All posts under "Player Commentary" - Page 98

Hiroki Kuroda - Entering Friday's start against the Mets, Hiroki Kuroda had been a disappointment since coming over to the Yankees this season, missing fewer bats and giving up more HRs. I had him pegged for an ERA around...

Coco Crisp (OF - OAK): For the first time in a long time we saw some life out of Coco Crisp. Crisp homered, tripled, walked and drove in 4 while scoring a run. The two extra base hits doubled...

RA Dickey (SP-NYM)- Dickey improved his record to 9-1 after shutting out the Nationals for 7.1 innings on Thursday. He allowed just four hits (none for extra bases) and two walks while striking out eight. Dickey now as a 2.44...

Yan Gomes- TOR- Rookie- Gomes is back with Toronto and might get some playing time. He was hitting .349 at AAA when called up. Manager John Farrell has been making noise about using Gomes as a super sub player since...

1. Bud Norris (SP - Astros) - It looked like it was going to be one of those nights for Bud Norris. He allowed a quick 3 ER in the first inning, but then settled down and just allowed 1...

Chris Young (SP-NYM)- Young made his first start of the season and earned a no decision against the Nationals. He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out two in five innings of work....

Colby Rasmus OF (TOR) - Rasmus continued swinging a hot bat last night going 5-5 with a homer and a double; he scored 4 times and drove in 3. Schuyler wrote an optimistic blurb abut Rasmus a week ago...

Dillon Gee - Gee tossed his 4th straight quality start yesterday, holding the Cards to three runs (two earned) over 7 IP, striking out 8 in a no-decision. Gee has struck out 28 over 27 1/3 IP during this stretch,...

Jake Arrieta (SP - BAL): Jake Arrieta's ugly May struggles (6.17 ERA) continued on into June as he yielded 4 ER's on 2 hits and 4 BB's over 4 2/3 innings on Sunday. Early in the season the jump...

Tommy Hanson (SP-ATL) - Shoulder injuries can be troublesome, so I was a little down on Hanson entering the season, but with the exception of a recent start against the Cardinals, he's been just fine recently. Sunday, Hanson did allow...

Howie Kendrick - I am definitely ready to cut bait on Kendrick in just about all formats. He hasn't had an XBH since May 9th, and he has regressed in just about every facet of the game this year at...

1) Hanley Ramirez (3B, MIA) - After slumping through a good portion of the first six weeks of the season, Ramirez has turned it on over the last 15 games to raise his batting average 48 points from .230 to...

Madison Bumgarner (SP-SF) - Bumgarner was outstanding against the Cubs, allowing just two runs (both bequeathed) on eight hits in eight innings, punching out 11 without walking a batter. After fanning just 30 in his first 52 1/3 innings, he...

PJ Walters SP (MIN) - For those of you who like to play stacked lineups (heavy on one team) in daily fantasy baseball salary cap formats such as Draftstreet, go with the Indians today. They face Walters (who I...

Justin Smoak (1B - SEA): The Smoak monster has been unleashed over the last 12 games (.313/.365/.646) as Smoak has launched 5 HR's and driven in 15. Is this the beginning of something clicking for the young 1B prospect...

Will Middlebrooks - Middlebrooks stayed hot yesterday, going 2-4 with his 6th homer in the 6-4 victory over Detroit. The 23 year old has forced Boston to keep him up in the majors even after the return of Kevin Youkilis,...

1. Ryan Dempster (SP - Cubs) - It was easily Dempster's worst outing of the season. He lasted just 4.1 IP and allowed 6 ER, 3 HR, 4 BB, and 6 hits. Lucky for him, the Cubs bounced back and...

James Shields (SP - TB) - Shields was victimized by BABIP against the White Sox, allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits in six innings despite striking out eight, walking one and not surrendering a home run. His ERA...

Hitters 2 Billy Hamilton CIN SS A 12 SB in a recent 6-game run gives him 52 in 47 G with a .389 OBP. Free Billy! 3 Wil Myers KC OF A 1.034 OPS in first 12 AAA games. Playing...

Carlos Quentin (LF-SD)- Quentin went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run in the Padres loss to the Cubs on Tuesday in his second game back from the disabled list. Analysts have speculated that Quentin will have a...

Melky Cabrera - Cabrera is putting up ridiculous numbers this year for the Giants, including a 426/452/667 line for the month of May after another five hits in the last two games. He has improved his contact rate to over...

Adrian Gonzalez - Now that Albert Pujols is back to being Albert Pujols, baseball fans can turn their attention to Boston and focus on another great slugger who can't seem to get on track. Adrian Gonzalez collected a single...

Starlin Castro (SS-CHC) - Castro profiles as a perennial All-Star, but there is still some work he needs to do to reach his ceiling. Sunday, Castro was 1-for-4 with his third homer of the season and is now batting .313/.322/.432....

1. Hiroki Kuroda (SP - Yankees) - Kuroda had one of his best starts, if not THE best, of the season. He hurled an 8.0 IP, 4-hit shutout against the A's on Sunday to earn his 4th win of the...

This is a sample of Insiderbaseball.com's weekly Prospect Central column featuring in-depth analysis of over 120 prospects each season. Please visit Insiderbaseball.com or click the "Home" tab at the top of the page to see all the great insights...

1) Kyle Kendrick (SP/RP, PHI) - Kendrick dealt the Cards a complete game shutout Saturday at Busch Stadium. He scattered seven hits, did not walk anyone, and needed only 94 pitches (70 strikes) to dispatch the Cardinals. It was Kendricks'...

Ryota Igarashi- TOR- Cold- In his latest call up, Igarashi has again failed to translate minor league success to the major league level. He has appeared in both Toronto games since being called up Friday and has allowed 4 runs...

1) Dillon Gee (SP, NYN) - Nine strikeout over seven innings against the Padres Friday night gave Gee a total of 52 strikeouts in 56.2 IP for the season. Gee's strikeout rate (8.3 K/9) is the best he's ever posted...

Eric Hosmer - The Royals' first baseman finished Friday's game 1-for-4 with a run scored. I've written this about Eric Hosmer multiple times in the past two seasons - he's got to improve his balls in play distribution. After...

Devin Mesoraco (C-CIN)- Mesoraco went 1-for-3 with a walk and a grand slam on Thursday night. The home run was his second of the season, and he improved his slash line to .213/.310/.344 for the season. Mesoraco has not gotten...

Jhonny Peralta (SS - DET): I checked in on Jhonny Peralta a few weeks back, noting some of the odd discrepancies between his indicators and his performance early in the season. Peralta's posting a career best 31% LD Rate...

1. Wandy Rodriguez (SP - Astros) - Wandy continued to deal on Wednesday, hurling his 8th QS of the season in 10 starts. He scattered 8 hits in 7.0 IP and allowed 1 ER (a solo HR), no walks and...

Hitters 2 Billy Hamilton CIN SS A 40 SB in 41 G and a .386 OBP. Rumors of an eventual move to CF. 3 Wil Myers KC OF A 1.160 OPS gets him AAA promotion. .333 there through first 15...

Daniel Bard - It's been a difficult season thus far for Daniel Bard, who faced the Orioles on Wednesday and yielded two earned runs on five hits while striking out two and walking four in 5 1/3 innings. Bard's been...

Justin Morneau 1B (MIN) - Morneau hit his 6th homer of the year last night, and owners who took a flier on him have to be really encouraged. It is a small sample for sure but the power numbers...

R.A. Dickey (SP - NYM) - Dickey delivered his most dominant outing of the year in Pittsburgh, punching out a season-high 11 Pirates and allowing them just a run on five hits and a walk in seven innings. The knuckleballer...