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Early fantasy baseball rankings: DH

Here’s an early peek at the RotoAce 2012 fantasy baseball rankings for designated hitter.

1. David Ortiz (left): Depending on how old you think Big Papi really is, he technically enters his age-36 season coming off a throwback year when he put up a .309-84-29-96-1 line. Ortiz managed to avoid the slow starts that plagued him in the recent past, but expect a little more to go wrong and numbers that come up a bit short of last year.

2. Billy Butler: Eric Hosmer’s arrival sent Butler back to DH, where he put up another solid but not spectacular season. Butler turns 26 in mid-April, so if a power spike is coming then this will likely be the season.

3. Jesus Montero: It took Montero almost two full seasons in Triple-A before finally getting the call to New York, where he was even better than advertised with a .996 OPS and four homers in just 69 plate appearances. Being traded from the Yankees’ offense-friendly lineup and ballpark to the Mariners’ league-worst offense and ballpark will limit Montero’s fantasy impact this season. (more…)

Early fantasy baseball rankings: Outfield

Here’s an early peek at the RotoAce 2012 fantasy baseball rankings for outfield. (more…)

Early Fantasy Baseball Rankings: First Base

Here’s an early peek at the RotoAce 2012 fantasy baseball rankings for first base.

1. Miguel Cabrera (left): It’s finally time for a changing of the guard, as the Tigers’ slugger moves into the top spot that Albert Pujols has inhabited for pretty much the past decade. Cabrera is smack-dab in the middle of his prime entering his age-28 season while Pujols is embarking on the backside of his career going into his age-32 season. Cabrera won the AL batting crown with a .344 mark and is a safe bet to keep up his trek to Cooperstown.

2. Adrian Gonzalez: Gonzalez didn’t enjoy the power surge many experts were forecasting when leaving San Diego’s Petco Park for Boston’s Fenway Park, but he still put up a fantastic .338-108-27-117-1 line. If the homers pick up, Gonzo could be the No. 1 first baseman in 2012. (more…)

Spotlight: Johnny Giavotella

Johnny Giavotella continues the Royals’ wave of prospects to reach Kansas City this season, coming up on Friday and replacing Chris Getz at second base. “Gio” was ranked as the Royals’ No. 12 prospect by Baseball America coming into the season, but his stock has been on the rise while putting up sparkling numbers at Triple-A Omaha (.338-67-9-72-9). (more…)

StockWatch: Sunday, July 3

Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Sunday, July 3.

Stock Up

Rajai Davis (37%) broke out of a hideous 7-for-76 slump since his last stolen base back on June 4, going 3-for-4 with three steals on Sunday. With the skid likely behind him, it’s a good time to get the speedster in if you’re in need of steals.

Nick Markakis (79%) continued his June rampage on into July, going 5-for-5 with a steal on Sunday. Since June 8, Markakis is 44-for-101 with three homers, 14 RBIs and three steals in 22 games, raising his average from .236 to .296. It’s good to see Markakis sprinkling in some steals, which helps make him a solid mixed-league option going forward. (more…)

StockWatch: Friday, June 24

Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Friday, June 24.

Stock Up

Guillermo Moscoso (1%) is likely the luckiest pitcher in the majors, posting a 2.68 ERA through 37 innings with the A’s despite a 5.72 xFIP. The peripherals are ugly – 3.4 K/9, 4.1 BB/9, .205 BABIP, 25.2% GB and 4.5% HR/FB. So we’ve got a low-strikeout, high-walk, fly-ball pitcher who has been extremely lucky on balls in play … run away!!! Do not pick this guy up despite his gaudy ERA, as ZiPS projects him for a 5.71 ERA the rest of the way.

Derrek Lee (26%) finally hit his first homer since May 8 and is heating up. The 35-year-old went 3-for-5 on Friday and is 14-for-32 with five extra-base hits in his past seven games, raising his average from .214 to .247. This is most likely just a correction up to the mediocre player he has become in his mid-30s, but he’s at least worth getting in deep mixed-league lineups while he’s hot. (more…)

Spotlight: Alcides Escobar

Alcides Escobar (14%) is finally getting it! Escobar had become virtually worthless, as he was hitting .205 on June 4 and hadn’t stolen a base since April 23. (more…)

StockWatch: Thursday, June 9

Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Thursday, June 9.

Stock Up

Jonathon Niese (17%) limited the Brewers to three hits and one run in 7.2 IP with eight strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 3.51. Niese has been on a roll over his past five starts, posting a 1.35 ERA and a 33-11 K-BB over 33.1 IP. Niese has a nice combination of peripherals with a 7.1 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 50.0% GB and 3.61 xFIP and should remain a solid under-the-radar option if you get the chance to add him.

Johnny Cueto (64%) has been nothing short of fantastic since returning from the DL on May 8, going seven shutout innings on Thursday to lower his ERA to 1.93 in seven starts. He even added solid strikeout totals with eight against the Giants, raising his strikeout rate to 6.0 K/9. It’s that strikeout rate that actually has us most concerned, as it’s dropped every season since he debuted with a 8.2 K/9 in 2008. Cueto has upped his groundball rate from 41.7% last year to 54.5% this season, so there are some encouraging signs too. A .230 BABIP contributes to a 3.62 xFIP that is probably more in line with what to expect the rest of the way, so it would be a good time to sell high. (more…)

StockWatch: Monday, June 6

Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Monday, June 6.

Stock Up

Adam Rosales (0%) was a key benefactor in a major roster shakeup for the A’s on Monday, as the 28-year-old former Red will get a chance to stake his claim on third base. Rosales had been on the DL all season recovering from a fractured foot, but he didn’t waste any time by hitting a two-run homer in his second at-bat of the year. Rosales’ foot still isn’t 100 percent, so he’ll be on a two-days-on, one-off schedule for now. Recently-acquired Scott Sizemore was called up and could also see some starts at third now that previous starter Kevin Kouzmanoff has been sent down. And top prospect Jemile Weeks was called up with second baseman Mark Ellis headed to the DL. Weeks should get most of the starts at second with Sizemore also getting a look there. We’ll talk more about Weeks after his major-league debut on Tuesday, so it’s Rosales we’re looking at the closest today. Rosales hit .271 with seven homers and two steals in 255 ABs for the A’s after coming over from the Reds in a deal for Aaron Miles last year. Rosales has a little pop, as he hit a combined .299 with 16 homers and 11 steals in Triple-A in 2008-09. You might be able to catch lightning in a bottle, but the ceiling’s not very high here so think of Rosales as more of a stop-gap until he proves more.

Brennan Boesch (32%) put up the line of the night on Monday – 5-for-6 with two homers and five RBIs. Boesch is 10-for-18 with three homers and seven RBIs in his past four games to raise his average to .278. He can run extremely hot and cold, as evidenced by his rookie season last year when he hit .342 with 12 homers and 49 RBIs before the All-Star break and just .163 with two homers after. With this in mind, it’s time to pounce on him if he’s available and hope he can get on a long roll again. (more…)

StockWatch: Thursday, June 2

Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From the games of Thursday, June 2.

Stock Up

Aubrey Huff (59%) hit three home runs, making it four homers in two days after not hitting one since May 8. Now nobody is suggesting that he’s going to go all Jose Bautista on us, but he did go on a power binge last June and July, hitting 14 of his 26 home runs in those two months alone. He might be beginning one of those hot streaks and is worth an add in most leagues to find out.

Neil Walker (89%) hit his seventh home run and is in the middle of a seven-game hitting streak. Walker looks like he is going to do even better than last season’s numbers, as he is just five homers from matching the 12 he hit in 2010 and also has 37 RBIs already (66 last season). (more…)

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