The All-Star break is just two weeks away and when running a team, you want to see who is going into the break strong and who is just coasting in.  So without further ado, your hitting planner.

Catcher

Luckily for those of you who own one of the Detroit Tigers players Alex Avila or Victor Martinez, there are two things to look forward to this upcoming scoring period.  Hot bats and no more shuffled playing time between the two because the remainder of games against NL teams will be at home.

Mentioning teammates again, Mike Napoli is available to come back from the DL on Monday but reports have shown that he has not swung the bat.  His backup, Yorvit Torrealba isn’t full strength either as he has been battling fatigue but once he is in the lineup look for him to provide some scoring opportunities. 

Carlos Santana has been on fire lately after his terrible April, don’t be surprised if he winds up being ranked in the top three player for this month.

Stay away from Jorge Posada.

First Base

Paul Konerko isn’t the only hot first 1^st basemen belting homeruns game after game.  The Cubs’ Carlos Pena has locked in his power and is lighting up the fantasy board with his homerun and RBI numbers.  Even though his average is lower than desirable, you can’t ignore what he is doing at the plate.

Even though it seems like Jason Giambi is hitting the ball out of the park every time he steps up to the plate, the time has expired for him to get you any consistent fantasy points.  The remainder of the Rockies Interleague games are at home where no DH is needed and the team isn’t going to start him over Todd Helton by any stretch, who by the way, may need some time on the bench this week.

Already struggling against AL teams, Joey Votto is going up against two of the league’s better pitching teams at Tampa Bay and Cleveland.  Sit him.

Second Base

As a pleasant surprise for you and the Oakland A’s, Jemile Weeks looks to become the full-time starter at second base and his numbers thus far have been impressive.  While his power is a work in progress, he has the foot speed to leg out extra base hits and rack up some steals.  Don’t shy away from this young talent.  His brother Rickie Weeks could use a rest.

Just because Jeff Keppinger is a journeyman, doesn’t mean he can’t play the game.  After seeing no playing time up until late May, he has maintained a .323 average and looks like he could be a decent option at the position.

Continuing the week’s trend of lesser-known 2^nd basemen we bring you another over 30 player in Orlando Hudson.  Since coming off the DL, he has sparked the lowly Padre offense.  Take a long hard look at him because chances are he is going to keep this streak up.

Just for this month alone, Robinson Cano is back stuffing his stat-line with a batting average almost 100 points higher than last month.

Third Base

The word in Colorado is that Ty Wigginton will soon be replaced, but he is hitting as if that will never happen.  If you need a short term option at the corner he could very well be your guy. 

Chase Headley is only owned by 64% of managers out there but he is ranked as the 6^th best fantasy option at his position.  Chances are he’s available and you should grab him. 

Chipper Jones is still feeling the effects of his groin strain, be careful with him in your lineup.

One streaky player to notice is Danny Valencia, he is going to catch some good matchups this period against lefties (hitting 100 points higher) so he might bring some value. 

Evan Longoria should break out of his most recent slump as he is going up against a pretty weak staff in St. Louis.

Shortstop

The only reason J.J. Hardy isn’t the number one rated SS over the past week is because he doesn’t have the stolen base numbers that will put him over the top.  Now that he has stepped into the leadoff role, look for him to make getting on base a huge priority.

Another player receiving a lot of recognition as of late is Alcides Escobar.  He hits much better on the road and has torn it up against the NL this year.  What’s on the schedule for him?  A road trip that includes games at Colorado and San Diego, so expect some big things from him this week.

Jimmy Rollins looks like he could return to elite company at the position if his batting average can improve from the mediocre .261 mark.  He has more homeruns this month than he did for April and June combined.   

Stephen Drew is the first person who comes to mind when considering players to bench this week.  He is hitting horrible against all AL teams AND lefties he has faced this year.  Talk about a recipe for disaster.

If your league isn’t that deep in terms of teams, say 7-11 and you have Hanley Ramirez on your squad; it may be time to consider some changes.  He hasn’t been producing to the extent that you would want from him but his move to cleanup in the batting order may help with more production.

Outfield

Jose Bautista may have cooled off a bit from his blazing hot start but there aren’t enough negatives that warrant him to take a seat anywhere, keep him in the lineup.

With teammate Rick Ankiel out, Roger Bernadina is looking to put his stamp on the starting CF position.  He has shown a balanced offensive attack hitting for power and average and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

There is no doubt that Chris Heisey has the potential to be a good player but his play is just too sporadic.  His 3 homerun game against the Yanks caught everyone’s attention in baseball but it would be wise not to jump the bandwagon just yet.

Here are a few players who have been receiving more playing time and we’ll tell you what they can bring to your team. 

• Will Venable finds ways to get on base and when he does he’s going to swipe some bags.
• Oriole OF Adam Jones has been a full-time starter but nobody seems to respect him as a fantasy player; yet.  The suggestion is to find a way to get him on your squad before he is gone.
• If there are any KC fans out there, then they would know that Alex Gordon has been shuffled in the lineup.  Moving from leadoff to cleanup will mean two things, a jump in RBIs but decrease runs scored.
• As much as we love Jason Heyward, it may be best to wait until he breaks out of his slump before you give him too much playing time.  Don’t worry, he’ll come out of it but this just isn’t the week.

The departure of several players to free agency, most notably Carl Crawford (Red Sox), Carlos Pena (Cubs), Rafael Soriano (Yankees), Joaquin Benoit (Tigers) and Matt Garza (Cubs), will make this season challenging for the Rays.

Will the Yankees or Red Sox reclaim the top spot in 2011?

Tampa Bay Rays

Several new players – Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, Kyle Farnsworth and non-roster invitee Casey Kotchman, to name a few, will be counted on to continue the Rays’ success. But it’s Tampa’s starting rotation that’ll tell the story this year for the Rays. If they pitch as well as expected, the team will continue to succeed. David Price will get the opening day start, with James Shields, Wade Davis, Jeff Niemann, and Jeremy Hellickson finishing out the rotation.

Evan Longoria will start at third base, and will either bat in front of or behind Manny, whomever Joe Maddon feels will produce from those slots. Dan Johnson will be the primary starter at first base, with Damon and Kotchman possibly getting some starts. Ben Zobrist will be an everyday platoon player, getting starts in right field, at second base, and perhaps first base, where he’s seen action this spring.

Sean Rodriguez and Reid Brignac will get most of the playing time at shortstop and second base. John Jaso and Kelly Shoppach will probably split time behind the plate, as Maddon likes to play matchup on a regular basis. B.J. Upton, the starting center fielder, will look to put up better numbers, as he’s pain free for the first time in almost two years.

With the departure of Soriano and Benoit, it will be closer by committee on the Gulf Coast, with J.P. Howell (out indefinitely, shoulder surgery, possible May return), Kyle Farnsworth, Jake McGee, and non-roster invitee Juan Cruz the most likely candidates to finish the game.

Maddon is very optimistic about this up and coming season, as the new faces will present yet another challenge for the philosophical manager.

The Rays may not win the division, but they will give Boston and New York a run for their money, even with a payroll lower than it has been in the past three seasons.

Prediction: I see the Rays winning 90 plus games, and battling it out with either New York or Boston, for the Wild Card spot.

New York Yankees

The Yankees finished one game behind the Rays last season at 95-67. So what do the big money Yanks do? Sign Rafael Soriano and Russell Martin to hopefully get that game or two back this season.

Looking at the starting lineup, it is impossible to think the Yankees don’t make the playoffs. The team is loaded with All Stars C.C. Sabathia(’03, ’04, ’07, ’10), Phil Hughes (’10), Mark Teixeira(’05, ’09, ’10), Robinson Cano (’10), Derek Jeter(’98-02, ’04, ’06-10), Alex Rodriguez (’96-’98, ’00-08, ’10), Nick Swisher (’10), Curtis Granderson (’09), Jorge Posada(’01-’03, ’07), Russell Martin (’07-’ 08), Mariano Rivera (’97, ’99-01, ’02, ’04-06, ’08-’10) and Rafael Soriano (’10) to name a few.

I just about named an All Star for every spot in the lineup. Did I forget to mention Andruw Jones (’00, ’02-’03, ’05-’06), Bartolo Colon (’98, ’05) and Freddy Garcia (’01-’02). Mark Prior (’03) is another former All Star, who’s also a non-roster invitee with Colon and Garcia.

With all the talent the Yankees have, they still have to play baseball, which is a team game. Can manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Larry Rothschild get the team to play as one? Can A.J. Burnett find his control? Will Derek Jeter have a better year, or will he continue to break down? Will A-Rod and Teixeira continue to produce? If the answer is yes to all these questions, the Yankees will win 100 games this year.

The Yankees will have hot streaks where they win 12 out of 15 games all year, but can they avoid the streaks the other way, i.e. losing 7 of 10?

Prediction: New York will be on top of the division all year, more than likely winning over 90 games this year, challenging Boston and Tampa Bay all summer. This is going to be an exciting race.

Boston Red Sox

The injury bug plagued the Red Sox last season, as Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury lost considerable playing time. Still, Boston finished the season at 89-73, only seven games behind the Rays.

In the off season the Red Sox acquired Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, which will help bolster an already potent offense. David Ortiz will have the pleasure of hitting in the middle of four great hitters, and Terry Francona will have an easy job filling out the batting order.

You could draw the names from a hat to put together this lineup. It could go like this: Scutaro, Pedroia, Crawford, Ortiz, Gonzalez, Youkilis, Drew, Saltalamacchia, Ellsbury. That’s just me —  and it was easy – but I know it will probably be totally different coming from Francona. Jed Lowrie will get some time at shortstop, Mike Cameron will be the fourth outfielder, and Jason Varitek will mentor and be backup to Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

The starting rotation will consist of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Bobby Jenks will pitch the eighth inning and Jonathan Papelbon will be the closer, looking to rebound from a disappointing 2010 season. Non-Roster invitee Andrew Miller, a southpaw, could get a spot in the bullpen.

The Red Sox have everything they need to win, again. Can they stay healthy, and will the talent on paper show up on the field? The AL East is a very tough division, and playing the Yankees and Rays, along with a better Oriole team will make it a tough task.

Prediction: I do see the Red Sox winning 90-95 games, which would put them fighting for the division, but more than likely battling it out with the Rays for the Wild Card spot.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays had a pretty good year last season, finishing at 85-77, eleven games out of first place. The Jays lost Vernon Wells to the Angels, and Lyle Overbay went to the Pirates. Rajai Davis came over from Oakland and Jaun Rivera joins Toronto from Los Angeles, while Travis Snider will get a chance to play everyday in right field.

The infield starters will be Adam Lind, Aaron Hill, Yunel Escobar and Jose Bautista, who led the league in homeruns last season with 54. Edwin Encarnacion will DH and play some first base. J.P. Arencibia will get a majority of starts behind the dish, and should he falter Jose Molina will take over.

The starting rotation looks to be set with Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil, Kyle Drabek and Jesse Litch. Marc Rzepczynski will be available if any of the five have injury issues. Frank Francisco, acquired from Texas, looks to have won the closer job. Octavio Dotel will be the set up man, unless Francisco doesn’t perform or is slowed by injury, at which time Dotelwill become the closer.

First year manager John Farrell, who spent the last four seasons as the Red Sox pitching coach, will bring a different kind of baseball north of the border. This being his first season, I see some growing pains headed their way. Farrell already knows the AL East is tough, and now he will experience it from a whole new angle.

Prediction: If the Jays can win 80 games this year, I would consider that a success. But Toronto will more than likely finish last in the division.

Baltimore Orioles

Buck Showalter took over the manager job on August 2nd last season, and the Orioles went 34-23 with him calling the shots, finishing last in the division at 66-96.

I think Baltimore will continue to improve, as they acquired Derek Lee, J.J. Hardy and Mark Reynolds to solidify the infield, and hopefully give the offense a jolt. Brian Roberts will play second base, and looks to stay healthy as neck and back issues allowed to play in only 59 games last season.

The outfield is set with Nick Markakis in right, Adam Jones in center, and Felix Pie in left. Nolan Reimold will be the fourth outfielder; Jake Fox, who can play catcher, first base and some outfield, and Cesar Izturis will fill the bench as backups; Vladimir Guerrero will be the primary DH, with Luke Scott getting some starts between DH and first base.

Matt Wieters will get most of the starts at catcher, and Craig Tatum could be his backup with a good spring. Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Brad Bergesen and Justin Duchscherer will fill the rotation, with Chris Tillman going to the minors unless an injury occurs. Kevin Gregg, who faltered last year, will be given a chance at closing again. Koji Uehara will be the setup man unless Gregg has issues again. Non-Roster invitees Mark Hendrickson, Brendan Harris, Nick Green and Randy Winn will get good looks in the spring.

All signs point to a better year for Baltimore. If the acquisitions of Lee, Reynolds, Guerrero and Hardy help the offense be more consistent, they’ll give the rest of the division fits, causing a log jam at the top of the AL East. The Orioles could be a surprise this year.

Prediction: I think they can win 8o plus games this year, which still only gets them out of the cellar in the East, finishing in fourth place.

(All rosters are taken from mlb.com active rosters, depth charts and non-roster invitee lists as of 03-20-11)

No really…the Cubs actually won something.

Chicago Cubs catcher Geovanny Soto was named NL Rookie of the Year earlier today, capturing 31 out of 32 possible first place votes. Apparently either Dusty Baker or Joe Morgan has a vote, because one vote inexplicably went to Reds first baseman Joey Votto. It wasn’t even really a race in the NL this year — Geovanny Soto had a very strong first season and deserved to be Rookie of the Year.

In the American League, Chicago White Sox second baseman Alexei Ramirez finished second to Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, who captured all 28 of the first place votes.

(When asked for comment as to why there are 32 first place votes in the NL, but only 28 in the AL, Bud Selig picked his nose and wiped the boogers underneath his desk. He then muttered something defensive, shouted “Beam me to paradise”, and was then transported into his dream world — where he is a backup dancer for the Talking Heads.)

Alexei Ramirez received 18 second place votes to finish ahead of Jacoby Ellsbury for second in the AL. Ozzie Guillen could not be reached for comment, but wants to know who Jay Mariotti voted for.

Soto’s assent to Rookie of the Year was not a surprise based on his strong start to the season and relatively consistent play throughout. Plus, he’s a Chicago Cub so even if he didn’t deserve the accolade he would have gotten it anyway. The case of Alexei Ramirez, however, is much different.

The Cuban Missile was hitting an awful .114 on May 7th. But he came on strong in the second half of the season and punctuated his stellar play with a grand slam to win the September 29th makeup game against the Detroit Tigers, which forced a one-game playoff against the Twins. For the season, Ramirez set a major league record to rookies by hitting four grand slams.

The outlook for both players appears promising. Geovanny Soto will resume his role as the Cubs’ catcher next season and be fawned over by fans across the globe regardless of how well his team does. He has, however, no chance of ever catching in a World Series unless he is traded. Alexei Ramirez appears poised to take over the shortstop position for the White Sox next season and is a prominent building block for Ken Williams as he reshapes the White Sox again roster for next year and beyond.

Congratulations to Geovanny Soto for winning, and to Alexei Ramirez for storming back in the 2nd half to finish #2. The only number that really matters though, is this: 1.

That’s how many more playoff games the White Sox won than the Cubs this year.

It’s how many World Series titles the White Sox have this century.

And it’s the number of future presidents who love the White Sox and hate the Cubs.

Thank you for reading this objective analysis of the Rookie of the Year voting. Geovanny, I swear it’s nothing personal. You just play for a crappy franchise.

[tags]chicago cubs, chicago white sox, mlb, rookie of the year[/tags]

Hopefully the rest of my prediction comes through, because I thought that the White Sox would lose today and then take the next three to capture the series in four games.

I was only able to escape work for an hour and got to watch innings 5-7. The key sequence in the game was when the White Sox loaded the bases against James Shields but neither Juan Uribe nor Orlando Cabrera was able to even put the ball in play against Grant Balfour. Paul Konerko hit a solo shot in the 9th to give the White Sox momentary life, but Dan Wheeler shut the door from there.

The story of today’s game was Tampa Bay rookie Evan Longoria, who went 3-3 and hit 2 HRs. I’m not sure, and I don’t have time to look it up right now, but something tells me he must have set some kind of rookie record for consecutive home runs for a player in their initial playoffs at bats. Or something like that. Perhaps Longoria got a little upset when people started to mention Alexei Ramirez as a serious contender for Rookie of the Year after his incredible grand slam for the White Sox earlier this week. Either way, Longoria was the MVP of today’s game and gave notice that at least one Tampa Bay youngster would not be undone by the pressure of the playoffs.

Of course, he was facing Javier Vazquez, and we all know how well Javier Vazquez pitches in clutch situations.

I’ll write more later. It’s time to get back to work. All in all, today’s game went about as I expected it would. The Rays beat our fourth best pitcher with their first or second best (depending on how you rate Shields-Kazmir). Nothing for the White Sox to be ashamed of today. Our ace takes the hill tomorrow, and I’m pretty confident that Mark Buehrle will come through just as he has done so many times in the past.

Obviously today’s game does nothing to diminish my confident: White Sox in four. But congratulations on your first ever playoff victory as a franchise, Tampa Bay. I will say this: if the Rays do somehow beat the White Sox in this series, I will be pulling for Tampa Bay to go all the way.

[tags]chicago white sox, tampa bay rays, mlb, mlb playoffs, baseball[/tags]