All posts under "Player Commentary" - Page 78

Dustin Pedroia didn't reach base in the Red Sox's 14-run outburst against the Blue Jays Monday night. He was held hitless, bringing his slash line down to .272/.339/.368. Pedroia has four home runs and two stolen bases on the season,...

Gregory Polanco- Gregory Polanco is becoming one of the poster boys in 2014 for my "shiny new toy syndrome". In every league, owners overvalue prospects to the determent of older, more proven assets. Polanco was widely thought of as a...

Justin Masterson -- Masterson threw 71 pitches in a rehab outing on Sunday, allowing two runs on 5 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts. Masterson, who has been a major disappointment this year, has been on the DL with...

Odrisamer Despaigne (SP-SD). Despaigne flirted with history on Sunday afternoon, as he took a no-hitter into the 8th inning against the Mets. Unfortunately he gave up two hits and a run in that inning, thereby losing both the no-hitter and...

Chris Dickerson (OF-CLE) - Since being acquired and subsequently called up by the Indians earlier this month, Chris Dickerson has been on a tear. The 32-year old outfielder is now with his 5th team in 9 years and has filled...

Todd Frazier stole his 15th base of the season yesterday afternoon. With 19 bombs, over 50 runs and RBIs, and a plus-average, he has proven to be the only five-category contributor at his position. Reds Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto...

Xander Bogaerts- BOS- Stats- During the Break, Scott Boras was quoted as saying he still had confidence in clients Bogaerts and Stephen Drew. With Bogaerts, Boras has reason to think that he will break out of his slump before too...

Enrique Hernandez - Hernandez is a pretty interesting case, as he kind of slipped off the radar for a few years after being drafted in the 6th round (with a $150K bonus) of the 2009 draft out of the American...

Johnny Cueto (SP - CIN) - Johnny Cueto finished off the best half-season on his career on Sunday at home against the Pirates. Unfortunately, he lasted just 6 innings and yielded 3 runs on 5 hits while tallying 7 strikeouts....

Jimmy Nelson (SP-MIL). Nelson did not prove to be the savior the Brewers were looking for. He got absolutely drilled by the Cardinals in a 10-2 drubbing on Saturday, giving up 8 runs (6 earned) on 8 hits and 2...

(David Robertson CL-NYY) David Robertson had to follow the legendary Mario Rivera and has been successful this year in a way that would make the Sandman proud. Robertson picked up his 23rd save today striking out 2 of the 3...

Jake Arrieta (SP- Cubs) Jake Arrieta pitched another quality start today giving up 4 runs (3ER) on 4 hits and 3 walks with 6K's in a no decision effort. The Cubs rotation was filled with question marks coming into the...

Miguel Gonzalez (SP-BAL). Gonzalez had a solid outing against the Yankees on Friday night, tossing 8 innings of two run ball in a no-decision. Gonzalez gave up only 6 hits and walked none, while striking out 5 in reducing his...

Michael Brantley (OF-CLE): In the middle of his breakout season, Michael Brantley logged a 2-for-4, 1-run, 2-RBI night to lead the Tribe over the Yankees. Brantley now has a .911 OPS and a .398 wOBA to go with 14 homers,...

Jeurys Familia- NYN- Caution- Familia officially has a tired arm and his use might curtail some. Hopefully this isn't connected with his appearance on July 4th. Familia had been getting into a lot of games but hadn't been worked that...

Jason Kipnis-Indians-2B Jason Kipnis was 2-7 with a run scored in the loss to the Yankees. Kipnis has been a disappointment to many fantasy owners who expected him to build on his breakout 2013 season. Kipnis is slashing .251/3/23 over...

Jean Segura (SS-MIL): Jean Segura continued his 2014 struggles with another 0-for-4 night. There are a number of ways to capture Segura's ineptitude at the plate, but the fact that his wOBA has plummeted 74 points from last season says...

Vidal Nuno, Arizona Diamondbacks - It's probably safe to say Nuno enjoys pitching in the NL already as he was great in his first start since being traded by the Yankees to Arizona. He threw seven shutout innings with seven...

Jacoby Ellsbury- Jacoby Ellsbury is pretty close to the player that fantasy owners should have expected in the pre-season. Ellsbury's plate patience, contact rates and speed generally paint the picture with perhaps a little positive regression in the second half,...

Marco Estrada- MIL- Cold- Estrada couldn't pull off a third straight quality start, lasting only 5 IP and giving up 3 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5. He also gave up his 27th homer of...

Manny Machado (3B-BAL). Machado had a big night against the Nationals on Monday, going 5 for 6 with 2 runs, 2 RBI and his 8th HR. Machado is now slashing .261/.308/.404 on the season and is rewarding those owners who...

Jeff Samardzija -- Samardzija impressed in his Oakland debut on Sunday, allowing a single run on 5 K and 1 BB in 7 innings pitched. A trade of Samardzija was inevitable, but being traded into the American League was far...

Jeff Locke - After an 8 inning, 3 hit, 2 run (1 earned) performance against the Phils Sunday, Jeff Locke has now rattled off 6 straight quality starts since returning from AAA. Most remember last year's flukily good first half...

Andrew Heaney (SP-MIA). Heaney's rough introduction to the majors continued on Saturday afternoon in St. Louis, as he was drilled by the Cardinals for 5 ER on 8 hits and 3 walks, while registering only 1 K over 3.2 innings....

Carlos Santana (CLE -3B) - Carlos Santana went 2-for-5 and raised his season batting average to .208. He started off the season in ugly fashion by posting a slash line of .159/.159/.261 through the season's first two months. He hit...

Kole Calhoun appears locked into the leadoff spot for the potent Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. However, he also appears locked into a platoon with Colin Cowgill. The left-handed hitting Calhoun has just 39 at-bats against left-handed pitchers this season....

Matt Cain (SP-SF) What are we to make of Matt Cain this year? A prime rebound candidate after last year's 8-10 4.00 ERA swoon, Cain was always considered a front line pitcher whose peripherals did not always support his performance...

Erick Aybar-Angels-SS Erick Aybar was 1-4 with a run scored in the win against the Astros. Aybar is in the midst of a very fine season for the Angels. He is slashing .277/6/42 with 8 SB. Aybar has been a...

Carlos Martinez (RP-STL) - As a Martinez owner in a couple keeper leagues, I was very worried that the Cardinals were going to turn him into a full-time reliever this year. With Trevor Rosenthal closing, Martinez would have had little...

Justin Verlander (SP Detroit) Justin Verlander picked up his 7th win against 7 losses today giving up 9 hits and 2 runs with 4 K's in 6 innings of work. This type of performance is a far cry from what...

Julio Teheran- Julio Teheran is one of those pitchers where I cannot explain or justify his success, which frankly, terrifies me about him. Teheran is not an elite strikeout artist as his K Rate sits in the low 20's (21.7%...

Khris Davis, Milwaukee Brewers - Davis left the game Tuesday after injuring his shoulder sliding into second base. He was replaced by Elian Herrera and it has not yet been determined how much time Davis might miss if any at...

Jose Reyes- TOR- Hot- Regression to the mean is in full swing for Reyes. Through June 23rd his BABIP was at .264 and his average at .247. In the 6 games since then he has gone 12-for-29 with a BABIP...

To say Jake Arrieta is rolling is an understatement. The 28-year old was solid, yet unspectacular throughout his minor league career, and ineffective at the highest level heading into 2014. Arrieta's season was delayed due to shoulder stiffness, but since...

Brian Dozier - Dozier had a rough three-game set in Texas, going 1-13 with 5 K's. Let's get something straight: I do like Brian Dozier as a player. He has some pop, he's running like he did in the minors,...

Clayton Kershaw (SP - LAD) - Clayton Kershaw threw a gem against the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, going 7 scoreless innings while yielding just 5 hits,2 walks and striking out 13. He has now gone 28 scoreless innings and has...