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 fill-in for the rest of the season. He didn't disappoint, showing off his electric fastball in yesterday's game (timed at about 100mph) and his nasty slider. He went 2.0 IP and gave up 1 hit, 2 BB, and struck out 2. Prior to be called up, Chamberlain was crushing his minor league opponents. In 88.1 IP this season, he held opposing hitters to an average of .198 while posting a 2.45 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a 13.8 K/9. He'll earn some holds from a fantasy perspective this season, but he's worth a keeper claim as he will probably earn a role in the Yankee rotation in 2008.
After getting two days off and with Ben Broussard absent due to the birth of his child, Riche Sexson was back at 1B. Sexson went 2-for-4 and "raised"his average to .199. Just when you think he's starting to turn it around, he goes back into a deep funk and remains under .200. His historical second-half production would indicate a better 2nd half of this season, but he has yet to produce. His playing time over the last couple of days has been hurt, but I think the Mariners are set on letting Sexson work out of this funk on his own. Manager John McLaren indicates that the upcoming series against Baltimore is a great opportunity for Sexson to break out, alluding to steady playing time for the big first baseman. Getting into some of the numbers, Sexson's FPI is an abysmal 0.43, down from 0.63 last year and 0.70 in 2005. But, despite his overall numbers being so bad, he still has 17 HR and is averaging a HR for every 20.9 AB. That's still a slow pace for Sexson, who averaged 14.3 and 17.4 in the last two seasons. But if you're looking for a cheap source of power, Sexson may be the best buy-low candidate out there right now. His ownership has dropped to about 75% in some of the popular league management services out there, so there are definitely opportunities to grab him now.
Three straight quality starts for Jake Westbrook. This one was an 8.0 IP, 1 ER performance that earned him his 3rd win of the season. He has lasted at least 6.0 innings in each of his last 9 starts and is 7-for-9 in QS during that time frame. His ERA is a bit high at 5.00, but a respectable WHIP of 1.39 should help bring that figure down over the remaining two months of the season. You won't get a ton of K's out of Westbrook (K/9 of 5.11), but playing for the Indians should give him plenty of W opportunities. I was surprised to see he is only owned in less than half of all fantasy leagues on ESPN and CBS.
Troy Glaus is lost at the plate. Another hitless night brings his average down to .253. He only has 2 hits in the last 10 games and 37 AB. This slump has caused his FPI to drop to 0.58, down from last year's 0.66 and off from the preseason projected FPI of 0.64. Not only is his overall fantasy production down, but his power is lagging as well. He's averaging a HR for every 19.8 AB this season compared to last year's rate of 14.2.
Its been awhile since Boof Bonser last won a game, but that isn't because he hasn't posted his fair share of quality starts. Last night's outing wasn't a QS, but he hurled 7.0 IP while giving up 4 ER and no walks (with 3 K's). He has 4 quality starts in his last 6 outings and is posting a K/9 this season of 7.52. If you know what you're getting with Bonser, you won't be disappointed - 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, a high K rate, and a QS % of about 40%.
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