Category Archives: mlb

2013 Fantasy Baseball: Top 30 Catchers, Busts & Sleepers

Will Buster Posey, Carlos Santana and Matt Wieters prove again they are the best young catchers in the league or will a new guy emerge to join the group?

How many more years do Victor Martinez, A.J. Pierzynski and Russell Martin have in them? Will one of them drop off?

The catcher position looks fairly top-heavy this year in fantasy baseball. You have a young group on their way up and a few prominent catchers that look to be transitioning into a designated-hitter role. I ranked the top 30 catchers and added some sleepers and busts to help you in your draft.

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com. Continue reading →

Twitter: MLB.com Top 100 Prospects

Are you the kind of fan who tracks their favorite MLB team’s minor league prospects from the draft all the way through their MLB debut?

If you are that kind of fan, we list all the Twitter accounts for the Top 100 prospects listed by MLB.com. A few prospects listed do not have a confirmed Twitter account, but that could be from an English translation issue.

An extra benefit from following the top MLB prospects could affect your fantasy baseball team. If you’re looking for an advantage, especially if you’re in a dynasty or keeper league, you’ll find a few nuggets from their Twitter accounts. I assume if one of them finally got called up, they would announce their excitement on Twitter.

Here are all the Twitter accounts (those who have them) from MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospects. Continue reading →

MLB Trade Rumors: Dempster, Garza, Grienke & More

The MLB non-waiver trade deadline is less than a week away. The rumors are swirling and the buyers and sellers are yet to be set in stone. The extra wild-card spot has generated more buyers this year.

The NL Central bottom dwellers are destined to be the most active sellers. The Houston Astros have already made a few deals and the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs are the teams who have the most rumored marquee players on the trading block.

Can Chicago finally find a few home for Ryan Dempster? Will the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers acquire pitching help?

Here are the latest MLB trade rumors gaining the most traction.

– The Dodgers have a leg up on the competition to acquire Dempster. Chicago has asked for minor-league pitcher Allen Webster. If Los Angeles don’t want to part with him, they have Zack Grienke and Josh Johnson in their sights.

– Grienke’s list of suitors keeps growing as Milwaukee keeps losing games. Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, and Chicago White Sox all occupy that list. Atlanta and Texas have the best top-tier prospects, but Grienke would have to agree to sign an extension if Milwaukee hopes to get the maximum return for him.

– Josh Johnson is another pitcher on many teams’ wishlist. The Miami Herald doesn’t believe a deal will happen unless they get an offer too good to turn down. They have already dealt Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers, so anything is possible.

– The Cincinnati Reds are looking to acquire a speedy outfielder. The Minnesota Twins’ Denard Span and Philadelphia Phillies’ Juan Pierre are their top trade targets. Span has more tools than Pierre, but would cost more. The Washington Nationals are rumored to be looking at Span as well, so a small bidding war could take place.

– The Twins hot and cold starter, Francisco Liriano, could land on the team who loses out on the Garza, Dempster, and Grienke sweepstakes. The St. Louis Cardinals, Washington, Texas and both Los Angeles teams are rumored to be scouting him. He is a high-risk/high-reward player, but a team wouldn’t have to mortgage their future to obtain him.

– Matt Garza was supposed to be the belle of this year’s trading deadline, but an average first-half have dulled trade offers. The best rumored offer has been a package from the Dodgers that would include 20-year old pitching prospect Zach Lee. Dempster’s unwillingness to agree a trade to Atlanta has left Chicago in a difficult situation. The Dodgers appear to be his ideal destination, but a Dempster rental won’t haul the level of prospects Chicago covets.

– The Los Angeles Angels are talking to the Tampa Bay Rays about pitchers Wade Davis and James Shields. Davis is a cheaper option and could pitch at the back-end of the rotation or come out of the bullpen.

– The New York Yankees aren’t expected to trade for third base fill-in for Alex Rodriguez. Mark Reynolds and Chone Figgins would have been ideal candidates, but Eric Chavez is expected to take over the everyday role.

– Hoping to stay in the AL East division race, the Baltimore Orioles are hoping to land a mid-rotation starter. They are finding it difficult since every team is asking for top prospects Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado. They are rumored to be shopping prospects Jonathan Schoop and Xavier Avery, but aren’t looking for a pitching rental. Jason Vargas, Joe Blanton, Shaun Marcum, and Liriano are the pitchers rumored to be Baltimore’s trade targets.

– The shortstop trade market is saturated with starter-level talent. Stephen Drew, Yunel Escobar, Marco Scutaro, Jimmy Rollins, Jamey Carroll, Brendan Ryan, and Jed Lowrie are all on the trading block. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Oakland A’s, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay, and Milwaukee are all looking for shortstop help. Drew is getting the most interest from Pittsburgh and Boston.

– Justin Upton is no longer on the trading block. I didn’t see the Arizona Diamondbacks being serious about trading their franchise player. They just wanted to see what kind of offers were out there.

– Milwaukee could deal Aramis Ramirez before July 31st. He is in the first year of a three-year deal. San Francisco and the Dodgers are in need of third base help. Los Angeles just acquired Hanley Ramirez, but he was a horrible third baseman in Miami.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Are the Marlins Shopping Giancarlo Stanton?

The MLB trade rumor mill is in full force. Every beat writer conjures up a scenario in which every player could be traded. I think the current trade market is filled with every player in the MLB not named Bryce Harper or Andrew McCutchen.

Giancarlo Stanton found his name on the trading block thanks to ESPN’s Buster Olney (ESPN Insider needed).

The Miami Marlins opened up a beautiful new stadium this season, but currently find themselves at 43-36. They are nine games out in the NL East and six games out of the a Wild Card spot. Things aren’t dire, but they would need to leapfrog many teams to make the playoffs.

Who else is on the trading block on the Marlins? Could another Florida team also be sellers at the trading deadline?

Olney goes on to say that Omar Infante and Josh Johnson could also find themselves on the trading block if the Marlins stumble after the All-Star break.

Stanton is currently on the disabled list with an injured knee. He will be out about a month, so trading him by July 31st could be difficult or nearly impossible. He would be their best trade piece if they decide to completely rebuild, but I believe that Stanton is their franchise player to build around. He is hitting .284 with 19 homers and 50 RBI…on pace for a monster season.

The Marlins had plenty of prospects come through Miami and fizzle out. Dan Uggla, Jeremy Hermida, Josh Willingham, and Mike Jacobs didn’t do a whole lot for the franchise. They currently have Gabby Sanchez, Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, and Logan Morrison not living up to their hype. Stanton destroyed the minors and he keeps improving. He’s not a guy you want to give up on.

Johnson has about $20 million left on his contract through the rest of this season and the 2013 season. It is a fair price for a #1 starter, if he can stay healthy. They would get a nice haul for him, especially if he’s traded to a contender with a stocked farm system. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Texas Rangers, or Detroit Tigers would be ideal trade partners, since they have an abundance of top-tier prospects to trade.

Second base is a very shallow position in MLB. Major offensive production from the position is rare these days. Infante is the current prototypical second baseman. He bats around .275 with low double-digit power and steals. He would be a nice stopgap for a team who has no current answer at second. He’s an excellent defensive player with a .989 and .981 fielding percentage the last two seasons.

I contacted Tom Green, the associate reporter for MLB.com who covers the Miami Marlins, about Miami’s trade rumors. He calms Marlins fans down by saying he “doesn’t see them selling Giancarlo or J.J.”

Heath Bell, Carlos Zambrano, and even newly-acquired Carlos Lee could also find themselves bring shopped at the deadline. Bell is having a disastrous season so far and with Juan Carlos Oviedo (formerly Leo Nunez) coming back from suspension, could find himself booted permanently from the closer role.

At the end of Olney’s blog post, he also mentions that if the Tampa Bay Rays keep sliding, they could also start to reload their team.

It’s hard to pinpoint the players who have a lot of trade value, but Kyle Farnsworth, Jeff Keppinger, and Luke Scott seem like players who are expendable. They wouldn’t get a huge haul, but with the need for bullpen help, Farnsworth would get the most in return.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Starlin Castro Could Be Next Rafael Palmeiro

Last night, I wrote a post about the trade rumors that surround Starlin Castro. The post was informative with very little opinion. I am usually very opinionated when it comes to the Chicago Cubs. I have been a fan since I was old enough to understand what the hell Harry Caray was saying. I didn’t add much opinion because I was shocked that two high-ranking members of the Cubs organization would tell USA Today’s Bob Nightengale that “everyone but Jeff Samardzija is available.”

Epstein refuted that statement late Thursday to The Sporting News by saying, “Starlin Castro is the type of player we’re looking to build around. There has been no trade consideration with him, whatsoever.”

Epstein’s statement is “sports speak” and politically correct. This is coming from an executive who once traded Nomar Garciaparra in the middle of a pennant race.

I want to point out the similarities to Starlin Castro and Rafael Palmeiro, who the Cubs traded to the Texas Rangers in 1988 when he was a 23-year old. The Cubs received a package of six young prospects. Did I mention the Cubs also traded Jamie Moyer away in the same deal?

There is no doubt that Epstein has an itchy trigger finger. He wants to show Cubs fans that he is there to win.

If Starlin Castro is traded, could he be a part of the next Rafael Palmeiro trade disaster?

Let’s take a look at the organization similarities in 1987-88 and 2011-12.

1987-88: The Cubs fired Dallas Green as the general manager and hired Jim Frey to take over the job. Frey previously worked in the Baltimore, Kansas City, and New York Mets organizations. He even worked under Green as the Cubs manager from 1984-86. He was not married to any player in the organization, especially Moyer and Palmeiro, who both made their professional debuts in ’86…after Frey was fired.

2011-12: Jim Hendry, who had a great beginning to his GM tenure in 2003, fell short in his last few years on the job. After he fired Dusty Baker, he hired Lou Piniella as the team’s savior. He couldn’t do much with the talent. Expectations began to lower and fan frustration was on the rise. Hendry was finally fired after the 2011 season. The Cubs hired former Boston Red Sox’s executive, Theo Epstein as the President of Baseball Operations. He then hired former San Diego Padres GM Jed Hoyer to take over the same position with the Cubs. Neither Epstein or Hoyer have any ties to young talent and/or the veterans on the 25-man roster.

The Cubs situation in both eras are parallel. A change in the front office and the desire to blow up the team and start fresh. Frey was already quite familiar with the Cubs organization. You would think that he would have tried to hold onto Palmeiro and Moyer, but Green acquired those players. Green was the GM who fired Frey and on a personal level, it could have swayed his decision to rid the team of some talent and get back younger players that could help the team in the future. He would get all of the credit for the turnaround.

Let’s take a look at Rafael Palmeiro in 1986-88 and Starlin Castro in 2010-12.

Rafael Palmeiro in 1986-88: He was drafted in the first round of the 1985 amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs. He came up for a short time at the end of the 1986 season and showed plate discipline and a little pop. He was called up in June of 1987 and hit 14 home runs in only 221 at-bats. It was the first sign of his power numbers that he would later hit in his career. He came into the 1988 season as the starting left-fielder and played a little at first base. He hit .307 with eight home runs in 580 at-bats. His power numbers were down but he only struck out 34 times in 152 games. Palmeiro was showing all of his tools, but he only had four. His defense was a glaring hole in his game…the reason Frey used when he traded him in December of 1988.

Starlin Castro in 2010-12: He signed as an amateur free agent in 2006. He played 125 games in 2010 with a line of 3/41/.300. He finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting. In 2011, he came into his own and earned his first All-Star selection. He finished the year with a line of 10/66/.307 and had some votes for NL Most Valuable Player. He led the National League in hits with 207 in 2011. So far in 2012, he has a line of 4/32/.317 in 205 at-bats. He has the same questions about his defensive ability as Palmeiro had at the same point in their careers. He committed a total of 56 combined through 2010-11 and has already has 9 errors through the first 50 games in 2012.

If we go back to Nightengale’s piece in the USA Today, the top ranking Cubs official said they would move Castro for “two impact prospects.” I argued that he is only 22-years old and the impact free agents would be roughly his age with less MLB experience and a lower talent-ceiling.

Let’s look at what GM Jim Frey got in return for Moyer, Palmeiro and pitcher Jim Hall in 1988.

The Cubs got back minor leaguers Luis Benitez and Pablo Delgado, pitchers Paul Kilgus, Mitch Williams, Steve Wilson and IF Curtis Wilkerson. At the time, they thought that their return on Moyer and Palmeiro was tremendous. Chicago had a lot of holes and Frey believed they would be a very talented team in the near future.

The pitchers in the deal, Kilgus, Williams and Wilson, were a combined 21-35 during their tenure with the team. Williams was an All-Star in 1989, but began to earn his “Wild Thing” nickname by becoming more unreliable in 1990. The Cubs traded him to the Phillies in 1991 for pitchers Chuck McElroy and Bob Scanlan…both of whom had longer tenures with the Cubs than any pitcher received in the Moyer/Palmeiro deal.

Benitez, Delgado and Wilkerson, the position players in the trade, contributed less than the pitchers. Benitez and Delgado never made it to the Majors with Chicago or any team for that matter. Wilkerson served as a utility player for two seasons. He only contributed one home run and a batting average that hovered near the Mendoza line.

Scouting has advanced greatly since 1988 and the odds of making such a terrible trade is lower. I just wanted to point out the dangers in trading young stars who have had early success in their careers.

Moyer had a winning record in his first season with the Cubs and went on to have a great career. He didn’t pan out for the Rangers during his time with the team, but really began to dominate at the age of 34 with Seattle.

Palmeiro went on to hit 569 homers and over 3,000 hits in his career. He spent the remainder of his career with the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles. He was suspended at the end of his career for a failed drug test after he testified in front of the U.S. Congress. His career will now be looked at as a result of performance-enhancing drugs.

Starlin Castro has all of the tools that Palmeiro possessed as a 22-year old. The power numbers may not be there or will ever be there, but he is one of the best young talents in the game. Now is not the time to trade him in hopes that the young prospects they would get in return, would turn into…well, Starlin Castro clones?!

Even though Epstein put out the fire by saying that he wasn’t currently shopping Castro, be aware of a statement that he made earlier in the week.

“I never understood why there would ever be an untouchable. All you’re doing is limiting your opportunity”

Brace yourselves Cubs fans, it could be a very long summer.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Review – "Baseball Fantography" by Andy Strasberg

Are you tired of baseball books with the same boring stock photos? You will not get that with Baseball Fantography by Andy Strasberg. This is a collection of photographs from fans that capture the intimate and personal lives of your favorite baseball players from the past and present. Strasberg began this project when he found an old picture of him with Roger Maris at Yankee Stadium in 1966. He hadn’t seen the photo in decades and a nostalgic feeling came over him. He knew that there were other people who had old baseball photos that would have a similar feeling. This is a timeless record of the fans’ baseball experience…by the fans, for the fans. Continue reading →

Bert Blyleven Deserves To Be Hall Of Famer

Blyleven deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, if not only because of that awesome shirt, but he was a very good pitcher. Let’s face it, baseball’s Hall of Fame has turned into “the hall of very good,” and Blyleven deserves in. He fell 5 votes shy today for being an inductee, but he is a sure money bet of making it next year. Andre Dawson is the lone candidate and the entire ceremony will be dedicated to the former great of the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs. In the following article, I try to make my case for Bert Blyleven to be inducted in baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Blyleven played during a time, when multi-channel ESPNs and regional Fox Sports Net channels did not exist and MLB Extra Innings packages on DirecTV wasn’t even invented, you may not have caught Bert Blyleven’s best work. Unless you caught the highlights on Sportscenter where Chris Berman used a nickname of Burt “Be Home” Blyleven, you would just think that he was an average pitcher. His career ERA was 3.90, but his early career was his peak, but he kept a roster spot on small-market teams. His record was 287-250, just 37 games over .500, but from 1982 until the end of his career in ’92, his ERA was over 4.00. If a pitcher wins nearly 300 games, it nearly negates this feat once a pitcher reaches his 250th loss, like Blyleven.

An argument that Blyleven has for his induction is that his numbers are measurable to Nolan Ryan’s. Blyleven does not have Ryan’s no-hitters or his dominance of one-hit games either. Blyleven’s win-loss record has a lot to do with Blyleven’s teams not scoring many runs, thus having him lose many one-run games. He pitched in a different era than what today’s pitchers will be held up to. Middle-relief pitching was approached as need-based, rather than a necessity, Blyleven pitched in almost 300 career complete games.

Let’s crunch some numbers, in his 22-year career, Blyleven pitched a complete game in over 40% of the games in which he has started. He has never ranked higher than third in the Cy Young voting and has only played in two All-Star games in his 22-year career.

Bert Blyleven will be immortalized into the Hall of Fame. Sometimes players start racking up statistics just cause longevity and not exactly superb play. Blyleven’s 3701 strikeouts are amazing, but his K/9 statistic of 7.4 per 9 innings isn’t super spectacular, but nothing about Blyleven really is. It’s a solid number and Blyleven was a solid pitcher and long-term performance needs to be rewarded with an induction in Cooperstown.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

The Tigers’ Season Rests On A 20-Year Old

The Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins are going to play in a one-game playoff to see who wins the AL Central on Tuesday. The Twins are going to send out Scott Baker (15-9) who could be considered their ace and the Tigers are sending out 20-year old, Rick Porcello (14-9). The Twins are smart to send out Baker, but the Tigers are stuck in a tough situation with Porcello coming in next in their rotation. They have no other options but to start him, do the Tigers have a chance?

Rick Porcello started out the season very nicely for a 20-year old. He was a darkhorse to even make the team coming into spring training, but he pitched himself into the rotation. The Tigers have rested him quite a bit in the 2nd-half and he has already pitched more innings than he did in the minors last season. He has pitched against the Twins three times this season and has an ERA around three against the Twins. This is the biggest game that he has pitched in his career, but with Jarod Washburn going down with a knee injury, the Tigers have to use the young man in this position. He could be their best option, since Edwin Jackson has been inconsistent and Nate Robertson has had a horrible season.

Scott Baker started the season on the disabled-list and had a bad April/May this season. His best month game in August, when he had a 3.18 ERA, but he had an average September. Baker has been groomed to be the Twins ace, since he has dominated at every level that he has pitched. It was only a matter of time before he would start pitching up to his ability in the Majors. He has set personal records this season in games started (32), strikeouts(160), and wins(15). Baker has had trouble against Detroit this season, he has pitched in four games against the Tigers, pitching 20 innings and giving up 15 runs. He did do well last week against the Tigers by pitching five innings and giving up no earned runs.

The games will be played in Minnesota on Tuesday and I give the Twins an edge in this contest. They have been playing for their lives the last two months and the Tigers have been sliding during that time. The Jarod Washburn trade was supposed to send them to the next level, but it has had the opposite effect on the team. The way Edwin Jackson has been pitching lately, they would probably like a mulligan on that trade too and get Matt Joyce back in return. The Twins have been swinging the bat very well and it’s nice to see Delmon Young playing up to his potential.

The winner of this game goes on to play the New York Yankees in the ALDS and if the Twins win, Carl Pavano will be a scheduled starter against his old club. Can you imagine the backlash that would happen if he would win the clinching game? I’m just saying….

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2009 Un-All-Star Team – Revisited

Back in the middle of June, I made a list of players who should have better numbers, but off to a bad start. My 2009 Un-All-Star Team had all of the usual suspects, Ortiz, A-Rod, Lidge, etc. Check to see who made the team and see how they fared since I posted this in June.

Some of these players helped their team make the playoffs, while others are the reasons their teams didn’t live up to their potential. I vote the few Chicago Cubs that made the list as my person Least Valuable Players on my Un-All-Star team.

The Batting Average next to the players names were as of June 21st, 2009.

Catchers
Kelly Shoppach .194 – currently at .223 – He never got it together this season
Dioner Navarro .218 – currently at .219 – Seems like he’s been consistently bad
Geovany Soto .222 – currently at .219 – He’s been on the DL on and off all season

First Base
Conor Jackson .182 – currently at .182 – He been on the DL all 2nd-half of the season
Carlos Guillen .200 – currently at .258 – He’s the definition of a 2nd-half player
Chris Davis .200 – currently at .229 – He’s a strikeout machine
Jason Giambi .212 – currently at .206 – Giambi is now on the Rockies, but eating some bench
Lance Berkman .241 – currently at .269 – He turned his season around, a bit

Second Base
Alexi Casilla .180 – currently at .196 – Not good, not at all
Dan Uggla .216 – currently at .238 – He has power, but swings at anything
Howie Kendrick .231 – currently at .298 – Has had a great August, finally found his swing
Kelly Johnson .227 – currently at .220 – He lost his starting job

Third Base
Garrett Atkins .205 – currently at .222 – Lost his starting job and barely plays
Alex Rodriguez .212 – currently at .285 – His hip has healed up nicely

Shortstop
Mike Aviles .183 – currently at .183 – Has been on the DL since June
Khalil Greene .213 – currently .204 – Seldomly used on the St. Louis bench
Jimmy Rollins .223 – currently at .247 – His power came back with his swing
Orlando Cabrera .235 – currently at .276 – Has had a fantastic 2nd half with Minnesota

Outfield
Ken Griffey Jr. .220 – currently at .214 – It might be time to hang it up, Junior
Grady Sizemore .223 – currently at .248 – The Indians have already shut him down
Alfonso Soriano .229 – currently at .241 – Back on the DL again for Fonzie
B.J. Upton .229 – currently at .238 – Has started off bad and never got it
Ryan Ludwick .234 – currently at .270 – Once Holliday arrived, he started to hit
Pat Burrell .236 – currently at .225 – Overpaid and Underwhelming

Designated Hitter
David Ortiz .207 – currently at .235 – At least his power came back

Starting Pitchers
Chien-Ming Wang 12.30 – currently at 9.64 – He came down with a “mysterious injury”
Oliver Perez 9.97 – currently at 6.82 – He was really, really bad this season
Scott Kazmir 7.69 – currently at 5.06 – Pitched much better since trade to Angels
Fausto Carmona 7.42 – currently at 6.62 – He’s better, but still bad
Ricky Nolasco 7.15 – currently at 5.28 – Nolasco has been good at random times
Andy Sonnanstine 6.60 – currently at 6.94 – He amazingly got worse
John Lackey 6.10 – currently at 3.77 – He returned to his regular form
Francisco Lirano 5.91 – currently at 5.88 – Pretty consistently bad

Bullpen
Brad Lidge 7.27 – currently at 7.51 – Bad, plus factor in 11 blown saves
Troy Percival 6.35 – currently at 6.35 – He has been on the DL
B.J. Ryan 5.71 – currently unemployed – His career could be over
Manny Corpas 5.40 – currently at 5.88 – Bounced between minors and Colorado
J.J. Putz 5.22 – currently at 5.22 – Injury hit him as well

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2009 MLB All-Overachiever Team

Due to injuries and roster changes, there are always guys who perform way better than expected. In 2009, there were plenty of those players who could have either helped your fantasy baseball team or your real life team. These players are all players who came out of nowhere or players who everyone gave up on, but have done a great job so far in 2009. Here is my 2009 All-Overachieving Team, did I miss anyone?

This team is full of players on the Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Rays haven’t transferred these players having career years into a playoff spot, but the other teams are at least in the discussion to earn a playoff spot this season. Is this a coincidence? I doubt it, if a player overachieves, the team will benefit from winning games that they may have not won if that player wasn’t contributing at such a high level. Likewise, if you have these players on your personal team, you are probably near the top of your fantasy baseball league.

Catcher – Rod Barajas – He hit 11 homers and had 49 RBIs all of last season, but he may nearly double those numbers in 2009. He is already sitting at 18 homers and 64 RBIs with a batting average comparable to last season at .241. He has had much better seasons than Geovany Soto and Russell Martin, who were expected to do much better this season than Barajas.

First Base – Kendry Morales – Mark Teixeira left for the Yankees and the Angels needed a first baseman to fill the offensive void that he left. Kendry Morales was their answer with 30 homers, 98 RBIs, and currently batting .307 so far this season. He is a great find for the team and he should be there for a long time for the Halos.

Second Base – Ben Zobrist – After Akinori Iwamura went down early in the season with an injury, the Rays were scrambling for a long-term replacement for him. Ben Zobrist was a utility player who bounced around between Triple-A and the Majors and they picked him to fill in. He has had a career year and he’s been a key to the Rays success this year. He has hit 23 homers, drove in 72 runs, stole 16 bases, and is slugging .517 so far this season. They would be hard pressed to move him next season when Iwamura is 100% healthy from his injury, it should be his job now.

Shortstop – Jason Bartlett – Speed and defense was hit game, but this year he has added some power and boosted his batting average by 50 points. He has hit 14 homers this year, after hitting one all of last season. He has also soared his batting average up to .331 and stole 24 bases for the Rays this year. He has been a big surprise and his defense has helped them stay in games.

Third Base – Mark Reynolds – He has always shown power at the plate, but hasn’t ever hit for average, let alone steal bases with consistency. He has done all of that and managed to already hit 41 homers while hitting for .271 and stealing 22 bases. He is the lone bright spot for the Diamondbacks this year.

Outfield – Garrett Jones – He was a career minor-league player and as soon as the Pirates called him up, he has been a hitting machine. He has already hit 19 homers, drive in 38, and has batted .304 in only 247 at-bats this year. Not only has he been hitting, he has also stolen 9 bases, this was totally unexpected from Jones this year or ever.

Outfield – Juan Rivera – He only received around 250 at-bats in 2008, but didn’t put up any numbers to brag about, but in 2009, it’s a different story. He has hit 22 homers, drove in 79 runs, and is hitting .292. He has been a big key in the Angels locking up the AL West title, since they weren’t expecting these kind of numbers from Rivera.

Outfield – Jake Fox – I would file him next to Garrett Jones in this category. Fox didn’t have a great 2008 in the minors, but at the beginning of 2009, he was leading the minors in homers and the Cubs had to bring him up. He has already hit 10 homers with 39 RBIs in only 178 at-bats. They have to find a regular position for him, because his bat has been on fire.

Starting Pitcher – Jason Marquis – He was the fifth starter for the Chicago Cubs for the last two seasons, but he never pitched very well for the team. He did pitch well for St. Louis, previous to the Cubs, but he failed to make the post-season rotation with either the Cardinals or Cubs. If the Rockies make the playoffs, Marquis will definitely make the rotation and he could very well be the anchor. He currently 15-10 with a 3.65 ERA for Colorado this year. He has never had explosive stuff, but he has pitched smart this year and is having a career year.

Starting Pitcher – Barry Zito – He’s currently 9-12, but I added him to this roster because he has been so bad the last two years. His ERA is currently 3.99 and the last 30 days, he has a 2.36 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and three quality starts. If he can pitch like this the rest of the way, the Giants could be making their way to the playoffs.

Starting Pitcher – Jorge De la Rosa – He started the season very bad, but has made up for lost time by winning nearly every game since. He is 14-9 with a 4.37 ERA and has 170 strikeouts. Over the last few months, he has been averaging more than a strikeout per inning and has lead the Majors in wins. This turnaround in the middle of the season is amazing and he could be in the Cy Young conversation if he didn’t start out so poorly.

Starting Pitcher – Scott Feldman – In 2008, Feldman had an ERA over 5.00 and was bouncing around between the rotation and bullpen. Nolan Ryan started him in a throwing program this off-season and he has benefited from this the most. He is currently 16-4 with a 3.46 ERA and is in the AL Cy Young discussion. He has been a huge reason why the Texas Rangers have been in the AL Wild-Card race this late into the season.

Starting Pitcher – Joel Pineiro – He has been struggling since he had one good season in Seattle. In 2008, he had an ERA over 5.00 and looked like he could lose his rotation spot this year. He isn’t flashy and he doesn’t strike many guys out, but he is currently 15-10 with a 3.21 ERA, more than the Cardinals were bargaining for in 2009.

Relief Pitcher – Darren O’Day – He was an unknown, but in 2009 he has came out of the bullpen and has helped keep leads for his starting pitchers. He has pitched 51 innings and has 51 strikeouts, while sporting a 1.76 ERA and an impressive WHIP of 0.98. He has single-handedly brought the Rangers bullpen from embarrassing to impressionable.

Relief Pitcher – Trevor Miller – Miller has always been a power pitcher out of the bullpen, but this season he has kept the ball down and kept up his strikeout rate. He has a 1.80 ERA with a 0.88 WHIP and has recorded 41 strikeouts in 40 innings of work. The Cardinals bullpen has been great as a whole, but Miller has kept up the pace and more.

Relief Pitcher – LaTroy Hawkins – Maybe I discount what Hawkins can do because he was so horrible with the Chicago Cubs. The 2009 version of Hawkins has been very good and has been a jack-of-all-trades for the Houston Astros bullpen. He has a 2.38 ERA in 56.2 innings of work so far. He has plenty of holds on the year and has filled in as the closer, scoring 11 saves.

Closer – David Aardsma – Aardsman was bad, bad, bad in 2008 with an ERA of 5.55. After Brandon Morrow doing horrible as the closer at the beginning of the year, the Mariners gave Aardsma a shot and he has ran with it. He has 34 saves, 73 strikeouts in 62.2 innings, and an ERA of 2.15. He wa a closer in college, but hasn’t had many chances in the pros to keep a job. I believe he has done a great job with the Mariners and it should be his job to lose in 2010.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

MLB: Potential September Call-Ups

Every fan, even if their team is out of the playoff race, gets excited around September 1st. In 2009, there are a huge list of potential future stars that could be called up. I compiled a list of players that fans would like to see play in the Major Leagues in September this year. A few of the names on the list may not be called up, but they all have a legitimate shot.

1B Brandon Allen – Arizona Diamondbacks

C Robby Hammock – Baltimore Orioles

2B Justin Turner – Baltimore Orioles

C Jeff Fiorentino – Baltimore Orioles

OF Chris Duncan – Boston Red Sox

1B Yonder Alonso – Cincinnati Reds

3B Josh Vitters – Chicago Cubs

P Jeff Samardzija – Chicago Cubs

P John Gaub – Chicago Cubs

C Tyler Flowers – Chicago White Sox

C Carlos Santana – Cleveland Indians

SS Jason Donald – Cleveland Indians

OF Matt Murton – Colorado Rockies

OF Wikin Ramirez – Detroit Tigers

P Zach Simons – Detroit Tigers

1B Gaby Sanchez – Florida Marlins

1B Logan Morrison – Florida Marlins

OF Mike Stanton – Florida Marlins

OF Drew Locke – Houston Astros

SS Mike Moustakas – Kansas City Royals

1B/DH Kila ka’aihue – Kansas City Royals

OF Chris Petit – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

3B Blake DeWitt – Los Angeles Dodgers

3B Mat Gamel – Milwaukee Brewers

OF Shelley Duncan – New York Yankees

3B Brett Wallace – Oakland Athletics

3B Pedro Alvarez – Pittsburgh Pirates

P Aaron Poreda – San Diego Padres

C Buster Posey – San Francisco Giants

1B Mike Carp – Seattle Mariners

OF Matt Joyce – Tampa Bay Rays

P Luis Mendoza – Texas Rangers

C J.P. Arencibia – Toronto Blue Jays

P Drew Storen – Washington Nationals

P Clint Everts – Washington Nationals

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Angels Acquire Scott Kazmir

As if the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim didn’t already look great this season, but they just got better. They just acquired Scott Kazmir from the Tampa Bay Rays for two Double-A minor-league players. Was this a Rays salary dump? The Angels needed pitching help and if he can pitch like he did at the beginning of last season, they should be the favorite to win it all this year.

The Angels are sending Alexander Torres and Matthew Sweeney to the Tampa Bay Rays to acquire Kazmir. Torres is a 21-year old pitcher with a big arm and Sweeney will probably end up being a 1B or DH eventually, they are both in Double-A. It is a small price to pay for Kazmir, who has struggled this season with an ERA around six. But he has a 51-41 career record with a 3.85 ERA with strikeout power. Kazmir does have is injury-prone and doesn’t last long into games, due to him being a strikeout pitcher. If the Angels pitching coaches can turn Kazmir into a finesse pitcher who can use his strikeout power on occassion, he’ll be able to last longer into games.

People forget that Kazmir is still only 25 years old. His name has been in baseball’s lexicon since he was a young prospect with the New York Mets. He was traded in one of the worst trades this decade, when the Mets sent him to the Rays for Victor Zambrano. He can still learn how to keep himself healthy and be a possible #1 or #2 starter for the Angels. John Lackey is a free agent after this season and they could let him go, since they will be paying Kazmir about $10 million over the next two years, plus an option for a third.

I like the deal for the Angels, they have money to spend and the Rays do not, so this deal had to happen. Yes, the Rays could have held onto Kazmir and traded him for more in return, but they needed to dump Kazmir’s salary and wasn’t guaranteed a similar deal would have been offered this off-season, since the economy has yet to rebound. I think the Angels are now the team to beat in the American League.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.