Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is one of the game's most productive players on a per-game basis.
Based on his career numbers, he averages 103 runs scored, 102 runs batted in, 28 home runs and 13 steals in 162 games.
That said, how close will he come to playing 162 games?
Since he played a career-high 155 games in 2007, Tulowitzki has played at least 125 games in only two of the past five seasons. Last year, he played his fewest games (47) since his rookie season.
With Tulo, that is the dilemma.
Currently he is the 19th player off the board in fantasy drafts based on average draft position data from Mock Draft Central. If he plays 150 or so games, he'll be a steal.
If you draft Tulowitzki, make sure you have an adequate back-up plan for if/when he misses time.
The Other Rockies Shortstop (in Fantasy)
When it comes to fantasy sports, eligibility at multiple positions for the players on your roster is never a bad thing.
Provided he can stay healthy for a full season, Tulowitzki is the Rockies' everyday shortstop and Josh Rutledge will be the team's second baseman to open the year. That said, Rutledge spent more time at shortstop in 2012 than second base, and therefore has eligibility at both relatively thin positions.
In the minors and big leagues combined last year, Rutledge hit 21 home runs and stole 21 bases.
While I don't expect a 20/20 year in his first full big league season, a 15/15 season for Rutledge seems more than likely. If you use his big-league numbers of eight homers and seven steals in 73 games last year, he was on pace for 18 home runs and 16 stolen bases.
Likely to hit second in the lineup in front of Tulo, Rutledge will have a shot at scoring 90 runs. Considering he plays half of his games at Coors Field, it's also reasonable to expect him to hit close to .275 like last year.
After the top 12 or so (fantasy) shortstops are off the board, Rutledge is a solid option to target later in your draft. His ADP is currently 252 overall (via Mock Draft Central).
Another 20/20 season for HanRam
Speaking of eligibility at multiple positions, Hanley Ramirez has position eligibility at third base as well. While shortstop is a shallower position than third base, the flexibility is an added bonus for owners that draft HanRam.
While Ramirez once stole 51 bases in back-to-back seasons and hit a career-high 33 homers in 2008, he is unlikely to come close to either number. That said, he should repeat as one of the few shortstop-eligible players to post another 20/20 season.
Ramirez has stolen 20-plus bases every season since 2006. Meanwhile, he has 20-plus homers in five of the past six seasons. The only exception was 2011 when he played just 92 games and hit 10 home runs.
In addition to Ramirez, Washington's Ian Desmond and Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins were the only other players eligible at shortstop to have 20/20 seasons last year.
From 2006 to 2010, Ramirez has a BABIP of at least .327 each season and hit .300-plus in four of those five seasons. In 2011 and 2012 (before the trade to the Dodgers), Ramirez had a BABIP of only .275 and .271, respectively, with the Marlins.
Assuming that his BABIP is closer to his rate with the Dodgers last year (.319), Ramirez should see his average bounce back to the .280 range (or perhaps a bit higher).
Reyes Moves to the AL East
Moving to the American League, Jose Reyes will be playing with his third team in the past three seasons. For Reyes, that is good news.
With all of their offseason moves, the Toronto Blue Jays have one of the most potent lineups in all of baseball. As the table-setter for an explosive offense, Reyes will have an opportunity to score a lot of runs provided he stays healthy.
Coming into the 2013 season, Reyes has averaged 110 runs scored over 162 games. Since 2009, however, Reyes has played close to that number only once (last year). From 2009 to 2011, Reyes missed at least 29 games per season and a total of 191 games during that span.
Although he is a career .291 hitter, Reyes won the NL batting title (.337) in 2011. The only other season he hit above .300 was his rookie year (2003).
Provided he stays healthy for 150 games or so, which is no lock considering his injury history, Reyes should hit around .290 with 100 runs scored and 40 steals.
Here are my shortstop rankings for the 2013 fantasy baseball season (based on Yahoo! eligibility):
1. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
2. Hanley Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Jose Reyes, Toronto Blue Jays
4. Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs
5. Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals
6. Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays
7. Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers
8. Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies
9. Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians
10. Martin Prado, Arizona Diamondbacks
11. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
12. Josh Rutledge, Colorado Rockies
13. Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals
14. Andrelton Simmons, Atlanta Braves
15. J.J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles
16. Erick Aybar, Los Angeles Angels
17. Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals
18. Marco Scutaro, San Francisco Giants
19. Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox
20. Everth Cabrera, San Diego Padres
For a second opinion, check out Duncan Sanford's shortstop rankings. (Or view our consensus shortstop rankings here.)
Other positions: C - 1B - 2B - 3B - SS - OF - SP - RP
To keep track of our updates, follow us on Twitter @EDSBaseball, LIKE us on Facebook and/or add us to your Google+ circle.
Showing posts with label Ben Zobrist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ben Zobrist. Show all posts
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
2013 Fantasy Baseball Rankings - Top 20 Second Basemen
Not only is he a talented and consistently productive player, but New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano is both of those things at a fantasy position relatively scarce of such players.
As an example, the 12th-best batting average among qualified second basemen last year was .259. Only five of them had 20-plus home runs and six had more than 75 runs batted in.
While the position is a decent source of stolen bases, many of the top base-stealers at the position either had a low batting average or little power production (or both). Seven second basemen stole 20-plus bases and only one of that group hit .260-plus with double-digit home runs: Boston's Dustin Pedroia.
With the exception of stolen bases, Cano is elite in all four other categories of standard 5x5 rotisserie leagues. Stealing just three bases in 2012, Cano actually stole eight bases in 2011. If he steals close to that number again, just consider it gravy.
Last year, Cano hit .313 with 33 home runs and 94 runs batted in, all of which led second basemen. In addition, he scored 105 runs, which tied him with Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers.
Going forward, he remains a lock to be the leader or very close to the leader in those four categories at the position.
Over the past four seasons, Cano has the following minimums: .302 average, 25 home runs, 103 runs scored and 85 runs batted in. When it comes to power numbers, those four-year lows actually occurred four seasons ago. He has averaged exactly 30 home runs and 107 runs batted in the past three seasons.
As a career .308 hitter, Cano has had only two seasons below .300: .297 (2005) and .271 (2008). Looking at his pre- and post-All Star splits since 2009, however, he never hit below .296 in any of those eight splits. Not only is he consistent year after year, but he is also consistent within the year.
Last but certainly not least, Cano is durable. Over the past six years, he has never missed more than three games in any season and has missed a total of only 12 games during that span.
At a position with many question marks, Cano is the surest of sure things.
Phillips: A Lock for 18-15 (or Better)?
Although it was six seasons ago, Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips has a 30-30 season under his belt. While he's been a consistent source of both home runs and stolen bases, you should expect about half those numbers in 2013.
Since 2006, Phillips is only one stolen base (in 2011) shy of having seven consecutive seasons of 15-plus home runs and 15-plus stolen bases. After three straight 20-20 seasons (including the 30-30 season) from 2007 to 2009, Phillips has failed to reach 20 of either in the past three seasons.
From 2010 to 2012, he has hit exactly 18 home runs each year and has stolen 16, 14 and 15 bases, respectively, during that timeframe as well. Phillips is a solid five-category contributor at the position with a three-year average line of .285/93/18/73/15.
While he has held relatively steady in stolen bases, his number of attempted swipes has continued to drop. Over the past four years, here are his number of attempted steals: 34 (2009), 28 (2010), 23 (2011) and 17 (2012).
Can Utley Stay Healthy For a Full Season?
From 2005 to 2009, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was as good as it gets at second base. During that five-year stretch, he hit .301 and averaged 111 runs scored, 29 home runs, 101 runs batted in and 15 stolen bases.
Since then, however, he's been a shell of his former self.
Utley has played in a total of 301 games over the past three seasons with those numbers dropping each season: 115 (2010), 103 (2011) and 83 (2012).
Now that he's healthy (or at least healthier) and participating in spring training games for the first time since 2010, Utley should give fantasy owners (much) more in 2013 than he has recently.
While owners should not expect numbers close to the 2005-2009 range, it's possible that he comes close to a 20-15 season if things go well.
Here are my second basemen rankings for the 2013 fantasy baseball season (based on Yahoo! eligibility):
1. Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
2. Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
3. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
4. Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds
5. Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays
6. Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians
7. Aaron Hill, Arizona Diamondbacks
8. Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers
9. Dan Uggla, Atlanta Braves
10. Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
11. Martin Prado, Arizona Diamondbacks
12. Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
13. Neil Walker, Pittsburgh Pirates
14. Josh Rutledge, Colorado Rockies
15. Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals
16. Kyle Seager, Seattle Mariners
17. Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels
18. Dustin Ackley, Seattle Mariners
19. Marco Scutaro, San Francisco Giants
20. Jurickson Profar, Texas Rangers
For a second opinion, check out Duncan Sanford's second basemen rankings. (Or view our consensus second basemen rankings here.)
Other positions: C - 1B - 2B - 3B - SS - OF - SP - RP
To keep track of our updates, follow us on Twitter @EDSBaseball, LIKE us on Facebook and/or add us to your Google+ circle.
As an example, the 12th-best batting average among qualified second basemen last year was .259. Only five of them had 20-plus home runs and six had more than 75 runs batted in.
While the position is a decent source of stolen bases, many of the top base-stealers at the position either had a low batting average or little power production (or both). Seven second basemen stole 20-plus bases and only one of that group hit .260-plus with double-digit home runs: Boston's Dustin Pedroia.
With the exception of stolen bases, Cano is elite in all four other categories of standard 5x5 rotisserie leagues. Stealing just three bases in 2012, Cano actually stole eight bases in 2011. If he steals close to that number again, just consider it gravy.
Last year, Cano hit .313 with 33 home runs and 94 runs batted in, all of which led second basemen. In addition, he scored 105 runs, which tied him with Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers.
Going forward, he remains a lock to be the leader or very close to the leader in those four categories at the position.
Over the past four seasons, Cano has the following minimums: .302 average, 25 home runs, 103 runs scored and 85 runs batted in. When it comes to power numbers, those four-year lows actually occurred four seasons ago. He has averaged exactly 30 home runs and 107 runs batted in the past three seasons.
As a career .308 hitter, Cano has had only two seasons below .300: .297 (2005) and .271 (2008). Looking at his pre- and post-All Star splits since 2009, however, he never hit below .296 in any of those eight splits. Not only is he consistent year after year, but he is also consistent within the year.
Last but certainly not least, Cano is durable. Over the past six years, he has never missed more than three games in any season and has missed a total of only 12 games during that span.
At a position with many question marks, Cano is the surest of sure things.
Phillips: A Lock for 18-15 (or Better)?
Although it was six seasons ago, Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips has a 30-30 season under his belt. While he's been a consistent source of both home runs and stolen bases, you should expect about half those numbers in 2013.
Since 2006, Phillips is only one stolen base (in 2011) shy of having seven consecutive seasons of 15-plus home runs and 15-plus stolen bases. After three straight 20-20 seasons (including the 30-30 season) from 2007 to 2009, Phillips has failed to reach 20 of either in the past three seasons.
From 2010 to 2012, he has hit exactly 18 home runs each year and has stolen 16, 14 and 15 bases, respectively, during that timeframe as well. Phillips is a solid five-category contributor at the position with a three-year average line of .285/93/18/73/15.
While he has held relatively steady in stolen bases, his number of attempted swipes has continued to drop. Over the past four years, here are his number of attempted steals: 34 (2009), 28 (2010), 23 (2011) and 17 (2012).
Can Utley Stay Healthy For a Full Season?
From 2005 to 2009, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was as good as it gets at second base. During that five-year stretch, he hit .301 and averaged 111 runs scored, 29 home runs, 101 runs batted in and 15 stolen bases.
Since then, however, he's been a shell of his former self.
Utley has played in a total of 301 games over the past three seasons with those numbers dropping each season: 115 (2010), 103 (2011) and 83 (2012).
Now that he's healthy (or at least healthier) and participating in spring training games for the first time since 2010, Utley should give fantasy owners (much) more in 2013 than he has recently.
While owners should not expect numbers close to the 2005-2009 range, it's possible that he comes close to a 20-15 season if things go well.
Here are my second basemen rankings for the 2013 fantasy baseball season (based on Yahoo! eligibility):
1. Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
2. Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
3. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
4. Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds
5. Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays
6. Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians
7. Aaron Hill, Arizona Diamondbacks
8. Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers
9. Dan Uggla, Atlanta Braves
10. Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
11. Martin Prado, Arizona Diamondbacks
12. Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
13. Neil Walker, Pittsburgh Pirates
14. Josh Rutledge, Colorado Rockies
15. Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals
16. Kyle Seager, Seattle Mariners
17. Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels
18. Dustin Ackley, Seattle Mariners
19. Marco Scutaro, San Francisco Giants
20. Jurickson Profar, Texas Rangers
For a second opinion, check out Duncan Sanford's second basemen rankings. (Or view our consensus second basemen rankings here.)
Other positions: C - 1B - 2B - 3B - SS - OF - SP - RP
To keep track of our updates, follow us on Twitter @EDSBaseball, LIKE us on Facebook and/or add us to your Google+ circle.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
(Updated) 2012 Fantasy Baseball Preseason Rankings: Top 25 Second Basemen
Last year, there were 12 players in the majors that had 20-20 seasons.
The vast majority of those 12 players were outfielders (10). But the other two were both second basemen: Ian Kinsler, who was one of four 30-30 guys, and Dustin Pedroia.
In addition to Kinsler and Pedroia, there were four other second basemen (or second base-eligible players) that had 15-15 seasons: Ben Zobrist, Danny Espinosa, Kelly Johnson and Ryan Roberts.
There were only 24 players that had 15-15 seasons in 2011, which means that one-quarter (six) of them were eligible at second base.
Plus Brandon Phillips, who had 18 homers and 14 steals, just missed the 15-15 club.
In other words, there are several solid options at second base that can provide fantasy owners with value after the elite ones at the top.
Here are some notes on second basemen:
- Speaking of elite second basemen, Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano set career highs last year in runs scored (104), runs batted in (118) and stolen bases (eight). Cano is one of the most consistent hitters in baseball. Over the past three years, he has scored 100-plus runs, hit 25-plus home runs and batted .300-plus every year.
- In 2010, White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham started slow, but he hit much better after the All-Star Break (.310, six home runs and 27 runs batted in). Last year, however, he hit poorly all season and even worse after the break (.213, three homers and 19 runs batted in).
- For the second straight season, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley played in 115 games or less. In the previous five seasons (2005-2009), here were Utley's per-season averages in the five standard rotisserie categories: 110.6 runs scored, 29.2 home runs, 108.8 runs batted in, 15.4 stolen bases and .301 batting average. In other words, if he can stay healthy, which seems unlikely, there is plenty of upside from where he is currently being drafted.
- Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa is not going to help much in runs scored or runs batted in and he's going to hurt you in batting average (.236 last year). That said, Espinosa will help in home runs (21) and stolen bases (17). Espinosa was one of eight National League players to finish with 20-plus homers and 15-plus steals in 2011 and the other seven players were all outfielders.
- One player who fell just short of 20-15 was Arizona's Ryan Roberts, who is eligible at second as well as third base. Roberts finished the season with 19 home runs and 18 stolen bases, both of which were career highs. Roberts also set career highs in runs scored (86) and runs batted in (65).
- The biggest knock on Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler has been his ability to stay healthy. Last year, Kinsler missed only seven games and played in more than 130 games for only the second time in his six-year career. Not-so-coincidentally, Kinsler has had 30-30 seasons in both of those seasons. He finished with 32 home runs and 30 stolen bases and set a career high in runs scored (121).
- Similar to Kinsler, Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks has struggled to stay healthy. With the exception of 2010 (160 games), Weeks has played in 129 games or less every season. On a per-game basis, Weeks will really help in the counting statistics from the second base position, but the most pressing question will always be: How many games will he play?
- Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia started slow (.255 and .227 averages in April and May), but he finished strong from June to September. Pedroia hit over .300 in each of the other four months of the season including .411 in 26 games in July with eight home runs and 22 runs batted in. Pedroia set career highs in home runs (21), runs batted in (91) and stolen bases (26) and scored more than 100 runs for his third straight season last year.
- Not only is Michael Cuddyer eligible at second base, but as we noted in our first base rankings, he is eligible at first and outfield as well. In addition to offering fantasy owners positional flexibility, Cuddyer is moving to the friendlier confines of Coors Field this season. Although he played in only 139 games last year, Cuddyer set a career high in steals (11) and hit 20-plus homers for only the third time in his career.
Here are our top 25 second basemen for the 2012 season:
1. Robinson Cano, Yankees
2. Ian Kinsler, Rangers
3. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox
4. Dan Uggla, Braves
5. Chase Utley, Phillies
6. Ben Zobrist, Rays
7. Brandon Phillips, Reds
8. Michael Young, Rangers
9. Rickie Weeks, Brewers
10. Dustin Ackley, Mariners
11. Howard Kendrick, Angels
12. Michael Cuddyer, Rockies
13. Jason Kipnis, Indians
14. Ryan Roberts, Diamondbacks
15. Danny Espinosa, Nationals
16. Neil Walker, Pirates
17. Jemile Weeks, Athletics
18. Kelly Johnson, Blue Jays
19. Aaron Hill, Diamondbacks
20. Gordon Beckham, White Sox
21. Daniel Murphy, Mets
22. Jose Altuve, Astros
23. Omar Infante, Marlins
24. Sean Rodriguez, Rays
25. Johnny Giavotella, Royals
Other Positions: C - 1B - 2B - 3B - SS - OF - SP - RP
To keep track of our updates, follow us on Twitter @EDSBaseball and/or LIKE us on Facebook.
The vast majority of those 12 players were outfielders (10). But the other two were both second basemen: Ian Kinsler, who was one of four 30-30 guys, and Dustin Pedroia.
In addition to Kinsler and Pedroia, there were four other second basemen (or second base-eligible players) that had 15-15 seasons: Ben Zobrist, Danny Espinosa, Kelly Johnson and Ryan Roberts.
There were only 24 players that had 15-15 seasons in 2011, which means that one-quarter (six) of them were eligible at second base.
Plus Brandon Phillips, who had 18 homers and 14 steals, just missed the 15-15 club.
In other words, there are several solid options at second base that can provide fantasy owners with value after the elite ones at the top.
Here are some notes on second basemen:
- Speaking of elite second basemen, Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano set career highs last year in runs scored (104), runs batted in (118) and stolen bases (eight). Cano is one of the most consistent hitters in baseball. Over the past three years, he has scored 100-plus runs, hit 25-plus home runs and batted .300-plus every year.
- In 2010, White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham started slow, but he hit much better after the All-Star Break (.310, six home runs and 27 runs batted in). Last year, however, he hit poorly all season and even worse after the break (.213, three homers and 19 runs batted in).
- For the second straight season, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley played in 115 games or less. In the previous five seasons (2005-2009), here were Utley's per-season averages in the five standard rotisserie categories: 110.6 runs scored, 29.2 home runs, 108.8 runs batted in, 15.4 stolen bases and .301 batting average. In other words, if he can stay healthy, which seems unlikely, there is plenty of upside from where he is currently being drafted.
- Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa is not going to help much in runs scored or runs batted in and he's going to hurt you in batting average (.236 last year). That said, Espinosa will help in home runs (21) and stolen bases (17). Espinosa was one of eight National League players to finish with 20-plus homers and 15-plus steals in 2011 and the other seven players were all outfielders.
- One player who fell just short of 20-15 was Arizona's Ryan Roberts, who is eligible at second as well as third base. Roberts finished the season with 19 home runs and 18 stolen bases, both of which were career highs. Roberts also set career highs in runs scored (86) and runs batted in (65).
- The biggest knock on Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler has been his ability to stay healthy. Last year, Kinsler missed only seven games and played in more than 130 games for only the second time in his six-year career. Not-so-coincidentally, Kinsler has had 30-30 seasons in both of those seasons. He finished with 32 home runs and 30 stolen bases and set a career high in runs scored (121).
- Similar to Kinsler, Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks has struggled to stay healthy. With the exception of 2010 (160 games), Weeks has played in 129 games or less every season. On a per-game basis, Weeks will really help in the counting statistics from the second base position, but the most pressing question will always be: How many games will he play?
- Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia started slow (.255 and .227 averages in April and May), but he finished strong from June to September. Pedroia hit over .300 in each of the other four months of the season including .411 in 26 games in July with eight home runs and 22 runs batted in. Pedroia set career highs in home runs (21), runs batted in (91) and stolen bases (26) and scored more than 100 runs for his third straight season last year.
- Not only is Michael Cuddyer eligible at second base, but as we noted in our first base rankings, he is eligible at first and outfield as well. In addition to offering fantasy owners positional flexibility, Cuddyer is moving to the friendlier confines of Coors Field this season. Although he played in only 139 games last year, Cuddyer set a career high in steals (11) and hit 20-plus homers for only the third time in his career.
Here are our top 25 second basemen for the 2012 season:
1. Robinson Cano, Yankees
2. Ian Kinsler, Rangers
3. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox
4. Dan Uggla, Braves
5. Chase Utley, Phillies
6. Ben Zobrist, Rays
7. Brandon Phillips, Reds
8. Michael Young, Rangers
9. Rickie Weeks, Brewers
10. Dustin Ackley, Mariners
11. Howard Kendrick, Angels
12. Michael Cuddyer, Rockies
13. Jason Kipnis, Indians
14. Ryan Roberts, Diamondbacks
15. Danny Espinosa, Nationals
16. Neil Walker, Pirates
17. Jemile Weeks, Athletics
18. Kelly Johnson, Blue Jays
19. Aaron Hill, Diamondbacks
20. Gordon Beckham, White Sox
21. Daniel Murphy, Mets
22. Jose Altuve, Astros
23. Omar Infante, Marlins
24. Sean Rodriguez, Rays
25. Johnny Giavotella, Royals
Other Positions: C - 1B - 2B - 3B - SS - OF - SP - RP
To keep track of our updates, follow us on Twitter @EDSBaseball and/or LIKE us on Facebook.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Evan Longoria lands on 15-day DL
Earlier today, we noted that Rays third baseman Evan Longoria did not expect to miss more than a week due to his strained oblique.
He was wrong.
The Rays have placed Longoria on the 15-day disabled list and infielder Felipe Lopez will join the Rays from Triple-A Durham, per Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
"It's just unfortunate," [manager Joe] Maddon said. "We're having a hard time scoring runs out of the chute. He's probably our best run producer and now we don't have him. We're just going to have to make some adjustments and keep playing.''
In today's game against the Orioles, Ben Zobrist is hitting in Longoria's No. 3 spot and Sean Rodriguez is playing third base, as expected.
He was wrong.
The Rays have placed Longoria on the 15-day disabled list and infielder Felipe Lopez will join the Rays from Triple-A Durham, per Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
"It's just unfortunate," [manager Joe] Maddon said. "We're having a hard time scoring runs out of the chute. He's probably our best run producer and now we don't have him. We're just going to have to make some adjustments and keep playing.''
In today's game against the Orioles, Ben Zobrist is hitting in Longoria's No. 3 spot and Sean Rodriguez is playing third base, as expected.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Mid-season Awards: A.L. MVP
In what was intended to be a weekend worth of mid-season picks for major MLB awards, my laziness has stretched to three weeks.
That being said, I'm ready to post my selection for the A.L. MVP as the Cubs and Cardinals play us into this year's All-Star break.
For N.L. MVP, there was no uncertainty. Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was the obvious choice. The A.L. MVP isn't nearly as obvious.
A.L. MVP: Joe Mauer, Twins - Ernie Lombardi (1942) was the last catcher to win a battle before Joe Mauer. Since Lombardi, Mauer has won two batting titles. Despite having his worst game of the season (0-for-5 with four strikeouts) today, Mauer is hitting .373 heading into the All-Star break and leading the A.L. in batting average.
What's different in 2009 for the career .324 hitter is his increase in power. Mauer has hit 15 home runs at the midway point even though he missed the first month of the season. And before this year, his career high was 13 home runs.
Mauer leads the A.L. in OBS (1.090). He and Tampa Bay's Ben Zobrist are the only two A.L. players with an OBS of 1.000 or greater heading into Sunday's games.
His 49 runs scored and 49 RBIs put him on pace to surpass 100 of each.
Runner-up: Justin Morneau, Twins - Morneau has put up strong numbers across the board and you could easily make the case that Mauer and Morneau should swap positions.
At the break, Morneau is batting .311 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI. He's second in the A.L. in RBI and tied for fourth place in home runs.
Mauer and Morneau have a nearly identical AB:HR ratio. Mauer has hit one home run per 16.07 at bats while Morneau has hit one home run per 15.9 at bats.
Honorable Mention: Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle), Jason Bay (Boston), Mark Teixeira (NY Yankees), Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay), Ben Zobrist (Tampa Bay), Torii Hunter (LA Angels)
See Cy Young picks: American League and National League.
That being said, I'm ready to post my selection for the A.L. MVP as the Cubs and Cardinals play us into this year's All-Star break.
For N.L. MVP, there was no uncertainty. Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was the obvious choice. The A.L. MVP isn't nearly as obvious.
A.L. MVP: Joe Mauer, Twins - Ernie Lombardi (1942) was the last catcher to win a battle before Joe Mauer. Since Lombardi, Mauer has won two batting titles. Despite having his worst game of the season (0-for-5 with four strikeouts) today, Mauer is hitting .373 heading into the All-Star break and leading the A.L. in batting average.
What's different in 2009 for the career .324 hitter is his increase in power. Mauer has hit 15 home runs at the midway point even though he missed the first month of the season. And before this year, his career high was 13 home runs.
Mauer leads the A.L. in OBS (1.090). He and Tampa Bay's Ben Zobrist are the only two A.L. players with an OBS of 1.000 or greater heading into Sunday's games.
His 49 runs scored and 49 RBIs put him on pace to surpass 100 of each.
Runner-up: Justin Morneau, Twins - Morneau has put up strong numbers across the board and you could easily make the case that Mauer and Morneau should swap positions.
At the break, Morneau is batting .311 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI. He's second in the A.L. in RBI and tied for fourth place in home runs.
Mauer and Morneau have a nearly identical AB:HR ratio. Mauer has hit one home run per 16.07 at bats while Morneau has hit one home run per 15.9 at bats.
Honorable Mention: Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle), Jason Bay (Boston), Mark Teixeira (NY Yankees), Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay), Ben Zobrist (Tampa Bay), Torii Hunter (LA Angels)
See Cy Young picks: American League and National League.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Andy Sonnanstine, designated hitter?
Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon meant for Evan Longoria to DH while Ben Zobrist plays third base.
However, on the official sheet provided to the umpire before the game, Maddon listed both Zobrist and Longoria at third base.
That meant that Longoria wouldn't be allowed to DH and Rays pitcher Andy Sonnanstine would hit instead. Not only would Sonnanstine hit, but he had to bat third (where Longoria was intended to hit).
Although Sonnanstine recorded his first career extra-base hit during his second at-bat, I'm sure Maddon will be more careful next time.
However, on the official sheet provided to the umpire before the game, Maddon listed both Zobrist and Longoria at third base.
That meant that Longoria wouldn't be allowed to DH and Rays pitcher Andy Sonnanstine would hit instead. Not only would Sonnanstine hit, but he had to bat third (where Longoria was intended to hit).
Although Sonnanstine recorded his first career extra-base hit during his second at-bat, I'm sure Maddon will be more careful next time.
Monday, March 23, 2009
BJ Upton to miss first week of season?
Tampa Bay Rays CF B.J. Upton, who was recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, was hit by a pitch on his left hand on Saturday. While the X-rays were negative, Upton has a bruised bone and swelling near his pinkie finger.
Upton is expected to miss the first week of the season when the Rays head north to face division rivals Boston and Baltimore.
The Rays will use Gabe Kapler, Gabe Gross, Ben Zobrist and Justin Ruggiano in center and right field depending on whether the opposing pitcher is right- or left-handed.
With the post-season power surge that Upton had (7 HRs and 16 RBIs in 16 games), I expect him to have a huge season.
Maddon is doing the right thing by not rushing Upton back and jeopardize having him healthy later in the season.
Upton is expected to miss the first week of the season when the Rays head north to face division rivals Boston and Baltimore.
The Rays will use Gabe Kapler, Gabe Gross, Ben Zobrist and Justin Ruggiano in center and right field depending on whether the opposing pitcher is right- or left-handed.
"I like the fact we are that versatile," [Rays manager Joe] Maddon said. "We're versatile, but we don't make ourselves weaker."In 2007, Upton hit 24 HRs in the regular season. But he only hit 9 HRs during the regular season in 2008.
With the post-season power surge that Upton had (7 HRs and 16 RBIs in 16 games), I expect him to have a huge season.
Maddon is doing the right thing by not rushing Upton back and jeopardize having him healthy later in the season.
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