By Dalton Del Don
Homer Bailey needs to be owned in NL-only leagues, of course, but he’s unlikely to be a big help in mixed leagues anytime soon. He gave up just two earned runs during his season debut Thursday, but he wasn’t very impressive doing so, posting a 1:4 K:BB ratio and typically topping out at 91-92 mph. He’s still got nice long-term potential because of that curveball, but his 55:31 K:BB ratio over 69.1 Triple-A innings this season suggests he’s far from ready to consistently get major league hitters out.
Somewhat quietly, Milton Bradley is having a fantastic season. His 1.050 OPS leads the American League, and while he’s playing a bit over his head, it’s not some huge fluke, since he posted a 1.004 OPS while playing for the Padres last year. Hitting cleanup in Texas’ lineup and ballpark, there’s potential for massive counting stats, and he even has the ability to do more running. However, we are talking about someone who has averaged 86 games per season over his eight-year career, so he’s one of the most injury-prone players of his generation. He’s basically the perfect sell-high candidate.
Over his last four starts, Cliff Lee has a 6.62 ERA and a 1.90 WHIP, quadrupling his season ERA in the process. Still, it’s not exactly time to jump ship, since his schedule was extremely difficult during that stretch, and it was accompanied by a 21:8 K:BB ratio.
There’s no one in minor league baseball with a higher ceiling than Rick Porcello.
Alexei Ramirez needs to be owned in AL-only and deep leagues. He’s solidified his spot in the White Sox’s lineup thanks to five multi-hit games over the past nine contests. Ramirez won’t run a ton, but he’s got good power for a middle infielder, and he plays in a ballpark that will only help in that department. He led the Cuban league in home runs last season.
Barry Bonds is losing sleep at night with Joe Mauer’s recent power display. Speaking of Bonds, MLB teams do realize he’s currently unemployed, right?
Chien-Ming Wang has gotten absolutely tattooed over his last four starts, seeing his ERA increase from 2.90 all the way to 4.26 by allowing 22 runs over 23.2 innings. While his strikeout rate has improved this season, he’s also walking more batters than ever, and while typically among the league-leaders in OPS against, he’s served up three homers over that four-game span. It’s probably just a small blip on the radar, but he looks awfully hittable right now.
The Cubs lead MLB in runs scored, and unsurprisingly, rank first in OPS. Yes, that stat is the best indicator of performance.
B.J. Upton hasn’t exactly lived up to the lofty expectations, but that’s almost exclusively in the HR department, and he’s actually improved his game significantly this season. His contact rate has jumped way up from last year, and he’s walking an impressive 16 percent of his plate appearances. Upton’s BABIP is once again sky-high (.391), but he was typically .350-plus in the minors, and he’s become much more aggressive on the base paths. The home runs will come.
The Rays, Astros, Red Sox, Mets and Giants are the five teams with the most steals in baseball this season, in that order. Speed is obviously a prerequisite, but opportunity is equally important in SB totals, so it’s good to know these teams clearly have an aggressive philosophy this season. The Pirates, meanwhile, rank dead last with just 16 thefts on the year.
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