In Saturday's post, I mentioned power only in passing.
There come times in a season when you're looking for power. This could be one, especially for owners with Orioles 1B Chris Davis on the roster.
In the first place, Davis hasn't been hitting with power. In the second, he might not even play for the next two weeks if he goes on the disabled list.
The easy choices are the current major league leaders, Angels 1B Albert Pujols and White Sox 1B Jose Abreu. They each have nine homers in less than four weeks. What's that you say? Pujols was a keeper in your league and other owners jumped on Abreu as the new kid on the power block?
OK, let's look a bit further down the home run list.
With eight homers, there's Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez. That's a pace for more than 50 this season. But should you be concerned because that's about twice the number he has hit in most seasons? Yes. I'm not even talking about steroids in this article, but you know which players to whisper about amongst yourselves.
The 7-HR group has some of the players you'd expect -- Blue Jays OF Jose Bautista, Marlins OF Mike Stanton and Diamondbacks OF Mark Trumbo, who's now injured. I've already touched on Twins SS Brian Dozier. There are up-and-comers such as Giants 1B Brandon Belt and Athletics 3B Josh Donaldson. I'm not sure about Belt as a consistent power source, but I could see power potential in Donaldson, even though he's not very big, back when he was a minor league catcher. Braves OF Justin Upton also has seven homers in what appears to be a bounce-back season.
Those with six homers also include some you'd expect -- Brewers OF Ryan Braun, who has been hitting his homers in bunches; Orioles OF Nelson Cruz; Braves 1B Freddie Freeman and C/OF Evan Gattis; Giants OF Mike Morse; Angels OF Mike Trout, and Pirates 3B Pedro Alvarez. Like last season, when he finished strong to tie for the National League lead, Alvarez has started slowly, with a batting average still on the interstate. He probably could use more protection in a lineup that hasn't been working. However, Pittsburgh 2B Neil Walker also has six homers, a pace he seems highly unlikely to keep up. He's also less effective against right-handed pitchers, the kind that Alvarez terrorizes. He's sometimes platoon-replaced against lefties.
Missing from that list is Tigers 1B/3B Miguel Cabrera, who reached five homers with a hot Week 4. He's a perfect example of why I don't like to make yes-or-no decisions about players until after Week 5.
Saturday was a difficult day for a number of players. Nationals OF Bryce Harper went on the disabled list Sunday. Davis seemed likely to join him on the DL. Braun left Saturday's game because of a strained intercostal muscle and his teammate, SS Jean Segura, left Milwaukee's lineup after being hit in the face by a Braun practice swing.
More coming over the next few days about other fantasy categories -- most importantly stolen bases and saves. I also expect some shorter posts with observations about players I see in person. Those could be similar to Saturday's comments about Rangers LHP Martin Perez.
Showing posts with label Chris Davis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Davis. Show all posts
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Comebacks: Russ Ortiz si, Payton no
We just know some team, or maybe lots of teams, wore green hats for St. Patrick’s Day. We just didn’t care to look to see which ones they were. Nor did we go to Ebay to buy any pieces of “alternative” green uniforms.
The Braves beat the Marlins and LHP Andrew Miller 4-2. All four Atlanta runs were unearned – but don’t fret about more defense, Florida fans, whoever you are. The Marlins’ three errors were all by guys who might not play anywhere in Florida this season. Their hitters suffered at the arm of Braves RHP Tommy Hanson, whose pitching line was 561104. We thought he was the real deal last year; we’re sure of that now.
Not to be outdone, at least not by much, by a namesake to whom he has become inextricably linked, RHP Russ Ortiz made an audition for a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation but lost to the White Sox 5-1. Ortiz’s line was 462223, but his ERA still is just 2.00. For Chicago, RHP Jake Peavy pitched the way the Sox have hoped he would, with a line of 531126 (and ERA of 1.13).
Making his 2010 debut and pitching like a relief version of Athletics RHP Ben Sheets, Yankees LHP Damaso Marte entered their game against the Phillies in the bottom of the fifth inning with the score tied 2-2. Four batters later, the score was 5-2. Phillies OF Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer against Marte, whose line was 043301. In fairness to Marte, in a regular-season game he probably wouldn’t be facing the righthanded-batting Werth with two runners on base. But, come on! Isn’t his job to get someone out?
In the Mets’ 4-2 win over the suddenly slumping Red Sox, red-hot New York OF Fernando Martinez hit his third homer this spring. The three-run shot came against RHP Ramon S. Ramirez – the Ramon Ramirez who was with Boston last year and not his namesake/new teammate who pitched for the Reds in 2009. For the Mets, overly hyped RHP prospect Jenrry Mejia lowered his ERA to 1.08 with a line of 100000.
The Blue Jays may not be able to get LHP Brian Tallet out of their rotation. That’s good for him, but maybe not so for Toronto. Anyway, his line was 410003 in a 4-2 victory over the Orioles.
In the Rockies’ 6-3 win over the Indians, Speier – that’s RHP Justin Speier, most recently with the Angels – had a line of 100001. OF Jay Payton’s comeback attempt with Colorado seems ill-fated. He’s batting just .185 and he was both thrown out stealing and picked off first base, the kind of rookie mistakes a grizzled veteran shouldn’t make. The flukiest line of the day was the 400013 by Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco. We defy him to do that well even once during the regular season.
In the aftermath of manager Ron Washington’s admission that he used cocaine during last season, the Rangers’ 8-1 victory over the Mariners was an anticlimax. Texas pounded the ball as if its big hitters were auditioning for the All-Arizona team. RF Nelson Cruz was 3-for-3 with three RBI to raise his average to .448, with homers against RHPs Ian Snell and David Aardsma. 1B Chris Davis improved to .500 with a homer against RHP Brandon League, and LF Josh Hamilton (.429) returned to the lineup with a four-bagger against Snell. Closer Aardsma was hit particularly hard, with a line of 2/3 34410.
Sample Scouting Report:
Jenrry Mejia, RHP, Mets
Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 165 T: R Age: Inj. Risk: 10 Alt. Pos.: SP, RP
{2010} Mejia has generated a lot of buzz with some early success in exhibition games. He throws a mid-90s fastball with sinking action that allows him to get plenty of ground-ball outs. That helped him strike out 91 in 94 2/3 innings last year. Mejia started the season 4-1 with a 1.97 ERA in nine starts at high Class A Port St. Lucie, and finished it 0-5 at Double-A Binghamton, where his ERA more than doubled and he averaged just 4 1/3 innings per start. That resulted in part from a strained middle finger that kept Mejia out seven weeks. He needs to develop his low-80s changeup and possibly another breaking ball to complement the cut fastball he throws at times. It seems likely that he would return to Binghamton to begin the season, but with the New York media machine having little good to say about the Mets, they might be tempted to rush him. Don’t bite on Mejia – not this year, at least. Born: Oct. 11, 1989, Dominican Republic.
Projection
IP: 15 W: 1 ERA: 4.80 WHIP: 1.53 S: 1 SO: 11 Value: $0
The Braves beat the Marlins and LHP Andrew Miller 4-2. All four Atlanta runs were unearned – but don’t fret about more defense, Florida fans, whoever you are. The Marlins’ three errors were all by guys who might not play anywhere in Florida this season. Their hitters suffered at the arm of Braves RHP Tommy Hanson, whose pitching line was 561104. We thought he was the real deal last year; we’re sure of that now.
Not to be outdone, at least not by much, by a namesake to whom he has become inextricably linked, RHP Russ Ortiz made an audition for a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation but lost to the White Sox 5-1. Ortiz’s line was 462223, but his ERA still is just 2.00. For Chicago, RHP Jake Peavy pitched the way the Sox have hoped he would, with a line of 531126 (and ERA of 1.13).
Making his 2010 debut and pitching like a relief version of Athletics RHP Ben Sheets, Yankees LHP Damaso Marte entered their game against the Phillies in the bottom of the fifth inning with the score tied 2-2. Four batters later, the score was 5-2. Phillies OF Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer against Marte, whose line was 043301. In fairness to Marte, in a regular-season game he probably wouldn’t be facing the righthanded-batting Werth with two runners on base. But, come on! Isn’t his job to get someone out?
In the Mets’ 4-2 win over the suddenly slumping Red Sox, red-hot New York OF Fernando Martinez hit his third homer this spring. The three-run shot came against RHP Ramon S. Ramirez – the Ramon Ramirez who was with Boston last year and not his namesake/new teammate who pitched for the Reds in 2009. For the Mets, overly hyped RHP prospect Jenrry Mejia lowered his ERA to 1.08 with a line of 100000.
The Blue Jays may not be able to get LHP Brian Tallet out of their rotation. That’s good for him, but maybe not so for Toronto. Anyway, his line was 410003 in a 4-2 victory over the Orioles.
In the Rockies’ 6-3 win over the Indians, Speier – that’s RHP Justin Speier, most recently with the Angels – had a line of 100001. OF Jay Payton’s comeback attempt with Colorado seems ill-fated. He’s batting just .185 and he was both thrown out stealing and picked off first base, the kind of rookie mistakes a grizzled veteran shouldn’t make. The flukiest line of the day was the 400013 by Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco. We defy him to do that well even once during the regular season.
In the aftermath of manager Ron Washington’s admission that he used cocaine during last season, the Rangers’ 8-1 victory over the Mariners was an anticlimax. Texas pounded the ball as if its big hitters were auditioning for the All-Arizona team. RF Nelson Cruz was 3-for-3 with three RBI to raise his average to .448, with homers against RHPs Ian Snell and David Aardsma. 1B Chris Davis improved to .500 with a homer against RHP Brandon League, and LF Josh Hamilton (.429) returned to the lineup with a four-bagger against Snell. Closer Aardsma was hit particularly hard, with a line of 2/3 34410.
Sample Scouting Report:
Jenrry Mejia, RHP, Mets
Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 165 T: R Age: Inj. Risk: 10 Alt. Pos.: SP, RP
{2010} Mejia has generated a lot of buzz with some early success in exhibition games. He throws a mid-90s fastball with sinking action that allows him to get plenty of ground-ball outs. That helped him strike out 91 in 94 2/3 innings last year. Mejia started the season 4-1 with a 1.97 ERA in nine starts at high Class A Port St. Lucie, and finished it 0-5 at Double-A Binghamton, where his ERA more than doubled and he averaged just 4 1/3 innings per start. That resulted in part from a strained middle finger that kept Mejia out seven weeks. He needs to develop his low-80s changeup and possibly another breaking ball to complement the cut fastball he throws at times. It seems likely that he would return to Binghamton to begin the season, but with the New York media machine having little good to say about the Mets, they might be tempted to rush him. Don’t bite on Mejia – not this year, at least. Born: Oct. 11, 1989, Dominican Republic.
Projection
IP: 15 W: 1 ERA: 4.80 WHIP: 1.53 S: 1 SO: 11 Value: $0
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Twins will find a closer, maybe Liriano
It just occurred to me that we haven’t told you much about the Twins’ closer situation with RHP Joe Nathan likely to miss this season because of a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow.
I don’t run the Minnesota organization; the Twins’ executives do a very good job without my help. Terry Ryan isn’t the GM anymore, but the team should assign him the task of sifting through the closer candidates, internal and external. After all, he’s the one who saw Nathan’s potential back when he was a setup man and stole him from the Giants in the notorious A.J. Pierzynski trade.
The Twinkies have plenty of in-house candidates, even though they’ll no doubt be looking elsewhere as well. They are the defending American League Central champions, after all, and a strong contender again this year, so there’s a lot at stake in a division where one blown save could make the difference in going to the playoffs or staying home.
Thus, we present the pitchers who could receive a promotion from the back to the front of the bullpen. RHP Jon Rauch has been a closer in the majors with mixed results. Of his 26 career saves, 17 came in 22 attempts with the 2008 Nationals. RHP Matt Guerrier has been a reliable setup man, but hasn’t been called on for many saves (one in each of the last four seasons, with a career record of 4 in 14 attempts). RHP Jesse Crain at times was an overpowering closer as high as Triple-A, but his skill set and some arm problems have kept him from being a major factor in the majors (2-for-12 in career saves). LHP Jose Mijares was a minor league closer, but has even less big-league track record (one unsuccessful save attempt in 81 games) than Crain. RHP Clay Condrey: 4-for-6 in his career. RHP Pat Neshek: 0-for-7. The most intriguing candidate is LHP Francisco Liriano. He would have an exceptional repertoire for a closer – fastball, slider, devastating changeup. For Minnesota even to try him as a closer would mean both that the twins are satisfied with five other starters and that they’d trust Liriano to be what could be an overwhelming closer.
In the Phillies’ 4-0 victory over the Tigers, RHP Joe Blanton continued a good spring by outdueling RHP Justin Verlander. Blanton’s pitching line was 430000, compared to Verlander’s 462202. We can only imagine that Blanton’s pitches were moving down and out of the strike zone, which they do when he’s at his best. Philadelphia’s bullpen held Detroit hitless for the final five innings.
The Marlins’ closer, RHP Leo Nunez, had a chance for an easy save, entering their game against the Cardinals to start the ninth inning with a 3-0 lead. Instead, he imploded. His pitching line was 2/3 45311 as he turned the lead into a 5-3 loss. Included were doubles by young 3B David Freese and OF Joe Mather.
Rays LHP Jacob McGee did get a save in a 4-1 victory of the Blue Jays. His pitching line was 210002. They played in St. Petersburg, but the Braves-Yankees game next door in Tampa was rained out.
In a game reduced to eight innings because of rain, the Twins defeated the Orioles 8-3. Baltimore RHP Kevin Millwood again struggled. He’s 0-2 this spring with a 29.70 ERA, including a pitching line of 2 2/3 95512. Minnesota OF/1B Michael Cuddyer hit a home run against Millwood.
The Diamondbacks defeated the Angels 4-1, with LA/Anaheim’s only run coming on C Mike Napoli’s third homer this spring against Arizona RHP Leo Rosales.
The Dodgers defeated the Royals 6-4, with most of the damage against RHP Gil Meche. His line of 274410 included a homer by LA OF Andre Ethier.
The Rangers had one of their occasional offensive explosions, pounding 23 hits in a 16-5 victory over the Rockies. The winning pitcher, RHP Scott Feldman, had a shaky line of 2 1/3 53323, but it was a case of “You should see the other guy.” Colorado RHP Aaron Cook’s line was 2 2/3 99513. Rangers 1B Chris Davis, who seems on track to have a bounce-back season, hit a two-run homer against Cook during a 4-for-4 day with three RBI.
Mets SS Jose Reyes has been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder. He has been prescribed rest, and seems unlikely to be ready for Opening Day.
Sample Scouting Report:
Chris Davis, 1B, Rangers
Ht.: 6-4 Wt.: 235 B: L Age: 24
{2010} In half a season as a rookie in 2008, Davis hit 17 home runs and drove in 55 runs. Last season, he was striking out nearly once every two at-bats when he was returned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. He had been missing fastballs, swinging at balls and taking strikes, but altered his approach and became more patient in the minors. Davis batted .202 before the demotion, but improved to .308 in 36 games after his return to the Rangers. He can’t help but be somewhere between those averages this season, but he had a good start in exhibition games and should be a good power source making more consistent contact. If he doesn’t, he wouldn’t play much because 1B prospects Justin Smoak and Mitch Moreland are coming up behind him. Born: March 17, 1986, Longview, Texas. 2009: 391 AB, .238 BA, 21 HR, 59 RBI, 0 SB, 48 R.
Projection
AB: 482 BA: .258 HR: 26 RBI: 78 SB: 1 R: 67, Value: $7.
I don’t run the Minnesota organization; the Twins’ executives do a very good job without my help. Terry Ryan isn’t the GM anymore, but the team should assign him the task of sifting through the closer candidates, internal and external. After all, he’s the one who saw Nathan’s potential back when he was a setup man and stole him from the Giants in the notorious A.J. Pierzynski trade.
The Twinkies have plenty of in-house candidates, even though they’ll no doubt be looking elsewhere as well. They are the defending American League Central champions, after all, and a strong contender again this year, so there’s a lot at stake in a division where one blown save could make the difference in going to the playoffs or staying home.
Thus, we present the pitchers who could receive a promotion from the back to the front of the bullpen. RHP Jon Rauch has been a closer in the majors with mixed results. Of his 26 career saves, 17 came in 22 attempts with the 2008 Nationals. RHP Matt Guerrier has been a reliable setup man, but hasn’t been called on for many saves (one in each of the last four seasons, with a career record of 4 in 14 attempts). RHP Jesse Crain at times was an overpowering closer as high as Triple-A, but his skill set and some arm problems have kept him from being a major factor in the majors (2-for-12 in career saves). LHP Jose Mijares was a minor league closer, but has even less big-league track record (one unsuccessful save attempt in 81 games) than Crain. RHP Clay Condrey: 4-for-6 in his career. RHP Pat Neshek: 0-for-7. The most intriguing candidate is LHP Francisco Liriano. He would have an exceptional repertoire for a closer – fastball, slider, devastating changeup. For Minnesota even to try him as a closer would mean both that the twins are satisfied with five other starters and that they’d trust Liriano to be what could be an overwhelming closer.
In the Phillies’ 4-0 victory over the Tigers, RHP Joe Blanton continued a good spring by outdueling RHP Justin Verlander. Blanton’s pitching line was 430000, compared to Verlander’s 462202. We can only imagine that Blanton’s pitches were moving down and out of the strike zone, which they do when he’s at his best. Philadelphia’s bullpen held Detroit hitless for the final five innings.
The Marlins’ closer, RHP Leo Nunez, had a chance for an easy save, entering their game against the Cardinals to start the ninth inning with a 3-0 lead. Instead, he imploded. His pitching line was 2/3 45311 as he turned the lead into a 5-3 loss. Included were doubles by young 3B David Freese and OF Joe Mather.
Rays LHP Jacob McGee did get a save in a 4-1 victory of the Blue Jays. His pitching line was 210002. They played in St. Petersburg, but the Braves-Yankees game next door in Tampa was rained out.
In a game reduced to eight innings because of rain, the Twins defeated the Orioles 8-3. Baltimore RHP Kevin Millwood again struggled. He’s 0-2 this spring with a 29.70 ERA, including a pitching line of 2 2/3 95512. Minnesota OF/1B Michael Cuddyer hit a home run against Millwood.
The Diamondbacks defeated the Angels 4-1, with LA/Anaheim’s only run coming on C Mike Napoli’s third homer this spring against Arizona RHP Leo Rosales.
The Dodgers defeated the Royals 6-4, with most of the damage against RHP Gil Meche. His line of 274410 included a homer by LA OF Andre Ethier.
The Rangers had one of their occasional offensive explosions, pounding 23 hits in a 16-5 victory over the Rockies. The winning pitcher, RHP Scott Feldman, had a shaky line of 2 1/3 53323, but it was a case of “You should see the other guy.” Colorado RHP Aaron Cook’s line was 2 2/3 99513. Rangers 1B Chris Davis, who seems on track to have a bounce-back season, hit a two-run homer against Cook during a 4-for-4 day with three RBI.
Mets SS Jose Reyes has been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder. He has been prescribed rest, and seems unlikely to be ready for Opening Day.
Sample Scouting Report:
Chris Davis, 1B, Rangers
Ht.: 6-4 Wt.: 235 B: L Age: 24
{2010} In half a season as a rookie in 2008, Davis hit 17 home runs and drove in 55 runs. Last season, he was striking out nearly once every two at-bats when he was returned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. He had been missing fastballs, swinging at balls and taking strikes, but altered his approach and became more patient in the minors. Davis batted .202 before the demotion, but improved to .308 in 36 games after his return to the Rangers. He can’t help but be somewhere between those averages this season, but he had a good start in exhibition games and should be a good power source making more consistent contact. If he doesn’t, he wouldn’t play much because 1B prospects Justin Smoak and Mitch Moreland are coming up behind him. Born: March 17, 1986, Longview, Texas. 2009: 391 AB, .238 BA, 21 HR, 59 RBI, 0 SB, 48 R.
Projection
AB: 482 BA: .258 HR: 26 RBI: 78 SB: 1 R: 67, Value: $7.
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