By Dalton Del Don
Ryan Howard is on pace to strike out a shocking 234 times this season, which would shatter the MLB-record he already holds. He’s still an excellent buy-low option, as his current .231 BABIP is well below his career level (.353). And as for real baseball, strikeouts are often overstated in how much worse they are than any other out.
Speaking of strikeouts, Mark Reynolds is batting just .212/.305/.231 during 52 at-bats in May. He hasn’t homered since April 25. He’s still likely established himself as the team’s No. 1 option at third base for the most part, but he’s picked a bad time to slump with Chad Tracy’s imminent return. That situation could easily turn into a timeshare. And fast.
Where has Alex Rios’ power gone? The nine steals are plenty helpful in fantasy leagues, but he hasn’t left the yard since May 1, leaving him on pace to finish the season with just 10 long balls. At age 27, Rios should be entering his physical prime, but a .376 slugging percentage won’t get it done. When you consider he slugged just .369 last September and hit only four home runs over his final 245 at-bats last season, there’s at least some cause for concern. And to think, the Giants actually entertained dealing Tim Lincecum for him.
If only for the sake of my LABR team, can someone please give Dallas McPherson a chance? He strikes out too much to be a big on-base guy, but his power is legit. A recent three-homer game has left him with a season line of .297/.396/.659 with 15 bombs in just 138 Triple-A at-bats. Admittedly, he’s playing in a terrific environment for hitters, but I find it hard to believe a 27-year-old left-handed hitting third baseman with this kind of power can’t help a major league team. I’m talking to you, Sabean.
Has there ever been a clearer example of addition by subtraction regarding Andruw Jones’ injury?
Since I had Spurs over Celtics as my preseason NBA Finals prediction, I might as well stay the course with the Conference Finals. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if either team lost. And how about the Bulls getting the No. 1 pick in the draft? Who do they take there? This makes Mike D’Antoni’s foolish decision to coach the Knicks instead of the Bulls look even worse. That is, until LeBron goes to NY in a couple of years.
I’m completely unconcerned with Miguel Cabrera’s lackluster start at the plate. Some are worried he’ll become too complacent after signing a long-term deal, but a new set of pitchers in the American League probably has more to do with the slow start. His current .303 BABIP is well below his career level (.358). He needs to be treated like a top-8 player during trade talks.
Farewell Mike Piazza. Your 1997 season – .362, 40 HRs, 124 RBI, 104 runs, 5 SBs – has to be considered one of the most valuable in the history of fantasy baseball.
It might be obvious, but Clint Barmes is someone to sell-high right now. There’s plenty to talk up – his extremely hot start, Coors Field, his 2005 season. However, this is someone with a career .753 OPS in the minors and has been caught stealing on 50 of his 147 attempts. Hitting atop the Rockies’ lineup in that ballpark might lead to a solid middle infielder all year long, but with a .386 BABIP, it’s safe to assume his value is peaking.
Free Andy LaRoche! I think his current .300/.506/.560 line at Triple-A proves he’s sufficiently recovered from the fluke thumb injury he suffered during spring training. Problem is, Blake DeWitt is playing out of his head. In the end, it’s a good problem for the Dodgers to have, but at some point, LaRoche needs to get a chance in Los Angeles.
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