Tommy John Surgery

The Tommy John Dilemma

 

The Rays announced Tuesday that their top young pitcher, Matt Moore, recently placed on the DL, would be undergoing Tommy John surgery and miss about a year of action. He is just one of already a long list of 2014 players to require this elbow reconstruction. This surgery has essentially saved the game from destruction as elite players are able to continue their careers from what once used to be a career-ending injury. It can have a different effect on everyone; some come back strong (i.e. Adam Wainwright), others are never the same again (i.e. Josh Johnson). But even though this procedure is saving careers, the numbers of players that require it are becoming quite alarming. No one is safe really. It’s not necessarily guys who have been around for 10 years or guys who have pitched well over 200 innings in a season. A lot of the more recent players are young guys just starting their careers and tweak their elbows during early games, some during spring training. It’s well known that throwing a baseball is an unnatural motion for the human body. Does that mean that it is pretty much inevitable that if you are an MLB pitcher, that you’re going to need the surgery at one point or another in your lifetime? I would say as of right now, that you may not necessarily need surgery, but your arm won’t be the same down the road. It also doesn’t help that most pitchers coming into the league these days are only called up if they throw in the upper 90’s. That puts an unbelievable amount of stress on your arm, especially if you’re a starter and are going to be doing it for 100 pitches every five or so nights. Look at Stephen Strasburg. Everyone raved about his speed and how his changeup was as fast as many pitchers’ fastballs. And look where he ended up. He’s still a solid No. 1 starter, but he’s not the same phenom. I can see some similarities with him and Yordano Ventura, who recently made his Royals debut. He hit triple digits multiple times in his first MLB start, which although impressive, makes me wonder how long he can keep something like that up. But what can be done to prevent this? Honestly, I don’t think anything can prevent it. Some teams try leaving their pitchers in the minor leagues for longer periods of time to build their arm up to be able to endure an MLB schedule. However, just as many minor league players have Tommy John surgery. They just don’t get the publicity because not many people have heard of them yet. You can try and limit their innings, but that’s also going to be a huge cost to your team. They’re either only going to be able to go 4 innings per game which tires out your bullpen, or you’d go through a ton of starters per year. Ultimately, I think it’s just going to be part of the game of the baseball and the only thing we can really do is be thankful that the surgery exists at all to lengthen the careers of the MLB’s best.

 

Christian Yelich

 

Yelich flew somewhat under the radar when the Marlins called him up last year mostly because he was playing on one of the worst teams in baseball. He hit a solid .288 and stole 10 bases along with 34 runs in 62 games. Definitely not superstar numbers, but significant nonetheless. Let’s be honest, at that point last year, the Marlins were pretty much only playing because they were being paid to. There was no hope at all of escaping from last place. They were just trying out new talent to see what their farm system had to offer. But Yelich made it through that and has started almost every game in left field for Miami in 2014. Granted, the team is right back in last place, but Yelich is hitting .302 with 9 runs and 3 stolen bases in 12 games played. He’s not the type of player that I would confidently build a franchise around due to the lack of power, but luckily for the Marlins, they already have Giancarlo Stanton, not to mention Jose Fernandez on the mound. But Yelich is a valuable leadoff hitter that can get things going for a lineup. One thing he could definitely improve on is his hitting against left-handed pitchers. So far in his career, he’s batting .165 against lefties compared to .365 against righties. It’s pretty common to see that in left-handed hitters, but improving on that could set him apart from others. At this point in the organization, the Marlins aren’t ready to be a playoff squad, so his numbers still might be skewed this year, but in a couple years, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him eclipse 100 runs in a season. Don’t worry, I’m not promoting the Marlins to be a great team; just keep an eye on this young outfielder.

 

Hot

1. Alexei Ramirez .400/3 HR/ 7 RBI
2. Adrian Gonzalez .409/6 HR/11 RBI
3. Chase Utley .524/1 HR/4 RBI
4. Justin Upton .500/4 HR/8 RBI
5. Adam Eaton .455/10 R
6. Mark Buehrle 12.1 IP/1.46 ERA/2 W
7. Francisco Rodriguez 0.00 ERA/2 S
8. Aaron Harang 12.0 IP/1.50 ERA/1 W
9. Ervin Santana 14.0 IP/0.64 ERA/1 W
10. Kyle Lohse 13.2 IP/2.63 ERA/2 W

Not

1. Josh Reddick .063/0 HR/0 RBI
2. Mike Moustakas .222/0 HR/0 RBI
3. Chris Carter .143/0 HR/1 RBI
4. Jordy Mercer .125/0 HR/0 RBI
5. Zack Cozart .200/0 HR/2 RBI

*I’m going to cut pitchers out of the “Not” section just because in 7 days, they could have had one bad outing, which doesn’t mean they’re necessarily on a cold streak. From now on, I’ll just stick to hitters on this one.

 

-Robert

 

2014 MLB Weekly Recap #1

Billy Hamilton

 

What we all feared might happen has become even more devastating than even predicted. Prior to the beginning of the year, all scouts and analysts touted Hamilton’s speed as one of the fastest the game will ever have seen. But he forgot that you need to get on base to utilize that speed to the fullest. It was pretty common knowledge that he wasn’t the greatest hitter in the league, but 1/17 (.059) is worse than we expected. Not to mention that he was caught stealing on his only stolen base attempt of the season. He’s lucky that Chris Heisey and Roger Bernadina didn’t excite during the Mets series where he missed three games from a jammed finger. It’s still early though and the only team he has faced is the Cardinals who not only have a great rotation, but arguably the best defensive catcher in the league in Yadier Molina. He’ll definitely be getting his chances, but if I was Bryan Price, I wouldn’t just leave him out there if he’s struggling. When the Reds brought him up from Triple-A at the end of last year, he only really saw significant action when he was pinch-running. Maybe that’s all he’ll wind up being in the MLB? If the Reds can find a reliable outfielder behind Hamilton that can hit the ball, I wouldn’t hesitate moving him into that role. Maybe give him a start every once in a while and see if he can possibly get on a role. Fantasy-wise, I wouldn’t really hesitate to drop him at this point, especially with outfielders like Emilio Bonifacio and Angel Pagan who have started off the season on fire.

 

C.C. Sabathia

 

I guess Sabathia ended up not working on his slider in the offseason like I mentioned. He just isn’t the same pitcher he was. He currently stands at a 7.50 ERA and he’s lucky to have that 1 in the win column. And it’s not like Sabathia has had really had any tough matchups. His two starts have been against the Astros and Blue Jays; both last place teams in 2013. So what is the problem? Is fatigue setting in? Not at all. He’s gone a solid six innings each start hovering right around 100 pitches. And the damage being done isn’t even late in the start, it’s right in the beginning. It’s almost like he’s struggling to get settled in out on the mound. Batters are hitting a whopping .455 against Sabathia on pitches 1-15. Is he struggling to hit the strikezone? Not really, Sabathia has only allowed one walk on the season compared to 12 punchouts. He’s definitely pitching to contact and has remained quite stable in his pitch locations. But even though he’s not all over the batter’s box, it doesn’t mean his finesse is perfect. He’s definitely leaving some mistakes out there, but rather than miss wildly, he’s missing right over the middle of the plate. Any hitter these days can pound a 90 MPH fastball when it’s delivered right down the middle. His velocity is way down. His stuff isn’t fooling anyone. When you look at guys like Greg Maddux, who were able to be successful in the MLB for a long time even though they didn’t throw it in the upper 90’s, you wonder how they endured. Even though they didn’t throw it hard, they knew where to place the ball so that the hitter couldn’t get a good piece of it. They mixed there pitches up so no one in the ballpark except the catcher and manager knew what was coming next. For Sabathia to continue being a good starter in this league, he’s going to need to realize that he can’t overpower the hitters anymore. He needs that control to deceive the hitters or at least not let them get good wood on the ball every outing.

 

HOT

1. Carlos Gonzalez .333/2 HR’s/8 RBI’s
2. Giancarlo Stanton .333/2 HR’s/10 RBI’s
3. Mark Trumbo .286/4 HR’s/7 RBI’s
4. Josh Hamilton .524/2 HR’s/6 RBI’s
5. Brandon Belt .269/3 HR’s/6 RBI’s
6. Jose Fernandez 6.2 IP/0.00/8 K’s/1 W
7. Felix Hernandez 8.1 IP/1.08/8 K’s/1 W
8. Chris Sale 8.0 IP/0.00/6 K’s/ 1 W
9. Craig Kimbrel 0.00/3 SV
10. John Lackey 13.0 IP/1.38/11 K’s/ 2 W

 

NOT

1. Robbie Grossman .077/0 HR’s/1 RBI
2. Billy Hamilton .077/0 R’s/0 HR’s/0 RBI’s
3. Chase Headley .158/0 HR’s/0 RBI’s
4. Colby Rasmus .100/0 HR’s/0 RBI’s
5. Zack Cozart .053/0 HR’s/1 RBI
6. Miguel Gonzalez 3.1 IP/18.90/1 K/0 W
7. Ricky Nolasco 4.0 IP/11.25/1 K/0 W
8. Clay Buchholz 4.1 IP/12.46/3 K’s/0 W
9. Erik Johnson 4.2 IP/13.50/2 K’s/0 W
10. Paul Maholm 4.1 IP/10.38/1 K/0 W

 

MLB Weekly Recap #7

Cleveland Indians

 

What a tear this team has been on as of late. They are atop the AL Central, a division that was expected to be dominated by the Tigers, although they are certainly not out of it, and neither are the Royals. Everyone was second-guessing their numerous offseason moves, but most of those guys are definitely paying off. Nick Swisher, Mark Reynolds, Michael Bourn, Ryan Raburn, etc. have made a big impact on that once struggling Indians lineup. But once again, pitching has reigned supreme. They don’t have big-name guys like Justin Verlander or C.C. Sabathia, but Justin Masterson has vaulted to the top of the elite pitchers this season with 7 wins. Zach McAllister has flown way under the radar, I’m sure most of you had never even heard of him before this. Ubaldo Jimenez has begun to turn it around slightly from his dreadful season last year following his amazing start to the season in his last run with the Rockies. I’m a little confused though with their usage of Trevor Bauer. He fills in periodically as the fifth starter when there’s an injury or a guy needs a rest. But he fills in nicely and contributes a quality start and then is immediately sent down to Triple-A. I understand he is a young arm and he has a lack of control, but I would say give him a chance to prove his worth consistently! It’s not like Scott Kazmir has been outstanding. I would say move Kazmir to long reliever to get his feet set in the majors again and give Bauer an official starting role to work with and establish himself. Despite that, luck seems to be on their side especially late in games, as they most recently had 3 walk-off wins in their 4-game series with the Mariners. Could it be the year of the Indians?

 

Paul Goldschmidt

 

The young Arizona first baseman has been lighting it up in the past 15 games. In that span, he has a league-leading 7 homeruns (Mitch Moreland also with 7). I love players who have the skill set to belt homeruns all while hitting for a solid average. Everyone already knew about this guy’s ability to hit for power, but his first seasons in the MLB haven’t shown his potential for average, at least until now. I won’t go into much detail about him, I just wanted to bring him up; he has the potential to be a stud.

 

B.J. Upton

 

I have been bashing this young man for a while now, and with good reason. I don’t understand how a team could pay so much for a player who has definitely had the chance to prove his potential and hasn’t followed through. What confuses me even more is how people still own him in fantasy leagues! He is still owned in 86% of leagues. That is absurd with the numbers he is producing. I always say how bad Pedro Alvarez because he can crush it when he makes contact, that is, if he makes contact, which isn’t often. But he seems like a god in comparison to Upton who is batting an absolutely pathetic 0.145. And yet he still starts every day. If I was Freddie Gonzalez, I would give him a few days off, to compose himself and get his swing back. He’s never been a great hitter, but he’s at least made it to around 0.250. The only possible use for him in the past has been his tremendous speed, but even that hasn’t made an appearance this season with only 3 stolen bases. I’ve always thought he was an overrated player and now I hope everyone can finally see his true skills or lack thereof.

 

Fantasy Moment

 

Top Adds

Hitters

1. Jon Jay
2. Dayan Viciedo
3. Jurickson Profar (has never proved himself in MLB, no guarantees with this one)
4. James Loney
5. Eric Chavez
6. Brandon Crawford
7. Raul Ibanez
8. Daniel Murphy
9. Salvador Perez
10. Kelly Johnson

 

Pitchers

1. Francisco Liriano
2. Scott Feldman
3. Wandy Rodriguez
4. Jeff Locke
5. Matt Garza
6. Jose Veras
7. Andrew Cashner
8. Zach McAllister
9. Bronson Arroyo
10. Jonathan Pettibone

 

Top Drops

Hitters

1. Ryan Raburn
2. Yuniesky Betancourt
3. Nolan Arenado
4. Evan Gattis
5. Jason Kubel
6. Mike Moustakas
7. Rickie Weeks
8. B.J. Upton
9. Ichiro
10. Michael Saunders

 

Pitchers

1. Tony Cingrani (sent to minors)
2. Junichi Tazawa
3. Phil Hughes
4. Jeremy Hellickson
5. Kyle Lohse
6. Brandon Morrow
7. Tim Hudson
8. Ian Kennedy
9. Jaime Garcia
10. Paul Maholm

 

I was able to play my first round of golf of the year yesterday and actually didn’t do very bad considering I hadn’t swung a club in a year due to injury (I was on the 60-day DL). Despite my passion and knowledge of baseball, golf is my favorite sport to play and fingers crossed, my shoulders holds up for the summer. As usual, leave a comment below if you disagree with anything, have any questions, or have a topic you would like me to discuss. Check back again next week!

 

-Robert

 

MLB Weekly Recap #6

There were multiple baseball headlines this week as the Cardinals captured the top spot in the power rankings for the first time in 2013, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera got into a “scuffle,” and the Cubs signed young first baseman Anthony Rizzo to a long-term contract. It’s arguably easy to have the Cardinals at the top and the feud has pretty much blown over, so let’s get started with the signing of the young powerhouse.

 

Anthony Rizzo

 

Rizzo has certainly proved his ability to hit so far this season and for the last half of last season. He has tremendous power and definitely has the potential to hit for a decent average and go consistently for 100 RBI’s. I have him on my fantasy team and it was hit and miss early on in the season where he would hit a 3-run homerun and go 2-4 one day, then not get a hit for the next three games. He stayed under the Mendoza line for a while and was quite frustrating, so I had no choice to bench him until he started to heat up as I had other guys in my lineup who were hitting for average and a decent amount of power. However, most recently, he has been a force to be reckoned with getting multiple hits per game and continuing to hit for power. This was the Rizzo I chose with confidence on draft day. The Cubs without a doubt stole a trade from the Padres and have a piece to build around for the future. Although, when you have guys like Cody Ransom and Luis Valbuena getting significant playing time, you’re not going to be very successful.

 

Los Angeles Angels

 

14-23. What isn’t going wrong for the Angels and who isn’t underperforming? The only men you could with is Howie Kendrick or Mark Trumbo. When you make GIGANTIC offseason moves like the Angels did and they fail as much as Pujols and Hamilton are, you look pretty stupid. Both of these men have struggled for the whole season and we keep saying, “Oh, it’ll come back next game, next series, next week.” But it doesn’t. Granted, Pujols took eons to get back to his “old self” last year, so everything is not yet lost. I talked about Hamilton’s struggles weeks ago on here, and I’m pretty sure nothing has changed except a few more RBI’s. I think Pujols can turn it around, but Hamilton has shown no signs of the Hamilton of old. It all starts with pitching though and there has been none of it thus far in Los Angeles. It certainly makes it tougher when your ace goes down in his second start and is out indefinitely. Under the radar pickups (Tommy Hanson, Jason Vargas, and Joe Blanton) also have not panned out with all of these men having ERA’s in the high 3’s and 4’s. Ernesto Frieri is still a great reliever, but hasn’t really gotten very many opportunities to strut his stuff as the Angels have rarely led in the 9th inning as shown by their record. If Jered Weaver can come back and be a Cy Young contender as usual and one of the golden boys can turn it around, then that record can be turned around as the division hasn’t show great strength besides the Rangers.

 

Jean Segura

 

This man has really shown me something this year. He was kind of overlooked in the Zack Greinke trade as just another prospect, but all the man has done this year is hit. He is batting around 0.365 and has even shown some signs of power with 6 homeruns. The Brewers haven’t been a bad hitting team this year obviously owning Ryan Braun, but Aramis Ramirez has done well recently coming off the DL and Yuniesky Betancourt has shown signs of life. But once again pitching is failing the team leading to their near last place record. I’m going to the Pirates game this Thursday night where I’m excited to see a little Francisco Liriano action, but also to see this kid Segura play.

 

Fantasy Moment

 

Top Adds

Hitters

1. Mitch Moreland
2. James Loney
3. Didi Gregorius
4. Justin Morneau
5. Marco Scutaro
6. Gerardo Parra
7. Oswaldo Arcia
8. Michael Brantley
9. Yonder Alonso
10. Marcell Ozuna

 

Pitchers

1. Heath Bell
2. Travis Wood
3. Hector Santiago
4. Kevin Slowey
5. Zach McAllister
6. Scott Feldman
7. Francisco Liriano
8. Junichi Tazawa
9. Jose Veras
10. Wei-Yen Chen

 

Top Drops

Hitters

1. A.J. Pierzynski
2. Daniel Murphy
3. B.J. Upton
4. B.J. Upton
5. B.J. Upton
6. B.J. Upton
7. Jayson Werth
8. Will Middlebrooks
9. Ike Davis
10. David Freese

 

Pitchers

1. Roy Halladay
2. Jonathon Niese
3. Jeremy Hellickson
4. Andrew Bailey
5. Joel Hanrahan
6. J.J. Putz
7. Kyle Lohse
8. Ian Kennedy
9. R.A. Dickey
10. Andy Pettitte

 

That’s all for this week. I have one more final on Wednesday, then it will finally be the summer, which will be filled with baseball and playing golf which I am perfectly fine with. As usual, leave a comment below if you have any questions or have a topic you would like me to discuss. Have a great week and hopefully the Pirates can bring in a victory on Thursday.

 

-Robert

 

 

MLB Weekly Recap #2

Hey guys, first of all, I would like to send out my deepest sorrow and prayers all of those affected by the bombing at the Boston marathon. It’s a real shame for something like that to happen. But the sports world goes on and can even be an outlet for people. The last week has been filled with teams on fire and those who struggled. Many young guys have stepped up, taking advantage of their opportunities. Let’s get started.

 

Matt Harvey

 

Harvey has been unbelievable this season! In his first 3 starts, he has gone 7+ IP without allowing more than 3 hits in any of them. He has decreased in his strikeouts in each game going from 10 K’s to 6 in his most recent however, but he has done a good job getting ground balls. Granted, his starts have come against 3 subpar teams (SD, PHI, and MIN). I’ll be interested to see how he does against the powerhouses of the division, the Braves and Nationals. He is a good young arm though and the Mets certainly need him with Johan Santana being out for the year. Luckily, their offense has gotten off to a decent start as well as John Buck is swinging the lumber with some passion! He has 6 homeruns on the season (Mets catchers last year totaled 5). He won’t continue the pace, but the Mets should ride this duo for as long as they can.

 

Evan Gattis

 

This man is a perfect example of a guy taking advantage of an opportunity. The Braves turned to him when Brian McCann was placed on the DL and he has taken off from there. Check out this link of Gattis’ swing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7ApV_CBuSM. The pitch was low and away and he still managed to pull the ball to left center, one of the deepest parts of the Marlins new park. This may end up being another Wally Pipp situation. For those of you who don’t know, Wally Pipp is famous for losing his job to Lou Gehrig on Gehrig’s way to 2,130 consecutive games played. There have been rumors that McCann may be shopped soon. I don’t think that is necessary as McCann may still have a couple good years left in him. Also, I believe Gattis has the ability to play outfield, but that spot is already taken by the Uptons and Jason Heyward, although I think B.J. is extremely overrated. On a side note to this, Gattis should definitely be picked up in all fantasy leagues as the catcher position is usually one of the thinnest positions.

 

Atlanta Braves

 

Obviously the hottest team in baseball, the Braves have established themselves as the early powerhouse of the league at 11-1. Coming off a sweep of their NL East rival, the Nationals, they dispatched star arms like Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez. Not to mention, Justin Upton has been one of the hottest hitters in the league, leading in homeruns. I moved him down in my ranks as he had an “off” year in his last season in a D’backs uniform, but he has certainly revamped his swing in Atlanta. I am also really liking the Braves’ arms in the bottom of the rotation (Mike Minor and Paul Maholm). Both have had stellar starts to the season; Maholm continuing his dominance from the end of last season when he was traded to the Braves from the Cubs. I predicted this team to capture an NL wildcard spot, but they have proved their capability to possibly win this division.

 

Cincinnati Reds

 

This team started the season of red hot, grabbing the number one spot in the power rankings at one point. However, this last week was not kind to the Reds, as they lost the series to the Cardinals and most recently got swept by the Pirates, who have turned their offense around in the last week. They have gotten some good production from their role players like Shin Soo Choo and Todd Frazier, to go along with the versatility of Brandon Phillips. However, their star players, Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, have gotten off to slow starts. Votto just hit his first homerun a couple days ago. One of their biggest problems has been their pitching. The bullpen has not been the greatest as their lightning fast closer Aroldis Chapman hasn’t gotten as many chances as I’m sure he would like. Jonathan Broxton has also been decent, but that’s pretty much it. It also doesn’t help that their ace, Johnny Cueto, was just placed on the DL. It’s still early though. They can definitely turn it around in the shaky NL Central.

 

Fantasy Moment

 

Top Adds

Hitters

1. Evan Gattis
2. John Buck
3. Mark Reynolds
4. Starling Marte
5. Jean Segura
6. Vernon Wells
7. Brandon Moss
8. Gerardo Parra
9. Franklin Gutierrez
10. Denard Span

 

Pitchers

1. Jim Henderson
2. Justin Masterson
3. Kelvin Herrera
4. Barry Zito
5. Jose Fernandez
6. Chad Billingsley
7. Andy Pettitte
8. Shelby Miller
9. Ervin Santana
10. A.J. Griffin

 

Top Drops

Hitters

1. Cameron Maybin
2. Pedro Alvarez
3. Jason Kipnis
4. Mike Moustakas
5. Victor Martinez
6. Jesus Montero
7. Carlos Gomez
8. Dayan Viciedo
9. Ike Davis
10. Ichiro

 

Pitchers

1. Jarrod Parker
2. John Axford
3. Brandon McCarthy
4. Matt Harrison
5. Dan Haren
6. Greg Holland
7. Ryan Vogelsong
8. Roy Halladay
9. Edwin Jackson
10. Homer Bailey

 

That’s it guys, hope everyone enjoys all the games coming up this week. If you have any questions for me or topics that you would like me to discuss, comment down below. As usual, you can follow me on Twitter @RobertMoodis. Thanks for reading!

 

-Robert

 

MLB Weekly Recap #1

What’s going on guys, hope everyone is doing well. You should be as the MLB season is in full swing. Storylines have already been forming and teams have jumped out to great starts (or bad ones *cough, cough* Pirates *cough, cough*). Let’s get started.

 

Clayton Kershaw

 

The guy has been on fire thus far in his first two starts of the year, locking up NL player of the week. He has 16 IP and hasn’t even allowed a run, granted one of those was against the dreadful Pirates offense. However, the other was against the defending World Series champs, the Giants. They also have been off to a slow offensive start as guys like Marco Scutaro and Hunter Pence aren’t producing like they did in the playoffs. Kershaw’s hot start doesn’t come as much of a surprise as he was a highly coveted pitcher in fantasy drafts this year. Expect continued production.

 

R.A. Dickey

 

What the heck is going on with R.A. Dickey? He has been pretty much useless this year and got shelled most recently by Will Middlebrooks and the Red Sox. The American League has long been touted as an offensive league in comparison to the NL, but the tides have turned in the last couple years. Who would’ve expected that the new-look Indians and the Red Sox would’ve rocked the reigning Cy Young winner? His knuckleball obviously isn’t fooling anyone anymore and he doesn’t have the element of surprise in his favor. He didn’t do especially great in the World Baseball Classic as well. I think he needs to turn it around in the next few starts or this drought of wins will continue throughout the season. It also doesn’t help that the arguable “Dream Team” of the MLB isn’t living up to the hype of the offseason. It’s still early though, so don’t count them out just yet.

 

Chris Davis

 

This guy has gotten off to an amazing start jacking 4 homeruns and driving in a league leading 17 RBI’s. He obviously won’t continue this pace for the season as he isn’t a great high-average hitter. However, he is well known for his power and perhaps this is his breakout year after his first few so-so years in the league. But for right now, he is the spark this Orioles squad needs. I didn’t give them enough respect in my predictions as they didn’t make very many offseason moves. They definitely have a chance at the AL East crown as the Yankees and Jays are struggling.

 

Josh Hamilton

 

Hamilton certainly hasn’t lived up to all that money he signed for in the offseason. He has started off batting 0.160, but most recently cleaned up his act going 3-4 in the series finale with the Rangers. He is partly responsible for the Angels slow start as teams are pitching around Albert Pujols to get to Hamilton where he is not capitalizing on chances. All is not lost however. Remember last year when Pujols started off unbelievably terrible for how much he was being paid, but he eventually turned it around and was still one of the best hitters in the league. Not to mention he seems to be back to his old self this season. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hamilton continues to slump for awhile, and then almost all of a sudden turns it around.

 

Pittsburgh Pirates

 

Unbelievable. That’s all I have to say about how the Pirates are starting out. Their pitching has been phenomenal as A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez have pitched gems, but the offense just isn’t there…at all. They have a measly 21 hits in their first 6 games (~3-4 hits per game). That is so bad, that it’s amazing. Not one guy is batting over 0.300 and multiple guys (Russell Martin, Neil Walker, and Jose Tabata) have 0 or 1 hit in at least 10 at-bats. I really want to root for these guys, but they make it so difficult to do so. They have a very difficult schedule coming up beginning with the D’backs who are off to a hot start and the Reds who are number 1 in the current MLB power rankings. Unfortunately, the Pirates’ struggles may continue for another year.

 

Colorado Rockies

 

Recall the last paragraph where I said the Pirates have zero guys batting over 0.300. Well the Rockies have 11, although some are pitchers/guys with a couple at-bats. Their offense has been leading the charge even though Troy Tulowitzki isn’t necessarily the one always doing it. Dexter Fowler and Michael Cuddyer have been hitting the lights out. Even their bench guys have been smacking the ball in their chances. They have had a nice surprising start, but I can’t see it continuing for too long however as they have only played the Brewers and Padres. In addition, their pitching isn’t the best and I just don’t think they have the talent to match up with the likes of the Dodgers and the Giants.

 

Fantasy Moment

 

Top Adds

Hitters

1. John Buck
2. Jed Lowrie (90% of leagues)
3. Gerardo Parra
4. J.P. Arencibia
5. Jean Segura
6. Mark Reynolds
7. Josh Rutledge
8. Matt Carpenter
9. Franklin Gutierrez
10. Omar Infante

 

Pitchers

1. Paul Maholm
2. Wandy Rodriguez
3. Clay Bucholz
4. Justin Masterson
5. Hyun-Jin Ryu
6. Jose Fernandez
7. Hisashi Iwakuma
8. Jhoulys Chacin
9. Brandon League
10. Kyuji Fujikawa

 

Top Drops

Hitters

1. Jonathan Lucroy
2. Cameron Maybin
3. Dustin Ackley
4. Jesus Montero
5. Alfonso Soriano
6. Jeff Keppinger
7. Marco Scutaro (*sigh*)
8. Pedro Alvarez, any Pirate not named McCutchen really
9. Adam LaRoche (trade)
10. Brandon Belt

 

Pitchers

1. John Axford
2. Brandon McCarthy
3. Dan Haren
4. Lance Lynn
5. R.A. Dickey (I would rather trade than drop)
6. Steve Cishek
7. Matt Harrison
8. Roy Halladay (same as Dickey)
9. Phil Hughes
10. Jeremy Hellickson

 

Have any questions or topics that you would like me to talk about? Leave a comment below or follow me on Twitter @RobertMoodis. Continue enjoying the season!

 

-Robert