The calendar says we are half way home, how are you doing in your leagues this year? We are now through April, May and June with July, August and September yet to go.

Adam Lind hit his 16th homer of the year, and the questions will arise again about his future. Is this a breakout season for Lind or just a one year wonder. I think it is somewhere in the middle. While I feel that Lind is going to be a quality player going forward, I don't think that he will be a consistent 30-35 homer kind of guy. Lind has a heck of a chance to get to 30 jacks this year, but he is on pace for 35+ and I can't see him reaching that.

Leo Nunez looks like he is now healthy enough to be the closer for the Marlins as long as Lindstrom will be out. After Dan Meyer got the first few chances, Nunez has gotten the last couple saves and he is looking pretty good. Nunez didn't allow a hit or a walk and struck out two. If for some reason he hasn't been added in your league, absolutely pick him up.

Jordan Zimmerman was good again, but again the Nationals weren't good enough to get him a win to show for his effort. Zimmerman allowed two runs over six innings and struck out six. The kid has five straight starts that he has allowed two runs or less. Unfortunately he has only one win to show for it. He is a good pitcher to own....unless you need wins.

Ricky Romero continues to pitch well, but for some reason I'm still not jumping on the bandwagon. Romero has an ERA under 3.00, WHIP of 1.24, and he is 6-3. What is there not to like? I still go back to his minor league statistics. I know that you can't put total stock in those numbers, but I can't forget them. I have picked him up and pitched him, but I am just waiting for the implosion.

The Orioles might have blown his win, but Brad Bergeson pitched well yet again. Bergeson allowed just one run over eight innings and struck out six. After allowing four runs to the Nationals on May 24th, Bergeson's ERA was 5.49. Seven starts and four straight wins later, Bergeson's ERA is now sitting at 3.53. Now I feel the need to point out that he faced Philly (his bad start), the Mariners twice, Atlanta, and Washington during this streak, but today was versus the Red Sox. I am not drinking the Kool-Aid just yet, but I have poured it into the glass.

Mike Pelfrey gave the Mets just what they needed, a huge outing from a starting pitcher. He threw 7.2 shutout innings, walked just two and struck out six. It was his best and longest outing in quite a while, and although I would like to trust Pelfrey, I am not adding him to my teams. The Mets are just so riddled by injuries right now that I don't trust that they can put any kind of consistent offense together (like tonight's one run), and thus their starters have to be perfect in order to win. He's decent, not great, but certain times he is very good. I wish you luck figuring out when those times might be.

Jason Hammel has been a great addition to the Rockies pitching staff, but I still do not have enough faith in him to start him every time out. He pitched a full eight innings today, allowed just one run and struck out five. He didn't deserve the loss that dropped his record to 5-4, but that is where he stands. He has now allowed three runs or less in eight of his last ten starts, but his career numbers say that this is not for real. His ERA has been well into the 5.00s throughout his career, so there has to be a correction to this great run that he is on.

Dallas Braden now has nine straight starts that he has allowed three runs or less, the problem being that tonight was his first win in his last five starts. He also isn't a huge strikeout pitcher, so his value is limited. He is helping you in ERA and WHIP (1.26), but wins and Ks he isn't bringing much to the table. Braden is a decent guy to have as your sixth pitcher, but if he is higher than that, you may need to improve your pitching staff.

Randy Wells is another guy who has been pitching pretty well that I am just not sold on based on his minor league statistics. Explain to me how a guy who had three seasons of an ERA over 4.00 and didn't even start exclusively can come up and get major league hitters out. It just doesn't add up to me. However, you can not argue with the fact that he has won three straight starts and has an ERA under 2.50. I'm standing by my opinion that Wells will come back to earth sometime in the near future.

Jose Contreras had a great outing after it seemed he was going back to being the average pitcher that we all know him as. Contreras threw eight innings, allowed two runs and struck out eight. I do not put any stock into Contreras going forward. He might be 56 years old for all we know, and I don't trust him to pitch well consistently. Don't fall into the trap.

I mentioned on tonight's Fantasy Baseball Tonight podcast that Erik Bedard might pitch on Saturday. That has now been edited that he will throw a simulated game on Friday, and could start on Tuesday now against the Orioles. He would be on a pitch limit of 80, and this start is not set in stone yet, so don't go activating Bedard just yet.

As of now Brandon Webb will avoid shoulder surgery and hopes to return in September. I am skeptical that a team going nowhere will bring back their ace pitcher with just a few weeks left. If you have DL spots left I would stash him, but if not, I am torn about what to do with him.

Aramis Ramirez will begin a rehab assignment on Friday and hopes to return ot the Cubs lineup on Monday. A guy like Aramis who has a history of injury could possibly have setbacks before he is activated, but as of now you might get your 3B back next week.

Nelson Cruz left tonight's game with a stiff back, and it is too soon to know if this injury will cost him any time. I never like to see an athlete have trouble with his back, so I am a bit concerned, but I am not ready to give any advice out until I hear more. Hopefully Cruz won't have to miss any games.

Alexei Ramirez also left the game tonight with an injured finger and his manager has already said that he will sit out Thursday's game. Ramirez has really turned it on this month, so his fantasy owners (me included) are really hoping that this is nothing. He is also supposed to undergo x-rays, so hold your breath that the news is good.

Newly acquired Cardinal Mark DeRosa will miss three to four games with a strained tendon in his wrist. Hopefully that is all that he will miss and the trade of Chris Perez wasn't for nothing. Keep DeRosa on your bench throughout the weekend.

Labels: Adam Lind, aramis ramirez, brad bergeson, brandon webb, dallas braden, erik bedard, jason hammel, jose contreras, leo nunez, Mike Pelfrey, randy wells, ricky romero

A special Happy Father's Day goes out to all of the readers who have children, hopefully your wife/girlfriend/kids spoiled you today. I had a very nice day today with a nice new shirt/tie combo for work along with a book that I have been wanting. My wife was also generous enough to take me and the kids to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner for a nice meal of spicy fried foods and beer. What else can a Dad ask for? We also had a nice meal with my parents last night, as they were going to be out of town today. My father has been an incredible influence in my life, as well as a fantastic father. He is truly the reason that I am doing this today, as he instilled both a love of sports and competitiveness in me from an early age. But even more than that, the support that he has given me throughout my life can never be paid back (or the $$$$, sorry Dad), and I am forever grateful to have such a man in my life. If I am able to be half the father that he has been, I will be very proud of myself. I love you Dad, and I could never thank you enough!

C.C. Sabathia left his start with tightness in his biceps in the second inning on Sunday. He was examined during warmups, got one guy out, but after allowing a hit he was removed from the game. The team has termed him day to day, and they say there are no tests planned. When you give a guy $20+ million and he comes out of the game, I'd be willing to bet that there are some tests in Sabathia's future.

Ryan Howard was released from the hospital after spending consecutive nights there with flu symptoms. Howard was able to provide a pinch hit homer in last night's game, but did not play today. The Phils have an off day on Monday, and you would think that he should be back in the lineup by Tuesday.

Casey McGehee is still playing in place of Rickie Weeks, and the kid is hitting. He hit his second homer of the year, and has 17 hits in his last nine games. I suppose as long as he keeps producing, he will keep playing. McGehee was not a top ranking prospect, so I'm sure there is a stat correction coming in his future, but if you need some middle infield help in the short term, McGehee appears to be worth a look.

Mark Buehrle is having another one of those ho-hum Mark Buehrle kind of years. He threw seven shutout innings on Sunday against the Reds, and raised his record to 7-2. Now there are two reasons, in my opinion, that Buehrle never gets fantasy love. One is he will never win 20 games. His career high is 19, but that was a long time ago. He usually wins between 12-15 games. The second is that he doesn't get a lot of strikeouts. Last season he had just 140 in 218 innings, and he is on a similar pace this year. However, while a lot of us love the lure of the rookies and the potential of the next big thing, a guy like Buehrle at the end of your rotation is likely more help. But hey when is Neftali Feliz coming up? I'll pick him up!

Brandon Phillips left the game early yesterday with pain in his fractured thumb, but was able to play today. Phillips has a hairline fracture in his tuhumb, but never hit the Disabled List. He did not get a hit today, but did drive in a run with a sacrifice fly. I was worried that he might be out a few games again, but it appears that he is tough as nails and is safe to put back into your lineups.

Ricky Romero had his fourth straight good start after coming back from the DL, and he is looking like someone that you can count on each time out. Romero's minor league statistics were nothing to get excited about, so if he starts to go south, don't be surprised and have a backup plan ready. However, the more and more he pitches, the more confidence that I gain in him.

Jeremy Guthrie was great on Sunday, allowing just one run over seven innings against the Phillies. It seems that Guthrie generally pitches well, even against good competition. Somehow though, his statistics just aren't very good. Even with the win on Sunday, his record is 5-7. His ERA is 5.09, while his WHIP is 1.37. He isn't even getting many strikeouts, as he has just 55 Ks in 86 innings. He isn't a bad option at the end of your rotation, but I just have never been a big fan of Guthrie.

Khalil Greene homered for the third straight game, and then was hit with a pitch and had to leave. He was 4/7 since coming back from the Disabled List due to social anxiety, but was hit on the ankle with a pitch the at bat after hitting the homer. Greene has long been a guy with plenty of power potential, but couldn't hit for any kind of average whatsoever. Even if he is able to play tomorrow against the Mets, I still wouldn't be picking Greene up unless you are desperate for help at either shortstop or third base.

With his two home runs on Sunday, Albert Pujols now has 26 homers to go with 27 strikeouts! Who is the best hitter in the game right now? Is there even a question?

Just when you started to feel good about Gil Meche, he goes out and does this. Meche got tattooed by Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals. There is no shame in getting crushed by Pujols, as you can see above, most pitchers have been for years. But nine runs over 3.1 innings? After six straight starts of two runs or less, you had to figure that something like this was possible. The next start is the important one for Meche. Hopefully, he can get right back on track and pitch effectively again. But Gil Meche isn't Johan Santana, my guess is the next one or two outings aren't that great. I'm not saying nine runs again, but he won't see the seventh inning.

Who in the world does Michael Cuddyer think he is? After 64 games of the season, he is nearly halfway to his career high of 24 homers when he connected on number eleven on Sunday. He has driven in three runs in his last four games, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see him get up to 90 RBI. As long as he can stay healthy, Cuddyer is looking like a solid fourth outfielder, and he could move up farther from that.

Cubs' power hitting prospect Jake Fox is back in the majors and they actually trusted him with a starting spot today. Fox played third base, and the good news is he drove in three runs with a double. The even better news is that he didn't commit and error. If Fox can prove that his glove is up to the task, perhaps he will see more starts.

Even though he lost, Dallas Braden has now allowed three runs or less in seven straight starts. He might not have a great record (5-6), but he generally has been good all year, with a 3.26 ERA. The low strikeout numbers are probably what is holding him back from full fantasy ownership, but if you catch an injury or have someone you want to drop, give Braden a look to see if he fits what you need.

Kevin Kouzmanoff continues to drive in runs, even if he can't really get his batting average to a respectable place. Kouzmanoff hit his ninth homer of the season on Sunday, and has driven in 14 runs in his last ten games. I am still not quite believing that he is going to keep this up, but it is possible. He was a pretty highly touted prospect, showed great power in the minors, and his batting average was always in the .300 range. He is a guy that I had a lot of hope for three years ago, perhaps it is going to come to fruition now. I wouldn't bet on it just yet, but keep an eye on him.

Alex Rios got my hit streak back on track on the USA Today's 56 Game Hit Streak. I am very close to paydirt as that extended my streak to two. Please join our group with the link above. The private group is called Fantasy BBall 2nite and the password is fantasy.

Mailing List

I’m not going to stop bringing up the mailing list until I get a day where I don’t get a request to join it. For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, when I find news earlier in the day I will send an email to you about whatever it might be. If you were on the mailing list you would have found out about the callups of Matt Wieters, Fernando Martinez, Nolan Reimold and others. The trade of Nate McLouth, and injuries to Jose Reyes, etc. This mailing list is your way to get a step up on your competition. Anyone who is on the list, please leave a comment below on whether you think that you have benefitted from the list. Send an email to either fantasybaseballtonight@gmail.com or fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com and put Mailing List in the subject line.

As always, your comments and questions are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Also, don’t miss the “Fantasy Baseball Tonight” podcast four nights a week from Monday-Thursday. The Big Show on Wednesday is co-hosted by Todd Farino of fantasybaseballsearch.com, RC Rizza of junkyardjake.com and myself, Ryan Hallam at fightingchancefantasy.com. To hear the show go to www.blogtalkradio.com/the_true_guru. You can also hear me weekly on the Tuesday Night show. Join me with Jeff Mans every Tuesday night at 10pm EST for all the the info and craziness we can pack into one hour. A can’t miss if you plan on winning your league.

Labels: albert pujols, alex rios, brandon phillips, c.c. sabathia, dallas braden, gil meche, jake fox, jeremy guthrie, kevin kouzmanoff, khalil greene, mark buehrle, michael cuddyer, ricky romero