southpaws alike.
After blasting five home runs last month, Frazier is hitting .296 in June and the strikeouts are in decline while the walks are increasing in frequency. The power is legitimate and his minor league record suggests there could be many more stolen bases coming. Frazier is an excellent buy-low option who may have secured the starting third base gig for the long-term in Cincinnati.
Justin Maxwell, OF, Astros
Justin Maxwell is a name from the past for Nationals fans. He contributed in bits and parts of seasons, but never offered the consistency needed to stick. Last season he played with the New York Yankees Triple-A affiliate and in just 176 at-bats, he sent 16 bombs over the fence. Now he’s getting a shot with the Astros and he has shined with six home runs in 93 at-bats.
On the other hand, his .237 average has kept him on the bench a bit too often to contribute in fantasy circles. All of that could change, as Maxwell is showing some signs that he has something to offer. He has three home runs in nine games this month and is hitting .277 at Minute Maid. Odds are his low average will limit his playing time, but Maxwell does have the power potential that may make you roll the dice.
Norichika Aoki, OF, Brewers
In Japan, Aoki once hit 20 home runs and in another year surpassed 30 bases. However, the Brewers were not expecting a five-tool talent when they signed the 30-year-old to a two-year deal with $2.5 million guaranteed. However, in a disappointing season for the Brewers, Aoki has been excellent. He is batting a clean .300 with three home runs and five steals. He is currently riding a five-game hit streak with nine hits, two home runs, and three steals over that stretch.
Brett Wallace, 1B, Astros
The 13th pick of the 2008 draft, Brett Wallace has seen it all. He’s been drafted twice, traded three times, and after being a pleasant surprise with a .388 average in the first month of the season, his numbers took a serious downturn, resulting in a demotion to the minor leagues.
After opening the season at Triple-A with the main goal of developing some power, he was called up to the Astros. Through seven games he is hitting .400 with two home runs. The odds are against Wallace sustaining these numbers. He did not offer much of an average in the minors and still must prove that the power is legitimate. Regardless, he will have every chance to succeed with the Astros and should be in their lineup on a daily basis.
Shaw also responds to a question about what fantasy managers should do about Cliff Lee in the Bloomberg Sports Twitter Stumper of the Day.
Question: I’m considering trading Cliff Lee right now. He has 10 starts and zero wins. Is anyone in the same boat? Do you think I’m crazy?
Answer: Yes, you are crazy! Wins are just one category, and Lee has been astounding at the other three: he has a 3.18 ERA, more than a strikeout per inning, and a dominant 1.05 WHIP. Plus, he’s expecting to eventually get Ryan Howard and Chase Utley back. He will get his wins and you’ll be happy you kept him.
For more fantasy baseball insight, visit BloombergSports.com.
Bloomberg Sports 