Subscribe to this RSS feed
Here’s an early peek at the RotoAce 2012 fantasy baseball rankings for outfield. (more…)
Archive for the ‘National League’ 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: Third Base
Here’s an early peek at the RotoAce 2012 fantasy baseball rankings for third base.
1. Jose Bautista (left): No. 1 overall on ESPN’s player rater for last year, he’s already produced one encore for his breakout 2010 season, so who are we to doubt he can do it again. The batting average is likely to fall back below .300, but the power numbers are as elite as they come.
2. Evan Longoria: The Rays star missed a full month yet still managed 31 homers and 99 RBIs, so a healthy season could see him rise to the top of the third base rankings if he can get his average back up. (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…)
Early fantasy baseball rankings: Catcher
Here’s an early peek at the RotoAce 2012 fantasy baseball rankings for catcher.
1. Brian McCann (left): With our No. 1 going down for the season (Victor Martinez), McCann assumes the top spot. He’s as consistent as they come (between 18-24 homers and 71-94 RBIs in each of his six full seasons) and is in his prime entering his age-28 season.
2. Carlos Santana: The .239 average may have disappointed in his first full season, but the counting numbers (27 homers, 84 runs, 79 RBIs, 5 steals) were elite and could get better as he turns just 25 in the first week of the ’12 season. His high walk rate and .291 career minor league average are good signs that his average will be on the rise and give the Indians slugger a chance at the top spot. It helps that the Indians keep his bat in the lineup by playing him at first base when he’s not catching. (more…)
StockWatch: Tuesday, Aug. 9
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Tuesday, Aug. 9.
Stock Up
Kyle Blanks (2%) looked like he was becoming the latest victim of the Petco Park effect, going 3-for-32 in his return from Tommy John surgery that cost him over a calendar year in the majors. After a dreadful 1-for-19 homestand, Blanks has hit the road with a vengeance, collecting two hits in each of his five games on this current road trip. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound beast is 10-for-20 with two homers and seven RBIs in five games, flashing the form that saw him hit 10 homers in 148 ABs with the Padres in 2009. Blanks could be one player who can shake the Petco Park effect, as his enormous power has played well in an albeit small sample size over the previous two seasons combined – eight homers in 126 ABs at home and five homers in 124 ABs on the road. We’re never too crazy about recommending Padres hitters, but Blanks could at least be useful in deep mixed leagues, especially if he can prove capable of hitting in Petco.
Jesus Guzman (26%) is doing his best to prove us wrong about Padres hitters, going 2-for-4 on Tuesday to run his hitting streak to 10 games. Since Anthony Rizzo last started with the Padres on July 19 before being sent down a few days later, Guzman has gone on an amazing tear – 26-for-69 with three homers and 21 RBIs in 19 games. Even more incredible is that Guzman is batting .452 with four homers at home compared to .286 with one homer on the road, showing he has some kind of immunity to the Petco Park effect. The incredible thing is that Guzman is just now getting a shot at regular playing time at age 27 after doing nothing but rake in the minors. Guzman hit .364 in Double-A in 2008, .321 in both 2009-10 at Triple-A and .332 this season with Triple-A Tucson. He has had just moderate power in the minors, averaging 17 homers from 2008-10, but Guzman has blossomed in San Diego with five homers in 119 ABs. Guzman has shown enough to make him a solid sleeper in deeper mixed leagues the rest of the way. (more…)
Spotlight: J.D. Martinez
J.D. Martinez (6%) is doing his best to make Astros fans get over trading away Hunter Pence, going 2-for-4 on Tuesday with his fourth homer in his past six games. During that six-game stretch, Martinez is 9-for-24 with seven runs and 11 RBIs. (more…)
Spotlight: Jose Constanza
OK, so his name sounds like the famous bald character on Seinfeld and Mets fans hate him after a disastrous slide caused a season-ending injury to Daniel Murphy – but we’re here to talk about what Jose Constanza can do for your fantasy team. (more…)
Spotlight: Collin Cowgill
Collin Cowgill has been lighting up the PCL all season despite previously not being thought of as much of a prospect, but the Diamondbacks will finally the diminutive 25-year-old outfielder a chance. Cowgill was called up from the launching pad at Triple-A Reno and should see at least a good share of the at-bats in left field for Arizona. (more…)
