MLB Fantasy News 2011

[HacheMan]

Orioles, Pirates get eight-game weeks

By Tristan H. Cockcroft
ESPN.com


On tap: Rain, rain, go away, baseball teams are gonna pay … and dearly, beginning with this week and for the remainder of the year, as those 30 rainouts in the first seven weeks of the 2011 season are now coming back to haunt teams in the form of doubleheaders and off-day make-ups.

There are three scheduled doubleheaders this week -- Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, Seattle Mariners at Cleveland Indians on Tuesday and New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles on Saturday -- marking this as one of two remaining "weeks"/scoring periods the entire year where, at the time of our fantasy league lineup deadlines, there were at least that many; Week 25 (or the extended 10-day, season-ending scoring period that concludes championship matchups in ESPN standard leagues) is the other. There is, in fact, only one more week all season in which there isn't a scheduled doubleheader: Week 24 (Sept. 12-18), the first half of those aforementioned ESPN championship matchups. (Quick tip: Tuck that away as a confidence builder in the event you struggle in Week 24, as there'll be a lot more baseball played in Week 25 to potentially catch you up.)


What this does is skew the balance of total games in weekly leagues -- especially this week -- meaning more quantitative advantages. For example, this week, two teams, the Pirates and Orioles, will play eight times, whereas three teams, the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres, will play only five times. In daily leagues it provides quantitative advantages on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday, hittingwise to the Indians, who draw the Mariners' Blake Beavan and a spot starter as Tuesday opponents, and the Yankees, who face the Orioles' Jeremy Guthrie and a spot starter on Saturday. Pitchingwise it again benefits the Indians, who host the light-hitting Mariners, and the Brewers, who travel to Pittsburgh for two favorable Monday matchups.


Reminder: Fantasy owners get a fortunate deadline extension on Monday, as Brewers-Pirates, the first game of the week, begins a straight doubleheader with a 5:05 p.m. ET start. Here are this week's other scheduled first pitches by day: Tuesday 1:05 p.m. ET, Wednesday 12:05 p.m. ET, Thursday 1:05 p.m. ET, Friday 7:05 p.m. ET, Saturday 1:05 p.m. ET, Sunday 1:05 p.m. ET.


Quick click by section, if you're seeking advice in a specific area:
Projected starting pitchers | Pitching strategies
Team advantages | Hitting strategies
Weather report | Week 20 pitcher rankings


Projected starting pitchers




The chart below lists each of the 30 MLB teams' schedules and projected starting pitchers, and provides a matchup rating for each day's starter. Pitchers scheduled to start twice this week are in gray/beige boxes.


<STYLE type=text/css>.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</STYLE>
<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="WIDTH: 30px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Team</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Mon
8/22</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Tue
8/23</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Wed
8/24</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Thu
8/25</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Fri
8/26</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Sat
8/27</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Sun
8/28</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
Guthrie
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
Simon
(RHP)
P: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
Reyes
(LHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
Hunter
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Matusz
(LHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY-2
Guthrie
(RHP)
P: 2
TBD

P: 1</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Simon
(RHP)
P: 1</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Bedard
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Lackey
(RHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Beckett
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Wakefield
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Lester
(LHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Bedard
(LHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Lackey
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
Buehrle
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
Stewart
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Peavy
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Danks
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Floyd
(RHP)
P: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SEA
Carmona
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SEA-2
Masterson
(RHP)
P: 9
TBD

P: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SEA
Tomlin
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
Huff
(LHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
Jimenez
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
Carmona
(RHP)
P: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
Verlander
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
Penny
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
Scherzer
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
Fister
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
Porcello
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
Verlander
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
Penny
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Chen
(LHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Hochevar
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Francis
(LHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
Paulino
(RHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
Duffy
(LHP)
P: 1</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
Chen
(LHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Santana
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Weaver
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Haren
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Pineiro
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Santana
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
Pavano
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
Duensing
(LHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
Slowey
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
Liriano
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Blackburn
(RHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Pavano
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Duensing
(LHP)
P: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Colon
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Sabathia
(LHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Hughes
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
Burnett
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL-2
Nova
(RHP)
P: 5
TBD

P: 1</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
Colon
(RHP)
P: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYY
McCarthy
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYY
Cahill
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYY
Harden
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
Gonzalez
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
Moscoso
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
McCarthy
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
Vargas
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE-2
Beavan
(RHP)
P: 3
TBD

P: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
Hernandez
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Furbush
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Pineda
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Vargas
(LHP)
P: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Niemann
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Price
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Davis
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Hellickson
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Shields
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Niemann
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Price
(LHP)
P: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
Wilson
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
Lewis
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
Harrison
(LHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
Ogando
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
Holland
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
Wilson
(LHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
Lewis
(RHP)
P: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
Morrow
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
Romero
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
Cecil
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
Alvarez
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
Perez
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
Morrow
(RHP)
P: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
Saunders
(LHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
Kennedy
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
Miley
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
Collmnter
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
Saunders
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
Kennedy
(RHP)
P: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
Jurrjens
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
Minor
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
Lowe
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
Beachy
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Jurrjens
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Minor
(LHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Dempster
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Coleman
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Wells
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Garza
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIL
Lopez
(RHP)
P: 1</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIL
Dempster
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIL
Coleman
(RHP)
P: 2</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
Cueto
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
Arroyo
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
Bailey
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Willis
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Leake
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Cueto
(RHP)
P: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Chacin
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Cook
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Hammel
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
Rogers
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
Millwood
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
Chacin
(RHP)
P: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CIN
Nolasco
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CIN
Vazquez
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CIN
Volstad
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
Hensley
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
Sanchez
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
Nolasco
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@COL
Myers
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@COL
Norris
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@COL
W.Rdrguez
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
Lyles
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
Sosa
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
Myers
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
Norris
(RHP)
P: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Eovaldi
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Kershaw
(LHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Kuroda
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
Lilly
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
Billingsley
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
Eovaldi
(RHP)
P: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT-2
Greinke
(RHP)
P: 9
TBD

P: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
Estrada
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
Marcum
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHC
Wolf
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHC
Gallardo
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHC
Greinke
(RHP)
P: 9</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
Niese
(LHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
Gee
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
Pelfrey
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Capuano
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Dickey
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Niese
(LHP)
P: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYM
Lee
(LHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYM
Worley
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYM
Oswalt
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>FLA
TBD

P: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>FLA
Halladay
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>FLA
Lee
(LHP)
P: 10</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL-2
Karstens
(RHP)
P: 3
Ohlendorf
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
Maholm
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
Correia
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Morton
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
McDonald
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Karstens
(RHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Maholm
(LHP)
P: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
Carpenter
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
Lohse
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
Garcia
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
Jackson
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
Westbrook
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
Carpenter
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
Lohse
(RHP)
P: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
Latos
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
Stauffer
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
LeBlanc
(LHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
Harang
(RHP)
P: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
Luebke
(LHP)
P: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
Cain
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
Lincecum
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Vogelsong
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Bumgarner
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Sanchez
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Cain
(RHP)
P: 10</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
Detwiler
(LHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
Zimmrmnn
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
Hernandez
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
Lannan
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Wang
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Detwiler
(LHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Zimmrmnn
(RHP)
P: 5</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>P: The starting pitcher's matchup rating, which accounts for past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days), opponent and ballpark. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst.





Tristan's pitching strategies




• The Indians continue to hang in the American League Central race, and it's weeks like this in which they need to pile on the W's in order to make up ground. They play all seven games at home, where they have nine quality starts, a 2.66 ERA and 1.05 WHIP as a pitching staff in their past 13 games, and the opposing Mariners and Kansas City Royals hardly sport the most threatening offenses. The Mariners this season rank dead last in baseball in runs per game (3.39) and team OPS (.635), while the Royals have so-so, 4.06-.709 numbers in those categories in their past 88 contests. Two-start pitcher Fausto Carmona has restored much of his fantasy stock since the All-Star break; he has five quality starts, a 2.63 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in six starts. Closer Chris Perez's stock is also trending upward; he's 4-for-4 in save chances with 6 1/3 shutout innings in his past six appearances.


But it's David Huff who is one of the week's most attractive one-start sleepers. Between the Indians and Triple-A Columbus, the left-hander has a 7-2 record, 2.62 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in his past 13 starts. The Royals, meanwhile, have a team OPS 19 points lower against lefties (.710) than righties (.729).


• Avoid Oakland Athletics pitchers at all costs, not only because they have a 4.98 ERA as a team since the All-Star break, but because their matchups -- three apiece at New York's Yankee Stadium and Boston's Fenway Park -- are most precarious. Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez, the Athletics' hottest starters in the first half, are a combined 2-10 with a 7.00 ERA and 1.73 WHIP In 13 second-half starts, and are clear no-gos this week. Look at the career ERAs of the team's six starters at their scheduled venues: Brandon McCarthy (13.50, 1 GS at Yankee Stadium; 4.22, 3 G's, 2 GS at Fenway Park), Cahill (27.00, 2 GS), Rich Harden (6.00, 2 GS), Gonzalez (5.23, 2 GS), Guillermo Moscoso (3.00 ERA, 2 relief appearances). Yuck.


• Go, go Arizona Diamondbacks! The Diamondbacks continue to maintain a stronghold on the National League West race, and much of it is attributable to their pitching, which combined has 16 wins, a 3.86 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in their past 24 games. Ian Kennedy continues to play the leading-man role, with a 6-1 record, six quality starts, a 2.60 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in seven starts since the All-Star break, but there are also other individual matchups to exploit this week. Two-start pitcher Joe Saunders has a 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in his two starts versus the Padres (his Saturday opponent) this season, and a 2.05 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in three career turns against the Washington Nationals (his Monday foe). Josh Collmenter, who faces the Padres at Chase Field on Friday, has a 6-3 record, 3.02 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 12 home games (8 starts). Even rookie Wade Miley, who had a stunning 9.28 K's-per-nine ratio to go along with a 3.64 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in eight starts for Triple-A Reno, warrants a look against the Nationals (his Thursday opponent), who have the majors' fourth-worst team OPS against lefties (.660).


• This is a week in which the Brewers could take a commanding lead in the NL Central race, with a favorable schedule ahead: a four-game set at Pittsburgh's PNC Park, followed by three at home versus the Chicago Cubs, whom the Brewers swept in a three-game series at home July 26-28. Remember when the Brewers, behind Yovani Gallardo, got pounded in a 12-3 loss in their first game after the All-Star break? Since then, this team has 24 wins, 24 quality starts, a 2.41 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 32 games, with nary a weak link in the bunch. You read that correctly: Tuesday starter Marco Estrada has back-to-back solid outings, including five shutout frames against these Pirates on Aug. 13; and if it's prospect Wily Peralta who gets the call for one of Monday's doubleheader starts, even he warrants a look. After all, he has a 3.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 9.09 K's-per-nine ratio in 23 starts between Double- and Triple-A, and 2.08-0.77-11.77 numbers in those categories in his first two starts for Triple-A Nashville.


Also favorable: Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants
Also unfavorable: Angels, Pirates, Padres


For more insight into Week 20 pitching matchups, see my rankings for the top 75 starting pitchers, as well as every two-start pitcher, at column's end.



Team advantages




The chart below lists each of the 30 teams' total number of scheduled games, home games and games versus right- and left-handed pitchers, and provides a matchup rating for the week's games in terms of overall offense, offense for left- and right-handed hitters and base stealing. Matchup ratings for each individual game are listed under the corresponding date.


<STYLE type=text/css>.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</STYLE>
<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="WIDTH: 30px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Team</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 12%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Games</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Overall
Rating</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Mon
8/22</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Tue
8/23</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Wed
8/24</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Thu
8/25</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Fri
8/26</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Sat
8/27</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Sun
8/28</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 total
4 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 10
L: 7
R: 10
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
H: 6
L: 6
R: 7
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
H: 8
L: 1
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
H: 6
L: 1
R: 7
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 8
L: 7
R: 9
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY-2
H: 6
L: 2
R: 9
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 8
L: 10
R: 1
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
3 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 4
L: 7
R: 3
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 3
L: 6
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 7
L: 5
R: 8
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 5
L: 9
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 4
L: 6
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 6
L: 10
R: 2
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 total
0 home
2 vs. L
3 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 1
L: 3
R: 1
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
H: 5
L: 7
R: 3
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 6
L: 6
R: 5
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 2
L: 5
R: 1
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 5
L: 2
R: 6
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
7 home
3 vs. L
3 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SEA
H: 6
L: 3
R: 7
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SEA-2
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SEA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
H: 9
L: 10
R: 5
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
H: 10
L: 10
R: 10
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
H: 7
L: 9
R: 7
S: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
0 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 5
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
H: 3
L: 6
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
H: 6
L: 4
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
H: 3
L: 7
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
H: 9
L: 9
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
H: 6
L: 6
R: 7
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
H: 8
L: 1
R: 10
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
0 home
3 vs. L
3 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 3
L: 3
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 2
L: 7
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 7
L: 2
R: 9
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
H: 8
L: 10
R: 7
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
H: 2
L: 1
R: 4
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
H: 6
L: 8
R: 3
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 total
2 home
3 vs. L
2 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 2
L: 3
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 5
L: 7
R: 4
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 7
L: 8
R: 7
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 7
L: 1
R: 10
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 3
L: 6
R: 1
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
7 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 8
L: 8
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
H: 10
L: 10
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
H: 10
L: 4
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BAL
H: 5
L: 8
R: 2
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 7
L: 9
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 8
L: 5
R: 10
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
3 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 9
L: 9
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 6
L: 10
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 6
L: 8
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
H: 8
L: 2
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL-2
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
H: 10
L: 10
R: 10
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
0 home
3 vs. L
3 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 3
L: 4
R: 1
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYY
H: 8
L: 10
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYY
H: 3
L: 1
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYY
H: 4
L: 6
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
H: 3
L: 2
R: 3
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
3 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 3
L: 6
R: 2
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
H: 6
L: 8
R: 3
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE-2
H: 3
L: 6
R: 1
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CLE
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 4
L: 6
R: 2
S: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
4 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 8
L: 5
R: 10
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 5
L: 7
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 7
L: 7
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 6
L: 6
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 3
L: 3
R: 4
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
7 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
H: 5
L: 5
R: 5
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
H: 6
L: 8
R: 4
S: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
6 home
3 vs. L
3 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 5
L: 5
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
H: 8
L: 10
R: 7
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
H: 8
L: 2
R: 9
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
H: 5
L: 5
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
H: 4
L: 6
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
H: 3
L: 1
R: 4
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
3 home
4 vs. L
3 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 8
L: 9
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
H: 8
L: 8
R: 8
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
H: 5
L: 4
R: 5
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
H: 8
L: 8
R: 7
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@WAS
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
H: 10
L: 10
R: 10
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
H: 2
L: 1
R: 4
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
0 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 7
L: 7
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 5
L: 8
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 9
L: 10
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 4
L: 3
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 7
L: 1
R: 10
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 4
L: 6
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 7
L: 7
R: 7
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
4 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 4
L: 6
R: 4
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 6
L: 9
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 7
L: 8
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 7
L: 7
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 3
L: 2
R: 5
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIL
H: 4
L: 2
R: 4
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIL
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIL
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
H: 4
L: 6
R: 2
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
H: 8
L: 10
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 8
L: 10
R: 5
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 9
L: 9
R: 9
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 5
L: 5
R: 6
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
2 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 5
L: 5
R: 5
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 7
L: 7
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 8
L: 10
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 5
L: 1
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
H: 3
L: 2
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
H: 4
L: 6
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
1 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 2
L: 5
R: 1
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CIN
H: 3
L: 3
R: 4
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CIN
H: 6
L: 10
R: 2
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CIN
H: 6
L: 8
R: 3
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
0 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@COL
H: 4
L: 8
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@COL
H: 9
L: 10
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@COL
H: 8
L: 10
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
H: 3
L: 7
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
H: 4
L: 1
R: 5
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
H: 4
L: 1
R: 5
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 4
L: 5
R: 4
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
H: 8
L: 5
R: 9
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
H: 8
L: 8
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
H: 3
L: 7
R: 1
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
3 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 10
L: 10
R: 8
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT-2
H: 9
L: 10
R: 5
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
H: 7
L: 1
R: 9
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
H: 8
L: 6
R: 9
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHC
H: 10
L: 10
R: 10
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHC
H: 5
L: 7
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHC
H: 8
L: 10
R: 7
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
2 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 1
L: 3
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
H: 5
L: 1
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
H: 3
L: 2
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 1
L: 3
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 5
L: 8
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
6 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 5
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYM
H: 8
L: 8
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYM
H: 5
L: 3
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYM
H: 7
L: 6
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>FLA
H: 5
L: 1
R: 10
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>FLA
H: 6
L: 6
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>FLA
H: 7
L: 8
R: 5
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 total
4 home
0 vs. L
7 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 5
L: 6
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL-2
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
H: 3
L: 1
R: 5
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 6
L: 7
R: 5
S: 1</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
7 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 7
R: 4
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
H: 7
L: 10
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
H: 7
L: 10
R: 5
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
H: 8
L: 10
R: 5
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
H: 7
L: 1
R: 9
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 total
0 home
1 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
H: 6
L: 7
R: 4
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
H: 9
L: 1
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@ARI
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
6 home
0 vs. L
6 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
H: 5
L: 4
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 9
L: 10
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 7
L: 5
R: 8
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 7
L: 9
R: 6
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
4 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 7
L: 3
R: 8
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
H: 8
L: 1
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
H: 4
L: 3
R: 4
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
H: 4
L: 1
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 8
L: 1
R: 10
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 8
L: 9
R: 8
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 4
L: 3
R: 4
S: 3</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Some of the data used to generate this chart is derived from Baseball Musings' Day-by-day database.

H: Hitters' matchup rating, which accounts for the opposing starting pitcher's past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days) as well as ballpark factors. L: Hitters' matchup rating accounting only for left-handed hitters. R: Hitters' matchup rating accounting for only right-handed hitters. S: Base stealing matchup rating, which accounts for the opponent's catchers' ability to gun down opposing base stealers. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst.





Tristan's hitting strategies




• Eight games is a substantial advantage for an offense in a weekly fantasy league, especially one like the Orioles, who rank first in home runs (46) and 12th in runs per game (4.58) since the All-Star break. Orioles hitters bring some thump, especially the two hottest hands since the break, Adam Jones (.318/345/.566 in 33 games) and Nick Markakis (.273/.336/.492 in 30). They are hardly the only viable fantasy choices this week. J.J. Hardy, who has five homers and 13 RBIs in 13 games in August, remains a must-start. Freshly healed Vladimir Guerrero is a .357 hitter with five RBIs in 10 games against the Yankees this season. And Matt Wieters, in spite of his season-long struggles, is a respectable .278/.339/.420 hitter in 58 home games. All five are worth slotting into your lineup for the extra at-bats.


• The Indians' bats match up every bit as nicely as do their arms; they face the team with the worst ERA (Mariners, 5.16) and ninth-worst ERA (Royals, 4.35) since the All-Star break, all at home, where they have an OPS 40 points higher (.731) than on the road (.691). This is a team that needs to pick up the pace following the unexpected loss of Jason Kipnis; this is a fantastic opportunity for Jason Donald. Donald is a .310/.414/.488 lifetime hitter in 99 plate appearances against left-handers and, sure enough, the Indians will face three of them this week. Another sleeper note: Jack Hannahan is a .500/.600/1.083 hitter in 15 career PAs against Wednesday opponent Felix Hernandez.


• As with the Indians, the Diamondbacks get the thumbs-up for their matchups on both sides of the ball. Sure, their bats ran cold during their Aug. 16-18, three-game series at Philadelphia, but they also faced Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee in two of the three contests, so forgive them their mediocre numbers. Matchups against Nationals and Padres pitching are far softer by comparison, and that they'll face four left-handed starters presents good news for Willie Bloomquist (.308/.370/.385 against that side), Ryan Roberts (.277/.402/.545) and Chris Young (.296/.373/.583). All three of them have struggled so far in August, but this is the ideal week to get each of them back into your active lineup.


• It's a recurring theme this week that the teams with the best pitching matchups are the ones with the best hitting matchups as well, and the Brewers are the third such example. Why so surprised? When you're facing such bottom-feeders as the Mariners, Padres and Royals, and in this case an ice-cold foe in the Pirates, of course you're going to stack up well across the board. Generally speaking, Brewers hitters are obvious fantasy decisions, but there are three hot hands you might not be aware of: Yuniesky Betancourt, a .306/.333/.452 hitter in 16 games in August; Jonathan Lucroy, a .292/.358/.438 hitter in 15 games in the month; and Casey McGahee, .293/.349/.517 in 15 games during the same time span.


Also favorable: Cincinnati Reds, Yankees
Unfavorable: White Sox, New York Mets, Athletics, Padres



Weather report




Weatherproof games: Royals at Blue Jays (3, Tue-Thu); Rays at Blue Jays (3, Fri-Sun); Cubs at Brewers (3, Fri-Sun); Padres at Diamondbacks (3, Fri-Sun); White Sox at Mariners (3, Fri-Sun); Tigers at Rays (4, Mon-Thu).



Tristan's Week 20 pitcher rankings: Top 75




Rankings take into account several factors: The pitcher's raw talent, historical and recent performance; number of starts; strength of opponent(s); and ballpark factors. Be aware that different leagues might emphasize different pitching statistics that could change these rankings slightly. These are based upon a fairly standard Rotisserie scoring system, like ESPN's.


1. Justin Verlander (DET) -- Mon-@TB (Niemann), Sat-@MIN (Pavano)
2. Cliff Lee (PHI) -- Mon-NYM (Niese), Sun-FLA (Nolasco)
3. Zack Greinke (MIL) -- Mon-@PIT, Gm. 1 (Karstens), Sun-CHC (Coleman)
4. Matt Cain (SF) -- Tue-SD (Latos), Sun-HOU (Norris)
5. Chris Carpenter (STL) -- Mon-LAD (Eovaldi), Sat-PIT (Karstens)
6. David Price (TB) -- Tue-DET (Penny), Sun-@TOR (Morrow)
7. Johnny Cueto (CIN) -- Tue-@FLA (Nolasco), Sun-WAS (Zimmermann)
8. Tim Lincecum (SF) -- Wed-SD (Stauffer)
9. Roy Halladay (PHI) -- Sat-FLA (Sanchez)
10. Ian Kennedy (ARI) -- Tue-@WAS (Zimmermann), Sun-SD (Luebke)
11. Clayton Kershaw (LAD) -- Tue-@STL (Lohse)
12. Brandon Morrow (TOR) -- Tue-KC (Chen), Sun-TB (Price)
13. Felix Hernandez (SEA) -- Wed-@CLE (Tomlin)
14. CC Sabathia (NYY) -- Wed-OAK (Cahill)
15. Ricky Romero (TOR) -- Wed-KC (Hochevar)
16. Tim Hudson (ATL) -- Fri-@NYM (Capuano)
17. Jon Lester (BOS) -- Fri-OAK (Gonzalez)
18. Mat Latos (SD) -- Tue-@SF (Cain)
19. C.J. Wilson (TEX) -- Mon-BOS (Bedard), Sat-LAA (Pineiro)
20. Jered Weaver (LAA) -- Wed-CHW (Humber)
21. Yovani Gallardo (MIL) -- Sat-CHC (Dempster)
22. Ryan Dempster (CHC) -- Mon-ATL (Jurrjens), Sat-@MIL (Gallardo)
23. Justin Masterson (CLE) -- Tue-SEA, Gm. 1 (Beavan)
24. Madison Bumgarner (SF) -- Fri-HOU (Sosa)
25. Jeff Niemann (TB) -- Mon-DET (Verlander), Sat-@TOR (Perez)
26. Dan Haren (LAA) -- Fri-@TEX (Holland)
27. Ubaldo Jimenez (CLE) -- Sat-KC (Duffy)
28. Jhoulys Chacin (COL) -- Mon-HOU (Myers), Sun-@LAD (Eovaldi)
29. Ervin Santana (LAA) -- Tue-CHW (Buehrle), Sun-@TEX (Lewis)
30. Shaun Marcum (MIL) -- Wed-@PIT (Correia)
31. John Danks (CHW) -- Sat-@SEA (Pineda)
32. Daniel Hudson (ARI) -- Wed-@WAS (Hernandez)
33. James Shields (TB) -- Fri-@TOR (Alvarez)
34. Colby Lewis (TEX) -- Tue-BOS (Lackey), Sun-LAA (Santana)
35. Jordan Zimmermann (WAS) -- Tue-ARI (Kennedy), Sun-@CIN (Cueto)
36. Jake Peavy (CHW) -- Fri-@SEA (Furbush)
37. Ryan Vogelsong (SF) -- Thu-HOU (Lyles)
38. Kyle Lohse (STL) -- Tue-LAD (Kershaw), Sun-PIT (Maholm)
39. Hiroki Kuroda (LAD) -- Wed-@STL (Garcia)
40. Josh Beckett (BOS) -- Wed-@TEX (Harrison)
41. Gavin Floyd (CHW) -- Sun-@SEA (Vargas)
42. Jair Jurrjens (ATL) -- Mon-@CHC (Dempster), Sat-@NYM (Dickey)
43. Brandon Beachy (ATL) -- Thu-@CHC (Garza)
44. Josh Tomlin (CLE) -- Wed-SEA (Hernandez)
45. Matt Garza (CHC) -- Thu-ATL (Beachy)
46. Randy Wolf (MIL) -- Fri-CHC (Lopez)
47. Phil Hughes (NYY) -- Thu-OAK (Harden)
48. Cory Luebke (SD) -- Sun-@ARI (Kennedy)
49. Erik Bedard (BOS) -- Mon-@TEX (Wilson), Sat-OAK (Moscoso)
50. Roy Oswalt (PHI) -- Wed-NYM (Pelfrey)
51. Ricky Nolasco (FLA) -- Tue-CIN (Cueto), Sun-@PHI (Lee)
52. Ted Lilly (LAD) -- Fri-COL (Rogers)
53. Jason Vargas (SEA) -- Mon-@CLE (Carmona), Sun-CHW (Floyd)
54. Jaime Garcia (STL) -- Wed-LAD (Kuroda)
55. Jeremy Hellickson (TB) -- Thu-DET (Fister)
56. Max Scherzer (DET) -- Wed-@TB (Davis)
57. Tim Stauffer (SD) -- Wed-@SF (Lincecum)
58. Fausto Carmona (CLE) -- Mon-SEA (Vargas), Sun-KC (Chen)
59. Mark Buehrle (CHW) -- Tue-@LAA (Santana)
60. Anibal Sanchez (FLA) -- Sat-@PHI (Halladay)
61. Javier Vazquez (FLA) -- Wed-CIN (Arroyo)
62. Mike Leake (CIN) -- Sat-WAS (Detwiler)
63. Bartolo Colon (NYY) -- Tue-OAK (McCarthy), Sun-@BAL (Simon)
64. Homer Bailey (CIN) -- Thu-@FLA (Volstad)
65. Alexi Ogando (TEX) -- Thu-BOS (Wakefield)
66. Michael Pineda (SEA) -- Sat-CHW (Danks)
67. Brett Cecil (TOR) -- Thu-KC (Francis)
68. Chad Billingsley (LAD) -- Sat-COL (Millwood)
69. Mike Minor (ATL) -- Tue-@CHC (Coleman), Sun-@NYM (Niese)
70. Vance Worley (PHI) -- Tue-NYM (Gee)
71. Wandy Rodriguez (HOU) -- Wed-@COL (Hammel)
72. John Lackey (BOS) -- Tue-@TEX (Lewis), Sun-OAK (McCarthy)
73. R.A. Dickey (NYM) -- Sat-ATL (Jurrjens)
74. Derek Holland (TEX) -- Fri-LAA (Haren)
75. James McDonald (PIT) -- Fri-@STL (Westbrook)

Two-start options for AL-/NL-only leagues:
Bruce Chen (KC) -- Tue-@TOR (Morrow), Sun-@CLE (Carmona)
Nate Eovaldi (LAD) -- Mon-@STL (Carpenter), Sun-COL (Chacin)
Brandon McCarthy (OAK) -- Tue-@NYY (Colon), Sun-@BOS (Lackey)
Brett Myers (HOU) -- Mon-@COL (Chacin), Sat-@SF (Sanchez)
Jonathon Niese (NYM) -- Mon-@PHI (Lee), Sun-ATL (Minor)
Bud Norris (HOU) -- Tue-@COL (Cook), Sun-@SF (Cain)
Carl Pavano (MIN) -- Mon-BAL (Guthrie), Sat-DET (Verlander)
Brad Penny (DET) -- Tue-@TB (Price), Sun-@MIN (Duensing)
Joe Saunders (ARI) -- Mon-@WAS (Detwiler), Sat-SD (Harang)

No-thank-yous, among two-starts:
Casey Coleman (CHC) -- Tue-ATL (Minor), Sun-@MIL (Greinke)
Ross Detwiler (WAS) -- Mon-ARI (Saunders), Sat-@CIN (Leake)
Brian Duensing (MIN) -- Tue-BAL (Simon), Sun-DET (Penny)
Jeremy Guthrie (BAL) -- Mon-@MIN (Pavano), Sat-NYY, Gm. 1 (Nova)
Jeff Karstens (PIT) -- Mon-MIL, Gm. 1 (Greinke), Sat-@STL (Carpenter)
Paul Maholm (PIT) -- Tue-MIL (Estrada), Sun-@STL (Lohse)
Alfredo Simon (BAL) -- Tue-@MIN (Duensing), Sun-NYY (Colon)

One-start sleepers:
Josh Collmenter (ARI) -- Fri-SD (LeBlanc)
Marco Estrada (MIL) -- Tue-@PIT (Maholm)
Jason Hammel (COL) -- Wed-HOU (Rodriguez)
David Huff (CLE) -- Fri-KC (Paulino)
Edwin Jackson (STL) -- Thu-PIT (Morton)
Wade Miley (ARI) -- Thu-@WAS (Lannan)
Ivan Nova (NYY) -- Sat-@BAL, Gm. 1 (Guthrie)
Felipe Paulino (KC) -- Fri-@CLE (Huff)
Esmil Rogers (COL) -- Fri-@LAD (Lilly)
Jake Westbrook (STL) -- Fri-PIT (McDonald)

 

[HacheMan]

Intriguing youngsters for now and 2012

Eric Karabell


On Thursday I wrote about a few top 50 Player Rater options that would not make for very good keeper choices, and you know what, that seemed a bit negative to me. So today, on a beautiful Friday full of promise I want to be as positive as I can be, pointing out some young hitters that I feel really good about moving forward. It's a happy day, it's Friday. I'll just have to push that "10 reasons to be excited about the Chicago Cubs" blog entry to the side for now.
Here are some minor leaguers at varying positions on the field that do not have the big league season statistics, but certainly could provide interesting ones the final month of this season, and in 2012 and beyond.

• Hank Conger of the Los Angeles Angels was called back up to the big leagues this week, and while I realize I've been talking about the catching prospect much of the season and he hasn't hit, he is going to hit. Conger has proven himself in the minor leagues. Sure, Brandon Wood and Sean Rodriguez thrived at Triple-A Salt Lake City, too, but this is different. Conger is a switch-hitter with plate discipline. Even if the Angels do still fancy themselves as contenders, they have the worst catchers offensively in baseball. Conger is an upgrade. Deep leaguers take note. A year ago Alex Avila, another young catcher strong at the plate but with uninspiring big league statistics, finally started to hit, and he's been terrific in 2011. I'd also keep a close eye on what the Colorado Rockies do behind the plate, because Wilin Rosario looks ready. He should get more opportunity than the New York Yankees' Jesus Montero.
<OFFER>• Before the San Diego Padres called up Anthony Rizzo, everyone seemed to love him. After he hit .143 in 35 games, people didn't like him so much. Yes, Jesus Guzman has been a revelation for the Padres, and for fantasy owners lucky enough to use him at shortstop or middle infield, but Rizzo remains the superior prospect. Guzman isn't a prospect at all. Could Rizzo struggle again in September, kind of like NL West division foe Brandon Belt of the San Francisco Giants? Sure, it could happen. But Rizzo and Belt are the future first basemen in the division, and both should be terrific, with plate discipline and enough power to overcome their spacious home ballparks. Rizzo is hitting .356 with a 1.133 OPS at Triple-A Tucson. Bring him up now!
• Dayan Viciedo of the Chicago White Sox is only 22, and he's not going to help a big league team much in the field, but one would think the Contending Ozzies would want anyone that can hit at this point. Adam Dunn needs another break. At worst, Viciedo should be platooning with Dunn at designated hitter, since he bats right-handed and has a .851 OPS against lefties for Triple-A Charlotte. Viciedo also has a .836 OPS against right-handers. I've heard a few people say he's bound to end up being Wily Mo Pena, a one-dimensional slugger who won't last long, but I think that's premature. There are plenty of other outfielders -- I'd think that's where Viciedo ends up -- that should make appearances in September, from Brett Jackson in Chicago (yeah, Cubs!) to top prospect Mike Trout with the Angels, but Viciedo has more natural power and seems a bit off the radar.
• While I'm at it, let's veer a bit off the path to highlight two other hitters. Brandon Allen of the Oakland Athletics looks like the full-time starter, which is a good thing. In fact, I'm interested to see who performs better between him and former Arizona Diamondbacks organizational teammate Paul Goldschmidt the rest of the season. The A's got Allen from the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline a few weeks ago, and after a short and meaningless minor league stint he's playing regularly, and hitting. What, you thought Conor Jackson would hold him off? Allen is a big guy with big power and I could see him pushing himself into the back end of standard league drafts by next season, a 25-homer threat. Goldschmidt is as well. Take a look at either of them right now if you're dealing with a Kevin Youkilis DL stint.
• The last guy I want to discuss is misplaced minor leaguer Logan Morrison of the Florida Marlins. Yeah, he was struggling since the All-Star break and yeah, the organization might be teaching him a lesson with the demotion, but Morrison developed his power quickly and still ranks second on the team in home runs and OPS. The master tweeter will return to the majors soon, he's out there in a whole lotta ESPN standard leagues and book it, he will hit.
And with that, I wish you all a terrific weekend and beyond!

 

[HacheMan]

Don't get too excited about Mike Minor

Eric Karabell


• Atlanta Braves left-hander Mike Minor outdueled Tim Lincecum Thursday, allowing four hits and striking out nine in six shutout innings. Minor lowered his ERA to 4.26. This was Minor's best outing of the season, but don't get too excited; his season WHIP is 1.52. Fellow rookie Randall Delgado threw six no-hit innings two nights prior. Simply put, use all starting pitchers against the San Francisco Giants.

• Washington Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann tossed 5 2/3 innings of shutout baseball Thursday, winning for the eighth time and lowering his ERA to 3.11. It's been a positive comeback season for Zimmermann (elbow), but get ready to move on: He's on an innings limit of roughly 160, and might get only one more start.


• Boston Red Sox infielder Jed Lowrie started again at third base Thursday, getting a hit in four at-bats, and should continue playing with Kevin Youkilis (back) on the disabled list. However, Lowrie is hitting .161 in August after hitting .111 in June and missing all of July. Lowrie hasn't hit in months, so leave him on free agency.


• Meanwhile, Red Sox catching prospect Ryan Lavarnway was promoted to the big leagues Thursday and started at designated hitter for injured David Ortiz, going hitless in four at-bats. Lavarnway, as profiled by colleague Jason Grey this week, can certainly hit, but he's best avoided in standard leagues. He was slumping in the minors, and there's no indication he'll get regular playing time.


• Chicago White Sox right-hander Philip Humber left Thursday's outing in the second inning after taking a line drive to the head. Humber might not make his next start, but perhaps that helps fantasy owners; Humber hasn't won or delivered a quality start since July 2, with an ERA of 7.17. Move on.


• San Diego Padres right-hander Tim Stauffer stymied the Florida Marlins over seven innings Thursday, allowing one run on five hits. Stauffer was coming off a nine-run outing in Cincinnati, in which he permitted five home runs. With a 2.64 ERA at home, you can always use Stauffer there.

 

[HacheMan]

LABR-ing In Search of a Title
Tony Gwynn, Jr.: Tony Gwynn Jr. is doing his best impression of his Hall of Fame old man. Last night, Jr. went yard for the second time in three days. While the overall numbers are not eye-popping, the last week has been huge for Jr. In that span, he has 9 hits, 2 jacks and 4 SB – production that will make any roto-owner proud. The bottom line here is that the power if illusory, the speed real, the Dodgers offense weak and Gwynn's opportunity to play full time tenuous. Advice: Move him while you still can. There will be no reason to play Gwynn over youngsters such as Jerry Sands once the rosters expand September 1.


Rich Harden: Rich Harden looked like the ace of old Friday night, shutting out the Jays over seven while striking out 11. Can he stay healthy over the long haul? No. Can he be the elixir for your staff that can make all the difference in the last six weeks? You bet. In four August starts, he has blown down 30 hitters, for an average of well over 11K/9inn. The only caveat to this is that his next start is against the scalding hot New York Yankees who will be even more powerful with the return of ARod. Advice: See if you can grab Harden after he leaves Yankee Stadium. Oh, and if he clears waivers, he may even end up on a contender!


Raul Ibanez: Raul Ibanez continued his deep freeze Friday, going 0-4 against the Nats. Indeed, this month, Ibanez is so far under the Mendoza line, he needs the Hubble telescope to see it. Do not be fooled by the huge stats he posted (34 HR, 93 RBI) in his last hurrah of 2009. Ibanez has struck out more than 3x for every walk this year, is at just .236 over the full year and as noted above, is just not hitting in the dog days. Given that he is a liability in the field, it may not be long before he cedes ground to another junior, John Mayberry, and/or Domonic Brown. Sell if it is still possible.


Phil Hughes: Phil Hughes continued his improbable comeback from an atrocious beginning of 2011 by giving up just two hits and one run over 7 2/3. Has Hughes turned into a decent major league starter for the rest of 2011? Yes. Is he a target for you to chase in the roto-pennant race? No. Even in last night's gem, Hughes struck out only two and was rarely above 91 on the gun. The only good news about his lack of velocity from a roto standpoint is that at 91, he is really not that valuable in the pen. Thus, if you need wins, Hughes could help. If you need K's or strong ratios, I wouldn't give up much for Phil.


B.J. Upton: B.J. Upton showed flashes of his great, but often wasted, gifts last night, getting two hits and stealing two bases in his team's win over King Felix. As noted below, if you are winning your league, Upton is just too stressful to own. However, if you need to make a move up the mountain, he could be the energy boost you need. Remember, this is the guy who hit 7 post season dingers despite nursing a significant injury.


Jason Kipnis: In tough news for the Tribe, rookie 2B Jason Kipnis will be out three weeks with a strained hammy. Before the injury, Kipnis was hitting .279 with 6 dingers in just 68 AB. If you are in a keeper league, do just that, keep. However, if you are making a run this year, Kipnis is not likely to help. Even if he returns in mid-September, it will be asking a lot for him to regain his hot stick in time to help. Oh, if you think there is help on the tribe bench, forget it. Neither Luis Valbuena nor Jason Donald provides more than targets for roto-writers to pillory. However, in deference to Cleveland's native son and Week That Was anchorman, I will restrain myself.


Hank Conger: The Angles have called up C Hank Conger and 19 year old OF Mike Trout in an attempt to jump start a lagging offense. Conger will never remind anyone of Benito Santiago behind the plate. However, he can hit. Yes, he was not much with the stick in limited action in the show earlier this year. However, he has always hit in the minors when getting regular time and should provide a jolt from the weak roto C position if he gets regular at bats. If you are currently playing Josh Bard, Jose Molina or other such good receivers/bad hitters, Conger could really help. Speculate. .

LABR-ing On

And now, as promised I will take a look at the LABR-AL pennant race. Of course, this is my favorite expert league as we get to travel to Phoenix in March, escape the cold, watch pre-season baseball, and best of all, get the privilege of playing against the best of the best for bragging rights. So, the question arises, can Rick Wolf and I bring Rotoworld a 4th LABR-AL title? Well, the answer is a definite maybe. Bad news: we spent the first half of the year locked in the cellar. Good news: we have worked hard to scratch, claw and climb our way out and have moved all the way up to 4th with six weeks to go. Bad news: Chris Liss's Rotowire team is on fire and has opened up a 13 point lead over us. Can we win? The answer is still maybe. How is that possible you ask? Well, the key is not how many points separate us from first place, but rather the spread in each of the categories. On offense, 10 HR gives us 3 points, 15 RBI gives us another 3 points, and 8 SB another 3 points. So conservatively, we could easily make back 9 points on offense. Not too shabby. Conversely, the Liss Rotowire squad has serious downward mo (and yes, this column is designed to hex him!). .0003 in batting average could cost him one point, 14 RBI could cost another 3 points, and 3 SB could cost another 3 points. Thus, just on offense the potential swing is 16 points.

On the pitching side, we have 7 starters and 7 wins is worth 3 points, 26 K is two points and an improvement in WHIP of less than .01 is another two points. On the Rotowire side of the ledger, 2 wins could cost him a point, 2 saves could cost a point, 10 K another two points and .01 in WHIP another point. So conservatively, on the pitching side, there is another 12 points in play. Thus, 28 points could easily swing without crazy swings such at the Frank Catalanatto 9 RBI in the last weekend that cost us a title (yes, Jason Grey, I am still sore about that!).

Now, specifically, what has to happen for us to win? First, Liss, who really is a great roto player, needs to cool off. Unfortunately, there is not much we can do to manage our team to make that happen other than send him emails with coded jinxes inserted and write columns like this that hex him (the fun part is he really hates that!). Second, we need to get healthy. Big Papi needs to play the last 5 weeks like Big Papi (who has been a huge bargain for us .300 and 24 jacks for 13 bucks) and Marco Scutaro needs to continue to produce counting numbers from the scarce MI. However, most importantly, on the offensive side of the ball, we need B.J. Upton to earn the 29 we invested by going on one of those HR/SB streaks his athletic gifts allow.

On the pitching side, we need to simply get good starts that result in wins and strikeouts. Josh Beckett has been spectacular and that should continue. If John Danks, Gavin Floyd, Fausto Carmona, Matt Harrison and Bartolo Colon continue to pitch well, we have hope. Of course, the latter three are far more risky but what are you going to do? Harrison and Colon could get wins on those offensive teams just by going 5 innings.

Bottom line, we would love to cut the lead to 5 or less by September 15 and make it a nail-biter. Stay tuned. Oh, and please don't tell Liss we think he is a great roto player – we will never hear the end of it!


And now back to player evaluation and strategy with this from the baron of the bottom of the page -- Schultz says: "Anyone who made the seemingly safe investment in talent from the defending world champion San Francisco Giants has to be scratching their heads and wondering where everything went wrong. The champs had one of the best starting rotations on the west coast, returned the majority of the squad that took out the Phillies
and Rangers and benefited from playing in the NL West. Rather than providing the
ingredients for roto-success, the Giants are struggling to score runs and it's a prudent move to start anyone pitching against them. This puts them in the same category as the Seattle Mariners. Ladies & Gentlemen, your 2010 Champs.

Bad luck has played a significant factor in a decline that mirrors the San
Francisco system of road design. Freddie Sanchez got injured, Aubrey Huff and
Pat Burrell returned their talents to the guy at the crossroads to get their souls back and Brandon Belt seemed to take forever to grow accustomed to the big leagues. Even now, Carlos Beltran, Brian Wilson and Johnathan Sanchez are toying with spending time on the disabled list. There are no excuses in roto-world though. Smart owners plan for the unexpected.

The rough part of this current stretch falls upon their starting staff. Under no circumstances can you sit Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain or even Ryan Vogelsong. They are all pitching too well to even consider Liriano-ing them. They will all still help in the categories that they have a modicum of control over - ERA, WHIP and strikeouts - but wins are going to be hit or miss. Now since I've provided such a nice segueway, I wonder if this factors into the T of the SMART system and wouldn't that oddly justify benching Lincecum?"

Response: Well, to answer the question, it depends on your category needs. If you need K's, Lincecum is one of the best. If you need wins, and cannot move in the other categories, then Phil Hughes and Bartolo Colon are better bets than Tim Lincecum based on their Teams. All that said, there is no doubt that T in SMART means better Teams perform better. Is there really a doubt as to whether the Red Sox and Yankee players will score and knock in more than Giants players? Of course not. Thus, no matter how good the Panda is, he is not going to post runs or rbi than Robbie Cano or Dustin Pedroia will post.

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[HacheMan]

Wilson, Rollins hurting; Oswalt returns

Stephania Bell

• It was nice to see Philadelphia Phillies righty Roy Oswalt have such a successful outing this weekend. Remember in June when Roy Oswalt expressed so much frustration with his ongoing back troubles that he thought his career might be over? That moment seemed like a distant memory Sunday when Oswalt looked like, well, vintage Oswalt tossing eight shutout innings and fanning nine in the process. Oswalt showing he indeed has quite a bit left in the tank.
• Another pitcher who is making strides is Atlanta Braves ace Tommy Hanson, currently on the DL with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Hanson was able to play catch Saturday and is scheduled for a light bullpen Monday. The return to throwing off the mound is always a big test as it increases the stress on a pitcher's arm. If the session goes well, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Hanson could make a rehab start Saturday. The key for Hanson, who currently stands at 130 innings pitched this season, will be taking it slowly to guard against setbacks.

• Meanwhile, San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson was placed on the 15-day DL with elbow inflammation. Wilson paid a visit to Dr. Andrews last week (the Giants were in Atlanta to play the Braves and Andrews was close by in Alabama) and was reassured that structurally the elbow was sound. Initially, it sounded as if Wilson would only miss a few days but the move to the DL should not have anyone panicking just yet. First, when Andrews has serious concern about a player's elbow health, he often recommends extended rest and rehab of at least four weeks (like the Oakland Athletics' Brett Anderson, who did just that but ultimately needed Tommy John surgery). Second, the DL remains a roster management tool and this case allows the Giants to shore up their bullpen. On Sunday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reported via Twitter that manager Bruce Bochy indicated Wilson could return at the end of the 15 days. Better to get some more rest now and not force Wilson into what could become a more serious issue.
• The Chicago White Sox's Carlos Quentin has a sprained left A-C (acromioclavicular) joint, the result of a diving catch Saturday against the Texas Rangers. The A-C joint, at the tip of the shoulder, is where the collarbone (clavicle) meets the acromion, or point of the shoulderblade, and is bound together by ligaments. When those ligaments are injured, it is termed a sprain. When the sprain is severe enough to cause major ligament disruption, the bones can move apart from one another or "separate," hence the term separated shoulder, which is often used to describe more significant A-C injuries. An interesting note on Quentin. X-rays were reportedly negative of his shoulder, yet the MRI revealed the sprain. This would suggest that the damage is not severe. If the ligament damage was severe enough to result in true separation, the deformity would be visible on X-ray, even though the ligaments themselves are not. The MRI, however, can visualize soft tissue as well as inflammation in the area, confirming the diagnosis of an A-C sprain.
Even a minor A-C injury can be painful, making it difficult to lift the arm. Even though the injury is to Quentin's non-throwing shoulder, the biggest challenge will be using his arm when swinging the bat. Quentin acknowledged as much when he told the Daily Herald, "as a hitter I think your front shoulder is more important." The key early is to control pain and inflammation so that Quentin can regain the necessary range of motion to use his arm properly. Maintaining strength around the shoulder to the best degree possible while the injury winds its course will also be a focus.
• St. Louis Cardinals veteran shortstop Rafael Furcal must seriously wonder who or what is out to get him now. After breaking his left thumb in early April on a headfirst slide and then straining an oblique in June (resulting in another month away from the game), Furcal suffered a freak injury while on the road with his new team, the St. Louis Cardinals, this weekend. It wasn't even an injury sustained during the course of playing baseball. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Furcal suffered a "severe thumb sprain" when he stumbled as a wooden step leading to the batting cages at Wrigley Field broke. In an effort to brace his fall, Furcal's thumb was twisted resulting in the injury. The bad news? This injury is to his right (throwing) hand. The good news? Well, it's not the same thumb he broke this spring. And maybe, if things really do happen in threes, his 2011 injury woes are now over. As to when he'll be able to return, there's no immediate answer as much will depend on how soon the pain and swelling subside and when Furcal can regain his grip.

• Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins' calf has stayed healthy this season but he was forced to leave Sunday's game early with a groin injury. Manager Charlie Manuel indicated he did not know when or how Rollins sustained the injury, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. However, Rollins underwent an MRI on Monday and tweeted afterward that he had a grade 2 strain and would be headed to the disabled list. As a shortstop, Rollins relies on quick lateral movement more than most, so a significant groin injury could be problematic.
• Teammate Placido Polanco is saying he expects to be activated from the DL on Monday. Polanco has been out most recently with a sports hernia and told the Philadelphia Inquirer he feels stronger after the rest. It will be interesting to see how Polanco fares once he returns to baseball. Many athletes try to play through this injury -- some are even successful for a while -- but often ultimately find themselves resorting to surgery. Exhibit A: Mike Cameron who fought valiantly through an early season injury last year while with the Boston Red Sox but increasingly struggled to run until the injury forced him out. Exhibit B: Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who tried to play after suffering the initial injury during spring training but was forced to undergo surgery when it worsened. It's understandable that Polanco wants to try to play through it, given the timetable for recovery almost matches what's left of the regular season. But it will be challenging, especially in light of his recent issues with a bulging disc in his lower back.
• There was some excitement within the New York Mets organization Saturday after Jose Reyes did some running in the home park. Manager Terry Collins told the New York Post that Reyes looked "terrific." After his successful outing, Reyes spent Sunday running soft turns, "hugging the outfield grass" according to ESPN New York's Adam Rubin, in preparation for turning corners. The next big test is expected to come Monday when Reyes will increase the output while running the bases. If all goes well, a rehab assignment could be in short order and according to Rubin, Collins says Reyes will head to Double-A or Triple-A for that assignment. Bear in mind that Reyes' latest DL stint came just two weeks after he returned from the prior one (for the same injury) and no one wants history to repeat itself again. While it's impossible to guarantee a successful return, it seems likely the Mets will want to have Reyes repeatedly test the leg at a fairly high level before he rejoins the team.
• Speaking of hamstrings and setbacks, Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre knows a thing or two about such matters. Beltre injured his left hamstring in July, suffering a Grade 1 strain which was expected to sideline him for two to three weeks. He was nearing a return right around the three week mark. Then he tried to run the bases (there's a reason it's one of the final tests). It went well the first time, but in his second effort Beltre felt the familiar grab in his hamstring and was sent back to square one. Now, it's time for him to test the hamstring again. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Beltre is expected to run the bases Monday if cleared by the Rangers' team physician. There has to be a little anxiety around this activity not only for him but for the team as well, given the previous result. Expect a gradual progression to continue even if this activity is successful.
• And finally, the jury is still out on Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez, on the DL with a left shoulder sprain. Ramirez has been able to work out (throwing, running) but has not been swinging the bat. The injury is to his lead shoulder (see Carlos Quentin above), the same shoulder he previously had operated on following the 2007 season to address a torn labrum. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to overcome this latest injury to return to the Marlins this season.

 

[HacheMan]

A-Rod Returns, 0-For-Five
It wasn't quite a triumphant return for Alex Rodriguez, as he went hitless in five plate appearances and left six men on base. But his team won, and they got their veteran third-baseman back, so he'll probably sleep well tonight. Get him back in your lineups right away. Even in his decline phase, he's a strong option at an increasingly tough position.

Other players got some good news about their health over the weekend. Jose Reyes "looked terrific" running on the field on Saturday. He'll ratchet up his rehab now. Adam Lind's right wrist passed the X-ray test and he could be back in the lineup Tuesday. Tommy Hanson has a bullpen Monday and if it goes well, he'll make a rehab start in Triple-A this weekend. Carlos Beltran could be back as soon as Tuesday, and his lineup needs him badly. Adrian Beltre will run the bases Monday, but that's a saga right now.

The weekend was injurious to some, though. Jacoby Ellsbury was hit in the back Friday and missed the weekend. There's no structural damage, though, and he should be back by mid-week at the latest. Carlos Quentin has a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder, but it's up to him how long he plays. Quentin gets hit by pitches more than anyone in baseball and might also be injury-prone otherwise, it seems. Jimmy Rollins strained his groin and Travis Hafner did something to himself, and both left their games early on Sunday. More to come, especially once both players have their MRI tests Monday. Paul Maholm will go to Dr. James Andrews Monday to look at his shoulder. That can't be good. Nick Blackburn has a forearm strain and Anthony Swarzak will take his place in the rotation. He's an interesting speculative play in really deep leagues, but doesn't really get strikeouts or ground balls.

* When do we start to believe that a pitcher can continue to put up numbers that they seemingly do not deserve? Josh Collmenter is surviving mostly on guts, guile and a funky delivery. He struck out four Braves, walked three, and only allowed one run to the Braves in seven innings. Still, he has the peripherals of a pitcher with an ERA in the high threes, not low threes. R.A. Dickey's peripherals are also not very exciting, but knuckleballers have always confounded baseball researchers. He struck out four, walked none, and gave up two runs in seven against the Brewers. Gio Gonzalez has shown us enough to know that his control makes him inconsistent. But when he's on -- like he was against the Jays Saturday, when he struck out nine and walked none will allowing one run in eight innings -- he's one of the better values in the league. Rick Porcello has had rotten luck this year. Sure, he doesn't strike out people, but he has great control and gets ground balls. He gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings Sunday to continue the streak. Maybe his defense needs to get better. Cory Luebke deserves his numbers. He struck out eight, walked none and gave up just one run in six innings against the Marlins. Thank you very much.

And then there are the pitchers that are undergoing some regression. Yovani Gallardo was good and unlucky in the first half, now he's getting a little good luck. He struck out six and welched one against the Mets, though, so he didn't really need luck to hold the inconsistent New York lineup to two runs in seven innings. James Shields was good and lucky in the first half, and he got roughed up by the Mariners in Seattle Sunday -- seven runs in 7 1/3 innings -- but he struck out seven and walked only one. Call that some bad luck and move on. Francisco Liriano has been getting swinging strikes and ground balls all year. His control hasn't been great, but he's deserved better. Saturday, he struck out six Yankees in seven innings and held a great lineup to one run. There's upside there still. Gavin Floyd has had some putrid luck early this month, but he struck out six, walked one, and held the Rangers scoreless at home. He could be a high-threes ERA guy going forward if he had neutral luck. Anibal Sanchez has been really unlucky this month, but his performance has really been about the same. Sunday he was only meh: five innings, three earned, three strikeouts against the Padres. That's better than he's been recently, though.

* Here's your current closer carousel update. Brian Wilson is on the DL, which was a long time coming. It's retroactive to the 16th, so he could be back on the last day of the month. Jeremy Affeldt is the 'closer' while he's gone, but he doesn't yet have a save and is out of place facing righties. Kevin Gregg, despite being one of the worst closers in the league and blowing up on Saturday (three runs in an extra-inning loss), has the blessing of his manager. We've talked about how poor the other options are now that Koji Uehara is gone and Jim Johnson is being groomed to start. Well, Mike Gonzalez has closed before, so he might be next. Jason Isringhausen melted down Saturday, but his manager said that Bobby Parnell is not yet the full-time closer on Sunday. Jordan Walden blew a save, but he allowed an inherited runner to score in the eighth and it wasn't a bad appearance overall. Nine blown on the year! He's probably still safe, probably. Frank Francisco is the closer in Toronto, but he's having shoulder troubles, which is why Casey Janssen got the save Sunday. Ryan Madson was resting Sunday, and Antonio Bastardo blew a save. Rafael Betancourt earned another save with Huston Street out. Street might be back by the end of next week, though. Javy Guerra blew his first save when he gave up two runs in the 12th inning Saturday. There's no one else unless Jonathan Broxton gets healthy, though.

* The competitiveness of the team has so much to do with how playing time on the field is divvied up. Consider Collin Cowgill, who went oh-for-three with a strikeout on Sunday and is showing a pitiful triple-slash line right now. On a struggling team, he'd get more than 50 plate appearances to show what he had. On the Diamondbacks, he might be destined for the minor leagues. Lucas Duda is lucky to be on a team that doesn't really have a chance anymore. They allowed him to work through some struggles so that his line-drive power could show. He hit a home run Sunday, his sixth, and is a good bench outfielder in mixed leagues. Mike Moustakas would never have gotten these many chances to make it work on another team. The Royals let him keep trying and he's been better of late. He had two hits Sunday, even.

National League Quick Hits: Heath Bell was fine until a random game-tying donger from Mike Cameron tied the game Sunday night … Brandon Belt hit a three-run homer among a career-high four hits Sunday and could be in for more playing time if his manager can manage to play him over the aged Aubrey Huff … Seth Smith hit a home run and stole a base and is a great bench piece in most leagues if you can avoid starting him against lefties … Chris Narveson is back from the DL (bye-bye Felipe Lopez) and he'll start Monday … The Pirates signed Aaron Heilman to a minor league contract, and that should help them continue their tailspin … Rafael Furcal tripped over a rope and sprained his thumb Sunday, and he missed the game, but more information is coming … Jose Altuve had an inside-the-park home run Saturday and has enough power and speed to make his small size irrelevant … Will Venable hit a home run hit a home run off of Anibal Sanchez at home and continues to be an interesting start against right-handers in deeper leagues … Yadier Molina hit two homers, Jon Jay hit one homer, and both are role players in the right leagues … Cubs owner Tom Ricketts has a hard time imagining Carlos Zambrano pitching for his team again, which means he's probably not useful the rest of this year … Cards prospect Shelby Miller should be reinstated this week after a seemingly ultra-conservative suspension for a minor alcohol incident … Jordan Schafer (finger) should be activated Monday but his bad batting average limits him to deep leagues … Jordan Lyles was demoted in order to keep his innings total down … Kevin Millwood gave up three earned in seven innings while striking out four, which is definitely okay … Chris Heisey (oblique) should be able to return soon … No-one knows what's wrong with Joe Blanton's elbow … Prospect Drew Pomeranz, who joined the Rox in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade, had an emergency appendectomy and is probably out for the season.

American League Quick Hits: Shin-Soo Choo had six hits over the weekend and should be universally owned by now … Ubaldo Jimenez gave up eight runs in 3 1/3, but getting out of Coors must make up for the AL penalty, or so his owners (and the Indians) still hope … Michael Pineda struck out five, walked none, and gave up two earned in six against the Rays to remind people that he's a good pitcher … Ian Kinsler hit two home runs Saturday and is the third-best second baseman in the sport … Justin Morneau came back, looked okay, then fouled a ball off his foot Saturday, missed Sunday, and is day-to-day … Sunday, Johnny Damon walked em off for his second home run since the break … Mark Reynolds missed Sunday after tweaking his ankle but should be back Monday … Casper Wells had a hit and a home run, but he strikes out too much to depend on him in mixed leagues … Derek Holland gave up five runs in 3 1/3, and he's a spot-starter in most leagues until he can up the strikeouts to make up for the middling ground balls … Big young Ryan Lavarnway had two hits Saturday and is a deep league play while David Ortiz is out … Brent Lillibridge had three hits (one a home run) and is an okay start against left-handers … Guillermo Moscoso held the Jays to one run in eigtht innings, but nothing else that he's done over his career as a whole suggests that he's a good option going forward … Brian Matusz gave up five earned on Saturday but he did average 90 on his fastball, which is a big step forward … Danny Duffy has loads of long-term upside, and held the Red Sox to two runs in six innings, but he only struck out three (two walks) and is more of a wait-and-see than anything right now … Henderson Alvarez allowed one earned against Oakland and is a decent spot start … Chris Davis (shoulder) will begin rehab instead of having surgery … Chris Getz is taking ground balls at shortstop now that he's lost his second base job to Johnny Giavotella.

 

[HacheMan]

Trends: Blanks Making Noise
SURGING

Kyle Blanks, 1B/OF, SD

Stats: 4-for-12 with two homers and six RBI in his last three games.

Bottom line: Overall, Blanks is hitting .338 with five homers and 16 RBI in August and remained owned in just eight percent of Yahoo leagues as of Monday morning. The 24-year-old is still striking out a lot (31 of them in his first 92 at-bats), but I've been impressed with his bat speed and would definitely endorse adding Blanks in mixed leagues the way he's swinging right now.

Peter Bourjos, OF, LAA

Stats: .500 avg (17-for-34) with three homers, seven RBI, eight runs and two steals in his last eight games.

Bottom line: After hitting three homers in April, May, June and July combined, Bourjos has walloped five of them with a 1.179 OPS thus far in August. This doesn't have the look of a power surge that's going to last, but it's worth taking a look to make sure that Bourjos (25 percent owned in Yahoo) isn't somehow still available in your mixed league.

Casper Wells, OF, SEA

Stats: .393 avg (11-for-28) with five homers and nine RBI in his last eight games prior to a Monday night matchup against Cleveland.

Bottom line: Wells got a somewhat lukewarm recommendation in this column last week, then went out and hit three more homers to give him six of them (along with a .333 average) in his first 15 games with Seattle. (That last homer, for the record, came just a few days after he got beaned in the face by a 97 mph Brandon Morrow heater last week.) However, Wells is still striking out a ton (16 of them in his last 10 games) and shouldn't be considered a reliable source of long-term production even though he can help fantasy teams right now.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattStroup

Guillermo Moscoso, SP, OAK

Stats: 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 17/4 K/BB ratio in his last three starts (20.0 IP).

Bottom line: First things first: Make sure Moscoso's teammate Rich Harden (20 percent Yahoo owned; seven scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts on Friday) isn't somehow sitting on free agency in your league. Now that you've confirmed that, we can move on to Moscoso, who isn't nearly as explosive as Harden, but has emerged on the mixed league radar after holding the Blue Jays to one run in eight innings (three hits, one walk, seven strikeouts) on Sunday. Moscoso is still more of a spot starter than an every-week fantasy option, and should be deployed first and foremost at home, where he has a 2.81 ERA and 1.04 WHIP (as opposed to 3.80/1.31 on the road).

J.D. Martinez, OF, HOU

Stats: 5-for-9 with a homer and six RBI in his last two games prior to a Monday night matchup with Colorado; .280 (21-for-75) with five homers and 20 RBI in August.

Bottom line: Martinez doesn't have a track record of standout power (13 homers in 370 at-bats at Triple-A this year), and it's tough to get too excited about anyone hitting in the Houston lineup these days. With that said, the 24-year-old is locked in as the Astros' No. 3 hitter right now, and isn't the worst flyer for owners in deeper mixed leagues.

Editor's Note: For exclusive columns, rankings, projections and more, check out Rotoworld's MLB Season Pass.

Brandon Allen, 1B/OF, OAK

Stats: .379 avg (11-for-29) with two doubles, two triples and a 1.010 OPS through his first nine games with the A's.

Bottom line: He's been playing ahead of Conor Jackson at first base lately and has certainly hit well enough (in terms of batting average, at least) to justify it. However, until he shows that he's able to hit for power in Oakland and that he can fend off Jackson for the long run, Allen isn't worth adding unless you're in a much deeper mixed league.

 

[HacheMan]

Rollins Out, Polanco Back
Jimmy Rollins cut out the middleman on Monday, announcing via his Twitter account that he was going on the disabled list with a Grade 2 strain of his groin.

Rollins, who underwent an MRI on Monday, initially suffered the injury running out of the batter's box in the first inning on Sunday, but didn't leave the game until after the second inning. While he hopes to return as soon as he is eligible on September 6, the Phillies obviously have enough breathing room in the standings that they can afford to get by with Wilson Valdez at shortstop if he needs more time.

The Phillies will be without their starting shortstop for at least the next two weeks, but they did get their starting third baseman back Monday night. Placido Polanco returned from the disabled list and went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in a blowout victory over the Mets. The 35-year-old is batting just .228 since his red-hot April and is currently trying to avoid season-ending surgery to repair a sports hernia.

While the Phillies attempt to get the left side of their infield healthy before the postseason, here are some more news and notes from around the baseball world.

* Jose Reyes is tentatively scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment Thursday with Double-A Binghamton and could be back in the Mets' lineup as soon as Sunday against the Braves.

Reyes, who hasn't played since aggravating his left hamstring on August 7, ran the bases at 85 percent intensity prior to Monday's game against the Phillies and plans to participate in running drills again Tuesday. The speedy shortstop will likely play three or four games in the minors before returning from the disabled list.

The Mets are fading fast in the standings, losing four in a row and 10 out of 12, but there's still plenty of incentive for Reyes to finish his contract year strong. Despite missing significant playing time since early-July, the 28-year-old still leads the National League with a .336 batting average. His reputation as an injury-prone player will no doubt have an impact on his price tag this winter, but a batting title would be a nice little feather in his cap as he goes out in search of a big money contract.

* Speaking of hamstrings, Adrian Beltre tested his strained left hammy Monday by running at about 75 percent effort. His workout consisted of going from home to first and rounding the bag. Beltre will need to circle the bases at full speed before going out on a minor league rehab assignment, but because he suffered a setback in his previous attempt earlier this month, the first-place Rangers aren't going to rush the process. As of now, he is on track to return in the early part of September.

* Stephen Strasburg is rounding into shape quite nicely. After stumbling a bit in his last outing, the 23-year-old right-hander allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits over three innings Monday in his latest rehab start with Class A Hagerstown. He threw 40 out 60 pitches for strikes while striking out six and walking just one. Strasburg is scheduled to make his next rehab start Saturday and could join the Nationals' rotation as soon as September 2. If you haven't stashed him yet, it's probably too late.

* Jose Tabata went 5-for-9 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored during Monday's doubleheader against the Brewers. Freshly locked up through at least the 2016 season, the 23-year-old outfielder is batting .414 (12-for-29) since returning from the disabled list early last week. Tabata entered the season as a popular sleeper in mixed formats, but he's currently widely available in many leagues. Time to change that.

NL Quick Hits: Cliff Lee tossed seven shutout innings in a win over the Mets on Monday night … Dan Uggla clubbed his 30th home run of the season in Monday's win over the Cubs … Zack Greinke tied a season-high by giving up seven runs in a loss to the Pirates on Monday … Matt Holliday left Monday's game in the eighth inning after a large moth flew in his ear … Carlos Gonzalez went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Monday's win over the Astros and currently has a 10-game hitting streak … Wandy Rodriguez is likely to clear waivers Tuesday … Tommy Hanson (shoulder) threw a brief bullpen session Monday and is tentatively scheduled to make a minor league rehab start Saturday … Jair Jurrjens tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings in Monday's win over the Cubs … Chris Carpenter hurled eight innings of one-run ball Monday against the Dodgers, but was handed a no-decision after Fernando Salas blew the save … Starlin Castro was given a "mental day off" Monday after his lackadaisical behavior in the field during Sunday's game … Jayson Werth homered and doubled in Monday's win over the Diamondbacks … Angel Pagan left Monday's game against the Phillies due to a stomach virus … Ted Lilly (neck) is on track to make his next scheduled start Friday against the Rockies … Jose Constanza left Monday's game with a slight right ankle sprain … Raul Ibanez was scratched from Monday's lineup due to a sore groin … Chris Narveson left Monday's outing after 5 1/3 shutout innings due to a bent fingernail, but isn't expected to miss his next scheduled start … Rafael Furcal (thumb) expects to return to the Cardinals' starting lineup Tuesday … Peter Moylan (back) tossed a scoreless inning Monday in his first minor league rehab appearance with Triple-A Gwinnett … Kevin Correia was placed on the disabled list Monday with a strained oblique … Jordan Schafer (finger) went 0-for-4 with a strikeout Monday in his return from the disabled list … Brad Lincoln will stay in the Pirates' starting rotation after allowing two runs over six innings Monday against the Brewers … The Braves are expected to recall prospect right-handers Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado from the minors when rosters expand in September … Joe Blanton (elbow) threw off a mound Monday and felt good while Jose Contreras (forearm) suffered a setback during his bullpen session…

AL Quick Hits: Justin Verlander boosted his Cy Young candidacy Monday by tossing seven innings of one-run ball against the Rays en route to his major-league leading 19th victory … Jacoby Ellsbury (back) missed his third straight game Monday, but is expected to return to the starting lineup Tuesday … David Ortiz plans to test his right heel by running Tuesday … Victor Martinez was scratched from Monday's lineup with lower back spasms … Shin-Soo Choo was scratched from Monday's lineup to be present for the birth of his daughter … J.J. Hardy slugged his 24th home run of the season Monday in a win over the Twins … Justin Morneau will undergo an MRI if his foot doesn't improve by Tuesday … C.J. Wilson tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings Monday in win over the Red Sox … B.J. Upton is day-to-day after leaving Monday's game with a right shoulder strain … Clay Buchholz (back) could be cleared to begin a throwing program by this weekend … Michael Cuddyer (neck) doubled twice and walked in his return to the lineup Monday … Ichiro Suzuki went 3-for-5 with his third home run of the season Monday in a win over the Indians … Travis Hafner was placed on the disabled list Monday with a right foot strain … Rich Harden was claimed off waivers by the Indians, but the A's pulled him back after they were unable to work out a deal … Grady Sizemore (knee, hernia) could begin a minor league rehab assignment by the end of his week or early next week … Freddy Garcia (finger) is on track to return this weekend after allowing two runs over four innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday… J.D. Drew (shoulder) will begin a minor league rehab assignment Friday with Single-A Lowell … The Indians are expected to recall right-hander Zach McAllister to start the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Mariners … Nick Blackburn was placed on the disabled list Monday with a strained right forearm… The Mariners will recall left-hander Anthony Vasquez to start the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Indians … Brendan Ryan (shoulder) went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a hit-by-pitch Monday in his first game back from the disabled list …

 

[HacheMan]

Late-season matchups options

By Tristan H. Cockcroft
ESPN.com



Matchups candidate.

It's a label we toss around often, a casual description we give a pitcher we refuse to trust on an every-start basis, a pitcher we deem beneath the "Wandy Line." It is often overused, the true "matchups candidates" being the ones whose favorable outings are easiest to identify; there's a certain comfort in knowing which are the pitchers you can most successfully stream from a start-to-start basis.


Who are these pitchers?


With the season winding down and head-to-head leagues nearing their playoff matchups, accurate streaming becomes all the more critical. Today, let's take a look at seven pitchers who seem the safest matchups options, by "safest" we mean the pitchers for whom the matchups are easiest to declare a "yay" or "nay."


For instance, this isn't a column in which you'll find a Brandon Morrow, because while you might point out that his ERA is 5.08 against teams with a .500 or better record, per Baseball-Reference.com, I'll point out that he has struck out 89 batters in 78 innings in 13 such starts, those 6.85 K's per outing still valuable.


Ubaldo Jimenez is another pitcher you won't find here, because his struggles aren't a sign of slippage into matchups land. After all, he has a 4.40 ERA in his eight starts this season against losing teams, an ugly, ugly number indeed.


For some pitchers in today's list, their inclusion is a positive. It's unearthing value, however small, where zero might have otherwise been expected. For others, it's damning, a sign fantasy owners are still clinging too tightly or expecting too much from them on a start-to-start basis.


Let's get started …




Michael Pineda, Seattle Mariners: This is what I was referring to by saying it's bad for certain pitchers to make this list, as Pineda is the No. 29 starting pitcher on our Player Rater, a top contender for American League Rookie of the Year honors and a pitcher owned in 89.9 percent of ESPN leagues. But past stats now mean nothing, beyond their meaning in formulating future projections. With the Mariners now being more cautious about managing his innings, Pineda's value over the team's final 36 games -- meaning only about 7-8 more starts for the right-hander, at most -- has slipped into the "matchups bracket." His five worst starts of 2011, by game score, have come against the Nos. 2, 20, 7, 6 and 6 offenses in terms of runs per game. He also has a 1.04 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in eight starts against sub-.500 teams, per Baseball-Reference.com, compared to 5.21/1.25 numbers in 16 starts against .500 teams or better. And he has a 2.86 ERA and 1.08 WHIP at Safeco, compared to 4.39 and 1.13 on the road. At the bare minimum, beware those Sept. 12-14 games versus the New York Yankees and Sept. 16-18 and Sept. 23-25 games against the Texas Rangers.


Joe Saunders, Arizona Diamondbacks: … annnd it's good for other pitchers to make the list, like Saunders, the quintessential "matchups guy." Primarily due to his low strikeout rate -- 5.09 per nine in his career -- Saunders is the kind of pitcher for whom you need to be particularly choosy, feeling free to add and drop him on a daily basis even in deeper-mixed leagues. He has a 3.92 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 18 starts against sub-.500 teams but 4.11/1.41 numbers in eight starts against .500 or better squads. Look what the Diamondbacks have left: 10 against the San Diego Padres; six apiece against the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants; and three apiece against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals. There isn't a bad matchup on their schedule after Sept. 8.


Derek Holland, Texas Rangers: He feels as if he has so much more talent than a mere matchups type, but the way his season has progressed, that's exactly how he should be classified. He has made 13 starts apiece against sub-.500 and .500-plus teams, and against the former group he has seven wins, a 2.95 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Against the latter? Make it four wins, a 6.14 ERA and 1.61 WHIP. Holland also has a 5.32 ERA at Rangers Ballpark, compared to 3.76 on the road.


Mark Buehrle, Chicago White Sox: Call his a hot streak if you wish -- he's 4-1 with a 2.34 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in six starts since the All-Star break -- but I still choose to classify the veteran left-hander as a matchups candidate through and through. His lifetime K rate is even lower than Saunders, 5.08, which is the fifth-lowest ratio since 2000 among pitchers with 1,500 innings. Now look closer at Buehrle's 2010: He has seven wins, a 2.39 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in his 15 starts against sub-.500 teams, and three wins, a 4.50 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in nine starts against teams with a .500 record or better.



TOP 100 STARTING PITCHERS

Note: Tristan H. Cockcroft's top 100 starting pitchers are ranked for their expected performance from this point forward, not for statistics that have already been accrued.
<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Rnk </CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom">Player, Team <CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Prev
Rnk </CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Justin Verlander, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Roy Halladay, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cliff Lee, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tim Lincecum, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Clayton Kershaw, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Felix Hernandez, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">CC Sabathia, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dan Haren, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jered Weaver, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Zack Greinke, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jon Lester, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">David Price, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Cain, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Johnny Cueto, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">James Shields, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cole Hamels, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Josh Beckett, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ricky Romero, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Yovani Gallardo, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tim Hudson, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ian Kennedy, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chris Carpenter, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mat Latos, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ervin Santana, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Morrow, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Garza, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Beachy, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Daniel Hudson, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Madison Bumgarner, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Shaun Marcum, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">C.J. Wilson, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Max Scherzer, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Wandy Rodriguez, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Hiroki Kuroda, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">John Danks, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jhoulys Chacin, COL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Justin Masterson, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Colby Lewis, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Vogelsong, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Dempster, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Anibal Sanchez, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jeremy Hellickson, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Roy Oswalt, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ted Lilly, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tommy Hanson, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jeff Niemann, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Gio Gonzalez, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ubaldo Jimenez, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jaime Garcia, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chad Billingsley, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Bud Norris, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Gavin Floyd, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ricky Nolasco, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Bartolo Colon, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cory Luebke, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Phil Hughes, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Leake, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Harrison, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>63 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tim Stauffer, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Javier Vazquez, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Vance Worley, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>62 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>62 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jair Jurrjens, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>63 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jake Peavy, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>64 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Pineda, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>65 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Josh Tomlin, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>65 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>66 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Randy Wolf, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>70 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>67 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brett Cecil, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>76 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ivan Nova, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>66 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>69 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brett Myers, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>64 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>70 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Erik Bedard, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>77 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>71 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Derek Holland, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>72 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>72 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Rich Harden, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>83 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Edwin Jackson, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>79 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>74 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Homer Bailey, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>84 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>75 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jordan Zimmermann, WAS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>76 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Alexi Ogando, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>71 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>77 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Scott Baker, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>69 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>78 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Doug Fister, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>67 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>79 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">James McDonald, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>82 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>80 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jonathon Niese, NYM </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>85 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>81 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Freddy Garcia, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>75 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>82 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Trevor Cahill, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>78 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>83 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Aaron Harang, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>81 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>84 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mark Buehrle, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>88 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>85 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jason Vargas, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>89 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>86 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Francisco Liriano, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>90 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>87 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kyle Lohse, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>94 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>88 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Charlie Morton, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>93 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>89 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon McCarthy, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>74 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>90 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">R.A. Dickey, NYM </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>86 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>91 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Philip Humber, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>87 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>92 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Wade Davis, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>97 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>93 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Bronson Arroyo, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>96 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>94 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Minor, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>95 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Derek Lowe, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>96 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">John Lackey, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>95 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>97 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Felipe Paulino, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>91 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>98 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Luke Hochevar, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>92 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>99 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Josh Collmenter, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>100 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Fausto Carmona, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>




Edwin Jackson, St. Louis Cardinals: I was hopeful he'd develop into more than a mere matchups candidate under Dave Duncan's tutelage, but alas, things haven't worked out quite that way. Jackson was pummeled by the Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 3, his second start for the Cardinals, and has surrendered a home run in each of his past three turns. Busch Stadium improves his chances from a matchups perspective. Plus, there's this: He has a 2.97 ERA and 1.26 WHIP against sub-.500 teams; he has 4.78/1.57 numbers in 14 starts against .500-plus squads.


Josh Tomlin, Cleveland Indians: His command will keep him a factor in AL-only leagues right through year's end, but in standard-ESPN/shallow-mixed formats, being picky is smart with the right-hander. He's 9-2 with a 3.47 ERA and 0.92 WHIP In 13 starts against sub-.500 teams, and he has a 4.06 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in six starts against the 10 weakest offenses in terms of runs per game. Go back and look at his poorest outings since June 1: Aug. 1 at Boston (6 IP, 10 H, 5 ER); July 15 at Baltimore (5 IP, 6 H, 5 ER); June 12 at New York (5 IP, 12 H, 6 ER); June 6 versus Minnesota Twins (6 IP, 9 H, 6 ER); June 1 at Toronto (6 IP, 8 H, 6 ER). The common bond? Except for the Twins, every one of those is a tough matchup.


Kyle Lohse, St. Louis Cardinals: Incredibly, 18 of his 24 starts have come against sub-.500 teams, and in those he has 10 wins, a 2.95 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Busch Stadium has also always treated him best; he has a 3.67 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 53 career starts there, but 4.89/1.45 lifetime numbers in 263 appearances (239 starts) everywhere else. The book on Lohse in fantasy is long, and always reads the same: He's a start-at-home, and occasionally-on-the-road-against-the-league's-worst-offenses pitcher, plain and simple.


Three up



Brandon Beachy, Atlanta Braves: Craig Kimbrel might have a stronghold on National League Rookie of the Year honors, but Beachy continues to sneak up in that race, thanks to one of the most unexpectedly good rookie campaigns in years. Consider this: His 9.97 strikeouts-per-nine innings ratio is 11th-best all-time among rookies who threw 100-plus innings, per FanGraphs, and since he'll probably make 6-7 starts, meaning another 35-40 innings (for 143 1/3-148 1/3 total), he's pacing fifth-best all-time among those with 140-plus frames, behind only Kerry Wood (1998), Dwight Gooden (1984), Hideo Nomo (1995) and Rick Ankiel (2000). That's some exclusive company; remember that Ankiel was awfully good before developing "the yips." What's more, it's completely legit; Beachy's miss percentage on all swings is 28.2, tops in the majors. He doesn't face an innings cap, thanks to his time off while on the disabled list with an oblique injury in May-June, and look at his projected remaining starts, assuming he throws every fifth Braves game: @CHC (Aug. 25), WAS (Aug. 31), @PHI (Sept. 5), @STL (Sept. 11), NYM (Sept. 17), @WAS (Sept. 23), PHI (Sept. 28). Only the Phillies and Cardinals matchups are scary, but each of his past starts against those opponents was a quality start.


Colby Lewis, Texas Rangers: Yes, Colby Lewis' 2010 was a true representation of his talent. The only disconcerting differences in his peripherals are that his strikeout rate has dropped, from 8.78 per nine to 7.61, and his fly-ball rate has increased slightly, from 42.8 to 49.0 percent, but in defense of the former, his K's-per-walk ratio has remained a stable 3.00 (3.02 in 2010), while most of the fly-ball issues come in road starts (52.3 percent, compared to 45.5 at home). Lewis has held his own against most everyone except the Tigers (15.95 ERA in two starts), and once the Rangers get through this Red Sox portion of their schedule -- nine games in the next 13 days -- Lewis' matchups become super-soft.


Roy Oswalt, Philadelphia Phillies: So far, so good, since his return from a back injury. Oswalt now has three consecutive quality starts since his activation on Aug. 7, and while his competition was light -- Giants once, Nationals twice -- it's his restoration of his strikeouts that is most encouraging. His most frequent criticism before landing on the disabled list was that his K rate had dropped; it was 5.30 in those 13 starts, but it's 7.71 -- better than his 7.37 career number -- since. The samples aren't even, obviously, but here's another piece of evidence to back it up: His miss percentage was 16.0 before his DL stint, 22.5 percent after it. There's every reason to believe the old Oswalt has returned for the stretch run.


Three down



Ubaldo Jimenez, Cleveland Indians: As referred to above, Jimenez has slipped in status to the point where he's ranked in the "matchups bracket," but in truth he's hardly a "matchups type"; he's ranked based more upon his skills, in the hopes that he can turn around this must-bench-him-everywhere funk. With the exception of the Aug. 10 game against the Tigers (8 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 ER), Jimenez has been awful for the Indians, and while it's fair to point out that two of his turns came against the Tigers and one at Texas, the fact remains that his reputation entering the year was that of a fantasy ace. His velocity has plummeted this season, from 95.9 mph on average in 2010 to 93.2 this year, and with the Indians that number is a mere 93.1. Jimenez seemed to build momentum midseason, during a string of productive June-July starts, then seemingly had it broken by trade rumors and his subsequent trade. At this point, it's far to ask whether he might not recapture it until he gets the winter's rest.


Ricky Nolasco, Florida Marlins: What a horrendous most recent outing at Coors -- 11 runs on 11 hits in three innings on Aug. 17 -- and while you might forgive him the matchup, remember that five starts prior to that, he was rocked by the Padres -- the Padres! Nolasco has been extremely good in five starts this season, all of those resulting in a game score of 68 or greater, but abysmal in four others, during which his game scores were 14 or worse. Nolasco might have a 65.4 quality start percentage, but he can be maddeningly unpredictable. And at this time of year, that's a frustrating pitcher to own.


Jonathan Sanchez, San Francisco Giants: His season just seems to go from bad to worse. Sanchez, who struggled through his first two starts back from a biceps injury, left his most recent start with a sprained ankle, which by many reports has him a candidate for the disabled list. Walks have been a persistent problem; he has averaged 5.86 per nine this season and 5.40 per nine in his three starts since being activated. Sanchez's quality-start percentage is also 36.8, the eighth-worst number among qualified starters. Even if he dodges the DL, he's going to need to prove his worth before being remotely considered in fantasy leagues.

 

[HacheMan]

Updates on Peter Bourjos, Zach Britton

Jason Grey

Earlier this season, I was scouting a Triple-A game when I bumped into another scout I know, Chris Bourjos of the Baltimore Orioles. Bourjos played in 13 big league games with the Giants before becoming a scout. He is also the father of Angels outfielder Peter Bourjos.

On this particular night, Chris' phone was buzzing because Peter had made a highlight grab in center field, one of his best catches of the season. I leaned over toward him and sheepishly told him, "I have to admit I was light on your son." By that, I meant that my overall scouting grade on Peter as a prospect when he was in the minors turned out to be too low.
Chris, always a class act, replied, "It's OK, you weren't the only one. A lot of people were."

The question about Peter coming up through the minors was whether he would be able to consistently hit big league pitching, and that was what I was most concerned about. The other tools -- his speed, his stellar defense in center field, his work ethic and makeup -- were not question marks. I did think he would wind up as a starting center fielder because of the overall package.
Bourjos garnered a reputation as a streaky hitter coming in the majors, and he has been on a tear since the calendar turned to August. In 19 games this month, he has posted a .391 BA/.440 OBP/.739 SLG stat line, with five homers and three steals. He has 17 hits in his current eight-game hitting streak and has homered in his past three contests. The 24-year-old has quietly upped his season batting average to .286.
Bourjos is a very aggressive hitter who doesn't draw a lot of walks and will chase the occasional slider in the dirt. But he's taking better hacks at the ball when he does swing this season. He's doing a better job of staying balanced and staying back, and because he's not drifting forward as much, it gives him a better chance to hit off-speed stuff with more authority. He's not just a speedster offensively, but someone who can hit for pop, driving balls to the gaps and occasionally over the wall. He's now slugging better than .450 for the season.
I'm actually a little surprised he hasn't stolen more bases this year. Don't get me wrong, 17 steals in 23 attempts certainly isn't bad. But Bourjos has the raw speed to steal 35-40 bags a year, and I think he could be a little more aggressive in looking to run, especially for a team that ranks in the top 10 in stolen bases attempted per game this season. Perhaps more consistent time in the leadoff spot, where Bourjos has been hitting lately, could lead to more thefts.
Mike Trout is going to see at least 3-4 starts per week for the rest of the season, but most of them likely won't come at the expense of Bourjos, unless he needs a day of rest. Still available in more than half of ESPN leagues, Bourjos should continue to be a solid mixed-league asset for the rest of the season and beyond.

Other notes


• On the surface, it appears the Royals' Danny Duffy has been doing his best Kyle Davies impression; he has a 5.48 ERA and 1.65 WHIP this season.
He has shown too little control and too poor location within the strike zone thus far in the majors. It all starts with the command of his 93-95 mph fastball, which is necessary to set up his curve and changeup, both of which are pitches he can get swings and misses with. However, if he's not locating the fastball, it makes that secondary stuff less effective.
Given his track record, Duffy has the capability to locate the ball better than he has been in his initial exposure to major league hitters. I mentioned earlier in the year when I saw him at Triple-A that he needed to repeat his delivery better, and that is still the case in the majors. He needs to drive more consistently toward the plate, staying through every pitch. More consistency with his mechanics will lead to more consistency with his overall command. Too often, Duffy has been working behind in the count and hasn't been able to set up his secondary stuff.
I still see a 22-year-old southpaw with three quality pitches and a bright future. There have been flashes of his potential, and those flashes should appear more and more often going forward. While Duffy has had a lot of growing pains at the big league level, there are also seeds here for further growth, which makes him a sleeper for 2012 and a good, cheap keeper target in AL-only and deeper-mixed leagues.

• Speaking of good targets for 2012, I will put the Orioles' Zach Britton on that list as well. He allowed just one run in five innings Monday night but was a little lucky to allow that few runs, not to mention get the win. The 23-year-old lefty was solid through the first three months of the season with eight wins, a 3.38 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP before imploding spectacularly against the Red Sox and Yankees in July then hitting the disabled list because of a shoulder problem.
Like Duffy, we're talking about a young southpaw with three quality pitches, with Britton's sinker being the great equalizer when he's going well. I've written extensively in the past about the quality of Britton's repertoire, but he needs to get back to being aggressive and trusting his stuff more, rather than being the pitcher who nibbles at the strike zone, as he has since mid-June. The AL East is not a place to nibble. Obviously, getting back to being healthy is key as well, but it doesn't appear the strained shoulder that put him on the DL will be an issue going forward.
Britton hasn't had the full-season numbers I expected, thanks to two horrible outings against two of the best teams in baseball, but his early-season performance is something I think he can carry through a full campaign. Given his rough past couple months, there will likely be good profit potential to be had next season.

 

[HacheMan]

Will Wandy Land in Colorado?

More on the possible destination change for Wandy Rodriguez in a minute, but first, an actual trade. Going to the Jays: Kelly Johnson. Going to the D'Backs: Aaron Hill and John McDonald (yes, as confirmed by the presence of McDonald, it's a blockbuster). I'd be surprised if this sparks a dramatic long-term turnaround for Johnson (who's hitting just .209/.287/.412 with 18 homers) or Hill (hitting .225 with six homers), but there is some potential for a change-of-scenery spike in production for both players.

In other trade-related news, the Rockies successfully claimed Wandy Rodriguez from the Astros, giving them until Thursday at 1 p.m. ET to negotiate a deal. However, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Astros are looking for "significant pieces" in return for Rodriguez. Among the names that Renck discusses as possibilities to go to Houston are Christian Friedrich, Wilin Rosario and Hector Gomez. Rodriguez has a respectable 3.62 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 27/8 K/BB ratio in six career starts (32 1/3 IP) at Coors Field, so there's hope that a deal to Colorado wouldn't affect him too adversely.

Cole Hamels (shoulder) hit the DL on Tuesday, but the news is hardly grim on that front. Per beat writer Todd Zolecki, pitching coach Rich Dubee said that Hamels looked "absolutely fabulous" during a Tuesday bullpen, and the lefty is scheduled to return to the rotation on Monday.

In less positive shoulder-related news, Tommy Hanson had his scheduled bullpen session canceled on Tuesday after throwing just nine pitches (and, according to the Braves TV crew, feeling pain) during his Monday session. The right-hander was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Saturday, but now that won't be happening. For the moment, it's unclear how significant of a setback this is.

Adam Jones left Tuesday's game due to shortness of breath and mild chest pains and was taken to the hospital for tests, according to MASNSports. It's unclear exactly what's ailing Jones, but beat writer Dan Connolly reports that the issue is believed to be muscular or structural rather than cardio-related, adding that the tests "all look good." For the time being these are positive developments, and we should get another update at some point during the day on Wednesday.

The Marlins recalled Logan Morrison from Triple-A on Tuesday, bringing him back to the team immediately after he became eligible. Morrison hit just .167 (4-for-24) with one homer in the minors, but it should be safe to get him back in fantasy lineups right away regardless.

In other Marlins news, Leo Nunez melted down in the ninth inning, allowing four runs in 2/3 of an inning in his third consecutive shaky outing, leaving him with nine earned runs in his last 2 2/3 innings. No word as of Wednesday morning whether or not he would be removed as closer, but comments from Jack McKeon prior to the trade deadline indicated that Edward Mujica would get the first shot ahead of Mike Dunn if a change is made.

Alex Rodriguez (thumb) was scratched from Tuesday's lineup, and on a non-injury note, is meeting with MLB investigators on Friday about his involvement in high-stakes poker games (though he isn't expected to face any discipline on that front).

Follow me on Twitter: @MattStroup

Pitcher injury notes: Stephen Strasburg (elbow) will make his fifth minor league rehab start Saturday at Triple-A, marking his first rehab outing above Single-A … Brian Wilson (elbow) has yet to begin throwing, which raises questions as to whether he can return when eligible on Aug. 31 … Huston Street (biceps) is aiming to return by the end of the week … Adam Wainwright (elbow) made 50 throws from 120 feet on Monday and is hoping to throw off a mound in early September, but reportedly won't be doing so at full strength … Jonathan Sanchez (ankle) was placed on the DL, but could be back as soon as Sept. 1 … Johan Santana (shoulder) was slated to resume throwing off a mound Tuesday as the Mets hold out hope that he can make a return some time in September … Jon Niese (ribcage) is headed for the DL after allowing eight runs in four innings against the Phillies … Jose Contreras (elbow) will have season-ending surgery … Kevin Correia (oblique) is reportedly done for the season … Twins pitching prospect Kyle Gibson will continue to rest and rehab as he hopes to avoid Tommy John surgery … Frank Francisco (shoulder) was available out of the bullpen Tuesday … Scott Baker (elbow) began a throwing program, but there's no timetable for his return.

Position player injury notes: Carlos Beltran (hand) returned as a pinch-hitter and should start Wednesday … David Ortiz (heel) is expected to start Wednesday … Justin Upton was diagnosed with a left elbow contusion after leaving Tuesday's game early following a HBP … Colby Rasmus left early with a jammed right wrist … Travis Hafner (foot) could need season-ending surgery … B.J. Upton (shoulder) was able to return as a pinch-hitter, but struck out … Ryan Howard (bursitis in heel/Achilles) is considered day-to-day … Jose Reyes (hamstring) is on course to rejoin the Mets Monday … Starlin Castro (distracted) returned to the lineup … Matt Holliday (moth) also returned to action … Grady Sizemore (knee, hernia) could take BP Wednesday as he continues to target a return at some point in September … Jose Constanza (ankle) could return as soon as Wednesday, though the Braves may opt to give him another day or two after seeing Jason Heyward go 3-for-4 with his first career grand slam … Rickie Weeks (ankle) ran on a treadmill Monday as he aims to rejoin the Brewers in early September … The White Sox hope that Carlos Quentin (shoulder) can return this weekend.

Position player injury notes (part 2): Adrian Beltre (hamstring) hopes to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Sunday … Jayson Werth (groin) left early and is expected to be reevaluated Wednesday, though he told reporters that his injury isn't serious … Jacoby Ellsbury (back), Justin Morneau (foot), Victor Martinez (back), Adam Lind (wrist), Rafael Furcal (thumb), Ryan Theriot (hamstring) and Angel Pagan (stomach) all returned to the lineup … Pablo Sandoval (shoulder) may be ready to resume hitting from the right side … Nate Schierholtz (foot) could still need a trip to the DL … Raul Ibanez (groin) got an injection and is likely out of the lineup until this weekend, which is good news for the streaking John Mayberry (.359 with six homers in August) … Michael Brantley (wrist) will be held out until at least Friday … Chris Heisey (oblique) took BP Tuesday … A.J. Pierzynski (wrist) is slated to take BP Friday as he hopes to return on Sept. 2 … Carlos Gomez (clavicle) is aiming to return Sept. 1 … Padres prospect outfielder Donavan Tate (wrist) is done for the season.

Miscellaneous notes (in which Kevin Kouzmanoff gets the rare treat of having this section all to himself): The Rockies acquired Kevin Kouzmanoff from the A's for a player to be named later or cash, and will send the 30-year-old to Triple-A initially.

Editor's Note: For exclusive columns, rankings, projections and more, check out Rotoworld's MLB Season Pass.

Notable pitching: Alex White gave up five runs in six innings in his Rockies debut … Zach McAllister booked a return ticket to Triple-A after giving up 10 runs (eight earned) in 3 1/3 innings against the Mariners … Bruce Chen recorded a season-high nine K's in a win over Toronto … Vance Worley picked up a season-high nine strikeouts in seven strong innings against the Mets … Brandon McCarthy held the Yankees to three runs in 7 2/3 innings … Ian Kennedy picked up his 16th win with seven shutout innings against Washington … Craig Kimbrel recorded his 40th save to tie the MLB rookie record set by Neftali Feliz last year … Rex Brothers and Phil Coke both picked up saves with their teams' regular closing options simply getting a night off.

Notable hitting: Brandon Allen hit a pair of solo homers at Yankee Stadium and warrants a look in mixed leagues (.394 average in 33 at-bats for Oakland) … Also deserving mixed league consideration: Lucas Duda, who hit his fifth homer of August on Tuesday … Adrian Gonzalez broke his 22-game homerless drought with Nos. 19 and 20 against the Rangers … After missing Monday's game to be with his wife and newborn daughter, Shin-Soo Choo hit a walkoff three-run homer in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader, then homered again in the second game … Aramis Ramirez went 5-for-5 to raise his average to .446 in August … Kyle Blanks hit his sixth homer of the month … Jordan Schafer went 2-foor-4 with his first Astros steal … Trayvon Robinson went 6-for-10 with three RBI in Tuesday's doubleheader … Eric Hosmer homered for the first time since July 27 … Sean Burroughs homered for the first time since 2005 in a 2-0 D'Backs win.

 

[HacheMan]

Is the end near for Perez?

We're right in the middle of the hottest portion of our schedule. Hot, with a major chance of freaky on the East Coast right now, what with the hurricanes and earthquakes and the like.

But hot is the main word that y'all will be thinking this week while many of you are on your well-deserved breaks. But there's good hot and bad hot and just plain mean hot.

So this week, right here at the end of August, we'll name the tiers after different kinds of heat. It's on your mind anyway, and it dovetails nicely with all these pitchers throwing five kinds of heat. Stay cool!


Tier 1: Elite (3) (AKA: The "Peal your skin off the car's leather seats" Tier.)


Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox
Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves
Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Joel Hanrahan, Pittsburgh Pirates

Isn't this one of the worst feelings, like, ever? It's worth putting an ugly towel on your seats even if it kills your game. If you leave half your thigh on the car seat, you won't have much game anyway.
Jonathan Papelbon is ridiculous. He's only allowed two baserunners in his last ten outings. Two. That's no walks, and two singles. His last walk was on July 10th. He has no walks in the second half. He hasn't given up a run in over a month. He has eight strikeouts to every walk. Is there any other way to describe his awesomeness? Oh -- facing him is like trying to peal your legs off of a hot leather seat.
Craig Kimbrel has walked four in his last ten appearances, and it's worth wondering if he's a little gassed. He's seventh in innings among relievers. Along with Venters, he is part of the most-used pair of pitchers in baseball. Still, the Braves have brought up Arodys Vizcaino to help in the pen, and they'll rest their big guy to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Just means his owners might lose a save or two down the stretch.
Joel Hanrahan is on shaky ground in this elite tier. He has walked four and struck out none in his last four, and he lost two games in that stretch as well. It's probably just a tough stretch against two decent offenses in the Reds and Cardinals, but it bears some watching, given the fact that Hanrahan doesn't have the pedigree of the other guys in this tier.


Tier 2: Rock Steady (6) (AKA: The "Smelly subway car and dehydration headache" Tier.)


John Axford, Milwaukee Brewers
Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals
J.J. Putz, Arizona Diamondbacks
Andrew Bailey, Oakland Athletics
Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers

Drew Storen, Washington Nationals

How about those days in your average major metropolis where you're hurrying to work a little late, perhaps a tiny bit hung over, trying to make that train, elbow your way into the car, and find that you're stuck in the one with the broken air conditioner? Dreamy! Stinky! Steamy!
Andrew Bailey had a little three-game stretch of stinky, steamy work, but he's righted the ship, seemingly. And that stretch really wasn't that bad - he lost one game, and gave up three earned in three innings. Even his near-blown-save against the Yankees was against a pretty good offense. He's fine. Jose Valverde also blew a game, but had the help of the defense. Even if one of the errors was his own, it's not that bad a sign.
Let's give Drew Storen some propers. In his first full year as the Nationals' closer, he's only blown four saves, has a sub-three ERA, and has survived multiple trade rumors. We could focus on the fact that his strikeout rate is about average for a late-inning closer, and the fact that it's built on an average whiff rate so might not improve. But that would ignore the fact that he gets about half his contact on the ground and has excellent control. Maybe his curveball is gone, but his 95 MPH fastball and 84 MPH slider are getting the job done. Well done, Stanford grad!


Tier 3: OK options (9) (AKA: The "Insta-sweat and insta-pit-stain" Tier.)

Heath Bell, San Diego Padres
Sergio Santos, Chicago White Sox
Jordan Walden, Anaheim Angels
Brandon League, Seattle Mariners
Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs
Fernando Salas, St. Louis Cardinals
Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins
Ryan Madson, Philadelphia Phillies

Comment:
Some days are pure antiperspirant advertisements. Pick your colors carefully on these days because you never know what sort of crazy designs your sweat might come up with for your underarms.
Heath Bell has to be sweating a little bit. Well, not literally, because San Diego is some sort of freakish perfect weather phenomenon, but figuratively. He's been placed on waivers and might actually leave town a month after we all thought he would. If someone can beat the value of the picks the Padres figure to get when Bell signs somewhere else in free agency, he can be had. Luke Gregerson is probably next in line. The team controls his contract for three more years, and he has a wicked slider. His strikeout rate is down this year, and his results have been up and down, but he's been dealing with injury and his swinging strike rate is still way above average. He's a decent closer in waiting.
Man, Jordan Walden keeps finding ways to blow games. This week, he blew a game without allowing a run! That's because he inherited ducks on the pond in the eighth inning, allowed a meek single to plate one, and then went on to record five outs with two strikeouts. He's a testament to the fact that blown saves are not a great way to evaluate your closer. Tuesday night, he got right back on the horse with a clean-slate two-strikeout save against the White Sox.

Fernando Salas did not have a good week upon entry into his new tier. He gave up a walk-off home run to Neil Walker in Pittsburgh, and then came on with a man on base and a 1-0 lead only to allow a triple to Aaron Miles and a run-producing fielder's choice to Rod Barajas. What are you going to do? Walker runs into one every once in a while, and Miles… well, don't know what happened there. Salas is a fly-ball guy, but he gets strikeouts and has great control, so he'll be fine.
Ryan Madson had one of those terrible, no-good, very-bad days last week, or he'd move up in the tier. In Washington, he allowed a single to Jayson Werth, a single to Danny Espinosa, a single to Jonny Gomes, got a free out from a Wilson Ramos sacrifice, intentionally walked Jesus Flores, gave up a single to Ian Desmond, struck out Rick Ankiel… and allowed a walk-off grand slam to Ryan Zimmerman. As long as this doesn't affect his much-maligned psyche, he'll also be fine. He's an excellent pitcher.


Tier 4: Question marks (6) (AKA: The "Uncomfortably roasty: gleaming at the game" Tier.)


Kyle Farnsworth, Tampa Bay Rays
Francisco Cordero, Cincinnati Reds
Leo Nunez, Florida Marlins
Kevin Gregg, Baltimore Orioles
Javy Guerra, Los Angeles Dodgers
Mark Melancon, Houston Astros

Comment:
Ever seen a day game in August in Atlanta? You can see the sweat on the fans faces from the comfort of your living room. That sort of heat makes it hard to enjoy your dehydrating adult soda and your salty snack.
The goggled professor Kyle Farnsworth is teaching this tier how it works. If he didn't have those career numbers holding him back, and wasn't on a team that, even if they pick up his option for next year, may not consider him a long-term option at the position… well, then he'd be up in the next tier already. He might move up soon anyway.
Leo Nunez! Is it time for his late season swoon again? Nine runs in his last three outings, with two blown saves. He's a fly ball guy, and he gave up a home run in one of the blown saves, but he's also walked three guys in that stretch. Nunez is good enough to be a closer while he's cheap, and in a nice home park, but be wary of him if he leaves Florida. And the team may look to trade him in the offseason, as he only has one season of arbitration left.
Javy Guerra blew his first save of the season, which wouldn't really be news normally, but his control has faltered slightly recently. He has three walks in his last eight outings, and that's a worse walk rate than he's been showing. It still doesn't sound bad, does it? Here's the thing though, before this season, his minor league walk rate was over five per nine. That's really bad, and it's probably in the back of his mind even now that he's halved that rate so far this year.
What are you going to do, though? Sure, trade him in your keeper league if the deadline hasn't passed and you have extra saves or are out of it. Or drop him in your shallow league if there are better options on the wire. Like Mark Melancon, though, Guerra is alone in a bad pen. Mark Melancon has blown two of his last four chances, with home runs, but he's probably not going anywhere either. Mediocre strikeout rates and iffy control? Sure, if they come with saves.

Read more about the most volatile closer situations on the next page.

<!--RW-->
Tier 5: Rollercoaster rides (5) (AKA: The "Just hot enough to make jumping in the pool appealing" Tier.)


1st Chair: Neftali Feliz, 2nd Chair: Mike Adams, Texas Rangers
1st Chair: Frank Francisco, 2nd Chair: Casey Janssen, Toronto Blue Jays
1st Chair: Chris Perez, 2nd Chair: Vinnie Pestano, Cleveland Indians
1st Chair: Bobby Parnell, 2nd Chair: Jason Isringhausen, New York Mets
1st Chair: Rafael Betancourt, 2nd Chair: Rex Brothers, Colorado Rockies

1st Chair: Jeremy Affeldt, 2nd Chair: Santiago Casilla, San Francisco Giants

Comment:
Frank Francisco is back and healthy after his mini-rehab of pretzel twist, an It's Always Sunny marathon, and a few dips in the pool, so he's good until Jon Rauch returns, and possibly after. Neftali Feliz continues to make it work despite two better relievers breathing down his neck. These guys are relatively safe in a tier full of land mines.
Chris Perez, though? Be nervous. Be very nervous. He blew a save on Monday by allowing an unearned run to score, and then for his encore he walked a guy, allowed the tying run to score on a hit, and blew another save on Tuesday. At least he won Tuesday, when his team picked it up against Brandon League. He now has five walks against six strikeouts in his last ten outings, and that's not a good ratio. Vinnie Pestano? He has 15 strikeouts against six walks in the same time frame.
Bobby Parnell still doesn't have a save, and yet we list him first. That's because no-one has a save in New York recently. They key for Parnell is his command, and in his last ten outings he has 12 strikeouts against four walks, and that'll work. Hopefully the team will give him a chance to show his stuff in the ninth some time.
Rex Brothers got the first save of his career Tuesday night. After a tough start to the month, he's settled down with six straight scoreless innings and a couple holds. He gets tons of swinging strikes, but the key to his success as a future closer is his control. He's been struggling with it his whole career, and he's still walking about five batters per nine. That probably won't work in the majors, so look for improvement before you make a significant investment in Brothers.
Watching Jeremy Affeldt pitch to righties makes you want Brian Wilson back real fast. Or at least Sergio Romo, who is due back shortly. Romo should take over the closing duties immediately, as Affeldt has six walks his last six and has looked very shaky on the mound, good ERA or no. Ramon Ramirez blew the game Tuesday night and needs to move further away from the ninth inning. Romo is the mid-term play here.

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>


Injured

Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers (elbow)
Jon Rauch, Toronto Blue Jays (appendicitis)
Huston Street, Colorado Rockies (strained lat)
Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants (elbow)

Comment:
No news out of Los Angeles or Toronto. Huston Street, though, threw a perfect inning of rehab in Colorado Springs Tuesday night. He reported no pain and should be back by the end of the week. Brian Wilson hasn't yet started throwing, even if his manager thinks he'll be back sooner rather than later.

The Deposed:
Fernando Rodney, Los Angeles
Ryan Franklin, St. Louis
Brandon Lyon, Houston
Matt Thornton, Chicago A.L.
Vicente Padilla, Los Angeles Dodgers
Francisco Rodriguez, Milwaukee
David Aardsma, Seattle

Can we put Jason Isringhausen on this list already?

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>

The Steals Department

At this point in the season, it's important to go for it if a category is within reach. Players like Tony Gwynn Jr., and Eric Young Jr. are perfect even for your mixed league team. Ignore the ownership percentages next to their names, and the fact that both players have no power whatsoever. If you can make some hay in the stolen base category, get one of these legacy dudes on your roster. In a perfect world, you'd put them on your bench and play them against bad defensive catchers or in good pitcher matchups. All hands on deck. Fight for the categories that make sense.

Take a look at Jordan Schafer and you might not see much to like. He walks at an average rate, strikes out at an average rate, and is showing average batted ball luck… and his batting average is .235. Part of that is a complete lack of power -- which won't go away. But another part of it is the fact that he should be showing better than average luck on batted balls, given his plus speed. In fact, given his mix of line drives, ground balls, fly balls, infield hits, and home runs per fly ball, as many as 5% more of his balls in play should be landing for hits. If his current strikeout rate holds, and his batted ball luck improves, he could hit as well as .260 the rest of the way. We know he has plus-plus wheels, and those play in deep leagues at that batting average. They don't play at .230. In the deepest of leagues, you'll have to take that chance now that he's the everyday center fielder for the Astros.

 

[HacheMan]

Exploiting batting splits

By Tristan H. Cockcroft
ESPN.com


Matchups are often overrated for hitters.


For the most part, my strategy is similar to colleague Eric Karabell's; I keep my best hitters active and maximize games played -- total games in weekly leagues, doubleheaders in daily -- and on the rare occasion will exploit the odd Coors Field matchup while avoiding the one at Petco Park.

But nobody's lineup can run 13 men deep 24 weeks -- 24 this season, 26 many others -- of the entire season, and it's those cracks at the end that can potentially be filled by matchups plays. Another opportunity: They can plug holes created by such miserable slumps as those 2-for-22, zero-extra-base hits, 7-K weeks … which is what Danny Espinosa did during the July 25-31 period.


This doesn't mean that everyone on today's list is a must-start when his matchup is stacked in his favor. What it does mean is that if you have a lineup spot to fill, these are your most trusted choices to fill it, assuming, of course, that their matchups fall right in line with their descriptions below.


At this time of year, even one additional favorable matchup per day can mean the difference between a league title and a third-place finish.


A note: Being on this list is generally a positive for most, because few are owned in many standard ESPN leagues. For others, it might be a black mark; if you've been relying on them every week, you might be missing out on obvious opportunities to bench them, while grabbing a similar player with better matchups.


The references below to the "worst six pitching staffs" account for both team ERA and OPS allowed for the season, and those six teams are the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins.

TOP 125 HITTERS

Note: Tristan H. Cockcroft's top 125 hitters are ranked for their expected performance from this point forward, not for statistics that have already been accrued.
<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Rnk </CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom">Player, Team <CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Prev
Rnk </CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Albert Pujols, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Braun, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Kemp, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Robinson Cano, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Miguel Cabrera, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Troy Tulowitzki, COL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Adrian Gonzalez, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mark Teixeira, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jose Bautista, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joey Votto, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Curtis Granderson, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Justin Upton, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Prince Fielder, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carlos Gonzalez, COL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dustin Pedroia, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Josh Hamilton, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Andrew McCutchen, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Howard, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Evan Longoria, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Holliday, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Paul Konerko, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Hunter Pence, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">David Wright, NYM </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jay Bruce, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Nelson Cruz, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Stanton, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ian Kinsler, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Bourn, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chase Utley, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dan Uggla, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Shane Victorino, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Zimmerman, WAS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ben Zobrist, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Alex Rodriguez, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">David Ortiz, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Adam Jones, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Victor Martinez, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Young, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jose Reyes, NYM </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carl Crawford, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Phillips, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Aramis Ramirez, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carlos Santana, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Drew Stubbs, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Billy Butler, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Starlin Castro, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brian McCann, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Corey Hart, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Desmond Jennings, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Derek Jeter, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>67 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Shin-Soo Choo, CLE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>91 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Alexei Ramirez, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>62 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">J.J. Hardy, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>66 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Alex Gordon, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>65 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Elvis Andrus, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Adam Lind, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Morse, WAS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Pablo Sandoval, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jimmy Rollins, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>62 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Melky Cabrera, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>72 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>63 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Lance Berkman, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>64 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carlos Quentin, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>65 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kevin Youkilis, BOS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>66 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brett Gardner, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>64 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>67 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mark Reynolds, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jayson Werth, WAS </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>71 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>69 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Angel Pagan, NYM </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>79 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>70 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Nick Markakis, BAL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>82 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>71 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joe Mauer, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>63 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>72 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Martin Prado, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>70 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Cuddyer, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>69 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>74 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Nick Swisher, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>75 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Napoli, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>75 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>76 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cameron Maybin, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>78 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>77 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Hanley Ramirez, FLA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>78 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chris Young, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>79 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">B.J. Upton, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>74 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>80 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Freddie Freeman, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>76 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>81 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Neil Walker, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>80 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>82 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jhonny Peralta, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>87 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>83 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Juan Pierre, CHW </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>95 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>84 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Alex Avila, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>90 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>85 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ichiro Suzuki, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>93 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>86 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Torii Hunter, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>99 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>87 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Johnny Damon, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>97 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>88 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brett Lawrie, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>101 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>89 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Joyce, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>88 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>90 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Coco Crisp, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>77 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>91 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mark Trumbo, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>83 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>92 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jeff Francoeur, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>81 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>93 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Eric Hosmer, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>86 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>94 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Josh Willingham, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>98 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>95 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jesus Guzman, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>100 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>96 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dustin Ackley, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>89 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>97 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Yunel Escobar, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>96 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>98 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Seth Smith, COL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>108 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>99 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brennan Boesch, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>92 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>100 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carlos Beltran, SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>103 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>101 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Peter Bourjos, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>102 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Carp, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>111 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>103 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Roberts, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>102 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>104 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Delmon Young, DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>109 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>105 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jose Constanza, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>112 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>106 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kyle Blanks, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>122 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>107 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Hideki Matsui, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>94 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>108 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Adrian Beltre, TEX </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>106 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>109 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Colby Rasmus, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>105 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>110 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Howard Kendrick, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>110 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>111 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chipper Jones, ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>112 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Andre Ethier, LAD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>85 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>113 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">J.D. Martinez, HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>114 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Miguel Montero, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>104 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>115 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Casey McGehee, MIL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>116 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>116 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Eric Thames, TOR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>117 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jose Tabata, PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>118 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jason Kubel, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>114 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>119 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Russell Martin, NYY </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>120 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Justin Morneau, MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>121 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Bobby Abreu, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>122 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">David Freese, STL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>120 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>123 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carlos Pena, CHC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>124 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>124 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Will Venable, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>125 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Vernon Wells, LAA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>123 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>




Chris Iannetta, Colorado Rockies: He is as obvious a matchups play as they come, as simple as whittling down his splits to home versus road. He is a .318/.434/.591 hitter in 49 games at Coors this season, .150/.316/.236 in 45 on the road; in his career, his rates are .265/.379/.498 at home, .205/.338/.367 on the road, meaning there's historical evidence to support it. But that doesn't finish it: Iannetta is a noted lefty killer, having hit six of his 12 homers against them this season in 148 fewer at-bats and possessing a career OPS 148 points greater against lefties (.900) than righties (.752). He might be the No. 11 catcher on the Player Rater, but in no way is he a start-him-daily player.


Cameron Maybin, San Diego Padres: I've previously made a case for using him in his Petco games that centered upon his stolen-base potential (14 in 55 home games), but if you're in a shallow mixed league, it's smart to be choosy with his home/road matchups. He's a .235/.291/.324 hitter in 55 games at Petco, .316/.369/.484 in 55 on the road, and to further illustrate his reliance upon ballpark factors, he's a .367/.396/.633 hitter who has hit three of his eight overall homers in 13 games combined at Colorado's Coors Field and Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park. He's an effective All-Star in the right venue.


James Loney, Los Angeles Dodgers: He has a miserable -- and deserved -- reputation in fantasy thanks to a No. 38 ranking among first basemen on the Player Rater, but if you work hard enough, you might be able to exploit the rare single-day/single-series matchups with Loney. He's a .291/.341/.389 hitter against right-handers, .180/.244/.202 against lefties, and a .301/.356/.475 career hitter in road games, compared to .267/.329/.368 at Dodger Stadium. Now let's whittle those road games down to Coors and Great American plus Arizona's Chase Field and Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park: He's a .365/.422/.590 hitter in 128 career games at those four venues, .266/.325/.386 in 621 everywhere else. Sadly, the Dodgers have only one more series at any of those ballparks: the season-ending Sept. 26-28 three-game set at Chase Field.


Michael Brantley, Cleveland Indians: He has fattened up on weaker pitching all season, batting .351/.426/.489 in 25 games against the bottom-six staffs, compared to .244/.288/.356 in 89 versus everyone else. It's also smart to avoid his matchups against lefties; he's a .289/.335/.447 hitter versus right-handers, .214/.282/.243 versus lefties. Lo and behold, look at which teams the Indians face among their final 36 games: seven games against the Twins, six against the Royals.


Willie Bloomquist, Arizona Diamondbacks: Fantasy owners might have called him a neat little spark plug from day one, but the truth is that he's as much a matchups consideration as anyone. For your consideration: He's a .304/.353/.408 hitter at home, compared to .226/.283/.288 on the road; he's a .308/.370/.385 hitter against lefties, .239/.287/.322 versus righties; and his .296/.352/.420 rates in 21 games against bottom-six staffs, compared to .259/.311/.376 in 93 games against everyone else. The Diamondbacks have six more games against the Rockies, all in the next 15 days, and finish the season with 10 consecutive home games.


Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Boston Red Sox: Here's a guy Iannetta's owners can consider mixing and matching! Saltalamacchia feels like a player who has rescued his lost season, but the reality is that he has exploited his matchups all year. He's a .266/.332/.500 hitter from the left side compared to .195/.245/.356 from the right, which partners him splendidly with fellow Red Sox switch-hitter Jason Varitek, whose OPS is 140 points higher from the right side than left. But most notably, Saltalamacchia is a .269/.315/.627 hitter with seven of his 12 homers against bottom-six pitching staffs. The Red Sox finish the regular season with seven of their final 10 games against Orioles pitching.


Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers: Here's another catcher-matchups possibility, as Lucroy's best tends to come in his home games and/or matchups versus left-handers. He's a .333/.372/.519 hitter at Miller Park compared to .238/.281/.308 on the road, and a .293/.312/.507 hitter against left-handed pitching compared to .279/.327/.379 versus right-handers.


Will Venable, San Diego Padres: He has long been known as a start-him-only-against-righties, avoid-all-lefties hitter, with .274/.342/421 numbers against the former this season (.263/.334/.443 career), .194/.286/.226 versus the latter (.218/.300/271). But what you might not realize is how much Petco tends to drain his hitting numbers; he's a .227/.307/.366 lifetime hitter at Petco compared to .281/.349/.456 on the road. Sounds like an obvious matchups type!


Logan Morrison, Florida Marlins: Twitter king Morrison is due back with the Marlins on Wednesday, but looking forward, he looks far more matchups-type than ride-him-every-week hitter. A few things stand out: He's a .260/.335/.524 hitter against right-handers compared to .222/.310/.324 versus left-handers, and he's a .353/.431/.549 hitter in 13 games against bottom-six pitching staffs compared to .232/.310/.450 in 82 games against everyone else.


Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies: He has become such an obvious matchups candidate that even the Phillies are being choosy; they have benched him in each of their past three games versus a left-handed starter and five of their past seven and should let John Mayberry Jr. take all those starts looking forward considering Ibanez's .200/.225/.365 numbers against that side. Citizens Bank Park has clearly agreed with Ibanez; he's a .281/.323/.515 hitter there this season and .283/.353/.509 during his career, and has had a slugging percentage greater than .500 at the venue in each of his three seasons with the Phillies.


Danny Valencia, Minnesota Twins: He's an All-Star versus left-handed pitching and replacement level at best versus right-handers; Valencia has killed southpaws to the tune of .315/.361/.508 rates this season and .341/.398/.516 during his young career. Sure, he has hit 15 of his 21 career homers against righties, but he's also a .245/.283/.378 hitter against them in two seasons.



Three up




Shin-Soo Choo, Cleveland Indians: It appears that the Choo of old, the Choo who cost you a fourth-round pick in the preseason (average draft position 36.2, 35th overall), has returned. Small as a 10-game sample is, his .372/.438/.651 numbers since returning from a thumb injury restore much of the buzz that surrounded him in March; at the time he was widely regarded a lock for 20/20 numbers plus a .300 batting average. Perhaps most encouraging has been his success against left-handers, as in his career he has an OPS 182 points higher against righties (.912) than lefties (.730); he has managed .471/.500/.765 rates in 17 plate appearances versus left-handers during a span when the Indians faced four left-handed starters. With his team fighting for its playoff life, Choo is plenty motivated, and as noted above, he gets 13 more games combined against the Royals and Twins.


Desmond Jennings, Tampa Bay Rays: Judging by his returns in his first 29 games with the big club, the Rays were fools to keep Jennings in Triple-A as long as they did. He already has a 1.4 WAR, 10th-best on the team, meaning the case can be made that the Rays would be noticeably closer to the Red Sox and Yankees if they had been using him as a regular from day one. What matters for fantasy, however, is that Jennings is here and raking now, and we should consider his track record of .290-plus batting averages and 50-steal seasons. (Project his numbers as a pro to 162 games, and you'd actually get more.) He has no discernible platoon splits between righties and lefties or home and road, and even if you claim that his .404 BABIP is bound for correction, projecting him as more of a .290 than .330 hitter from today forward is still a fair expectation.

Derek Jeter, New York Yankees: Was the chase for 3,000 career hits truly that much of a drain on him? Could be, as since (and including) the date he reached the milestone, Jeter is a .367/.422/.480 hitter with 16 multihit efforts in 37 games. Since returning from the disabled list on July 4, meanwhile, he's a .351/.405/.470 hitter in 41 games. Those look like vintage Jeter stats. Let's not discount the possibility that it was mere coincidence and that this is a simple hot streak, but the hints that it is not are there: His ground-ball rate, once a shockingly high 65.5 percent before he landed on the DL, has dropped to 58.5 percent since; his well-hit average has risen from .126 before to .202 after; and he's back to handling righties -- .314/.369/.390 since his activation -- like he did during his prime.


Three down



Coco Crisp, Oakland Athletics: It has been a mere 18 days since he set a career best with four stolen bases on Aug. 6, but the concern is that he strained a calf muscle on that night and subsequently missed six games, and hasn't been his usual self since. In nine games since his return, Crisp is a .147/.216/.206 hitter and hasn't attempted a stolen base. He remains the American League's leader in steals (37), but his injury history -- three DL stints in the past three years and various other day-to-day ailments in 2010-11 -- puts a damper upon his long-term outlook. Crisp borders upon streak-riding status, and until we see some evidence that he's getting on base and running like usual, he can't be trusted in shallow leagues.


Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals: As hinted above, Espinosa has had some miserable weeks lately, and if we tally his post-All-Star break numbers, he's a .196/.265/.290 hitter in 35 games … with a mere two home runs and zero steals, his numbers in those categories the primary reason fantasy owners desired him. During that time Espinosa has struck out 40 times in 138 at-bats, a 29.0 percent rate, and has chased 33.5 percent of pitches outside the strike zone, up from 29.1 percent before the break. This looks less like a cold spell by the day and more like a young player in need of some adjustments; as such, he's out of my top 125 and might not return to that status until 2012.


Chris Young, Arizona Diamondbacks: Speaking of cold spells, Young has always been known for them, but his performance since the All-Star break has been poor by epic proportions. He's a .137/.277/.188 hitter in 35 games during that span, with one home run and a 29.1 percent strikeout rate. In formulating the list of matchups candidates above, Young was under consideration, showing how far his stock has slipped recently … except I couldn't even formulate a case for using him as one right now. He is a .171/.263/.257 hitter at Chase Field and a .226/.351/.387 hitter versus left-handers since the All-Star break, and those splits typically represent strengths for him. Bench him until further notice (if you haven't already).


New position eligibility



The following players have become eligible at new positions -- it's 10 games to qualify at a new spot -- in ESPN standard leagues during the past week: Mark DeRosa (3B), Jerry Hairston Jr. (2B), Steve Pearce (3B), Trevor Plouffe (2B), Mark Reynolds (1B).

 

[HacheMan]

Strasburg leads September watch list

Jason Grey

Even in tight races, September callups are usually not going to make or break the outcome for your squad. Any player that could have a significant impact is generally already in the big leagues.
For major league teams, both contenders and non-contenders, Sept. 1 is generally about roster depth. That generally means third catchers, utility infielders, more bullpen arms, extra bench bats and veteran minor leaguers getting the reward of a cup of coffee in the bigs.

While some are prospects getting their first taste of the majors, other players who join the expanded roster have already seen time in the big leagues this season and are returning. (Domonic Brown, Pedro Alvarez, Edinson Volquez, Mat Gamel, Chris Carter, Jerry Sands and Travis Snider, among others, fit this description.) Sometimes players have to wait even longer than the first of September if their teams are in the minor league playoffs.
I've said this before, but the most important factor in figuring out the impact of a September call-up is potential playing time. Just because a player is called up, it doesn't mean he's going to get enough playing time to be a factor in fantasy. In mixed leagues, a player getting only part-time at-bats can put an owner at a disadvantage. AL- or NL-only owners can more easily accept a part-time player if he has a chance to be productive, but mixed-league owners need their hitter to be in the lineup regularly.
<OFFER>The bottom line: Expecting fantasy saviors likely will leave you disappointed. For keeper-league owners, however, this is a chance to potentially stash away a prospect or two for next season, depending on your league rules. For those of you who play in head-to-head leagues, there may also be a player who can be useful for your playoff matchups.
What follows is not an exhaustive list of some players we may see in September, but some of the more interesting ones or ones you be wondering about. Some you may recognize from some of my recent "Top 11 for '11" lists.
Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington Nationals: I did just write there could be a player useful in head-to-head formats down the stretch, didn't I? Even if you just need to catch lightning in a bottle for a few starts in the final weeks in points leagues, Strasburg is clearly an option. Yes, he's not technically a "September call-up," but rather a player returning from the disabled list; however, we can't talk about potential adds for the final month without starting here. Strasburg advances to Triple-A for his next rehab start Saturday, and is in line to make a few starts over the final weeks. He's already owned in almost 50 percent of ESPN leagues in anticipation.

Matt Moore, SP, Tampa Bay Rays: The best pitching prospect in baseball has obliterated the minor leagues again this season, even while advancing to the upper levels. It's very possible he sees a few starts down the stretch for the big league club. While it will be an opportunity to stash him away in some of those keeper and dynasty leagues, do not underestimate the potential for Moore to have an impact in the playoffs for head-to-head leagues. His stuff and strikeout ability are that good. If you can't get Strasburg, Moore can be your backup plan if he gets a few turns in the rotation over the final weeks.


Brad Peacock and Tom Milone, SP, Washington Nationals: Strasburg isn't the only pitcher who could join the Nats rotation next month. These two hurlers are likely to get chances as well. Peacock has the better raw stuff and bigger upside, maintaining a strong strikeout rate since moving to Triple-A, although he's had a little more trouble with the strike zone. Milone is the crafty southpaw with 149 strikeouts against just 14 walks in 143 1/3 innings. It's possible the auditions they get in the majors may be brief before being shut down, but either could be worth a look in NL-only play if you need to take a chance on some starting pitching down the stretch.


Julio Teheran, SP, Atlanta Braves: Teheran got two spot starts with the big club earlier this season, but has been caught in a numbers game in the Braves rotation, even with Tommy Hanson's injury. Teheran may be the best pitching prospect in the game right now not named Matt Moore. He'll likely need an injury to see more than maybe a spot start down the stretch, though. Teheran's teammate Randall Delgado is in the same position.


Trevor Bauer, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks: The third overall pick in the 2011 draft is likely to be the first member from that class to reach the majors, as the D-backs have the intention of bringing him up in September to throw some relief innings to help in their playoff push. There won't be anything of value here for 2011 unless he gets a start or two (which is possible but probably unlikely), so the reason to pay attention to him is if you can stash him away for 2012, especially in NL-only formats, as he has a good shot at spending much of next season in the big-league rotation.


You may be wondering about another heralded D-backs pitching prospect, Jarrod Parker. The club is reportedly wants to keep him to a limit of around 125 innings this season as he returns from Tommy John surgery, and he's already at 121 2/3 innings, os it's likely he won't be used.


Brett Jackson, OF, Chicago Cubs: The rebuilding project that is the Cubs likely will feature this former first-round pick in center field next season. There is a chance the club gets Jackson's feet wet a bit with some regular at-bats over the last few weeks. However, if the Cubs bring him up to the majors, they would have to protect him from the offseason's Rule 5 draft when they would not have to otherwise, so there's an argument to be made for keeping him down in the minors. But if he's up, he's going to play and should have value in NL-only leagues because of his ability to contribute across the board.


Leonys Martin, OF, Texas Rangers: The Cuban defector handled the lower levels of the minors just fine in his debut stateside, but has struggled a bit since moving to Triple-A. He could spend September in Arlington as a speed and defense option off the bench, but there's at least a chance he could gets some extended at-bats. Right now, his upside would be contributing a few steals if he's able to get on base, which can always be useful in single-league formats.


Eric Surkamp, SP, San Francisco Giants: Dan Runzler did not do so well in his first start in place of Jonathan Sanchez, so Surkamp -- a Double-A southpaw -- may represent the best of the Giants' rotation depth down the stretch, should they need to call on it. Like other names on this list, an opportunity to be in the big league rotation could give him some value in single-league formats.


Brett Pill, 1B, San Francisco Giants: In the hitter-friendly PCL, Pill -- who will turn 27 next month -- was the first pro hitter to reach 100 RBIs this season. He's hit .312 with 24 homers. Unfortunately, the Giants don't really have any room for him at first base, so he will be a bench bat at best.

Devin Mesoraco, C, Cincinnati Reds: Mesoraco will likely have at least a share of the catching job in Cincy next season, so he may get a little more time behind the plate in September than your average third catcher, and even more if Ramon Hernandez is traded in a waiver-wire deal. Mesoraco is the rookie catcher most likely to have value in 2012 for those of you who play in keeper formats.


Felix Doubront, SP, Boston Red Sox: Doubront, who saw three games in the majors earlier this season as a reliever, represents some starting pitching depth for Boston in September, and hasn't thrown a ton of innings due to injury. If he makes some starts, he can moderately useful for AL-only owners.


Josh Satin, 2B/1B, New York Mets: Satin is expected to see some regular time in the infield in September, which alone makes him intriguing in NL-only leagues just because of the at-bats. However, despite his production in the minors this year (.327 AVG / .416 OBP / .504 SLG across Double-A and Triple-A), I'm not a fan of his somewhat funky swing, and think he will have some trouble hitting for authority in the big leagues.


Chris Marrero, 1B, Washington Nationals: The Nats may move Mike Morse to the outfield for a little bit at the end of the season to give the 23-year-old Marrero a chance to show what he can do. I don't see Marrero ever developing into an impact bat, but as I've said, if he gets some consistent playing time, he might have some utility if you don't play in a mixed league.


Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos SP, New York Yankees: Both could work out of the bullpen in the final weeks, but the key is that both are good prospects and both could be considerations for the back end of the 2012 rotation. Again, little to no value this year, but it's more about planning ahead. I prefer Banuelos if choosing between the two of them.


Wily Peralta, SP, Milwaukee Brewers: Peralta has had a big season, mostly at Double-A, with 141 strikeouts in 139 2/3 innings and a 3.22 ERA, and is among the players getting a look in September that would be of interest to players looking to stash away a cheap pitcher with a chance to spend time in his team's rotation next year.

Dayan Viciedo, OF, Chicago White Sox: Viciedo has battled hand and thumb injuries in the second half of the season, but is back and healthy. I admit there has been some improvement in his approach at the plate this season, but I still think his aggressiveness is going to cause him problems at the big league level in extended at-bats, despite his success in a small sample size last season. Still, I have no problem trying to stash him away in AL-only leagues in the hopes he has a full time job in 2012.


Lorenzo Cain, OF, Kansas City Royals: Cain will be up in September, but is still likely not going to play much given the current production of the Royals outfield. His playing-time situation for next season may not be much better, depending on the Royals' offseason moves. A pickup here in AL-only keeper leagues would be a cheap bet on the Royals creating some kind of opening for him with their offseason machinations.


Michael Taylor, OF, Oakland Athletics: Taylor has come off a poor 2010 campaign and an injury-marred start to this season with a wrist injury, but he's restored a little but of luster to his prospect status with a decent performance at Triple-A and could see some bench time in Oakland in the final month. The A's still have a logjam of outfielders though, so Taylor isn't likely to have much impact.


Zack Cox, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals: The club's first-round pick in 2010 (25th overall), Cox has been swinging a hot bat at Double-A after a slow start (.378 with a .994 OPS over his past 49 games), and the club may want to see how Cox stacks up against big-league pitching at the present time, to see if he can be a part of the puzzle next season. The club expected him to be ready fairly quickly, so a September promotion would be right in line with that thinking, even with David Freese currently manning the position.


Travis D'Arnaud, C, Toronto Blue Jays: Like Mesoraco, D'Arnaud could eventually see some time in September in preparation for potentially more time at the big league level in 2012, and projects to form an offensively potent combination with J.P. Arencibia going forward. He's hit .321 and slugged .552 in the Eastern League this season. His Double-A New Hampshire club projects to be in the playoffs, so any call-up may be delayed or postponed based on that.

 

[HacheMan]

Playing matchups to find more saves

By Tristan H. Cockcroft
ESPN.com


When it comes to saves, "best matchups" often equates to "greatest quantity of winnable games."

Think about it: You can't save a game your team didn't win, and you can't win a game your team didn't play. Therefore, the smartest approach to targeting saves is to first look to the teams with the greatest quantity of games, second to the teams most likely to win.


In these concluding weeks of the fantasy season, careful examination of schedules and matchups is as important as ever. To give you a head start, I've analyzed the 30 teams' remaining schedules, projecting an expected win total for each from now through year's end. How I did that: I took each team's runs scored and allowed per game, as well as those numbers for their opponents, calculated the averages for each matchup, and then used Bill James' Pythagorean win-loss formula to determine probability of a win in each contest.


For those unfamiliar, this is the Pythagorean win-loss formula: Runs scored squared, divided by the sum total of runs scored squared plus runs allowed squared.


That's not to say there are rock-solid, set-in-stone wins projections. Year-to-date numbers can be misleading -- the Oakland Athletics have been a heck of a lot better on offense lately than they were in the season's early weeks, for instance -- but it's a starting point. So when you're stuck with three closers for two spots in any given week, the list below is a handy reference for breaking those proverbial "ties."

In addition to projected wins, I've also listed both the team's "best week," which is the one of the four weeks/scoring periods remaining in which that team is likely to win most often (scaling down the extended final week, of course, to a seven-day rate), and the one in which it has the most games (again, final week scaled down).


These are how the remaining "weeks" break down by date: Week 21: Monday, Aug. 29-Sunday, Sept. 4
Week 22: Monday, Sept. 5-Sunday, Sept. 11
Week 23: Monday, Sept. 12-Sunday, Sept. 19
Week 24: Monday, Sept. 20-Wednesday, Sept. 29


Philadelphia Phillies: 20.0 wins; Best week: 24; Most games: 24
New York Yankees: 19.9 wins; Best week: 24; Most games: 24
Boston Red Sox: 18.7 wins; Best week: 21; Most games: 22, 24
Cleveland Indians: 18.6 wins; Best week: 24; Most games: 24
Cincinnati Reds: 18.5 wins; Best week: 22; Most games: 21, 23
Chicago White Sox: 18.2 wins; Best week: 22; Most games: 22
Oakland Athletics: 17.9 wins; Best week: 21; Most games: 21, 23
Texas Rangers: 17.7 wins; Best week: 22; Most games: 24
Pittsburgh Pirates: 17.3 wins; Best week: 21; Most games: 21, 23
Atlanta Braves: 17.0 wins; Best week: 23; Most games: 24
Toronto Blue Jays: 17.0 wins; Best week: 22; Most games: 21, 22, 24
Detroit Tigers: 17.0 wins; Best week: 23; Most games: 21, 23
Washington Nationals: 16.9 wins; Best week: 23; Most games: 22, 23, 24
San Francisco Giants: 16.9 wins; Best week: 22; Most games: 23
Colorado Rockies: 16.9 wins; Best week: 23; Most games: 24
Tampa Bay Rays: 16.5 wins; Best week: 23; Most games: 21, 23, 24
Los Angeles Angels: 16.5 wins; Best week: 23; Most games: 21, 24
Arizona Diamondbacks: 16.4 wins; Best week: 21; Most games: 22
Baltimore Orioles: 16.2 wins; Best week: 21; Most games: 24
Milwaukee Brewers: 16.1 wins; Best week: 23; Most games: 22
Los Angeles Dodgers: 16.0 wins; Best week: 22; Most games: 21, 22, 23
San Diego Padres: 16.0 wins; Best week: 21; Most games: 22
New York Mets: 15.9 wins; Best week: 21; Most games: 21
Seattle Mariners: 15.8 wins; Best week: 22; Most games: 21, 22, 24
Kansas City Royals: 15.8 wins; Best week: 24; Most games: 21, 22
Florida Marlins: 15.8 wins; Best week: 21; Most games: 21
St. Louis Cardinals: 15.7 wins; Best week: 21; Most games: 24
Minnesota Twins: 15.2 wins; Best week: 24; Most games: 24
Houston Astros: 14.6 wins; Best week: 23; Most games: 24
Chicago Cubs: 14.5 wins; Best week: 23; Most games: 23



Now, let's take our matchups scouting another step.


Looking to the individuals, here are 10 closers from whom you might be able to extract matchups-specific value in the coming weeks:


Chris Perez, Indians: He has been significantly more successful at home, where he has a 1.71 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 27 games, than on the road, where in 25 contests he has 4.43/1.30 numbers and three of his four blown saves.


Francisco Cordero, Reds: His former team, the Brewers, has his number this season; he has two losses, is 3-of-5 in save chances and has a 9.95 ERA and 2.05 WHIP in seven appearances against them.


Sergio Santos, White Sox: A true road warrior, Santos is a perfect 15-for-15 in save chances with 26&frac23; shutout innings in 25 road games this season. It's not the first time he has been a stronger fantasy play on the road; he had a 1.09 ERA in his 27 road appearances as a rookie in 2010, too.


Andrew Bailey, Athletics: He has had problems in three specific ballparks -- Boston's Fenway Park, New York's Yankee Stadium and Texas' Rangers Ballpark -- where in five appearances combined this season he has both of his blown saves plus an 11.57 ERA. It's not necessarily a 2011 thing, either; he has a 5.32 ERA in 21 career outings at those three venues. Bailey doesn't have a lifetime ERA higher than 2.25 at any other ballpark in baseball.


Neftali Feliz, Rangers: Unsurprisingly, considering his home ballpark, Feliz has a 1.46 ERA and 0.69 WHIP in 62 career appearances on the road (3.81/1.27 in 28 this year), compared to 3.62/1.13 in 79 home games (2.14/1.05 in 23 this year).


Kyle Farnsworth, Rays: He has feasted upon the five lightest-hitting teams in the American League, the Mariners, Twins, Athletics, Angels and White Sox, going 8-for-9 in save chances with a 0.56 ERA and 0.38 WHIP in 18 games against them.


Fernando Salas, Cardinals: Busch Stadium does him quite a favor, as he has five wins, nine saves, a 1.57 ERA and 0.59 WHIP in 27 home games this season.


Leo Nunez, Marlins: He's the quintessential "matchups closer," as he has feasted upon the National League's five lightest-hitting offenses, the Giants, Dodgers, Nationals, Pirates and Astros. In 17 appearances combined against them, he has 11 saves (that representing one-third of his season total), a 1.69 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.


Javy Guerra, Dodgers: Many rookies tend to feel more comfortable at home than on the road, and Guerra is no different; he has a 0.54 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 17 games at Dodger Stadium this season.


Brandon League, Mariners: He's almost a clear start-at-home, sit-on-the-road pitcher. League is a perfect 20-for-20 in save chances with a 1.27 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in 29 appearances at Safeco, but has 5.57/1.48 numbers, 11 saves and all five of his blown saves in 24 road games.

 

[HacheMan]

S is for Strasburg & September
It's time to make sure that Stephen Strasburg is not available in any of your shallow leagues. He's got Triple-A rehab starts scheduled for Saturday and then September first, and then he might join the major league team. He's not really ahead of schedule, he's just on schedule, and schedules for Tommy John recovery have just gotten shorter as doctors have gotten better at it. There's really no reason not to pick him up if he's staring you in the face, unless you're in a shallow league and really need every single stat to get into the playoffs.

A few other health updates went well. Justin Upton's plunked elbow was fine, as he returned to the lineup Wednesday. Adam Jones recovered from his chest pains and also rejoined the lineup. Hanley Ramirez took batting practice Tuesday, and his manager said he wouldn't have a long rehab stint and could be back early next week. David Ortiz returned! Too bad for Ryan Lavarnway, but the kid will factor into the Red Sox plans next year, somehow. Dee Gordon will begin his rehab assignment Thursday and will surely return right when the rosters expand. Grady Sizemore took batting practice and might begin a rehab assignment this weekend as well.

But the grim news comes for us all at some point. Shin-Soo Choo was scratched from Wednesday's lineup with 'trunk soreness,' but hopefully it's not a big deal. Colby Rasmus needs at least three days to recover from his wrist sprain. Alex Rodriguez is out again with his thumb injury, and this offseason is the last time you'll get good value for him in a keeper trade, so wait for the end of the year and then consider shopping him. Jayson Werth is day-to-day with a groin injury. B.J. Upton missed his second straight with his shoulder issues. He hans't started throwing yet, which means Sam Fuld gets more time. Raul Ibanez might return Friday from his sore groin, but John Mayberry Jr .might have hit him into a platoon role while he was gone. Eh, these aren't so grim, at least not for fantasy players.

* Some waiver claims made big news Wednesday, but they'll likely fail to produce real change. Heath Bell was claimed by the Giants, but he's a Type A free agent, and it doesn't seem likely that the Giants will give the Padres something better than the two picks they would get for Bell's departure. Bell himself reported that he wasn't traded. Wandy Rodriguez was also claimed by the Rockies but then was pulled back. He didn't have a good game in Colorado Wednesday (two strikeouts, four walks, ten hits, four earned in six innings), but his stuff should actually translate well to Coors Field. Studies have shone that sinkers, cutters and fastballs suffer the most in that park, and that curveballs and changeups move just about the same as normal. Those are Wandy's best pitches. File that away for later. Carlos Pena made it all the way down to the Yankees, but the Cubs pulled him back, or at least so goes the newest rumor. Jim Thome and Jason Kubel are still waiting to hear if their waiver claims will turn into a deal. It's tough to navigate the waiver deadline, and there may not be a single trade to come out of all of these rumors. Well, other than Kevin Kouzmanoff in Colorado, who went hitless in five at-bats in his debut. Whoo-hoo!

* Let's talk pitching. The only thing Josh Tomlin does in an above-average way is not walk people, and though that seems like enough for some matchups, you can't stream everyone against the Mariners. Tomlin gave up six runs in fewer than five innings and might not even stick in the rotation. Javier Vazquez struck out 11 and hit 94 on the gun! He's still talking about retiring and is probably a spot starter, really. Tim Lincecum struck out seven, walked five and gutted out eight innings with one run against Tim Stauffer, who only struck out one, walked none, and gave up two runs in his six innings. Both guys should be owned universally at this point. Make sure Max Scherzer is owned, too. He kept the Rays to two runs in five innings, and he struck out four, which he does. Of course Trevor Cahill held the Yankees to two runs in six innings when we all put him on our bench. He's still doing better than we think we this year.

* How about being hot at the plate. Kyle Seager went four-for-four Wednesday to give him ten hits in 26 hours. Fire. He doesn't have a ton of power or speed upside, but he could put up a decent batting average and help the Mariners at third base, which has been a tough position this year around baseball. Logan Morrison returned from his undeserved attitude rehab and hit a home run. He's a good pickup in most leagues, even if his power is not elite and he has little speed. Carlos Beltran hit a solo home run, and since the Giants only scored two runs, he was half the offense. Pick him up if someone dropped him for some reason. Justin Morneau got a hit. That makes him hot. Four-for-four with two home runs makes Coco Crisp suddenly hot. Samesies for Nick Swisher and his two solo home runs. Oh, and some dude named Joey Votto hit two home runs too. Brett Lawrie tripled and homered and why isn't he 100% owned yet?

* The (bull)pendulum swings. Bobby Parnell finally got his first major league save as The Closer. Captain Fastball touched 102 by the end of the inning, but he did put two runners on. He's a classic gas guy, but while he's young and under team control, he could make for a decent young cheap closer in New York, which hasn't happened for a while. Kenley Jansen is back in the major leagues, and really, he's a better pitcher than Javy Guerra. Who knows what that means any more. Leo Nunez has been bad recently, and wasn't available Wednesday, but he hasn't lost his job yet, says his manager. It probably helped Nunez's case that Edward Mujica failed at his first chance to close a game and needed Steve Cishek to come in and bail him out. Mujica might still be the next in line for another chance. Brian Wilson could play catch Thursday, but Sergio Romo will beat him back because he had a 30-pitch bullpen.

National League Quick Hits: Chris Narveson will miss his next start but isn't headed to the DL again … Chipper Jones hit a solo home run and that's three in six games; Don't forget that he's useful … Nate Schierholtz won't injure himself further if he plays, so he'll try to soldier through his fracture in his foot … Jon Niese and Scott Hairston officially hit the DL Wednesday … Alfonso Soriano hit a home run against the Braves and is a power-only play in most leagues … Ryan Ludwick hit the DL with back spasms … Brian Bogusevic had three hits and is playing against most righties, to the detriment of Jason Bourgeois … Livan Hernandez gave up four runs in 7 1/3 innings and been as bad as his peripherals since the break … Randy Wells held the Braves to one run in 6 2/3 but he doesn't really have the secondary stats to support fantasy worthiness … A.J. Ellis is catching again in the show, but has no power and is really best used in very deep OBP leagues … Pat Burrell might retire if he can't play on his chronically injured foot.

American League Quick Hits: Carl Crawford homered, doubled, and drove in five, so don't sit him against lefties … Kevin Youkilis (back) wants to be back September 2nd … Carlos Santana left Wednesday's game after a few foul balls hit his mask, but it was a blowout and might not mean much … It doesn't sound like Carlos Quentin will play Friday, and this sprained shoulder might take a little time … Jeremy Guthrie struck out five and walked two and held the Twins to one run in seven innings, but that might mean something about the Twins as a good matchup … In the same way, Wade Davis held the Tigers to two runs in nine innings despite not really owning a stand-out skill … Trayvon Robinson was hot, but went oh-fer Wednesday and needs to work on his strikeouts … Brandon Allen also strikes out too much to have a good batting average, but he's playing every day from here on out, says his manager … Kevin Slowey gave up five runs in fewer than five innings, but he only walked one and that's his game … Wily Mo Pena homered for the Mariners Wednesday and could get some at-bats for them since they need power so badly.

 

[HacheMan]

Get Rich Quick
You'll notice that I have increased the number of mixed league recommendations this week. And there's a good reason for that. Now that we're in crunch-time, everybody is looking for something different. Players that you wouldn't have considered a few months ago are suddenly very relevant as you attempt to make up ground in crucial categories. Hey, whatever works, right?

Don't be afraid to take chances right now. For instance, if for some reason you still have Jason Isringhausen on your roster, why not dump him and pick up Steve Cishek? Sure, Marlins manager Jack McKeon continues to stand behind Leo Nunez, but what happens if he continues to struggle? Get out in front of these situations if you have the roster flexibility.

Let's move on to the good stuff.

MIXED LEAGUES

Logan Morrison OF, Marlins (Yahoo: 27 percent owned, ESPN: 36.9 percent)

Morrison's demotion came as quite a shock earlier this month, but he never figured to stay in the minors for long. The Twitter aficionado was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans as soon as he was eligible on Wednesday and went 2-for-8 with a solo homer and two runs scored in a doubleheader against the Reds. While his production has really tailed off since June, Morrison has an .855 OPS against right-handed pitching this season. If you are willing to play the matchups, he can be plenty useful down the stretch.

Rich Harden SP, Athletics (Yahoo: 24 percent owned, ESPN: 17.3 percent)

Yes, it's time to take Harden seriously again. The oft-injured right-hander matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts last Friday against the Blue Jays and has a 3.91 ERA and 60 strikeouts over 53 innings since making his season debut with the Athletics at the start of July. His matchup against the Yankees on Thursday is a tough call, but he should get a soft landing against the depleted Indians next week.

Nick Hundley C, Padres (Yahoo: 12 percent owned, ESPN: 8.9 percent)

This has somehow managed to fly under the radar, but Hundley has been one of the most productive fantasy catchers since returning from the disabled list earlier this month. The 27-year-old backstop is batting .474 (18-for-38) with two homers, five doubles, four triples, five RBI and 10 runs scored over 11 games in August. We're talking about a .248 career hitter here, so to expect this to continue would be silly, but Hundley has enough pop in his bat to be a reasonable option in deeper leagues.

Sergio Romo RP, Giants (Yahoo: 12 percent owned, ESPN: 3.7 percent)

If you say you know what is going on the Giants' bullpen right now, you are either lying or somehow acquired Gray's Sports Almanac. Can you tell I watched "Back to the Future II" recently? Anyhow, Bruce Bochy could go in any direction while filling in for the injured closer Brian Wilson, but I'm stashing Romo if he's out there. The 28-year-old right-hander threw a bullpen session Wednesday and is slated to make a rehab appearance Friday. If all goes well, he could be back as soon as this weekend. Don't forget, he had a ridiculous 1.67 ERA and 53/4 K/BB ratio over 37 2/3 innings before landing on the disabled list.

R.A. Dickey SP, Mets (Yahoo: 15 percent owned, ESPN: 4.6 percent)

I'll say it, Dickey is just flat-out unlucky. The knuckleballer has six consecutive quality starts under his belt, but has just one win to show for his efforts. Oh well, please let somebody else worry about that. Dickey has a 3.11 ERA and 81/25 K/BB ratio over his last 18 starts dating back to May 20 and hasn't allowed more than four earned runs in any of them. If you're looking for a well-pitched ballgame this weekend, Dickey is one of the best bets available.

Fausto Carmona SP, Indians (Yahoo: 13 percent owned, ESPN: 15.1 percent)

I know, I know. It's pretty difficult to trust this guy. But did you know that Carmona has a 2.49 ERA over seven starts since the All-Star break? It's true. Equally encouraging, the 27-year-old right-hander has allowed three earned runs or less in eight out of his last nine starts dating back to the end of June. And while I wouldn't recommend buying him for strikeouts, he has fanned six in each of his last three outings. He makes for an ideal spot-start against the last-place Royals on Saturday.

Brett Cecil SP, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 20 percent owned, ESPN: 6.8 percent)

Cecil stumbled a bit by walking a season-high five last Friday against the Athletics, but he still managed to deliver his seventh quality start in the span of nine outings. This includes a 2.95 ERA and 43/19 K/BB ratio over 64 innings. It's fair to say that his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and stand rate are likely due for some correction as we move along here, but upcoming matchups against the Royals and Orioles look mighty tasty.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:

(Players owned in less than 10 percent of Y! and ESPN.com leagues)

John Mayberry Jr. OF, Phillies (Yahoo: 6 percent owned, ESPN: 2.4 percent)

It's hard to say Mayberry doesn't deserve a longer look in left field. The 27-year-old has homered in three out of his last six games and is batting .312/.354/.710 with nine home runs, eight doubles, 29 RBI and a 1.063 OPS over 99 plate appearances since returning from the minor leagues in the early part of July. Raul Ibanez is feeling improvement in his sore left groin and hopes to return to the lineup as soon as Friday, but don't be surprised if Mayberry begins to take away some at-bats against right-handers moving forward. Go ahead and pick him up in five-outfielder leagues.

Lucas Duda 1B/OF, Mets (Yahoo: 6 percent owned, ESPN: 7.6 percent)

Duda has seized the opportunity at regular playing time following the trade of Carlos Beltran and the injury to Daniel Murphy, batting .306 (22-for-72) with five home runs, three doubles, 17 RBI and a .926 OPS over 21 games in August. The 25-year-old is batting cleanup these days and with Jose Reyes set to return from the disabled list early next week, he should have plenty of opportunities to knock in runs. With his multi-position eligibility, Duda can help in most formats.

Brandon Allen 1B/OF, Athletics (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 1.6 percent)

I included Allen among my AL-only recommendations immediately following the trade to Oakland, but he's worth a look in deeper mixed leagues now that he's playing every day at first base. The 25-year-old is batting .351/.390/.676 with six extra-base hits and a 1.066 OPS over 41 plate appearances with Oakland, including a pair of monster home runs during Tuesday's game against the Yankees. The A's are committed to taking a long look at him down the stretch, so don't be shy if you need a power bat.

Eric Young Jr.2B/OF, Rockies (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 4.3 percent)

It may seem strange to see EY2 under the mixed league heading, but he has earned it recently. The 26-year-old outfielder is tied for the major league lead with 10 stolen bases this month. He also has 14 runs scored and an impressive 9/11 K/BB ratio. The batting average might not always be there and the power may be non-existent, but Young is doing things when he gets on base. Useful things. Don't let them go to waste.

Eric Thames OF, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 5 percent owned, ESPN: 7.4 percent)

Thames has experienced some ups and downs in his rookie season, but you have to like what you see here. The 24-year-old has 26 extra-base hits over 255 plate appearances, which is more than the likes of the more-widely owned Shin-Soo Choo, Travis Hafner, Delmon Young and, of course, Adam Dunn. You'd like to see his contact rate a bit higher, but his current line drive rate of 25.8 percent gives him a pretty good chance at maintaining a palatable batting average. Worth a look if you need some pop.

Brandon Belt 1B/OF, Giants (Yahoo: 5 percent owned, ESPN: 1.8 percent)

The "Baby Giraffe" has finally been set free. Well, maybe. I'm still not sure I trust Bruce Bochy, but Belt has started four straight games and should continue to play pretty regularly now that Nate Schierholtz is dealing with a fracture in his right foot. The rookie had his first career-four hit game on Sunday and while this isn't the best sample size, he has an impressive .280/.357/.600 batting line and a .957 OPS over 56 major league plate appearances since the All-Star break. The Giants would be positively bonkers to sit him right now.

Mike Moustakas 3B, Royals (Yahoo: 8 percent owned, ESPN: 4.1 percent)

Perhaps Moustakas is finally making some adjustments at the plate? While the rookie third baseman has really struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, he is batting .545 (12-for-22) over his last seven games. Granted, this includes just three extra-base hits (all doubles), but he also has an impressive 3/3 K/BB ratio during the same timespan. I'd leave him be in shallow leagues, but Moose makes for a worthwhile pickup in deeper leagues and those with CI (corner infielder) spots.

<!--RW-->

AL ONLY

Kyle Seager 2B/3B, Mariners (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

Well, duh. It's no hyperbole to say that Seager might be the hottest hitter in the majors at this moment. The 23-year-old went 4-for-4 with three doubles against the Indians on Wednesday and is batting a cool .600 (15-for-25) over his last six games, pulling his batting average from .182 to .313 in the process. Seager isn't a big power guy, but his propensity for line drives should allow him to maintain a high batting average moving forward. While he obviously won't keep up this ridiculous pace, he's no fluke, either.

Hank Conger C, Angels (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

The good news? The Angels finally came to their senses and brought Conger back from Triple-A Salt Lake last Thursday. The bad news? He has appeared in just one game thus far. As the kids on the internet say, facepalm. It's no secret that Mike Scioscia doesn't think Conger is up to snuff behind the plate, but it wouldn't take much for him to be an improvement offensively over Jeff Mathis and Bobby Wilson. If the Angels want to close the gap on the first-place Rangers, they may have no other choice but to play him more often down the stretch. It's a bit of a leap of faith, to be sure, but most in AL-only leagues should be willing to take the gamble.

NL ONLY

Ross Detwiler SP/RP, Nationals (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 1.2 percent)

Finally healthy, Detwiler is once again showing signs of why he was selected No. 6 overall in the 2007 draft. Since joining the Nationals' rotation on August 4, the 25-year-old southpaw has a solid 2.78 ERA and 16/8 K/BB ratio in 22 2/3 innings over four starts. While his stand rate suggests that he has been a bit on the fortunate side, the most encouraging aspect of his turnaround has been his uptick in velocity. Detwiler is averaging 92.3 mph on his fastball this season, up from 89.7 mph in 2010. Things could get interesting in the Nats' rotation once Stephen Strasburg returns and Brad Peacock gets the call from the minors, but Detwiler should be safe.

Jordan Schafer OF, Astros (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

Schafer, who was acquired from the Braves in the Michael Bourn deal last month, returned from the disabled list this week and figures to be the regular center fielder and leadoff man for the Astros moving forward. While he is batting just .244 this season, he is also making contact 84 percent of the time and has a line-drive percentage of 22.7 percent. There might be some room for growth there. At worst, you'll have a guy who is a pretty nice source for stolen bases down the stretch.

 

[HacheMan]

Bronx Bombing
The Yankees were down 7-1 to the visiting A's when a Thursday afternoon rain storm halted play in the third inning at Yankee Stadium. The rest of the afternoon went very, very differently.

The Bronx Bombers, as they're fittingly nicknamed, scored 20 runs between the fifth and eighth innings to mount a 22-9 comeback victory over Oakland. Robinson Cano, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson all hit grand slams, becoming the first trio to ever accomplish that feat in a single game. Derek Jeter had three hits, Alex Rodriguez scored three times, and even Eduardo Nunez went 3-for-5.

It was an offensive explosion, and it kept New York within one game of the Red Sox for top billing in the American League East. There aren't many truly intriguing divisional races, but baseball won't be completely free of September drama.

This is Friday's edition of the MLB Daily Dose...

* The Indians placed a waiver claim on Twins DH Jim Thome early Thursday morning, then spent the next several hours working on a swap. By 9:30pm ET, the deal was made official.

Thome was shipped to the Tribe for a player to be named later and is expected to arrive in Cleveland in time for Friday night's series-opener against the Royals. He turns 41 years old later this month and doesn't have the legs anymore to carry an everyday role, but the veteran slugger has tallied 37 home runs in his last 578 plate appearances (less than a full season for most) and should be able to put a jolt into the middle of the Indians' batting order down the stretch.

Facing a 6.5-game deficit in the American League Central, the Indians don't exactly have the best odds at jumping back into playoff contention. But watching Thome mash again while sporting the Chief Wahoo logo should provide a nice wave of 90s nostalgia down the stretch, and a slightly more active role has the potential to provide a boost to the future Hall of Famer's late-season fantasy value.

* Mets shortstop Jose Reyes continued to take strides Thursday in his ongoing recovery from a left hamstring strain.

Playing in his first minor league rehab game with Single-A Binghamton, the 28-year-old impending free agent went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored. He also manned the shortstop position for five innings, reporting no problems while performing routine side-to-side and front-to-back movements. The plan calls for Reyes to return to the major leagues in time for Monday's doubleheader against the Marlins. So far, he's right on track.

National League Quick Hits: Giants closer Brian Wilson remains on track to return from the disabled list at the end of August … Braves starter Tommy Hanson returned to Atlanta on Thursday to have his troublesome right shoulder examined … Matt Holliday hit his 19th home run of the year in Thursday's win over the Pirates … Brian McCann homered twice in Thursday's victory over the Cubs … Ivan Rodriguez is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment Saturday with Single-A Potomac … Alfonso Soriano (forearm) expects to return to the Cubs' starting lineup Friday … D'Backs rookie Paul Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI in Thursday's defeat of the Nationals … The Pirates activated young outfielder Alex Presley from the 15-day disabled list … Nationals reliever Ryan Mattheus is day-to-day with tightness in his right shoulder … Cardinals setup man Eduardo Sanchez (shoulder) played a light game of catch Thursday … Nate Schierholtz (foot) could be placed on the 15-day disabled list this weekend … The Dodgers placed utilityman Jamey Carroll on waivers … Impending free agent Lance Berkman said Wednesday that he would like to return to the Cardinals next season … Wade A. Miley picked up his first major league victory Thursday after tossing six shutout innings against the Nationals.

American League Quick Hits: The Twins placed left-hander Francisco Liriano on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder strain … Carlos Quentin is expected to sit out the entire weekend due to ongoing discomfort in his sprained left shoulder … Adrian Beltre (hamstring) took regular batting practice Thursday … Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus could be placed on the disabled list soon if his wrist does not improve … B.J. Upton (shoulder) missed a third straight game Thursday … Royals outfielder Alex Gordon remains day-to-day with a right elbow contusion … Rich Harden, who had been on a roll, allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings Thursday against the Yankees … Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson became the first Rays pitcher to strike out four batters in one inning Thursday … Melky Cabrera collected his 17th home run and 75th RBI in Thursday's defeat of the Blue Jays … Tsuyoshi Nishioka (back) could return to the Twins' starting lineup Friday … Pedro Feliciano (shoulder) made his rehab debut Thursday in the Gulf Coast League … Joe Mauer is day-to-day with a stiff neck … Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia topped the 20-homer plateau Thursday in a loss to the Royals … Yankees DH Jorge Posada played second base for the first time in his career during Thursday's blowout of the A's … Josh Tomlin might be scratched from his next scheduled start due to an undisclosed injury … Rajai Davis (hamstring) jogged Thursday and is on track to return in mid-September … Adrian Gonzalez homered twice in Thursday's defeat of the Rangers … Travis Snider is done for the season due to right wrist tendinitis.

 

[HacheMan]

Big Week for the City of Aces
The City of Angels might not send a team to the playoffs this year, although the Halos -- two games out in the AL West -- certainly have a fighting chance. Even if there's no postseason baseball in Southern Cali, Los Angeles does have a shot at producing two Cy Young winners.

In the American League, Jered Weaver is entangled in a two-way race with Detroit's Justin Verlander. The Angels' ace is sitting with a 15-6 record and 2.03 ERA through 27 starts. A dud in Toronto two weeks ago (in which he allowed eight runs over 4 2/3 innings) is the only thing keeping Weaver's ERA over 2; he's hurled four complete games and two shut-outs while averaging less than one base runner per inning. Verlander has the edge in wins, WHIP, innings and strikeouts, so it would take a lot of good breaks over the final month of the season for Weaver to prevail. His match-ups in the upcoming week against the Mariners and Twins should help.

Note: The Angels have announced that they will start Weaver Sunday on short rest, so he will start only once next week.

In the National League, Roy Halladay is getting plenty of publicity as the leader of Philadelphia's all-world rotation, but Clayton Kershaw has in fact been slightly better from a statistical standpoint. In the same number of innings (189 2/3), the Dodgers' southpaw has accrued a superior ERA and WHIP while notching one more win and 25 more strikeouts. This is a tight race that could go either way, and Halladay may have an inherent edge from playing on a more relevant team in a tougher division, but Kershaw will look to build his case with starts against the Padres and Braves next week.

Kershaw joins an appealing list of two-start pitchers below.

Going Twice...



American League

Strong Plays
Ricky Romero: TB (Davis), @NYY (Colon)
Jeremy Hellickson: @TEX (Harrison), BAL (Guthrie)
Felix Hernandez: LAA, @OAK (Harden)
CC Sabathia: @BAL (Guthrie), TOR (Cecil)
Ervin Santana: @SEA (Beavan), MIN (Duensing)
Doug Fister: KC (Francis), CWS (Buehrle)
Max Scherzer: KC (Hochevar), CWS (Floyd)
Mark Buehrle: MIN (Slowey), @DET (Fister)
Justin Masterson: OAK (Cahill), @KC (Hochevar)

Decent Plays
Brett Cecil: @BAL (Reyes), @NYY (Sabathia)
Matt Harrison: TB (Hellickson), @BOS (Bedard)
Wade Davis: @TOR (Romero), BAL (Simon)
Blake Beavan: LAA (Santana), @OAK (Cahill)
Rich Harden: @CLE, SEA (Hernandez)
Trevor Cahill: @CLE (Masterson), SEA (Beavan)
Luke Hochevar: @DET (Scherzer), CLE (Masterson)

At Your Own Risk
Kevin Slowey: @CWS (Buehrle), @LAA
Jeff Francis: @DET (Fister), CLE
Jeremy Guthrie: NYY (Sabathia), @TB (Hellickson)

National League

Strong Plays
Mat Latos: @LAD (Kershaw), COL (White)
Tim Lincecum: CHC (Wells), ARI (Hudson)
Vance Worley: @CIN (Bailey), @FLA (Vazquez)
Cole Hamels: @CIN (Arroyo), @FLA
Shaun Marcum: STL (Garcia), @HOU (Rodriguez)
Hiroki Kuroda: SD (Stauffer), @ATL (Lowe)
Clayton Kershaw: SD (Latos), @ATL (Hanson)
Wandy Rodriguez: PIT (Lincoln), MIL (Marcum)

Decent Plays
Jaime Garcia: @MIL (Marcum), CIN
Charle Morton: @HOU (Sosa), @CHC (Wells)
Mike Pelfrey: FLA (Volstad), @WAS (Hernandez)
Javier Vazquez: @NYM, PHI (Hamels)
Homer Bailey: PHI (Worley), @STL (Garcia)
Bronson Arroyo: PHI (Hamels), @STL (Lohse)
Derek Lowe: WAS (Hernandez), LAD (Kuroda)
Daniel Hudson: COL (White), @SF (Lincecum)

At Your Own Risk
Livan Hernandez: @ATL (Lowe), NYM (Pelfrey)
Brad Lincoln: @HOU (Rodriguez), @CHC (Coleman)
Chris Volstad: @NYM (Pelfrey), PHI (Worley)
Alex White: @ARI (Hudson), @SD (Latos)
Randy Wells: @SF (Lincecum), PIT (Morton)

Streamer City



The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Tuesday, 8/30: Zach Stewart vs. MIN
Stewart should be able to make easy work of the tanking Twins, who scored four runs in four games against the Orioles this past week.

Thursday, 9/1: David Huff vs. OAK
Huff has generally been very effective for the Indians and should be able to handle the A's at home.

Thursday, 9/1: Luis Perez @ BAL
The latest addition to the Toronto rotation owns a 3.76 ERA and 41/17 K/BB ratio in 49 innings this year.

National League

Wednesday, 8/31: James McDonald @ HOU
McDonald has allowed more than three runs in a start only twice since the beginning of July.

Friday, 9/2: Joe Saunders @ SF
Saunders has struggled a bit lately, but the Giants are hitting .238 against left-handers this season.

Friday, 9/2: Kevin Millwood @ SD
The veteran righty has been solid in his time with the Rockies, posting a 4.50 ERA and while allowing only three walks in 20 innings.

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Total Games



American League

6: BOS, CWS, MIN, TEX
7: BAL, CLE, DET, KC, LAA, NYY, OAK, SEA, TB, TOR

National League

6: ARI, ATL, CHC, COL, HOU, MIL, SD, SF, STL, WAS
7: CIN, LAD, PHI, PIT
8: FLA, NYM

Lefty/Righty Breakdown



American League

BAL: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
BOS: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CWS: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CLE: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
DET: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
KC: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
LAA: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
MIN: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
NYY: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
OAK: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SEA: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
TB: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
TEX: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TOR: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
ATL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CHC: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CIN: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
COL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
FLA: 4 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
HOU: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
LAD: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
MIL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYM: 7 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PHI: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PIT: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SD: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SF: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
STL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
WAS: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP

The Infirmary



You can get a full listing of injured players at Rotoworld's Injury Page, but here's the latest on a few prominent players who have been out of action:

Travis Hafner: Out indefinitely
Francisco Liriano: Out indefinitely
Scott Hairston: Out indefinitely
Jon Niese: Out indefinitely
Cole Hamels: Out until early September
Ryan Ludwick: Out until early September
Jonathan Sanchez: Out until September

 

[HacheMan]

Welcome to the 30-30 club
The return of the "King" and other late August stories are featured in this week's Week That Was.


Alex Presley: Alex Presley came off the DL this week and promptly produced for the Bucs, doubling and scoring a run last night. Before landing on the DL, the "King" was hitting .320+ with 4 SB in around 80 AB. Look for Presley to play a lot, run a fair bit, and provide good value down the stretch. His track record (.350 in AA and .295 in AAA last year) supports continued success.


Matt Kemp: Matt Kemp added to his great rebound season, jacking his 30th dinger. That dinger was significant because it catapulted Kemp into the vaunted 30/30 club. What is the roto lesson here? Sometimes the non-statistical news is key to understanding aberrational performances. In 2008-09, Kemp had 44 dingers and 69 SB. So, why did he fail miserably at 25 in 2010? Answer -- he had a bad relationship with ownership and with Joe Torre. He was unfairly criticized for his play, his personal life and more. Players are human and that situation clearly got to him. Those roto-owners that saw a track record of talent and production and who understood the reason for Kemp's 2010 troubles got a bargain in 2011. Lesson -- look beyond the numbers, especially when the numbers do not make any sense.


A.J. Burnett: A.J. Burnett was atrocious again last night, giving up 9 runs in just five innings. With an ERA well over 5.00 on the year and well over 8.00 since the break, Burnett should be no where near any fantasy lineup. Indeed even those teams that need the wins the Yankees will produce and can afford bad ratios should avoid A.J. At this point, it seems very likely that A.J. will miss some starts and may not get his spot back at all. This situation is just a disaster. Plain and simple.


Chris Capuano: In a rare instance of the Mets outperforming the Yankees, Chris Capuano was as good as A.J. Burnett was bad. Capuano tossed a complete game, striking out 13 Braves Friday night. On the year, Capuano has been good but not great. He sports a 4.43 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 136K in 154 innings. With the Marlins next up, Capuano is a good speculative play. That said, I would not get too excited. Capuano has not thrown this many inning in five years. Thus, there is a real risk that he will fade and/or get shut down in September. In deep NL leagues, you probably got a lot more production than you paid for with Cap. Just make sure you have a plan B for September.


Dayan Viciedo: According to reports, the Chisox will bring up Dayan Viciedo and place Carlos Quentin on the DL. Viciedo makes an attractive roto free agent play. The White Sox play in a hitter's haven, Viciedo has been hot in AAA and proved he can hit in the show last year with his .308 average in 106 AB. He cannot field worth a lick, but that doesn't matter in fantasy. Buy.


Michael Brantley: Michael Brantley landed on the shelf with a right wrist problem. Bad news for Brantley and his owners. Not only will he miss critical time, players are rarely the same hitters upon returning from hand or wrist injuries. If you own Brantley, look elsewhere for pennant race production. In fact, you may be able to look at fellow Indian Ezequial Carrera. "Zeke" as maybe only I call him, has posted a respectable .269 AVG to go with his 7 SB in 100 AB. If you have a need for speed, Zeke may that which you seek.


Jordan Schafer: Jordan Schafer came off the DL, was inserted directly into his new team's starting lineup and has gone 6-17 with two steals. Houston has every reason to play one of the key pieces acquired in the Michael Bourne deal. He has ability as shown by his making the show at 22. He has speed as shown by his 17 SB this year. However, Jordan has yet to prove he can hit for average. Not only is his major league career average just barely over the Mendoza line, he has not hit over .300 at any level since A ball in 2007. Buy, but beware of the average hit you will take.


And last but not least, a super sized Schultz Says: "I'm unsure if this has made the news outside of the local hamlets and summer resorts but it appears that a hurricane is bearing down the east coast and may wreak havoc with the populace's day-to-day activities, including those of Major League Baseball. If this news hasn't reached you, especially if you live on the East Coast, groan now like Hans Moleman learning he's ill from Phish. Pretty much every game on the east coast is in jeopardy of being postponed with a few (Marlins/Phillies, Yankees/Orioles) already being replanned. If you are in a league with daily transactions, you're gonna want to populate your roster with players located on the west coast this weekend.

If Hurricane Irene shuts down the east coast for a couple days, you are going to want to pay close attention to how the games are rescheduled and what each team does with their starting rotations. This looks like it will be an issue for the both New York teams, the Marlins, Orioles, Braves, Phillies and possibly Oakland and the Red Sox. Double-headers are going to result in a rash of 24 hour call-ups from the minor leagues and filling in off-days with games are going to tax the back ends of certain rotations. While this is unlikely to have a great effect on the number 1 and number 2 pitchers (in fact, they might get a couple days extra rest with the washouts), look for the number 5 guy to be called on a little more down the stretch.

If you want a lesson on the importance of keeping your rotation fresh, look no further than the Cleveland Indians. With a healthy rotation that included Carlos Carrasco, Mitch Talbot and Josh Tomlin, the Tribe shot out to the best record in baseball. As the young starters fell to the wayside, leaving only Justin Masterson and the mercurial Fausto Carmona as the most reliable options, the losses started to mount. Another lesson could probably be learned from the rash of injuries that have decimated the young Tribe this summer. All of the talent seems to have gone on reserve with the dreaded red cross next to their name. Recent injuries to Michael Brantley, Travis Hafner, Tomlin and Jason Kipnis are just heaped atop of those that have sidelined Grady Sizemore, Shin Soo-Choo, Carrasco and Talbot. Sometimes teams - fantasy or real life - just get bit by the injury bug. For fantasy purposes, it simply stresses the importance of a good bench and the foresight of being prepared for the unexpected.

One silver lining to the Tribe's injury woes: Welcome THOME! "

Response: Much to my chagrin, it hard to argue with Schultz's cogent analysis.