Summer of Young
Jason Heyward had a pretty good game on Sunday. He went four for four with two home runs and two walks. He also scored four runs and also drove in four runs in a 16-5 Braves rout of the Cubs in Lou Piniella's last game as manager. Fellow Braves rookie Mike Minor pitched a great game, struck out ten batters, and should be owned all leagues, but it is Heyward that will wake up today with the seventeenth- or eighteenth-best on-base percentage in baseball. No-one will even remember his misplayed fly ball in the field because he was so locked in at the plate.
The same kind of locked in that Mike Stanton was just this time last week. In a six-game streak that started on August 10th, Stanton went 15-for-24 with nine extra-base hits and eight RBI. He hit four home runs in a three-game stretch in the middle of his tear. He's pushed his slugging percentage to a height that would rank around twentieth in the league if he qualified for the batting title, and no-one's too worried about his rough strikeout rate just yet.
Those watching the NL East every day are witnessing something pretty special this year. Two young outfielders are ripping it up in their debuts, and it looks like both will be very special players for a long time. If you are tempted to point to their poor batting averages as a negative, just remember that the last under-21 year old debut that looked anything as good as these two debuts was Miguel Cabrera and his 314 at-bats in 2003. His .268/.325/.468 line that year was a great sign for a hitter so young. Get excited about these young men.
In an effort to get a look at the next Heyward or Stanton, I'll be off to the First Pitch conference in Arizona this November, put on by Ron Shandler's Baseball HQ. We'll see some Arizona Fall League games, talk fantasy, and I'll report back for your benefit. If you are going to be there, hit me up on twitter or email (below). I look forward to talking baseball with any of you that make the trek.
* Jaime Garcia joined the rookie parade on Sunday with a complete-game, 89-pitch shutout of his own. His stuff - already strong enough to garner acceptable strikeout rates - is made great by its ability to induce grass-guzzlers. His groundball rate was sixth-best in the major leagues going into the start. Most of the luck stats even look sustainable, so Garcia is just a special young pitcher really.
* The biggest rookie star, though, belongs to Stephen Strasburg. The only reason there is any doubt about his future is nascent battle with injuries. It's hard to see into the black box of the trainer's room, so we don't know if this is the team babying the young pitcher or if these are significant issues that predict worse to come. After leaving Saturday's game in obvious elbow pain, the news this weekend oscillated from season-ending visits to Dr. James Andrew to significant improvement according to different sources. Apparently everyone is waiting on the results of a Sunday MRI, but the chance to really win some trade value for Strasburg in single-year leagues is probably gone, so you're stuck waiting for more news in the meantime.
* A great testament to how it doesn't always work out with top prospects, Cameron Maybin. is back on his way to the major leagues because Cody Ross was claimed-and-won on waivers by the San Francisco Giants. Maybin's success will either depend on making more contact or doing more with the contact he does make, because his past 489 plate appearances have been of the low-powered high-strikeout variety. It's either/or for him in the future, but his outcomes still vary between a slightly-less powerful Grady Sizemore or Mike Cameron, to Carlos Gomez or out of baseball. The scouting pedigree means he's still worth attention in keeper circles, but the league would have to be deep to justify dropping an established player for this high-variance young player.
Ross is now less ownable in a crowded San Francisco outfield than he was in Florida, for what it's worth. He leaves behind a team in turmoil - Ricky Nolasco tore the meniscus his right knee, and even though he'll try to return, his season is most likely over. Fantasy managers in head-to-head leagues may want to drop him if they are in the middle of a tough pennant race, because if he does come back it won't be until into the fantasy playoffs. Andrew Miller comes up to give the majors yet another try, but we'll have to see something to believe it at this point.
* On the other side of the age bell curve, Manny Ramirez (calf) came back from the disabled list, but it might just be in order so his team can pass him through waivers. That the no-power mediocre-defense inefficient Scott Podsednik would start over even a reduced Manny Ramirez on a team trying to make the postseason speaks more of Manny's decline than his actual statistics do. He's still too good to leave on the waiver wire in almost any league, even if the claustrophobia he felt over his rehab stint may act up again.
* Alex Rodriguez may also be entering the oft-injured part of his career. His calf injury sent him to the DL over the weekend, and he's been dealing with on-again off-again nicks and bruises all year. A-Rod was not having a good season, and his isolated slugging percentage has been on the decline for three straight years. It's hard not to think these signs of decline are real.
NL Quick Hits: Aramis Ramirez continued his hot streak with a two-run homer and is still a good buy-low for those of you that can still trade … Mat Latos will have his next start pushed back to Friday, and expect more of these shenanigans as his innings total pushes his ceiling … Carlos Gonzalez only missed a couple games with a bruised knee he got on a nice wall-banging catch …Ryan Howard is back from the DL, huzzah … Fernando Martinez went down the minors and got hurt yet again, and though it may not be serious, it's becoming a frequent issue with the outfielder whose upside has mostly been derived from his young age to date … Young Clayton Kershaw has shown a lot of strikeout ability so far, and the eleven Sunday strikeouts against the Reds in seven innings is just another notch in his belt … Jhoulys Chacin pitched a shutout and is immediately interesting in most leagues because of his strikeout and groundball rates … It looks like Geovany Soto (shoulder) will be back any day … Carlos Gomez (concussion) is back, but young Lorenzo Cain has been playing well enough to stick for now … Tyler Colvin is taking grounders at first, but it only really matters if he beats out Xavier Nady and Micah Hoffpauir for at-bats at the position … Jonathan Broxton is back in the closer role and should stay because he's a very, very good reliever … Jonathon Niese is a good pitcher, but his team is beginning to talk about limiting his innings and possibly shutting him down .. Chris Young (shoulder) threw another simulated game and could be back in early September … Homer Bailey has shown better control in his most recent stint in the major leagues, and is looking like a good spot start in mixed leagues … Jordan Zimmermann (elbow) pitched another five shutout innings and should be ready to contribute in deeper leagues … Colby Rasmus is still dealing with his calf injury … Corey Hart left a game over the weekend with a tight hamstring and will be out until mid-week … Juan Uribe fouled a ball off of his foot but will probably be fine after X-rays came back negative … David Eckstein (calf) is back … Ronny Paulino is out after testing positive.
AL Quick Hits: Don't look now, but Francisco Liriano just had his next start pushed back a couple of days because of a tired arm - hopefully it's nothing … Maicer Izturis (right shoulder) is headed to the DL, meaning Alberto Callaspo and Howie Kendrick can breath a little easier … Messrs Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis both did "extremely well" in simulated games over the weekend and are scheduled to pitch early this week … Ian Kinsler (groin) is taking ground balls in a crouching position as the team plays a delicate game between getting his bat in the lineup and actually getting him healthy … Derek Holland still has great upside but will ply his trade in the minor leagues for now … Matt Thornton has some forearm soreness, and J.J. Putz just blew a save of his own, so Bobby Jenks might be all alone at the end of that pale hose pen … Andrew Bailey is back from the DL and ready to close again … Even though Matt LaPorta has been struggling and missed a game to get his head straight, he represents good power upside on deeper league wires … Joel Piniero is ahead of schedule in his return and might beat his mid-September timetable … Owner of dual-eligibility and now a save, Koji Uehara is slightly interesting in deeper leagues with no 'P' slots … Luke Hochevar (elbow) looked good and might be back after three rehab starts … Sadly, Magglio Ordonez' season is all but officially over after some particulars of his ankle injury have come out … Speedy Michael Brantley (ankle) will be back in the lineup this week … Brett Anderson continued his brilliance since he returned, in case you missed it … Though Kevin Slowey (strained right triceps) was pitching better and looking healthier recently, his most recent trip to the DL just fits the bill in his unlucky season … Peter Bourjos hit his first major league home run, and has considerable upside for speed in deeper leagues … Conor Jackson returned, played sporadically for five days, and is now facing possibly season-ending sports hernia surgery - what a surprise.
Jason Heyward had a pretty good game on Sunday. He went four for four with two home runs and two walks. He also scored four runs and also drove in four runs in a 16-5 Braves rout of the Cubs in Lou Piniella's last game as manager. Fellow Braves rookie Mike Minor pitched a great game, struck out ten batters, and should be owned all leagues, but it is Heyward that will wake up today with the seventeenth- or eighteenth-best on-base percentage in baseball. No-one will even remember his misplayed fly ball in the field because he was so locked in at the plate.
The same kind of locked in that Mike Stanton was just this time last week. In a six-game streak that started on August 10th, Stanton went 15-for-24 with nine extra-base hits and eight RBI. He hit four home runs in a three-game stretch in the middle of his tear. He's pushed his slugging percentage to a height that would rank around twentieth in the league if he qualified for the batting title, and no-one's too worried about his rough strikeout rate just yet.
Those watching the NL East every day are witnessing something pretty special this year. Two young outfielders are ripping it up in their debuts, and it looks like both will be very special players for a long time. If you are tempted to point to their poor batting averages as a negative, just remember that the last under-21 year old debut that looked anything as good as these two debuts was Miguel Cabrera and his 314 at-bats in 2003. His .268/.325/.468 line that year was a great sign for a hitter so young. Get excited about these young men.
In an effort to get a look at the next Heyward or Stanton, I'll be off to the First Pitch conference in Arizona this November, put on by Ron Shandler's Baseball HQ. We'll see some Arizona Fall League games, talk fantasy, and I'll report back for your benefit. If you are going to be there, hit me up on twitter or email (below). I look forward to talking baseball with any of you that make the trek.
* Jaime Garcia joined the rookie parade on Sunday with a complete-game, 89-pitch shutout of his own. His stuff - already strong enough to garner acceptable strikeout rates - is made great by its ability to induce grass-guzzlers. His groundball rate was sixth-best in the major leagues going into the start. Most of the luck stats even look sustainable, so Garcia is just a special young pitcher really.
* The biggest rookie star, though, belongs to Stephen Strasburg. The only reason there is any doubt about his future is nascent battle with injuries. It's hard to see into the black box of the trainer's room, so we don't know if this is the team babying the young pitcher or if these are significant issues that predict worse to come. After leaving Saturday's game in obvious elbow pain, the news this weekend oscillated from season-ending visits to Dr. James Andrew to significant improvement according to different sources. Apparently everyone is waiting on the results of a Sunday MRI, but the chance to really win some trade value for Strasburg in single-year leagues is probably gone, so you're stuck waiting for more news in the meantime.
* A great testament to how it doesn't always work out with top prospects, Cameron Maybin. is back on his way to the major leagues because Cody Ross was claimed-and-won on waivers by the San Francisco Giants. Maybin's success will either depend on making more contact or doing more with the contact he does make, because his past 489 plate appearances have been of the low-powered high-strikeout variety. It's either/or for him in the future, but his outcomes still vary between a slightly-less powerful Grady Sizemore or Mike Cameron, to Carlos Gomez or out of baseball. The scouting pedigree means he's still worth attention in keeper circles, but the league would have to be deep to justify dropping an established player for this high-variance young player.
Ross is now less ownable in a crowded San Francisco outfield than he was in Florida, for what it's worth. He leaves behind a team in turmoil - Ricky Nolasco tore the meniscus his right knee, and even though he'll try to return, his season is most likely over. Fantasy managers in head-to-head leagues may want to drop him if they are in the middle of a tough pennant race, because if he does come back it won't be until into the fantasy playoffs. Andrew Miller comes up to give the majors yet another try, but we'll have to see something to believe it at this point.
* On the other side of the age bell curve, Manny Ramirez (calf) came back from the disabled list, but it might just be in order so his team can pass him through waivers. That the no-power mediocre-defense inefficient Scott Podsednik would start over even a reduced Manny Ramirez on a team trying to make the postseason speaks more of Manny's decline than his actual statistics do. He's still too good to leave on the waiver wire in almost any league, even if the claustrophobia he felt over his rehab stint may act up again.
* Alex Rodriguez may also be entering the oft-injured part of his career. His calf injury sent him to the DL over the weekend, and he's been dealing with on-again off-again nicks and bruises all year. A-Rod was not having a good season, and his isolated slugging percentage has been on the decline for three straight years. It's hard not to think these signs of decline are real.
NL Quick Hits: Aramis Ramirez continued his hot streak with a two-run homer and is still a good buy-low for those of you that can still trade … Mat Latos will have his next start pushed back to Friday, and expect more of these shenanigans as his innings total pushes his ceiling … Carlos Gonzalez only missed a couple games with a bruised knee he got on a nice wall-banging catch …Ryan Howard is back from the DL, huzzah … Fernando Martinez went down the minors and got hurt yet again, and though it may not be serious, it's becoming a frequent issue with the outfielder whose upside has mostly been derived from his young age to date … Young Clayton Kershaw has shown a lot of strikeout ability so far, and the eleven Sunday strikeouts against the Reds in seven innings is just another notch in his belt … Jhoulys Chacin pitched a shutout and is immediately interesting in most leagues because of his strikeout and groundball rates … It looks like Geovany Soto (shoulder) will be back any day … Carlos Gomez (concussion) is back, but young Lorenzo Cain has been playing well enough to stick for now … Tyler Colvin is taking grounders at first, but it only really matters if he beats out Xavier Nady and Micah Hoffpauir for at-bats at the position … Jonathan Broxton is back in the closer role and should stay because he's a very, very good reliever … Jonathon Niese is a good pitcher, but his team is beginning to talk about limiting his innings and possibly shutting him down .. Chris Young (shoulder) threw another simulated game and could be back in early September … Homer Bailey has shown better control in his most recent stint in the major leagues, and is looking like a good spot start in mixed leagues … Jordan Zimmermann (elbow) pitched another five shutout innings and should be ready to contribute in deeper leagues … Colby Rasmus is still dealing with his calf injury … Corey Hart left a game over the weekend with a tight hamstring and will be out until mid-week … Juan Uribe fouled a ball off of his foot but will probably be fine after X-rays came back negative … David Eckstein (calf) is back … Ronny Paulino is out after testing positive.
AL Quick Hits: Don't look now, but Francisco Liriano just had his next start pushed back a couple of days because of a tired arm - hopefully it's nothing … Maicer Izturis (right shoulder) is headed to the DL, meaning Alberto Callaspo and Howie Kendrick can breath a little easier … Messrs Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis both did "extremely well" in simulated games over the weekend and are scheduled to pitch early this week … Ian Kinsler (groin) is taking ground balls in a crouching position as the team plays a delicate game between getting his bat in the lineup and actually getting him healthy … Derek Holland still has great upside but will ply his trade in the minor leagues for now … Matt Thornton has some forearm soreness, and J.J. Putz just blew a save of his own, so Bobby Jenks might be all alone at the end of that pale hose pen … Andrew Bailey is back from the DL and ready to close again … Even though Matt LaPorta has been struggling and missed a game to get his head straight, he represents good power upside on deeper league wires … Joel Piniero is ahead of schedule in his return and might beat his mid-September timetable … Owner of dual-eligibility and now a save, Koji Uehara is slightly interesting in deeper leagues with no 'P' slots … Luke Hochevar (elbow) looked good and might be back after three rehab starts … Sadly, Magglio Ordonez' season is all but officially over after some particulars of his ankle injury have come out … Speedy Michael Brantley (ankle) will be back in the lineup this week … Brett Anderson continued his brilliance since he returned, in case you missed it … Though Kevin Slowey (strained right triceps) was pitching better and looking healthier recently, his most recent trip to the DL just fits the bill in his unlucky season … Peter Bourjos hit his first major league home run, and has considerable upside for speed in deeper leagues … Conor Jackson returned, played sporadically for five days, and is now facing possibly season-ending sports hernia surgery - what a surprise.
