The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

So I pulled off a blockbuster in NL LABR recently. I gave up: Ryan Church, Scott Olsen, Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Shawn Chacon. I received: Shane Victorino, Adam Wainwright and Chuck James. I did it primarily because I was desperate for steals, something I’m hopeful Victorino can provide. Church and Olsen are products of high BABIPs as well. Still, it’s a big gamble. What do you think? Did I give up on Hill too soon? Is Kershaw going to destroy the league over the final four months?

I cautioned owners to not aggressively draft Chad Billingsley in non-keeper leagues this year, and so far, his lack of command has backed up my claim. However, his 11.76 K/9 IP leads major league baseball and by a fairly wide margin. His .371 BABIP suggests a decrease in ERA is soon to come, even if his control remains spotty. He’s at least a year away from becoming a truly consistent fantasy option, but he’s also likely to win a Cy Young someday.

It’s Ervin Santana’s world, and the rest of us are just paying rent. How about a 2.54 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP with a 22:5 K:BB ratio in four road starts this season? With his strikeout potential and the Angels’ offense behind him, Santana has the upside of a top-25 starter. He’s obviously not quite this good, but I wouldn’t be looking to sell, either.

Keeper leaguers don’t give up on Andrew Miller. He’s suffered the worst luck in all of baseball this season (.416 BABIP). Of course, his 4.26 B/9 IP mark is atrocious, so he’s currently unusable, but patience is likely to pay off down the road.

Max Scherzer’s debut as a starter was disappointing Monday, but his defense did let him down. A Stephen Drew error led to three unearned runs, and there was another hit that a healthy Orlando Hudson would have normally gotten to with ease. His release point and arm angle are very unorthodox, making his already live fastball that much harder to pick up. The kid’s stuff is downright dirty.

During the Reds’ radio broadcast Monday, someone suggested Adam Dunn move to the second spot in the order, and Marty Brennaman and Jeff Brantley nearly had coronaries while scoffing at the idea. Listen, all those strikeouts aren’t ideal for a top of the order hitter, but Dunn has a career .380 on-base percentage with a .222 batting average with runners in scoring position and once went more than a full calendar year without a sac fly. He’s actually a perfect fit for the two-hole. In fact, he’s hit .278 in 392 career ABs batting second, which is by far the best of any spot in the order. But you’d hate to let those pesky stats get in the way.

The Hornets haven’t just beaten the Spurs during the first two games, they have thoroughly dominated them. San Antonio is by no means finished, but Chris Paul continues to amaze. The Lakers’ path to a title just might have gotten a little easier.

Daisuke Matsuzaka cannot maintain a 2.43 ERA with a 5.98 BB/9 IP mark, which is the fourth worst in baseball. Monday’s line – five innings, one run, 1:8 K:BB ratio – was one of the bigger anomalies you’ll ever see. Like Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, Dice-K is a frustrating power pitcher who nibbles the strike zone and refuses to attack hitters with his above average stuff.

Jason Giambi’s .113 BABIP is almost unfathomable – by far the worst in baseball. Justin Upton, meanwhile, leads the league with a .443 mark.

Despite playing for a seemingly mediocre St. Louis team, Albert Pujols leads MLB in plate appearances with runners on base (80). Maybe that whole batting the pitcher eighth thing is working, after all. Troy Glaus leads the league while batting with 120 runners on base this season, and Mark DeRosa surprisingly comes in second with 117.

Score another one for Billy Beane: Sure, Mark Kotsay has an OK .804 OPS, but he’s still got the bad back and his defense is also deteriorating. Joey Devine, on the other hand, has allowed just one run with 13 strikeouts over 12 innings, looking like the future closer the Braves thought he’d become when they took him in the first round of the 2005 draft.

John Maine has had the third toughest schedule of any starting pitcher in baseball this season, as his opponents have an aggregate OPS of .773. Chris Young is sixth, Jake Peavy is eighth and Roy Halladay is 10th, so it’s nice to know these elite hurlers’ numbers could improve as the schedule eases up.

First Onterrio Smith and now Cedric Benson. Remember folks, if you’re not wasted, the night is.