WAR SHEET
WAR SHEET |
With exactly one month in the books, we now have a solid statistical sampling of most players. For a different angle this week, I am going to go through players at each position in terms of Diamond Challenge popularity (among the top 250 teams)�
CATCHER
Paul LoDuca (141 starts/171 overall) � With Pudge and Piazza both banged up, many teams are going a cheaper route in a diluted catcher lot. LoDuca is popular due to the fact that he also sees occasional time at first base. April�s stats have not been anything to write home about (at least power-wise) with a .293/11/1/9. And remember, this one-time career minor leaguer is now already 30 years old. The risk exists that last year�s 25 HR, 90 RBI effort may have been a one-hit wonder. Another factor that could result in loss of playing time is a 0 for 13 in throwing out potential base-stealer. Still, he is not a horrible option at this point.
Toby Hall (137/180) � Some teams are beginning to taxi, but not drop Toby as he is in the midst of an 0-26 that has seen his BA drop to .200, and is still looking for his first homer. At a salary of 320, many will probably be willing to ride out Toby unless he starts to lose playing time.
Robert Fick (71/73) � With Hall�s struggles, a trends towards teams replacing him for Fick is sure to develop. The .310 BA is nice, but the power #�s through 20 games (2 HR, 6 RBI) on the horrid Tigers leave something to be desired.
Jorge Posada (44/54) � Yet another slow starter in the homer department, Jorge only has two so far. On the plus side though is a .292 BA and 18 RBI smack in the middle of a loaded Yankee lineup, which would put him on pace for 100.
Mike Lieberthal (33/38) � Not a horrible comeback from major knee surgery thus far. A decent .280 BA with 2 HR and 13 RBI. Do not expect the homers to pick up much.
Damian Miller (31/33) � Big time career year for the 32 year old, with a .269 BA to go along with 6 bombs and 22 RBI. This would easily eclipse last years totals of 13 HR/47 RBI in 380 AB�s. Surprisingly, not a lot of CDM owners picked him up as a free agent this past week.
Mike Piazza (16/49) � Still has the stats (.300/7/16 in 20 games) but comes at a hefty price tag.
FIRST BASE
Todd Helton (150/180) � Most CDM teams have been fitting in Helton and Arod as their two �expensive� players. TH�s stats thus far (.303/19/4/20) have been a far cry from the past two seasons.
Jason Giambi (85/105) � Another slow starter (.274/14/4/15), some have started to drop Jason from their rosters. But the subpar stats were as predictable as the sun rising in the east for a first month in New York. Pick him up now and you should be reward with a .330 BA and tons of runs and RBI�s the rest of the way.
Paul Konerko (80/81) � Bold prediction, Konerko will approach 80% ownership among the top teams by June. Still sitting at a .370 BA with 27 RBI, Paul is an early MVP candidate whose HR numbers will rise as well. One downside, Paul hit .333 in April last year, then hit .152 in May. I don't see that happening again with the likes of Lofton, Durham, Frank Thomas (19 RBI), and Magglio Ordonez (.343/20 RBI) hitting ahead of him. Also be aware of Paul having to sit a few games next month in NL parks with Thomas around.
David Ortiz (1/105) � An early cheap favorite who for the second straight season is on the shelf (4-6 weeks) with knee problems.
SECOND BASE
Alfonso Soriano (249/250) � One brave soul chose to taxi the Fons this week, and had to be happy with an opening 0-5.
Edgardo Alfonzo (64/88) � Still a suprising #2 despite Luis Castillo like (0 HR/7 RBI) power #�s. The only saving grace here has been a .316 BA.
Luis Castillo (46/47) � Castillo�s speed game has returned with 9 SB�s in 12 attempts. But the downside facets of Luis� game as strong as ever also with only 2 RBI (in 94 AB�s) and a .265 BA (but .336 OBP).
Ray Durham (29/42) � This may be the career year we have been waiting for out of this consistent, solid performer, with a .337 BA and 19 RBI with seven steals thrown in. In the middle of an awesome lineup could approach .300+/100/20/100/30, in other words, a five-cat stud.
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Jose can't mask the fact of being a dissapointment for the second straight April... |
THIRD BASEMEN
Eric Chavez (182/194) � Some BA issues, but solid otherwise with 18 runs, 8 homers and 20 RBI. A solid #1 third sacker for most teams.
Shea Hillenbrand (62/62) � Surprised his stock hasn�t risen in the DC a lot more. Already being mentioned as an MVP candidate in some circles. At a salary of 450, should be as popular as Chavez before long.
Phil Nevin (61/67) � Someone I haven�t talked much about this year, just because their didn�t seem to be much upside left. And the power is down a bit with 4 HR and 15 RBI. But the BA is among the league leaders at .343.
Adrian Beltre (46/53) � A .302 BA, but again nothing spectacular otherwise (10 runs, 2 HR, 11 RBI)
Aramis Ramirez (27/135) � A huge disappointment thus far who I�ve chronicled enough the past two weeks.
SHORTSTOPS
Alex Rodriguez (188/214) � Once again, worth every penny from a fantasy perspective checking in at .311/21/10/31
Nomar Garciaparra (160/185) � To the delight of many, Nomar has appeared to return to past form with a .337 BA, along with 19 runs and 21 RBI. Only 3 HR, but still not bad for a discounted price.
Juan Uribe (158/161) � Unlike fellow middle-infielder Jose Ortiz, Uribe has held up his end of the bargain (especially at 500) with a .368 BA, along with 21 runs and 11 RBI.
Jimmy Rollins (104/128) � The last of the big four shortstops most CDM teams are playing, Jimmy has been only marginal in the SB department, swiping 5 bases. Rollins does have a .299 BA thus far.
OUTFIELDERS
Lance Berkman (225/225) � The first five outfielders are heavily owned. Berkman�s current BA (.276) is a little off, but the HR�s (11) and RBI (29) more than make up for it. And look for the average to be well above .300 the rest of the way. For the second straight year, Berkman is must have.
J.D. Drew (172/211) � A few teams elected to taxi J.D. this week due to a knee that has forced him to take an occasional day off lately. The power numbers (4 HR/12 RBI), are slightly off thus far, but has chipped in with four steals and a healthy .330 BA.
Adam Dunn (157/194) � A lot of teams were starting to taxi Dunn last week due to his slow start, both average and power wise. However, a nice week capped off by a huge two home run game convinced most to bring Adam back.
Darryl Ward ( 154/169) � Finally an everyday player, a robust .347 BA along with 2 HR and 11 RBI, is adequate enough to justify continuing to play, especially at a bargain salary.
Ichiro Suzuki (95/210) � In a normal week, Ichiro is a near slam-dunk. However his minor knee injury late last week made Ichiro a question mark in many teams lineups for the first time in over a year.
Cliff Floyd (89/91) � Cliff is the best after the big five, off to another solid start with 10 HR and 21 RBI, along with a .322 BA. His stock could go up even higher if he were traded to a contender.
Juan Pierre (75/95) � Good choice if in need of runs and steals. Hitting .295 thus far (career BA .318) but has contributed nine steals. The down side is absolutely zero power and a Luis Castillo-like two RBI this month.
Kenny Lofton (69/76) � A popular pick-up in April, owners are jumping on Kenny�s .337 BA, 29 runs and a MLB leading 13 SB�s thus far.
Manny Ramirez (67/69) � The most popular of the premium priced outfielders, Manny is worth every penny with a plus .354 BA, along with 9 HR and 31 RBI for the month.
Albert Pujols (65/75) � Not a bad encore to �01 monster rookie campaign, currently at .286/26/5/20.
Corey Patterson (62/70) � With seven SB�s and a .300+ BA this month, a popular pick-up among those looking for cheap steals.
Vladamir Guerrero (54/55) � Worth even more than his cost, baseball�s best five category player with a .383 BA, 24 runs, 9 HR, 32 RBI and 7 steals for the month.
Torii Hunter (53/53) � Another popular April pick-up, and an emerging five-cat force at .370/24/9/20/5.
Larry Walker (40/105) � Usually a far more popular play, LW has been having elbow problem, which I have a feeling will plague him all year.
Jay Gibbons (16/16) � Should be a huge pick-up in May. In addition to seven April home runs, a pair of three-hit games has brought is BA to the .300 level.
STARTING PITCHERS
Roy Oswalt (243/244) � Despite pitching in a hitters park, is the most popular pitcher due to his strikeouts (37 in 40 innings) along with a 2.40 ERA.
Randy Johnson (174/245) � Even though he is the most expensive pitcher, he is a near-must every week no matter where he�s pitching, even if it�s Coors.
Curt Schilling (160/240) � As far as value/performance are concerned, only a half-notch behind the Unit.
Eric Gagne (140/152) � With nine saves, a 0.69 ERA, and an even better 0.54 ratio. At a salary of 500, a huge performer to plug in with the more expensive pitchers.
Matt Morris (83/196) � More popular in weeks he gets two starts, his current overall #�s (3.69/1.33) are a tad higher than would be liked.
Pedro Martinez (80/123) � I have a feeling a lot of teams will be picking-up P-Mart in May.
Barry Zito (77/130) � That outing in New York on Tuesday had to hurt!!!!!
Javier Vazquez (70/101) � Still the best kept secret in the game, a trade to a contender would be the final step to making him an absolute stud.
Brian Lawrence (57/57) � A bigger pick-up than I anticipated, with a 2.11 ERA and .98 ratio thus far. Only 19 strikeouts in 42 innings though.
Josh Beckett (56/138) � Surprised how many teams taxied Josh in a week that he is pitching against the Brewers (until he got DL'd), his stock should rise as the season wears on.
Kazuhisa Ishii (42/62) � Now 5-0, with 34 K�s in 29 2/3 IP. Will be on nearly 80% of the top teams by this time next month.
Tim Hudson (28/118) � Is played far more on most weeks. A 1.87 ERA/1.06 ratio thus far.
Mike Mussina (25/186) � Facing Oakland lowered his popularity this week.
RELIEF PITCHERS
Eddie Guardado (234/234) � �Everyday Eddie� has been by far the most popular pick-up in April, with 11 saves, a 1.21 ERA and .71 ratio, 20 K's in 14 IP, and a sub 1000 salary.
Mike Williams (142/142) � Similar impact as Guardado, at virtually the same salary. A MLB leading 10 saves, along with a 0.83 ERA and 0.83 ratio.
Jason Isringhausen (131/139) � Only four saves, but has chipped in with two wins, a 1.80 ERA, and 1.00 ratio.
Mike DeJean (81/81) � A frequent play mainly because of his 530 salary. Has done the job (4 saves, 2.84 ERA) when called upon but save opps are few and far between on the woeful Brewers.
Ugueth Urbina (70/76) � Shaky stats (5.79 ERA/1.82 ratio) but does have eight saves.
Billy Koch (63/69) � Guys with triple-digit heat are never bad, a 1.42 ERA and .87 ratio to go along with six saves.
Byung-Hyun Kim (50/62) � Far more consistent so far this year. Five saves, a 0.93 ERA, a 1.14 ratio, and an incredible 19 K�s in 9 2/3 IP.
SYNOPSIS: The trend in April was for teams to grab cheap relievers such as Guardado, Williams, and DeJean to free up cap room for expensive items such as Helton, Arod, Vlad, and Unit. The strategy worked perfectly for those entries as Williams and Guardado tied for the MLB lead with 10 saves for the month...
WEEKS OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
The ascension of Pedro Martinez en masse onto challenge rosters may end up getting accelerated with the disclosure of Randy Johnson's back woes. As it stands right now, D-Back brass insist that Unit's 'strained back' is very minor, and that removing him from this Wednesday's scheduled start was strictly precautionary. Of course, I remember hearing that tune at about this time six years ago, and Unit ended up missing most of that year with the trick back. The current timetable has Unit either starting this Saturday or this coming Monday. Reading between the lines I look for Unit to throw on the side on Saturday with an eye towards starting on Monday. This has the potential be a major headache for Challenge owners who have Unit - which means everyone. As of now, go with Unit for a possible two starts next week if things look toward a Monday start. But this will definitely be a weekend to keep an eye on the sportswire.
But of course who would had needed Unit last weekend if you had the likes of Shawn Estes, Pedro Astacio, Derek Lowe, Ted Lilly, and Odalis Perez - who all either threw or flirted with no-hitters. By the way, remember my advice for Internet game players to follow the Patriot's day game in Boston, where Derek Lowe was in the midst of a great seven inning, two hit, one ER, nine strikeout performance, before the noon CT deadline. Anyone who grabbed him then would definately had kept him for his start v. TB. But again, this was a fivesome that does not exactly smack of an all-star rotation. In three of the five cases, all you have to do is look at the opposition. Like I have said for two years now, It's pretty tough to pass on a pitcher going against the likes of the Brewers or D-Rays.
Speaking of D-Rays, what about Greg Vaughn, whose average has sunk like the Kursk all the way down to .099??? Like one of the Red Sox radio announcers said over the weekend, it's either a horrendous slump (which Vaughn has had before) or the end of the line. Problem is, at 8.5 mill a year, there is little else to do but to keep running him out there and hope for finding a taker in a trade later on. And they run politicians clear out of Milwaukee for claiming a puny $3 mill pension... Also lost during the Derek Lowe game, the D-Rays threw out a reliever claimed in the Rule 5 draft (must stay with the big club or be made a free agent) whose pitching experience consists of half a season in rookie ball. He was a minor-league outfielder for six years prior to that. I think that is all you need to know about the state of Tampa Bay baseball.
And the numbers are in for April, and home runs are actually 18 percent, run scoring is down as well, but only by 4.7 percent, while batting average is down to .258, as opposed to .260 at this time last year. The one surprise is that strikeouts are actually down (by six percent) as well. Huge waiver wire pick-ups for the week include Baltimore catcher Geronimo Gil (.286/5 HR/15 RBI) and one-time Brave Randall Simon, who started the year on the bench in Detroit but is now hitting .348 with 7 bombs and 20 RBI.
THE WEEK AHEAD
If you like platooning players based on their games being at home (though I personally like road closers), Week 6 should be for you. Thirteen teams (TB, MN, ANH, OAK, SEA, TX, ATL, FLA, MTL, NYM, PHI, CHC, CIN) will be at home all week while thirteen others (BOS, NYY, TOR, CWS, CLE, DET, HOU, MIL, STL, COL, LA, SD, SF) wii be on the road. Though Colorado and Houston are away in Week 6, they will be back at home for Week 7, and COL will be at home for Week 8 as well. TX, BOS, TB, CHI, CLE, DET, CHC, and MLW will be playing seven times while everyone else plays six. Two start possibilites include Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Jon Lieber, Tom Glavine, and Kerry Wood.
This is also the first decent week on the CDM Free Agent list, which is as follows (recommended purchases in bold)...
LATROY F HAWKINS AWARD
In a game the Devil Rays actually had the lead going into the ninth inning, Estaban Yan was lit up for 5 ER's on four hits and two walks as Tampa Bay lost to Minnesota 6-2.
FINAL WORD
What would you think the odds would be of (Hank) Blalock hitting a home run the game after I drop him???
CDM contestant on the BBS board Tuesday night. My lips are sealed but I think his initials are G-B-U...