Kelvim Escobar, of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, has already set a season high in wins with 15, so every start out for the remainder of the season will be a chance for him to raise the high water...

Chris Young: Be prepared for some injury reports coming out this morning on Chris Young because his start last night suggests he's just not right. Young walked 6 batters in his 4 1/3 innings of work, allowing 5 ER's. This...

Jose Lopez: It is looking like another second-half collapse for Lopez, 1/8/.237 in 177 AB vs. 7/44/.280 in the first-half. The same thing happened last year, 9/58/.280 in the first-half vs. 1/21//285 in the second-half. Although he is still only...

Hi all … I am traveling to Yankee Stadium for today’s Red Sox/Yankees tilt so this morning’s Closer Look was produced last night. Make sure to check your Daily E-mail Update from Insiderbaseball.com this morning for any last minute...

Dustin Moseley Save to say that after Tuesday, Moseley has a good shot at replacing Ervin Santana in the rotation while Bartolo Colon is out. After Santana surrendered five runs while retiring just one batter, Moseley saved the day, working...

Brian Schneider: Schneider provides very little power, 6 home runs and 17 doubles in 352 AB, and no speed. However, he does have a good approach at the plate, 86% Ct% and a .94 BB/K, and with a few more...

Carlos Pena grew up playing high school baseball three walking minutes from my house. My near-teenage daughter was a baby in a stroller when I used to walk her down to watch Carlos play. I interviewed him the day...

Improving/Declining Hitter Performance   Good morning everybody.  As the season drags on for those of us out of the money, today we will try to determine any hitters that have seen their performances improve this year versus their 3-year averages. ...

A.J. Burnett - A.J. Burnett was at it again last night, walking batters with aplomb until he absolutely had to get an out, which he of course was able to do. Burnett has had a very cushy schedule since coming...

Ryan Church- WAS- Rise Value- With Wily Mo Pena sidelined by injury, Church should get some increased playing time. He has not performed poorly recently, hitting .273 over his last 14 games with 3 homers in 44 at bats. That's...

Every year at some point, I get into a discussion about Contract Year Theory.   I am usually put in the position of having to defend the unpopular position that it is a myth. We hear all the time...

Ask the average fan to name the great hitting SS in the game, and you'll get a list of names like Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez, Derek Jeter, Miguel Tejada, and maybe Edgar Renteria. Few will ever mention Carlos Guillen, but...

Rafael Furcal: Furcal's had an unusual August, which is usually one of his stronger months, as he's only gone hitless in 5 of the team's 24 games but has hit an empty .274 on the month with only 6 extra...

(Editors note: This is a partial preview of Insiderbaseball.com's Prospect Central, emailed to our memebers each week. Not a member yet? Go to Insiderbaseball.com today and join! And tis the season, so make sure you visit Insiderfootball.com before your...

John Patterson Patterson's injury has certainly been a curious case this year. He pitched seven games, going 1-5 with a 7.47 ERA and 15:22 K:BB, likely pitching many of those games hurt, before he was placed on the DL in...

Radhames Liz- BAL- Rookie- The Orioles are calling up Radhames Liz to make his major league debut today. Liz dominated the Carolina League last year, with a 2.82 ERA and 95 Ks in 83 IP at Frederick. Once he was...

Adam LaRoche, of the Pittsburgh Pirates, capitalized on the extra at bats he received in a 15-inning win against the Houston Astros on Friday night. LaRoche went three for seven with a run scored and four runs batted in. LaRoche...

Zack Greinke: The Royals are moving Greinke back into the starting rotation. His numbers as a reliever; 9.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, and a 3.54 ERA, have been much better than when he was a starter earlier this year; 5.2 K/9,...

Will Inman – Brewers Starter – Throws Right – 6-0, 200 – 2/6/1987 Will is a very good test case for personal philosophies in regards to pitching prospects. To me he is simply not the type of guy I...

Chad Billingsley collected his first win in a month with 7 strong innings against the Phillies on Thursday. He held Philadelphia to 1 run in 7 IP on 4 hits, 2 walks and he struck out 7.  Chad also...

Maine, Cain and Pray for No Rain   As I sat through the monsoon that hit Chicago yesterday, I thought about the fantasy effects of rainouts, doubleheaders, and schedule make-ups. Those who play in daily leagues have certainly picked...

American League 3 Evan Longoria TAM 3B A Just .265 in AAA, but 11:12 K:BB and .531 SLG make up for it. Starting TB 3B next year. 4 Cameron Maybin DET OF A- Gets the surprise call after brief AA...

Howie Kendrick- LAA- Hot- Kendrick went 2-for-4 against the Yankees last night, making him an impressive 8-for-12 since returning from the DL. Encouragingly, Kendrick has walked once, but has yet to strike out since coming back. Getting his Batting EYE...

Howie Kendrick- LAA- Hot- Kendrick went 2-for-4 against the Yankees last night, making him an impressive 8-for-12 since returning from the DL. Encouragingly, Kendrick has walked once, but has yet to strike out since coming back. Getting his Batting EYE...

Once again this week we find the closing situations in Major League Baseball to be stable.   The big bullpen news wraps around a return from injury.   Before we get to that however we look to SF where...

Brian McCann is heating up just in time for the fantasy home stretch. His power numbers have been down all year from his 2006 breakout season, but he has managed to raise his totals slightly over the past week. He...

  Jon Lester got the win last night for the Red Sox thanks to a healthy offensive outburst. For his part Jon allowed 5 runs all earned in 5.1 IP to the Rays on 4 hits, 4 walks and...

Seth McClung: The Brewers called up the recently acquired Seth McClung from Triple-A to work in middle relief. His high minor league K/9's, 10.5 in Triple-A this year, makes him intriguing, but he should be nowhere near a fantasy roster...

Good morning everyone!   A little mail bag this morning but first a couple of things …   Football season is approaching (for some of you quicker than others) and some of you rookies may not know that Insiderfootball.com...

Danny Richar - Richar hit his second homer of the year last night against the Royals, and although he's only batting .192 through his first 52 AB's, I'm a bit optimistic about him. He's only 24, and if we ignore...

Carlos Zambrano- CHN- Caution- Watch Zambrano's Thursday start closely. Not only will he be going on short rest, but he will not be paired with Koyie Hill, who had become his personal catcher. Zambrano and Hill had become an effective...

Tim Wakefield is a solid play for his Monday start against the Devil Rays. The young Tampa Bay team typically has lots of trouble with the knuckleballer. For his career, Wakefield is 18-2 against the Rays with a 2.83 ERA,...

Lance Berkman: Berkman continues to try to make up for lost time in the month of August as he knocked out his 24th HR of the season and his 7th in August. Berkman's numbers in August look a bit more...

(This is a partial free look at Insiderbaseball.com's Prospect Central report which is e-mailed to our members each Sunday. Members also have access to our entire database of reports this season. Not a member? Go to Insiderbaseball.com and join...

Sean Marshall- CHN- Caution- Maybe it is fatigue catching up with Marshall, but despite putting up mostly decent numbers in his start yesterday (5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB) there are a couple of others that stand out....

Cameron Maybin: In his second major league game, the 20-year-old Maybin connected for his first major league home run off of Roger Clemens yesterday. Maybin has outstanding potential as a five-tool player, but prior to being called up, he had...

Ryan Zimmerman - Zimmerman had three more hits last night, and the 22 year old is now hitting 307/364/504 since the break, which is more like what everyone expected from him coming into the season. He seems to fly under...

The worst thing Adrian Beltre ever did was put together that monster 2004 season with the Dodgers (.334, 48, 121). Granted he made a lot of money because of it and I'm sure his family is thrilled, but he teased...

Wandy Rodriguez went 5 innings last night allowing 4 runs, only 2 earned. On 5 hits and a walk while striking out two. Mike Lamb contributed errors at first base in the 5th and 6th as Wandy fell to...

Clay Buchholz: Buchholz is scheduled to be called up today to start game 1 of today's doubleheader and then go back to the minors. Regardless of what happens, he seems to be next-in-line for a spot in the rotation if...

Jamie Walker- BAL- Cold- Walker had the chance to record his first save of the month yesterday as he entered the game with 1 out in the 9th and the Orioles ahead by 3 with two men on. He retired...

It has been a very quiet week at the back end of baseball’s bullpens.   There was movement in Oakland last night however as Huston Street recorded his first save since coming off the DL last month.  Alan Embree...

Yovani Gallardo was rocked for the 2nd straight outing. After giving up 11 ER in just 2.2 IP against the Rockies last week, Gallardo followed with a 7 ER outing against the Cardinals last night. That's 18 ER in 8.1...

Daniel Cabrera kicked of the Orioles combined shutout of the Yankees on Wednesday with 6.2 shutout innings in which he allowed just 2 hits … but he walked 6 … ! … That is a season high and it...

Greg Maddux: At 41 years of age, Maddux is no longer among the elite starting pitchers in baseball, but he is still serviceable, 8-9 record with a 4.00 ERA. He is using pinpoint control, 1.3 BB/9, and a ground ball...

Underperforming Pitchers Who Are Coming Around   Good morning everybody.  A couple of weeks ago, we took a look at some of the hitters so far this season that had been disappointments overall, but who had been coming around from...

Wilson Betemit - Betemit did what he does best again last night against the O's, posting a homer, a walk, and a strikeout in three plate appearances. I wasn't sure that Joe Torre would recognize Betemit's value any more than...

Jeff Kent- LAN- Cold- For the 5th consecutive game, Kent failed to get a hit and is 1-for-23 since returning to the lineup from a strained hamstring. He has gone from the penthouse to the outhouse, as Kent was on...

Hanley Ramirez: Despite an average Ct% of 84% and a BB% of 7.3%, Ramirez is batting a sizzling .341. A slightly inflated .297 BHIP% is helping, but the real reason behind the high average is the awesome power/speed package that...

Ian Kinsler has gone from a power hitter to a base stealer in a single season. He has 3 SB in August, but no homeruns. He sat out for most of the month of July, but his last HR came...

Eric Patterson - Cubs Outfield - Bats Left - 5-11, 170 - 4/8/1983 This profile would have looked a lot better if Eric Patterson could play second base. The younger brother of Corey Patterson started the season as a...

Miguel Batista was solid again last night, earning his fifth win in his last 11 starts and running his record to 12-8, which, believe it or not, is the most wins he's recorded in a season during his 13-year career....

Tim Lincecum Sometimes what seems like a sure thing from a fantasy perspective turns out to anything but. That's the joy (sometimes) of "real"and fantasy baseball. On Saturday, Lincecum recorded his first loss since June 19, allowing six runs over...

Jay Gibbons- BAL- Inj- Gibbons has finally admitted that his poor performance this season is a result of injury. He was not precise as to what exactly the injury is, but it involves inflammation of the shoulder and may require...

Wandy Rodriguez, of the Houston Astros, has had an up and down season to this point in 2007. Rodriguez's ups have been highlighted by some dominant performances at home and his lows have featured poor performances on the road. In...

Franklin Gutierrez: After a hot start, 7 home runs and 4 doubles in his first 103 AB, Gutierrez has gone into a power slump, 1 extra-base hit in his last 34 AB. He is still showing a nice power/speed package,...

Jason Bay: For most of you that don't follow the Pirates it probably seems like Jason Bay is really coming on right and really busting out of that slump? Well Bay hit 5th HR in the last 3 weeks last...

Dustin Moseley- LAA- Cold- Despite getting roughed up by the Red Sox (6 runs on 10 hits and a walk while recording 1 K in 4-2/3 IP), manager Mike Scioscia says he is going to stay with Moseley in the...

It's a new face trying to fill some big shoes for this week's closer report as I fill in for the esteemed Mr. Blasi. Since he's the professional writer, I'll make a deal with everyone and stick to the analysis...

Garret Atkins had quite an afternoon against the Brewers, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, 6 RBI, and a run scored. This extends his hit streak to 9. During that span, he has 5 multi-hit games including 2 HR, 19 RBI,...

Mike Fontenot: After a hot start, 3 home runs and a .400 batting average in his first 80 AB, Fontenot has come back to earth, .213 batting average and zero home runs in his last 84 AB. A comparison of...

The Joba Chamberlain era has begun in the Bronx. Chamberlain's name has been discussed alongside Phil Hughes as the two pitching saviors in the Yankee farm system. The Yankees made room for Chamberlain and called him up as a bullpen...

What have we learned? So I wanted to take another break from some of the more in-depth statistical analysis pieces to talk about what I've learned this fantasy baseball season and hopefully it will inspire some readers to write in...

A little mailbag this morning .... Dear Sweet Lou, I too am a fellow New Englander, living here in the great state of Connect-eh-cut, in Storrs. I thoroughly enjoy your wit, savvy & journalistic style very much. Keep it up!...

Melky Cabrera - Fresh off of a 368/410/528 July, Melky Cabrera keeps nosing his way toward a .300 AVG and an .800 OPS as we move toward the home stretch. Cabrera picked up three more hits, including a triple, against...

Rich Hill- CHN- Hot- Yesterday Hill went 7 innings and gave up only 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. Unfortunately he was a victim of lack of support, as he has been many times...

Fausto Carmona was on the tough end of a 1-0 loss on Sunday. Despite pitching 7.0 innings of 1 ER, 5 K, 5 H ball, Carmona was handed the loss, bringing his record to 13-6. Unfortunately for Carmona, his nemesis...

Jeff Francoeur: Francoeur went 3-5 on Sunday and got his batting average up to .304. There are a couple things going on with Frenchy this year to note. First and foremost he has improved his EYE considerably as he has...

(Editors Note: This is a partial look at the Prospect Central reports that our members recieve via e-mail. Not a member yet? Want some of this great Fantistics insight to help you with your fantasy football season as well?...

Robinson Cano: Now in his third season, it is looking like Cano can thrive as a bad ball hitter, 2005/2006/2007 batting average's of .297/.342/.311 and BB%'s of 3%/4%/5%. He used good contact skills, Ct%'s of 87%/89%/86%, and power, 11 home...

Andre Ethier Ethier was 1-for-2 Saturday with his ninth homer (a bomb off Arizona's Tony Pena) of the season and two RBI. Ethier continues to share at-bats with Matt Kemp and Luis Gonzalez in left and right field, but at...

Justin Upton: I decided to check out all the hype on Upton so I tuned into the Dodgers-DBacks game on Friday night and caught the youngster's first big league start. Upton's stat line didn't look to impressive as he went...

Justin Morneau, of the Minnesota Twins, has gone one for 12 since the trade deadline frustrations were expressed by Johan Santana and himself. It may be coincidence, or it could be the result of a veteran team unexpectedly finding out...

C.J. Wilson: Since the trade of Eric Gagne, Wilson has picked up two saves, although neither was a typical save situation for a closer. For the first one he pitched 1.2 innings and for the other he came into to...

American League 30 Lars Anderson BOS 1B B He's glad July is past: .194 with 1 HR for the month. At least he did mix in 21 walks however. 34 Kurt Suzuki OAK C B- Just .220 with 2 HR...

Eric O'Flaherty- SEA- Hot- Although he sounds like the subject of a Clancy Brothers ballad, O'Flaherty is a left handed reliever who has had a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Last night he threw...

The MLB non-waiver trade deadline usually shuffles the deck of at least a couple of rosters and this year it rearranged some bullpens as well.   The trade of Eric Gagne to the Red Sox left the Rangers closer...

Milton Bradley, of the San Diego Padres, is on a hot streak right now. Bradley went two for four with a run scored and three runs batted in on Tuesday night and he is now riding a five game hitting...

Kason Gabbard moves to Texas as part of the Eric Gagne deal on Tuesday. Kason upped his trade value considerably with two perfectly timed strong starts in mid July. He had his strong change working in both of those...

Octavio Dotel: There is a chance that the newly acquired Dotel could take over the closing duties from Bob Wickman. A look at Dotel's skill set, 11.4 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, and a 45% FB% against Wickman's skill set, 7.2 K/9,...