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Here’s an early peek at the RotoAce 2012 fantasy baseball rankings for starting pitcher. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Los Angeles Angels’ Category
Early fantasy baseball rankings: Shortstop
Here’s an early peek at the RotoAce 2012 fantasy baseball rankings for shortstop.
1. Tro
y Tulowitzki: Injuries again caught up to Tulo last season, but not until September in the form of a sore hip or before he had put up his customary huge numbers. He enters his age-27 season primed for a career year if he can avoid the injury bug.
2. Jose Reyes (left): The old hamstring issues cropped up again last season, taking a little of the luster off an otherwise spectacular season that saw him win the NL batting crown with a .337 mark. Now he’s taking his electrifying game to Miami, where he’ll try to live up to his $106 million contract with the Marlins while in his prime at age 28. (more…)
Early Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Second Base
Here’s an early peek at the RotoAce 2012 fantasy baseball rankings for second base.
1. Robinson Cano (left): The Yankees’ most consistent hitter is a safe bet to turn in elite numbers everywhere except steals, and even there he turned in a career-high eight last season. The 29-year-old is a slam dunk to be a top-10 overall pick.
2. Dustin Pedroia: Bouncing back from a 2010 season half-ruined by a fractured ankle, Boston’s sparkplug put up career highs in homers, RBIs and steals. Entering his age-28 season, Pedroia is at the height of his powers. (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…)
StockWatch: Monday, June 27
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Monday, June 27.
Stock Up
Brandon Phillips (98%) has caught fire with six multi-hit games in his past seven contests, going 16-for-32 with a homer and seven RBIs. He was 4-for-5 on Monday to raise his average to .299. Phillips hasn’t attempted a steal during this stretch despite being on base constantly – not a good sign for a guy with just four steals who averaged 24 thefts from 2006-10. The power is way down too, as Phillips has just six after averaging 21 homers over the past five seasons. Phillips turns 30 tomorrow and is already showing signs of decline after dipping to 18 homers and 16 steals in 28 attempts last season. He’s still an excellent option at second base, but the production isn’t matching the name value. This makes him someone to sell rather than buy unless you believe this recent hot stretch is a sign of good things to come.
Aramis Ramirez (91%) is much like Phillips, an aging star who is making up for a slow start. Ramirez went 3-for-4 with two homers and a double against the Rockies on Monday. He is 8-for-16 with three homers and two doubles in his past four games, raising his average to .289. Ramirez’s stats were down last year too, but he went on an extended binge at about this time – hitting a combined .307 with 14 homers and 46 RBIs last July -August. With the ball starting to fly out of Wrigley Field with regularity (Ramirez was one of three players with two homers there on Monday), he is someone to target for possible big returns. (more…)
Spotlight: Tyler Chatwood
Tyler Chatwood has looked good so far, but trust us on this one: Sell him fast. (more…)
StockWatch: Wednesday, May 18
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Wednesday, May 18.
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Bartolo Colon (28%) pitched his best game of the season, going eight scoreless innings with three hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. Colon lowered his ERA to 3.16 and has a 48-11 K-BB ratio in 51.1 IP. His xFIP sits at a glittering 2.89, which is more than a full run better than his career best of 3.91 in 2005, when he won the AL Cy Young. At this point, the only worry is his health and whether those stem cells help stave off injuries.
Jonathon Niese (8%) finally pitched a stellar game like he had several of in the first half of last season – 7 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. Niese can be a pretty solid mixed-league SP, as evidenced by his first half last year (3.61 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 7.3 K/9). With his current xFIP of 3.85 nearly matching last season’s 3.80, he should be owned in deeper mixed leagues and has the upside to be a must-start. (more…)
StockWatch: Monday, May 16
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses.
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Fernando Salas (28%) took over as the head of the Cardinals’ closer by committee, pitching a perfect ninth inning for his fourth save. Salas has been superb this season, holding opponents to a .161 batting average with a 1.08 ERA a 0.84 WHIP, so there’s a chance he could emerge as the permanent solution. It’s worth noting that Eduardo Sanchez pitched a scoreless, walk-free eighth inning and could resume closing at some point.
Mark Reynolds (68%) is finally showing signs of life, hitting a homer and stealing a base. Reynolds has now hit in four straight games with two homers, raising his average to .191. There could be a big-time hot stretch coming, or this could just be another tease followed by a strikeout-plagued drought. (more…)
StockWatch: Wednesday, May 11
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses.
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Jason Bartlett (5%) led the Padres’ 23-hit attack by going 4-for-6 with two steals and hitting two RBI singles in an eight-run eighth inning against the Brewers. Bartlett is 8-for-15 in his past three games to raise his average to .256 and now has seven steals. It’s not a coincidence that Bartlett’s three-game uprising has come at the start of a road trip away from Petco Field, where he’s hitting .164 compared to .344 on the road. If you’re looking for steals, grab Bartlett and try to use him for road games. (more…)
StockWatch: Monday, May 9
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses.
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Gaby Sanchez (72%) is on a power binge, going 3-for-4 with his second homer in two days. Sanchez is 7-for-8 with five extra-base hits and six RBIs in that time, good for a 2.000 SLG and an amazing 2.889 OPS. Sanchez is erasing doubts about his power, which was pegged to be around his 19-homer total from last season. But with six homers already, Sanchez could approach 30 and become an elite option at first base.
Josh Willingham (14%) went 2-for-4 with a homer and five RBIs against the Rangers. Willingham should approach 25 homers and 90 RBIs as the A’s cleanup hitter, but could probably be had for a discount since he’s hitting just .235 and it is assumed being in Oakland will limit his power numbers. (more…)
