The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

Howie Kendrick spits in the face of logic, as he currently sports a .347 batting average despite a 37:5 K:BB ratio. Of course, his .405 BABIP is the highest in baseball, but he’s got a career mark of .358 in that department, so this isn’t out of nowhere. His 22.4 LD% certainly doesn’t hurt.

Mike Mussina has to be considered one of the biggest surprises during the 2008 season. Despite a fastball that no longer reaches 90 mph, Mussina’s 5.06:1 K:BB ratio ranks third in baseball. His 1.19 BB/9 IP ranks No. 1. And it’s not like he’s even been lucky with balls in play either. Over his last four starts, he’s posted a 23:1 K:BB ratio. At age 39, Mussina has completely transformed himself as a pitcher, and the result may very well be the first 20-win season of his career.

On the opposite spectrum, Chris Young (Ari) has been a massive disappointment. Wednesday’s big game finally got his OPS over .700, and he has just seven stolen bases all year. He hasn’t taken advantage of Chase Field, as all those strikeouts have resulted in a career .236 batting average, with a .219/.277/.420 line against righties. There’s still plenty of time for development, but his lack of running is disconcerting.

Clay Buchholz hasn’t been any good this year, but 58 strikeouts over 57.1 innings suggest a very bright future is still in store. He’s been remarkably unlucky (.378 BABIP, .66 strand rate), and he needs improved command, but that K rate combined with a 1.20 G/F ratio means big things are to come. It might even happen during August and September.

I’d currently treat Jonathan Broxton as a top-3 NL closer. The Dodgers rank toward the bottom of the league in save opportunities, but that figures to change, and it’s not like Broxton has been overworked either. Two real ugly outings (9 ER, .2 innings) have marred an otherwise stellar campaign. He’s struck out 11.3 batters per nine innings during his career, and  Takashi Saito’s prospects look rather glum.

My claim of CC Sabathia being the No. 1 fantasy pitcher after the trade to Milwaukee was met with some trepidation, but he’s certainly made me look good so far. Three straight complete games, are you kidding me? Plus, he can rake. It’s crazy to think just how brutal he was to begin the year. Too bad I own him in zero leagues.

It looks like Freddy Sanchez’s shoulder is starting to finally feel better, as he’s recorded multiple hits during each of his last four starts, including two homers and three doubles. The former batting champ isn’t a big fantasy asset due to his lack of speed/power, and he’s striking out more than ever this season, but he might return to usefulness in some formats from here on out. The same cannot be said, unfortunately, about teammate Ian Snell. Put a fork in him for 2008, he’s done.

The Randy Wolf trade by Houston was so ridiculous, I won’t even go over the absurdity, but I also question Washington’s dealing of Jon Rauch. Clearly Rauch was a property who made sense to shop around, but sometimes I get the feeling GMs make trades like that because they feel like they have to. If there aren’t any offers worth biting on, might as well stand pat, no?

Madison Bumgarner, who is still 18 years old, currently has a 110:18 K:BB ratio with a 1.93 ERA in Single-A Augusta. In 3-4 years, the Giants could theoretically have four members of their pitching staff all vying for the MLB strikeout crown. Of course, it’s highly unlikely all stay healthy, and the lineup will still be a joke, especially since Angel Villalona has been a disappointment.

An update on fun stats: Christian Guzman is third in MLB with 130 hits. Brian Roberts has the most doubles (38). Adam Dunn leads baseball in walks (76) and homers (29), and yet, is still largely viewed as a bum. No one has been caught stealing more than B.J. Upton (13), and Derrek Lee has grounded into the most double plays (21). Albert Pujols has been intentionally walked 23 times. The second most has 13. Ubaldo Jimenez has both walked the most batters (65) and thrown the most wild pitches (14). Livan Hernandez has allowed 20 more hits than any other pitcher in baseball, yet Francisco Liriano continues to rot in Triple-A. Joe Saunders has allowed the fewest line drives (13.5%) of any pitcher in the league.