The Fantasy Baseball Tonight Blog

Analysis: FBS Expert League Draft Part 3

2010-03-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

Continued from Part 2
View Draft results here

The final ten rounds were used to fill the final holes I had left, which were a third basemen, catcher, and starting pitching. After that I then grabbed as many prospects and breakout players I could get in positions that I needed for my bench. Some people feel this part of the draft isn't worth much, but you can get a ton out of it if you draft it correctly. Forget the Casey Blakes, Willy Bloomquists, or the Mike Lowells. They'll all be there in free agency, but some of these picks could produce outstanding results I listed the final 10 picks with my thoughts on them.

21. Casey McGehee, 2B/3B - He's been a constant late round sleeper for me in all my drafts. He qualifies at 2B and 3B and should have big production this year.

22. Matt LaPorta, OF/1B - LaPorta was a risk pick to fill the corner infielder position, and qualifies in the outfield as well. I expect a great season out of LaPorta and the Cleveland Indians.

23. Ricky Romero, SP - This was a stretch pick, but a solid 5th starter.

24. Pedro Alvarez, 3B - A definite stretch, but I can't pass on the chance that he can provide 25+ home run potential in the 24th round.

25. Brian Matusz, SP - Great young starting pitcher and a fantastic 6th pitcher.

26. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C - Finally got my second catcher in Salty. I'm expecting him to pull away with the Texas job this year and see better stats.

27. Clayton Richard, SP - He's a sleeper of mine and I had to have him.

28. David Murphy, OF - What a steal in the 28th round. He may not have a starting spot, but he will see plenty of playing time.

29. Cliff Pennington, SS - I wanted a backup shortstop on my roster, and getting the young shortstop for the A's was a low risk, high reward pick in the 29th round.

30. Michael Brantley, OF - My last pick was future stud outfielder Michael Brantely. If Brantley breaks camp with the team and he should, he could have 40+ stolen base, 100 run potential.

Conclusion
This was a great draft from round 1 to 30, and all managers came out with strong teams to start the season. The strategies I employed worked very well for me, but I'll need some help from some of my prospects. Kicking catchers and building my middle infield and outfield worked great. I'm looking at around 120 home runs and 115 SBs from my outfield alone. My middle infield is solid with Bartlett, Rollins, and Phillips, but I'm more excited to see how my corner infielders workout in Garrett Jones and Casey MeGehee.

On the pitching front, I can't complain. My starting rotation Tommy Hanson, Jon Lester, Brett Anderson, and Jorge De La Rosa is very strong with Romero, Richard, and Matusz on the bench. As always, my bullpen is dominant with 5 closers ready to run up saves on any team, any week.

In the end, the draft is only about 60% of the battle. In order to win you need to get some good free agents, absorb injuries, and get a little luck from time to time. I feel I put together a good balance of youth and veterans that should serve me well and give me the depth I'll need.

To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.

Analysis: FBS Expert League Draft Part 2

2010-03-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

Continued from Part 1
View Draft results here

Rounds 11-15 got crazy. I still couldn't nail down any of these guys or what they'd do next. Everyone had draft pretty well and I was in a sandwich show down with RC Rizza and Jason Swist. Swist got to see allot of good pitches with Tim McLeod drafting right behind him.
11. Huston Street
12. Brett Anderson
13. Leo Nunez
14. Garrett Jones
15. Frank Francisco
I quickly decided at round eleven that I was going to pursue a dominating bullpen with outfield and middle infield taken care of. I drafted Huston Street in the eleventh round. I felt he was the best available closer left on the board and is a bonified #1 closer in my book. Round twelve was a strange round for me. I so caught up in strategy that I forgot that Carlos Gonzalez was still out there, but lost him to Johnny Archive. Then John Lackey, Brian Fuentes, and one of my favorites Bill Wagner went off the board. I decided to throw a wrench into the draft and selected Brett Anderson. I could have taken a catcher, corner infielder, or another closer, but Anderson was a player I know other managers wanted, so the wrench was tossed. It did cost me a few more catchers, but I was kicking them at this point. In the end it paid off because in the 13th round I got my third closer Leo Nunez. While it was a bit early for him, closers were flying off the board and there wasn't many left with little risk at this point. I got my first corner infielder in round 14 with Garrett Jones. He qualifies in the OF/1B and has tremendous breakout ability. I ended the first half of the draft with probably the worst pick, Frank Francisco. I would have taken Bengie Molina, but he was taken by Rhett Oldham two picks earlier.

The next five rounds were still a challenge and still required some sneaky moves and big picks.
16. David Ortiz
17. Jorge De La Rosa
18 Chris Young
19. Ryan Madson
20. John Baker
In round 16 I got into a 3-way discussion with Rhett Oldham and RC Rizza about David Ortiz, where Rizza felt Ortiz wasn't worth taking. That upset me a bit, being I love David Ortiz, so I draft the slugger in the 16th round. I feel Ortiz still has 25-30 home runs in him and 100 RBI and a good OBP. It might have been a heart homer pick, but a good one. Then I had some fun. Before the 17th pick, I asked the chat room who liked Jorge De La Rosa. Jason Swist and Bob Sikon both let me know they liked the guy and at that moment I drafted him. Not much of a victory, but a solid pick in that round. In round 18 I was targeting a corner infielder and looking at Nick Swisher and Adam LaRoche. Swist got his revenge by taking LaRoche and Ryan Lester snatched Swisher leaving me a sneak pick in Chris Young, OF from the Diamondbacks. He was another player who came on strong last year and is poised for a breakout. I then made a bold pick, by taking the Phillies closer Ryan Madson, long after Jason had drafted Brad Lidge. This was a key pick for me cause it completed my bullpen and hopefully knocked Swist back a step. He did end up drafting two more relievers, I felt to compete with my over-sized bullpen. In the 20th round I finally got my first catcher John Baker. I kicked catchers for 19 rounds and I felt I had a pretty good catcher and a very good offense.

To be continued....
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.

Analysis: FBS Expert League Draft Part 1

2010-03-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

By Todd Farino, http://www.fantasybaseballsearch.com/
View Draft results here

Tonight I had the privilege of drafting a fantasy baseball team with some of the top minds in the industry. In my 18 or so years of drafting in fantasy baseball leagues I was never so spun around. This draft was so I know you and lets see who blinks first that the suspense continued into the very late rounds. The 12 managers each came into the draft with different strategies and philosophies, but one thing was for sure, it would be a chess game. This wasn't your mix-mosh industry pals expert league. These guys each have proven themselves in the industry and each bring a different style to the table.
(draft order)
Chris Farino - Pro Fantasy Baseball
Matt Lutvosky - The Sporting News
Rhett Oldham - Fantasy Baseball Search
RC Rizza - Junkyard Jake
Todd Farino The Closer Report
Jason Swist - Fantasy Baseball Search
Tim McLeod - RotoRob.com
Bob Sikon - Fantasy Baseball Trade Market
Ryan Lester - Lesters Legends
Mike Kuchera - The Fantasy Man
Roy Fantasy Baseball Hub
Johnny Archive - Johnny Archive

When I entered the draft room, I said my "hellos" and my "good lucks" chatted with my buddies, and even called RC Rizza for draft chat. Then I promptly told everyone that was listening that I'm drafting with a completely different strategy, so what you know about me, toss it out. That was partially a bluff to get them thinking, but I wasn't going to practice what I preach. When you draft against guys that are not only experts, but people who know you well, you just have to throw a change-up.

I threw out every rule I've ever developed or used. I decided I would play the draft like a game where I had to call out "plays" or "strategies" as the draft progressed. The ride I took for the next 2 hours and 45 minutes was wild and at times a bit too tense. Maybe I'm over doing it a bit, but if you've ever drafted in a good fantasy baseball draft, then you know you had a good time, paced off two pounds, pounded a few fists, and gave five minutes silent treatments to friends who stole your picks. Ok, maybe I only do it, but we all have our traditions and reactions. This was one of the best drafts I've ever participated in.

I started the draft out with the fifth pick and two strategies, get as many 30/30, 30/20, and 20/20 guys I could, while keeping a respectable On Base Percentage(OBP). And a hold back from last year, no pitchers till the sixth round. The first five rounds were going to be used to establish a dominant offense.

1. Matt Kemp
2. Grady Sizemore
3. Jimmy Rollins
4. Curtis Granderson
5. Brandon Phillips

In those rounds I feel a took allot of risk, but with big payoff. Last year, four of these guys were taken before the 3rd round, and three were #1 draft picks. Matt Kemp, Grady Sizemore, and Curtis Granderson are all 30/30 candidate players. Kemp surged over the past two years to a top pick and Grady Sizemore was hurt most of last year. Add in that Granderson has moved to now friendly Yankee Stadium with a jet stream in right field. I did decide to Jimmy Rollins after Mark Reynolds left the board because I just didn't feel like chasing middle infield the whole draft. At this point I decided to kick catchers till way later and push corner infielders back. Doing that allowed me to focus on the rest of the team, but just a little help. I like Rollins, who came on strong last year and I feel still has some in his tank. I followed up with my fingers crossed and took Brandon Phillips, completing my 2B/SS combo. There were a few surprises that effected me. I wasn't happy seeing Jason Swist taking Broxton in the fourth round. While it was a great pick, I wasn't going to get him since I wasn't taking pitchers in the first six rounds.

In the next 5 rounds I knew I'd get plenty of pitching and continue to build on outfield and middle infield.

6. Tommy Hanson
7. Jon Lester
8. Carlos Marmol
9. Hunter Pence
10. Jason Bartlett

By this part of the draft I had gotten what type of players I wanted, but not the guys I wanted. In round six I made sure I got who I wanted in Tommy Hanson. Similar to Jason's move 2 rounds earlier, I went a round early on Hanson. When my pick came I had a tough time deciding between Hanson and Jon Lester. I decided that Hanson just wouldn't be there so I took the Cy Young candidate. To my surprise Jon Lester was still there in the seventh round, so I grabbed him as well. In two quick picks, I had one of the stronger pairs of SPs in the draft. I continued on the pitchers run by getting my first closer, Carlos Marmol and his 100+ strikeouts. Interestingly, my nemesis Jason Swist too Rafael Soriano directly before me, triggering me to take Marmol next and maybe a tad earlier then I wanted too. I could have drafted another worthy closer like Huston Street, but after I missed out on another third basemen in Michael Young I decided to go with my fourth outfielder in breakout stud Hunter Pence. In round ten I filled my MI spot with speedster shortstop Jason Bartlett. I would have liked to get another closer like Francisco Rodriguez or Josh Valverde, but they were gone and Bartlett was a good fit.

To be continued.....

2010 Closer Profile: Francisco Cordero, Reds

2010-03-07T23:39:00.000-08:00

By Todd Farino, www.thecloserreport.com

Team: Cincinnati Reds
Projections: 38-2-2.69-1.39-54(SV-WIN-ERA-WHIP-K)

Average Draft Position: 106th pick No Change

Recommended Draft Round: 11

Team Saves Projection: 45

Injury Risk/Stability: 8/9

Top 50 Rank: #13

Check out the entire draft kit by clicking here

Francisco Cordero is an anomaly in my eyes. He's such a risky closer because of his history of inconsistency for big chunks of seasons. Last year was one of the best years of his career, but owners should take a step back and consider some of the liabilities of drafting Cordero as a #1 closer in 2010. Here are a few. On average, Cordero blows close to eight games per year. Last year he blew 4. His career era is 3.18, last year 2.16. Even more bad news, his K/9 rate declined significantly in 2009 and turning 35 in May isn't helping the possibility of injury or further regression. The good news is the Reds will improve a ton in 2010. Cordero will pitch 70+ innings and get 38-40 saves, but don't expect the great numbers to go along with it.

The True Guru Strategy: I don't like drafting closers like Cordero. He is too much of a wild card and just too old. His ADP has him going in the ninth round and that is too high for Cordero. There are several closers I'd take before him. He is a good value in the 11th round and no sooner.

2010 MLB Breakout Player Profile: Hunter Pence, OF Astros

2010-03-07T22:38:00.000-08:00

Written By Todd Farino, http://www.fantasybaseballsearch.com/.

Player: Hunter Pence
Team: Houston Astros

Bats: Left

Position: OF

FBS Breakout Rank: 11/30

You are probably wondering why Hunter Pence is a breakout? He had a great year numerically and passed a big fantasy milestone. Pence is another one of the players who crossed the 1500 at bat milestone and gave us a glimpse of what to expect in 2010. For the months of August/September, Pence hit 12 home runs and 29 RBIs. In September, he batted .309 with 30 hits, five of them home runs.

Hunter Pence will turn 27 at the start of the season and is in store for a breakout season. Expect his home runs, RBI, and batting average to continue an upward trend. More surprising I expect Pence to get 20 stolen bases. The Astros lineup just doesn't have the pop it use to, so expect the Astros to run more and manufacture runs. Pence did attempt 25 swipes last season.

The inconsistency that we've all seen in the past from Hunter Pence will be almost gone. Like all players, he will have his slumps, but when he's hot one of the most exciting players to watch in baseball.

The True Guru Projections: .316 BA, 28 Hrs, 98 RBI, 85 Runs, 19 SB

To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.

Player Spotlights - David Aardsma and Kendry Morales

2010-03-07T11:13:00.001-08:00

David Aardsma and Kendry Morales March 7, 2010

Live Fantasy Baseball Mock Drafts, Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings, Player Trade Calculator, Fantasy Forums and more ! at FantasyBaseballXtreme.Com

RP David Aardsma,Mariners, Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2003, David Aardsma progressed rapidly to the AAA, where he was being groomed as the clubs future closer. In 2004, he saved 11 games for AAA Fresno, but struggled with his control. That same year, he made it to the Giants, but continued to have trouble pitching strikes in his limited debut. From 2005-2008, Aardsma bounced between the minor and major league teams of 4 different organizations with erratic results. After seizing the closer assignment for Seattle in 2009, the 27 year old pitcher was finally able to produce a noteworthy season, with 28 saves, an ERA of 2.52 and a WHIP of 1.164. Aardsma has decent stuff, and his pitch selection/velocity is almost identical to Boston's Jonathan Papelbon. Both pitchers mix in a splitfinger fastball and slider while primarily relying on a 94-95 MPH fastball. Aardsma's 4.3 walks per nine innings wasn't awful in 2009, but the biggest potential liability associated with him remains the possible reemergence of control problems.

1B Kendry Morales, Angels, - It's safe to say the Angels look like geniuses after replacing the uber-expensive Mark Teixeira with farmhand Kendry Morales last year. That transition could not have worked out better, as Morales finished up his first season as the Angels new first-baseman with 34 HRs, 109 RBIs and an impressive .306 BA. Before 2009, Morales had exhibited 30 HR power in the minors, but it had never translated to expected performance when he was called up major league auditions during those years. Morales obviously quieted all doubts concerning his abilities last season, and looked especially good after the All-Star break, when he hit .330 with 19 HRs compared to .284 with 15 HRs in the first half. While there are always doubts and risk inherent with young players who generate sparkling fantasy numbers seemingly out of nowhere, when you consider his second half performance along with his minor league resume, Morales looks to be a legitimate rising star.

Player Spotlights By Junkyard Jake JunkyardJake.Com

2010 MLB Sleeper Player Profile: David Freese, 3B Cardinals

2010-03-04T23:24:00.000-08:00

Written By Todd Farino, http://www.fantasybaseballsearch.com/

Player: David Freese
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Bats: Right
Position: 3B

Fantasy Baseball Search Sleeper Rank: 10/30

David Freese is one of the intriguing rookies entering the season. He has a history of power and hitting for average. He's also likely to be the starting 3B in a very good St. Louis Cardinal lineup. Freese posses the ability to hit 25 home runs and bat .300+ and that makes him a tantalizing sleeper for 2010.

Freese came up last year and in 31 at bats scored 10 hits, a home run, and 7 RBI. I think that was a small sample of what to expect from the 27 year old third basemen this year. The Cardinals know what they have and Freese isn't your typical rookie. He is fully developed and ready to enter the big leagues in his prime. There are two issues that he will have to work through this season and you have to expect it. First, he is a rookie and he will have issues adjusting to major league pitching, but those slumps should be short. The other is he has the tendency to strikeout allot. However, throughout the minors he averaged one strikeout per five at bats. That isn't bad overall, but it could be a problem for him if not watched and corrected by his coaches.

Expect Freese to make a run at rookie of the year. Consider him a slightly smaller Chris Davis, only hits better, strikeouts less, and has better hair. As long as he doesn't get into any prolonged slumps and plays the full season, Freese will hit 25 home runs and clear 80 RBIs. He has the capability to hit over .315, but will likely finish ed a sub-.300 average.

2010 Projections: .297 BA, 25 Hrs, 81 RBI, 70 Runs, 1 SB

To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza and Rhett Oldham, catch our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight . Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.

Russell Martin, Warren Buffett and Fantasy Baseball

2010-03-04T17:13:00.000-08:00

By Joe Werner (www.ThoughtsFromTheTeePee.com)

We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy when others are fearful
- Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett, billionaire tycoon extraordinaire, has made fortunes living by that simple mantra. People in general seem to lack the courage to buck modern trends and go against public opinion while falling prey to “mob mentality” thinking. Well, if so-so said it is bad then it HAS to be bad. It happens every day. Look at stock market activity or current fashion trends or most importantly, fantasy baseball tendencies. Reaction – Over Action – Market Correction.

Everyone can agree that Russell Martin is not the same offensive player he was when he broke into the league. Way back in 2006 Martin made fantasy waves by hitting .282/.355/.436 with 10 HR and 10 SB in 415 AB and followed that up in his second season with a .293/.374/.469 line while narrowly missing the 20-20 mark. He regressed in 2008 and crashed head first in 2009 with sub average stats. The masses yell out Do not draft Russell Martin – there are better options. Joe Torre has ruined him - too much time behind the plate. But if you listen closely enough Warren Buffett is shuffling around.

We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy when others are fearful
– Warren Buffett

Martin may or may not ever reach his 2007 production again but that does not mean he is not being undervalued right now. Since he broke into the league in 2006, catchers have scored 60 or more runs 28 times – Martin has done it 4 of those time. Again, catchers reached double digit steals only 5 times since ‘06- Martin has done it 4 of those times. He may not hit like Joe Mauer or have the potential of Matt Wieters’ but Russell Martin still remains a viable fantasy option. According to my own projection algorithms which have been developed over the past 4-5 years, Martin should hit to the tune of .270/.376/.417 with 16 HR, 71 RBI, 59 R, 15 SB. Only 12 times since 1954 has a catcher put up double digit steals and homeruns – look for Martin to be the 13th time. Reaction – Over Reaction – Market Correction.

Some of the world’s most intelligent people can be swayed by popular opinion but its independent thinking that leads to greatness. Fantasy GMs will over react on Martin’s down year but his projected numbers are solid-above average for catchers and you should take advantage of his down year to pounce on his declining stock before there’s a market correction. If the upper echelon of catchers have already been taken…sit back and enjoy knowing that Russell Martin and his falling stock can help bring a fantasy championship to you.

We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy when others are fearful
– Warren Buffett

BIG Closer Report Podcast Tonight! 9:30PM EST!

2010-03-02T17:57:00.000-08:00

Check out the big 90 minute podcast tonight. I'll be covering all top 50 relief pitchers for the season and tell you who to draft and when. 90 minutes of fatasy baseball closer talk!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-closer-report

Tonight at 9:30 EST!

Player Spotlights - Brett Anderson and Scott Sizemore

2010-02-28T20:56:00.001-08:00

Brett Anderson and Scott Sizemore February 28, 2010

Live Fantasy Baseball Mock Drafts, Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings, Player Trade Calculator, Fantasy Forums and more ! at FantasyBaseballXtreme.Com

SP Brett Anderson,A's, - While fellow left-hander David Price received more publicity in 2009, it was Oakland's rookie Brett Anderson who ended up looking like the more accomplished rookie pitcher. Originally drafted in the 2nd round by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Anderson was traded to the A's in 2008, and had only 6 starts at the AA level before joining Oakland’s rotation in 2009. The 21-year old didn't disappoint, compiling 11 victories with 150 K's in 30 starts. Most encouraging was the rookie's ability to improve in the 2nd half of the season, lowering his ERA from 4.64 to 3.48, and his WHIP from 1.37 to 1.19 in the 2nd half. Anderson consistently throws strikes and his fastball is usually seen in the 92-93 MPH range. He also mixes in an effective 80 MPH slider about 30% of the time, and rounds out his arsenal with an excellent curve and solid changeup. Anderson generally pitches to contact, but still generated 7.7 K/9 while walking just 2.3 batters per 9 innings in 2009.

2B Scott Sizemore, Tigers, - Scott Sizemore was relatively quiet during his first three years in the minors, compiling a .289 average and only 11 HRs in 248 games over the 2006-2008 timeframe. In 2009, after reaching the Tigers AA affiliate at the age of 24, Sizemore turned his game up a notch, hitting .307 with 9 HRs in only 59 games. After his promotion to the AAA level, Sizemore continued his offensive surge hitting another 8 HRs while maintaining a .308 average through 71 games at Toledo. Along with his good average, and recent HR power, Sizemore also offers some speed on the base paths, notching 58 steals in 378 career minor league games. With Placido Polanco being shipped out of Detroit this past offseason, and only the light-hitting Ramon Santiago seemingly in his way, Scott Sizemore has an opportunity to capture significant playing time for the Tigers at 2nd base in 2010. You should be able to snag Sizemore past the 25th round in your fantasy draft as a solid sleeper pick.

Player Spotlights By Junkyard Jake JunkyardJake.Com

The Dreaded DND

2010-02-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

Preparation in March means victory in October and you can quote me on that. Most people who play fantasy baseball are aggregators. We find sites that can provide in depth analysis with projections, opinions, and data that can facilitate maximum knowledge that we can use on draft day. Part of this process validate what we already know; some players are posed for that breakout season and we want them at almost any costs while others need to show on someone else's sqaud because they are on my DND (DO NOT DRAFT) List.

There are just some players that are primed for a big fall no matter what the experts say or what the analysis from the Saber Heads requites. The bottom line, I just don't want them.

David Wright, 3B, Mets Power outage with no injury. The Mets sign Jason Bey but still did not address issues in the everyday lineup and Beltran will not start the season.
Ichiro Suzuki, OF Mariners This guy hits for average and steals bases. He is 36 years old and his mammoth ego now has to share locker space with some other big money people. This guy is on the decline. He will still hit .300 but will not steal 30 bases and will not have over 50 RBI.
Manny, OF Dodgers He wants to play then doesn't want to play. he can't field or throw and his big money days are behind him. The second half decline may be chemically induced or a result of a slower bat. Either way, people are still taking him in the 5th round. Not me
Bobby Abreu, OF Angels See Ichiro. At 36, and still is a stolen base threat, don't count on it. Wheels slow down and so does the bat.
Carlos Quentin, OF, ChiSox Injury plagued in Arizona so they ship him to Chicago for practically nothing. He has a great 5 months and guess what, gets hurt. Next season, gets hurt. Now here we are and I am thinking, oh yea, I think he will be great and play a full season. Not me.
Alex Rios, OF ChiSox Some interesting facts on Rios. He has only hit over 20 home runs ONE TIME in his career. He has never hit over 85 RBI. He has only stole more than 20 bases twice. Just because Toronto gave him mad money doesn't mean I will buy into the hype.

Next week I will be looking over the DND Pitcher List

2010 MLB Breakout Player Profile: Francisco Rodriguez, RP Mets

2010-02-27T23:49:00.000-08:00

Written By Todd Farino, http://www.fantasybaseballsearch.com/.

Player: Francisco Rodriguez

Team: New York Mets

Throws: Right

Position: RP (Closer)

FBS Breakout Rank: 10/30

This is probably the easiest breakout call this season. Anyone who knows this closer, but closers in general (shameless plug: www.thecloserreport.com ), can see what a great season Francisco Rodriguez will have. Let's face it, Rodriguez had a bad season. But consider that the Mets were terrible as a team and he still recorded 35 saves. Before 2009, Rodriguez never had an ERA above 3.00, less then 40 saves, less than 77 Ks, or a WHIP above 1.30.

Consider 2009 a bad season and a wash. I watched Francisco Rodriguez many times last season and he just didn't have it. It seemed as he was never comfortable on the mound in New York. I'm going to assume whatever was bothering him on the mound last season will be gone. Just chalk it up as another disappointing performance during a WBC year.

The Mets will be a much better team this year and after last season that isn't saying much. Rodriguez will have the chance to redeem himself by getting plenty of opportunities with a playoff competitive team. Last year was such an anomaly that I am willing to bet my expertise on closers that Rodriguez will have a big comeback year in every statistical rotisserie sabermetric category.

The True Guru Projections: 44 Saves, 5 wins, 2.84 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 81 K

To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.

2010 MLB Breakout Player Profile: James Loney, 1B Dodgers

2010-02-27T22:46:00.000-08:00

Written By Todd Farino, http://www.fantasybaseballsearch.com/.

Player: James Loney

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Bats: Left

Position: 1B

FBS Breakout Rank: 9/30

James Loney was a 1st round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002. After several seasons in the minors, he displayed the ability to hit for average with power and some speed. Since making is MLB debut in 2006, Loney has developed his power, matured into a consistent hitter, and he has surpassed the growth milestone of 1500 at bats and finished strong last season. At the age of 26, expect Loney to emerge as one of the elite major league first basemen in 2010.

Loney is primed and ready for a breakout season, entering the prime of his career. Though his stats have been consistent over the past three seasons, Loney has underachieved in average and home runs to this point in his career and will reach those expectations this season. To start, Loney will have a stable Dodger lineup and improved experience against NL pitching. With added protection in the lineup and vital improvements to the Dodger lineup, Loney will increase RBIs, runs, average, and home runs. He can even reach 10 stolen bases if things work out perfect in 2010.

The Dodgers are a young team hungry for the World Series. With the prospect of an emerging Matt Kemp, a full season with Manny Ramirez, and other offensive improvements James Loney will breakout with the rest of the Dodger offense.

The True Guru Projections: .311 BA, 20 Hrs, 101 RBI, 80 Runs, 9 SB

2010 MLB Sleeper Player Profile: Brandon Wood, 3B Angels

2010-02-23T17:57:00.000-08:00

Written By Todd Farino, http://www.fantasybaseballsearch.com/

Player: Brandon Wood
Team: LAA Angels
Bats: Left
Position: 3B

Fantasy Baseball Search Sleeper Rank: 15/30

Brandon Wood will open the 2010 season and age 25 and is ready for primetime. Drafted out of high school by the Angels, Wood has spent 6 years maturing in the Angels farm system compiling fantastic numbers that he is now ready to turn into major league numbers. He has had three stints with the Angels, including last year. In just 224 at bats he's totaled seven home runs and a poultry .192 average. Clearly that is not the sleeper I expect him to be this year.

Wood will be the Angels third basemen with Chone Figgins departing for rival Seattle. This will be the first season that Wood will be a full spring training in and then have consecutive at bats all season as the regular third basemen. This should have a dramatic impact on his numbers and you will see a jump in all stats including average.

Throughout his minor league career, Wood was known for his power, belting 31 home runs in AAA in only 395 at bats and 41 dingers in a full season at A+. Scouts love everything about Wood. They rave about his ability to make contact, his power, and his glove. If Wood truly is ready for the majors, he will be a breakout in 2010. The Angels are not known for rushing up their prospects and Wood was given plenty of time to mature. He is entering his prime years and you can expect big numbers from him as the Angels will likely bat him in the middle of that lineup and give him ample opportunity for RBIs. Although he's not known for his speed, expect him to steal a few bases, especially since the Angels run allot.

If you draft Brandon Wood, you can get him late. Don't be afraid to take him in the 18th round or beyond. If you didn't get one of the stud third basemen, forget looking until later and get Wood. Like all rookies their is risk associated with him, but it's minimal. I'm giving my conservative projections on average, but not home runs.

2010 Projections: .264 BA, 25 Hrs, 86 RBI, 79 Runs, 7 SB

2010 MLB Sleeper Player Profile: Travis Snider, OF Blue Jays

2010-02-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

Written By Todd Farino, http://www.fantasybaseballsearch.com/

Player: Travis Snider
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Bats: Left
Position: OF

Fantasy Baseball Search Sleeper Rank: 13/30

Last year, Snider's name was tossed around like a rag doll. Frankly, he deserved it. He started the season as an everyday player for the Blue Jays, but got nothing done. By the time he got sent down in late May, Snider was batting .242 with two home runs.

While he was in Las Vegas I got in a few games and watched him excel. Travis Snider a true hitter, what I'd call a professional hitter. He is very hard on himself when he makes mistakes and his frustration snowballs for him and thusly creates slumps and inconsistency. He found his grove in AAA hitting .337 with 14 homeruns before getting called up back to the Blue Jays in August.

While his average didn't improve, his power did. He pounded seven home runs in less then two months and showed he can stick in the majors. In 2010 and the young age of 22, Snider will continue to improve as a player and adjust well to major league pitchers. If you draft him, draft him as a late deep sleeper and you will get excellent value for him. He is going relatively unnoticed by most managers and could provide your fantasy team with 20 home runs and some RBIs to boot. Don't expect a huge improvement in batting average, while he is certainly capable of batting .300 he's not quite ready. Also consider his value to the Blue Jays as a left-handed hitter. Besides Lyle Overbay and Adam Lind, the Blue have no other lefties on their roster.

2010 Projections: .272 BA, 23 Hrs, 80 RBI, 71 Runs, 2 SB

Player Spotlights - Stephen Strasburg and Gordon Beckham

2010-02-23T15:11:00.000-08:00

Stephen Strasburg and Gordon Beckham February 23, 2010

Live Fantasy Baseball Mock Drafts, Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings, Player Trade Calculator, Fantasy Forums and more ! at FantasyBaseballXtreme.Com

SP Stephen Strasburg,Nationals, - One of the most anticipated pitching prospects to come along in recent memory, Stephen Strasburg certainly appears to have the talent to match the accolades that have been showered on him since the Washington Nationals made him the #1 pick in the 2009 amateur draft. Anyway you chose to look at his pitching performance at San Diego State, the numbers are gaudy. Last season, he went 13-1 with an ERA of 1.32, striking out 195 batters in 109 innings. His career WHIP in college ball is just under .80, and he once struck-out 23 batters in a single game. His fastball has been clocked as high as an obscene 103 MPH, and he consistently throws in the high-90's with superb control and good location. Strasburg complements his heater with a hybrid curve/slider breaking pitch that typically freezes hitters, and his recent development of a change-up makes his arsenal even more imposing. For fantasy purposes, Strasburg is well worth a pick in his current 20th round ADP.

2B/SS/3B Gordon Beckham, White Sox, - A standout college middle infielder at the University of Georgia, Gordan Beckham was selected by White Sox in with the 8th pick in the 2008 amateur entry draft. This was also the year that scouts really began taking notice of Beckham, when he ultimately ended up leading the SEC in hits, slugging percentage and homeruns (28). The stocky SS also finished 2nd in the league with a .411 average that year, while displaying some skills on the basepaths with 17 swipes . During his brief stay in the minors, Beckham didn't show much power or speed, but made enough contact to generate a .322 BA in 59 games. Called up in June last year, Beckham started off slow, but ended up batting .270 with strong power/speed numbers that translate into 22 HRs/11 SBs over 162 games. Beckham's 8th round ADP in early baseball drafts seems a bit high, but if he qualifies at 2B/SS this could be a fair price to pay for a middle infielder with 20 HR potential.

Player Spotlights By Junkyard Jake JunkyardJake.Com

Battle of The Fantasy Gods Expert League Auction Draft Review Pt 4/4

2010-02-21T13:04:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday night I had the opportunity to participate in The Fantasy Man's expert league auction draft. I played in the league last year and faired all right, but this year has a new batch of experts, analysts, and reporters duking it out in 2010. The participants are:
Todd Farino, RC Rizza, Rhett Oldham - Fantasy Baseball Tonight
Tim McCleod - Rotorob.com
Mike Kuchera - The Fantasy Man
Scott White - CBS Sports
Scott Swanay - Fantasy Baseball Sherpa
Lenny Melnick, Paul Greco FantasyPros 911
Fantasy Sports Empires - Jeff Boggis
Grey Albright, Rudy Gamble - Razzball.com
Tony Cincotta - Blog Talk Radio Podcaster

Overall I thought it was a great draft and all the managers drafted well. There were some big surprises and some bad moves. I'll share them all with you team by team and then grade the overall team. I am basing scores on my 2010 projections for the players drafted.

Definitions:

Best Buys - These are players who the manager got a great deal on and includes
steals.

Bad Buys - These are players that I feel based on my 2010 projections that the
manager overpaid for.

Click here for our expert team-by-team draft results

Fanball, Ray Flowers

HR/RBI- 7	SB/Run- 10	Avg- 10	51/60
Win/SO- 8	ERA/WHIP- 7	Saves- 9	51/60

Great Buys

Yadier Molina, C - $3

Michael Young, 3B $9

Stephen Drew, SS - $7

Johnny Damon, OF - $5

Bad Buys

Lance Berkman, 1B - $18

Chad Qualls, RP - $8

Overall:

Ray drafted one of the more balanced offensive teams in the league. He has
tremendous batting average potential, and could end up with more home runs then
expected. I think he overpaid for only two players, that will likely haunt
him in 2010, Berkman and Qualls. On the pitching front, he went with Josh
Beckett to lead his staff with James Shields and Tim Hudson to follow. I'm
not impressed with his starting staff, but if Max Scherzer plays to his
potential that changes the dynamic of his rotation. He drafted three closers
(Nathan, Wilson, Qualls) and then Matt Thornton. Wilson and Nathan are great picks and make his bullpen an instant contender. Qualls is a candidate to
lose the job and Thornton is a candidate to get the job at some point this year.
He could end up with two true closers or possibly four.

Click here for our expert team-by-team draft results

FantasyPros911.com, Paul Greco, Lenny Melnick

HR/RBI- 8	SB/Run- 8	Avg- 5	40/60
Win/SO- 7	ERA/WHIP- 7	Saves- 5	40/60

Best Buys

Chris Young, OF - $3

Martin Prado, SS,2B - $1

Bad Buys

Adam LaRoche, 1B - $11

Overall:

This was a balanced team by any means. It was drafted on the foundation of
a strong outfield that should produce heavily for this team. Most of the
picks were good ones and their offense should keep them in it all season, except
for average. They'll need to find help there during the season. The
pitching staff is very good, but will depend on the health of Brandon Webb.
If he is healthy and pitches well, they will have Cliff Lee and Adam Wainwright
to add for a dominant starting staff. The bullpen will need help.
Francisco, Lindstrom, and Capps all have risks, but all could also pay off.
There are allot of question marks on this team, but a well constructed team
overall.

Click here for our expert team-by-team draft results

CBS Sports, Scott White

HR/RBI- 10	SB/Run- 7	Avg- 7	42/60
Win/SO- 8	ERA/WHIP- 7	Saves- 3	42/60

Best Buys

Chris Coghlan, OF $2

Edwin Jackson, SP $5

Nick Swisher, OF/1B - $2

Ervin Santana, SP - $1

Leo Nunez, RP - $4

J.A. Happ, SP - $1

Bad Buys

Ryan Howard, 1B - $38

Joe Mauer, C $29

Overall:

Scott had a all or nothing draft strategy and it worked out solid for him.
He put the mass of his money into his offense, which is very good with purchases
of Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, Ryan Howard, Victor Martinez, and Joe Mauer.
I don't think it was wise to spend $53 on catchers, but he couldn't ask for two
better ones. He spent all of $22 on his pitching staff, but drafted a
solid one. His most expensive pitcher was A.J. Burnett at $7, but I liked
Edwin Jackson and J.A. Happ the best. His bullpen has one closer, Leo
Nunez. That is a weak position to start from, but he will likely attempt
to improve it during the season.

DRAFT DAY APPROACHETH....WHO IS IN YOUR LEAGUE

2010-02-21T07:29:00.000-08:00

Pitchers, catchers, and would be non roster invitees are preparing for the 2010 season so that means your draft day preparation begins as well. As you prepare, you need to know who is in your league and how they may be preparing. Each league is made up of different components. See if you can identify who may be in your league this year.

LAZY GUY If you are drafting online, do not use the rankings the queue gives you. After all, the rankings are from one source and the half of the league that was too lazy to rank their own players becomes incredibly predictable. Don't be part of that half. Since you are going to be working this league for six months take an extra few hours to pre rank your players.
EXPERT GUY Refrain from the mantra of, "I did alot of research so I want to show everyone how smart I am." These player are the king of the reach. They draft players earlier than most everyone has them rated and has to comment on every pick with a brush off or stamp of approval. These guys are annoying.
PRESEASON GUY Pre-draft standings are the most worthless piece of information ever invented. Immediately after the draft, their is software that will tell you who will win your league based on projections. Hey Roto breath, let's play the season first before we anoint a champion. Do not fall into that trap
SABER GUY Sabermetrics is a crutch. Saberheads will justify every pick with some obsure stat that comes from another language. I get it, you mathmeticians can read numbers and apply them. I also get that if I put twelve sabermetrics guys in one league one of them will finish last. Sabermetrics stats are a great tool, but only that, a tool for success.
HOMER GUY Before every online draft, I like to find out where everyone is from or who their favorite team is because invariably the hometown guy will tip his hand. When a guy names his team, Yankee Fanatic 26, he might as well say, man crush.
ROOKIE GUY There always seems to be one guy who drafts all rookies and young players early so he can be the guy that says, "I discovered Gordon Beckham when he was a rookie." In reality you are the guy who drafted him seven rounds earlier than anyone else. We all know about him, just didn't want him that early.
NO RESEARCH GUY This guy shows up and after every pick says, "Man I didn't have time to do any research." I never believe these guys except when they ask to borrow my notebook of information!"
SCOUT GUY This guy drafts every player on a hunch...they are a dying breed. Whether the scout guy wants to admit it, he still is using WHIP for pitchers and on base percentage for hitters. Stats and scouts are not mutually exclusive.
GIMMICK GUY These guys are fun to be in a league with because every year that show up with a draft strategy that is off the wall. They show up and draft nine pitchers in a row or the next year they take all hitters who only steal bases and hit for average. The next year they only draft relievers. Heaven forbid they win your league because from that point on they will be bragging about their league title in 1993 when they won with one of those crazy strategies.

Obviously, I am taking the most extreme cases here. Most importantly, don't fall into one of these catagories. Best of luck in your leagues this year.

Battle of The Fantasy Gods Expert League Auction Draft Review Pt 3/4

2010-02-19T21:20:00.001-08:00

Click here for our expert team-by-team draft results

Fighting Baseball Sherpa, Scott Swanay

HR/RBI- 9	SB/Run- 8	Avg- 7	48/60
Win/SO- 7	ERA/WHIP- 8	Saves- 9	48/60

Great Buys

Matt Wieters, C - $13

James Loney, 1B - $5

Nyjer Morgan, OF - $6

Jake Peavy, SP - $16

Bad Buys

Bobby Abreu, OF - $17

Bobby Jenks, RP - $8

Chris Davis, 1B - $11

Overall:

Great draft for Scott. One of the more balanced teams. on offense he
took some chances on some players who could provide a serious boost to his team
with guys like Chris Davis, Escobar, and Morgan. I think they will all do
just fine. On the pitching front, he again took some chances I think with
Vasquez and Peavy, but I love it. Peavy should be outstanding in 2010 and
lead his staff with Dan Haren. His bullpen is crazy. He drafted 4
relief pitchers in Jenks, Lidge, Rivera, and Dotel. The problem is Lidge,
Jenks, and Dotel might not get many saves. I gave him credit that they
will, but I have a feeling Scott will be scouring the waiver wire for closers
all year.

FantasyBaseball.com, Chris McDonnell

HR/RBI- 10	SB/Run- 7	Avg- 6	37/60
Win/SO- 8	ERA/WHIP- 5	Saves- 1	37/60

Best Buys

Michael Cuddyer, OF - $6

Miguel Tejeda, SS - $1

Bad Buys

Brain McCann, C - $21

Alex Rodriguez, 3B - $38

Derek Lee, 1B - $16

Carlos Lee, OF - $21

Overall:

I have to say I didn't like this strategy. Chris completely booted saves
and for that matter pitching. I'm sure he has a great in-season strategy
to make up for it, but for now it's not looking good. With nine starting
pitchers, four of which cost $1, it will be hard for him to maintain a stable
ERA and WHIP. He should be fine in wins and strikeouts. His offense
is outstanding and one of the stronger. He drafted a dominating catcher in
McCann and has a stellar infield of Youkilis, Pedroia, AROD, and Kinsler .
Chris's team can still win the eague, but it will be a struggle all year with
him chasing saves, ERA, WHIP, and average.

Click here for our expert team-by-team draft results

The Fantasy Man, Mike Kuchera

HR/RBI- 9	SB/Run- 10	Avg- 7	49/60
Win/SO- 9	ERA/WHIP- 7	Saves- 7	49/60

Best Buys

Jeff Clement, C - $2

B.J. Upton, OF - $20

Pablo Sandoval, 3B - $23

David Price, SP - $7

Chris Carter, 1B/OF - $2 (Thief and he knows it).

Nolan Reimold, OF - $3

Bad Buys

David Wright, 3B - $32

Francisco Cordero, RP - $9

Overall:

Mike drafted another excellent well balanced team. He has a great mixture
of youth and veterans poised for a big season. He got great values on
several offensive players that should have gone for more like B.J. Upton and
Nolan Reimold. His pick of David Price was excellent and he stole Chris
Cater from RC and I because I wasn't paying attention and did bid $3.
Carter could be a big player this year for the Athletics. His bullpen is
average with Cordero and Soriano though both are trade deadline trade risks.

Battle of The Fantasy Gods Expert League Auction Draft Review Pt 2/4

2010-02-19T03:30:00.000-08:00

Click here for our expert team-by-team draft results

Fighting Chance Fantasy, Ryan Hallam

HR/RBI- 9	SB/Run- 8	Avg- 7	44/60
Win/SO- 7	ERA/WHIP- 5	Saves- 5	44/60

Great Buys

Clint Barmes 2B - $2

Yunel Escobar, SS - $3

Alex Gordon, 3B - $1

Colby Rasmus, OF - $3

Rich Harden, SP - $4

Brain Matusz, SP - $3

Bad Buys

Chase Utley, 2B $40

Evan Longoria, 3B $37

Billy Butler, 1B $15

Ryan Franklin, RP - $6

Homer Bailey, SP - $2

Overall:

Ryan blew his wad early in the draft with his first three purchases, big time
fantasy powerhouses in Albert Pujols, Chase Utley, and Evan Logoria. They
cost him $131/$260, so he had to spend wisely for the remaining 20 players he
needed. He did just that. Ryan was able to secure several
serviceable players for $3 or less and built a very good team to enter the
season.

Fantasy Baseball Tonight, RC Rizza and Todd Farino

HR/RBI- 10	SB/Run- 9	Avg- 8	49/60
Win/SO- 6	ERA/WHIP- 7	Saves- 9	49/60

Best Buys

Mark Reynolds, 3B - $28

Brandon Wood, 3B - $3

Ryan Braun, OF - $37

Johan Santana, SP - $22

Cameron Maybin, OF - $2

Casey MaGehee, 3B - $3

Bad Buys

Jason Barlett, SS - $9

Aaron Hill, 2B - $17

Scott Kazmir, SP - $8

Andrew Bailey, RP - $11

Jonathan Broxton, RP - $19

Overall:

I'll be a bit bias towards the team RC and I drafted. We spread our money
around very well, spending $165/$260 on the offense. Across the
board we have power topped by Ryan Braun, Mark Reynolds, Matt Holiday, and Aaron
Hill. We also drafted 6 players who can steal 15 bases or more and then
Russell Martin and Elijah Dukes. Our primary weakness is in our pitching where
we have 3 very young pitchers who could have problems getting wins and
strikeouts in Davis, Latos, and Buchholtz. We do have a stellar bullpen
with Broxton, Marmol, and Bailey, but there is some risk with those closers.

Click here for our expert team-by-team draft results

Razzball.com, Grey Albright, Rudy Gamble

HR/RBI- 9	SB/Run- 10	Avg- 4	43/60
Win/SO- 6	ERA/WHIP- 8	Saves- 6	43/60

Best Buys

Jason Heyward, OF - $2

Grady Sizemore, OF $24

Russell Branyan, 1B - $1

Scott Sizemore, 2B - $1

Curtis Granderson, OF - $25

Jose Valverde, RP - $7

Chad Billingsley, SP $10

Neftali Perez RP, $1

Bad Buys

Carlos Pena, 1B - $17

Jose Reyes, SS - $27

Ian Stewart, 3B - $9

Kerry Wood, RP - $6

Brandon Lyon RP, $3

Overall:

I like the team that Grey and Rudy built here. They filled it up with
plenty of power and speed, but sacrificed average. In my opinion they have
the fasted team so far and scored a 19/20 between steals and home runs.
They have a solid starting staff led by Tim Lincecum and Zack Grienke. The
only problem is the lack of wins his staff as a whole can produce. His
bullpen is weak with Valverde and Wood. I believe the closer in Houston
wil be matt Lindstrom, but if Brandon Lyon wins the job their bullpen score
raises to an 8.

Battle of The Fantasy Gods Expert League Auction Draft Review Pt 1/4

2010-02-19T03:27:00.000-08:00

Click here for our expert team-by-team draft results

Fantasy Sports Empires, Jeff Boggis

HR/RBI- 7	SB/Run- 8	Avg- 4	40/60
Win/SO- 6	ERA/WHIP- 6	Saves- 9	40/60

Great Buys

Nelson Cruz OF- $21

Rajah Davis OF- $3

Garrett Jones 1B/OF- $3

Billy Wagner RP- $6

Bad Buys

Josh Johnson SP - $16

Overall:
Jeff build a strong offensive team that has plenty of power and speed. Average will be a struggle for him to score big in along with RBIs. On the pitching front, Jeff has a solid bullpen that can hang with the best, but his starting staff which includes Liriano, Sheets, and Josh Johnson has risk written all over it. So much in fact that his other starters Yovanni Gallardo and Wandy Rodriguez aren't enough to make up if he has injury issues with those three guys.

Tony Cincotta, Blog Talk Radio Podcaster

HR/RBI- 5	SB/Run- 8	Avg- 5	45/60
Win/SO- 10	ERA/WHIP- 10	Saves- 7	45/60

Best Buys

Rod Barajas, C -$1

Julio Borbon, OF - $2

Mike Cameron, OF - $1

Bad Buys

Adam Dunn, OF - $18

Brian Fuentes, RP - $10

Michael Bourn, OF $15

Andre Either - $23

Overall:
Tony drafted one of the best and the most expensive pitching staff in the league. $133/$260 was invested into his staff
and it scores him 27/30 according to my grading scale. However, that is
allot to put into your staff and you can see its impact on the offense. Outside of Fielder, Dunn, and Either his squad lacks home runs and RBI.
He has plenty of speed, but it's "risky speed" with guys like Gardner and Bourn.
His average is lacking, but has potential to come out strong.

RotoRob, Tim McLeod

HR/RBI- 6	SB/Run- 7	Avg- 8	46/60
Win/SO- 9	ERA/WHIP- 7	Saves- 9	46/60

Best Buys

Erick Aybar, SS - $1

Andrew McCutchen, OF - $11

Franklin Gutierrez, OF - $3

Brett Anderson, SP - $11

David Aardsma RP, $9

Bad Buys

Kurt Suzuki C - $12

Paul Konerko, 1B - $6

Overall:

Tim had a very good draft. Across the board his pitching looks excellent
with a consistent number of quality pitchers who can chalk up wins and
strikeouts. He balanced his pitching with an offense based on speed and
average. He will suffer a bit in the home runs and RBI, but he has some
players that can out produce expectations.

2010 MLB Breakout Player Profile: Matt Wieters, C Orioles

2010-02-17T02:23:00.000-08:00

Written By Todd Farino, http://www.fantasybaseballsearch.com/.

Player: Matt Wieters

Team: Baltimore Orioles

Bats: Switch

Position: C

FBS Breakout Rank: 8/30

Matt Wieters is one of a group of young hitters I'm excited to watch in 2010. Everyone knew last season that it wouldn't be long before Wieters was brought up to the big leagues. The wait wasn't long with Wieters making his major league debut May 29th. In an abbreviated season, Wieters compiled 9 home runs and 43 RBI in 354 ab bats at catcher. He provided the Orioles with an offensive spark with a .288 rookie average and started 84 games.

As the Orioles #1 draft pick in 2007, Wieters has done major damage in the minors. He consistently hits for power and supported it with a tremendous batting average nearly every year. He in smashed into a young and growing Orioles lineup with other emerging players like Adam Jones and Nolan Reimold. He will find plenty of opportunities for RBIs and see allot of good pitchers. Also, a often overlooked plus for the power hitting catcher is he's a switch hitter.

In the 2010 drafts, managers are paying high prices for McCann, Martinez, and Mauer. The M&M&M brothers are great as my friend Rhett Oldham says, but Wieters is a far superior value for his cost. In auction drafts he's going for roughly $13 and his ADP is 96th overall. Wieters will provide your 2010 fantasy team with excellent power and average from the catcher position, which gives your team the advantage. Most catchers are missing speed, average, and in most cases both. Wieters closes the gap for you with a near .300 batting average according to my projections. At 23 years old, Wieters is one of the best developed hitters at his age.
The True Guru Projections: .299 BA, 20 Hrs, 80 RBI, 69 Runs, 0 SB

To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.

2010 MLB Sleeper Player Profile: Cameron Maybin, OF Marlins

2010-02-16T00:51:00.000-08:00

Written By Todd Farino, http://www.fantasybaseballsearch.com/

Player: Cameron Maybin
Team: Florida Marlins
Bats: Right
Position: OF

Fantasy Baseball Search Sleeper Rank: 11/30

Cameron Maybin is only 23 years old (April 4), let's keep that in mind. He made his first major league appearance in late 2007 after being drafted by the Tigers in the 1st round. Over the past 3 years the Maybin has floundered a bit or at the very least hasn't lived up to expectations primarily because of off-field problems and coaching issues. That makes Maybin a fantasy baseball risk.

This year he is slated to start the season in centerfield for the Marlins, assuming he has a good spring. It will be his first chance to start and that will give Maybin the necessary stability and consistency he needs to produce excellent fantasy stats.

Maybin has tremendous upside and some may say I'm understating. Let's be honest, he only has 257 spread out major league at bats to grade him on. We haven't yet had a full and consistent season from Maybin and that is the gold in this sleeper. If Maybin can keep his head clear and out of trouble he will be stellar in 2010. He a gem pick late in the draft and should end up a 20/20 player if all goes well. Draft Maybin as your 4th outfielder.

2010 Projections: .289 BA, 21 Hrs, 84 RBI, 77 Runs, 26 SB

2010 MLB Sleeper Player Profile: Rick Porcello, SP Tigers

2010-02-15T22:54:00.000-08:00

Written By Todd Farino, http://www.fantasybaseballsearch.com/

Player: Rick Porcello
Team: Detriot Tigers
Throws: Right
Position: SP

Fantasy Baseball Search Sleeper Rank: 9/30

Rick Porcello broke onto the scene at the age of 20 during the 2009 season and never looked back. In his rookie season he made 31 starts with 171 innings. He had a remarkable season and showed tremendous poise at that age. I'm excited to see what Porcello will do this year with a full MLB season under his belt. Going on 22, Porcello should improve this season for several reasons one being familiarity with all the teams. He will also have an improved bullpen and offense, which should add to his win totals. He deserved his nomination for ROY, but it wasn't a perfect year for Porcello. In several bad games, he had problems establishing hit two fastballs that contributed to his high number of walks and some very bad innings. Improving his control will be the biggest improvement we'll see from Porcello this year.
From August 28th and on Porcello was great. He was 4-1 with a .ERA, 22 strikeouts in 42 innings. Porcello even improved his BB/9, which was 2.14 during that period as to 2.73 for the season. Porcello will be a great late round draft pick for your fantasy team. He will increase his strikeouts and decrease his walks. He will continue to develop into a far more dominant pitcher in his sophomore season. Draft Porcello as your number #3 fantasy starter, but expect a #2 starter performance .

2010 Projections: 16 wins, 123 Ks, 3.23 ERA, 1.24 WHIP

Player Spotlights - Wade Davis and Jason Heyward

2010-02-15T21:33:00.000-08:00

Wade Davis and Jason Heyward February 15, 2010

Live Fantasy Baseball Mock Drafts, Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings, Player Trade Calculator, Fantasy Forums and more ! at FantasyBaseballXtreme.Com

SP Wade Davis,Rays, Wade Davis isn't the type of pitcher who overwhelms you with his stuff, but he was an effective pitcher at the minor league level, and he continued to impress when he got the call for a major league audition in September last year. In fact when you compare his minor league numbers compiled over 6 seasons (3.28 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 3.3 BB/9, 8.7 K/9) to his composite stats over his six major league starts in late 2009 (3.72 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, 8.9 K/9), they are remarkably similar. Especially encouraging was Davis's ability to sustain his minor league trend of avoiding the longball. In 36 innings with the Rays he gave up only two HRs, and 14% of the flyballs hit off the 24 year-old righty turned into harmless infield outs. Davis primarily throws a 92 MPH fastball, but perhaps his best pitch is his 75 MPH, big-breaking curveball. The rookie makes an excellent fantasy pitcher to add in the late rounds of your mixed league draft.

OF Jason Heyward, Braves, - Jason Heyward entered the Braves farm system at the precocious age of 17, advancing rapidly to a limited AAA level audition at the age of 19 in 2009. Considered by many scouts to represent the best pure hitting prospect in the 2010 prospective big-league class, Heyward will be given a fair chance by the Braves to win the right-field job out of Spring Training. Judging from his minor league career, the left-side hitting Heyward has demonstrated an uncanny ability to hit almost equally well against both left and left-handed pitching. Through last year, Heyward had a .318 minor league average, while showing the type of power and speed that projects him as a possible 20HR/20SB player once he reaches the majors. More reasons for optimism concerning Heyward 1) his strong work ethic, and 2) the fact that he is an exceptional fielder with a strong arm. In early drafts, the aspiring right-fielder is going in the 24th round, but that will no doubt change if he gets the call on Opening Day.

Player Spotlights By Junkyard Jake JunkyardJake.Com