The NL MVP race does not have all the pizazz of the AL race, which has two guys with 30-plus home runs and the chance for a second triple crown in a row.
My contenders to win it would be Allen Craig, who is hitting .333 with 74 RBIs, Paul Goldschmidt at .313 with 21 home runs and 77 RBIs, and Michael Cuddyer, hitting .330 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs.
I'd also give an honorable mention to Jean Segura, who has cooled off a bit of late, but is still hitting .325 with 121 hits and 27 stolen bases. Segura has been killing it in fantasy, so gotta give him a mention.
Without too much conviction on my pick, I'll take Goldschmidt, who is putting up the best numbers on a team that, at the moment, is leading the division.
For other midseason awards, see below:
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
Showing posts with label Colorado Rockies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colorado Rockies. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
2013 Fantasy Baseball Rankings - Top 50 Outfielders
In the vast majority of fantasy baseball drafts this season, the first player selected is going to be an outfielder. While that much is certain, the specific outfielder that goes first overall is much less of a lock.
Although Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera could make a strong argument that he should be the first overall pick, the decision for most fantasy owners will come down to Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun or Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout.
That said, it's like choosing between a Rolls Royce or a Bentley. In other words, there's not really a wrong choice.
As the unanimous choice for American League Rookie of the Year, Trout finished second in the AL MVP voting behind Cabrera, the first triple-crown winner of my lifetime. Not only did Trout get six of the 28 first-place votes over the triple-crown winner, he began the season in the minor leagues.
Despite playing his first 20 games of 2012 in the minors, the 20-year-old (now 21) made the most of his opportunity once he was called up. Trout hit .326 with 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases in only 139 games. In addition, he scored 129 runs and finished with 83 runs battted in.
Imagine what his stat line would have been had he started the year in Anaheim.
Adding in his minor league numbers, his 2012 totals over both levels were 150 runs scored, 31 home runs, 96 runs batted in and 55 stolen bases.
Like Trout, Braun is a player that will help fantasy owners in all five roto categories and both players had 30/30 seasons in 2012. Trout had a 30/50 season; Braun actually had a 40/30 season.
In fact, Braun has back-to-back 30/30 seasons under his belt.
Since being called up in 2007, Braun has hit above .300 in all but one season (.285 in 2008) and .319 or better in four of those six seasons. In addition, Braun has scored more than 100 runs in four consecutive seasons and driven in more than 100 runs in each of the past five seasons.
Perhaps he won't steal 30-plus bases for a third consecutive year, but Braun is a lock for a line of .300/100/30/100/20 with upside in all five of those categories.
Can CarGo Go For More than 145 Games?
In addition to Braun and Trout, several outfielders should go in the first round of drafts including Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.
The glass-half-full view with CarGo is that he has three consecutive 20/20 seasons despite playing 145 games or less in each of those seasons.
Of course, the glass-half-empty view is that he has averaged only 135.7 games per year over the past three years.
If healthy (or close to healthy) for a full season, Gonzalez can post a monster stat line. Back in 2010 with 145 games played, he posted a career-best line of .336/111/34/117/26.
As a career .299 hitter, a lot would have to go right for him to approach the .336 average he had that season, but he certainly has a shot of repeating his production in the counting statistics if he can set a new career high in games played.
Onward and Heyward
After a disappointing and injury-plagued (shoulder) sophomore season in 2011, Atlanta Braves rightfielder Jason Heyward had a breakout season last year.
Not only did he play a career-high 158 games, but the J-Hey Kid set career highs in hits (158), home runs (27), runs scored (93), runs batted in (82) and stolen bases (21).
Heyward is expected to move to second (from third) in the batting order this year so it's likely that he scores a few more runs but drives in the same or maybe fewer runs.
Only 23 years old and as a former top prospect, Heyward should continue to improve his overall game and fantasy production.
A Teenager No More
At only 19 years old, Washington Nationals phenom Bryce Harper won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2012.
Like Trout, Harper made his big league debut last season on April 28th and for the (not quite) full season, he hit 22 home runs and stole 18 bases. In addition, he finished fifth in the league in runs scored (98).
Harper carries positive momentum with him as he enters his second season.
In his final 12 regular-season games last year, he hit .415 with three home runs, eight runs batted, 11 runs scored and five steals. In 19 games this spring, Harper is hitting .396 with three home runs, eight runs, 12 runs batted in and two steals.
While we may be a season or two away from the day that Harper becomes a perennial MVP candidate, he has all the physical tools and virtually unlimited potential. With Trout's monster season as a 20-year-old last year, maybe we're not as far away as some would think.
Here are my top 50 fantasy outfielders (based on Yahoo! eligibility):
1. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
2. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
3. Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies
6. Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays
7. Josh Hamilton, Los Angeles Angels
8. Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
9. Justin Upton, Atlanta Braves
10. Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
11. Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves
12. Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers
13. Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals
14. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
15. Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
16. Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds
17. Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals
18. Allen Craig, St. Louis Cardinals
19. Yoennis Cespedes, Oakland Athletics
20. Shin-Soo Choo, Cincinnati Reds
21. Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays
22. B.J. Upton, Atlanta Braves
23. Alex Rios, Chicago White Sox
24. Michael Bourn, Cleveland Indians
25. Desmond Jennings, Tampa Bay Rays
26. Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees
27. Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals
28. Melky Cabrera, Toronto Blue Jays
29. Mark Trumbo, Los Angeles Angels
30. Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers
31. Nick Markakis, Baltimore Orioles
32. Martin Prado, Arizona Diamondbacks
33. Carl Crawford, Los Angeles Dodgers
34. Shane Victorino, Boston Red Sox
35. Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee Brewers
36. Hunter Pence, San Francisco Giants
37. Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers
38. Andre Ethier, Los Angeles Dodgers
39. Josh Willingham, Minnesota Twins
40. Ichiro Suzuki, New York Yankees
41. Ben Revere, Philadelphia Phillies
42. Mike Morse, Seattle Mariners
43. Norichika Aoki, Milwaukee Brewers
44. Michael Cuddyer, Colorado Rockies
45. Alejandro De Aza, Chicago White Sox
46. Angel Pagan, San Francisco Giants
47. Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox
48. Nick Swisher, Cleveland Indians
49. Dexter Fowler, Colorado Rockies
50. Brett Gardner, New York Yankees
For a second opinion, check out Duncan Sanford's outfielder rankings. (Or view our consensus third 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.
Although Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera could make a strong argument that he should be the first overall pick, the decision for most fantasy owners will come down to Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun or Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout.
That said, it's like choosing between a Rolls Royce or a Bentley. In other words, there's not really a wrong choice.
As the unanimous choice for American League Rookie of the Year, Trout finished second in the AL MVP voting behind Cabrera, the first triple-crown winner of my lifetime. Not only did Trout get six of the 28 first-place votes over the triple-crown winner, he began the season in the minor leagues.
Despite playing his first 20 games of 2012 in the minors, the 20-year-old (now 21) made the most of his opportunity once he was called up. Trout hit .326 with 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases in only 139 games. In addition, he scored 129 runs and finished with 83 runs battted in.
Imagine what his stat line would have been had he started the year in Anaheim.
Adding in his minor league numbers, his 2012 totals over both levels were 150 runs scored, 31 home runs, 96 runs batted in and 55 stolen bases.
Like Trout, Braun is a player that will help fantasy owners in all five roto categories and both players had 30/30 seasons in 2012. Trout had a 30/50 season; Braun actually had a 40/30 season.
In fact, Braun has back-to-back 30/30 seasons under his belt.
Since being called up in 2007, Braun has hit above .300 in all but one season (.285 in 2008) and .319 or better in four of those six seasons. In addition, Braun has scored more than 100 runs in four consecutive seasons and driven in more than 100 runs in each of the past five seasons.
Perhaps he won't steal 30-plus bases for a third consecutive year, but Braun is a lock for a line of .300/100/30/100/20 with upside in all five of those categories.
Can CarGo Go For More than 145 Games?
In addition to Braun and Trout, several outfielders should go in the first round of drafts including Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.
The glass-half-full view with CarGo is that he has three consecutive 20/20 seasons despite playing 145 games or less in each of those seasons.
Of course, the glass-half-empty view is that he has averaged only 135.7 games per year over the past three years.
If healthy (or close to healthy) for a full season, Gonzalez can post a monster stat line. Back in 2010 with 145 games played, he posted a career-best line of .336/111/34/117/26.
As a career .299 hitter, a lot would have to go right for him to approach the .336 average he had that season, but he certainly has a shot of repeating his production in the counting statistics if he can set a new career high in games played.
Onward and Heyward
After a disappointing and injury-plagued (shoulder) sophomore season in 2011, Atlanta Braves rightfielder Jason Heyward had a breakout season last year.
Not only did he play a career-high 158 games, but the J-Hey Kid set career highs in hits (158), home runs (27), runs scored (93), runs batted in (82) and stolen bases (21).
Heyward is expected to move to second (from third) in the batting order this year so it's likely that he scores a few more runs but drives in the same or maybe fewer runs.
Only 23 years old and as a former top prospect, Heyward should continue to improve his overall game and fantasy production.
A Teenager No More
At only 19 years old, Washington Nationals phenom Bryce Harper won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2012.
Like Trout, Harper made his big league debut last season on April 28th and for the (not quite) full season, he hit 22 home runs and stole 18 bases. In addition, he finished fifth in the league in runs scored (98).
Harper carries positive momentum with him as he enters his second season.
In his final 12 regular-season games last year, he hit .415 with three home runs, eight runs batted, 11 runs scored and five steals. In 19 games this spring, Harper is hitting .396 with three home runs, eight runs, 12 runs batted in and two steals.
While we may be a season or two away from the day that Harper becomes a perennial MVP candidate, he has all the physical tools and virtually unlimited potential. With Trout's monster season as a 20-year-old last year, maybe we're not as far away as some would think.
Here are my top 50 fantasy outfielders (based on Yahoo! eligibility):
1. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
2. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
3. Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies
6. Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays
7. Josh Hamilton, Los Angeles Angels
8. Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
9. Justin Upton, Atlanta Braves
10. Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
11. Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves
12. Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers
13. Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals
14. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
15. Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
16. Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds
17. Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals
18. Allen Craig, St. Louis Cardinals
19. Yoennis Cespedes, Oakland Athletics
20. Shin-Soo Choo, Cincinnati Reds
21. Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays
22. B.J. Upton, Atlanta Braves
23. Alex Rios, Chicago White Sox
24. Michael Bourn, Cleveland Indians
25. Desmond Jennings, Tampa Bay Rays
26. Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees
27. Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals
28. Melky Cabrera, Toronto Blue Jays
29. Mark Trumbo, Los Angeles Angels
30. Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers
31. Nick Markakis, Baltimore Orioles
32. Martin Prado, Arizona Diamondbacks
33. Carl Crawford, Los Angeles Dodgers
34. Shane Victorino, Boston Red Sox
35. Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee Brewers
36. Hunter Pence, San Francisco Giants
37. Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers
38. Andre Ethier, Los Angeles Dodgers
39. Josh Willingham, Minnesota Twins
40. Ichiro Suzuki, New York Yankees
41. Ben Revere, Philadelphia Phillies
42. Mike Morse, Seattle Mariners
43. Norichika Aoki, Milwaukee Brewers
44. Michael Cuddyer, Colorado Rockies
45. Alejandro De Aza, Chicago White Sox
46. Angel Pagan, San Francisco Giants
47. Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox
48. Nick Swisher, Cleveland Indians
49. Dexter Fowler, Colorado Rockies
50. Brett Gardner, New York Yankees
For a second opinion, check out Duncan Sanford's outfielder rankings. (Or view our consensus third 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.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
2013 Fantasy Baseball Rankings - Top 20 Shortstops
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.
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.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Rockies trade Ubaldo Jimenez to Indians for four prospects including Drew Pomeranz
The Colorado Rockies have traded starter Ubaldo Jimenez to the Cleveland Indians for four prospects: pitchers Drew Pomeranz, Alex White and Joe Gardner and first baseman Matt McBride.
All three pitchers rank in the top six of the Indians prospects by MLB.com with Pomeranz, the fifth overall pick in 2010, ranked second behind third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall.
Technically, Pomeranz can't be traded until August 15th.
Jimenez, who was rocked last night (four walks and four earned runs in one inning), has a reasonable salary over the next couple of seasons: $2.8 million (2011), $4.2 million (2012) and $5.7 million (2013). There is a club option for $14 million in 2014, but Jimenez can void that due to the trade.
But ESPN's Keith Law thinks that the Indians made a bad move for two reasons. First, the Indians have struggled (23-36) since their surprising start (30-15), which came against relatively easier competition. Second, it's unclear which Ubaldo Jimenez the Indians will get.
Last year, Jimenez was 15-1 with a 2.20 ERA heading into the All-Star Break. Since then, Jimenez has a 10-16 record with an ERA of 4.19.
All three pitchers rank in the top six of the Indians prospects by MLB.com with Pomeranz, the fifth overall pick in 2010, ranked second behind third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall.
Technically, Pomeranz can't be traded until August 15th.
Jimenez, who was rocked last night (four walks and four earned runs in one inning), has a reasonable salary over the next couple of seasons: $2.8 million (2011), $4.2 million (2012) and $5.7 million (2013). There is a club option for $14 million in 2014, but Jimenez can void that due to the trade.
But ESPN's Keith Law thinks that the Indians made a bad move for two reasons. First, the Indians have struggled (23-36) since their surprising start (30-15), which came against relatively easier competition. Second, it's unclear which Ubaldo Jimenez the Indians will get.
Last year, Jimenez was 15-1 with a 2.20 ERA heading into the All-Star Break. Since then, Jimenez has a 10-16 record with an ERA of 4.19.
"He's been a little beat up this year," closer Chris Perez said of Jimenez (via Paul Hoynsie of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer), "but Colorado isn't the easiest place to pitch. His road numbers are much better and he's on a club-friendly contract.
"I think we gave up a lot of talent, but you have to give talent to get talent. Pomeranz has a lot of talent, but at the same time he's never pitched up here. In five years we might be kicking ourselves."
As of last night's game, the Indians are 53-51 and 1.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers (56-51).Saturday, June 25, 2011
C.C. Sabathia becomes first pitcher this season to win ten games
Yankees starter C.C. Sabathia became the first pitcher in baseball to win ten games this season.
In today's 8-3 win over the Rockies, Sabathia allowed only one run, which came in the eighth inning, and struck out nine batters in eight innings.
“I wish I could say it meant something, but it don’t,” he said with a shrug and a sly smile, per the Associated Press. “We’re here to win championships. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Today's win means the Yankees have moved into a tie with the Red Sox for the best record (44-31) in the American League. Only the Phillies have a better record (48-29) in all of baseball.
Although Sabathia won two of his past three starts, today's performance was the first solid outing he had over his last four starts. Before today's game, he allowed 14 earned runs in 20 2/3 innings (6.24 ERA) in that three-game span.
On the season, Sabathia is 10-4 with an ERA of 3.25 and 93 strikeouts.
In today's 8-3 win over the Rockies, Sabathia allowed only one run, which came in the eighth inning, and struck out nine batters in eight innings.
“I wish I could say it meant something, but it don’t,” he said with a shrug and a sly smile, per the Associated Press. “We’re here to win championships. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Today's win means the Yankees have moved into a tie with the Red Sox for the best record (44-31) in the American League. Only the Phillies have a better record (48-29) in all of baseball.
Although Sabathia won two of his past three starts, today's performance was the first solid outing he had over his last four starts. Before today's game, he allowed 14 earned runs in 20 2/3 innings (6.24 ERA) in that three-game span.
On the season, Sabathia is 10-4 with an ERA of 3.25 and 93 strikeouts.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Ubaldo Jimenez to go on DL
Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez got off to an incredible start in 2010. The same cannot be said about his start to the 2011 season.
The Rockies will place Jimenez on the 15-day disabled list (DL) due to a thumb injury, retroactive to April 2nd, which means he'll be eligible to come off the DL on April 17th.
"It's never good to go on the DL," Jimenez said, per Troy Renck of the Denver Post. "But I need to be able to help the team. It's getting better, but I still feel pain when I grip the ball."
Right-handed pitcher Greg Reynolds, who has been recalled from Triple-A, will take his roster spot.
In his one start this season, Jimenez allowed five earned runs and only struck out one batter in six innings.
The Rockies will place Jimenez on the 15-day disabled list (DL) due to a thumb injury, retroactive to April 2nd, which means he'll be eligible to come off the DL on April 17th.
"It's never good to go on the DL," Jimenez said, per Troy Renck of the Denver Post. "But I need to be able to help the team. It's getting better, but I still feel pain when I grip the ball."
Right-handed pitcher Greg Reynolds, who has been recalled from Triple-A, will take his roster spot.
In his one start this season, Jimenez allowed five earned runs and only struck out one batter in six innings.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Fantasy Baseball: 2011 Outfielder Rankings
Our top three fantasy outfielders in 2011 are the same top three fantasy outfielders that most other sites have in their top three. However, I've seen all three in the top spot at a relatively even split. In an ideal world, I'd like to get my No. 1 outfielder as the third outfielder off the board.
Here are our top 50 outfielders in fantasy baseball for 2011:
1. Ryan Braun, Brewers: Although Braun hit a career-low 25 home runs in 2010, he has 90-plus runs, 97-plus runs batted in and 14-plus steals every year. Plus, he has hit .300-plus in three out of four seasons.
2. Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies: What a breakout season it was for Gonzalez! Despite missing 15 games, he finished with a line of .336-111-34-117-26. As solid as he was across the board, CarGo played much better at Coors Field (.380, 26 homers, 76 RBIs) than on the road (.289, eight homers, 41 RBIs) in 2010.
3. Carl Crawford, Red Sox: Crawford set career highs in runs scored (110), home runs (19) and runs batted in (90) last year in Tampa. In the past five years, Crawford has hit over .300 four times. And with the exception of his 109-game season in 2008, Crawford has stolen 46-plus bases every year since 2003.
4. Matt Holliday, Cardinals: Excluding his .290 batting average in his rookie season (.290), Holliday's full-year batting averages have been .300-plus every year. While he's unlikely to ever steal 28 bases again (as he did in 2008), Holliday will help in all counting numbers to the tune of roughly 95-100 runs, 100-110 runs batted in, 25-30 homers and 10-15 steals.
5. Matt Kemp, Dodgers: Other than a small year-over-year increase in home runs (26 to 28), Kemp's numbers declined across the board in 2010 from 2009. After three straight seasons hitting .290-plus, his average plummeted to .249. In addition, he saw year-over-year declines in runs scored (97 to 82), runs batted in (101 to 89) and stolen bases (34 to 19).
6. Josh Hamilton, Rangers: When projecting Hamilton's fantasy value, the first thing you need to take into consideration is the number of games you expect him to play. Even so, he can be highly productive when he misses plenty of games as he proved last year by being named the A.L. MVP despite missing almost 30 games.
7. Shin-Soo Choo, Indians: In 2010, three players hit .300-plus, hit 20-plus home runs and stole 20-plus bases: Florida's Hanley Ramirez, Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez and Choo. For Choo, he's done so in back-to-back seasons (his only two where he has played 100-plus games).
8. Nelson Cruz, Rangers: Over the past two seasons, Cruz has missed 88 games but he still managed to hit 55 home runs and steal 37 bases during that span. That's a 162-game pace of 37 home runs and 25 steals.
9. Justin Upton, Diamondbacks: Upton, the number one overall draft pick in 2005, is still only 23 years old and undoubtedly has plenty of upside. Over the past two years, Upton have averaged 21.5 home runs and 19 steals despite averaging only 135.5 games. With good health, Upton should easily reach 20-20 with the potential for 30-25.
10. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates: Like Justin Upton, McCutchen was a high first-round pick in 2005 and has plenty of upside. As a 23-year-old, McCutchen finished with a line of .286-94-16-56-33. Since he'll start the season batting third in the Pirates' lineup, McCutchen should see his RBIs increase by a significant amount over last year's 56.
11. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners: Since Ichiro won't help you in home runs and runs batted in, his value is tied to how well he performs in the batting average and steals categories. Over the past four seasons, he's had two seasons with .350-plus batting averages and two seasons with 40-plus steals. Only if he could do both in the same season (which he hasn't since 2001 and likely won't) ...
12. Jayson Werth, Nationals: Werth will play half of his games in Washington instead of Philadelphia, which is a bit of a concern, in 2011. That said, I can see a season of .275-100-25-100-15 (or close to it) for Werth.
13. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays: Although there's virtually no chance that he duplicates his 54-homer performance from 2010, Bautista could hit 35 or so homers with 100 runs batted in. Even better, he also has position eligibility at third base.
14. Jason Heyward, Braves: Heyward, who will turn 22 years old in August, hit .301 after the All-Star break in his rookie season last year. This spring, Heyward has been hitting the ball well (.356 average over 18 games). I see a line of .290-90-25-90-10 for Heyward in 2011.
15. Hunter Pence, Astros: Pence set career highs in runs scored (93), runs batted in (91) and stolen bases (18) in addition to tying his existing career high in home runs (25) in 2010. With a solid average (career .287 hitter), Pence should help in all categories at a very fair price.
16. Alex Rios, White Sox: There were 38 outfielders that hit 20-plus home runs in 2010. There were 15 outfielders that stole 30-plus bases in 2010. There were only two that did both -- Rios and Cincinnati's Drew Stubbs. The worry about Rios is his inconsistency and 15 (of his 21) home runs and 23 (of his 34) stolen bases came before the All-Star break.
17. Andre Ethier, Dodgers: Ethier got off to a hot start (.392 average, 11 homers and 38 runs batted in through 33 games) before fracturing his right pinky finger, which he feels bothered him after he came back too soon from the injury. He still managed to finish the season with a .292 average, 23 home runs and 82 runs batted in despite missing 23 games.
18. Mike Stanton, Marlins: Between Double-A and the Marlins, Stanton hit 43 home runs and 111 runs batted in combined. Stanton has big-time power and could come close to hitting 40 homers in his first full season in the big leagues. (Take our poll on how many home runs Stanton will hit in 2011.)
19. Jay Bruce, Reds: Bruce, who will turn 24 in April, hit .281 -- .338 from August to October -- with 25 home runs last season. As MLB.com's John Schlegel points out, Bruce has hit more home runs (68) than any other player his age and he ranks 41st all-time for most home runs in his first three seasons.
20. Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox: As the Red Sox leadoff hitter, Ellsbury should hit for a good average and rack up a ton of steals and runs. If you're a glass-half-empty kind-of guy, he won't do much to help in the power categories.
21. B.J. Upton, Rays: In the past two seasons, Upton has hit .241 or less. On a positive note, however, Upton has stolen 40-plus bases for three consecutive seasons. In addition, he hit 18 home runs last year while setting a career high in doubles (38). Had a couple of those doubles been homers, he would have been the only 20-40 outfielder last season.
22. Delmon Young, Twins: Young, baseball's top overall draft pick in 2003, hit nearly .300 (.298, to be exact) while setting career highs in home runs (21) and runs batted in (112) last year.
23. Chris Young, Diamondbacks: Young set career highs in runs scored (94), runs batted in (91), stolen bases (28) and batting average (.257) while belting 27 home runs. Provided the composition of your team will help you withstand the negative impact Young will have on your team's batting average, Young will help you all other categories.
24. Shane Victorino, Phillies: From 2006 to 2009, Victorino hit .281 or better every season. Although his batting average slipped to .259 in 2010, it was also the only season since 2006 in which his BABIP was below .300. Expect a bounce-back in average for the Flyin' Hawaiian, who has averaged 92 runs, 14 homers and 33 steals over the past four seasons.
25. Drew Stubbs, Reds: While Stubbs won't help any in batting average, Stubbs was one of only two outfielders to hit 20-plus home runs and steal 30-plus bases in 2010, as noted above.
26. Colby Rasmus, Cardinals
27. Corey Hart, Brewers
28. Curtis Granderson, Yankees
29. Nick Markakis, Orioles
30. Carlos Lee, Astros
31. Torii Hunter, Angels
32. Bobby Abreu, Angels
33. Adam Jones, Orioles
34. Michael Bourn, Astros
35. Ben Zobrist, Rays
36. Juan Pierre, White Sox
37. Carlos Quentin, White Sox
38. Vernon Wells, Angels
39. Brett Gardner, Yankees
40. Nick Swisher, Yankees
41. Aubrey Huff, Giants
42. Grady Sizemore, Indians
43. Jason Bay, Mets
44. Rajai Davis, Blue Jays
45. Michael Cuddyer, Twins
46. Carlos Beltran, Mets
47. Chris Coghlan, Marlins
48. Denard Span, Twins
49. Manny Ramirez, Rays
50. Tyler Colvin, Cubs
Feel free to send fantasy baseball questions to me via Twitter at @EDSBaseball or post them in our fantasy baseball forum.
See our fantasy rankings for infielders: C - 1B - 2B - SS - 3B
Here are our top 50 outfielders in fantasy baseball for 2011:
1. Ryan Braun, Brewers: Although Braun hit a career-low 25 home runs in 2010, he has 90-plus runs, 97-plus runs batted in and 14-plus steals every year. Plus, he has hit .300-plus in three out of four seasons.
2. Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies: What a breakout season it was for Gonzalez! Despite missing 15 games, he finished with a line of .336-111-34-117-26. As solid as he was across the board, CarGo played much better at Coors Field (.380, 26 homers, 76 RBIs) than on the road (.289, eight homers, 41 RBIs) in 2010.
3. Carl Crawford, Red Sox: Crawford set career highs in runs scored (110), home runs (19) and runs batted in (90) last year in Tampa. In the past five years, Crawford has hit over .300 four times. And with the exception of his 109-game season in 2008, Crawford has stolen 46-plus bases every year since 2003.
4. Matt Holliday, Cardinals: Excluding his .290 batting average in his rookie season (.290), Holliday's full-year batting averages have been .300-plus every year. While he's unlikely to ever steal 28 bases again (as he did in 2008), Holliday will help in all counting numbers to the tune of roughly 95-100 runs, 100-110 runs batted in, 25-30 homers and 10-15 steals.
5. Matt Kemp, Dodgers: Other than a small year-over-year increase in home runs (26 to 28), Kemp's numbers declined across the board in 2010 from 2009. After three straight seasons hitting .290-plus, his average plummeted to .249. In addition, he saw year-over-year declines in runs scored (97 to 82), runs batted in (101 to 89) and stolen bases (34 to 19).
6. Josh Hamilton, Rangers: When projecting Hamilton's fantasy value, the first thing you need to take into consideration is the number of games you expect him to play. Even so, he can be highly productive when he misses plenty of games as he proved last year by being named the A.L. MVP despite missing almost 30 games.
7. Shin-Soo Choo, Indians: In 2010, three players hit .300-plus, hit 20-plus home runs and stole 20-plus bases: Florida's Hanley Ramirez, Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez and Choo. For Choo, he's done so in back-to-back seasons (his only two where he has played 100-plus games).
8. Nelson Cruz, Rangers: Over the past two seasons, Cruz has missed 88 games but he still managed to hit 55 home runs and steal 37 bases during that span. That's a 162-game pace of 37 home runs and 25 steals.
9. Justin Upton, Diamondbacks: Upton, the number one overall draft pick in 2005, is still only 23 years old and undoubtedly has plenty of upside. Over the past two years, Upton have averaged 21.5 home runs and 19 steals despite averaging only 135.5 games. With good health, Upton should easily reach 20-20 with the potential for 30-25.
10. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates: Like Justin Upton, McCutchen was a high first-round pick in 2005 and has plenty of upside. As a 23-year-old, McCutchen finished with a line of .286-94-16-56-33. Since he'll start the season batting third in the Pirates' lineup, McCutchen should see his RBIs increase by a significant amount over last year's 56.
11. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners: Since Ichiro won't help you in home runs and runs batted in, his value is tied to how well he performs in the batting average and steals categories. Over the past four seasons, he's had two seasons with .350-plus batting averages and two seasons with 40-plus steals. Only if he could do both in the same season (which he hasn't since 2001 and likely won't) ...
12. Jayson Werth, Nationals: Werth will play half of his games in Washington instead of Philadelphia, which is a bit of a concern, in 2011. That said, I can see a season of .275-100-25-100-15 (or close to it) for Werth.
13. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays: Although there's virtually no chance that he duplicates his 54-homer performance from 2010, Bautista could hit 35 or so homers with 100 runs batted in. Even better, he also has position eligibility at third base.
14. Jason Heyward, Braves: Heyward, who will turn 22 years old in August, hit .301 after the All-Star break in his rookie season last year. This spring, Heyward has been hitting the ball well (.356 average over 18 games). I see a line of .290-90-25-90-10 for Heyward in 2011.
15. Hunter Pence, Astros: Pence set career highs in runs scored (93), runs batted in (91) and stolen bases (18) in addition to tying his existing career high in home runs (25) in 2010. With a solid average (career .287 hitter), Pence should help in all categories at a very fair price.
16. Alex Rios, White Sox: There were 38 outfielders that hit 20-plus home runs in 2010. There were 15 outfielders that stole 30-plus bases in 2010. There were only two that did both -- Rios and Cincinnati's Drew Stubbs. The worry about Rios is his inconsistency and 15 (of his 21) home runs and 23 (of his 34) stolen bases came before the All-Star break.
17. Andre Ethier, Dodgers: Ethier got off to a hot start (.392 average, 11 homers and 38 runs batted in through 33 games) before fracturing his right pinky finger, which he feels bothered him after he came back too soon from the injury. He still managed to finish the season with a .292 average, 23 home runs and 82 runs batted in despite missing 23 games.
18. Mike Stanton, Marlins: Between Double-A and the Marlins, Stanton hit 43 home runs and 111 runs batted in combined. Stanton has big-time power and could come close to hitting 40 homers in his first full season in the big leagues. (Take our poll on how many home runs Stanton will hit in 2011.)
19. Jay Bruce, Reds: Bruce, who will turn 24 in April, hit .281 -- .338 from August to October -- with 25 home runs last season. As MLB.com's John Schlegel points out, Bruce has hit more home runs (68) than any other player his age and he ranks 41st all-time for most home runs in his first three seasons.
20. Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox: As the Red Sox leadoff hitter, Ellsbury should hit for a good average and rack up a ton of steals and runs. If you're a glass-half-empty kind-of guy, he won't do much to help in the power categories.
21. B.J. Upton, Rays: In the past two seasons, Upton has hit .241 or less. On a positive note, however, Upton has stolen 40-plus bases for three consecutive seasons. In addition, he hit 18 home runs last year while setting a career high in doubles (38). Had a couple of those doubles been homers, he would have been the only 20-40 outfielder last season.
22. Delmon Young, Twins: Young, baseball's top overall draft pick in 2003, hit nearly .300 (.298, to be exact) while setting career highs in home runs (21) and runs batted in (112) last year.
23. Chris Young, Diamondbacks: Young set career highs in runs scored (94), runs batted in (91), stolen bases (28) and batting average (.257) while belting 27 home runs. Provided the composition of your team will help you withstand the negative impact Young will have on your team's batting average, Young will help you all other categories.
24. Shane Victorino, Phillies: From 2006 to 2009, Victorino hit .281 or better every season. Although his batting average slipped to .259 in 2010, it was also the only season since 2006 in which his BABIP was below .300. Expect a bounce-back in average for the Flyin' Hawaiian, who has averaged 92 runs, 14 homers and 33 steals over the past four seasons.
25. Drew Stubbs, Reds: While Stubbs won't help any in batting average, Stubbs was one of only two outfielders to hit 20-plus home runs and steal 30-plus bases in 2010, as noted above.
26. Colby Rasmus, Cardinals
27. Corey Hart, Brewers
28. Curtis Granderson, Yankees
29. Nick Markakis, Orioles
30. Carlos Lee, Astros
31. Torii Hunter, Angels
32. Bobby Abreu, Angels
33. Adam Jones, Orioles
34. Michael Bourn, Astros
35. Ben Zobrist, Rays
36. Juan Pierre, White Sox
37. Carlos Quentin, White Sox
38. Vernon Wells, Angels
39. Brett Gardner, Yankees
40. Nick Swisher, Yankees
41. Aubrey Huff, Giants
42. Grady Sizemore, Indians
43. Jason Bay, Mets
44. Rajai Davis, Blue Jays
45. Michael Cuddyer, Twins
46. Carlos Beltran, Mets
47. Chris Coghlan, Marlins
48. Denard Span, Twins
49. Manny Ramirez, Rays
50. Tyler Colvin, Cubs
Feel free to send fantasy baseball questions to me via Twitter at @EDSBaseball or post them in our fantasy baseball forum.
See our fantasy rankings for infielders: C - 1B - 2B - SS - 3B
Monday, March 28, 2011
Fantasy Baseball: 2011 Shortstop Rankings
The top two fantasy shortstops are two of the best options in all of fantasy baseball, regardless of position. After Florida's Hanley Ramirez and Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki are gone, however, major question marks exist with many of the rest.
Here are our top 15 fantasy shortstops for 2011:
1. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins: Ramirez has hit .300-plus and 20-plus home runs in each of the past four seasons. In addition, HanRam has stolen 30-plus bases in four of five seasons. The ceiling? A season of .342-125-33-106-51 (BA-R-HR-RBI-SB) would tie all of his career highs.
2. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies: Tulowitzki is one season removed from a 30-20 season. Despite missing one-quarter of last season, Tulo still managed to hit 27 home runs with 95 runs batted in while hitting .315. While he's the second-rated shortstop on our list, Tulowitzki could be one of the top three or four overall players selected in your draft based on average draft position from Mock Draft Central.
3. Jose Reyes, Mets: From 2005 to 2008, Reyes stole 58-plus bases per season while missing only 15 games during that four-year span. Over the last two seasons, Reyes has stolen 41 bases in 169 games. With a new contract on the line, how many steals and games will we see from Reyes in 2011?
4. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies: Over the past three seasons, Rollins has missed 106 games. While he likely won't duplicate his 2009 numbers (21 homers and 31 steals), it wouldn't surprise me to see Rollins finish with 15 home runs and 25 steals (or better).
5. Derek Jeter, Yankees: The good news? Jeter posted double-digit homers and steals for the 15th consecutive season. The bad news? Jeter hit only .270, his lowest average during that 15-year span, and only ten home runs, which ties a low during that span. Jeter will likely score more runs and hit for a higher average than Rollins while Rollins will likely hit more home runs and steal more bases.
6. Alexei Ramirez, White Sox: Through his first three seasons, Ramirez has been remarkably consistent in the five standard categories in 5x5 leagues. Career lows for Ramirez: .277 average, 65 runs, 15 home runs, 68 runs batted in and 13 stolen bases. Career highs: .290 average, 83 runs, 21 home runs, 77 runs batted in and 14 stolen bases.
7. Elvis Andrus, Rangers: In each of his first two seasons, Andrus has stolen 30-plus bases. But hamstring issues slowed him down last year as he had 18 of his 32 steals in the first two months of the season.
8. Stephen Drew, Diamondbacks: At a position with a scarcity of power, Drew is one of a handful of shortstops with 20-homer potential and he had double-digit steals last year. If you're league rewards for triples, Drew has finished in the top three in the category in each of the past three seasons.
9. Rafael Furcal, Dodgers: Over the past three seasons, Furcal has missed a total of 203 games including 65 of them in 2010. On a positive note, Furcal stole 22 bases, which is his highest output since 2007 (25 steals) and he enters a walk year.
10. Starlin Castro, Cubs: As a 20-year-old, Castro hit exactly .300 in his rookie season. Through 20 spring games, Castro is hitting .344 with four home runs and 15 runs batted in. Although he has four homers this spring, he hit only three in 125 games (463 at bats) last season.
11. Ian Desmond, Nationals: In his first full season with the Nationals, Desmond had double-digit home runs and steals with ten and 17, respectively. Desmond hit higher after the All-Star break (.283) than before it (.255) so a season with a .280 average, 15 home runs and 20 steals seems reasonable.
12. Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians: Cabrera failed to play 100 games last season due to a broken forearm, but he's having a great spring, for what it's worth. Through 17 spring games, Cabrera it hitting .385 with three home runs, 12 runs and four steals. He won't help in homers, but when he played 131 games in 2009, he hit .308 with 81 runs scored, 68 runs batted in and 17 steals.
13. Erick Aybar, Angels: Aybar won't help much at all in the power categories, but he stole a career-high 22 bases last year and hit a career-high .312 the year before that. If he hits .300 with 20-plus steals, he's a solid value at this spot.
14. Yunel Escobar, Blue Jays: Escobar entered 2010 as a career .301 hitter while coming off career highs in runs (89), home runs (14) and runs batted in (76). However, last season was mostly a year that Escobar would like to forget as he posted career lows in batting average (.256) and home runs (four) while driving in only 35 runs. Perhaps a higher post-trade average in Toronto (.275) over his average in Atlanta (.238) bodes well for a bounce-back in 2011.
15. Jhonny Peralta, Tigers: Although Peralta is struggling this spring (.206 with no home runs or runs batted in through 21 games), you can do worse than get 15 homers and 81 runs batted in from a late-round shortstop as he put up last season. In addition to shortstop, he's eligible at third base, another talent-scarce position. Since 2005, Peralta has driven in 68-plus runs every season with 81-plus in each of the past three. During that same span, he has belted 20-plus homers three times.
Feel free to send fantasy baseball questions to me via Twitter at @EDSBaseball or post them in our fantasy baseball forum.
Here are our top 15 fantasy shortstops for 2011:
1. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins: Ramirez has hit .300-plus and 20-plus home runs in each of the past four seasons. In addition, HanRam has stolen 30-plus bases in four of five seasons. The ceiling? A season of .342-125-33-106-51 (BA-R-HR-RBI-SB) would tie all of his career highs.
2. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies: Tulowitzki is one season removed from a 30-20 season. Despite missing one-quarter of last season, Tulo still managed to hit 27 home runs with 95 runs batted in while hitting .315. While he's the second-rated shortstop on our list, Tulowitzki could be one of the top three or four overall players selected in your draft based on average draft position from Mock Draft Central.
3. Jose Reyes, Mets: From 2005 to 2008, Reyes stole 58-plus bases per season while missing only 15 games during that four-year span. Over the last two seasons, Reyes has stolen 41 bases in 169 games. With a new contract on the line, how many steals and games will we see from Reyes in 2011?
4. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies: Over the past three seasons, Rollins has missed 106 games. While he likely won't duplicate his 2009 numbers (21 homers and 31 steals), it wouldn't surprise me to see Rollins finish with 15 home runs and 25 steals (or better).
5. Derek Jeter, Yankees: The good news? Jeter posted double-digit homers and steals for the 15th consecutive season. The bad news? Jeter hit only .270, his lowest average during that 15-year span, and only ten home runs, which ties a low during that span. Jeter will likely score more runs and hit for a higher average than Rollins while Rollins will likely hit more home runs and steal more bases.
6. Alexei Ramirez, White Sox: Through his first three seasons, Ramirez has been remarkably consistent in the five standard categories in 5x5 leagues. Career lows for Ramirez: .277 average, 65 runs, 15 home runs, 68 runs batted in and 13 stolen bases. Career highs: .290 average, 83 runs, 21 home runs, 77 runs batted in and 14 stolen bases.
7. Elvis Andrus, Rangers: In each of his first two seasons, Andrus has stolen 30-plus bases. But hamstring issues slowed him down last year as he had 18 of his 32 steals in the first two months of the season.
8. Stephen Drew, Diamondbacks: At a position with a scarcity of power, Drew is one of a handful of shortstops with 20-homer potential and he had double-digit steals last year. If you're league rewards for triples, Drew has finished in the top three in the category in each of the past three seasons.
9. Rafael Furcal, Dodgers: Over the past three seasons, Furcal has missed a total of 203 games including 65 of them in 2010. On a positive note, Furcal stole 22 bases, which is his highest output since 2007 (25 steals) and he enters a walk year.
10. Starlin Castro, Cubs: As a 20-year-old, Castro hit exactly .300 in his rookie season. Through 20 spring games, Castro is hitting .344 with four home runs and 15 runs batted in. Although he has four homers this spring, he hit only three in 125 games (463 at bats) last season.
11. Ian Desmond, Nationals: In his first full season with the Nationals, Desmond had double-digit home runs and steals with ten and 17, respectively. Desmond hit higher after the All-Star break (.283) than before it (.255) so a season with a .280 average, 15 home runs and 20 steals seems reasonable.
12. Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians: Cabrera failed to play 100 games last season due to a broken forearm, but he's having a great spring, for what it's worth. Through 17 spring games, Cabrera it hitting .385 with three home runs, 12 runs and four steals. He won't help in homers, but when he played 131 games in 2009, he hit .308 with 81 runs scored, 68 runs batted in and 17 steals.
13. Erick Aybar, Angels: Aybar won't help much at all in the power categories, but he stole a career-high 22 bases last year and hit a career-high .312 the year before that. If he hits .300 with 20-plus steals, he's a solid value at this spot.
14. Yunel Escobar, Blue Jays: Escobar entered 2010 as a career .301 hitter while coming off career highs in runs (89), home runs (14) and runs batted in (76). However, last season was mostly a year that Escobar would like to forget as he posted career lows in batting average (.256) and home runs (four) while driving in only 35 runs. Perhaps a higher post-trade average in Toronto (.275) over his average in Atlanta (.238) bodes well for a bounce-back in 2011.
15. Jhonny Peralta, Tigers: Although Peralta is struggling this spring (.206 with no home runs or runs batted in through 21 games), you can do worse than get 15 homers and 81 runs batted in from a late-round shortstop as he put up last season. In addition to shortstop, he's eligible at third base, another talent-scarce position. Since 2005, Peralta has driven in 68-plus runs every season with 81-plus in each of the past three. During that same span, he has belted 20-plus homers three times.
Feel free to send fantasy baseball questions to me via Twitter at @EDSBaseball or post them in our fantasy baseball forum.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
CarGo, Rockies agree to seven-year, $80 million extension
The Colorado Rockies are about to sign outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to an extension for seven years and $80 million, provided he passes a physical on Thursday.
"It's not at all finalized. But everything is practically concluded. All that's left are the physical evaluations," Gonzalez told Meridiano Television in Venezuela.
Last year, CarGo won a Gold Glove and the N.L. batting title (.344) while hitting 34 home runs while driving in 117 runs.
Gonzalez has been part of two large trades: (1) went to Oakland in deal for Dan Haren to Arizona and (2) went to Colorado with Huston Street and Greg Smith for Matt Holliday.
"It's not at all finalized. But everything is practically concluded. All that's left are the physical evaluations," Gonzalez told Meridiano Television in Venezuela.
Last year, CarGo won a Gold Glove and the N.L. batting title (.344) while hitting 34 home runs while driving in 117 runs.
Gonzalez has been part of two large trades: (1) went to Oakland in deal for Dan Haren to Arizona and (2) went to Colorado with Huston Street and Greg Smith for Matt Holliday.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Ubaldo Jimenez wins 11th
Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez won his 11th game of the season as the Rockies beat the Diamondbacks 3-2 on Sunday.
In the process, Jimenez extended his scoreless innings streak to 33, which is a franchise record. The streak ended on a home run by Connor Jackson in the eighth inning.
The previous franchise record was held by Gabe White, who pitched 29 1/3 scoreless innings in 2000.
“I’m just really happy,” Jimenez said (via the Associated Press). “As a starter, you only pitch every five days so it’s so hard, especially when you’re having a season like this. You can’t wait for your next start to come.”
By allowing a two-run homer to Jackson today, Jimenez's ERA jumped to 0.93.
In the process, Jimenez extended his scoreless innings streak to 33, which is a franchise record. The streak ended on a home run by Connor Jackson in the eighth inning.
The previous franchise record was held by Gabe White, who pitched 29 1/3 scoreless innings in 2000.
“I’m just really happy,” Jimenez said (via the Associated Press). “As a starter, you only pitch every five days so it’s so hard, especially when you’re having a season like this. You can’t wait for your next start to come.”
By allowing a two-run homer to Jackson today, Jimenez's ERA jumped to 0.93.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Report: Tulowitzki has MRI, DL possible
Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki underwent an MRI and could possibly land of the disabled list (DL), according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
Tulowitzki, who left yesterday's game in the fifth inning due to a strained quadriceps, said that “it’s nothing like” the quad injury that sidelined him for two months in 2008.
On the season, Tulo is hitting .311 (second among shortstops) and has scored 24 runs (first), but he has only hit one home run.
Tulowitzki, who left yesterday's game in the fifth inning due to a strained quadriceps, said that “it’s nothing like” the quad injury that sidelined him for two months in 2008.
On the season, Tulo is hitting .311 (second among shortstops) and has scored 24 runs (first), but he has only hit one home run.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Mid-May return for Huston Street?
It was confirmed, by Dr. James Andrews, that the shoulder of Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street has inflammation but no structural damage, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
Meanwhile, Renck's best guess for Street's return is roughly May 15th as trainer Keith Dugger will have Street work on conditioning before resuming his throwing program.
"We fear if I ramp up the throwing, I'll keep getting inflamed and it'll be a long, circular process, so Dugger has me on a program to build it up," Street said, per MLB.com.
Despite giving up one run in one inning on Monday, Franklin Morales, Street's injury substitute at closer, is one-for-one on save opportunities so far.
Note: you can follow us on Twitter @EDSBaseball.
Meanwhile, Renck's best guess for Street's return is roughly May 15th as trainer Keith Dugger will have Street work on conditioning before resuming his throwing program.
"We fear if I ramp up the throwing, I'll keep getting inflamed and it'll be a long, circular process, so Dugger has me on a program to build it up," Street said, per MLB.com.
Despite giving up one run in one inning on Monday, Franklin Morales, Street's injury substitute at closer, is one-for-one on save opportunities so far.
Note: you can follow us on Twitter @EDSBaseball.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tulowitzki benched (again)
It's deja vu all over again for Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.
Last April, Tulowitzki only hit .152 with 17 strikeouts in 105 at bats.
Not much difference a year makes. This April, Tulo is hitting .167 with 17 strikeouts in 54 at bats.
Last night, Tulowitzki was benched in favor of Clint Barmes.
Last April, Tulowitzki only hit .152 with 17 strikeouts in 105 at bats.
Not much difference a year makes. This April, Tulo is hitting .167 with 17 strikeouts in 54 at bats.
Last night, Tulowitzki was benched in favor of Clint Barmes.
"We're going to take it one day at a time. I've found out throughout my lifetime that's the best way to do things," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "I really don't know what's going to happen. I know what has happened and I'm going to do everything I can to be the best coach and manager with him ... to get this thing straightened out."In his rookie season, Tulowitzki hit .291, 24 homeruns and drove in 99 runs.
"I listened to what the coaches had to say and hopefully I can make some adjustments to make me better," Tulowitzki said. "I think I'm seeing the ball good. It's not the best I could possibly see the ball, but I feel decent up there. I think I will see results soon."
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Rockies name Huston Street as closer
Today the Colorado Rockies named Huston Street as their closer over Manny Corpas.
Street has pitched well in his last eight outings (only five hits allowed). However, he has an ERA of 5.23 this spring.
“This is what I came to camp to accomplish and it’s a role I feel comfortable with. There is a lot of responsibility that goes along with it,” Street said. “My teammates should expect me to not only get the job done but be prepared to get the job done. That’s what I spent the whole offseason doing. I feel like this is just the beginning.”The Rockies acquired Street in the trade that sent outfielder Matt Holliday to Oakland.
Street has pitched well in his last eight outings (only five hits allowed). However, he has an ERA of 5.23 this spring.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Garrett Atkins signs 1-year deal to avoid arbitration
Garrett Atkins of the Colorado Rockies signed a one-year contract to avoid arbitration. The contract is worth $7.05 million with a 700-plate appearance incentive that could earn him another $125,000.
"I am excited. Now I can just focus on getting ready for spring training and not going to Arizona (Friday for an arbitration hearing)," Atkins told The Denver Post.The Rockies 3B hit .286 with 21 HRs and 99 RBIs in 2008.
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