The Lineup
August 8, 2008
BY CHRIS STARBONELL
UPDATE! Writer
Every week, The Lineup will help you figure out who to start, sit and watch. Facts don’t lie and The Lineup is full of ‘em. Here is your weekly digest of everything fantasy baseball. Projections for the week of Aug. 11-17. All stats up to and including August 7.
Who’s Hot
BATTERS
MATT HOLLIDAY
Colorado Rockies, OF
Stats: .379 AVG, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 10 R, 2 SB
Comment: Holliday is in the midst of a nine-game hitting streak and his batting average has risen each month since the start of the season.
RYAN LUDWICK
St. Louis Cardinals, OF
Stats: .480 AVG, 6 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 0 SB
Comment: Ludwick enjoyed a five-game home run streak that ended on Thursday.
MANNY RAMIREZ
Los Angeles Dodgers, OF
Stats: .565 AVG, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R, 0 SB
Comment: With the way he’s re-energized a sagging Dodgers team, LA would be foolish not to keep him around past ’08.
PITCHERS
JEFF KARSTENS
Pittsburgh Pirates, SP
Stats: 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 6 SO
Comment: While he is not going to keep it up, it’s hard to imagine a better start for a middle-of-the-pack pitcher switching teams and leagues.
TIM LINCECUM
San Francisco Giants, SP
Stats: 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 19 SO
Comment: The fact that he has 12 wins on a pathetic Giants team is enough to warrant CY Young consideration.
BRIAN WILSON
San Francisco Giants, RP
Stats: 0-0, 4 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 3 SO
Comment: Say what you will about Wilson, but the man gets his saves.
Who’s Not
BATTERS
JIMMY ROLLINS
Philadelphia Phillies, SS
Stats: .182 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB
Comment: J-Roll is destined to finish the season with numbers closer to his 2006 and 2005 seasons instead of his blockbuster ’07 campaign.
BRANDON PHILLIPS
Cincinnati Reds, 2B
Stats: .192 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 0 SB
Comment: Streaky Phillips has been rather boring since the All-Star break.
GRADY SIZEMORE
Cleveland Indians, OF
Stats: .118 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 R, 0 SB
Comment: Given a rare night off Wednesday by manager Eric Wedge in an attempt to awaken his bat.
PITCHERS
RAFAEL BETANCOURT
Cleveland Indians, RP
Stats: 0-0, 0 SV, 40.50 ERA, 4.50 WHIP, 1 SO
Comment: Remember early in the season when he seemed like a potential elite closer with the injury of Joe Borowski? Neither does Betancourt.
SCOTT KAZMIR
Tampa Bay Rays, SP
Stats: 0-0, 7.00 ERA, 2.33 WHIP, 9 SO
Comment: Has not pitched 6 full innings in 8 out of his last 10 starts.
DEREK LOWE
Los Angeles Dodgers, SP
Stats: 0-1, 21.60 ERA, 3.90 WHIP, 2 SO
Comment: Gave up 13 hits against St. Louis on Wednesday, including a grand slam by Albert Pujols.
Start ‘Em
A.J. PIERZYNSKI
Chicago White Sox, C
Comment: Pierzynski has been seeing the ball well since the All-Star break: .294 AVG, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 5 R in 68 at-bats.
KURT SUZUKI
Oakland Athletics, C
Comment: Suzuki should swing a sound bat this week based on his home numbers in 2008: .324 AVG, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 26 R, 2 SB in 57 games.
BILLY BUTLER
Kansas City Royals, 1B
Comment: Butler’s .348 batting average since the All-Star break makes him worth starting if your team needs a hitting boost.
DOUG MIENTKIEWICZ
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1B
Comment: Don’t laugh. He’s getting regular playing time filling in for Adam LaRoche and Mientkiewicz has been worth using since July 23rd: .389 AVG, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R.
AKINORI IWAMURA
Tampa Bay Rays, 2B
Comment: Iwamura has been on a roll lately and he is batting .326 against the Rangers and Athletics this season.
JOSE LOPEZ
Seattle Mariners, 2B
Comment: Has raked the ball this season against the Angels and Twins: .396 AVG, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 10 R in 10 games.
STEPHEN DREW
Arizona Diamondbacks, SS
Comment: Drew, the forgotten sleeper of ’07, has quietly put together a nice season and is in the middle of a 10 game hit streak.
DEREK JETER
New York Yankees, SS
Comment: Over the past week, Jeter has picked up his offensive output: .370 AVG, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB.
EVAN LONGORIA
Tampa Bay Rays, 3B
Comment: Though he was hit by a pitch on the right wrist on Thursday night, X-rays are negative and the All-Star rookie third baseman feels fine. Do not have any qualms about starting Longoria this week as he continues to carry the Rays.
TY WIGGINTON
Houston Astros, 3B
Comment: Has been on fire over his past 5 games: .471 AVG, 2 HR, 3 doubles, 4 RBI, 3 R.
MIKE CAMERON
Milwaukee Brewers, OF
Comment: Streaky Cameron is on the cusp of a breakout this week and with the Brewers playing with some fire, he could be a great addition to fantasy rosters.
BRANDON MOSS
Pittsburgh Pirates, OF
Comment: Moss has hit the ground running in Pittsburgh and fantasy owners should take advantage while he’s feeling it.
SKIP SCHUMAKER
St. Louis Cardinals, OF
Comment: Over his past 11 games, Schumaker is batting at a terrific .405 clip
FERNANDO TATIS
New York Mets, OF
Comment: Is in the middle of an 11 game hit streak right now and has been a key player for the Mets lately. Keep him active until he slows down.
RANDY JOHNSON
Arizona Diamondbacks, SP
Comment: Over his past 6 starts, he’s been vintage Johnson: 5-1, 1.59 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 32 SO in 39.2 innings.
GIL MECHE
Kansas City Royals, SP
Comment: Since the All-Star break, it’s been a different Meche on the mound: 4-0, 1.71 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 27 SO in 26.1 innings.
MIKE MUSSINA
New York Yankees, SP
Comment: Moose gets a rather mediocre Minnesota offense this week, which he is 22-6 against lifetime.
JAVIER VAZQUEZ
Chicago White Sox, SP
Comment: He’s struggled plenty in 2008, but Vazquez two starts versus the light-hitting Royals and Athletics this week.
Sit ‘Em
GERALD LAIRD
Texas Rangers, C
Comment: While Laird has been cruising at the plate of late, expect his offensive production to screech to a halt this week based on his career stats versus Boston and Tampa Bay: .208 AVG, 0 HR, 13 RBI, 16 R, 2 SB in 39 games.
BRIAN McCANN
Atlanta Braves, C
Comment: Struggling since returning to action after his mild concussion. As a precaution, fantasy owners should bench the All-Star catcher until he looks right.
CASEY KOTCHMAN
Atlanta Braves, 1B
Comment: Kotchman has been a bust since arriving in Atlanta: .152 AVG, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R in 9 games.
DERREK LEE
Chicago Cubs, 1B
Comment: Lee’s second-half, where he has batted .225, has been bad enough to warrant a benching this week.
JEFF BAKER
Colorado Rockies, 2B
Comment: Bat has gone cold recently and with so many infield options in Colorado, Baker’s playing time could be in jeopardy the rest of the season unless he heats back up in a hurry.
IAN KINSLER
Texas Rangers, 2B
Comment: Kinsler has fallen into a slump in the second-half and fantasy owners would be wise to wait it out before installing him back into their lineup.
EDGAR RENTERIA
Detroit Tigers, SS
Comment: Is actually losing at-bats to Ramon Santiago now and if manager Jim Leyland is losing faith in Renteria, fantasy owners should abandon ship.
MIGUEL TEJADA
Houston Astros, SS
Comment: Continues to frustrate fantasy owners with his inconsistent play and it looks like he will fail to top 20 homers for the second year in a row.
CHIPPER JONES
Atlanta Braves, 3B
Comment: Chipper is due to come back this weekend, but manager Bobby Cox had indicated that Jones could pinch-hit for a few games and with that tender hamstring, who knows how effective he will be this week?
RYAN ZIMMERMAN
Washington Nationals, 3B
Comment: Despite returning to the starting lineup, a poor offense, recovering shoulder and sore wrist all point to a troubling week for Zimmerman.
DAVID DeJESUS
Kansas City Royals, OF
Comment: If you own DeJesus, it may be time to drop the fragile outfielder whose ankle injury may keep him out this week. Even if he does play, the ailment could derail his production.
JUAN RIVERA
Los Angeles Angels, OF
Comment: Just when it looked like he was set to get regular at-bats with Gary Matthews in the dog-house, Rivera’s struggles have sent him back to more of a reserve role.
CODY ROSS
Florida Marlins, OF
Comment: Has come back to Earth and is a candidate to lose at-bats, cut ties with him now.
DELMON YOUNG
Minnesota Twins, OF
Comment: Batting at a mere .214 over the past week and has just 1 homer run since July 4th.
JOSH BECKETT
Boston Red Sox, SP
Comment: Bench Beckett? When you consider his recent struggles and his life-time ERA marks versus the White Sox (4.64) and Blue Jays (4.92), how could you not?
FELIX HERNANDEZ
Seattle Mariners, SP
Comment: His 4.79 career ERA against the white-hot Angels is more than enough reason to sit the Mariners ace.
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA
Boston Red Sox, SP
Comment: While he is 2-0 since last year versus Texas, Dice-K’s 6.97 ERA against the Rangers should give his fantasy owners cause for concern this week.
OLIVER PEREZ
New York Mets, SP
Comment: In 6 career starts against Washington, Perez has not fared well: 2-3, 5.74 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 26 SO in 31.1 IP.
Go Figure
130- Pitches thrown by Detroit Tigers SP Justin Verlander on Wednesday night in an effort to preserve the bullpen, which was exhausted after a 14 inning game on Tuesday.
17- Wins totaled by the Texas Rangers this season when SP Vicente Padilla is on the hill. They have lost just 5 games in 2008 when Padilla starts.
1- Monday’s game against Seattle marked the first time in Minnesota Twins C Joe Mauer’s career that the All-Star catcher allowed two passed balls in a contest.
.612- OPS of Seattle Mariners DH Jose Vidro, good for fifth-lowest in baseball. Vidro was designated for assignment Tuesday.
Prospect Watch
CHRIS TILLMAN, Baltimore Orioles, SP
Comment: Part of the haul in the Erik Bedard trade, Tillman gives the Orioles fan base reason for hope. Tillman features a biting, hard fastball and a nasty knee-buckling power curve. Like most young pitching prospects, he has to work on developing a major-league worthy change-up. The 20-year old right-hander has gone 7-3 for Double-A Bowie this year with a 3.63 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. His control is clearly an issue as he’s issued 55 walks in 106.2 minor-league innings in 2008, but his strikeout potential is evident as he’s whiffed 114 already this year. Problems with his command stem from his lack of a third pitch as even the filthiest of pitchers cannot survive on a healthy diet of strictly fastballs and curveballs. This one caveat appears to be the only thing standing in his way of being a top-of-the-rotation starter in the majors. He’s not likely to get a call in 2008, though entering Spring Training; Tillman will be one prospect that should have the attention of fantasy owners everywhere.
Key Match-up
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Colorado Rockies
To the naked eye observing today’s standings, the Colorado Rockies appear to be a team just playing out the end of the season. But considering the lack of quality teams in their division and the comeback they staged late last season, this week presents a tremendous opportunity for them to get right back into this thing. The D-backs, who currently still hold first in the NL West, were toppled by Colorado last year in the playoffs and the Rockies have the chance to turn the tide with a big series in Coors Field. Arizona is dominating the season series so far, however, leading 8-1. The scheduled starters for Colorado are Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez and Glendon Rusch and they will be opposed by Randy Johnson, Yusmeiro Petit and Doug Davis.
The Lineup
July 18, 2008
BY CHRIS STARBONELL
UPDATE! Writer
Every week, The Lineup will help you figure out who to start, sit and watch. Facts don’t lie and The Lineup is full of ‘em. Here is your weekly digest of everything fantasy baseball. Projections for the week of 7/21/08-7/27/08. All stats up to and including 7/17/08.
*Note: Due to the minimal number of games over the past 7 days, this week’s edition of The Lineup will not feature a Who’s Hot/Who’s Not section.
Start ‘Em
GERALD LAIRD
Texas Rangers, C
Comment: Saltalamacchia failed to seize the no. 1 job while Laird was out. Expect Laird to perform well this week based on his 2008 road numbers: .330 AVG, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 17 R in 25 games.
YADIER MOLINA
St. Louis Cardinals, C
Comment: Molina has been heating up in July, batting .405 this month.
PAUL KONERKO
Chicago White Sox, 1B
Comment: Konerko should be of use this week as he has put up good numbers against the Tigers and Rangers this year: .282 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R over 11 games.
ADAM LaROCHE
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1B
Comment: Over his past 13 games, LaRoche has put up gaudy stats: .455 AVG, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 10 R.
RAY DURHAM
San Francisco Giants, 2B
Comment: His 2008 performance thus far versus Arizona and Washington make him start-worthy this week: 325 AVG, 1 HR, 7 RBI, and 8 R in 40 at-bats.
AKINORI IWAMURA
Tampa Bay Rays, 2B
Comment: Worth a look this week based on his career numbers against Kansas City and Oakland: .339 AVG, 6 RBI, and 9 R in 14 games.
MIKE AVILES
Kansas City Royals, SS
Comment: Has been tremendous at home this season: .342 AVG, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 11 R, and 3 SB in 19 games.
DAVID ECKSTEIN
Toronto Blue Jays, SS
Comment: Productive numbers this season when facing Baltimore and Seattle: .381 AVG, 6 RBI, 6 R, and 1 SB in 12 contests.
PEDRO FELIZ
Philadelphia, Phillies, 3B
Comment: If nothing else, Feliz should be able to provide a power boost as he has hit 4 homers with 9 RBI this season in 19 games against the Mets and Braves.
TROY GLAUS
St. Louis Cardinals, 3B
Comment: Glaus has had his way with the pitching of the Mets and Brewers in 2008: .368 AVG, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R in 13 games.
BEN FRANCISCO
Cleveland Indians, OF
Comment: Bat finally starting to come around as evident by his past 12 games: .319 AVG, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R.
ADAM LIND
Toronto Blue Jays, OF
Comment: Lind is raking in July: .385 AVG, 1 HR, 11 RBI, and 7 R in 11 games.
SHANE VICTORINO
Philadelphia Phillies, OF
Comment: He’ll be a handy player to have this week based on his numbers this season against the Mets and Braves: .271 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 14 R, 3 SB in 16 games.
RANDY WINN
San Francisco Giants, OF
Comment: Good week to trot him out there based on his 2008 numbers against Arizona and Washington: .298 AVG, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R, 4 SB in 12 games.
ZACK GREINKE
Kansas City Royals, SP
Comment: Has dominated Detroit this season, allowing just 3 earned runs in 2 starts this season while owning a 7-4 record and 3.14 ERA lifetime against the Tigers.
JEREMY GUTHRIE
Baltimore Orioles, SP
Comment: In 5 career starts against Toronto, Guthrie is just 1-0, but he has also twirled a 2.65 ERA and 0.88 WHIP against the Blue Jays.
ANDY PETTITTE
New York Yankees, SP
Comment: Expect Pettitte to deliver against the Red Sox this week as he is 15-7 lifetime against Boston with a 3.61 ERA.
JERED WEAVER
Los Angeles Angels, SP
Comment: Weaver can be maddeningly inconsistent at times, but when he faces the Orioles, it’s all gravy: 2-1, 1.71 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 16 SO in 21 IP.
Sit ‘Em
JASON VARITEK
Boston Red Sox, C
Comment: In 44 at-bats against the Yankees and Mariners this season, Varitek is hitting a paltry .182 with 0 homers and 11 strikeouts.
KURT SUZUKI
Oakland Athletics, C
Comment: 2008 numbers versus Tampa Bay and Texas do not bode well for Suzuki this week: .205 AVG, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, and 0 SB in 12 games.
RYAN GARKO
Cleveland Indians, 1B
Comment: Batting .222 with 0 homers, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored this year in 11 games against the Angels and Twins.
KEVIN MILLAR
Baltimore Orioles, 1B
Comment: Hitting just .209 against the Blue Jays and Angels this season and is batting at just a .244 clip in July.
ROBINSON CANO
New York Yankees, 2B
Comment: Cano is hitting just .222 against Boston and Minnesota in 2008 with 0 homers in 13 contests.
JOSE LOPEZ
Seattle Mariners, 2B
Comment: Has mustered a .156 batting average this year against the Blue Jays and Red Sox with 14 strikeouts in 11 games.
YUNEL ESCOBAR
Atlanta Braves, SS
Comment: On the road in 2008, Escobar has been somewhat of a dud: .253 AVG, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 18 R, 1 SB in 40 games.
MIGUEL TEJADA
Houston Astros, SS
Comment: Tejada’s early season dominance is an afterthought and he is batting just .179 in 15 games against the Pirates and Brewers this year.
EDWIN ENCARNACION
Cincinnati Reds, 3B
Comment: Batting .230 at home this season and is scheduled to see right-handed starting pitchers in all but one game this week (he sports a .237 batting average against righties).
ALEX GORDON
Kansas City Royals, 3B
Comment: Hitting just .129 this year against the Tigers and Rays with 8 strikeouts in 31 at-bats.
DAVID DeJESUS
Kansas City Royals, OF
Comment: He’s having a very good season, but avoid him this week as he has struggled with Detroit and Tampa Bay in 2008: .192 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, and 0 SB in 8 games.
KOSUKE FUKUDOME
Chicago Cubs, OF
Comment: He started the season off so well, but many are giving him a pass based on his recent struggles despite a .167 average and 20 strikeouts over his past 15 games.
MARK KOTSAY
Atlanta Braves, OF
Comment: Pathetic stat-line this season versus Florida and Philadelphia: .152 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 4 R, 0 SB in 9 games.
GARY SHEFFIELD
Detroit Tigers, OF
Comment: We’ve all seen how streaky (for better or worse) Sheffield can be. Unless/until he gets it going, leave him off your active roster.
JON LESTER
Boston Red Sox, SP
Comment: In 4 career starts against the Yankees and Mariners, Lester has discouraging numbers: 1-0, 6.35 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 20 SO in 22.2 IP.
RICKY NOLASCO
Florida Marlins, SP
Comment: Nolasco was shelled in his two starts against Atlanta this season, taking losses in both with a 11.32 ERA and 7 homers allowed in 10.1 innings.
ERVIN SANTANA
Los Angeles Angels, SP
Comment: Santana has never won against the Indians in 6 starts while posting a 6.59 ERA and 1.83 WHIP.
JUSTIN VERLANDER
Detroit Tigers, SP
Comment: In 11 career starts against the White Sox, Verlander is just 2-6 with a 5.45 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 40 strikeouts in 67.2 innings.
Go Figure
17- Total number of saves this season for Los Angeles Dodgers RP Takashi Saito. He is going to be shut down for at least 6 weeks and is yet another example of why you do not invest too much into closers during fantasy drafts.
10- Kyle Lohse became the third hurler in St. Louis Cardinals history to have 10 wins by the All-Star break.
3- Errors committed and strikeouts made by Florida Marlins 2B Dan Uggla in Tuesday night’s All-Star game.
1- Chicago Cubs SP Ryan Dempster took his first loss at home on Sunday after opening the season 10-0 at Wrigley Field.
Prospect Watch
CARLOS CARRASCO, Philadelphia Phillies, SP
Comment: Carrasco has the tools to be an ace in the majors for years to come. Pitching in the first inning of the Futures Game over All-Star weekend, Carrasco fanned two in an impressive showing. The 21-year old top prospect has impressed scouts with a fastball that can touch 94-95 (a velocity he has reached even in late innings) and he is even working on improving a slider, but his main weapon in his repertoire is his change-up. Carrasco can baffle hitters with his change and has shown the propensity to become a strikeout pitcher with it. The main knock on him, as with many young pitchers, is control. He’s walked 39 batters in 99 Double-A innings in 2008 and will need to improve his command in order to reach his full potential. He is still a year or two away from the majors, but has made strides this season in his eventual ascension to the big-leagues. This is a talent you are going to be hearing more about in 2009 and beyond.
Key Match-up
Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Mets
They are virtually neck-and-neck right now and this week, the Mets and Phillies will do battle as each team tries to gain an edge in the NL East division race. The Mets have been surging of late as the Phillies starting pitching woes are starting to catch up to them. Unlike last season, when Philadelphia owned New York during their regular season match-ups 12-6, the Mets are the ones dominating, leading the season series this year 7-3. This rivalry has reached a boiling point as anyone who has been to a game between these two clubs recently can attest to and these teams should be amped up for this series. Adam Eaton, Brett Myers and Jamie Moyer toe the hill for the Phillies while the scheduled starters for the Mets are Mike Pelfrey, Johan Santana and John Maine.
The Lineup
July 11, 2008
BY CHRIS STARBONELL
UPDATE! Writer
Every week, The Lineup will help you figure out who to start, sit and watch. Facts don’t lie and The Lineup is full of ‘em. Here is your weekly digest of everything fantasy baseball. Projections for the week of 7/14/08-7/20/08. All stats up to and including 7/10/08.
Who’s Hot
BATTERS
SCOTT HAIRSTON
San Diego Padres, OF
Stats: .550 AVG, 5 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, 0 SB
Comment: What is it with guys named Hairston going on sick tears this season?
MATT HOLLIDAY
Colorado Rockies, OF
Stats: .414 AVG, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R, 3 SB
Comment: If Colorado still plans on trading him, he’s certainly doing a fantastic job of driving his value up.
ALEX RIOS
Toronto Blue Jays, OF
Stats: .385 AVG, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R, 7 SB
Comment: Stole 5 bases against the Angels this week and fantasy owners hope this uptick in production continues as he has been disappointing overall this season.
PITCHERS
JUSTIN DUCHSCHERER
Oakland Athletics, SP
Stats: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.22 WHIP, 4 SO
Comment: With his complete game shutout of the Mariners this week, Duchscherer has now pitched past the 7th inning 5 times this season in 15 starts.
MIKE PELFREY
New York Mets, SP
Stats: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.43 WHIP, 5 SO
Comment: Pelfrey did not allow a walk this week against the Giants, the first time he’s done that all season.
CARLOS ZAMBRANO
Chicago Cubs, SP
Stats: 2-0, 0.64 ERA, 0.50 WHIP, 10 SO
Comment: Despite all the noise surrounding the acquisition of Rich Harden, Big Z showed that he’s still the ace of this Cubs rotation.
Who’s Not
BATTERS
ALEX GORDON
Kansas City Royals, 3B
Stats: .125 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 R, 0 SB
Comment: He’s striking out a ton and can’t hit left-handed pitching to save his life, is it too early to call him a bust (at least when one considers his tremendous hype)?
EDGAR RENTERIA
Detroit Tigers, SS
Stats: .087 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB
Comment: His awful week included an 0-for-7 performance Sunday against the Mariners and a tweaked left hamstring that forced him to leave Wednesday’s game early.
MIGUEL TEJADA
Houston Astros, SS
Stats: .111 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB
Comment: While he scored his 1,000th run this past week, Tejada’s production at the plate has been slipping noticeably since his hot start.
PITCHERS
BOOF BONSER
Minnesota Twins, RP
Stats: 0-0, 16.87 ERA, 2.62 WHIP, 3 SO
Comment: Boof has been a spoof of a major-league pitcher these days.
JOSE CONTRERAS
Chicago White Sox, SP
Stats: 0-0, 7.94 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, 1 SO
Comment: Kansas City rapped 10 hits off him this week as Contreras continues to stumble.
SCOTT LINEBRINK
Chicago White Sox, RP
Stats: 0-0, 1 SV, 12.00 ERA, 2.33 WHIP, 1 SO
Comment: His struggles of late have kept him from being the defacto closer with Bobby Jenks on the DL.
Start ‘Em
DIONER NAVARRO
Tampa Bay Rays, C
Comment: Has owned the Blue Jays this season, batting .455 with a home run, 7 RBI and 6 runs in 6 games.
A.J. PIERZYNSKI
Chicago White Sox, C
Comment: Expect the All-Star snubbed Pierzynski to come back after the All-Star break with a bang. He’s batting .364 against the Royals this season with a homer and has been playing well of late.
CARLOS DELGADO
New York Mets, 1B
Comment: Delgado has been much better of late and he played well against Cincinnati this season in their previous meeting, batting .455 with a homer in 3 games.
ROSS GLOAD
Kansas City Royals, 1B
Comment: Gload makes for a pretty good stopgap option in the short-term as he has been surprisingly effective since June 21st: .388 AVG, 1 HR, 11 RBI, and 16 R in 19 games.
DAMION EASLEY
New York Mets, 2B
Comment: Since the start of June, Easley has been a batting average beast, hitting .360 over that span.
HOWIE KENDRICK
Los Angeles Angels, 2B
Comment: Kendrick has been picking up his production at the plate in July: .387 AVG, 4 RBI, 6 R, and 2 SB in 8 games.
STEPHEN DREW
Arizona Diamondbacks, SS
Comment: Drew owns a .375 batting average with a homer and 3 runs in 4 games this season against the Dodgers, whom he also sports a career-.295 average against with 8 homers in 32 games.
NOMAR GARCIAPARRA
Los Angeles Dodgers, SS
Comment: Sure he’s a brittle shell of his former self, but now that’s he starting at shortstop on a resurgent Dodgers team, he could put up some good numbers for your fantasy squad.
KEVIN KOUZMANOFF
San Diego Padres, 3B
Comment: Kouzmanoff has been hitting the ball well over the past week, batting .333 with 5 doubles over the past 6 games.
MARK REYNOLDS
Arizona Diamondbacks, 3B
Comment: Powered 3 bombs with 7 RBI in 5 games against the Dodgers earlier this season.
JACOBY ELLSBURY
Boston Red Sox, OF
Comment: Against the Angels earlier this season, Ellsbury teed off for 2 bombs in a three game series, hitting .333 to boot.
CARLOS GOMEZ
Minnesota Twins, OF
Comment: In a five-game series against Texas earlier this season, Gomez batted .500 with a homer and 6 runs scored.
TORII HUNTER
Los Angeles Angels, OF
Comment: Has accrued some pretty good lifetime numbers against Boston: .318 AVG, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 22 R, 10 SB in 55 games.
MARK TEAHEN
Kansas City Royals, OF
Comment: While Teahen has been underwhelming in 2008, he’s worth a start against the division rival White Sox this week as he swatted 3 homers in 5 games against them this season.
MARK BUEHRLE
Chicago White Sox, SP
Comment: Buehrle would love to pitch every game against the Royals, just look at his lifetime numbers against Kansas City: 16-6, 3.40 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 113 SO in 214.1 IP.
FELIX HERNANDEZ
Seattle Mariners, SP
Comment: The King is due back and fantasy owners should have no reservations starting him fresh off the DL.
TED LILLY
Chicago Cubs, SP
Comment: Has proven to be useful against the Astros in 4 career starts against Houston: 2-1, 3.55 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 19 SO in 25.1 IP.
GREG MADDUX
San Diego Padres, SP
Comment: His offense has been struggling to give him support, but his career stats versus St. Louis suggest he will at least hold up his end of the bargain: 26-20, 2.74 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 272 SO in 401.1 IP.
Sit ‘Em
RAMON HERNANDEZ
Baltimore Orioles, C
Comment: In 43 career games against Detroit; Hernandez has 0 homers and a .205 batting average.
JORGE POSADA
New York Yankees, C
Comment: Posada has been terrible against the A’s this year (.143 with 0 runs) and owns a .244 career batting average against Oakland.
BILLY BUTLER
Kansas City Royals, 1B
Comment: Over the past week, Butler has demonstrated that he cannot be trusted yet in fantasy leagues: .115 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 R, and 0 SB.
DERREK LEE
Chicago Cubs, 1B
Comment: He’s only homered twice away from Wrigley. This is a trend that has continued from last season, where he swatted just 6 dingers on the road in 2007.
MARK ELLIS
Oakland Athletics, 2B
Comment: Immersed in a slump as he has batted just .063 over his past 8 games.
KELLY JOHNSON
Atlanta Braves, 2B
Comment: Against the lowly Nats this season, Johnson is batting at a mere .192 clip in 26 at-bats.
KHALIL GREENE
San Diego Padres, SS
Comment: Greene has been woeful at the plate in July: .120 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 R, 0 SB in 7 games.
RYAN THERIOT
Chicago Cubs, SS
Comment: Batting average on the road is about 80 points lower on the road this year and he has hit just .208 against Houston in 24 at-bats this season.
JACK HANNAHAN
Oakland Athletics, 3B
Comment: In 3 games this season against the Yankees, Hannahan, who is back to starting everyday with Eric Chavez out, batted .091 with 3 whiffs.
SCOTT ROLEN
Toronto Blue Jays, 3B
Comment: July has not been kind to Rolen: .143 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, and 3 R in 8 games.
JACK CUST
Oakland Athletics, OF
Comment: Despite being on pace for about 30 homers, Cust has been miserable at the plate since the start of June, batting .190 in his last 36 games.
BRIAN GILES
San Diego Padres, OF
Comment: We all know how hamstring injuries can linger so with that in mind; try to find an alternative to Giles this week as he is a risky play even with the rest from the All-Star break.
ANDRUW JONES
Los Angeles Dodgers, OF
Comment: Jones made his return over the weekend but please do not believe he is going to suddenly revert back to his old self. Ignore the guy completely.
JOSH WILLINGHAM
Florida Marlins, OF
Comment: Since June 24th, Willingham has been slumping big time with a paltry.182 batting average in 16 contests.
CLAY BUCHHOLZ
Boston Red Sox, SP
Comment: In his short career, Buchholz has just 1 win in 6 road starts, where he owns a 6.89 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP in 32.2 innings.
JOHN LACKEY
Los Angeles Angels, SP
Comment: Simply put, the Red Sox absolutely own him in his career: 1-6, 6.27 ERA, 1.92 WHIP, and 48 SO in 60.1 IP.
JOHN MAINE
New York Mets, SP
Comment: In two career starts against Cincinnati, Maine (coming off a lame start against the Giants) is 0-2 with a 10.00 ERA and 2.33 WHIP.
ROY OSWALT
Houston Astros, SP
Comment: Oswalt is just 11-11 lifetime against the Cubs with a mediocre 4.09 ERA in 151.2 innings.
Go Figure
18.1- Innings pitched by New York Mets SP Oliver Perez against the Philadelphia Phillies this season. He has not allowed a single run against them in 2008.
15- RBI totaled in a four-game series against Colorado by Florida Marlins OF Cody Ross who also had 2 homers in the series.
9- Tampa Bay Rays OF Carl Crawford became the ninth player in major-league history to steal 300 bases before the age 27.
.367- Batting average with runners in scoring position this season for Minnesota Twins 2B Alexi Casilla. He has become an unlikely RBI generator for the Twins in 2008.
Prospect Watch
MATT LaPorta, Cleveland Indians, OF
Comment: LaPorta was the prize of the players sent over from Milwaukee to Cleveland in the C.C. Sabathia deal, but who exactly is he? The most intriguing part about his game is undoubtedly his potentially prolific power. He had 20 bombs and 23 doubles in 84 games with the Double-A Huntsville Stars prior to the Sabathia trade, so yeah, the kid can slug. He projects as a 30+ home run threat for years to come. He actually has developed some pretty decent plate patience as well, drawing 44 walks in 296 at-bats this year for the Stars as compared to just 8 passes in 115 at-bats in 2007. That being said, LaPorta still has problems with striking out, whiffing 92 times in 112 minor-league games. The question many fantasy owners probably have is will he make it to the big-leagues this season? Probably not, for now he’s with Cleveland’s Akron Aeros Double-A affiliate so despite the suspect play of outfielders Ben Francisco and Franklin Gutierrez it appears as if the Indians are going to play it safe with LaPorta seeing as how their playoff hopes are diminishing by the day. In 2009, however, it would be pretty surprising to not see LaPorta play with the major-league club by June (maybe even earning a starting spot out of Spring Training).
Key Match-up
Boston Red Sox @ Los Angeles Angels
Two of the American League’s best face-off in a 2007 ALDS rematch as the Red Sox invade Los Angeles to take on the Angels. It’s no secret what’s propelled these two teams to success in 2008: pitching. Both teams feature strong, deep starting rotations that have not only kept the runs down, but have also helped to extend their bullpens (which are also strengths of these clubs). This week’s feature match-up looks to be a close three-game series sure to have its share of pitching duels. Thus far, the Angels are leading the season series 2-1.
The Lineup
June 27, 2008
BY CHRIS STARBONELL
Update! Writer
Every week, The Lineup will help you figure out who to start, sit and watch. Facts don’t lie and The Lineup is full of ‘em. Here is your weekly digest of everything fantasy baseball. Projections for the week of 6/30/08-7/6/08. All stats up to and including 6/26/08.
Who’s Hot
BATTERS
CARL CRAWFORD
Tampa Bay Rays, OF
Stats: .360 AVG, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, 0 SB
Comment: Drove in a career-high 5 runners in Wednesday’s game against Florida.
ARAMIS RAMIREZ
Chicago Cubs, 3B
Stats: .435 AVG, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, 0 SB
Comment: Has not only been creaming the ball, he has been doing it in the clutch.
MARK TEIXEIRA
Atlanta Braves, 1B
Stats: .333 AVG, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R, 0 SB
Comment: Has not had the explosive effort many predicted in his walk year thus far, but the second-half monster still has plenty of season to work with.
PITCHERS
JOHN MAINE
New York Mets, SP
Stats: 2-0, 2.84 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 9 SO
Comment: Has now won three of his last four decisions and has given up more than 3 runs just once in his last 5 starts.
JOAKIM SORIA
Kansas City Royals, RP
Stats: 0-0, 3 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP, 5 SO
Comment: Mariano, K-Rod, Papelbon, Nathan. Plenty of big name closers probably have a ticket to the All-Star game ahead of Soria, but it does not mean he does not deserve to be there.
ERIC STULTS
Los Angeles Dodgers, SP
Stats: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.56 WHIP, 3 SO
Comment: Pitched a complete-game shutout in his second start of 2008 against a hot White Sox team.
Who’s Not
BATTERS
JACOBY ELLSBURY
Boston Red Sox, OF
Stats: .222 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 R, 0 SB
Comment: Has hit safely in his last 7 games, unfortunately, it has been just 1 hit in each of those contests.
RYAN HOWARD
Philadelphia Phillies, 1B
Stats: .125 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 R, 0 SB
Comment: After being one of the hottest hitters in baseball last week, Howard has slumped mightily.
MANNY RAMIREZ
Boston Red Sox, OF
Stats: .238 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 R, 0 SB
Comment: Manny has played the outfield just three times during the month of June due to his sore hamstring.
PITCHERS
JOSE CONTRERAS
Chicago White Sox, SP
Stats: 0-1, 24.30 ERA, 3.60 WHIP, 1 SO
Comment: Gave up 3 bombs in 3.1 innings against the Cubs this week and has given up 30 hits in his last 3 starts.
PEDRO MARTINEZ
New York Mets, SP
Stats: 0-1, 12.46 ERA, 2.31 WHIP, 5 SO
Comment: Has been up and down in his starts since returning to the Mets rotation.
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA
Boston Red Sox, SP
Stats: 0-1, 63.00 ERA, 9.00 WHIP, 1 SO
Comment: Roughed up does not even begin to explain the shelling Dice-K took at the hands of the Cardinals this week.
Start ‘Em
JESUS FLORES
Washington Nationals, C
Comment: Flores’ road numbers in 2008 are tremendous: .323 AVG, 4 HR, 21 RBI in 63 at-bats.
KURT SUZUKI
Oakland Athletics, C
Comment: Since June 14th, Suzuki has been one of the more productive catchers in fantasy, batting .485 with 2 homers and 10 RBI.
JAMES LONEY
Los Angeles Dodgers, 1B
Comment: Since June 18th, Loney has been a hit machine: .387 AVG, 1 HR, 5 doubles, 7 RBI, 5 R.
JIM THOME
Chicago White Sox, 1B
Comment: He’s owned Cleveland this season (5 HR, 8 RBI in 8 games) and sports superb career stats against Oakland (.290 AVG, 25 HR, 75 RBI in 104 games).
JOSE LOPEZ
Seattle Mariners, 2B
Comment: Lopez is batting .381 with 5 runs and 6 RBI in his last 6 games.
MARK LORETTA
Houston Astros, 2B
Comment: With Kazuo Matsui on the DL, Loretta is seeing starts at second and he has useful career numbers versus LA and ATL: .308 AVG, 5 HR, 50 RBI, 57 R, 7 SB in 516 at-bats.
MIKE AVILES
Kansas City Royals, SS
Comment: Kid just will not stop hitting as he has 4 multi-hit games in his last 7 contests, during which he has batted .385 with 8 RBI.
J.J. HARDY
Milwaukee Brewers, SS
Comment: Quietly on an 8-game hitting streak during which he’s batting .355 with 1 home run, 6 RBI and 5 runs scored.
BRIAN BUSCHER
Minnesota Twins, 3B
Comment: Has looked good in his last 8 games: .429 AVG, 10 RBI, and 8 R.
EVAN LONGORIA
Tampa Bay Rays, 3B
Comment: Seems to be settling into a groove and has looked more and comfortable at the plate with two-straight 3-hit games and homers in 3 of his last 4.
RICK ANKIEL
St. Louis Cardinals, OF
Comment: Since June 19th, Ankiel has been very effective at the plate, batting .290 with 4 home runs and 7 runs in 7 games.
JERMAINE DYE
Chicago White Sox, OF
Comment: Just playing out of his mind recently: .395 AVG, 7 HR, 17 RBI, 10 R in his last 10 games.
CONOR JACKSON
Arizona Diamondbacks, OF
Comment: The power from earlier in the season is lacking, but Jackson has been plenty productive in June: .313 AVG, .403 OBP, 11 R, 2 SB in 18 games.
GARY SHEFFIELD
Detroit Tigers, OF
Comment: If you can somehow still get your hands on Sheffield, do so pronto as his dangerous swing has looked as good as it has all year since returning from the DL. Don’t be surprised to see him go on a serious tear.
AARON COOK
Colorado Rockies, SP
Comment: 4-2 at home this year with a 3.25 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 7 starts. He also draws the light-hitting Padres in one of his starts.
GAVIN FLOYD
Chicago White Sox, SP
Comment: Floyd has been terrific at home in 2008: 5-1, 2.70 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 38 SO in 56.2 IP.
AARON HARANG
Cincinnati Reds, SP
Comment: Harang draws the pathetic offenses of Pittsburgh and Washington. If he can’t build off that then fantasy owners may have to really ponder dropping him.
JAMES SHIELDS
Tampa Bay Rays, SP
Comment: Shields has been dominant at home this season: 3-1, 1.99 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 48 SO in 58.2 IP.
Sit ‘Em
KELLY SHOPPACH
Cleveland Indians, C
Comment: Surprised I have to do this, but seeing as how so many of you (presumably mostly V-Mart owners) have added him and are happy with his early home run binge, please remember that this is Kelly Shoppach, not some promising youngster.
JASON VARITEK
Boston Red Sox, C
Comment: Varitek has been a bum on the road, batting .200 this season away from Fenway Park.
RYAN GARKO
Cleveland Indians, 1B
Comment: In 2008, Garko is batting .227 with 0 home runs, 3 runs and 4 RBI in 44 at-bats against the White Sox and Twins.
ADAM LaROCHE
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1B
Comment: Continues to struggle and it should not get any easier this week as he owns a .203 batting average on the road this season.
EDGAR GONZALEZ
San Diego Padres, 2B
Comment: Pleasant surprise for Padres but on the road, he’s been very below-average: .234 AVG, 0 HR, 3 RBI, and 3 R in 47 at-bats.
FELIPE LOPEZ
Washington Nationals, 2B
Comment: After going on a mini-tear, Lopez is now mired in a 1-for-14 slump during which he has 5 strikeouts.
YUNEL ESCOBAR
Atlanta Braves, SS
Comment: Battling a sore-shoulder and has batted just .222 in his last 8 games.
TROY TULOWITZKI
Colorado Rockies, SS
Comment: I’m a believer in Tulowitzki being a big-time player again this season, but considering how much he’s struggled before and after his DL stint, he should be reserved until he turns things around.
JOE CREDE
Chicago White Sox, 3B
Comment: It is amazing how streaky Crede is. Earlier in the month the guy was mashing homers left and right, now he can’t buy an extra-base hit.
EDWIN ENCARNACION
Cincinnati Reds, 3B
Comment: Potential has always been there, but the guy has just 2 multi-hit games since June 4th and fantasy owners who have held onto him all season should consider looking for alternatives to the inconsistent Encarnacion.
JAY BRUCE
Cincinnati Reds, OF
Comment: Pitchers are making adjustments to the slugging youngster as evident by the 0 multi-hit games since June 7.
ANDRE ETHIER
Los Angeles Dodgers, OF
Comment: Really not taking full advantage of more playing time with Andruw Jones out as his production continues to slide.
JEFF FRANCOEUR
Atlanta Braves, OF
Comment: Struggles this year continue as he is mired in a 3-for-18 slump in his last 6 games.
RYAN LUDWICK
St. Louis Cardinals, OF
Comment: Is the ride officially over? Ludwick has been terrible in June and while Pujols’ return should help his numbers, we may have already seen the best of this 29-year old.
MATT CAIN
San Francisco Giants, SP
Comment: Is 3-5 lifetime against the Cubs and Dodgers with a 4.48 ERA and 1.43 WHIP.
KYLE LOHSE
St. Louis Cardinals, SP
Comment: Wondering when the Lohse dream train was going to end? How about this week, when he faces superior lineups in the Mets and Cubs.
JUSTIN MASTERSON
Boston Red Sox, SP
Comment: Masterson has looked good in his rookie year, but it would be wise to reserve the talented pitcher this week as he goes on the road to face two strong offensives in Tampa Bay and New York.
JAKE PEAVY
San Diego Padres, SP
Comment: I know you’re supposed to “stick with your aces,” but considering Peavy is 10-9 lifetime against Arizona with a 5.11 ERA, I’ll take my chances.
Go Figure
37- Seattle Mariners SP Felix Hernandez became the first American League pitcher in 37 years to hit a grand-slam.
24- Snapping the longest hitting drought of his major-league career, Boston Red Sox C Jason Varitek slapped a double off the Green Monster on Monday.
11- Career major-league at-bats and strikeouts in at-bats for Baltimore Orioles SP Daniel Cabrera. It’s also the number of hits batsmen he’s had this year.
106- Hits Washington Nationals SS Cristian Guzman has in 2008, which leads the league. He also leads the league in at-bats (341) and plate appearances (356).
Prospect Watch
NELSON CRUZ
Texas Rangers, OF
Comment: This name look familiar? That’s because Cruz, who is turning 28 in July, has been in the big-leagues before, playing in a total of 145 major-league games between 2005 and 2007. But while Cruz is no fresh-faced kid, his numbers in the minors this season have been absolutely outstanding up to now: .357 AVG, .457 OBP, 23 HR, 67 RBI, 67 R, 17 SB in 69 games. As you can see, Cruz is getting on-base a ton in Triple-A this year, a big difference from his .282 OBP mark during his major-league career. To sum it up, this is the best Cruz has ever been in his professional career and the Rangers may want to cash in on this production and see how he fares in another major-league stint. The only thing standing in Cruz’s way is the blockade at the outfield position. However, other than Josh Hamilton (who is battling a sore knee), David Murphy and Milton Bradley (who is injury-prone and more of a strict DH anyway), no one capable of playing the outfield on the Rangers roster is impressive enough to stave off a potential Cruz call-up. If he keeps it up in Triple-A, sooner or later the Rangers will have to give him a look. If and when they do, AL-only leaguers should jump all over Cruz who has the ability to hit the ground running in Texas’ hitters park with that explosive lineup. Heck, even mixed leaguers in need of outfield help should at least consider adding him.
Key Match-up
New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox
The legendary rivalry takes center stage this week as the Yankees head to Fenway Park to square off against the Red Sox. Boston has come to Earth just a bit lately as nagging injuries have bitten the Red Sox players though they remain seated on top of the AL East. The Yankees have played much better of late despite losing their ace, Chien-Ming Wang, however, their inter-league match-ups (Reds, Pirates, Padres, Astros) presented a cupcake portion of their schedule and it will be interesting to see how they handle playing top-tier opponents. Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Justin Masterson and Tim Wakefield toe the rubber for Boston while Dan Giese, Darrell Rasner, Joba Chamberlain take the hill for New York (both teams also have a pitcher to be announced throwing in this series).
The Lineup
June 13, 2008
By: Chris Starbonell
Update! Writer
Every week, The Lineup will help you figure out who to start, sit and watch. Facts don’t lie and The Lineup is full of ‘em. Here is your weekly digest of everything fantasy baseball. Projections for the week of June 16-22, 2008. All stats up to and including June 12, 2008.
THREE UP
HITTERS
JORGE CANTU
Florida Marlins, 3B
Stats: .452 AVG, 6 HR, 9 RBI, 9 R, 0 SB
Comment: Can we just call it a day and give him the Comeback Player of the Year award now?
JOSE GUILLEN
Kansas City Royals, OF
Stats: .552 AVG, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 7 R, 0 SB
Comment:After clubbing the Yankees last weekend, Guillen has continued to rake at the plate.
RYAN LUDWICK
St. Louis Cardinals, OF
Stats: .375 AVG, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R, 0 SB
Comment: 29-year old has already matched or bested his previous career high marks in a season for home runs, RBI, runs and stolen bases.
PITCHERS
FELIX HERNANDEZ
Seattle Mariners, SP
Stats:2-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 13 SO
Comment: The King has not allowed an earned run in his last 21 innings pitched.
JOHN LACKEY
Los Angeles Angels, SP
Stats: 2-0, 1.88 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 12 SO
Comment: Has showed no signs of rust since coming off the disabled list in mid-May.
RANDY WOLF
San Diego Padres, SP
Stats: 1-0, 1.38 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 15 SO
Comment: Wolf has issued just 6 walks in his last 6 starts (39.1 innings pitched).
THREE DOWN
HITTERS
ADRIAN BELTRE
Seattle Mariners, 3B
Stats: .056 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 0 SB
Comment:Was given the night off Wednesday, hopefully it shakes him out of the doldrums.
HOWIE KENDRICK
Los Angeles Angels, 2B
Stats: .167 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 0 SB
Comment: Kendrick has totaled just 2 extra-base hits in June thus far.
HIDEKI MATSUI
New York Yankees, OF
Stats: .176 AVG, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R, 0 SB
Comment:Before hitting a grand-slam on Thursday, Matsui had not homered since May 18 and his bat seems to be slowing down after a great start to the season.
PITCHERS
A.J. BURNETT
Toronto Blue Jays, SP
Stats: 0-1, 16.62 ERA, 3.23 WHIP, 5 SO
Comment: Followed up 5 consecutive quality starts with a clunker Saturday against the Orioles.
AARON HARANG
Cincinnati Reds, SP
Stats: 0-1, 11.81 ERA, 2.06 WHIP, 4 SO
Comment:Harang has given up 10 or more hits in 3 of his last 5 starts.
JOE SAUNDERS
Los Angeles Angels, SP
Stats: 0-1, 15.43 ERA, 2.36 WHIP, 4 SO
Comment: Surrendered 3 homers in Monday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
START EM
DIONER NAVARRO
Tampa Bay Rays, C
Comment: Has been consistently productive all season and should be universally owned at this point in 2008. In June thus far, he has 2 homers, 7 RBI and 5 runs in 32 at-bats.
JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA
Texas Rangers, C
Comment: Playing well in June (.333 AVG, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R in just 18 at-bats) so he makes a pretty good start this week, despite the time-share at catcher.
MIKE JACOBS
Florida Marlins, 1B
Comment: Power numbers in June thus far have been impressive with 4 HR and 8 RBI in 41 at-bats.
KEVIN MILLAR
Baltimore Orioles, 1B
Comment:Millar has great career stats versus Houston and Milwaukee: .346 AVG, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 22 R in 133 at-bats.
RAY DURHAM
San Francisco Giants, 2B
Comment: Has been swinging a hot bat in June batting .405 with 9 runs in 37 at-bats.
DUSTIN PEDROIA
Boston Red Sox, 2B
Comment: Despite his recent struggles, Pedroia makes a strong start this week due to his interleague stats since the beginning of 2007: .319 AVG, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 18 R, 2 SB in 69 at-bats.
JASON BARTLETT
Tampa Bay Rays, SS
Comment: Bartlett has been a fairly effective player in his career during inter-league play: .318 AVG, .397 OBP, 14 RBI, 11 R, 5 SB in 110 at-bats.
CRISTIAN GUZMAN
Washington Nationals, SS
Comment: Since May 26, Guzman is batting at a .364 clip, making him a pretty good stopgap option.
TROY GLAUS
St. Louis Cardinals, 3B
Comment: Has been flashing his power of late with 6 homers since May 31st.
ALEX GORDON
Kansas City Royals, 3B
Comment: Since his arrival in the big-leagues in 2007, Gordon has been a beast during inter-league play: .365 AVG, .419 OBP, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 15 R, 7 SB in 85 at-bats.
CODY ROSS
Florida Marlins, OF
Comment:With Jacque Jones’ release from the club, the white-hot Ross has center-field all to himself.
LUKE SCOTT
Baltimore Orioles, OF
Comment:The streaky Scott is starting another tear and those of you in need of some stopgap help (I’m looking at you Alfonso Soriano owners) should take a flier on him.
MATT STAIRS
Toronto Blue Jays, OF
Comment: Has been a useful fantasy commodity when he’s on the road: .316 AVG, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 17 R in 95 at-bats.
NICK SWISHER
Chicago White Sox, OF
Comment: Swisher appears to be turning his season around with his hot play in June: .325 AVG, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 12 R in 40 at-bats.
NICK BLACKBURN
Minnesota Twins, SP
Comment:Just 8 walks issued in 38 innings pitched at home, where he also owns a 2.37 ERA. He gets two starts at the Metrodome this week.
MANNY PARRA
Milwaukee Brewers, SP
Comment:Parra draws two starts at home this week, where he is 3-0 this season with a 2.90 ERA and 34 whiffs in 40.1 innings.
MIKE PELFREY
New York Mets, SP
Comment: Has surrendered just 4 earned runs in his last three starts and takes on two struggling offenses in the Angels and Rockies.
JUSTIN VERLANDER
Detroit Tigers, SP
Comment:Seeing as he’s had quality starts in 5 of his last 6 starts and he’s pitching against two bumbling lineups this week (San Diego-at Petco Park-and San Francisco), Verlander makes a fine start.
SIT EM
YADIER MOLINA
St. Louis Cardinals, C
Comment:Look for Molina to be overmatched this week in inter-league play, he has only 7 extra base hits in 134 career at-bats against American League squads.
MIKE NAPOLI
Los Angeles Angels, C
Comment: Cannot hit to save his life in June this year, batting .077 with 5 whiffs in 13 at-bats.
ADRIAN GONZALEZ
San Diego Padres, 1B
Comment: For his career, Gonzalez has not fared well in inter-league play, batting .256 with 33 strikeouts in 133 at-bats.
ERIC HINSKE
Tampa Bay Rays, 1B
Comment:At Tropicana Field, Hinske is batting just .239 and has a horrible .287 OBP in 2008.
JEFF KENT
Los Angeles Dodgers, 2B
Comment: In 2008, Kent is hitting .150 against Cincinnati and .167 during inter-league play.
BRANDON PHILLIPS
Cincinnati Reds, 2B
Comment: Phillips is scheduled to see solely right-handed starting pitching this week, whom he is batting .236 against this season.
BOBBY CROSBY
Oakland Athletics, SS
Comment: Crosby hasn’t homered since May 18th so while it is nice that Crosby has stayed on the field in 2008, his 20+ home run power has yet to make an appearance.
KHALIL GREENE
San Diego Padres, SS
Comment: Since May 28, Greene has been struggling big-time, hitting just .196.
MIKE LAMB
Minnesota Twins, 3B
Comment: These stats are not for those with weak stomachs. Lamb, at home in 2008, is batting just .171 with a mind-boggling bad .207 OBP in 105 at-bats.
TY WIGGINTON
Houston Astros, 3B
Comment:Wiggington is hitting at a scant .243 clip this season on the road.
MELKY CABRERA
New York Yankees, OF
Comment: Cabrera has struggled at home in 2008, batting just .248 in 105 at-bats.
CARL CRAWFORD
Tampa Bay Rays, OF
Comment: Has been playing really poorly of late and is dealing with a sore knee. Sit the speedy outfielder this week.
JUSTIN UPTON
Arizona Diamondbacks, OF
Comment:Since May 14th, Upton has been overmatched, batting .127 with just 1 steal.
CHRIS YOUNG
Arizona Diamondbacks, OF
Comment: June has not been kind to Young: .234 AVG, 0 HR, 0 SB in 47 at-bats.
PAUL BYRD
Cleveland Indians, SP
Comment: Byrd actually owns an impressive 2.97 ERA at home this season. Unfortunately, he’ll be getting two starts on the road this week, where he is 1-5 with a 6.75 ERA in 7 starts.
MATT GARZA
Tampa Bay Rays, SP
Comment: Altercations with your catcher are never a good thing and by all accounts, Garza was the instigator. Let the frustrated Ray sit on your bench this week.
TED LILLY
Chicago Cubs, SP
Comment:Lilly has had back-to-back productive outings, but his career numbers against the White Sox (6.22 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) suggest he’s likely to implode this week.
DUSTIN McGOWAN
Toronto Blue Jays, SP
Comment: It has been night and day for McGowan between his home (4-1, 1.73 ERA) and road (1-3, 6.02 ERA) starts. He’s on the road this week and should be avoided.
GO FIGURE
8-Runners left on base by Arizona Diamondbacks C Miguel Montero in Monday’s game in 4 at-bats. He struck out in each one of his plate appearances and also committed an error.
6 -Times Chicago White Sox OF Nick Swisher has homered from both sides of the plate in the same game in his career.
3- Home runs allowed in one inning (the seventh) by Pittsburgh Pirates SP Paul Maholm on Tuesday against Washington.
.194-Batting average against for Toronto Blue Jays SP Shaun Marcum, the lowest batting average against for any starting pitcher in baseball.
PROSPECT WATCH
MAT GAMEL
Milwaukee Brewers, 3B
Comment:With the Huntsville Stars in Double-A, Gamel has played extremely well, batting .375 with 14 HR, 61 RBI and 60 runs in 66 games.. That’s explosive production, even at the Double-A level. Alas, his arrival in the majors may not come for quite some time. The Brewers opted to let Gamel stay in Double-A despite a vacancy at the Triple-A level left by Russell Branyan. Brewers Assistant GM Gord Ash remarked, “Double-A, especially the Southern League, is a very solid pitching league, and we’re probably going to leave him there and let him have an outstanding year there — let him dominate.” The Brewers may change their tune if the current platoon of Branyan and Bill “Trade Me” Hall does not work out and the team is still in contention. He’s certainly worth keeping on your radar in 2008, but it sounds like he’s staying put in the minors.
KEY MATCHUP
Boston Red Sox @ Philadelphia Phillies
We may be getting a preview of the 2008 World Series this week as the Boston Red Sox travel to Citizen’s Bank Park for a three game series against Philadelphia. Both teams are ruling their respective East divisions at the moment and the two squads have not seen each other since inter-league play in 2006, when the Red Sox won 5 out of 6 games played. Both squads feature strong bullpens and powerhouse offenses, though the Red Sox have the advantage when it comes to starting pitching. Bartolo Colon, Jon Lester and Justin Masterson are the scheduled starters for Boston and they will be opposed by Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick.
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