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Here’s an early peek at the RotoAce 2012 fantasy baseball rankings for closers. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Washington Nationals’ Category
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…)
StockWatch: Saturday, June 25
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Saturday, June 25.
Stock Up
Justin Verlander (98%) is on one amazing roll, striking out 14 in eight scoreless innings on Saturday to improve to 10-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. He has won six straight starts with a combined 0.72 ERA and a 51-6 K-BB ratio in 49.2 IP, making Verlander the early favorite for AL Cy Young.
Add of the Day: Tom Gorzelanny (3%) may have lost his fourth straight start on Saturday, but he pitched like he had early in the season before missing four weeks with an inflamed elbow, limiting the White Sox to seven hits and one run in seven innings with one walk and eight strikeouts. Gorzelanny has kept his strikeout up at 7.8 K/9 while lowering his walk rate to 3.1 BB/9 from last season’s mini-breakout with the Cubs. His xFIP of 4.17 matches his 4.18 ERA, so don’t go getting too excited, but Gorzelanny can be a decent back-of-the-rotation guy in a deep mixed league. (more…)
StockWatch: Thursday, June 16
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Thursday, June 16.
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J.J. Hardy (40%) has been scalding hot since the calendar turned June, failing to record a hit in just one game this month. Hardy went 2-for-5 with his seventh homer on Thursday. He is 21-for-52 (.404) with five homers and nine RBIs in June to raise his season average to .299. Hardy has always been a binge hitter, so surely you’ve had him in this month if you own him.
C.J. Wilson (86%) bounced back from a one-strikeout start against the Twins last time out to record his fifth double-digit strikeout game of the season. Wilson held the Yankees to two runs and seven hits in eight innings with 10 strikeouts, giving him 93 Ks on the season. Wilson has been inconsistent with his strikeout totals, but the double-digit games make up for the five times he’s struck out three or less. (more…)
StockWatch: Wednesday, June 15
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Wednesday, June 15.
Stock Up
Michael Morse (72%) continued his torrid stretch, going 3-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs. On May 21, Morse was hitting .258 with two homers while being relegated to platoon duties because of a slow April. Then Adam LaRoche succumbed to a sore shoulder that would eventually need season-ending surgery and Morse took off when inserted full time at first base. Morse is 34-for-92 (.370) with 10 homers and 29 RBIs in 23 games since, raising his average to .312. The spring training hype is proving to be warranted and Morse’s breakout is beginning to resemble Jose Bautista’s of last season. Morse is finally holding down his first everyday job at age 29 and the 6-foot-5 slugger has the power to put up 40 homers.
Livan Hernandez (4%) hurled a three-hit shutout with no walks and six strikeouts against the Cardinals, lowering his ERA to 3.77. Hernandez has quality starts in five of his past seven appearances as the 36-year-old continues to baffle with his slow stuff. His strikeout rate is up and his walk rate is down from last year, so his xFIP is down to 4.17 from 4.57 last season. Hernandez is mostly an NL-only option, but could be serviceable in deeper mixed leagues if he can keep up his right-handed Jamie Moyer impression. (more…)
StockWatch: Sunday, June 12
Yahoo for our ownership percentages are in parentheses. From games of Sunday, June 12.
Stock Up
Miguel Olivo (40%) is on a power binge, hitting two homers on Sunday to give him six dingers is his past nine games. Those six homers have come out of just eight hits in 33 ABs. Olivo is so hot that he should be playing in all leagues, but his .241 average is about what you should expect as well as struggles at home (.207 at Safeco, .268 on road).
Jorge Posada (38%) might still have something left in the tank after all, going 2-for-3 on Sunday for his fifth multi-hit game in his past six. Posada has gone 13-for-22 over his past six games, raising his average from .169 to .226. He needs to start hitting homers before we get completely behind him, but the 39-year-old is worth playing at catcher in deep mixed leagues. (more…)
