Is your Fantasy Baseball draft coming up soon? Most leagues will be drafting in the next two weeks and I’m here to help you out with late-round sleepers and guys that you should take a flyer on. These are guys that I feel are extremely undervalued and could help your team’s depth. Most of these guys are currently going in the late 200s or completely undrafted. There are certain baseball players that aren’t “sexy” to have on your team, but there’s value in those players. If you are in a league with a lot of bench spots, this post will be even more helpful to you. These are guys that you can stash away and wait until their playing situation is more established. Continue reading
Category Archives: fantasy baseball
Jay Bruce – The Next Dunn or Kearns?
Jay Bruce was the most heralded prospect for the Reds since Pete Rose. The hoopla that surrounded him last season when he was called up was phenomenal. He tore up pitching the first two weeks into the league before cooling off and hitting a little rookie wall towards the end of the season. Before this season, I drafted Bruce in nearly every fantasy baseball league that I am in. He has hit 18 homers so far in 2009, but his average has been hovering around .200 for most of the season. While fielding a ball in the outfield, Bruce broke his wrist and is likely out for 6-8 weeks, nearly most of the rest of the season. I have analyzed Bruce’s stats at the beginning of his career. When he was called up, comparisons of Rose, Bench, and Morgan were there, but so far he has not lived up to the hype. Would a comparison to ex-Reds Adam Dunn or Austin Kearns be more reasonable?
Bruce is a much better fielder than both Dunn and Kearns, so the comparison is clearly based on his ability at the plate. We all know that they both hit home-runs out of Great American Ballpark at an alarming rate early in their careers, but it is a hitter’s ballpark. Dunn’s minor league numbers translated similar into the pros, since he hit homers, walked a lot, but struck out at a high-rate. Austin Kearns spent three season in the minors, but clearly didn’t have the home run totals that Dunn put up at the high minor league level. He hit at a better average and didn’t strike out as much. Dunn and Kearns are different hitters when it comes to their splits stats when facing LHP vs. RHP. Dunn can hit for power against both lefties and righties, but Kearns did not have any power when facing southpaws.
Jay Bruce has similaries to both Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns early in their careers. Bruce is similar to Austin Kearns, because he has no power against LHP and he does not have a high strikeout rate. Bruce’s similarities to Dunn relates to batting average and power. Dunn swings for the fences with every at-bat, Bruces swings for the fences, but not as much. Bruce has not shown the ability to hit for average in his minor league career and doesn’t look like he will be winning any batting average during his career. He could end up with a career batting average similar to Dunn, but Bruce has more speed than Dunn ever had in his career.
My final analysis is that Bruce’s future is still to be determined. His 2009 season is forgettable and has had a bad luck. I’m not completely referring to his wrist injury, but his BABIP (Batting Average for Balls In Play) is one of the lowest in the league. He has not had the lucky bounces that other players have received this year. I would say that he looks to be more like Adam Dunn at this point in his career, but he could still be a more complete player in the long-term. “Bruce Almighty” may have all the fans in Cincinnati worried right now, but they still need a lot of pieces before the Reds are fending for the NL Central crown. Let’s just hope that in five year’s time, Bruce isn’t playing for the Washington Nationals like Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns.
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
Fantasy God – Grady Sizemore
The Indians are not having the spectacular season many experts predicted that they would have. They are currently on an 8-game winning streak, but they are still double-digits behind the leader of the AL Central. Cleveland does have a long bright spot this season, Grady Sizmore. He has mostly been more flash than substance in the past few seasons, but this year with Travis Hafner out, he has been the run-producing beast he was expected to eventually become.
The ladies have always loved Grady Sizemore, but this season fantasy owners are even starting to propose marriage to the Cleveland center-fielder. Last night he joined the 30/30 club, but hitting two homers in a Indians victory. Over the past few seasons he has seen his power numbers and stolen bases increase, but his batting average has taken a trend downward. He is receiving less pitches to hit, if Cleveland can get a power guy hitting behind him, Sizemore should see more walks and less strikeouts.
Sizemore is on pace to have better than a 35/35 season, but not quite a 40/40, unless he goes on a tear in the last few weeks of the season. The Indians should be a better team next season with a healthy Hafner and bringing up Matt Laporta, the gem of the C.C. Sabathia trade. Ben Francisco has shown potential along with possible 2009 closer Jensen Lewis.
Sizemore has been the definition of healthy and has played every game the last few seasons. If he can keep consistent and play at this high of a level, he could be due a large contract in the near future. He does have that “star” quality the Yankees love to have, by the time he is a free agent, Derek Jeter could be on his last legs. The New York media would love to follow him around and lead with him on Page Six.
Grady Sizemore will not flame out over the next few years. The wear and tear of him playing everyday shouldn’t bother him. Progressive Field isn’t on Astro-turf, so the “Andre Dawson effect” shouldn’t take effect, so his knees wouldn’t turn into rust by season 10. Sizemore has fun in Cleveland, at this very moment he could have any woman he wants in Ohio, that must be a great feeling.
This could be my last “Fantasy God” post in reference to baseball this season. The head-to-head leagues are going to be in playoff mode and it’s about too late to make a huge move in roto leagues. Fantasy Football drafts are in swing, so expect an almost weekly addition once the football season gets underway.
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
My 2008 Un-All-Star Team – Revisited
On May 7th this year I made my “2008 Un-All-Star Team.” I wanted to re-visit this, as some of the players have turned their seasons around, and some have tanked even farther down than I could have imagined. Some have grown mustaches to bust out of their slumps, while others seemed content with a mediocre year and released from their teams. I love when people say that some players are “second-half guys,” as you can see, not all players end up heating up as the temperature rises.
The batting averages in italics are as of May 7th, 2008.
Infield
Rickie Weeks – .195 – currently .229 – not an everyday starter
Robinson Cano – .157 – currently .264 – a true second-half guy
Kenji Johjima – .189 – currently .213 – lost his starting job
Ben Broussard – .159 – currently .159 – released and now currently in minors with Yankees
Johnny Estrada – .179 – currently .170 – released by Nationals
Casey Blake – .202 – currently .292 – traded to Dodgers, doing very well.
Ryan Howard – .168 – currently .235 – tied for major league lead in home-runs
Outfield
Andruw Jones – .158 – currently .161 – injury-plagued season
Alfonso Soriano – .177 – currently .293 – made actual all-star team
Nick Swisher – .196 – currently .213 – been very streaky
Jose Guillen – .165 – currently .252 – great second-half
Jim Edmonds – .172 – currently .240 – released by Padres, signed with Cubs, has been on fire when in the starting lineup
Michael Bourn – .194 – currently .226 – an off year, hasn’t stole many bases in the second half
Designated Hitter (barely)
Gary Sheffield – .176 – currently .223 – injury plagued season
Jose Vidro – .192 – currently .234 – released by Mariners
Jim Thome – .209 – currently .250 – a very resurgent second-half, big power numbers as well
Jason Giambi .157 – currently .252 – great middle of the season, has fell off here of late
The baseball season is a long and grueling marathon, not everyone can sprint the entire season. A lot can change during the season, but if a player can stay healthy and consistent throughout their career, they will have long playing careers in the Majors. For those you stay injured or struggle, it is easy for a club to cut their loses and a career can come to an end.
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
Fantasy God – Jason Giambi
The name of this post should be “Fantasy God – The Mustache,” but I felt that Jason Giambi should get some credit for his performance. I had a post in early May about my 2008 Un-All-Star Team and Giambi was batting a measly .157 and it didn’t good. He has since grown a crazy-man mustache and raised his average over 100 points since then and making the Yankees look like a possible contender.
Jason Giambi is hitting in the 5th spot for the Yankees, which is one of the best spots to be hitting in. Alex Rodriguez receives plenty of walks and Bobby Abreu and Derek Jeter get on base at a high rate. The possibility for Giambi to drive in 120 runs a season is always a possibility. He has hit 18 homers, drove in 52 runs, and is currently batting .268. In the past 30 days, he has hit 7 homers, 24 RBI, and batting over .300.
I haven’t seen such a facial craze since Johnny Damon looked like Jesus for a couple seasons in Boston. The Yankees are only allowed to grow mustaches (team code), so don’t look for him to go mountain man on everyone. Giambi’s 70’s porn ‘stache should be adorned by the entire roster and maybe the Yankees could catch the Rays and Red Sox in the AL East.
I picked up Jason Giambi on my fantasy team by a fluke. I traded Jay Bruce to a team for Miguel Cabrera, Billy Wagner, and Jason Giambi was thrown in the trade as “trash” at that point. I was expecting to release Giambi, but the first day I had him, he knocked two homers and he’s been a staple in my starting lineup ever since.
I look for Giambi to hit around 40 homers this season and get near 120 RBI and should finish the season with a .280 batting average. It sure looks like The Great Giambino is back this season.
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
Fantasy God – Evan Longoria
Evan Longoria was deemed the savior of the Tampa Bay Rays, much like Jay Bruce is being coined in Cincinnati. Longoria was supposed to be the starting 3rd basemen at the start of the season, but the team wanted to give him a month in the minors to ease him into the league. They saw Longoria as more of a Ryan Bruan-type talent that needed a month in the minors to sharpen up before making his major league debut. This was a smart idea, since the Kansas City Royals had a similar scenario last season with their prospect, Alex Gordon. He ended up struggling his first two months in the Majors, but ended up turning it on towards the end of the season.
Evan Longora was finally brought up the majors in mid-April with much fanfare. He started out hot, but cooled down in May. He has been a monster in June, he has hit over half of his 15 homers so far this month. He has been extraordinarily hot over the past week. He has hit 4 homers, driven in 12 runs and batting .448. Some would suspect that his hot streak is due to inter-league play, but I think it should carry on throughout the rest of the season.
Tampa Bay is off to its best start in franchise history (48-32) and are in contention for both the AL East crown or the Wild-Card spot this season. Longoria, Carl Crawford, Scott Kazmir, and B.J. Upton arer the thank for their surprisingly great start. If Carlos Pena ever gets back his power stroke and they somehow get Rocco Baldelli back healthy, this team will not only be playoff-worthy this season, but the nucleus is young and should be great for years.
If you have Longoria on any of your fantasy teams, hold on to him. If you are in a keeper league, I would keep him for years to come. I look for Longoria to hit around 33 homers and have around 108 RBI. He is currently hittin .254, but look for a spike in his average once he figures out better pitching. Longoria should end up with a .286 average, give or take a few points.
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
Fantasy God – Ian Kinsler
Today is a sad day here at America’s White Boy, I lost out on the waiver wire to get Ian Kinsler. A team in my 10-team mixed league named “Jay Bruce Is A Baseball God” was higher up on the waiver food-chain and snagged him from me. Ian Kinsler is a top-3 2nd baseman and I’m not sure what could have possibly happened to the fantasy owner who released him mid-season, but I almost got lucky.
To update everyone on the status of my team, I’m currently in 3rd, but there is a 10 point gap between the 1st/2nd place teams and I. I needed Kinsler to really make a push. With Furcal out for the Dodgers, my stolen bases are hurting and Kinsler could have helped me with stolen bases, average, home runs, and total bases.
Ian Kinsler has been a sleeper in the past. He has always been the #2 or #3 guy on the team. This year, Josh Hamilton and David Murphy have broken out to have great seasons so far and Kinsler is staying consistent and will end the season with a little over 20 home runs, around a .300 average, and near 30 stolen bases. He should make the All-Star team, unless guys like Brian Roberts, Dustin Pedroia, or some team that needs at least one All-Star selection bumps him out.
Little known fact, Ian Kinsler is Jewish, and so is Ryan Braun. This could be the time in my lifetime that there are two Jewish ballplayers on the All-Star team in the same year. Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax are probably the two best-known Jewish baseball players, but Kinsler and Braun could end their careers in the same breath as those Hall of Famers.
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.