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Here’s an early peek at the RotoAce 2012 fantasy baseball rankings for closers. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Cincinnati Reds’ Category
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: Chris Heisey
Chris Heisey blasted three homers out of the leadoff spot for the Reds, making his case to Reds manager Dusty Baker that it’s time to ditch the three-man platoon in left field. (more…)
StockWatch: Wednesday, June 22
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Wednesday, June 22.
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Johnny Cueto (72%) keeps getting hotter, holding the Yankees to two hits and one run in seven innings with three walks and six strikeouts on Wednesday. Cueto has yet to allow over three earned runs in nine starts since coming off the DL at the beginning of May and has a tidy 1.63 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP. In his last three starts, Cueto is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 19-6 K-BB ratio in 21 IP. It is that improved strikeout rate that has us finally ready to recognize Cueto as a fantasy ace. He had a 5.2 K/9 through his first six starts, but he has stepped it up to 8.1 K/9 in his last three outings. This recent outburst has helped lower his xFIP from the low fours to 3.52. Cueto is still benefitting from a .234 BABIP, but he’s suddenly becoming a groundball pitcher, upping his GB rate from 41.7% last year to 55.9% this season. A drubbing to help correct that low BABIP has to be around the corner, but we could be witnessing the birth of an ace as the results start to line up with the electric stuff Cueto has always flashed. (more…)
StockWatch: Thursday, June 9
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Thursday, June 9.
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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: Sunday, June 5
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Sunday, June 5.
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David Ortiz (89%) is turning back the clock to 2007, when last he was an MVP-caliber force in Boston’s lineup. He was 3-for-4 on Sunday and is 12-for-22 with two homers and six RBIs in his past six games to raise his average to .325. It’s a good sign to see Ortiz not off to the horrid starts that have plagued him in recent seasons, so it’s not unreasonable to expect him to keep this up.
Adam Lind (88%) came off the DL and picked up right where he left off, going 4-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs. Despite missing four weeks with a bad back, Lind has nine homers and 30 RBIs to give the Blue Jays a terrific 1-2 punch in the middle of their lineup with Jose Bautista. (more…)
StockWatch: Thursday, May 26
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Thursday, May 26.
Stock Up
Jay Bruce (97%) was 2-for-4 with a homer and is on a Troy Tulowitzki-caliber hot streak. Bruce had 11 RBIs in the four-game series with the Phillies and is 17-for-35 with six homers and 14 RBIs in his past eight games. Having just turned 24, Bruce is entering his prime years and promises to be one of the game’s premier power hitters for the next decade.
Carl Crawford (98%) is finally back, collecting four hits on Thursday and going 8-for-9 with five runs, five extra-base hits and five RBIs in the past two days combined. Now if only Red Sox manager Terry Francona would return to his senses and put Crawford back in the three-hole. (more…)
