Archive for the ‘Pittsburgh Pirates’ Category

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StockWatch: Wednesday, June 8

Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Wednesday, June 8.

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Ben Revere (1%) is taking advantage of chance to play regularly in the past week, going 3-for-5 with a steal on Wednesday to lift his average to .302 after an 11-for-30 performance in his past seven games, all consecutive starts. Revere is getting ABs with Jason Kubel on the DL, Denard Span battling dizziness and headaches, and Michael Cuddyer often playing second base while Tsuyoshi Nishioka recovers from a broken leg. Revere moved quickly through the minors on the strength of a combined .326 average and 154 steals in 1490 ABs. What’s not to like about a leadoff hitter with a track record like that? In real-life baseball, Revere has a popgun throwing arm and is allergic to walks, limiting his OBP. Then there’s the logjam of veterans in front of him once Kubel, Span and Nishioka are healthy. Revere is a very worthy AL-only addition right now and someone to target if you’re desperate for steals or in a keeper league, but the speedster is likely headed back to a backup role or even the minors in the near future.

Mark Reynolds (69%) is finally heating up, going 2-for-3 with a homer and a steal on Wednesday. He may still be hitting .199, but Reynolds is 5-for-15 with three homers and eight RBIs in his past five games. If he could just make enough contact to get his average near .250, Reynolds could still be a fantasy force since he’s got a shot to reach 30 homers, 100 RBIs and 10 steals. (more…)

StockWatch: Friday, June 3

Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Friday, June 3.

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Jason Vargas (9%) continues his Jekyll and Hyde ways, hurling a four-hit shutout against the Rays on the heels of a two-game stretch where he gave up a combined 11 runs and eight walks in 7.2 innings. Before that, Vargas had a 16-inning scoreless streak. Vargas has his ERA back down to 3.96, but the inconsistency and the 4.25 xFIP make him someone to shop rather than buy.

Jeff Karstens (2%) continues to fly under the radar while putting up solid numbers, limiting the Phillies to four hits and one run with no walks and two strikeouts in seven innings on Friday. Karstens matched the Phillies’ Cole Hamels in a game the Pirates would eventually win in 12 innings. Karstens hasn’t walked a guy in his past 20 innings while lowering his ERA to 3.30 and WHIP to 1.20. He was a solid prospect with the Yankees before coming over in the Xavier Nady trade in 2008, but had struggled with the Pirates before this season. Karstens’ strikeout rate has gone up each season with Pittsburgh, reaching a solid 6.6 K/9 this year to go with a shrinking walk rate of 1.7 BB/9. His 3.34 xFIP matches up with his ERA, so if he can keep up his 42-11 K/BB ratio then he could be a decent mixed-league option this season. (more…)

StockWatch: Thursday, June 2

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

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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…)

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…)

Closer Report: Monday, May 9

A daily look at the fantasy baseball closers who threw in games. For a detailed look at the closing situation for all 30 teams, click here.

Joel Hanrahan earned his 11th save with a scoreless inning.

Jose Valverde came on to get the final out in a non-save situation.

Ryan Madson earned his fourth save with a scoreless inning. (more…)

StockWatch: Monday, May 2

Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses.

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ADD OF THE DAY: MADISON BUMGARNER (54%) fell to 0-5, but he lowered his ERA to 4.75 by going seven innings without allowing any earned runs (two unearned) against the Nationals. In his past two starts covering 13 innings, Bumgarner has a 14-2 K-BB ratio with a 0.69 ERA. It’s time to snatch up the young lefty if he was dropped in your league.

Jacoby Ellsbury (93%) went 2-for-4 with three runs and two steals, raising his average to .275 from .182 with an 11-game hitting streak. Just when Ellsbury is hitting his stride, he left Monday’s game with a bruised knee. Assuming his knee is fine, Ellsbury should be back in all lineups. (more…)

Closer Report: Monday, May 2

A daily look at the fantasy baseball closers who threw in games. For a detailed look at the closing situation for all 30 teams, click here.

Brian Fuentes pitched a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation.

Darren Oliver took the loss in the 10th inning when he allowed a leadoff home run to Hideki Matsui. (more…)

Closer Report: Friday, April 29

A daily look at the fantasy baseball closers who threw in games. For a detailed look at the closing situation for all 30 teams, click here.

Chris Perez came pitched a scoreless inning in a tie game and got the win when the Indians won it in the bottom of the ninth.

Jon Rauch got the final four outs for his fifth save.

Leo Nunez allowed three hits and two runs but managed to get his eighth save because he had a three-run lead. (more…)

StockWatch: Wednesday, April 27

Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses.

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ADD OF THE DAY: VICENTE PADILLA (6%) pitched a perfect ninth for his first save since 2000. A day after Dodgers GM Ned Colletti suggested Jonathan Broxton had lost the full-time closer gig and on the same day that manager Don Mattingly had said Broxton is still his closer, Padilla got to close out a game. Padilla is a must-add, but who winds up with all the Dodgers’ saves is anybody’s guess. We’re betting on Hong-Chih Kuo, who returns from the DL on Friday, but Padilla has the stuff to do the job and then some. Broxton is now blaming his struggles on elbow pain, but he should get a chance again when he gets healthy. There’s young fireballer Kenley Jansen waiting in the wings as well, so pick up any of these guys who is available, depending on how deep your rosters are. (more…)

Stock Spotlight: Charlie Morton

This is our Stock Spotlight series, where we plan to give owners an inside look at potential fantasy baseball sleepers to help you dominate your fantasy baseball league. Click here for today’s StockWatch

Charlie Morton was a fantasy punchline last season when he went 2-12 with a 7.57 ERA, but the 27-year-old righty has begun showing the potential he flashed while coming up in the Braves system. Morton held the Giants to four hits and one run in six innings on Tuesday to lower his ERA to 3.00. The most encouraging part is that Morton’s 12-6 K-BB ratio in his past two starts is a complete reversal from the 6-12 ratio he had in his first three starts. (more…)

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