rotoballs

Our balls are better than yours.

Month: July, 2011

July 26, 2011

↑Three Up, ↓Three Down

by Backdoor Slider


by Jared Cothren

(Editor’s Note: Stats through July 21)

↑Three Up

↑Dustin Pedroia – The Laser show finally seems to be back after a disappointing and injury filled year in 2010. In the last 2 months, Pedroia has drastically cut down on his Ks and brought his average up 48 points to .293. His confidence has returned and with that my confidence has returned in him. Hitting in the heart of the Boston order, in front of RBI machine Adrian Gonzalez, should help his value and I expect him to score well over 100 runs this year.

↑Travis Snider – It appears the trip down to the minors helped him find his power stroke and consistency. Since his Independence Day call up, Snider is hitting .357 with 20 hits (11 for extra bases) and 17 RBIs. Over the last week, the dirty-mustached Snider has hit .346 with 9 hits and 9 RBIs. Get ‘em while he’s hot folks, but beware of a cool down.

↑Emilio Bonifacio – I know what you are thinking, “Emilio Bonifacio? Seriously, The one month wonder from 2009?” Yes, he’s back and again proving fantasy relevance. Bonifacio currently has a 20 game hitting streak and has stolen 10 bases in July. He won’t drive in runs, but he will get on base and score them. Ride out the hot streak. My advice is when things get ugly…don’t stick around for the funeral, drop him immediately.

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July 25, 2011

Players of Week 15

by smugglingplums


by Ryan Butler

Hanley Ramirez (4 R/1 HR/4 RBI/1 SB/.412 BA) seven-for-17: Hanley decided to show up fashionably late for the 2011 season. But really, no harm, no foul, right? As L.L. Cool-J said, “it’s not how you start the date, it’s how you finish the date. Doesn’t matter the color of the cat as long as it catches rats.” Not sure how that last sentence fits in here, but OK. Ramirez was hitting a dreadful .200 on June 20. His OPS sat at .593. Those are numbers I would expect from Adam Everett, but certainly not from the best offensive shortstop in baseball. However,  history has shown that you can’t keep a good Han down. He has raised his average to .255 and his OPS to .742. Both are far below his career averages of .308 and .891, but rest assured he’ll be (close to) there by season’s end.

Brett Gardner (5/0/0/3/.625) 10-for-16: Gardner’s season is starting to shape up much like most had anticipated. He’s hitting a very solid .290 with 29 SB in 39 attempts (74%). That’s lower than his career rate of 82%, but he has been successful in each of his last 15 tries. He’s a great source of steals and won’t hurt your batting average. He has an outside chance of scoring 100 runs this year.

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July 20, 2011

The Injury Blog

by rotobrian


by Brian Dorsey

Goodness gracious, the summer heat is wearing me down like I’m Josh Hamilton! With temperatures rising around the country, some players are dropping like flies. Elsewhere, in air-conditioned rehabilitation rooms, some players are working their way back to the field. Here’s a look at who’s coming and who’s falling to pieces.

"Ow, my elbow."

The Seattle Mariners have been without their prized closer, David Aardsma, the entire season, but it hasn’t really mattered because Brandon League has been phenomenal. And it’s a good thing, too; Aardsma is set to have Tommy John surgery, a right of passage for pitchers in this modern era.

The Phillies’ closer situation can be likened to a four month long game of musical chairs. With Brad Lidge on the DL all year, Jose Contreras, Ryan Madson, and Antonio Bastardo have all sat in the closer seat. Lidge, who should be coming off the DL by July 22, isn’t going to land in the 9th inning, at least not right away. Madson also just came off the DL, but look for him to overtake Bastardo in the coming weeks.

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July 17, 2011

Players of Week 14!

by smugglingplums


by Ryan Butler

Early struggles are now a memory.

Raul Ibanez (6 R/3 HR/13 RBI/0 SB/.310 BA) nine-for-24: Thanks to his amazing week 14, Ibanez can look upon his first half numbers with a smile. Since becoming a regular in 2001, he has not hit below .272, so his .241 BA this season is probably age (39) catching up with him. But it’s hard to knock a guy who’s been so consistent so late into his 30′s. He’s only owned in 35% of Y! public leagues, but he still plays every day (85 games) and has been more productive than Vladimir Guerrero (65% owned), who has shown a disheartening lack of power this season (seven HR, 31 RBI) after a fantastic ’10.

Jose Bautista (7/4/9/0/.370) 10-for-27: Just another week for the man who has all of a sudden usurped Albert Pujols as the best right handed hitter in baseball. Remember “Bases Loaded” on old-school Nintendo? The most devastating hitter in that game was Paste. He played for Jersey, I’ll never forget it. Jose Bautista is a real-life Paste. .468 OBP, .702 SLG, 1.170 OPS is all you need to know.

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July 14, 2011

Rumblings: Looking at the Second Half

by rotobrian


by Brian Dorsey

The post All-star Game push has begun, fantasy owners. It’s important, right now, to reassess your team. By this point, your league probably has a pretty big gap between the first place team and the last place team, but this doesn’t mean the season is over. If you’re that floundering last place team, you need to mix things up. What you’ve done thus far isn’t working. Your two avenues are “the waiver wire” and “massive trade overhaul”.

If you’re looking at the waiver wire, check out these names (owned in less than 35% of Y! public leagues): A.J. Pierzynski (34%), Derek Lee (26%), Jemile Weeks (17%), Danny Valencia (26%), Alcides Escobar (29%), Nyjer Morgan (17%), and Roger Bernadina (10%). What do all of these players have in common? Over the past month, they’ve all been productive (ranked in the top-200 over that span). Don’t be shy; make a move.

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July 13, 2011

Rotoballs Midseason Awards Extravaganza!

by rotobrian


It’s that time of year where we, fantasy owners, like to boast about our players. We have enough data to evaluate who’s having a bad season and who’s having a fantastic season. Without further ado, here are our writers’ awards.

Rotobrian’s Winners:

AL ROY: Michael Pineda

NL ROY: Danny Espinosa

AL MVP: Adrian Gonzalez

NL MVP: Ryan Braun

AL CY: Justin Verlander

NL CY: Cole Hamels (Over Halladay because of where Hamels was drafted)

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July 8, 2011

↑Three Up, ↓Three Down

by rotobrian


by Brian Dorsey

↑Three Up:

↑Aramis Ramirez – 3B – CHC

Over the past two weeks, Ramirez is the number one ranked player in Y!. He’s played more like the ’06 version of himself, rather than the recently injury-prone ’09 and ’10 campaigns. Considering the lack of talent at the third base position this year, Aramis is a beacon of light, guiding your fantasy ship to shore.

"Coach doesn't beat me when I don't strikeout."

↑Mark Reynolds – 3B – BAL

I know I just said that third basemen are underperforming, but this guy isn’t, not lately. Reynolds, a preseason favorite, struggled mightily early on. Up until June 8th, he was still hitting below the Mendoza line with a piddly 10 dingers. Since then, he’s doubled his homer total, while raising his average .031 points (.230).

↑Justin Masterson – SP – CLE

This ex-Red Sox prospect has truly “turned the corner” this season. Last year, his first full season as a starter, he compiled a 4.70 ERA to go along with a 1.50 WHIP. This season, he’s nearly cut his ERA in half (2.66) and his WHIP is down to a respectable 1.22. He’s won his past two starts, allowing only one earned run. What’s more remarkable about that is who the wins came against (@Cin, NYY).

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July 7, 2011

Players of Week 13

by smugglingplums


by Ryan Butler

Hey folks, I’m back from my holiday in the Poconos, and boy do I feel refreshed! I hope you missed me, because I sure missed you. Let’s get right to it, shall we?

Editor's Note: I put that wall there.

Carlos Gonzalez (9 R/3 HR/8 RBI/2 SB/.464 BA) 13-for-28: Well, well, well…look who decided to (finally) play up to his considerable talent level. Sunday’s six RBI performance catapulted what had been a very good week for CarGo into the POW stratosphere. Who knows how many runs he’d have knocked in had he not been forced from the game in the seventh inning after colliding with the center-field wall. His BA (.296), OBP (.363), SLG (.497), and OPS (.860) are finally normalizing, much to the delight of those who own him.

Aramis Ramirez (9/6/10/0/.393) 11-for-28: In one week, Ramirez doubled his home run total in what so far has been a good, if not spectacular season. Third basemen across the board have been a disappointment this year, making Ramirez’s numbers stand out, especially among his NL contemporaries.

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July 1, 2011

Closer Circle of Trust: July

by rotobrian


by Brian Dorsey

Trusted

Solid

Danger
Fernando Salas Mark Melancon Francisco Rodriguez Brandon League
Antonio Bastardo Drew Storen Matt Capps J.J. Putz Heath Bell
Javy Guerra Carlos Marmol Mariano Rivera Sergio Santos Brian Wilson Jordan Walden
Kyle Farnsworth Houston Street Andrew Bailey Jonathan Papelbon Jose Valerde Kevin Gregg
Neftali Feliz Craig Kimbrel John Axford Francisco Cordero Joakim Soria
Frank Francisco Leo Nunez Chris Perez Joel Hanrahan

Notes: A lot of movement going on over the past month. We’ve had closers moving in and out of all three ranges, so let’s update this wild and wacky roller coaster ride. Starting with the beloved and “Trusted” closers, Sergio Santos, Andrew Bailey, and Jon Pap weasel their way into blue writing. I’d been reluctant to put any faith into Santos back in May (mainly because Ozzie Guillen is a maniac), but he’s put together such a solid first half, that he can’t be ignored any longer. Brian Fuentes, who seems to always be a winner when it comes to musical chairs, was only keeping the seat warm for Bailey, and we all knew it. And maybe I was a little harsh on Papelbon this year (because I thought if Bard performed well, the Sox would jettison their overpriced closer), but he too has been solid enough to earn his name in blue.

New to Solid: Heath Bell, Jordan Walden, and Joakim Soria. Two of these men, Bell and Soria, were among the trusted elite just two months ago and both have fallen to green for different reasons. First, Bell is still every bit a dominant closer, but with the Padres slowly slipping out of the playoff hunt, look for San Diego to move their big horse to a contender for some young talent. That would seemingly open the door for Mike Adams in the big SD, but that’s assuming he’s still in town, too. Regarding Soria, he had a dreadful May, and even lost his job. Now that he’s got it back, he should hold down the job, but owners should tread with more caution. Walden moved up from the red, even though he’s struggled in June. But if you look over his shoulder, you’ll find a box, and in that box is picture of Mike Scioscia crying. Walden owners have little to fear.

New to Danger, Danger Will Robinson: Brandon League, Fernando Salas, Antonio Bastardo, Javy Guerra, Chris Perez, and Francisco Rodriguez. The quick rundown…League was in the red, then lost his job for a few minutes, but now he’s back (until injury prone Aardsma returns)…Salas takes over for the Cardinals, but do you really trust any closer being managed by LaRussa?…Bastardo takes over for Madson/Lidge…Guerra, who has one save in June, shouldn’t be owned by anyone…Perez and the Indians have entered a closer by committee…and Rodriquez, who has been awful in June, told reporters that he’d likely allow the Mets to trade him to a team as a setup man (that’s no good).

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July 1, 2011

Hiatus Over

by rotobrian


Dear Boys and Girls,

We’re back. Thanks for putting up with our summer vacation. We hope your teams are all still in first place and thriving. Let’s get back to work.

Rotoballs Crew

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