The first month of the season can be frustrating for fantasy owners. Is it too early to drop players? How long do I stick with an outfielder batting 200? The stud pitcher I took in the 2nd round has a 5.34 era. Yes, we have all been there… we are there now. Patience usually pays off in the long run as the baseball season is often referred to as a marathon, not a sprint. With that being said, the last week was tough for the fantasy owners of Carlos Gonzales (2/23 with 1 RBI) and Aramis Ramirez (1/22 with 3RBI). Elvis Andrus and Sterling Marte are also testing our patience with 6 hits combined over the last 7 days. (Although I have thought for a while now that Andrus is highly overrated every year and clearly not a top five SS) On the hill, this was not the best week for a trio of big name fantasy pitchers. Matt Cain, Mark Buerhle and Hiroki Kuroda all had their worst starts of the year but still have solid numbers overall. I would recommend patience here as even Greg Maddox gave up an earned run from time to time. I would keep an eye on Kuroda though, as he did experience a decline in productivity last year as the season progressed.
It gets better! In the box, how about the week Jose Abreu had? The young Cuban knocked in 14 runs last week and belted 5 jacks. Not to be outdone, Kyle Seager of the Mariners shook off his slow start and batted a measly .409 with 5 knocks and 11 RBI. Owners of Nelson Cruz have reason to smile after he knocked in 13 runs this past week and went yard 4 times. Some names to keep in mind that had solid weeks and should be available in many leagues are Chris Denoforia (.338 avg. 9 RBI), Carlos Ruiz (.500avg. 7RBI) and Erick Aybar, who thinks its 2009 and batted .480 last week and drove in 5 runs. Leonys Martin is another player from Cuba who is batting .308 this season. He doesn’t hit for a ton of power, but if you need average and steals, he could be worth a look. If pitching is your need, keep an eye on Houston starter Collin McHugh. After posting an ERA of almost 9.00 through 9 starts and some relief appearances, McHugh now has a 0.59 ERA and 19K’s over his last 15.1 innings. Another right hander that is available in many leagues is Jason Hammel. The Cub starter posted and ERA under one his last two starts to go along with two wins and 11 strike outs.
The prospect watch is on with the first month of the season behind us and three names are coming to the forefront: OF Gregory Polanco in Pittsburgh, OF Oscar Taveras in St. Louis and Noah Syndergaard (98 MPH fastball) for the NY Mets. All should make their big league debuts this summer and should put up some strong fantasy numbers. So keep your heads up…be patient…and as always, be on top of your game!
For the latest sports injury news, check out our friends at sports injury alert.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @LWOSwingfields. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our writing team. Visit our “Write for Us” page for very easy details in how you can get started today!
“You like baseball? Get involved! Check out LWOS Partners Bases Loaded EU for fantastic podcasts, news and a growing message board community of baseball fans like you!”
Main Photo:
