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This is a BP Fantasy article. To read it, sign up for Fantasy today!
September 9, 2010 10:00 am
Fantasy Beat: Hot Spots: Relief Pitchers |
Hot Spots looks towards 2011 with a check of NL relievers worth using a keeper spot on.
As you've probably noticed from my Hot Spots cohorts this week, we're using September to look towards next year. This week is the NL, and next week we'll cover the the AL. Now, I like to think that the weekly Hot Spots pieces have been pretty useful this season, but if it's taught me anything, it's that trying to predict saves from the lower level of relievers even a week in advance can be a difficult pursuit. That gets multiplied exponentially when talking about looking ahead to the following season, particularly because - as usual - I won't be wasting your time pointing out that Heath Bell and Mariano Rivera are really good at closing. So the guys we're looking at today don't necessarily enter 2011 as the undisputed closers on their teams (they can't, really, if they're to be "value picks"), but rather are young up-and-comers, lightly owned in fantasy, who have the right mix of talent and opportunity to make them interesting for next year.
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September 8, 2010 4:08 pm
Fantasy Beat: Question Marks in the Padres Rotation |
With just a few weeks to go, the Padres are shuffling their rotation--could it impact your last few weeks?
San Diego's rotation has been one of the most consistent in baseball this year—not just in performance, but also in terms of health. Except for early on in the season, when Chris Young made one start only to be replaced by Wade LeBlanc after aggravating his shoulder injury, the rotation has been made up of the same five pitchers—Jon Garland, Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, Kevin Correia and the aforementioned LeBlanc. Now that we're in September though, the Padres have started to rearrange things. Fantasy owners take note, as you have just a few weeks left to squeeze starts out of your pitchers.
Garland and Richard are the two who appear to have nothing changing in regards to their Septembers. Latos may be bounced around a bit as they try to limit his starts before the playoffs begin, as they would rather rest him now than in October should they get there. With the way Latos has been pitching though, and the number of weeks left, missing out on a start or two is no reason to bail on him.
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September 8, 2010 12:44 pm
Fantasy Beat: Stephen Drew's August Yardwork |
Stephen Drew flashed his power potential and hit eight home runs in August. Will he ever find the consistency to ever again hit 20 home runs in a season?
On July 31, Stephen Drew was hitting .264 with a total of four home runs, 31 RBI and a .133 ISO. His power wasn’t just down… It was in full fledged blackout mode. As July came to a close, he just completed his 57th consecutive game (230 plate appearances) without going yard.
Then came August.
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September 8, 2010 9:03 am
Fantasy Beat: Hot Spots: Outfield |
Rob McQuown discusses NL outfield keepers
Keep on Keepin' On:
In case you missed the Monday and Tuesday editions, this week's theme is NL Keeper picks, and Mikes Street and Jong covered their positions like Gold Glovers already. Okay, that's about as much discussion of defense as is needed in a fantasy column, so which NL outfielders are going to hit? And which are good to get now, with an eye on saving a draft pick next year, when they are presumably the Next Big Thing in spring training
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September 7, 2010 9:00 am
Fantasy Beat: Hot Spots: Catcher, Second Base, and Shortstop |
A quick look at some up-the-middle keeper selections still available in the waiver wire.
The theme for Value Picks this week will be NL keeper additions still available in the waiver wires late in the baseball season. Here are a couple of interesting names available in more than 90% of ESPN mixed leagues right now that could be cheap keeper options for next year.
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September 6, 2010 9:00 am
Fantasy Beat: Hot Spots: First Base, Third Base, and Designated Hitter |
In the first week of September, a look at potential keeper VPs in the NL.
As September makes the waiver wire less important for the 2010 season, Value Picks looks at good keeper-league pickups for 2011, beginning with the NL. All but one is available in more than 99% of ESPN leagues, with the lone exception being former VP Pedro Alvarez.
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September 3, 2010 4:13 pm
Fantasy Beat: Weekly Planner #23 |
Call-ups make for a tricky week ahead.
Quality abounds next week, but most of it will be accounted for. Still, there are a few gems that can be found, particularly in the National League. The danger now will come from expanded rosters and the rotation juggling that will inevitably ensue.
For that reason, the usual disclaimer goes double for the rest of the season: The starters listed are subject to change. The list is provided by Heater Magazine and covers the week beginning Monday, September 6. Feel free to download a list of all pitchers featured in this article in an easy to use pdf file.
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September 3, 2010 2:53 pm
Fantasy Beat: Luebke Debuts Tonight |
One of the Padres' pitching prospects takes his first turn in the majors tonight--does he have any fantasy value in 2010 or beyond?
The Padres have had mostly good health this season in the rotation, only losing out on Chris Young for an extended period of time. With many young starters on the roster though, they do want to give the group some extra rest when possible. Because of this, Cory Luebke will make his major league debut tonight after being part of the group called up when rosters expanded earlier this week. Luebke was somewhat unheralded coming into the season, as he ranked as the #12 prospect in the organization heading into the year and profiled as a back-end starter. He's succeeded at the higher levels of the minors though, and may have pitched his way into a 2011 job because of it--tonight is something of a test and a reward for a season well done.
The Padres first pick in the 2007 draft (a supplemental pick, #63 overall) started the year at Double-A, where he finished the 2009 campaign. He whiffed 7.0 per nine innings pitched once again, but his walk rate was markedly better, dropping from an uncharacteristically high 3.3 down to 1.9, which is more in his range. Following a promotion to Triple-A Portland, the left kept his punch outs up near his Double-A rates, and his walk rate climbed but only to 2.7 per nine, still well below the league average.
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September 3, 2010 9:00 am
Fantasy Beat: Hot Spots: Starting Pitchers |
The last week of "Value Picks" is here before we look towards the future and reflect back on the season that was.
Added to the list
Carlos Carrasco: In his 2010 debut, Carrasco pitched well into the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox. He had only allowed one run through seven, but a combination of fatigue and poor relief from Justin Germano caused another two runs to be tacked on to his line. Carrasco is no fantasy savior like Mike Minor, but should be a reliable option in AL-only leagues. He will not be a strikeout machine in the Majors -- at least not yet -- but he avoids walks and induces an above-average amount of ground balls.
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September 2, 2010 4:26 pm
Fantasy Beat: Reimold's Shot At Redemption |
Nolan Reimold returns to Baltimore, determined to prove his rookie season wasn't a fluke.
Is a sub-par performance in 96 plate appearances enough to cause you to look for other alternatives? It was for the Baltimore Orioles last May when they shipped Nolan Reimold to Triple-A after the 26 year old outfielder hit just .205 with a .230 TAv to go along with a pair of home runs and 10 RBI.
Triple-A? We are talking about the guy who last year led all American League rookies in home runs (15), total bases (167) and slugging percentage (.466). He also paced all AL rookies with a 20.8 VORP. He did this despite not joining the team until mid-May and posting only 411 plate appearances. Fantasy owners liked him: He was the 157th average draft pick in ESPN’s mixed leagues. PECOTA liked him, too, projecting he would hit .271 with 22 home runs and 68 RBI with a .270 TAv. Instead, this May, he was riding buses in the International League.
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September 2, 2010 8:41 am
Fantasy Beat: Hot Spots: Relief Pitchers |
Act fast on Aroldis Chapman, because he won't stay under the radar for very long.
Welcome to the last "regular" Value Picks column of the year. Starting next week, we'll be changing things up as the season winds down to focus on keepers for 2011, and surprises and disappointments in 2010.
When I started doing research for this week's column, one name that never even crossed my mind at first was Aroldis Chapman, because he seemed far too obvious. Has he not been the lead of every sports highlight over the last two days, throwing 103 MPH fastballs that seem to literally have smoke trailing from them?
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September 1, 2010 10:03 am
Fantasy Beat: Hot Spots: Outfield |
Rob McQuown adds three outfielders to the Value Picks list for September.
September Scramble: Mike Petriello accurately assessed that Desmond Jennings is unlikely to get playing time. But he's being added as a Value Pick anyway. Why? Loving the obvious answer here, he stole 37 bases in 458 plate appearances in AAA (with just 4 times caught). Combining all his minor-league time, Jennings has pilfered 171 bags in 1831 PA.
Combine Jennings' tremendous speed with the facts that Sean Rodriguez is hitting .257/.309/.405, right fielder Ben Zobrist has started four of his past 6 games at second base, incumbent center fielder B.J. Upton is hitting just .234/.321/.413, Dan Johnson is hitting under .200, Matt Joyce is hitting .222, and it's unclear what Brad Hawpe will do in the AL. Well, what the Rays have is a team that could find a use for a good offensive player... enter Desmond Jennings. Jennings is a great defensive center fielder, but the team has played him in the side fields in preparation of exactly this moment. His rate stats don't wow, with a mediocre Davenport Translation (DT) of .240/.313/.330 (.238 TAv). But with the abundance of lefty bats, he should start the majority of the games against left-handed starting pitchers. He should also get a lot of opportunities to pinch-run and/or play defense for some of the slower guys. The bottom line, however, is that whether or not he performs well at the plate, he's very very fast, and Joe Maddon likes to have his players steal bases. Few freely available players have the potential to impact a category in September the way Jennings does.
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Fantasy Beat: Hot Spots: Relief Pitchers