Hot and Not

The players in these two sections were the statistical leaders during the last week. Batting averages are based on 20 at-bats, and ERA and WHIP on seven innings pitched. In most cases, we eliminate batters with an average lower than .280 and pitchers with ERAs above 4.00 from the Hot list. Keep in mind players’ career performance and current-season totals even more than current trends in deciding on whether to keep those players in your lineup.

Hot

Pos. Name, Team H-AB Avg. HR-RBI SB

3B David Wright, Mets 15-27 .556 0-9 5
OF Raul Ibanez, Phillies 13-27 .481 4-12 1
OF Brad Hawpe, Rockies 10-21 .476 2-12 0
SS Jason Bartlett, Rays 10-21 .476 1-4 4
3B/SS Michael Young, Rangers 12-26 .462 0-1 1
OF Jason Kubel, Twins 11-24 .458 1-3 0
1B Paul Konerko, White Sox 10-22 .455 1-2 0
3B/1B/C Pablo Sandoval, Giants 13-30 .433 1-7 0
1B Nick Johnson, Nationals 11-26 .423 1-9 0
3B Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals 11-27 .407 3-8 0
OF Juan Pierre, Dodgers 11-27 .407 0-5 4

Even though Zimmerman’s hitting streak ended, he made the Hot list for the second consecutive week.

Close to making this list were Pirates OF Brandon Moss (11-for-19, .579) and the majors’ season leader in batting average, Indians C/1B Victor Martinez (10-for-19, .526). A week earlier, Moss was on the Not list with a .100 average (2-for-20, including 0-for-14 going into last week). Those two players illustrate that sometimes Hot or Not hitters stay that way from one week to the next, but natural fluctuations in performance mean that sometimes a player who is Not will turn Hot, or vice versa.

Home runs – Padres 1B Adrian Gonzalez 5; Ibanez, Brewers 1B Prince Fielder and Twins 1B Justin Morneau; Zimmerman, Blue Jays 2B Aaron Hill, Royals 1B Mike Jacobs and Twins C Joe Mauer 3. Is this signaling a return of first basemen as offensive forces?

RBI – Hawpe and Ibanez 12; Fielder 10; Johnson, Wright, Indians OF Shin-soo Choo and Reds 2B Brandon Phillips 9.

Stolen bases – Wright, Angels 3B Chone Figgins, Orioles 2B Brian Roberts and Phillies OF Jayson Werth 5; Bartlett and Pierre 4.

Runs – Ibanez, Roberts and Mets OF Gary Sheffield 9; Choo, Zimmerman, Mets OF Carlos Beltran, Indians 2B/SS Asdrubal Cabrera, Nationals SS Cristian Guzman and Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins 8.

Throws Pitcher, Team IP ERA W-L WHIP SO/BB

RHP Robert Ray, Blue Jays 8.0 0.00 1-0 0.50 3:1
LHP Cliff Lee, Indians 7.0 0.00 1-0 1.00 9:1
RHP Jeff Suppan, Brewers 7.0 0.00 1-0 1.14 2:2
LHP Paul Maholm, Pirates 7.0 0.00 0-0 0.86 4:1
RHP Felix Hernandez, Mariners 7.0 0.00 0-0 0.86 6:2
RHP Scott Feldman, Rangers 12.1 0.73 0-0 0.97 5:4
RHP Roy Halladay, Blue Jays 16.0 1.13 2-0 0.81 13:1
RHP Adam Wainwright, Cardinals 8.0 1.13 0-1 0.50 7:2
RHP Edwin Jackson, Tigers 7.0 1.29 1-0 0.86 6:0
RHP Shairon Martis, Nationals 7.0 1.29 1-0 0.86 2:4
RHP Zack Greinke, Royals 7.0 1.29 1-0 1.14 6:2

Ray looked good in beating the White Sox Saturday. It’s too early in his career to become overly excited, but he’d be a good guy to pick up in a weak market for starting pitchers. You could always drop Ray if he begins to struggle. Hernandez has gone from Hot to Not and back to Hot over the past three weeks. Any question why Mariners management and fans, and King Felix’s fantasy owners, are frustrated? Maholm was on the Not list last week. Halladay and Greinke have been on this list almost every week. (Greinke was last week.) If either is available in your league, you have no excuse for not winning your championship.

Wins – Halladay, Yankees RHP Alfredo Aceves, Pirates LHP Zach Duke and Brewers LHP Manny Parra 2.

Saves – Brewers RHP Trevor Hoffman 4-for-4; Red Sox RHP Jonathan Papelbon, Mets RHP Francisco Rodriguez, Orioles LHP George Sherrill and Rangers LHP C.J. Wilson 2-for-2.

Strikeout/walk ratio (10 Ks, at least a 2.5:1 ratio) – Astros LHP Wandy Rodriguez 11:0; Rockies LHP Jorge DeLaRosa 10:0; Halladay and Mets LHP Johan Santana 13:1; Padres RHP Jake Peavy 17:2; Twins RHP Kevin Slowey 10:2 and Braves RHP Javier Vazquez 10:2; Tigers RHP Justin Verlander 13:3; Rockies RHP Ubaldo Jimenez 11:3; Angels RHP Jered Weaver 11:4. Rodriguez seems to have turned a corner in his career; he’s someone worth considering for your team. With five wins, Slowey is on pace to justify the faith we had in him as our Jarrod Washburn Award winner, but he has been too easy to hit this season to help a fantasy team in ERA or WHIP.

WHIP – Pirates RHP Ross Ohlendorf 0.33; Ray and Wainwright 0.50; Rangers LHP Matt Harrison 0.56; Cardinals RHP Brad Thompson 0.60.
* * *

Not

Pos. Player, Team H-AB Avg. HR-RBI SB

2B Chris Getz, White Sox 1-22 .045 0-0 0
3B Adrian Beltre, Mariners 2-24 .083 1-1 0
OF Jay Bruce, Reds 3-27 .111 1-2 1
1B/3B Jorge Cantu, Marlins 3-23 .130 0-1 0
OF Vernon Wells, Blue Jays 3-22 .136 0-0 2
2B Luis Castillo, Mets 3-22 .136 0-2 2
1B/3B Hank Blalock, Rangers 3-22 .136 1-3 0
2B/SS David Eckstein, Padres 3-21 .143 0-1 0
2B Robinson Cano, Yankees 3-21 .143 0-1 0
1B Jeff Bailey, Red Sox 3-21 .143 1-1 0

This week’s hitless wonders are Cardinals SS Khalil Greene 0-for-13, Cubs 3B/2B Mike Fontenot 0-for-12 and Padres C Henry Blanco 0-for-10.

Caught stealing – Nationals OF Elijah Dukes, Orioles 1B/3B/OF Aubrey Huff and Diamondbacks OF Gerardo Parra 0-for-2; Rollins 3-for-5; Wright 5-for-7.

Walk/strikeout ratio (10 or more strikeouts) – Dodgers 2B Orlando Hudson and Pirates 1B Adam LaRoche 1:10; Phillies 1B Ryan Howard 3:12; Twins OF Denard Span 6:11.

The pitchers on the next list each made two starts, doubly damaging their fantasy teams.

Throws Pitcher, Team IP ERA W-L WHIP SO/BB

RHP Luke Hochevar, Royals 5.1 16.88 0-1 2.91 2:5
RHP Armando Galarraga, Tigers 6.1 14.21 0-1 2.68 4:7
RHP Andy Sonnanstine, Rays 7.2 14.09 1-1 2.35 4.2
RHP Gavin Floyd, White Sox 10.0 12.60 0-2 2.30 7:5
LHP John Koronka, Marlins 7.1 11.05 0-2 2.45 4:7
LHP Randy Johnson, Giants 9.0 11.00 1-1 2.11 12:0
RHP Todd Wellemeyer, Cardinals 10.0 0-2 9.90 2.20 7:10
RHP Trevor Cahill, Athletes 8.1 9.72 1-1 2.16 2:4
RHP Daniel Cabrera, Nationals 9.2 9.31 0-2 2.69 6:10
RHP Chan Ho Park, Phillies 7.1 8.59 1-0 2.18 5:4

Sonnanstine lessened the damage to his real team by batting .333.

Losses – Cabrera, Floyd, Koronka, Wellemeyer, Mariners RHP Brandon Morrow and Giants RHP Brian Wilson 2.

Blown saves – Morrow, Nationals LHP Joe Beimel, Mets RHP Bobby Parnell and Angels RHP Scot Shields 0-for-2; Braves LHP Mike Gonzalez 1-for-3.