Draft Day Challenge, May 21

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

BaseballGuys.com. has partnered with DraftDay.com to give all my wonderful followers, that’s you, the chance to play the game on a daily basis. On Tuesday and Thursday’s here at the site, every week, I’ll be giving you some insight into the mind of The

Shuffle Up: Manny Machado, ahead of schedule

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Here are your Shuffle Up corners for the month of May. Dig into them, think about them, disagree with them. I'll be back with commentary later tonight.

Normal rules apply, of course. We're trying to project 5x5 value to come; what's happened to this point is an audition, not a mandate. Players at the same price are considered even. Don't worry about the prices in a vacuum - what matters is how the players relate to one another. Your intelligent and respectful disagreement is always welcome.

Please remember the golden rule of shuffling: a player doesn't gain (or lose) 15-20 percent of value simply because he's on your roster.

Courtesy injury ranks are at the bottom. I won't debate those (I'm generally not as

Mostly MLB Notes: Albert Pujols’ decline, Carlos Santana’s emergence and examining David Price

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

We held a mid-season draft Monday, and I ended up taking Albert Pujols with the 19th pick. Judging by Yahoo’s updated rest of season rankings, I guess this could be considered something of a reach. I’m not necessarily going to argue against that, but it’s remarkable someone who was a unanimous top-three pick last year and was generally considered a top-10 pick this year is now a

Over/Under: Where there’s a Wil, there’s a way

Source: Roto Arcade by Brad Evans

Fantasy is a speculative game. Predict the future, and you look like a genius. Don't, and you're painfully human. Gazing into the crystal ball, here's our view on 10 intriguing over/unders this week.

Top Tampa prospect Wil Myers, who is crushing in Durham, call-up date June 1

Andy – OVER. Or LATER. Or...well, you know what I mean. Never bet on the Rays to make things easy on the fantasy community.

Brandon – OVER. The Rays are frugal, which means they'll likely look to avoid Super 2 status for Myers, which means prolonging his arbitration eligibility arrival. So look for Myers in mid-June, which should keep the Rays safe of the dreaded Super

Pedro Alvarez is bad at baseball right now, is it time to drop him?

Source: Fake Teams by Kenneth Arthur

When thinking of a Pedro Alvarez headline, there are many different ways to go. That is why it is so important to make sure that you are: Original, funny, and informative about the topic located within the article.

Bad headline: Vote for Pedro!

It's unoriginal-ness makes it unfunny. It is also not informative. It is also giving you the wrong idea, because Pedro Alvarez is not deserving of your vote. Let's stick with the first name though.

Pedro Fart-inez!

This is referring to the fact that there was another Pedro named Pedro Martinez, but Alvarez

Shuffle Up: Michael Cuddyer gets his groove back

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Today's ranking assignment takes us down on the corner, the first basemen and the third basemen. Settle in, settlers.

What you'll see below are prices for most of the Yahoo-eligible cornermen going forward. There are a few rules here: if you're in the minors or on the DL, you don't make this list. Too variable in worth, league to league. If you're catcher-eligible, you don't make the list – everyone's probably going to use you at catcher anyway. Don't obsess over the actual dollar amounts – what matters is how the players relate to one another. When players are at the same number, they're considered even.

The games to this point are merely an audition. We're trying to figure out who's worth the

Draft Day Challenge, April 16

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

pedro alvarez' pictures via Wylio" href="http://www.wylio.com/credits/flickr/4823097190">

Daily baseball is all the rage in the fantasy sports world, so I will be covering the game a couple of times a week here at BaseballGuys.com. To that end, I’ve partnered with DraftDay.com to give all my wonderful followers, that’s you, the chance to play the game on a daily basis. On Tuesday and Thursday’s here at the site, every week, I’ll be giving you some insight into the mind

Mostly MLB Notes: A 2013 Season Preview

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

Editor’s note: I wanted to get this posted much earlier, but I had my first kid recently (well, technically my wife had her), so that’s my excuse for the delay.

National League East

1. Washington Nationals
2. Atlanta Braves (WILD CARD)
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. New York Mets
5. Miami Marlins

Comments/Fantasy Predictions: Both Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper are top-15 fantasy players, while Dan Haren is a top-25 starting pitcher. Ryan Zimmerman proves to be a better pick than Evan Longoria, while Drew

Go bold or go home! Our fearless forecasts for the fantasy baseball season

Source: Roto Arcade by Brad Evans

In Fantasyland, a statistical ninja lurks around every corner. Each year in leagues of all shapes and sizes, well-knowns and relative unknowns reach unexpected heights carrying heady investors to the top of the mountain. As fantasy "experts" it's our job to discover, dissect and disseminate recommendations about potential breakouts to the masses. Sometimes our prognostications are eerily accurate. Other instances, we write a few glowing words on a speedy, underachieving infielder that ends up hoofing it in the minors for a majority of the season. You

Cactus Juice: Thumbs down on Chase Headley

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Everyone needs a few simple rules and concepts to navigate through life. You don't tug on Superman's Cape. You don't play poker against anyone who's first name is a city. And in fantasy baseball, you don't mess with thumb injuries.

Sorry about that, Chase Headley. For the rest of March's draft season, you're just about dead to me.

[Play Tourney Pick'em on Yahoo! Fantasy Sports]

The Padres made the news official Monday: Headley has a small fracture on his left thumb and

Fantasy Baseball 2013: Third Base primer

Source: Roto Arcade by Andy Behrens

It seems highly doubtful that you'll be able to screw up this position, no matter how poorly you draft. Go ahead and try. Can't be done. Third base is uncommonly deep in 2013 — so deep, in fact, that the players we've slotted ninth and tenth in our preseason ranks, Chase Headley and Aramis Ramirez, both finished among the overall top-25 last season.

This position is so stacked that no one in the fantasy community even seems to care that we've lost Alex Rodriguez indefinitely — possibly for the entire season. We've buried A-Rod in the desert with Troy Glaus, Hank Blalock and Andy Marte. Thanks for the

Questions at Third Base

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Pedro Alvarez fielding 6/19/2010' or find free 'pedro alvarez' pictures via Wylio" href="http://www.wylio.com/credits/flickr/4712966829"> Often times in fantasy baseball we focus too much on the top of drafts. Who should I take in the first round? At what point of the draft do I take my first pitcher? Those questions are the type I receive on a daily basis. While those questions must be asked, the fact of the matter is that most drafts aren’t won in the first five rounds. In my humble opinion, the way you win a draft is to be smart with trades, to work the waiver-wire aggressively, and to pay very close attention as

Pressing Questions: The Pittsburgh Pirates

Source: Roto Arcade by Andy Behrens

In a series like Pressing Questions, where our mission is to explore the biggest unknowns facing each team, the Pirates are a nightmare to write. This is a dumpster-diving team that collects unknowns. For years, the Bucs have been picking from the MLB discard pile, looking for reclamation projects. A few seasons ago it was Andy LaRoche, then Lastings Milledge. Then it was Jeff Clement, James McDonald, Erik Bedard, AJ Burnett, Gaby Sanchez and Travis Snider. This year, it's Jerry Sands, Mark Melancon, Francisco Liriano, Felix Pie and Jonathan Sanchez.

Pittsburgh is basically the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? of Major League Baseball. Thus, the Pirates are a tricky team to consider in a feature that's supposed to focus on

2013 Rankings: Third Basemen

Source: Fantasy Baseball 365

The hot corner is a bit top heavy, but sprinkled in the middle are some hitters that are flawed but bring a carrying fantasy stat to the table. There are also some young players that have breakout potential beyond the upper tier. 

Rank First Name Last

2013 Minor League Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America 2012 (13) | 2011 (19) | 2010 (15) | 2009 (18) | 2008 (26) 2012 Affiliate Records MLB: [79-83] NL Central AAA: [89-55] International League – Indianapolis AA: [72-70] Eastern League – Altoona A+: [60-77] Florida State League – Bradenton A: [61-79] South Atlantic League – West Virginia A(ss): [35-41] New York-Penn League — State College (Jamestown beginning 2013) Arizona Fall League Players — Scottsdale Scorpions Vic Black (RHP); Brandon Cumpton (RHP); Tyler Waldron (RHP); Matt Curry (1B); Gift Ngoepe (SS); Adalberto Santos (OF) Graduated Prospects Starling Marte (OF); Yamaico Navarro (INF);

N.L. Only League Power Source: Pedro Alvarez

Source: Fake Teams by brad dengler

I am writing this on Super Bowl Sunday. For me, that means NCIS reruns and catching up on some Fake Teams posts that I did not get a chance to read yet, this week. Life is good. Monday it gets better because Super Bowl Sunday also means that tomorrow (Monday, for the calendar-challenged) is the official beginning of Fantasy Baseball Draft season. Notice the capital letters giving this momentous day the emphasis it deserves. Have you done your position rakings yet? Not to worry. We here at Fake Teams got you covered. We are currently looking at AL and NL-only leagues, which by their very nature are challenging, but can be particularly troublesome when trying to evaluate players at

Garrett Jones (1B/OF-PIT)

Source: TG Fantasy Baseball

Bucs corner infielders Alvarez, Jones pack punch - In baseballand#39;s ideal scheme, the corners of the infield are power positions, and the Pirates are in good position to live up to that blueprint with third baseman Pedro Alvarez and first baseman Garrett Jones. Source: http://mlb.mlb.com

The Debate: Give Me Moose Tacos Over Pedro At Third Base

Source: Fake Teams by Paul Rice

To say that Mike Moustakas and Pedro Alvarez have some similarities would be an understating things quite drastically. Moose Tacos was the second pick of the 2007 draft; Alvarez was the second pick in 2008. They're both Scott Boras clients, although only Alvarez gained industry-wide hate for his agent's signing deadline chicanery. They were both top ten prospects and former minor league stars. Lastly, they're both players who came off of disappointing 2011 seasons, and saw some of their fantasy stock diminish because of it.

Moustakas was seen as Kansas City's third baseman of the future and

Fake Teams 2013 Consensus Third Base Rankings: Part 2

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

On Monday, I posted Part 1 of our 2013 Consensus Third Base Rankings, complete with player profiles for players ranked 1 - 13. Today, I provide you with Part 2 of our rankings with player profiles for players ranked 14 - 25.

The bottom half of our 2013 Third Base Rankings include two players who could leap into the Top 12 at the position in 2013-Pedro Alvarez and Mike Moustakas. Both have big power bats, but need to improve their plate discipline and contact rates

The Debate:Target Pedro Alvarez over Mike Moustakas

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

I ranked Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez as my 14th ranked fantasy third baseman for 2013, two spots ahead of Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas. If I had to a chance to re-rank them, I would probably rank Alvarez a few spots higher, in the 11-12 range, as I like the power potential, and the fact that there is room for him to improve at the plate.

I ranked Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas as my 16th ranked fantasy third baseman for 2013, and love his

Ricescapades: The 2012 One-Dimensional All-Stars

Source: Fake Teams by Paul Rice

Pedro Alvarez

Alvarez had been an obnoxious enigma in his first two seasons in the big leagues, alternating flashes of his enormous power potential with stretches where he looked like he'd never seen a curveball before in his life. In 2012, he finally broke out...sort of. He demonstrated the power that had made him the number two pick in the 2008 draft, hitting 30 bombs, but that was about it. Otherwise, Alvarez was a fantasy murderer, killing you in strikeouts and batting average, and he didn't draw a great many walks, either. If he's hitting 30-35 home runs a year, he'll always be worth something, but if this is all he is, it seems likely major league

Top 20 3rd Basemen, 2012 Fantasy Baseball

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

Third base finally showed signs of a glimmer in 2012 fantasy baseball.  There were a good ten 3rd basemen and another handful that could’ve covered your corner infidel slot.  The only shizzy thing was that there were more than a few complete curveballs.  Bautista, A-Rod, Moustakas, Reynolds and Sandoval, to name a few, were hot garbage and Headley, Encarnacion, Chris Davis and Pedro Alvarez came relatively out of nowhere.  Also, a lot of them were first basemen or 2nd basemen or shortstops, so it wasn’t like they were hanging out on waivers looking for room on peoples’ teams.  Then there’s Ryan Zimmerman who made me look smart in opposite world.  Also, to recap, this final ranking is from our

Moustakas Out Of Beta

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

Mike Moustakas left yesterday’s game with a groin injury that could end his season, which would also end his sophomore slump (the “o” is silent in sophomore, like when you make love to your woman — oofa!)  The 2nd season like the 2nd Greek letter is beta.  Beta is also a testing phase when the most kinks are found.  So, naturally, we should expect guys in beta to perform for stretches and then find they have serious compatibility issues with major league pitching, right?   Well, there’s no scientific evidence to support this.  Sure, Austin Jackson and Jason Heyward’s 2011 seasons were miserable and this year we got the same from Hosmer and Moustakas, but Gaby Sanchez was fine for two years, then hit a

Around the Horn: September 26, 2012

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

(1) Chase Headley now a top-5 3B?

(2) Torii Hunter finds the fountain of youth?

(3) Daniel Murphy finishing strong.

(4) Jeff Keppinger finishing strong.

(5) Pedro Alvarez reaches 30 homers.

(6) Wilin Rosario having remarkable season. Will it continue in 2013?

(7) Paul Goldschmidt and Billy Butler massive weapons facing Tim Lincecum and Justin Verlander.

By Ray Flowers

Anibal Sanchez Victorio

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

Anibal Sanchez threw a complete game shutout with four baserunners and 10 Ks.  I told you to draft him! (Then drop him.)  Shut up, Parenthetical, you know-it-all.  (That’s kinda harsh.)  This is exactly what I expected from Anibal (in the NL).  Seriously, Parenthetical, let me get a train of thought out here.  (My bad).  If there was one pitcher I said to draft this year, it was Anibal (Gio, Price, Latos (but then you dropped him).  Yes, I liked more than one pitcher, your point?  (Oh, nothing, was just saying.  Or Cust kayin’ to use your vernacular.)  This year was obviously a disappointment when you look at the whole thing (you don’t say?).  His Ks are way down from 2011 and his luck hasn’t been

Alvarez hits 30th home run, Bucs defeat Mets - Pedro Alvarez | PIT

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Pedro Alvarez hit his 30th home run of the season and drove in four as the Pirates beat the Mets 10-6 on Tuesday.

Alvarez belts 30th homer in win over Mets - Pedro Alvarez | PIT

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Pedro Alvarez belted his 30th homer of the season and drove home four as the Pirates topped the Mets 10-6 in New York on Tuesday.

Royals Aim To Odorizzi Their Stinky Season

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

The Royals called up Jake Odorizzi, which means nothing really for this year.  He will start next weekend vs. the Indians, and that could be a spot start in some fantasy leagues, but this is more for 2013.  Or, since it’s the Royals, this is Moore for 2013.  In order to be protected from a Rule 5 draft, the Royals had to call him up.  I don’t think this means we see Odorizzi in the rotation to start next year, but he’ll be in the mix for the last spot.  Knowing the Royals, they’ll find someone like Randy Wolf or Carl Pavano for that last spot.  Jeremy Guthrie’s run with the Royals this year is the worst thing that could’ve happened for Royals fans.  Now ownership can get another half-dead veteran

Pedro Alvarez (wrist) scratched from lineup - Pedro Alvarez | PIT

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Pedro Alvarez was scratched from the Pirates' lineup Wednesday due to right wrist discomfort.

Phillies Let Us Enter The Ruf Age

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

The Phils promoted power-hitting prospect, Darin Ruf, who hit a minor league-leading 38 homers (with 20 of them coming in August).  That was at Double-A and he’s 26 years old.  In scout speak, that’s not good.  Scouts speak in short sentences so they don’t miss the Early Bird Specials.  Based not on facts but my gut (and Ruf’s), “Babe” Ruf reminds me of Matt Stairs.  Ruf’s a righty, but like Stairs he’s got two beer kegs for legs and the upside of a guy who would be fun to hang out with in the dugout.  Though Ruf’s position is 1st base, the Phils said they will try to find him playing time.  Specifically, Charlie Manuel said, “If Ruf can sling up the flapjacks, we’ll make sure there’s

Daily Joust – Wk 22: Did We Learn Anything?

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Pedro Alvarez' or find free 'pedro alvarez' pictures via Wylio" href="http://www.wylio.com/credits/flickr/7374058126"> On Monday each week I take a look at the fantasy baseball game breaking down players who have produced noteworthy performances of late – not just positive outings mind you, but I’ll also delve into some of the players that have been sucking wind of late. Can you use this information to your benefit over at DailyJoust?

GAINERS OF THE WEEK

Pedro Alvarez (+13, $108,000 in DailyJoust

Hitter Ranks: Welcome back

Source: Sporting News Fantasy Source Baseball

There are a few hitters making well-timed returns to their lineups and our hitter rankings to help fantasy baseball owners make a September push. Of course, there are also a few top-notch hitters making early exits who could be done for the season. Let's take a look at some of the movers and shakers in the latest set of hitter rankings:

Welcome back

Joey Votto, 1B, Reds. The latest reports have Votto (No. 19 1B), who has been out since mid-July

September Means Rosters Moving From Foster’s Oil Cans to Forties

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

The 40-man roster began in the 1960′s when the Houston Colt 45′s entered as an expansion team.  It gave them an opportunity to call up a young, smooth outfielder named Billy Dee Williams, who could play the field with the best of them.  Unfortunately, he was on the bench most days, because his team was content playing some grizzled vets, but then his sweet moustache caught the attention of the nearby space program who was looking to break the astronaut color barrier, and he landed a job as a city adminstrator in a nearby galaxy.  This is the problem with most rookies, they need space to play.  There’s already been some call-ups:  Manny Machado came up and hit three quick homers then he went on a five minute diatribe where

Kenley’s Heart Being Questioned, Josh Beckett Knows How He Feels

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

It didn’t take long for Josh Beckett to cause people to question the heart of the Dodgers staff.  And they didn’t even have to send them a Valentine.  Look, we wouldn’t wish a heart issue on anyone but of all the Dodger closers over the years, why Kenley Jansen?  Why not Steve Howe?  He was a coke fiend.  Or Eric Gagne?  He was a steroid/HGH fiend.  Or Jonathon Broxton.  He looks like he was on the Josh Beckett diet every day of the week.  This is the same condition that sent Kenley to the DL last year and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same this year.  It’s not really something to mess with (or joke about, except in certain instances, apparently.  Don’t worry, I won’t joke about

Roto Roundup: Matt Kemp, Kris Medlen, Pedro Alvarez and Others

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

Orioles starter Chris Tillman pitched a gem vs the White Sox last night, shutting them out for 7 innings on just one hit, 4 walks and 5 strikeouts. The win was his 7th of the season, as he is now 7-2 with a 3.26 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a 47-19 strikeout to walk ratio in 58 innings covering 10 starts. In those 10 starts, he has given up 2 runs or less in 6 of them, but gives up plenty of fly balls which could come back to bite him once he goes through the league a second time.

Roto Roundup: Matt Kemp, Kris Medlen, Pedro Alvarez and Other

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

Orioles starter Chris Tillman pitched a gem vs the White Sox last night, shutting them out for 7 innings on just one hit, 4 walks and 5 strikeouts. The win was his 7th of the season, as he is now 7-2 with a 3.26 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a 47-19 strikeout to walk ratio in 58 innings covering 10 starts. In those 10 starts, he has given up 2 runs or less in 6 of them, but gives up plenty of fly balls which could come back to bite him once he goes through the league a second time.

Hasta Bautista

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

It’s a wrap for Jose Bautista in 2012.  See you around like a donut in 2013.  It’s far from breaking news that he’s done for the year.  It looked like it was headed that way for the last few days.  As an aptly-named, pessimistic Polish man would be named, Bummerooski.  He didn’t have the year you grew accustomed to after having a few years that you weren’t accustomed to. (Or maybe it’s, Bautista had a season you were expecting if he didn’t have the years you weren’t expecting?  Or maybe, he had a season you knew was coming because of seasons you didn’t know were coming?  I’ve painted myself into a logic corner and I’m getting hungry.)  Too bad the Jays weren’t in the pennant race,

Alvarez homers twice as Pirates rout Cards - Pedro Alvarez | PIT

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Pedro Alvarez had a big night Tuesday, going 4-for-5 with a pair of homers, three runs scored and four RBI in a win over the Cardinals.

Closing Time: The unstoppable Kris Medlen

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Remember when the Braves were trying to trade for Ryan Dempster? Ah, why bother? The answer was in their backyard all along: Kris Medlen. The bandwagon isn't completely full yet, so grab your stuff and hop on board.

The unheralded right-hander won his third straight start on Wednesday, rolling past the Nats (7 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K). Obviously Medlen has been pitching over his head during this five-game run, but when you collect 29 strikeouts against five walks, you're setting yourself up for success. Medlen also has

Barret Browning (P-STL)

Source: TG Fantasy Baseball

The Juice: Pedro Alvarez homer in 19th keys Pirates win, Ichiro goes deep twice to help Yanks sink Red Sox (Big League Stew) - The Juice is back for its fifth season of fun! Stop by each weekday for an ample serving of news from the action, plus great photos, stats and video highlights. The long game: The Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals like playing baseball so much, they both decided to spend 6 hours, 7 minutes Sunday together at Busch Stadium until their mothers called them in for supper. After each team scored a run in the 17th, Pedro Alvarez cracked a go-ahead home run against Barret Browning in the 19th, and Andrew McCutchen added a two-run single for the final margin in a 6-3 victory . Alvarez had been 0 for 5 before

Pedro Alvarez's blast ends 19-inning marathon - Pedro Alvarez | PIT

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

With the Pirates and Cardinals duking it out in the longest game of the season on Sunday, Pedro Alvarez took Barret Browning deep for the go-ahead home run in Pittsburgh's 6-3 win.

FS Lineup Card: Aug. 19-25

Source: Sporting News Fantasy Source Baseball

Here's a look at what to expect from the Fantasy Source this week:

Sunday, Aug. 19: First Pitch. Fantasy Source subscribers should be sure to check out First Pitch every weekday morning by 9 a.m. ET and every Saturday and Sunday by 10 a.m. ET. You'll get a look back at the most notable performances from the day before in our 3 Up, 3 Down section, then a look ahead to the upcoming day with splits to exploit, weather watch and a ranking of every SP. Make First Pitch part of your daily fantasy baseball routine.

Monday, Aug. 20:

Padres Might’ve Scored If Not For That Medlen Kid

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

You know how when you turn on the lights in my bedroom, the cockroaches scatter?  Well, maybe you didn’t know.  Okay, say Hodgepadres are the cockroaches and the lights are from any stadium but Petco.  You following the analogy?  Good, let’s add another layer.  Now, I lay my pillow down on my Kinko’s-made, Michael J. Fox Teen Beat pillow case and I’m at peace with the world.  Okay, now say my head is a pitch from a Hodgepadre and my Michael J. Fox-covered pillow is an opposing player’s bat.   Got it?  Good!  One last layer, when I’m resting my head on Michael J. Fox’s head, I’m dreaming about how any pitcher could be going against the Padres, but the pitcher always has the same name on the back of his jersey,

OPS Fantasy Leagues: These Pirates Arrrrr Worth Owning

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

I realized that in the couple months I’ve been writing these articles, I haven’t covered any Pirates players. Maybe it’s a personal bias, or maybe I’m struggling with the idea that so many Pirates players are worth owning this year. When was the last time that happened? Seriously, I don’t remember. So to make up for ignoring them, here are a few Pirates:

Andrew McCutchen – I know I’m not going out on a limb here, but McCutchen has been fantastic this year.  His improvements have been even more pronounced in OPS leagues, as his current 1.060 OPS is second to Votto in the entire league. This is even more remarkable because he had previously been a low 800s OPS guy. In 2012, he’s producing a

RCL Roundup: July 23

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

Rank Railheads have an amazing 113 points and a 5-point lead over The Fugs (Epic Beardmen Division) and panthers_freak (We’ve Got the Runs — Baseball Reasons) in the overall standings after another impressive week. The Railheads are well ahead of the pace for Games Started, but so are their nearest competitors in RCL 40, so they may hold on to the 56 points they are currently counting from the pitching categories. captainpyper (RCL 3) and Beardcrabs (The Gaylords — Conshellation Prize) are next with 106 points, followed by the Fantasy Razzball commissioner,

Like Bond’s Martini, Jon More Shaken, Lestered

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

It’s not easy to give up 11 runs in 4 innings.  You have to have the faith of your manager, first of all.  Second of all, why does Jon Lester have the faith of his manager?  Or anyone, for that matter.  After today, his ERA is at 5.46 and WHIP is 1.46.  Symmetry is about all he has going for him.  You don’t get near August with a WHIP and ERA that bad with one or two shaky outings.  He’s been terrible all season.  People were saying he’s throwing to more contact this year, hence the drop in K-rate.  Yeah, a pitch-to-contact approach is great for the hitters he’s facing.  You know who else pitches to contact?  A batting practice pitcher.  Also, who’s bright idea was it for him to pitch to contact

Braves Chop Nationals, Fantasy Gold Spills Out

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

Sometimes there’s a game with so much fantasy goodness, a game with so many notable nights for so many fantasy-relevant stars, that it’s almost overwhelming to choose which players to single out. Last night, the Braves came back from 9 runs down to complete their biggest comeback since 1987 and pull within 2 1/2 of the first place Nats, winning the game 11-10. This was a wild one, folks, I don’t know where to start. I know what you’re thinking, “Enough about the game man, how did it help my team!?” Calm down, my overzealous friend. Did I ever tell you about the time the Atlanta Braves overcome a 9-0 deficit? Ahem. Well, the “Birthday Boy” Stephen Strasburg pitched 5.1 innings and gave up 4 ER, striking

Mailbag: July 19, 2012

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Each week I’ll be answering questions that have been sent to me at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account in my never ending attempt to replace myself by explaining to everyone how I evaluate players thereby making myself obsolete.

Who would you rather have for 2nd half of season… Josh Hamilton or Mark Trumbo? Hamilton is slumping badly.
– @mysports1

I got this question

Ricescapades: The Ever-Enigmatic Pedro Alvarez

Source: Fake Teams by Paul Rice

A couple of weeks ago, on July 6th, to be specific, Pittsburgh Pirate third baseman Pedro Alvarez came up to the plate in the late-innings of a game against the Giants. Alvarez was batting in a key spot, what with his team down by two runs, and he was squaring off against Giants' lefty reliever Javier Lopez. For left-handed hitters like Alvarez, facing Lopez can be quite the unpleasant experience. In ten seasons in the big leagues, Lopez had held lefties to just a .631 career OPS with eight (!) home runs to that point. Basically, if

Plouffe, there it is: Meet the 2012 Wiggys

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

The same thing happens in every March draft. You walk away from the computer or the war room and think "we drained the depth pretty well. The waiver wire is going to be skank all year."

And then the unknowns come out of nowhere, the surprise stories, the fun pickups and the lucrative pickups. And on my clipboard, I like to call them The Wiggys.

Ty Wigginton, our patron saint, represents so much that's good and right about fantasy baseball. He had a 24-homer season with Tampa Bay in 2006, a spike pretty much out of nowhere. He routinely qualifies at a bunch of different positions. He's usually out there on the wire, ready to go for free when you need him. And sometimes it's more fun to win your