Crushing Coals

Tired of another article raving about how great Albert Pujols is? Tired of hearing about the ridiculous starts of Joey Votto, Matt Kemp, and Troy Tulowitzki? Oh thank you Matthew Berry and Sherlock Holmes for telling us these players are hot, because it was such a difficult decision to start Joey Votto over Gaby Sanchez.

Not.

Anyway if you are tired of these advice as much as I am, fear no further. I won’t bother you with an article telling you that Starlin Castro is the 3rd best shortstop in baseball (but he still is), because chances are, unless you play in a 2 man league, that he isn’t available (if he is you should really join a better league). You won’t find any big-name players on my articles, but I will help you find a diamond amongst coals (recall when superman crushed coal to make diamond).


Catcher -
1. Ok this may be a little late but Nick Hundley is on a tear. Hundley’s track record isn’t pretty, and the ball park he plays in is even uglier. However, at 28, this could very well be a coming-of-age for the .340 batting, 3 homers crushing, youngster. Investment in this guy is minimal-risk, considering the thin position at catcher.

2. Nobody is happier to hear that Victor Martinez is on the DL than me, who hated him with a passion during his shortlived Red Sox stint. Alex Avila, however, comes a close second. Already having plenty of playing time, he is confirmed by manager Jim Leyland to catch most, but not all of the games while V-Mart is out. What does that mean? Well, no one knows, probably even the ever-senile Jim Leyland. But we do know that the 24-year-old youngster will get both confidence and comfort with his regular playing time, and will be sure to add more power to that already popping bat of his.

1st Base -
1. Arguable the deepest single position, finding gems in 1st base can be difficult because many players view less than 30 homers from this position to be failure, and 30 is exactly what I predict Matt LaPorta will hit this year. It is a bold prediction, as we are 3 weeks into the season and Matt has hit a whooping 2 homers, but with all the pop surrounding the Cleveland lineup, LaPorta will be sure given his pitches to hit.

2. Freddie Freeman is settling down on getting used to be an everyday player. He looks solid at the plate, exhibiting good plate vision and a swing that reminds me of his teammate Chipper Jones, which, of course, is a good thing.

2nd Base -
1. Danny Espinosa. Call me a bandwagoner all you want, but grab this kid before he turns into something really special (not that he isn’t already). He has 14 RBI in 43 AB this year, that’s a .333 RBI average!

2. Playing in Coors Field? Check. Hitting everyday ahead of Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki? Check. Blazing speed with decent contact? Check. Hi, I am Jonathan Herrera.

SS -
1. I am the biggest protestors of the Free-Jed Lowrie-Movement, but that is only because I know how scarily complete the Red Sox lineup will be once this guy plays everyday. He does not have overwhelming contact, power, or speed. But the guy knows hot to hit. Take it from an old-timer Yankee fan, he is the Red Sox’s Paul O’Neill.

2. Maicer Izturis is easily a top 5 shortstop as far as statistics are concerned. But hey, I’m not telling you to start him over Hanley Ramirez. What I am telling you though, is that you should probably grab this kid if you are thin or shortstops, or maybe even if you own a struggling Derek Jeter or Elvis Andrus. .388 average with decent pop and speed? I’m buying.

3B
1. Gonna roll with another Angel. Alberto Callaspo has also gotten off to a hot start. And sadly for him, he’s probably unowned in your league. He is batting .339 with 2 homers and 11 runs scored, better numbers than David Wright and Martin Prado.

2. Ryan Roberts was the big story last night, hitting 2 homers while filling in for the injured and probably over-aged Melvin Mora. As he shown last night, Roberts have plenty of pop on his bat. The only question is, will he be able to play everyday? That is uncertain. However, finding gems always require an element of gamble, and this is a very comfortable gamble to take.

OF
1. Perhaps Sam Fuld is already gone in some more competitive leagues, but for some ridiculous reason beyond my understanding he is still available in 49% of Yahoo leagues. The Rays leadoff batter is hitting over .360, has a homer, and steals bases aggressively (like every other Rays player). Once Evan Longoria returns to his 3rd spot on the lineup, you can be sure to see an already impressive runs number become even higher.

2. Like Jonathan Herrera, Seth Smith plays in Coors Field in the middle of a potent Rockies offense and has homerun power and good speed. He is an emerging player that can easily put up .280, 25, and 80. Think the old Brad Hawpe (not the current one sucking it up in San Diego).


SP
1. If you put up the stats for Chris Carpenter and Kyle McCllelan side by side, and played pin-the-tail-on-the-pitcher, 90% of the people would pin the wrong tail. Why? Simple, Kyle McClellan is pitching like the all star that Carpenter should be. The youngster has filthy stuff, decent control, and deserves a pickup.

2. Speaking of youngsters with filthy stuff, Michael Peneda owned in just 56% of Yahoo leagues. You can play the same donkey game with him and Felix Hernandez, and he will surprise you just as much.

RP
Whenever I talk about RP I will be speaking of closers only because leagues that count holds are as rare as a quiet Italian family at a public venue. With that said, in most competitive leagues all the closers will most likely be taken. Therefore this will be dedicated to observing some messed up closer situations and who might be next in line.

1. Minnesota - Matt Capps. How Joe Nathan sucks so much remains a mystery. Oh wait, losing 5 mph on your fastball can do it! While Matt has been less-than-impressive in his own right, but at least he hasn’t blown a save yet. Look for Capps to continue the role until Nathan goes to DL for “dead arm”.

2. Chicago White Sox - Sergio Santos. Ozzie Guillen’s dedication to his players was never in question. The question was always his IQ. However, he seemed to catch a break with Santos. The youngster is impressive and has not allowed an earned run on the equally-young season.

3. St. Louis - Wow finally no more Ryan Franklin. I was saying “it was about time” for the past 2 years, but hey, this was the same organization that traded Dan Haren for a mummified Jason Isringhausen. Anyway, Mitchell Boggs appears to be next in line, and he is one of the few closers that you might be able to pick up if you are lucky. If the Boggs experiment fails, expect flamethrower Jason Motte.

4. New York Yankees - Mariano Rivera blew a save on Tuesday, therefore look for the Yankees to replace him with Rafael Soriano. That move should be made very soon in the near future, about 3 years from now.


Enjoy, and remember, fantasy baseball season is by far the longest of them all, so above all, be patient, remain perseverant, and have fun! Sure it’s fun to win with Cano, Cargo, and Longoria (which I have on one team woohoo), but how much better is it to win with a player you scouted? Everybody loves an underdog story…so go build your own!