Balls and Strikes: The Fantasy Baseball Beat
1). Clay Buchholz BOS SP W 7 L 2 5.58 ERA 1.53 WHIP 55 K
Buchholz has found his grove of late, posting quality starts in each of the last of his four times out. Finally, he looks to be matching his preseason expectations.
2). Trevor Plouffe MIN 2B, 3B, SS, OF .232 AVG 22 R 11 HR 21 RBI 0 SB
Plouffe’s position-flexiblity and his power make him the perfect bench filler. His average should continue to climb and he finally has a guaranteed starting spot so his at-bats are safe.
3). A.J. Burnett PIT SP W 6 L 2 3.61 ERA 1.25 WHIP 56 K
Burnett looks to have turned the corner and is back to being a solid starter. He would be one of the top starters in baseball in both ERA and WHIP if you took out his 12 ER start in May. Grab him now if he is still available.
4). Brian Roberts BAL 2B .333 AVG 0 R 0 HR 1 R 0 SB
Roberts is finally coming back from injury and now a part of a surprisingly productive Orioles’ offense. When he is healthy he is a solid source of power and stolen bases. Great guy to put in at 2B or to sell off at a position with few solid options.
5). Michael Saunders SEA OF .282 AVG 30 R 7 HR 22 RBI 10 SB
Saunders is on his way to a pretty solid season. 20/20 is a distinct possibility for him. If you are in need of a OF, he would be a solid addition.
Buy Low, Sell High
Buy Low: Jay Bruce OF CIN .252 AVG 31 R 13 HR 40 RBI 4 SB
Bruce continues his usual back and forth season. Now could be a perfect time to try to nab him before he eventually gets hot again.
Sell High: Alfonso Soriano OF CHC .280 AVG 22 R 12 HR 41 RBI 1 SB
Another player who goes from hot to cold in a flash is Soriano. The main difference is Soriano advanced age and the likelihood that he will get injured in the near future. His numbers should be intriguing enough for someone to want to buy.
3 Trends to Watch
1). Tough break for owners of Matt Kemp and now Troy Tulowitzki. Who would have thought both would see this long of DL stints.
2). Could the no hitters be the kiss of death for starters in the following couple starts. First Philip Humber, now Johan Santana have put up less then stellar starts after their night with history. Stay tuned to see if Matt Cain struggles his next time out.
3). If you could nab him, I would try to grab Mike Trout. There is no doubt in my mind that he will keep up similar production from here on out. The best part is the owner that has him will probably be willing to get less in return as he thinks he is selling high.
Category: Pro Sports
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