Ubaldo Jimenez, RHP CLE Jimenez was bombed for seven hits and six runs in four innings on May 22 against the Detroit Tigers, but even including that start he is 4-1 with a 2.74 ERA and a 3.37 BB/9 over his last seven starts. The right-hander's swing-and-miss rate was 7.5 percent in 2011 and 7.0 percent last year; he's back up to 8.7 percent in that category. He's also getting a career-low 84.1 percent contact on pitches in the strike zone that batters swung at. Due to a rough start to the season, Jimenez' ERA is still 4.83, but he's clearly got his mechanics on track and has learned how to get people out again even though he is no longer throwing 96 mph.
Eric Hosmer, 1B KC Hosmer went 3-for-5 Saturday against Texas, but of course all three hits were singles. The first baseman is hitting .270 with just a .070 ISO in 203 plate appearances. His extra-base hit percentage is 4.9 percent, and he has one home run. Nearly 58 percent of the balls Hosmer puts in play were grounders this season, compared to 22 percent line drives and 20 percent flyballs. His HR/FB is just 3.3 percent. His power just hasn't developed after hitting 19 homers in 523 at-bats in his rookie year.
J.J. Hardy, SS BAL Hardy hit two homers Saturday against the Tigers and is tied with Troy Tulowitzki for most among shortstops. Hardy is only hitting .244, which is around what he usually puts up, but this year he deserves better. His strikeout rate is down from 14.9 percent to 11.3 percent, his line-drive rate has increased from 16.9 percent to 18.8 percent since 2012 and he's hitting homers on 15.9 percent of flyballs, but his .228 BABIP is dragging his average down. Although I don't expect it to reach league average (Hardy's career BABIP is .272), that should increase eventually.
Daniel Nava, OF BOS Nava went 4-for-6 with a homer and four RBI Saturday versus the Yankees and is hitting .296. The outfielder only had seven homers in 505 career plate appearances before this season, but he already has eight in his first 206 plate appearances. Nava's flyball rate was 38.3 percent and his HR/FB was 7.6 percent last season, but this year he is hitting flyballs more than 43 percent of the time and homering on nearly 14 percent of them. Nava also has a 27 percent line-drive rate, which has helped him hit for a .326 BABIP.
Aaron Harang, RHP SEA Harang followed up his shutout with six innings of four-hit ball against the Twins. He allowed two runs (one earned), walked two and struck out four to lower his ERA to 5.82. Harang has trimmed his BB/9 from 4.26 to 1.87 and increased his K/9 from 6.56 to 8.10 since last season while also getting a lower percentage of line drives. However, after serving up 14 homers in 179 2/3 innings in 2012, he has given up eight in 43 1/3 this year. Seven of those have come with men on base, and as a result he is stranding just 62 percent of his baserunners. His 47.5 percent flyball rate has worked well at Safeco Field, where he is 2-2 with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP, compared to 0-3 with a 7.97 and a 1.48 on the road. Harang hasn't allowed a homer in four of his last five starts, however, so he appears to be getting that issue under control.
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