The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

Tim Hudson has looked flat-out dominant early on. I gambled on him in numerous leagues last year but was afraid he wouldn’t have continued success this season with a 5.3K/9 IP mark. Well, it helps that he’s allowed just 1 homer every 24.5 at-bats since 2006. He simply gives up very few extra-base hits, allowing him to succeed despite the sub-par K rate. With the way he’s throwing, Hudson’s not someone you should be trying to sell-high right now.

I’m starting to get the feeling the Jose Reyes vs. Hanley Ramirez preseason debate is going to look awfully silly come season’s end.

There are plenty of guys I wish I hadn’t drafted this year, but I sure am glad C.C. Sabathia and Roy Oswalt aren’t on any of my teams. Oswalt’s K:BB rate is fine, but the five homers allowed in 16 innings is eye-popping. He’s going to improve, obviously, but no one should be surprised when he turns in his worst season of his career; the warning signs have been apparent.

How about Fausto Carmona’s 8:17 K:BB ratio? He and Sabathia aren’t going to fall off a cliff, but since one jumped 160 innings and the other jumped 70 innings last year from the previous season, it’s going to be an uphill to battle to match last year’s production.

If you are referred to as a “professional hitter,” it’s not a compliment.

Carlos Pena is having one of the most productive seasons you’ll ever see from someone hitting .209. He entered Sunday with an isolated power of .450, which is better than good. Anyone who considered last year’s outburst a fluke is going to look foolish at season’s end. In fact, you can have any American League hitter you want, and I’ll take Pena to finish with more homers. Any takers?

David Ortiz is currently sporting an .070 average (3-for-43), which is the lowest in the major leagues. He is hitless in his last 17 at-bats and is 1-for-29 over the last eight games. Maybe he’s been inadvertently jinxed.

When I was 20 years old, I was drinking terrible beer out of kegs and eating Jack In The Box at 3 in the morning. Justin Upton, meanwhile, is leading the National League with five homers while batting .400 playing Major League baseball. The high K rate suggests he should still be shopped around in redraft leagues, but if there are no believers, might as well sit back and enjoy the ride, because even when his average comes crashing down, he’ll supplement that by stealing 20-25 bases. Siblings are both going to be top-10 fantasy picks for years to come.

This article is simply fantastic. And it was written by Mose Schrute!

Bought Guitar Hero III over the weekend, and it’s safe to say you’ll see fewer articles from me over the next couple of weeks. Not only is it time consuming, but I’ve already developed full-blown carpal tunnel syndrome.

Max Scherzer is an obvious own in all keeper leagues, but he’s now warranting consideration as someone to stash in deep redraft formats with roster space. After flashing a 10.6 K/9 IP mark last season, Scherzer has fanned 18 batters over 12 scoreless innings in Triple-A this year. He’s also increasing his groundball rate. With Doug Davis sidelined indefinitely and only Edgar Gonzalez in his way for a rotation spot, Scherzer should get a shot before too long. And there’s always the possibility Randy Johnson doesn’t hold up also.

I want to have Tim Lincecum’s children. After all, he is a beefcake.

Don’t look now, but my boy Anthony Reyes is thriving in the pen. Yes, it’s a tiny sample size, but would a 6:0 K:BB ratio and a 0.71 WHIP interest you? He can’t bring much fantasy value as a middle reliever (although his save Saturday assured me from not finishing with zero in the cat in a couple of leagues), and the Cardinals actually do have numerous options in the rotation, so a trade would be for the best.

Miguel Cotto nearly murdered poor Alfonso Gomez on Saturday night. The fight between Antonio Margarito and him will be very good. And the one after that against Floyd Mayweather (if Pretty Boy doesn’t keep ducking him) will be even better, with the potential to be the fight of the decade.

Troy Tulowitzki owners, especially those who drafted him as high as the third round, are likely to be left disappointed at season’s end. Of course he’s going to bounce back from the dreadful start, but his .256/.327/.393 line away from home last year revealed he wasn’t quite as good as the counting stats suggested. He’s also been caught on eight of his 19 stolen base attempts throughout his career. That doesn’t mean Coors Field still can’t make him a fantasy star, but the 23-year-old with the propensity to strike out played a bit over his head in 2007.