Stuff and Junk

[DOUGHBOYS]

After all the hub bub concerning Michael Young during the off season, he is the only Ranger to have played in every game.

For fantasy owners, Young gets an extra boost from Josh Hamilton's injury. He hits third in one of the best lineups and ballparks PLUS he is slowly adding on positionality with five games at 2b, four at 1b.



Call it overperforming, luck, or what have you, the Kansas City Royals played well in April. One player who has not joined the party and, really, underperformed has been Joakim Soria.

Soria is one of only two pitchers (Brandon League) that has more saves than strike outs.



We expect top tier pitchers to have the best k/9 rates. Usually, hard throwers with a lot of stuff that rank very high in fantasy drafts.

Here are the top three starters for that stat:



1. Matt Garza 11.87

2. Jonathon Sanchez 10.91

3. Bud Norris 10.85



These guys are almost a full strike out per inning ahead of the field.

None, were anywhere near the top of any draft lists.

Unfortunately, they only have five victories between them.



The good news for Ryan Dempster owners is that he has given them 29 strike outs in 31 innings.

The bad news is that he has given up 33 earned runs too. Ouch.



Are Austin Jackson and Pedro Alvarez playing their way down to AAA?

Jackson leads the Major Leagues in strike outs with 37 and has looked lost since spring training.

Alvarez, despite being benched a few times, still resides in the top 10 of strike outs and has hit just one home run.

It looks like Alvarez may be heading for a Pablo Sandoval sophomore year. Which is only right and ironic, considering his added girth.



Kevin Youkilis has struck out once in every three at bats.



Placido Polanco has twice as many walks as strike outs. Nobody else in baseball can say that.



I had a post earlier in the year, berating 'experts' who played it safe with Jose Bautista. Either Bautista is THAT good, or he's not. Simple as that. Most writers ran for the cover of middle ground.



Bautista IS that good.

Nine home runs and an OBP north of .500...

And, the highest slugging percentage in baseball.





For those of you who believe that doubles translates to home runs....



Carlos Quentin 13

Alex Gordon 13

Michael Young 12

Adrian Gonzalez 10

Andre Ethier 10

Dexter Fowler 10



These represent the only players in baseball with at least 10 doubles. The home runs must be lost in transit right now though. These six players only have 13 home runs among them.



Orlando Hudson has nine stolen bases this year.

His career high?

10



In 96 at bats this year, Coco Crsp has eight stolen bases....and ONE walk





Andre Ethier is off to a good start. But, his 3/16/15/0/.358 line to fantasy players are not worth as much, in fantasy, as other players.But, his 27 game hit streak is the favorite sunject for the press and announcers and will garner attention.

For fantasy purposes, a guy hitting almost 100 points less may be more desireable.

Stubbs 5/13/21/10/.266

Wright 5/16/20/6/.255

are a couple of examples.





A leadoff hitter without power, does not have carte blanche to 100 runs scored. The only leadoff hitter without power in the top 20 of runs scored in 2011, is Dexter Fowler.

This has become an increasing trend over the past few years. Last year, Austin Jackson was the only leadoff hitter to score more than 100 runs and not hit double digit home runs. In fact, he was the only player, period, to have accomplished the feat.

Runs scored has become a he-man category.



Juan Pierre is a one-man rally killer.

He's been caught stealing seven times. Almost twice as much as any other player in baseball.

Pierre has just five steals.



5/18/16/0/.274



4/14/14/1/.273



Listening to Yankee broadcasters, ARod (first line) is 'locked in' and is ready to have a career year even for him, and in the best shape of his life, and is now just super nice to the press, and kisses babies, and eats hand fed popcorn from a movie star, and....



has stats similar to Jack Hannahan (second line)

[bjoak]

My point of view on Bautista (which was clearly wrong based on early returns) was that there is no way you improve that much without both improved skills and luck working in concert. We have a long way to go though. If he ends up with 40 that's still accurate.



[ May 03, 2011, 11:46 AM: Message edited by: bjoak ]

[Hells Satans]

If Adam Lind wasn't so awful, he would have at least 35 RBIs already