David Price recorded his first regular season win last night going 5.2 IP giving up 1 ER and striking out 11 Twins. For the season Price has 9 IP and 17 Ks but he also has 7 BBs. Wieters got his 1st MLB hit last night going 2-4 with a 2B and a 3B both off Verlander. Fernando Martinez also recorded his first MLB hit yesterday going 2-5 with a 2B and a RBI.
Baseball America on Kyle Skipworth:
"Kyle Skipworth, C, Marlins: Scouts who have seen Skipworth play in the minor leagues have come away scratching their heads over a player they liked as an amateur. The sixth overall pick last year out of a California high school, Skipworth has had trouble making contact with even marginal pitches as a pro. Scouts who saw Skipworth, 19, hit .208/.263/.340 with 46 strikeouts in 176 plate appearances in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League were confused, and those concerns are only getting greater with Skipworth struggling to a .167/.221/.292 start with 38 strikeouts in 105 plate appearances for low Class A Greensboro. Even as Greensboro tagged Lake County righthander Alex Perez for eight runs (including four homers) in three innings, Skipworth struck out swinging in both of his at-bats against Perez, whiffing at five of the six pitches he swung at."
Texas Baseball Coach Trying to Kill Senior Pitcher
Yesterday Texas and Boston College played the longest game in NCAA history, 25 innings, and Texas pitcher, Austin Wood, threw 169 pitches over 13 innings. Per Keith Law, this kid is going to get drafted and I understand the "win at all cost" mentality but this is crazy. Source: Keith Law
-In case you missed the majestic Grand Slam Ryan Howard hit last night please do yourself a favor and watch this clip.
Other News:
Vote for Manny Website
Sizemore may go on DL
VMART leaves game after fouling ball off leg
Wieters vs Mauer
Quentin to the DL with bad foot
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
2009 Disappointments
The season is just over 25% complete and it is about time to start worrying about some slumping stars. When the phrase slumping stars is stated the first name that popped into your head.......David Ortiz. David's collapse is a perfect storm of age (he is probably older then he says), Drug Testing and the loss of Manny. So when you combine all these factors you get the shit sandwich called "Big Papi". I find it funny that nobody wants to accuse Papi of steroids but look at his HR totals the past 3 seasons: 2006-54, 2007-35, 2008-23. He is one of the nice guys in the league so people are hesitant to state the obvious that he either A) sucks really bad or B) was a cheater like tons of other players. The reason why I point out Papi is that he went on a crusade against steroids this off season and now he is embarrassing himself with every AB. Ortiz is not the only player that stinking up the joint and below is a short list of struggling players:
Davis Ortiz: .189 AVG with 1 HR, 18 RBIs and Juan Pierre like OPS of .576
Josh Hamilton: .235 AVG with 6 HR, 22 RBIs and a weak .751 OPS
Jimmy Rollins: .227 AVG with 3 HR, 17 RBIs and 8 SB
Grady Sizemore: .223 AVG with 8 HR, 30 RBIs and 7 SB
Nate McLouth: .250 AVG with 8 HR, 31 RBIs, and 7 SB
Jose Lopez: .218 AVG with 4 HR, 22 RBIs and a .583 OPS
Stephen Drew: .210 AVG with 2 HR, 15 RBIs and 0 SB
Troy Tulowitzki: .224 AVG with 5 HR, 15 RBIs and 4 SB
Francisco Liriano: 2-6 with 47 Ks in 54.7 IP and a 6.42 ERA
Scott Baker: 2-6 with 39 Ks in 52.7 IP and a 6.32 ERA
Scott Kazmir: 4-4 with 35 Ks in 45.7 IP and a 7.69 ERA
Brad Lidge: 0-2 with 10 Saves in 14 opportunities with a 8.44 ERA
Rickey Nolasco: 2-5 with 37 Ks in 43.7 IP and a 9.07 ERA
In February, I posted that it makes no sense to draft Sizmore with an ADP of #6 when you can get McLouth at #59. They both are struggling right now McLouth is still getting the better of Sizemore in 4 of 5 major categories and I predict he will finish the season as a more valuable fantasy option.
Virigina beats Strasburg
Last night, Strasburg took his first loss of the season going 7 IP, 2 ER and striking out 15. Virigina also beat the #2 college pitcher Alex White from NC, 11-1 in the SEC tourney. Strasburg better get used to giving up 2 ER and losing as the Nats are real good at not scoring.
Justin Smoak Come On Down!
Yesterday Chris Davis (TEX) went 0-7 with 6 Ks in a double header. Davis does have 12 HRs but he is hitting only .194 with 77 Ks in 165 ABs. Contact is a real issue for Davis as he is only hitting the ball 53% of the time and compare that to Pujols who makes contact 90% of the time. I am by no means comparing the two players but I wanted to demonstrate the drastic difference from an elite hitter to a .194 Hitter. To makes matters worse for Davis is Justin Smoak is ripping the ball in AA hitting .325 with 6 HR and he has 32 BB and only 30 Ks. Smoak is struggling against LHP hitting .209 but he is straight abusing RHP hitting .370. When you mix the 195 degree temps in August and this kid's power.......watch out.
Wieters goes Hitless:
Just about every male under the age of 78 in Baltimore was in Camden Yards to witness Wieters go 0-4 last night. I only watched his first AB where he had a pitch up in the zone to hit and he hit it hard to RF. Wieters is going to be a monster real soon but expect some bumps along the way.
- Alcides Escobar (Mil SS) is now taking GBs at 2B and could be the replacement for Weeks in the short-term. I think this would be a mistake because Weeks looked real good before the injury and he is the long-term solution for the Brewers at 2B. So when you move Escobar to 2B this season you are setting his development back a year at SS and he a no where near ready to hit MLB pitching.
- Eric Young, Jr. (2B Col)- If you are speculating for SBs and have a deep bench, I would pick up Eric Young, Jr who may get called up sometime this season for Colorado. Young has 27 SBs already this season and scouts believe he is the best pure base stealer in the Minors.
-Beerleaguer.com examines the internal options for the Phillies to replace Myers
Davis Ortiz: .189 AVG with 1 HR, 18 RBIs and Juan Pierre like OPS of .576
Josh Hamilton: .235 AVG with 6 HR, 22 RBIs and a weak .751 OPS
Jimmy Rollins: .227 AVG with 3 HR, 17 RBIs and 8 SB
Grady Sizemore: .223 AVG with 8 HR, 30 RBIs and 7 SB
Nate McLouth: .250 AVG with 8 HR, 31 RBIs, and 7 SB
Jose Lopez: .218 AVG with 4 HR, 22 RBIs and a .583 OPS
Stephen Drew: .210 AVG with 2 HR, 15 RBIs and 0 SB
Troy Tulowitzki: .224 AVG with 5 HR, 15 RBIs and 4 SB
Francisco Liriano: 2-6 with 47 Ks in 54.7 IP and a 6.42 ERA
Scott Baker: 2-6 with 39 Ks in 52.7 IP and a 6.32 ERA
Scott Kazmir: 4-4 with 35 Ks in 45.7 IP and a 7.69 ERA
Brad Lidge: 0-2 with 10 Saves in 14 opportunities with a 8.44 ERA
Rickey Nolasco: 2-5 with 37 Ks in 43.7 IP and a 9.07 ERA
In February, I posted that it makes no sense to draft Sizmore with an ADP of #6 when you can get McLouth at #59. They both are struggling right now McLouth is still getting the better of Sizemore in 4 of 5 major categories and I predict he will finish the season as a more valuable fantasy option.
Virigina beats Strasburg
Last night, Strasburg took his first loss of the season going 7 IP, 2 ER and striking out 15. Virigina also beat the #2 college pitcher Alex White from NC, 11-1 in the SEC tourney. Strasburg better get used to giving up 2 ER and losing as the Nats are real good at not scoring.
Justin Smoak Come On Down!
Yesterday Chris Davis (TEX) went 0-7 with 6 Ks in a double header. Davis does have 12 HRs but he is hitting only .194 with 77 Ks in 165 ABs. Contact is a real issue for Davis as he is only hitting the ball 53% of the time and compare that to Pujols who makes contact 90% of the time. I am by no means comparing the two players but I wanted to demonstrate the drastic difference from an elite hitter to a .194 Hitter. To makes matters worse for Davis is Justin Smoak is ripping the ball in AA hitting .325 with 6 HR and he has 32 BB and only 30 Ks. Smoak is struggling against LHP hitting .209 but he is straight abusing RHP hitting .370. When you mix the 195 degree temps in August and this kid's power.......watch out.
Wieters goes Hitless:
Just about every male under the age of 78 in Baltimore was in Camden Yards to witness Wieters go 0-4 last night. I only watched his first AB where he had a pitch up in the zone to hit and he hit it hard to RF. Wieters is going to be a monster real soon but expect some bumps along the way.
- Alcides Escobar (Mil SS) is now taking GBs at 2B and could be the replacement for Weeks in the short-term. I think this would be a mistake because Weeks looked real good before the injury and he is the long-term solution for the Brewers at 2B. So when you move Escobar to 2B this season you are setting his development back a year at SS and he a no where near ready to hit MLB pitching.
- Eric Young, Jr. (2B Col)- If you are speculating for SBs and have a deep bench, I would pick up Eric Young, Jr who may get called up sometime this season for Colorado. Young has 27 SBs already this season and scouts believe he is the best pure base stealer in the Minors.
-Beerleaguer.com examines the internal options for the Phillies to replace Myers
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wieters and FMart are Here
Tonight is the night Baltimore fans have been waiting for since they passed on Tim Lincecum for Billy Rowell in the draft. Matt Wieters is making his MLB debut tonight vs. Willis and he has lofty expectations as some are comparing his offense to Piazza and his defense to Pudge. Anyone who follows prospects has to be excited to finally see this kid play against the top competition. Wieters went on a tear in his final 10 AAA games hitting .368, including a 4-4 night in his last AAA game, pulling his overall average to .308.
The Mets have called up top prospect Fernando Martinez to replace Church, who is on the DL, in RF. I think that this move is temporary until they get healthy but if he hits Church could lose his spot or at least some ABs.
With the movement of Wieters and Price, the demotion of Matt LaPorta and Travis Snider slipped many radar screens. Both were struggling as LaPorta was hitting .190 with 1 HR, 4 RBI and a .547 OPS while Snider was hitting .242 with 3 HR, 12 RBI and a .686 OPS. I was very surprised to see the Jays demote Snider because he is a major head case and this may rattle him a bit.
Other News:
Brett Myers may be out for the year
MLB.com predicting top 20 picks in June Draft
Posada to return on Friday
The Mets have called up top prospect Fernando Martinez to replace Church, who is on the DL, in RF. I think that this move is temporary until they get healthy but if he hits Church could lose his spot or at least some ABs.
With the movement of Wieters and Price, the demotion of Matt LaPorta and Travis Snider slipped many radar screens. Both were struggling as LaPorta was hitting .190 with 1 HR, 4 RBI and a .547 OPS while Snider was hitting .242 with 3 HR, 12 RBI and a .686 OPS. I was very surprised to see the Jays demote Snider because he is a major head case and this may rattle him a bit.
Other News:
Brett Myers may be out for the year
MLB.com predicting top 20 picks in June Draft
Posada to return on Friday
Monday, May 25, 2009
Either Really Missing Manny
When Manny went down I wrote that Either would struggle and Kemp would benefit and that is exactly what is happening (full disclosure I also thought Hudson would struugle and he has done just fine). Either exploded when the Dodgers landed Manny last season and now he just isn't getting the same pitches without him in the line-up. Since May 7, when Manny was busted popping fertility drugs, Either is 8-56 for a .142 AVG, 0 HR, and 3 RBIs. Kemp is hitting .313 sine May 7th but his still isn't hitting for power.
Fernando Martinez May Be On His Way
"Ryan Church is set to have an MRI on Monday to find out if he has a strain in the right hamstring. He could be headed to the DL either way. A source toldthe NY Daily News. that almost certainly would result in Martinez’s promotion since regular playing time would be available."
YTD Martinez is hitting .291 with 8 HR and a 31:11 K:BB ratio.
David Price Evaluation:
IP: 3.1
K: 6
BB: 5
H: 4
ER: 2
PC: 100 (57 for Strikes)
It was good to see the Rays stretch him out with 100 pitches but this was a start where he couldn't get out of his own way. 100 pitches in only 3.1 IP is very inefficient as I didn't see his start but from his line he seemed very wild. I wouldn't hit the panic button just yet and in a non-keeper league I wouldn't be buying either.
According to the St Petersburg Times, "LHP David Price's promotion won't be official today as the Rays shuffle their planned roster moves following Akinori Iwamura's injury. But when he takes the mound tonight in Cleveland, the Rays expect it to be the start of something long-lasting and special. "When you develop a player like David Price, you always try to pick your spots so that when he arrives, he stays," manager Joe Maddon said. Price will get the chance, as he takes Scott Kazmir's spot in the rotation unbridled by the 75-pitch limits and cautious handling the Rays had him under in the minor leagues. Maddon said Price, 23, will be treated like the other starters, with an adjustable limit of 90-100 pitches. "It's kind of like taking a race horse out there and always holding him back a bit," Maddon said. "Now we're going to kind of let him go." Price was a postseason sensation in relief, but the Rays didn't think he was ready for starting duty at the beginning of the season. They sent him to Triple-A Durham and he went 1-4, 3.93 in eight restricted starts, and got better as he went, working five no-hit innings with nine strikeouts in his last outing."
Other News:
Lidge's job is safe for now
Iwamura out for the season
Hafner has set-back
Soria ready for assignment
Future First Rounders as been added as a link to www.27pitches.com so check it out.
Fernando Martinez May Be On His Way
"Ryan Church is set to have an MRI on Monday to find out if he has a strain in the right hamstring. He could be headed to the DL either way. A source toldthe NY Daily News. that almost certainly would result in Martinez’s promotion since regular playing time would be available."
YTD Martinez is hitting .291 with 8 HR and a 31:11 K:BB ratio.
David Price Evaluation:
IP: 3.1
K: 6
BB: 5
H: 4
ER: 2
PC: 100 (57 for Strikes)
It was good to see the Rays stretch him out with 100 pitches but this was a start where he couldn't get out of his own way. 100 pitches in only 3.1 IP is very inefficient as I didn't see his start but from his line he seemed very wild. I wouldn't hit the panic button just yet and in a non-keeper league I wouldn't be buying either.
According to the St Petersburg Times, "LHP David Price's promotion won't be official today as the Rays shuffle their planned roster moves following Akinori Iwamura's injury. But when he takes the mound tonight in Cleveland, the Rays expect it to be the start of something long-lasting and special. "When you develop a player like David Price, you always try to pick your spots so that when he arrives, he stays," manager Joe Maddon said. Price will get the chance, as he takes Scott Kazmir's spot in the rotation unbridled by the 75-pitch limits and cautious handling the Rays had him under in the minor leagues. Maddon said Price, 23, will be treated like the other starters, with an adjustable limit of 90-100 pitches. "It's kind of like taking a race horse out there and always holding him back a bit," Maddon said. "Now we're going to kind of let him go." Price was a postseason sensation in relief, but the Rays didn't think he was ready for starting duty at the beginning of the season. They sent him to Triple-A Durham and he went 1-4, 3.93 in eight restricted starts, and got better as he went, working five no-hit innings with nine strikeouts in his last outing."
Other News:
Lidge's job is safe for now
Iwamura out for the season
Hafner has set-back
Soria ready for assignment
Future First Rounders as been added as a link to www.27pitches.com so check it out.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Ordonez's Contract Clause
The rumblings that the Tigers may cut Magglio is due to the contract vesting clauses, listed below, in Magglio's contract with the Tigers:
2010 option guaranteed at $18M if Ordonez has:
135 starts or 540 PAs in 2009, or
270 starts or 1,080 PAs in 2008-09
2011 option guaranteed at $15M if Ordonez has:
135 starts or 540 PAs in 2010, or
270 starts or 1,080 PAs in 2009-10
Crawford Running Wild:
The fear that Carl Crawford will not run as much as 2006-2007 is officially over. Crawford is 25 for 25 in 2009 and that matches is SB total for all of 2008. These SBs are needed as the power just isn't there from Crawford. After his 2006 season when he had 18 HRs and 58 SBs, he vaulted into the 1st round in many fantasy leagues in 2007. He only hit 11 HR in 2007, 8 HR in 2008 and he currently has 1 HR in 173 ABs this season.
2010 option guaranteed at $18M if Ordonez has:
135 starts or 540 PAs in 2009, or
270 starts or 1,080 PAs in 2008-09
2011 option guaranteed at $15M if Ordonez has:
135 starts or 540 PAs in 2010, or
270 starts or 1,080 PAs in 2009-10
Crawford Running Wild:
The fear that Carl Crawford will not run as much as 2006-2007 is officially over. Crawford is 25 for 25 in 2009 and that matches is SB total for all of 2008. These SBs are needed as the power just isn't there from Crawford. After his 2006 season when he had 18 HRs and 58 SBs, he vaulted into the 1st round in many fantasy leagues in 2007. He only hit 11 HR in 2007, 8 HR in 2008 and he currently has 1 HR in 173 ABs this season.
Friday, May 22, 2009
David Price Replacing Kazmir
The Tampa Tribune is reporting that David Price will start on Monday in place of Scott Kazmir, who has been placed on the 15 day DL with a quad strain.
As it has been noted Price has really struggled so far this season but I really think he will right his ship in the majors.
W:1
L:4
ERA: 3.93
IP: 34.1
BB: 18
K: 35
-Last year in the regular season Price pitched 14 IP with a 1.93 ERA striking out 7.7 per 9 and he was straight nasty in the playoffs.
-Lou Piniella is thinking about moving Soriano back to 2nd base to make room for Micah Hoffpauir
-Gerardo Parra, ARI CF, is hitting a .344 this season since being promoted and he is a great power/speed combo that will get a bunch of ABs this season. If he is still available in your league I would spend the FAAB to get him. In the minors this season he was hitting .361, 3 HR with 22 BBs and only 13 Ks. He is killing RHP hitting .390 and had 7 SBs before making the big leagues.
Draft Facts:
With the talk of Boras asking $50 Million to sign Strasburg, if you are wondering why they don't trade the pick away to the Yankees or the Redsox the reason is you are not allowed to trade picks in the MLB draft. Actually a player must remain with the team that signs them for 1 year to prevent teams from drafting a player and unloading them to the big money teams. In the Peavy deal, there were talks of Gordon Beckman going to SD, but he would need to be the player-to-be-named-later in the deal until he reaches the 1 mark with Chicago.
Other News:
Strasburg left game with cramps
Harden back home on the DL
Peter Gammons talks UNC baseball
Buster Posey vs. Santana
14 Minor League Pitchers who have 30% K-Rates
Spotlight on Desmond Jennings
Peavy says no to the Windy City
LIMA Plan examined
As it has been noted Price has really struggled so far this season but I really think he will right his ship in the majors.
W:1
L:4
ERA: 3.93
IP: 34.1
BB: 18
K: 35
-Last year in the regular season Price pitched 14 IP with a 1.93 ERA striking out 7.7 per 9 and he was straight nasty in the playoffs.
-Lou Piniella is thinking about moving Soriano back to 2nd base to make room for Micah Hoffpauir
-Gerardo Parra, ARI CF, is hitting a .344 this season since being promoted and he is a great power/speed combo that will get a bunch of ABs this season. If he is still available in your league I would spend the FAAB to get him. In the minors this season he was hitting .361, 3 HR with 22 BBs and only 13 Ks. He is killing RHP hitting .390 and had 7 SBs before making the big leagues.
Draft Facts:
With the talk of Boras asking $50 Million to sign Strasburg, if you are wondering why they don't trade the pick away to the Yankees or the Redsox the reason is you are not allowed to trade picks in the MLB draft. Actually a player must remain with the team that signs them for 1 year to prevent teams from drafting a player and unloading them to the big money teams. In the Peavy deal, there were talks of Gordon Beckman going to SD, but he would need to be the player-to-be-named-later in the deal until he reaches the 1 mark with Chicago.
Other News:
Strasburg left game with cramps
Harden back home on the DL
Peter Gammons talks UNC baseball
Buster Posey vs. Santana
14 Minor League Pitchers who have 30% K-Rates
Spotlight on Desmond Jennings
Peavy says no to the Windy City
LIMA Plan examined
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Mock Draft
Below is a Mock Draft on the 2009 June MLB Amatuer Draft.
1. Nationals -- RHP Stephen Strasburg, San Diego State
2. Mariners -- RHP Jacob Turner, Westminster Christian Academy
3. Padres --1B Dustin Ackley, University of North Carolina
4. Pirates -- RHP Alex White, University of North Carolina
5. Orioles -- LHP Tyler Matzek, Capastrano Valley HS
6. Giants -- RHP Tanner Scheppers, St. Paul Saints
7. Braves -- OF Donavan Tate, Cartersville HS
8. Reds -- RHP Kyle Gibson, University of Missouri
9. Tigers -- RHP Shelby Miller, Brownwood HS
10. Nationals -- RHP Matthew Purke, Klein HS
11. Rockies -- 1B Rich Poythress, University of Georgia
12. Royals -- RHP Aaron Crow, Fort Worth Cats
13. Athletics -- SS Grant Green, University of South Carolina
14. Rangers -- RHP Zach Wheeler, East Paulding Co. HS
15. Indians -- RHP Mike Leake, Arizona State University
Grant Green going #13 is a huge drop off for him as he was the favorite to follow Strasburg when the season began. 11 of the first 15 picks are pitchers as this draft is thought to be very pitching heavy.
Strasburg Update from 5/14 outing:
7IP, 6H, 2ER, 1BB, 10K. On the year now - 12-0 with a 1.34 ERA, 18BB/174K, and a .167 BAA in 94 1/3IP.
Other News:
Washington Post Article on Strasburg
D-Train looks solid in 2nd game this season
1. Nationals -- RHP Stephen Strasburg, San Diego State
2. Mariners -- RHP Jacob Turner, Westminster Christian Academy
3. Padres --1B Dustin Ackley, University of North Carolina
4. Pirates -- RHP Alex White, University of North Carolina
5. Orioles -- LHP Tyler Matzek, Capastrano Valley HS
6. Giants -- RHP Tanner Scheppers, St. Paul Saints
7. Braves -- OF Donavan Tate, Cartersville HS
8. Reds -- RHP Kyle Gibson, University of Missouri
9. Tigers -- RHP Shelby Miller, Brownwood HS
10. Nationals -- RHP Matthew Purke, Klein HS
11. Rockies -- 1B Rich Poythress, University of Georgia
12. Royals -- RHP Aaron Crow, Fort Worth Cats
13. Athletics -- SS Grant Green, University of South Carolina
14. Rangers -- RHP Zach Wheeler, East Paulding Co. HS
15. Indians -- RHP Mike Leake, Arizona State University
Grant Green going #13 is a huge drop off for him as he was the favorite to follow Strasburg when the season began. 11 of the first 15 picks are pitchers as this draft is thought to be very pitching heavy.
Strasburg Update from 5/14 outing:
7IP, 6H, 2ER, 1BB, 10K. On the year now - 12-0 with a 1.34 ERA, 18BB/174K, and a .167 BAA in 94 1/3IP.
Other News:
Washington Post Article on Strasburg
D-Train looks solid in 2nd game this season
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Gamel and Reimold Get the Call
Matt Gamel (Brewers) and Nolan Reimold (Baltimore) have been promoted to the majors. Both of these guys are off to blazing starts in AAA and should be considered in deep fantasy leagues. With interleague play coming up, the Brewers will probably use Gamel as the DH and see how he takes to MLB pitching. The Orioles have some injury concerns with Adam Jones and Luke Scott so Reimold will get plenty of ABs early and he could stick around if he performs well. The knock on Gamel is that he has bricks for hands at 3B but he can rake with the best of them. This sounds very similar to when the Brewers called another butcher of a 3B who could hit......Ryan Bruan. I think the success of Braun will create interest in Gamel. Below are the YTD stats for both players
Gamel- .336 with 8 HR, 31 RBI, 1.075 OPS and he is hitting .425 vs LHP.
Reimold- .394 with 9 HR, and has 6 SBs.
Random Rant of the Day:
It bothers me that the Giants intentionally walked Zimmerman in the 7th inning in the middle of a 30 game hit streak. I fully understand that the Giants are trying to win the game and Zimmerman is the best hitter in the line-up but there are unwritten rules like don't bunt late in the game if the other pitcher has a no-hitter and there are others. Zimmerman got another AB and his streak was snapped at 30 games, so now there is no reason to check Washington's boxscores.
Twitter:
I am a self proclaimed fantasy news whore and I have found a new channel to feed my obession and that is Twitter. Twitter was foregin to me until Mnday when I kept seeing it all over ESPN and decided to see what the hell it is. To my surprise you can get all kinds of instant info from this site. You sign on to "follow" certain people and you recieve their messages throughout the day. The article here, from Hardball Times, list some of the best baseball sites to follow. Here is the site that compiles all the sports figures that use Twittwer
Who am I Answer??
The winless prospect that I was refering to was Msx Scherzer. This really surprised me becuase I assumed that he got a W got he busted on the scene last season. Scherzer averages more pitches per batter then any other pitcher in the National League.
Other News:
Lackey and Erv are joining Angels rotation
Manny drops appeal
MLB.com clip with Strasburg
No Structural Damage for Soria
Later this week I am writing a detailed post about David Ortiz and his terrible start to the season. If you have suggestions or comments emial me at www.futurefirstrounder@gmail.com or leave a message in the comment field.
Gamel- .336 with 8 HR, 31 RBI, 1.075 OPS and he is hitting .425 vs LHP.
Reimold- .394 with 9 HR, and has 6 SBs.
Random Rant of the Day:
It bothers me that the Giants intentionally walked Zimmerman in the 7th inning in the middle of a 30 game hit streak. I fully understand that the Giants are trying to win the game and Zimmerman is the best hitter in the line-up but there are unwritten rules like don't bunt late in the game if the other pitcher has a no-hitter and there are others. Zimmerman got another AB and his streak was snapped at 30 games, so now there is no reason to check Washington's boxscores.
Twitter:
I am a self proclaimed fantasy news whore and I have found a new channel to feed my obession and that is Twitter. Twitter was foregin to me until Mnday when I kept seeing it all over ESPN and decided to see what the hell it is. To my surprise you can get all kinds of instant info from this site. You sign on to "follow" certain people and you recieve their messages throughout the day. The article here, from Hardball Times, list some of the best baseball sites to follow. Here is the site that compiles all the sports figures that use Twittwer
Who am I Answer??
The winless prospect that I was refering to was Msx Scherzer. This really surprised me becuase I assumed that he got a W got he busted on the scene last season. Scherzer averages more pitches per batter then any other pitcher in the National League.
Other News:
Lackey and Erv are joining Angels rotation
Manny drops appeal
MLB.com clip with Strasburg
No Structural Damage for Soria
Later this week I am writing a detailed post about David Ortiz and his terrible start to the season. If you have suggestions or comments emial me at www.futurefirstrounder@gmail.com or leave a message in the comment field.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Down on the Farm as of 5/11/2009
Hitters:
Justin Smoak-.355 AVG, 5 HR, 24 BB, 18 K. Smoak is hitting .219 vs LHP and .410 vs RHP
Matt Wieters- .301 AVG, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 15 BB, 18 K and hitting .364 in last 10 games
Austin Jackson- .360 AVG, 0 HR, 13 RBI, and 7 SBs
Buster Posey-.299, 5 HR, 19 K, 14 BB and hitting .179 in last 10 games
Matt Gamel-.339 AVG, 8 HR, 31 RBI, 33 K, 19 BB and is hitting .425 vs LHP
Nolan Reimold-.381 AVG, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 5 SBs and is hitting .536 vs LHP
F. Martinez- .278 AVG, 3 HR, 24 K, 7 BB, and 0 SBs
Yonder Alonso-.279 AVG, 5 HR, 18 K, 12 BB
Jason Heyward-.261 AVG, 4 HR and 2 SB
Pitchers:
David Price-1-4 with a 4.74 ERA, 27.2 IP, 21 K, and 16 BB
Madison Bumgarner-3-1 with a 1.48 ERA, 24.1 IP, 23 K, and 10 BB
Tommy Hanson-1-3 with a 1.99 ERA, 40.1 IP, 57 K, and 13 BB
Daniel Bard- 1.13 ERA with 6 saves in 16 IP and 29 K
Carlos Carrasco-0-3 with a 5.46 ERA, 31.1 IP, 34 K, and 6 BB
The biggest surprise so far this season is the performance (or lack thereof) of David Price. Maybe Price is bored with the minor leagues after closing out game 7 against the Redsox to go to the World Series last season for the Rays. Price will be in the majors this season and I am by no means worried about him but he is showing cracks in his armour.
Who am I?
I am a highly touted prospect who is only 24 years old. I have started 13 games, pitched in relief as well, totaling 87.2 IP and 95 Ks. I have a WHIP of 1.278 and 9.8 k/9 rate. The most intresting fact is that I am winless for my career at 0-7. Who am I??
Other News
Jon Mayo on the upcoming Draft
YTD scouting report for Rick Porcello
Maybin sent down to AAA
Justin Smoak-.355 AVG, 5 HR, 24 BB, 18 K. Smoak is hitting .219 vs LHP and .410 vs RHP
Matt Wieters- .301 AVG, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 15 BB, 18 K and hitting .364 in last 10 games
Austin Jackson- .360 AVG, 0 HR, 13 RBI, and 7 SBs
Buster Posey-.299, 5 HR, 19 K, 14 BB and hitting .179 in last 10 games
Matt Gamel-.339 AVG, 8 HR, 31 RBI, 33 K, 19 BB and is hitting .425 vs LHP
Nolan Reimold-.381 AVG, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 5 SBs and is hitting .536 vs LHP
F. Martinez- .278 AVG, 3 HR, 24 K, 7 BB, and 0 SBs
Yonder Alonso-.279 AVG, 5 HR, 18 K, 12 BB
Jason Heyward-.261 AVG, 4 HR and 2 SB
Pitchers:
David Price-1-4 with a 4.74 ERA, 27.2 IP, 21 K, and 16 BB
Madison Bumgarner-3-1 with a 1.48 ERA, 24.1 IP, 23 K, and 10 BB
Tommy Hanson-1-3 with a 1.99 ERA, 40.1 IP, 57 K, and 13 BB
Daniel Bard- 1.13 ERA with 6 saves in 16 IP and 29 K
Carlos Carrasco-0-3 with a 5.46 ERA, 31.1 IP, 34 K, and 6 BB
The biggest surprise so far this season is the performance (or lack thereof) of David Price. Maybe Price is bored with the minor leagues after closing out game 7 against the Redsox to go to the World Series last season for the Rays. Price will be in the majors this season and I am by no means worried about him but he is showing cracks in his armour.
Who am I?
I am a highly touted prospect who is only 24 years old. I have started 13 games, pitched in relief as well, totaling 87.2 IP and 95 Ks. I have a WHIP of 1.278 and 9.8 k/9 rate. The most intresting fact is that I am winless for my career at 0-7. Who am I??
Other News
Jon Mayo on the upcoming Draft
YTD scouting report for Rick Porcello
Maybin sent down to AAA
Monday, May 11, 2009
Strasburg No-Hits Air Force
Strasburg No-Hit Air Force on Friday night in his final home start of his college career.
Final line: 9-0-0-0-2-17
On the season, he's now 11-0, 1.24 ERA, 87.1 IP, 48 H, 17 BB, 164 Ks. This kid is the most hyped prospect ever in the draft era. It is being reported that Boras is going to ask $50 million for the Nats to sign him which is 5 times Mark Prior's record in 2001. Scouts say he could be an immediate impact player in 2009 if the Nats are willing to use him after the June draft. I doubt they are going to mess around with that giving the amount of money they are going to invest in him. You can listen to Baseball America's draft podcast here.
Evidence that Baseball Scouting is like playing darts:
This is straight from Baseball America's scouting report for Grienke in 2002
"He commands all three pitches very well, and scouts like his poise and mental toughness"
Draft Term:
Unprotected Pick: An Unprotected pick is one that is a compensatory pick from the previous draft for not signing a player. For example the Nationals have 2 picks in the top 10 (first time this has happened in the draft era) because they didn't sign 2008 1st round pick Aaron Crow, so if they don't sign the player they take with the 2008 compensatory pick, they will not receive an extra pick in 2010. This is why you will see them take a very safe player who is willing to sign for slot or below slot money.
Other News:
Baseball America Weekly Prospect Hotsheet
Minor League Notebook weekly Podcast
Alderson and Bumgarner Promoted to AA
Redsox promote RP Bard
Soria Placed on 15 Day DL
Final line: 9-0-0-0-2-17
On the season, he's now 11-0, 1.24 ERA, 87.1 IP, 48 H, 17 BB, 164 Ks. This kid is the most hyped prospect ever in the draft era. It is being reported that Boras is going to ask $50 million for the Nats to sign him which is 5 times Mark Prior's record in 2001. Scouts say he could be an immediate impact player in 2009 if the Nats are willing to use him after the June draft. I doubt they are going to mess around with that giving the amount of money they are going to invest in him. You can listen to Baseball America's draft podcast here.
Evidence that Baseball Scouting is like playing darts:
This is straight from Baseball America's scouting report for Grienke in 2002
"He commands all three pitches very well, and scouts like his poise and mental toughness"
Draft Term:
Unprotected Pick: An Unprotected pick is one that is a compensatory pick from the previous draft for not signing a player. For example the Nationals have 2 picks in the top 10 (first time this has happened in the draft era) because they didn't sign 2008 1st round pick Aaron Crow, so if they don't sign the player they take with the 2008 compensatory pick, they will not receive an extra pick in 2010. This is why you will see them take a very safe player who is willing to sign for slot or below slot money.
Other News:
Baseball America Weekly Prospect Hotsheet
Minor League Notebook weekly Podcast
Alderson and Bumgarner Promoted to AA
Redsox promote RP Bard
Soria Placed on 15 Day DL
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Manny......Gone
I am sure everyone already has heard that Manny will miss the next 50 games for using PEDs. In my opinion, except for Manny himself, Either and Hudson are the biggest losers and Kemp will be the biggest winner from this suspension. Below is an excerpt from a previous post about the arrival of Manny and the impact on Either's performance.
Andre Ethier was having a pretty average year before Manny came on board as he hit .271 with 7 HR in the first half and then exploded after Manny protected him in the LAD line-up. Manny came over to LA on July 31 and lets examine his numbers on a monthly basis:
Pre Manny
April- Avg: .329 HR: 7 SLG: .482
May- Avg: .292 HR: 2 SLG: .416
June- Avg: .195 HR: 3 SLG: .390
July- Avg: .281HR: 4 SLG: .490
With Manny
August- Avg: .292 HR: 7 SLG: .615
September- Avg: .462 HR: 2 SLG: .692
To sum it up, after Manny arrived in LA Either hit .367 with 9 HRs with a SLG % of .643 and an impressive OPS of 1.08. Ethier is 26 and will be entering his prime hitting age in 2009 and I think a breakout season is in store for Either.
Kemp for some odd reason is batting 6th/7th and he will obviously move higher in the line-up which will give him more RBI opportunities. I would not be selling Eitherduring these 50 games especially in a keeper league but if he does slip up I would be actively trying to aquire him close to July when Manny returns.
Random Rant:
I can't stand the fact that everytime a closer gets shit-blasted in an outing they always say they are hurt. Matt Capps is the lastest closer who got shelled and then sprinted to a MRI machine. Capps will be fine for this upcoming weekend series but I compare these guys to young kids who screw up and act hurt to deflect the attention to the fact they were caught stealing to lose the damn game.
Andre Ethier was having a pretty average year before Manny came on board as he hit .271 with 7 HR in the first half and then exploded after Manny protected him in the LAD line-up. Manny came over to LA on July 31 and lets examine his numbers on a monthly basis:
Pre Manny
April- Avg: .329 HR: 7 SLG: .482
May- Avg: .292 HR: 2 SLG: .416
June- Avg: .195 HR: 3 SLG: .390
July- Avg: .281HR: 4 SLG: .490
With Manny
August- Avg: .292 HR: 7 SLG: .615
September- Avg: .462 HR: 2 SLG: .692
To sum it up, after Manny arrived in LA Either hit .367 with 9 HRs with a SLG % of .643 and an impressive OPS of 1.08. Ethier is 26 and will be entering his prime hitting age in 2009 and I think a breakout season is in store for Either.
Kemp for some odd reason is batting 6th/7th and he will obviously move higher in the line-up which will give him more RBI opportunities. I would not be selling Eitherduring these 50 games especially in a keeper league but if he does slip up I would be actively trying to aquire him close to July when Manny returns.
Random Rant:
I can't stand the fact that everytime a closer gets shit-blasted in an outing they always say they are hurt. Matt Capps is the lastest closer who got shelled and then sprinted to a MRI machine. Capps will be fine for this upcoming weekend series but I compare these guys to young kids who screw up and act hurt to deflect the attention to the fact they were caught stealing to lose the damn game.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Examining Bullpens
Whenever a cloer loses his job or is on the brink of losing it owners go bananas on the Waiver Wire to grab the replacement (i.e. Huston Street went for $496 out of a $1000 annual budget in my NFBC league!). A lot of times the next guy isn't worth owning and will hurt your ERA and WHIP just you grab a few saves. I suggest that you get ahead of the curve and target pitchers with the best "skills" within the bullpen and not always the annointed back-up closer. The Florida Marlins are a prime example of this situation as most people think Nunez is the guy after Lindstrom but in reality Kiko Calero has been much more effective this season with a 2.08 ERA, 12.5 K/9, and a 4.5 K:BB ratio. As for Nunez he has a 2.84 ERA, 6.4 k/9 and a 1.5 K:BB ratio. when you just look at the 2.84 ERA, for Nunez, it can be misleading as only 21% of his balls hit in play are falling in for hits and when this number normalizes his ERA will be corrected. The Twins Bullpen has no issues with a closer but they have a young LHP fireballer who is worth a look in Jose Mijares. Mijares has only pitched 4.7 IP this season but has a 15.4 K/9 and a K:BB ratio of 8, 0.00 ERA and a .64 WHIP. The goal of this post is to get ahead of other owners so if something were to happen to Nathan the bidding on this guy would go crazy. He is also a type of pitcher that you can throw in your line-up and not be worried and about damaging any of your categories. The Oakland A's have two pitchers that should be on your radar for speculation and they are Andrew Bailey and Mike Wuertz. I have zero faith in Ziegler and I predict one of these guys start to grab saves from him very soon (Wuertz already has 2 saves). Wuertz has pitched 13.7 innings with 8.6 Ks per 9, a 1.98 ERA and a WHIP of .88. Bailey has thrown 17.7 IP has recored 3 Ws and has posted a 1.53 ERA and .74 WHIP. Wuertz has better control then Bailey but Bailey strikes more people out, so both guys could get a chance at saves this season.
Charlie Manual is concered about Myers:
"His fastball, it doesn't have the velocity it used to have, it doesn't have the movement," Manuel said. "He has to locate it. . . . He topped out around 87-88. . . . I'm concerned about it.
Other News:
Hamiliton at 85%
Joba's mom dealing Meth to Cops
Buster Olney think Crawford could get 100 Bags
Utley out with sore foot
Mike Lupica on Joba's outing
Rick Porcello impressive vs Twins
AROD goes 3-6 with 2 Bombs
Posada goes on the DL with Hamstring injury
Charlie Manual is concered about Myers:
"His fastball, it doesn't have the velocity it used to have, it doesn't have the movement," Manuel said. "He has to locate it. . . . He topped out around 87-88. . . . I'm concerned about it.
Other News:
Hamiliton at 85%
Joba's mom dealing Meth to Cops
Buster Olney think Crawford could get 100 Bags
Utley out with sore foot
Mike Lupica on Joba's outing
Rick Porcello impressive vs Twins
AROD goes 3-6 with 2 Bombs
Posada goes on the DL with Hamstring injury
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Grienke's Meds are Working
Until last night, I have completely ignored the start by Zack Grienke because I don't own him in any league and I was praying he would go away. Donald Zachary Grienke RHP is 25 years old and was born in Orlando, Fl. He is listed at 6'2 185 lbs and was selected 6th overall by KC in the 2002 amateur draft Since Pundits are comparing him to Bob Gibson, I decided to watch his start last night and my conclusion is that this kid is for real. The hits that he did give up were broken bats and bloops singles and he was always ahead in the count which had the Sox completely guessing. The complete Pitch F/X data for his start last night can be seen here. Grienke is a fastball-slider pitcher and he has amazing command of both pitches and he mixes in a curve/change-up to make it interesting. His FB is clocked at 94-97 MPH and his slider is his out pitch. During his start last night he threw his slider for a strike 86.67% of the time. Grienke is extremely efficient with his pitches as the most pitches he threw in an inning last night was 14 and he had under 10 pitches twice. Looking over his splits the season you have to swing early in the count if you plan on reaching base: Opponents are hitting .368 with a 0-0 count, .077 with a 0-1 count, .071 with a 0-2 count, and .067 when he runs the count full. He has only gone to 3-1 five times this season and batters are hitting .400 off him. Grienke starting to show off his skills in the 2nd half of last season but nobody could have predicting this, except for the many voices that are roaming in his head.
2009 YTD:
Wins: 6
Losses: 0
IP: 45
K: 54
BB: 8
ERA: .40
WHIP: .84
BB/9: 1.6
K/9: 10.8
The combination of walking 1.6 per 9 and fanning 10.8 is a recipe for success. He can't keep this pace up but fantasy owners are sure enjoying that mid-round pick for now.
Related Grienke Articles:
Grienke shuts out Sox
Grienke is Magic
Grienke is helping all Royals
Other News:
Big Z hits the DL
Posada leaves game and will get MRI
How Sebieu Lions spent Dice-K posting fee
2009 YTD:
Wins: 6
Losses: 0
IP: 45
K: 54
BB: 8
ERA: .40
WHIP: .84
BB/9: 1.6
K/9: 10.8
The combination of walking 1.6 per 9 and fanning 10.8 is a recipe for success. He can't keep this pace up but fantasy owners are sure enjoying that mid-round pick for now.
Related Grienke Articles:
Grienke shuts out Sox
Grienke is Magic
Grienke is helping all Royals
Other News:
Big Z hits the DL
Posada leaves game and will get MRI
How Sebieu Lions spent Dice-K posting fee
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