Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs: Hot Batter
The young slugger did a little bit of everything, finishing 3-for-4 last night with two HR and accounting for all four RBI for the offensively challenged Cubs in a 4-2 victory over Miami. It was a big day for Rizzo, as he finally got his average to the Mendoza Line (.200 BA), hit his seventh and eighth dingers, and even was able to record his second stolen base of the season. Rizzo now has 18 RBI to lead the Cubs and could be in for quite the season if he continues to hit with this power. He hit .285 in his MLB stint last season, so the average should come along, but even so, he has shown a lot of promise in his first full season in the Majors.
Kyle Kendrick, SP, Philadelphia Phillies: Hot Pitcher
Kendrick was masterful in Citi Field last night, pitching a complete game shutout while allowing only three hits the entire game. The 28-year old native of Houston has been superb in his first five starts of 2013, posting an ERA of 2.41 with 29 hits and 24 Ks in 33.2 IP. He has never been much of a strikeout guy, but his control has been uncanny, walking just eight batters during those five starts. Kendrick has floated under the radar for the early portion of his career, but in 40 starts over his last two seasons, Kendrick's ERA floated in the mid-threes, so he has had success in the league for quite some time (only two of seven seasons with a plus-4 ERA). With only 12% of Yahoo! Leagues owning Kendrick, he is going to be available in most leagues, and boy will he be a hot waiver pickup this weekend after last night's performance. Grab him if you need a starting pitcher to fill in for now, and who knows, Kendrick could very well keep this up and put together a nice 12 or 13-win, low ERA season for you.
Homer Bailey, SP, Cincinnati Reds : Finding his Niche
A fantastic start by Bailey was all for naught as the Reds bats went cold again in the 1-0 loss to Washington on Friday. Bailey fell to 1-2 on the season, which is unfortunate considering he allowed just five hits and a run in seven strong innings of work. He continues to strike people out at a consistent rate (six in seven innings last night), and now has 32 Ks in 32 IP. The start marks 4-of-5 quality starts for Bailey now, but he has just one win to show for it. Quite possibly because the Reds have scored either one or no runs in three of Bailey's five starts. Cincy has a playoff caliber team and a high octane offense. Once they get it going, expect Bailey to rack up some W's.
Wilin Rosario, C, Colorado Rockies: Keeping Consistent
After a strong rookie campaign in 2012, Rosario has started just how he left off, producing on a consistent basis. The 24-year old Dominican catcher recorded two hits, including his fifth home run of the season last night in the Rockies 6-3 win over Arizona. His 15 RBI rank him third among catchers, only behind John Buck of the Mets and the sizzling bat of Mike Napoli, who already has driven in 27 runs. Rosario's average sits at .309, a nice number to see, especially from the catcher position. The biggest surprise of the year is the stolen bases early on. After converting only 4-of-9 stolen base attempts in 2012, Rosario already has swiped three bags in four attempts which could spell a very well rounded season for the Rockies backstop if he keeps on hitting.
Chase Headley, 3B, San Diego Padres: Performance Upon Return
Today marks the 10th day since Headley was activated off the DL. He finished 1-for-3 with a run scored last night, en route to a 2-1 triumph over San Francisco. Headley had three RBI in his first two games back, but he has struggled to find his way since then, only recording three hits and scoring two runs in the last six games. Headley's average sits at .179, but he has walked five times and struck out seven (five times in this first 3 games), so the ratio is solid there. Don't be alarmed by the slow start. Headley is a surefire 20 HR 90 RBI 15-20 SB guy who will hit for a solid average. Just give him some time to get into the flow of the everyday grind and he should be fine.
