The combination of power and speed over the course of the regular season is a great milestone to reach as a player and a strong individual accomplishment for any fantasy team.  If you were lucky enough to win your league, most likely one or more of the following players were on your team.

Special props to the (4) fantasy MVP’s of the year – Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun, Ian Kinsler, and Jacoby Ellsbury for reaching the 30/30 club.  Unless you were living under a rock, Kemp, Braun and Ellsbury were clearly raking all year long as they batted well over .300 for their teams.

All four of these gentlemen are talented and young enough to reach 20/20 next year with an outside chance of a repeat performance.

Here are the 20/20 hitters on the 2011 season.

This year there were a total of 12 members who reached the 20/20 club, which includes the 30/30 guys.  It’s interesting to see how only 5 of the 12 players’ teams made the playoffs; however, 9 of the 12 were on winning teams.

Justin Upton and B.J. Upton were the 1st set of brothers to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season.  Jason Werth and Ben Zobrist were each one stolen base short of reaching 20/20.  There were only 2 repeat performers from last year: Carlos Gonzalez &  Chris Young.

There were 7 members of the 20/20 club in 2010.  Obviously, Hanley Rameriz & Shin-Soo Choo sustained injuries that limited their performance.  Bobby Abreu lost his wheels even though he had 12 straight prior seasons of 20+ stolen bases.  Alex Rios ended up with only 13 home runs and 11 stolen bases while Drew Stubbs hit 15 home runs and stole 40 bases.   Drew Stubbs has the chance to easily make the club again next year.

As the 2012 fantasy baseball season is down the block and around the corner, look forward to seeing MSF’s fantasy baseball draft kit where we will provide a list of possible repeat performers in 2012, familar faces re-appearing, and new members who will reach this milestone.

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Here, in Part 2, I will unveil the starting rotation and bullpen to complete the team.

I placed 3rd in my fantasy league this year.  I had a lineup full of sluggers and a worthy bullpen, but like many real baseball teams, lack of starting pitching doomed my season.

The league champion had Justin Verlander, and the runner-up had Clayton Kershaw.  Verlander and Kershaw were undoubtedly the top two starters in baseball this season, so it’s no surprise they were the backbones of winning fantasy teams.

But how do their standout 2011 seasons stack up to the greats of the last 30 years?

As with the hitters in Part 1 of this post, I tried to find a good statistical blend.  You could stack the top 5 strikeout seasons since 1980, but you would take a big hit in wins, ERA and WHIP.  You could stack wins, but the ERA and WHIP issue would remain.  ERA and WHIP heavy seasons were very low in strikeouts and wins.  You get the idea.

Therefore, the true challenge is to pull the right strings that balances your staff.

To recap, here are some of the (self-imposed) rules I’ll go by:

• Only seasons from 1980-2011 are eligible, since fantasy baseball started, in its modern form, in 1980.
• I’m only including one season from any player.  This rule is only included to keep things interesting and give credit to the maximum number of players.
• I’m choosing these players based on the standard categories in fantasy baseball: batting average, home runs, RBI, stolen bases and runs for hitters, and wins, strikeouts, saves, ERA, and WHIP (walks plus hits/innings pitched) for pitchers.  I know it’s not exactly saber-friendly, but these are the stats fantasy leagues were built on and that we continue to use today.
• The idea is to add up all of the statistics for the team and enable it to best any other combination of the players’ seasons in at least 6 of the 10 scoring categories.
• I haven’t examined every possible combination to see if my team is unbeatable based upon the criteria I have chosen.  I simply did a lot of research and chose the seasons I was most impressed by, and tried to make these statistics as well rounded as possible.
• I challenge any readers to create their own teams to see if they can beat my team in at least 6 out of 10 categories.  Feel free to post your own teams or glaring omissions I may have made in the comments below.

With that out of the way, let’s have a look at my starting rotation.

Starting Pitcher 1:

Pedro Martinez – 1999 – Boston Red Sox

23 wins, 313 strikeouts, 2.07 ERA, .923 WHIP, 0 saves

It truly pained me to leave out Pedro’s 2000 season (1.74 ERA and .737 WHIP), as he was truly unhittable in 2000, and to make matters worse for his opponents, he had impeccable control as well.

But Pedro’s 1999 season had 5 more wins and 20 more strikeouts, both of which are necessary in striking the right balance on this rotation.  His WHIP was still spectacular – although not as laughably fantastic as 2000 – and his ERA was 6th lowest for a starter since 1980.

I can only imagine his wins total if he’d been an innings-eating workhorse like some of the other pitchers you will see on this list.

Starting Pitcher 2:

Randy Johnson – 2002 – Arizona Diamondbacks

24 wins, 334 strikeouts, 2.32 ERA, 1.009 WHIP, 0 saves

The Big Unit could easily have landed on this list a couple of times, but due to my rule of only allowing one season per player, I chose 2002.  In that season, Johnson set a career high in wins and had an ERA nearly a full run lower than his career average —  all while supplying his usually stellar number of punchouts.

What is truly remarkable about Johnson’s 2002 season is that he was 38 years old and still managed to put up elite stats.  To put that in perspective, Pedro Martinez – Johnson’s closest statistical rival of that era – was retired by 37 and managed the amazing season above at age 27.  They were definitely different pitchers – the Big Unit a giant, southpaw fireballer with overpowering stuff and effective wildness; Pedro a diminutive righty who, while a hard thrower, possessed a more crafty repertoire.

Had Johnson been able to limit his walks a bit (he had one of the largest walks/innings ratios of all pitchers in consideration, which eliminated his 372 strikeout 2001 season) he would’ve had, in my mind, the greatest statistical season of a starting pitcher of the last 30 years.  And was there anybody more terrifying to hitters and avian species?

Starting Pitcher 3:

Dwight Gooden – 1985 – New York Mets

24 wins, 268 strikeouts, 1.53 ERA, .965 WHIP, 0 saves

It might be hard for younger baseball fans to understand, but that guy who was on the latest season of Celebrity Rehab had one of the most amazing pitching seasons in baseball history.

At 20 years old, “Doc” Gooden was nearly invincible, dominating National League hitters as if they were high school players.  His massive win total and miniscule ERA were the big factors for including him on this list, but unlike other strong ERA performers (like Greg Maddux, who I’ll discuss further in a moment), he maintained a strong strikeout performance as well.

It’s sad to think about what could have been with Gooden, as he’d amassed 91 wins by the age of 23. Unfortunately, personal demons derailed his surefire Hall of Fame career, Dwight finished with only 194 victories, only pitching until age 35.

Not that it’s any real consolation, but his brilliance in 1985 lives on as one of the greatest fantasy baseball seasons by a starting pitcher of all time.

Starting Pitcher 4: 

Mike Scott – 1986 – Houston Astros

18 wins, 306 strikeouts, 2.22 ERA, .923 WHIP, o saves

Mike Scott was the ace of the 1986 Astros team that lost in the NLCS to the eventual World Series champion Mets (who had their own ace, our friend Doc Gooden).  The series loss was no fault of Scott’s, however, as he pitched two complete games and yielded only a single earned run, winning both and striking out 19 in the process.  Pretty nasty.

As for the regular season – which is what we’re most concerned with for this exercise – Scott was just as ruthless, tallying one of only 13 300+ strikeout seasons since 1980.  The other guys who notched such seasons?  You may have heard of them: Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Nolan Ryan and Curt Schilling.

Scott also performed admirably in ERA and WHIP, more so considering the high strikeout total.

The only blemish on Scott’s resume is the relatively low win total of 18.  He took the loss 10 times in 1986, and though I wasn’t able to find run support statistics for that season, I have to believe that his was lacking.  There is no other explanation for such a solid season to have so few victories.  At least he won the Cy Young and a spot in the greatest fantasy rotation of all time.

Starting Pitcher 5:

Justin Verlander – 2011 – Detroit Tigers

24 wins, 250 strikeouts, 2.40 ERA, .920 WHIP

Maybe it’s just how recent this one is, or maybe I haven’t taken time to properly compare this to its historical competitors, but I feel like Verlander’s 2011 campaign is a completely balanced, excellent choice.

He is tied for the highest wins total of the period in question (and barely missed his 25th win, despite being rocked during his last start of the season).  His ERA and Ks are on the lower end of the seasons I considered, but not by a drastic margin.  His WHIP was in the top 3 of the 14 pitching seasons I considered.

I also think there’s something encouraging about Verlander’s season.  In the AL, unquestionably the better hitting league, he put up throwback numbers.  I know the spectre of PEDs still looms over baseball, even now, but I am encouraged to see dominant pitching performances again.

If I awarded a little too much credit for that feeling, so be it; I’ll take Justin Verlander on my fantasy team any day.

Also considered:

Greg Maddux – 1995 – My toughest omission and my favorite baseball player ever.  19 wins, 181 Ks, 1.63 ERA, .811 WHIP

Bret Saberhagen – 1989:  23 wins, 193 Ks, 2.16 ERA, .961 WHIP

Roger Clemens – 1997: 21 wins, 292 Ks, 2.05 ERA, 1.03 WHIP

John Tudor – 1985: One of those random great fantasy seasons.  21 wins, 169 Ks, 1.93 ERA, .938 WHIP

John Smoltz – 1996: 24 wins, 276 Ks, 2.94 ERA, 1.001 WHIP

Steve Carlton – 1980: 24 wins, 286 Ks, 2.34 ERA, 1.095 WHIP

Clayton Kershaw – 2011: 21 wins, 248 Ks, 2.28 ERA, .977 WHIP

The Bullpen

Unfortunately, the idea with closers is to stack saves and pretty much ignore every other stat.  If I don’t, it will be far too easy for someone to steal a point from me here.  For this reason, my three choices in this section are going to be very predictable, and by no means who I’d choose in real life to close a game (with perhaps one PED-aided exception).

Relief Pitcher 1:

Francisco Rodriguez – 2008 – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

2 wins, 77 strikeouts, 2.24 ERA, 1.288 WHIP, 62 saves

I disagree with the idea of the “save.”  Greg Couch at foxsports.com did a much better job summing up its flaws than I ever could.  In fantasy baseball, though, the save is a 10% slice of the pie, and therefore must be considered.

K-Rod put up massive save numbers for the Angels from 2005-2008 despite never being truly dominant, or even the best closer in his own league.

He did have a decent strikeout total, and his ERA wasn’t anything awful. His WHIP is pretty bad, but the same can be said for a lot of closers who rack up saves.  Any wins I can get from closers are simply considered icing on the proverbial cake.

Relief Pitcher 2:

Bobby Thigpen – 1990 – Chicago White Sox

4 wins, 70 strikeouts, 1.83 ERA, 1.038 WHIP, 57 saves

Thigpen held the saves record for 18 years before K-Rod broke it in 2008.  This stands as another excellent example of saves being unjustly hyped as an important statistic.

His stats are a bit of a mixed bag.  His ERA is very good, as is his WHIP, particularly for a reliever.  The four wins are a definite bonus (consider them Mike Scott supplemental wins), and while his strikeout total is low by a closer’s standards, it was his second highest K/9 IP ratio of his career.

Back injuries forced Thigpen to retire at age 30.  Not too many people can say they held a major statistical record in Major League Baseball for 18 years, though.  And not many people (three, to be exact) can say they had one of the greatest fantasy baseball seasons ever as a closer.

Relief Pitcher 3:

Eric Gagne – 2003 – Los Angeles Dodgers

2 wins, 137 strikeouts, 1.20 ERA, .692 WHIP, 55 saves

I had two choices for this third spot, as 2003 Gagne and 2002 John Smoltz each had 55 saves.  It didn’t take long to make a decision.  Seth Rogen’s stunt double it is.

Gagne’s gaudy strikeout total (15 K/9!) was almost enough for me to justify Maddux’s inclusion in the previous section, but ultimately I decided to let the Ks pile up.  Gagne only allowed 59 baserunners in 82.1 innings, which is an absolutely astounding figure.

As I discussed during the hitters portion of this post, it doesn’t matter how you get the stats in fantasy, just that you get them.  Gagne allegedly used steroids during this season (and others), but that doesn’t remove his ridiculous stats from the history books.  And it doesn’t make his 2003 fantasy league owners return their trophies, either.

Also considered:

Dennis Eckersley – 1990: I had to include this just to show everyone what true dominance looks like. None of that K-Rod, 1.29 WHIP stuff.  73 IP, 73 Ks, .61 ERA, .614 WHIP, 48 saves, 4 wins.  Holy schnikes.

Jose Mesa – 1995: 46 saves, 58 Ks, 1.13 ERA, 1.031 WHIP, 3 wins

Trevor Hoffman – 1998: 53 saves, 86 Ks, 1.48 ERA, .849 WHIP, 4 wins

Mariano Rivera – 2004: 53 saves, 66 Ks, 1.94 ERA, 1.081 WHIP, 4 wins

John Smoltz – 2002: 55 saves, 85 Ks, 3.25 ERA, 1.033 WHIP, 3 wins

All told, the pitching staff’s totals are:

121 wins

1755 strikeouts

2.04 ERA

.959 WHIP

174 saves

I think that staff is going to be tough to beat.  Again, I encourage you to make your own teams and try to beat me in 6 of the 10 scoring categories.  It’s really been fun looking back at these spectacular seasons.

If I left someone out, please let me know in the comments below.

(Click to see the Best Possible Fantasy Lineup: Hitters.)

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The tendency to evaluate baseball by adding up the sum of a team’s individual players’ performances lends itself seamlessly to fantasy leagues.

The Dodgers’ Matt Kemp has made a legitimate run at the National League Triple Crown this season.  On top of that, he has also stolen 40 bases, good for second in the N.L.  If you are looking for a fantasy stud in the outfield for next season, your list starts with Matt Kemp.

As impressive as Kemp’s 2011 season has been, it actually pales in comparison to some of the greatest offensive seasons by outfielders in recent memory. I decided to stroll through the virtual archives of baseballreference.com to try to put Kemp’s superb numbers into some historical context.

What outfielders in seasons past have racked up more impressive stats than Kemp has this year?

Taking this concept further, what are the best fantasy baseball seasons ever at every position?

Unlike fantasy football, in which the object is typically to rack up as many points as possible (with each on-field achievement linked to a static point value), fantasy baseball’s best performing teams have consistently excellent performers in each stat category. Determining the best of all time in fantasy baseball isn’t as simple as looking at the single season touchdown record.

I decided to try to assemble the greatest possible fantasy baseball team ever, by taking single seasons at every position (C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, 3 OF, 1 Utility, plus 5 starting pitchers and 3 relief pitchers) and adding up the stats to create one mega-juggernaut.

I laid down a few conditions before starting:

• Only seasons from 1980-2011 are eligible, since fantasy baseball started, in its modern form, in 1980.
• I’m only including one season from any player.  I’m only including this rule to keep things interesting and give credit to the maximum number of players.
• Outfielders are designated simply as “outfield.”  There is no specification of which outfield position was played.  For example, I can choose three left fielders if I decide they possess the best three fantasy seasons ever for outfielders.
• I’m choosing these players based on the standard categories in fantasy baseball – batting average, home runs, RBI, stolen bases and runs for hitters, and wins, strikeouts, saves, ERA, and WHIP (walks plus hits/innings pitched) for pitchers.  I know it’s not exactly saber-friendly, but these are the stats fantasy leagues were built on and that most continue to use today.
• The idea is to add up all of the statistics for the team and have it be able to best any other combination of players’ seasons in at least 6 of the 10 scoring categories.
• I haven’t examined every possible combination to see if my team is unbeatable based on the criteria I have chosen.  I simply did a lot of research and chose the seasons I was most impressed by and tried to make my statistics as well rounded as I could.
• I challenge any readers to create their own teams to see if they can beat my team in at least 6 out of 10 categories.  Post your own teams or glaring omissions I may have made in the comments below.

Now that the technicalities and rules have been explained, let’s see who had the most absurd fantasy seasons in the last 31 years!

Catcher:

Mike Piazza – 1997 – Los Angeles Dodgers

.362 BA, 40 HR, 124 RBI, 104 R, 5 SB

This was the easiest position to decide since there have been precious few spectacular seasons from catchers.

All 5 stats were at least ties for his career high, which is saying something because no one at the position has ever mashed like Piazza.

He finished 2^nd in MVP voting in 1997, but he is second to no one when it comes to the best fantasy season ever supplied by a backstop.

Also considered – Ivan Rodriguez – 1999 (.332/35/113/116/25) and Joe Mauer – 2007 (.365/28/96/94/4)

First Base:

Todd Helton – 2000 – Colorado Rockies

.372 BA, 42 HR, 147 RBI, 138 R, 5 SB

It was as difficult to select a first baseman as it was easy to select a catcher.  I chose the 2000 edition of Helton because of his strong performance in all categories, and especially because of that gaudy batting average.

Fantasy baseball does not discriminate against statistics regardless of their accelerants (read: Coors Field).  Though 42 is a lot of homers, it falls well short of some other big power seasons (including Helton’s own 2001 total of 49).

I decided I could make up the differential in home runs lost by not choosing Mark McGwire’s 1998 season at other positions.

Also considered – Helton – 2001 (.336/49/146/132/7), McGwire – 1998 (.299/70/147/130/1), Albert Belle – 1996 (.311/48/148/124/11), Albert Pujols – 2006 (.331/49/137/119/7) and Andres Galarraga – 1996 (.304/47/150/119/18)

Second Base:

Roberto Alomar – 1999 – Cleveland Indians

.323 BA, 24 HR, 120 RBI, 138 R, 37 SB

Alomar was never a power hitter, but he did supply some pop in ’99.  His home run, RBI and runs were all career highs.  Throw in a very good stolen base number and a solid batting average and you’ve got the makings of the best fantasy season ever from a second baseman.

Outside of runs, other players at the position had higher totals in each category, but no one was as consistently excellent across the board as Robbie.

Also considered – Alfonso Soriano – 2002 (.300/39/102/128/41), Bret Boone – 2001 (.331/37/141/118/5), Jeff Kent (.334/33/125/114/12), Craig Biggio – 1998 (.325/20/88/123/50) and Ryne Sandberg – 1990 (.306/40/100/116/25)

Shortstop:

Alex Rodriguez – 1998 – Seattle Mariners

.310 BA, 42 HR, 124 RBI, 123 R, 46 SB

Remember when A-Rod was a speed-demon, capable of posting a 40/40 season?  I do, and he was a shoo-in for this spot.  No other shortstop in the fantasy era, and maybe ever, produced like Rodriguez during his Seattle and Texas days.  His move to New York and its accompanying position change to third base has always been sad to me, as it robbed the fantasy game of a dominant power and speed combination at shortstop the likes of which we had never seen.

This year’s best fantasy shortstop, depending on your team’s needs, was either Troy Tulowitzki or Jose Reyes.  1998 A-Rod out-slugged Tulo (to date, he does have a few games left) by 12 homers and 19 RBI, hit for a higher average (.310 to .302), scored 42 more runs, and stole 37 more bases.

Reyes, meanwhile, was injured for a chunk of the season and has managed a fantasy line of .329/5/40/98/36 in 122 games.  Depending on what your team’s makeup was for 2011, Tulowitzki or Reyes could have been your top shortstop, but A-Rod’s 1998 season almost tops both of the top 2011 seasons combined.

Also considered – N/A

Third Base:

Chipper Jones – 1999 – Atlanta Braves

.319 BA, 45 HR, 110 RBI, 116 R, 25 SB

In the midst of the Braves record-setting string of division titles, Jones was the switch-hitting, 5-tool player who bolstered the offense and gave the starting pitchers enough breathing room (not that they needed much) to relax.

Despite stiff competition and a relatively low RBI total, Chipper gets the nod here because of his surprising stolen bases and strong number of runs scored.  It’s worth noting that had the 1981 season not been shortened by a strike, Mike Schmidt (.316/31/91/78/12 in 102 games played) likely would have been the choice.

Also considered – Adrian Beltre – 2004 (.334/48/121/104/7), Ken Caminiti – 1996 (.326/40/130/109/11), Vinny Castilla – 1998 (.319/46/144/108/5), Mike Schmidt – 1980 (.286/48/121/104/12) and George Brett – 1980 (.390/24/118/87/15)

Outfield:

Barry Bonds – 2001 – San Francisco Giants

.328 BA, 73 HR, 137 RBI, 129 R, 13 SB

Remember when I said I would make up for the home runs I left on the table at first base?  Well, here you go.

Like first base, the outfield is cluttered with great seasons.  It was really tough to leave out some all time great players (Griffey, Vlad) and the fantastically ridiculous Rickey Henderson (130 steals in 1982!).

There are a handful of Bonds seasons I could have included (and would have, had I not self-imposed the one-season-per-player rule), most notably 1993 and 2002.  I went with the record-setting big fly year that worked everyone into a frenzy and ultimately ramped up the nation’s concern over performance-enhancing drugs.

Remember, fantasy cares not about what forces are behind a statistic’s achievement, only that it goes into the official score.

Outfield:

Sammy Sosa – 2001 – Chicago Cubs

.328 BA, 64 HR, 160 RBI, 146 R, 0 SB

Slammin’ Sammy sure wasn’t running a whole in 2001, but that’s probably because he spent most of his time doing a slow trot around the bases.  That, or he was so massively juiced up that he was incapable of more than jogging.

Joking aside, Sosa racked up the second-most RBIs since 1938 (Manny Ramirez had 165 in 1999).  His .328 average and 146 runs scored were also differentiators.  His average was 20 points higher than his massive 1998 campaign, too.

Sosa, like Bonds, had a few seasons worthy of inclusion on this list.  The lack of steals hurts, but my next two selections help make up that gap while not sacrificing power or average.

Outfield:

Larry Walker – 1997 – Colorado Rockies

.366 BA, 49 HR, 130 RBI, 143 R, 33 SB

Our second beneficiary of the Coors Field effect is Larry Walker.  That, or cutting his mullet had dramatic effects on his numbers.  Either way, in 1997 Walker combined power, speed and average like no player in the last 30 years, possibly ever.

His 33 stolen bases help cover the shortage left by Rickey Henderson’s absence and Sosa’s goose-egg.  And that .366 average is second only to Helton for best on the hypothetical team.

Also considered – Bonds – 1993 (.336/46/123/129/29), Bonds – 2002 (.370/46/110/117/9), Sosa – 1998 (.308/66/158/134/18), Ramirez – 1999 (.333/44/165/131/2), Rickey Henderson – 1985 (.314/24/72/146/80), Henderson – 1982 (.267/10/51/119/130), Vlad Guerrero – 2002 (.336/39/111/106/40).

Utility:

Ellis Burks – 1996 – Colorado Rockies

.344 BA, 40 HR, 128 RBI, 142 R, 32 SB

Yes, I included a third player who benefited from the Coors Field launching pad.  But Burks had one of the most well rounded seasons ever in 1996.

Plus, the randomness of Ellis Burks appearing on this list was appealing to me.  He’s clearly not in the same conversation as the other position players in any other context.  That’s part of what makes fantasy sports so fun, though.  When you get a guy later in a draft that puts up video game numbers it gives the owner an even greater sense of satisfaction.

Also considered – All of the players considered at each position, plus Edgar Martinez – 1995 (.356/29/113/121/9).

All told, the offense ended up with:

.339 BA

419 HR (average of 46.5 per player)

1180 RBI (131 per player)

1179 runs (131 per player)

196 stolen bases (approximately 22 per player). 

Pretty incredible stat line, huh?  Of course, some categories can be easily tweaked to beat my totals (home runs and steals are easy to manipulate), but when you load up one stat, typically a couple others suffer.  This combination is the best setup I found for all stats.

I’d like to see yours, too.  Let me know how I did in the comments, and if I missed a great season by someone, tell me about it.

Part 2, featuring the pitching staff, is coming soon. [Update: Click to view the best possible fantasy baseball pitching rotation.]

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]]> http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/09/the-greatest-fantasy-baseball-team-possible-part-1-hitters/feed/ 4 http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/09/fantasy-baseball-hitting-planner-for-week-of-september-19th-2011/ http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/09/fantasy-baseball-hitting-planner-for-week-of-september-19th-2011/#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:33:55 +0000 Jay McClain http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=36890 Cold weather, low scores, and nagging injuries signal that the year is about to close.

As you know, the rosters get expanded in September, allowing players who were recently called up from the minors a chance to see what they can do in favor of aging veterans or inconsistent players.  If there is any advice you can take from this week’s hitting planner it is this: whatever got you to this point, don’t rely on it 100% to finish your year out.  Too many  variables can make a matchup swing one way or another with just one guy missing action so pay close attention to this week’s hitting planner.

Catcher

You have a choice between Mike Napoli and Alex Avila to start as your catcher.  Each guy brings something different to the table but the all around hitter would have to be Napoli.  As the Tigers have basically wrapped up their division, Avila could see some rest days take place.

Yes Joe Mauer is on Playstation 3 commercials. (Don’t forget about shampoo either!)  But the 100% owned number is way too high.  He is ranked as the 22^nd player for his position so make the executive decision. 

Jordan Pacheco only has eligibility behind the plate right now but he is seeing some extra playing time at 1^st and 3^rd, so if you are looking for a sleeper at this time of the year, he could be your guy.

First Base

Chase Davis?  Yes he is the Orioles’ 1^st baseman who has had a few good games but hold your horses when adding him to your team like a few other owners have done.

Another hot and unknown player would be Justin Smoak.  The streak might last until the end of the season with only a week and a half to go.

Only batting 4 for 24 after an off day, Ryan Howard isn’t looking like a prime option for fantasy production this week. 

Prince Fielder said it himself that this is the last year of his contract but realistically, his production as a fantasy player this year could be done.

With the fantasy baseball playoffs being as strange as they are, you have to ride players while they are hot and Joey Votto’s late season surge only reaffirms that.

Second Base

Ouch!  Any other part during the season, a day-to-day injury isn’t a big deal but when the season is down to single digit games, Robinson Cano could pose to be a thorn in your side.  While the injury isn’t anything serious, you can bet the Yanks are going to take precautions.

Dan Uggla has consistently upped his play throughout the year.  His little slump is nothing to worry about, hey, chances are he will be a top-5 player next year.

This is a week where a couple of highly owned 2^nd basemen shouldn’t make the cut in your starting lineup.  Kelly Johnson, Ty Wigginton, Aaron Hill and Neil Walker fit the bill as those who need to see some time off.

Third Base

Owners have this Love/Hate thing going on with Mark Reynolds but there is one thing to be excited about: 11 games on the schedule this week means plenty of opportunities to score big for your team. 

Alex Rodriguez is back in the lineup after dealing with a minor thumb problem and chances are he is going to play the regular season out instead of sit because he needs to be ready to go for the postseason.

The Giants as a whole are surging late in the year and are led by Pablo Sandoval and his improbable cycle against the Rockies.

Chipper Jones and Alberto Callaspo have seemed to hit a little wall here at the end of the season.  Don’t put all your eggs in these baskets if you can help it.  Instead of those two, give Lonnie Chisenhall a chance because he wants to show the Indians what he can do, for next year that is.

Shortstop

Say goodbye to Troy Tulowitzki this year.  It was the worst time for him to go down with the playoffs going on but these things happen.

More injuries floating around baseball is going to see Jose Reyes on the bench for a few games with the expanded rosters.  A few more guys to add to that list would be Rafael Furcal, Brendan Ryan and Wilson Valdez.

There is some good news for shortstops this week including Elvis Andrus and Cliff Pennington.  While Andrus is trying to get his postseason swing down pat, Pennington doesn’t have any pressure on him and just goes out there and hits like there is nothing serious going on.

This should be noted, with the expanded rosters, the 37 year old Derek Jeter will likely see the time off he needs here at the end of the year so act accordingly.

Outfield

The end of year fantasy outfield is really a rat-race.  Who is playing?  Who isn’t? Who is fighting for playing time or making a statement for next year?  The questions are endless so you really have to go with your gut feeling during these times.  Let’s go over the group of guys who are HOT and NOT.

HOT: Jason Bay,  Josh Willingham, B.J. Upton, Jayson Werth, Craig Gentry and Alex Gordon have been doing all they can at the end of the season to keep you afloat and or make an impression for 2012.

Then there are those who are either packing it up or hitting an unfortunate time to slump.

NOT: Jason Heyward,  Andrew McCutchen, Kyle Blanks, Austin Jackson and Drew Stubbs headline the guys who aren’t doing too well right now.  With only 10 days left, will they be able to turn it around in time?

Format for waiver wire watch:

• 50-75% Owned- Player qualifies for 10-team league
• 25-49% Owned- Player qualifies for 12-team league
• Less than 25% Owned- Player qualifies for 14-team league

Again, these percentages are found on Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball.

10-team league hitter to watch

Gaby Sanchez, FLA, OF

After showing great power potential during his rookie season with the Marlins, Gaby Sanchez has built upon his 2010 success by turning in a solid 2011 campaign.

His power production has been above average again this season, as he has belted 18 HR, while driving in 72 and scoring 68 runs.  Sanchez has especially pounded left-handed pitching this season by batting .302 against them with a .417 OBP and .500 SLG.  Also, Sanchez has started to pick up the pace again after having a subpar month of August.  He has 6 RBIs in his last 7 games, and his OBP has risen by 8 points during that span.

It seems likely that Sanchez will finish the year strong, so he is someone to keep an eye on as he can hit HRs in bunches.

10-team league pitcher to watch

Edwin Jackson, SP, STL

Since being traded to the Cardinals mid-season, Edwin Jackson has been very impressive for St. Louis.

In 9 starts with the Cardinals, Jackson has a record of 4-2 with an ERA of 3.39.  In Jackson’s past 4 starts, he is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.08.  Thus, he has been especially good of late.  He has posted an overall ERA of 2.77 in September, and has also struck out 13 batters in 13 IP during this time.  Furthermore, Jackson has thrown 5 quality starts in his last 7 starts, and he has lasted at least 6 innings in all but 1 of those games.

Jackson is in a great groove right now, and he also can add stability to any fantasy rotation at this point in the season.

12-team league hitter to watch

Raul Ibanez, OF, PHI

Raul Ibanez has been one of the more underestimated MLB players over the course of the past decade, and in 2011 this veteran has proven that he still has some gas left in the tank.

After being pretty inconsistent for the first 5 months of the season, Ibanez has gone crazy so far in September.  He has a BA of .370 for the month to go along with a .414 OBP, and a .593 SLG.  It is also noteworthy that Ibanez plays in one of the best ballparks for offense in Philadelphia.  At Citizens Bank Park this year, Ibanez has batted a solid .293, with 13 of his 18 HR, and 52 of his 72 RBI.

Ibanez has been known to go on crazy hot streaks every once in awhile and it looks like he might be in the midst of one right now.

12-team league pitcher to watch

Jason Motte, RP, STL

Jason Motte has thrived in closer’s role ever since taking over earlier this month.  Overall, Motte is having a brilliant season out of the Cardinals’ bullpen as well.

He has a 4-2 record with an ERA of 1.61.  Righties are batting a minuscule .165 off of Motte, and his road ERA is 0.90.  Thus, Motte is obviously capable of performing well under pressure.  He is also in the midst of a streak in which he has allowed just 1 earned run since July.  Motte has been perfect in his saves opportunities since taking over the closer’s role as well.

It is extremely rare to see a lights-out closer available this late in the season, so take advantage if you can.

14-team league hitter to watch

Jesus Montero, C, NYY

Jesus Montero is one of the more hyped prospects that the Yankees have had in a while.  Before the season, Baseball America rated Montero as the 3^rd best prospect in the MLB.  That is pretty big hype to live up to, but in his first month in the Major Leagues, Montero seems to be everything Yankee fans had hoped for.

In 8 games this season, Montero is batting .308 with 3 HR, 6 RBI, and 6 runs scored.  He also has an OBP of .400 and a SLG of .654.  In parts of 5 minor league season, Montero has a cumulative BA of .308, an OBP of .366, and a SLG of .501.  He has the ability to hit for power and drive in runs.  This makes him a dangerous fantasy weapon for the remainder of the season, and in the future as well.

14-team league pitcher to watch

Wade Davis, SP, TB

Wade Davis has quietly put together a solid campaign for the Rays this season.  He has a record of 10-8 with an ERA of 4.36.  However, Davis has been especially good of late.

In the month of September, Davis has a record of 2-0 with an ERA of 2.87.  In addition, his WHIP for the month is 0.96, and his BAA is .200.  In Davis’s last 5 starts, he has thrown 4 quality starts and 2 complete games.  Another very telling statistic of Davis is that the Rays have won 7 out of his last 8 starts.  This seems to indicate that Davis has the potential to earn a few more wins for your team during these last couple weeks of the season.

• 50-75% Owned- Player qualifies for 10-team league
• 25-49% Owned- Player qualifies for 12-team league
• Less than 25% Owned- Player qualifies for 14-team league

Again, these percentages are found on Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball.

10-team league hitter to watch

Kelly Johnson, 2B, TOR

If you just look at Kelly Johnson’s averages this season, it looks like he is having a very poor season.  Johnson has a .217 BA, .298 OBP, and a .426 SLG combined with the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays this season.  However, his power production has been great, especially for a second baseman.

His 20 HR rank 4^th in the MLB among second baseman, and he also has 53 RBI, 67 Runs, and even 13 SB to go along with his impressive HR total.  In addition he has been on fire ever since being acquired by the Blue Jays.  In 11 games with Toronto, Johnson is batting .300 with 2 HR and 4 RBI.  He also has an impressive .404 OBP and .575 SLG with the Blue Jays.

Johnson plays at a position in which power hitters are not always prevalent, so he is probably worth a shot for the final few weeks of the season.

10-team league pitcher to watch

Ryan Madson, RP, PHI

Due to Brad Lidge being injured for most of 2011, Ryan Madson has filled in nicely as closer for the Phillies for the season.  He has converted 27 out of 29 saves this season, and he has also struck out 52 batters in just 49.2 IP.  His BAA on the season is only .234, but that BAA dips down to .205 with runners on base.  This is a sign of a good closer, as it shows that Madson does not get rattled under pressure.  Madson has a devastating changeup, as shown by his BAA versus lefties (.208).

Though he has been mostly a setup man throughout his career with the Phillies, he has been a workhorse out of the bullpen for them for a number of years now.  He has just recently become the franchise’s all-time leader in relief appearances.  Thus, Madson has been a consistent asset out of the Phillies bullpen for a number of years now, so look for him to maintain that same consistency as closer for the remainder of the season.

12-team league hitter to watch

Austin Jackson, OF, DET

I personally found it kind of surprising that Austin Jackson was only owned in about 40% of fantasy leagues based on the success he had as a rookie last year in 2010.  Though Jackson has not quite matched his success from his rookie season, he is still putting up a solid campaign.

Jackson has been red-hot so far in the first few games of September as well.  In 20 AB so far in the month, Jackson is batting .550 with 2 HR, and 5 RBI.  He can give your fantasy team a little bit of everything as well.  He can hit for a little bit of power, he can score runs, and he can steal bases.  Given his hot September start, things look favorable for Jackson for the remainder of the month.

12-team league pitcher to watch

Javier Vazquez, SP, FLA

After an extremely rough start to the season, Javier Vazquez seems to have returned to form over the past couple months.  After posting an ERA of over 5.00 in each of the first 3 months of the season, Vazquez responded with a 3.16 ERA in July and a 2.48 ERA in August.

In Vazquez’s last 7 starts, he has thrown at least 6 innings in all of them.  In addition, 6 out of those 7 starts were quality starts and he has not allowed more than 3 runs in any of those starts.  He has also reached double digit strikeout totals in two of those starts, and has struck out at least 6 in two more of those starts.  Vazquez’s recent performance seems to indicate that he has returned to the dominant form that he has possessed many time throughout his career, so he is a good pitcher to take a risk on right now.

14-team league hitter to watch

Derrek Lee, 1B, BAL

Derrek Lee has been a hitting machine ever since being acquired by the Pirates at the Trade Deadline.  Despite missing a few weeks due to injury, Lee seems to have picked up right where he left off.

Through 7 games with the Pirates this year, Lee is batting .407 with 3 HR, and 9 RBI.  It seems that Lee is enjoying playing in the National League again after a rough go around in the American League with the Orioles.  Lee also has 6 hits and 6 RBI in his last two games as well, so it looks like he is in the midst of another hot streak right off the DL.  Lee is a proven power hitter, and though he might not be the fantasy weapon he once was, he is still a viable option.

14-team league pitcher to watch

Brandon McCarthy, SP, OAK

Brandon McCarthy was once a highly touted prospect for the Chicago White Sox, and he has been surprisingly consistent for Oakland this season.  McCarthy has an ERA of under 4.00 in every single month this season, with an ERA of 3.41 overall.  In McCarthy’s past 3 starts, he has gone a combined 24.2 IP, while only allowing 5 combined runs.  He has also struck out a combined 26 batters in those starts, and had double digit strikeouts in two of those games.  McCarthy has been good all season, but he has been even more dominant of late, so pick him up while you have a chance.

* All statistics used are as of Monday September 5, 2011

]]> http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/09/fantasy-baseball-waiver-watch-johnson-madson-jackson-and-more/feed/ 0 http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/09/fantasy-baseball-hitting-planner-for-week-of-september-12th-2011/ http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/09/fantasy-baseball-hitting-planner-for-week-of-september-12th-2011/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:55:57 +0000 Jay McClain http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=36494 Pennant races.  A few teams are still battling in real baseball, but as far as your league the question is whether you are going to make the final round or not.

As said before and we can’t stress this enough, a lot of players that you are used to seeing in starting lineups will not being seeing as much playing time as they once did now that their teams are out of the race and younger players can be rotated in. This is when the real work comes in for you the manager.  It can be tedious so just hang in there and let the hitting planner do the work for you.

Catcher

As you can see, the top three catchers this week are playing for future playoff teams.  Those players would be Victor Martinez, Mike Napoli and Jesus Montero.  Playing for the Yanks, Montero isn’t the everyday starter but seems to be making the most of his playing time.

Another observation to be made about catchers this week is that the best fantasy options aren’t playing as much due to different reasons.  We aren’t saying that Carlos Santana is turning it in right now with 20 regular season games to go but there is an 0 for whatever streak going on and now isn’t the time to reward that play.

If you are looking for a little bit of value, that can be achieved with Jonathan Lucroy.  The Brewers don’t beat him up too much and they still have something to play for.

First Base

Teammates Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler have been hitting like they want new contract extensions.  Butler is owned by just about everyone but Hosmer could probably be had for the right price. 

Derrek Lee seems to be comfortable in Pittsburgh.  His batting average and RBI numbers looked to be absent all year until just now, likely due to a new scene, this should continue.

When he isn’t getting called out on Twitter, Albert Pujols is saying “told you so” to whoever wrote him off at the beginning of the year.  Depending on how well the Brew Crew hold their division lead, Prince Fielder may get some days off at down the stretch.  Not saying bench him, just don’t be surprised when he sits out.

Second Base

The hitting streak may be long gone but Dan Uggla is playing as one of the best fantasy 2^nd basemen around.  Yes his batting average is still only .236, it is hard to get a batting average from .170, as recent as June up to elite status. 

Jemile Weeks doesn’t want to take any time off and has been rated fairly high over the last week.  As you know the power numbers aren’t there but if you can settle for a great average and runs-scored combo, then you are in luck.

On the flip side, Chase Utley is day-to-day with appears to be a concussion so hold him out.  To be honest he wasn’t a top 10 player this year so when he returns, it would be best to leave him off.

Other guys to place on the bench this week would be Danny Espinosa and Kelly Johnson, who is owned by more managers but is a lower ranked player this year compared to last.  How does that happen?

Third Base

When evaluating your options at 3^rd base, it is necessary to take advantage of the abundance of talent that is both 1B and 3B.  The team that gets the most recognition for their power hitters with 3^rd base eligibility are the Toronto Blue Jays.  For example, Edwin Encarnacion, Brett Lawrie and Jose Bautista each have the ability to play at multiple positions throughout the field with 3^rd being the common link between the three.

Keeping positive, Chipper Jones has the veteran savvy that is needed during the pressing times of a pennant race, so keep him in the fold.  The Mets are out of the pennant race, and it has been that way for some time so look for David Wright to get some rest as time winds down.

Shortstop

Plenty of new faces are spread across the top of the board for fantasy shortstops this week so let us get to them now.  Trevor Plouffe, Marco Scutaro and Dee Gordon have asserted themselves among the “elite” for shortstops.

This is a time period where the fantasy game gets somewhat difficult.  Whether a player gets at-bats or not is really a crapshoot.  It is hard to judge if a guy is going to be forced to sit because their manager wants to see what the rook can do.  That won’t be the case for players such as Troy Tulowitzki, but Jose Reyes is seeing the other side of the coin.  With a few make up games in store for east coast teams, guys who have had injuries throughout the year like Reyes will be seeing some regular rest for the next few weeks.  Plan accordingly.

Outfield

Don’t get excited about Shelley Duncan’s recent outbursts.  His power is intriguing but the inconsistency is alarming.  There aren’t very many injuries plaguing the outfield this week, but inconsistent play certainly is.  Jay Bruce, Lucas Duda, Matt Holliday, Andrew McCutchen and Juan Rivera haven’t had the best week and all of the fantasy owners out there have been feeling the effects.  Look for a turnaround in the second half of the scoring period with a couple double-headers coming up.  Those doing some good work would be, Jason Bay, Jon Jay, Dexter Fowler, Nolan Reimold and Justin Upton.  Yes these guys are popular players but they haven’t been playing the way everyone would expect them to.  With the outfield having such a large number of players vying for playing time, its hard to go wrong with any specific lineup.

Stock Up

Dexter Fowler – OF – COL

Dexter was 18-57 (.316) over the past 15 days six doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, 7 RBI’s, and 2 stolen bases.  He’s been a on tear since returning and will continue to lead off for the Rockies.  He’s trying to earn his starting spot for next year so continue to deploy in your fantasy playoffs.

Ian Kinsler – 2B – TEX

Ian has raised his average back up to .250 over the past having gone 15-52 (.288) with 7 home runs, 12 RBI’s, and 2 stolen bases.  He’s turned out a pretty nice year with 28 home runs, 23 stolen bases, 71 RBI’s, and 107 runs scored.  Aside from his average dip this year he’s been a strong contributor.  Just remember when drafting next year, he’s had the most home runs among 2nd basemen this year only 2nd to Dan Uggla.

Eric Hosmer – 1B – KC

Eric was 22-58 (.379) with 5 home runs, 14 RBI’s, and 3 stolen bases over the past two weeks.  His season average sits at .287 with 17 home runs and 10 stolen bases.  He’s made great progress this year. Look for him to make larger strides next year.

Stock Down

Brandon Allen – 1B/OF

Brandon was hitting a lot of home runs since he was recalled with the Athletics.  However, over the past 15 days he was 6-51 (.118) with 1 home run, 4 RBI’s, 1 stolen base and 24 strikeouts.  He has a bright future but shouldn’t be used for your fantasy playoffs unless you want your average to suffer.

Casey McGehee – 3B – MIL

Casey was 8-42 (.190) with two home runs, 5 RBI’s and 11 strikeouts over the past two weeks.  Don’t count on Casey in playoffs as he’s spliting time with the recently recalled Taylor Green, striking out too much, grounding out too much and a dismal .235 average on the year.  Pitchers have figured him out and MeGehee is too stuck in his wide stance to figure things out.  Look elsewhere for help.

Mike Carp – 1B/OF/DH – SEA

Mike was 10-35 (.208) with 2 home runs, 6 RBI’s, and 15 strikeouts over the past 15 days.  He has hit well against southpaws this year but don’t hold your breathe with him when playing for the Mariners who obivously out of contention.

Here are some players whose stocks are up, and others whose are down, as you plan your playoff lineups.

Stock Up

Austin Jackson – OF – DET

Over the past week Austin was 16-32 (.500) with 2 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases.  Mr. Jackson has been hot over the past couple of weeks and is an immediate add for fantasy baseball playoffs.   It’s great to go with a hot bat and enjoy the dividends because he is for real!

Corey Hart – OF – MIL

Corey is in the midst of a 16-game hitting streak.  Over the past 15 days, he was 22-54 (.407) with 5 home runs, 8 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases.  Most of the Brewers’ lineup is taking turns with hot streaks and batting at the top of the lineup ahead of Ryan Braun and Price Fielder has led to Hart’s resurgence.  Hopefully he can maintain this pace throughout the playoffs to the owners who have waited patiently all year.

Alex Gordon – OF – KC

Alex was 12-29 (.414) with 2 home runs, 4 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases over the past week.  He has cranked out a pretty good year, having hit .304, with 20 home runs, 75RBIs, 92 runs scored and 16 stolen bases.  It’s crazy to think, but Mr. Gordon is only 4 stolen bases away from the 20/20 club.

James Loney – 1B – LAD

James was 25-55 (.455) with 4 home runs and 14 RBIs over the past 2 weeks.  He has managed 8 multi-hit affairs over the psat 13 games and has stepped up over the past few weeks just on time for the playoffs.  Enjoy the hot corner infielder if he’s available.

Stock Down

Mitch Moreland – 1B/OF – TEX

Mitch was 6-42 (.143) over the past 15 days with zero home runs and 1 RBI.  In weekly lock leagues, he can’t be trusted and if you continue to march him out there, look forward to having an earlier exit out of the playoffs.

Casper Wells – OF – SEA

While Casper started off hot with the Mariners, he’s quickly cooled off having gone 4-41 (.098) over the past 2 weeks with 1 home run and 2 RBIs.  Nothing to look at here and should be a quick drop for a hot bat in the playoffs.

Darwin Barney – 2B/SS – CHC

Darwin was 7-49 (.143) with zero home runs, 3 RBI’s, and 2 stolen bases over the past 15 days.  He doesn’t offer much in the form of power while his average had dipped down to .279 after the hot start.

Unlike any other sport, baseball is the one where failing 7 out of 10 times can make you a Hall of Fame caliber player.  This is why it is so important to recognize who’s hot, who’s not, and catch guys when it benefits you the most.  And as always, that’s what we are going to point out to you in this week’s hitting planner.

Catcher

One of the best hitting catchers in the NL this year, Miguel Montero, sees some time at the top of the list once again with a decent hitting streak in the games that he has played recently.

There is no doubt that when it comes to catchers, Carlos Santana has some of the best power at the position.  If the Indians find another catcher sometime soon, he could be playing exclusively 1^st base.

For the .4% of owners that have Jason Varitek on their squad, it’s understandable that you get excited over his handful of games, but they come just once every four days and the value just isn’t there, so stay away.

Brian McCann may be back in action but he has not been the same player he was at the start of the year.  With all of the makeup games coming along, it would be better to leave him on the bench.

First Base

It is obvious that you guys should be starting players like Albert Pujols, Alex Gordon, and Ryan Howard but what about the others?  You know, the guys who have the potential but don’t always play up to it?

It is frustrating when Carlos Lee goes off on a 12 game hit-streak with a .457 average when you just wrote him off for the season, but it is better to stick with him and others like James Loney and the up and down Freddie Freeman.  Don’t worry about these players and their low points at random times; 1^st basemen are usually big hitters and should rebound from any struggles that come around.

Second Base

Up the middle things are business as usual, but there are a few names who are not used to seeing the top of fantasy ratings.  Jemile Weeks has been seeing a high number of at bats and making the most of them without hitting any homeruns this year.

Same goes for Luke Hughes with the Twins.  As long as he is hot, chances are he will stay in the lineup. 

Jose Altuve doesn’t get much love from fantasy owners but he is doing his job down in lowly Houston.  The season is a wash for the Astros and they want to see what they have with their young guys.

Players to avoid would be Darwin Barney and Danny Espinosa.  The two of them can be serviceable but in these heated times you need a sure thing.

Third Base

Adrian Beltre is back off the DL list and he is already in the starting lineup.  There is no way you can leave him on your bench so get him in there now.

The hero of a late inning win for the Indians, Jack Hannahan, has been hot with a .500 average and a 1.367 OPS.

With only three hits over the last few games (all singles) Placido Polanco is not providing any  help to fantasy owners and should take a back seat so players like Mike Moustakas and Ryan Roberts.

Only eligible at 3^rd, Dayan Viciedo doesn’t play the position anymore but he is showing some promising power numbers.  He is going up against some weak pitching this scoring period with eight games on the schedule.  With time like that, there is going to be a plethora of opportunities for him to show that power that all owners are seeking.

Shortstop

Of the top 10 fantasy shortstops for the last week, only three really belong there according to what they have done for the year. A few of the guys on the list would be Cliff Pennington, Dee Gordon and Rafael Furcal.  So where are the more common names?

Believe it or not but there are a few big names that you should look to stay away from for one reason or another.  Due to injury, Asdrubal Cabrera and Troy Tulowitzki are likely going to be getting a day or two of rest, and if they are, don’t waste your time if you aren’t going to get any production out of them.

On the poor play side, J.J. Hardy has been plagued by high at-bat games that lack hits.  0-5, 1-5, 0-2 and 1-4 would only work if those two hits were grand-slams but they just were not.  Same goes for Starlin Castro.  Yes, a five game hit streak sounds good but when the batting average for those games is under .250 with one RBI certainly changes your mind doesn’t it?

Outfield

Wouldn’t it be nice if the Indians could have their regular starters playing in the outfield?  Injury has been an issue for this team all year and it could easily contribute to their fall out of 1^st place.  Unless you believe that Shin-Soo Choo and or Grady Sizemore are going to do much for you this month, it would be best to forget about them for the remainder of the season.

Like you need to hear anymore injury news, but Cameron Maybin is in the same boat as Choo and Sizemore over the coming weeks.

On the positive side of things, let us give you a list of guys who are carrying around some hot bats.  Austin Jackson, Corey Hart, Michael Morse, Alex Gordon, Desmond Jennings and Nick Swisher have been hot over the past few weeks.  Jennings in particular has been batting .408 over his last 71 at-bats which leaves us to wonder, how long will it last?  When a player seeing the ball this well a long time into the year as a young star-to-be, you have to ask yourself, how long could this last?

One “old” vet to pay attention to is Juan Pierre.  Even though he is getting up there in age, his stolen base numbers will still go a long way.

Format for waiver wire watch:

• 50-75% Owned- Player qualifies for 10-team league
• 25-49% Owned- Player qualifies for 12-team league
• Less than 25% Owned- Player qualifies for 14-team league

Again, these percentages are found on Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball.

10-team league hitter to watch

Alfonso Soriano, OF, CHC

Alfonso Soriano may no longer be the player capable of producing 30/30 numbers per season, but he still should be a viable power option for most leagues.

Most people do not realize it, but Soriano has had at least 20 homers in every season since 2002.  Soriano seems to have had his power stroke working in August as well, as he has belted out 5 HR in the month so far.  Another positive statistic of Soriano’s is that he has his power stroke working at home and on the road.  So far this season, Soriano has belted 12 HR at Wrigley Field to go along with his 10 HR on the road.

Soriano’s production is basically limited to power numbers at this point in his career, but nevertheless, these are power numbers that could help out any fantasy team.

10-team league pitcher to watch

Vance Worley, SP, PHI

Vance Worley has literally come out of nowhere and turned out to be one of the most reliable pitchers for an already stacked starting rotation for the Phillies.

One important statistic of Worley’s is that the Phillies have won 16 straight games in which he has started.  This means there is a good chance of him being able to rack up some more wins before the season is over. He has been nearly untouchable at home this year, as he has a perfect 5-0 record with a 1.96 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and .175 BAA.  If Worley had enough statistics to qualify for the league leader board, his 2.65 ERA would rank 7^th in the NL, and his 1.12 WHIP would rank 8^th.

Worley is basically an under the radar star rookie that has the ability to quickly improve a fantasy starting rotation in need of some help.

12-team league hitter to watch

Vernon Wells, OF, LAA

It looks like our theme for “hitters to watch” so far is “players who are past their prime”.  Vernon Wells is in a very similar situation to Alfonso Soriano.  At one time Wells was a star slugger for the Blue Jays, and the Angels expected big things from his when they acquired him this offseason.  Unfortunately, things have not gone according to plan.

After posting awful numbers in April and May (.207 OBP in April, .250 OBP in May), Wells started to find his stroke to some degree in June and July as he hit a combined 12 HRs in those months compared to 4 HR combined in April and May.  So just like Soriano, Wells seems to be well past his prime, but he seems to still be capable of producing power numbers.  In addition, he has been on a bit of a hot streak of late as well.  In his past 5 games, Wells is batting .529 with 1 HR, 2 RBI, and 5 runs scored.

Like I said previously, Wells is still capable of hitting the long ball, and maybe his recent hot streak will get him back on track.

12-team league pitcher to watch

Josh Collmenter, SP, ARI

Josh Collmenter is probably one of the most unorthodox pitchers in the MLB.  Fortunately, his literally “over the top” delivery has made him one of the more successful rookies of 2011.

Collmenter has posted an ERA of 3.19 on the season to go along with a very impressive 1.06 WHIP.  So far this season, he has only had one month in which he had an ERA over 4.00, and batters are only batting .231 off of him this season.  Over his last four starts he has a record of 2-1 with a dazzling ERA of 1.73.

Batters are probably going to have a tough time facing Collmenter for a while due to his odd delivery to the plate, so he should be someone to keep an eye on for the rest of this season and for seasons to come.

14-team league hitter to watch

James Loney, 1B, LAD

Compared to his career averages, James Loney is having a subpar year for his standards.  That being said, he has been on fire lately and has been known as a solid run producer over the course of his career.

Over his last 7 games, Loney has a BA of .444 with 2 HR, 6 RBI, and 6 runs scored.  Overall in August, he is batting .368 with 4 HR, 12 RBI, and 12 runs scored.  It seems like over the course of the past month, Loney is starting to turn back into the player that averaged just under 90 RBI per season from 2008-2010.

Though he might lack in the power department for a first baseman, Loney is still a very solid run producer when he is at his best, and from the numbers he has produced over the month, it seems like he is at his best right now.

14-team league pitcher to watch

Doug Fister, SP, DET

After getting one of the worst run supports in the league in Seattle, Doug Fister now has the ability to do something in Detroit that he never could do with the Mariners: rack up wins.

Fister has a very solid ERA of 3.35 on the season, but he only has 6 wins to show for it due to his poor run support that he received in Seattle.  In 21 starts in Seattle, Fister managed to only get credited with 3 wins despite a 3.33 ERA while pitching for the Mariners.  In 5 starts since being traded to Detroit, Fister has already matched his win total from Seattle by winning 3 games for the Tigers.  He also continues to maintain his great ERA, so an increase in wins should be expected.  In his last two starts, Fister has pitched a combined 14 innings allowing only 1 run and striking out 12.

Pick him up while you can, because it might be one of the better steals you can make at this point in the season.

Stock Up

Matt Kemp – OF – LAD

Matt was 21-59 (.356) with 5 home runs, 14 RBI’s and 3 stolen bases over the past 15 days.  His MVP season is something to adore since he has batting .323 with 31 home runs, 100 RBI’s, 33 stolen bases, and 84 runs scored.  A 40/40 season is not out of the possibility but take notice of his great 30/30 year as he will easily be a top 5 pick next year.

Ryan Braun – OF – MIL

Ryan has been on a tear lately having gone 11-27 (.407), with 1 home run, 7 RBI’s, 6 doubles, and 6 stolen bases over the past week.  Five of his last 7 games have been multi-hit affairs as he’s been able to raise his batting average up to .332.   Look for Braun to continue to finish strong as he’s only 5 home runs away from a 30/30 season and his track record shows his production will not decline.

Aramis Ramirez – 3B – CHC

Over the past 15 days, Aramis was 28-55 (.509) with 3 home runs and 12 RBI’s.  In the midst of a 16 game hitting streak and until he ran into Zack Grienke on Sunday.  He’s a streaky player and quietly raised his average up at .312 on the on the year with 24 home runs and 83 RBI’s.  He’s a must start in weekly leagues and enjoy the hot streak leading into the fantasy playoffs.

Stock Down

Alcides Escobar – SS – KC

Alcides was 0-18 over the past week but managed to breakout of his hitting slump on Sunday having gone 2-4.  The young, athletic shortshop has been inconsistent since the All-Star break.  He has managed 19 stolen bases on the year but Escobar is safe to drop for other more consistent performers for your fantasy playoffs.

Hideki Matsui – OF/DH – OAK

Hideki was 4-27 (.148) with 0 home runs and 3 RBI’s over the past week.  While most of the Athletics are batting fairly well, Hideki has managed to be a nice ticker tease with little to barely any production.

Yuniesky Betancourt – SS – MIL

Wow, Yuniesky has quietly cooled off quickly having gone 8-56 (.136) with 2 home runs and 5 RIB’s over the past 15 days.  He’s was on fire throughout the end of July and beginning of August.   With many other infield options available don’t be afraid to drop him and ride hot streaks of other players in your lineup.

There are plenty of injuries that are plaguing some of the league’s best players.  It is important to stay on top of every player’s health and make adjustments at the right time.

With that said, let’s get to this week’s Hitting Planner. Read, digest, and set your lineups accordingly.

Catcher

Among those with catcher eligibility who are heating up, none are hotter than teammates Victor Martinez and Alex Avila.  Owners have the luxury of keeping one of these guys on the team because even though they play on the same team, neither player is going to take away from the other’s playing time. 

Nick Hundley is another player gaining the trust of the owners out there this week with his strong play over the last week with a four-hit game and an overall spike in his production.

There are two players that we want you to bench because the production is way down.  Miguel Montero has suffered a slump that has him striking out a lot with almost no power.  The second is J.P. Arencibia, with an average well below .200; but there is a possibility that he could rebound with a weak schedule on the way.

First Base

Gaby Sanchez doesn’t look to have his best week as a fantasy player, as he goes through some tough pitchers, so it is time to look in another direction.  That direction could be in the way of Mike Carp.  His series against Cleveland wasn’t anything to drool over but the hit-streak he had was no fluke.  Get him in your lineup as soon as you can.

Some other hot players include Mitch Moreland, James Loney, and Garrett Jones.

First base is somewhat boring this week.  As expected, runaway AL MVP Adrian Gonzalez heads the list of fantasy 1^st basemen but Joey Votto is not far behind with multi-RBI games.

Second Base

Who is Orlando Hudson?  Probably the person who is killing you week-to-week as of late.  The San Diego Padre has solid stats all across the board and his availability is still high.

Time is running out, so bold moves are necessary.

Everyone was so excited for Jason Kipnis and his outbreak a couple weeks ago, but he just cannot seem to get healthy under any circumstance.  At this point of the season it is better to just let him go. 

Kelly Johnson is only hitting .150 over the last 20 games.  Keeping him on anywhere near your team is not a good idea.

Continuing 2^nd basemen struggles, added to the list are Justin Turner and Howard Kendrick who have not had their early season form.

Third Base

Mark Reynolds has streaky player written all over him.  When he’s hot, he is almost an elite option, but when he is cold, then he is simply painful to watch.  Same goes for Edwin Encarnacion.  Right now he is on the hot side of his streaky play and benching him right now would not be an ideal situation.

Must starts include David Wright, Pablo Sandoval and Ryan Zimmerman.

A lot of people want to jump back on the Chipper Jones bandwagon, but it is better to think with your head on this one and not with your fantasy heart.

The real news is about Alex Rodriguez.  He has just returned the Yankee lineup and it is better to monitor his play before you thrust him back into the lineup.  For the year he is only ranked as the 11^th 3^rd basemen.  Does that sound like an elite player to you?

Shortstop

Not that it means much, but I saw Asdrubal Cabrera out among the young crowd this week and it looks like he was in high spirits.  It could be a hunch, but a big week could be in store for all the lucky Cabrera owners.

The veteran poise of Derek Jeter is showing through as his late season numbers are looking good.  He is batting almost .500 over the last 10 games, and since he had hit number 3,000 the numbers have been through the roof.  Hitting at a clip of .345 with a slew of runs and RBIs has owners a lot to be happy about.

Just a friendly reminder to those who may not know, but two of the top 5 shortstops, Jimmy Rollins and Jose Reyes, are both on the DL.  We might not see much of these guys for the rest of the season so get your eggs out of these baskets now. 

Ian Desmond still doesn’t have the elite batting average that owners want out of their shortstop but his runs scored and stolen bases keep him afloat.

Outfield

It seems like the Indians have trouble with their most important players.  Shin-Soo Choo came back from injury with a bang but he has problems again.

In a down year, Ichiro Suzuki hasn’t been like himself but a small hit-streak with a bunch of runs and stolen bases sure sounds nice.

Some players who are heating up include Casper Wells, Adam Jones, Angel Pagan and Carlos Gonzalez.  Then we have some players who are down on their luck including Vernon Wells, Raul Ibanez, Jason Bay, Corey Hart and one of the worst slumps goes to Andre Ethier who is hitting .059 over the last 7 games.  Not something you want to deal with.

Even though Joe Mauer is a must start for catchers, he could gain eligibility in the outfield by the end of the season.  That probably will not mean a lot to you owners but it is something to know.    

Format for waiver wire watch:

• 50-75% Owned- Player qualifies for 10-team league
• 25-49% Owned- Player qualifies for 12-team league
• Less than 25% Owned- Player qualifies for 14-team league

Again, these percentages are found on Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball.

10-team league hitter to watch

Colby Rasmus, OF, TOR

Colby Rasmus is an interesting player if your team needs outfield help.  His immediate statistics are nothing special: .243 BA, 52 RBI, 5 SB.  However, he does have some power (14 HR) and he scores runs (72 runs). He has struggled overall since being traded from the Cardinals to the Blue Jays, but he has shown recent signs of breaking out of his slump.  He has homered twice over the course of his last 5 games, and has 7 RBI in the process.

Another intriguing aspect of Rasmus is that he has a lot of potential as he showed last year with the Cardinals.  In 2010, Rasmus had a .276 BA, 23 HR, 66 RBI, and 85 runs.  He also added 12 SB in the process.  Keep in mind that Rasmus is still young and expected to go through some ups and downs.  That being said, his talent level is worth taking a risk on.

10-team league pitcher to watch

Ryan Vogelsong, SP, SF

For months now I (like many others) have been waiting for the Cinderella story that is Ryan Vogelsong to come back to reality.  However, he has proved us all wrong and is well deserving of a spot on your team’s watch list.

His 2.47 ERA currently ranks 2^nd in the NL, and he has not had an ERA over 4.00 in any month this season.  Lefties and righties are both batting .238 off Vogelsong, which shows he has no trouble getting lefties or righties out.  In addition his home ERA is an incredible 1.82 and 15 out of his 21 starts have been quality starts.

Vogelsong does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon, so he could definitely bring some consistency to your starting rotation.

12-team league hitter to watch

Mike Carp, 1B/OF, SEA

For 8 seasons Mike Carp was one of the better power hitters the minor leagues had to offer.  Now for the first time, that power is finally translating to big-league success. Carp is in the midst of a 19 game hitting streak in which he is batting .345 with 4 HR.  He is batting .377 overall for the month of August with a .419 OBP and .609 SLG.

To give you an idea of the type of season Carp was having in the minor leagues before being called up, he was batting .343, with 21 HR, 64 RBI, a .411 OBP, and a .649 SLG.  He has averaged about 17 HR per season in the minor leagues, which is very respectable considering the minor leagues plays far fewer games than the big leagues.

The power Carp has shown is legitimate, so make a move before someone else picks up his powerful bat.

12-team league pitcher to watch

Phil Hughes, SP, NYY

Early season struggles and a long stint to the DL have skewed Phil Hughes’s statistics in the wrong direction so far this season.  However, in the month of August Hughes seems to be regaining the form that made him an all-star in 2010.

In August, Hughes has gone 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA.  He has pitched 20 innings and has posted a WHIP of 0.80 and a BAA of .159.  Hughes was dominant in his last start against the Twins, as he lasted 7.2 innings, while only allowing 2 hits in the process.

Hughes’s recent success combined with the offensive capabilities of the Yankees make him a prime candidate to seriously boost his win total during the stretch run.

14-team league hitter to watch

Peter Bourjos, OF, LAA

Peter Bourjos might just be the hottest player in the MLB right now.  Despite being known as a speed demon, Bourjos has even showed some surprising power this year as well.  In his last 7 games, Bourjos batting .500 (15/30), with 3 HR, 6 RBI, 2 SB, and 7 runs scored.  Overall for the month of August, he is batting .391 with 5 HR and 10 RBI.  These are great power numbers for someone who has been solely known for his speed and ability to steal bases throughout his career.

With his developing power, Bourjos could potentially give your team an under the radar 5-tool player for the last few weeks of the season.

14-team league pitcher to watch

Fausto Carmona, SP, CLE

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There was a stretch earlier in the season when things were doing so bad for Fausto Carmona, that there was talk of him being sent down to the minor leagues.  However, it seems that these rumors are a thing of the past as Carmona has been dominant in his past few starts.

In his last 6 starts, he has thrown 4 quality starts, going at least 6 innings in each of those outings.  Carmona turned in what may have been his most dominant start of the season in his August 17^th performance against the White Sox.  Carmona pitched 8.1 innings, allowing only 4 hits and striking out 6.

It was not too long ago that Carmona was a dominant, 19-game winner for the Indians, and he should be 100% worth the risk given his recent consistency.

* All statistics used are as of Monday August 22, 2011

Stock Up

Carlos Gonzalez – OF – COL

Mr. 2010 is back to his normal self and starting to heat up at the right time.  Over the past 10 days, Carlos was 14-36 (.388) with 6 home runs, and 19 RBI’s.  Look for CarGo to continue to surge forward into your fantasy playoffs.

Peter Bourjos – OF – LAA

Peter has been on fire over the past week.  He batted 15-30 (.500) with 3 home runs, 6 RBI’s, and 2 stolen bases.  He is a must add and has the speed to be a strong contributor for the rest of the season.  Go pick him up.

Craig Kimbrel – RP – ATL

Craig just notched his 39th save and surpassed 100 K’s on the year.  His ERA for the season stands at 1.72 and WHIP at 1.01 through 62 2/3 innings.  Talk about a great year for the rookie.

Nick Hundley – C – SD

Since returning from the DL Nick was 16-31 (.516), with 4 double, 4 triples, 2 home runs and 5 RBI’s.  Those in need of catching help need to had him right away.  Please remember 7 of those 9 games were at home so don’t expect so many doubles and triples in the future.

Stock Down

Andre Eithier – OF – LAD

Over the past 15 days, Andre was 8-47 (.170) with zero home runs, 1 RBI, 7 BB’s, and 11 stirkeouts.  He has been a disappointment this year only managing 10 home runs, 51 RBI’s, but with a .290 average.  Look for him to rebound but don’t hesistant to pick up many of the other outfielders with a hot bat for the playoffs.

Yunel Escobar – SS – TOR

Yunel was 9-54 (.167) with zero home runs and zero RBI’s over the past 15 days.  He most likely will bounce back but don’t hold your breath as there are other options out there.

Coco Crisp – OF – OAK

Over the past week, Coco was 4-25 (.160) with 2 RBI’s, and zero stolen bases.  Coco is too inconsistent to be deployed in weekly lock leagues but could still provide some speeds in the playoffs.  Those in need of speed, should look in the direction of Ben Revere, Eric Young Jr., or Peter Bourjos.