When the Yankees have needed him most, Chien Ming Wang has stepped up in a big way. He has converted W's in his last 5 outings, including another one against the Royals on Sunday. In those 5 starts, Wang is posting a 2.04 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a K/9 of 5.6 (high for him). Of course, he's most effective when he's getting the ground ball out. His GB/FB during that time period has been 2.3 (57:25). He'll have more challenging match-ups than the Royals in his next two outings. He'll likely face the Red Sox on Saturday and the Blue Jays at some point next week.
James Shields' fantasy breakout season continued on Sunday, with his 7th quality start in the last 8 outings. He's 4-2 during that time frame with a 2.57 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, a K/9 of 8.2, and BB/9 of 1.3. He has managed to keep his walk totals low and his K's high, leading to a K/BB of 6.4 during that span and a 5.1 for the season. Despite pitching for the Devil Rays, he maintains a winning record of 11-8 and has a QS % of 63%, ranking him in the top-20 for starters in the Major Leagues.
Curtis Granderson joined some elite company on Sunday. He's just the third player in baseball history to hit 20+ SB, HR, triples, and doubles in a single season (Willie Mays was the last player to do it). He certainly has had a great season with a 0.80 FPI, .921 OPS, .304 average, 311 TB, 20 SB in 21 attempts. For a leadoff hitter, his strikeouts are the one sticking point with Granderson, who has 132 K's and has average a strikeout for every 4.5 PA. The good news is that he has actually improved from last year when he averaged a K for every 3.8 PA.
Hideki Okajima earned his 27th hold of the season and ranks 2nd in the AL in the category, 2 behind Angels' setup man Scot Shields. In 62 appearances for the BoSox, he has a 1.76 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and has held opposing hitters to just a .187 BAA. He has obviously been great in leagues that value the "Hold"and he has even converted 4 saves as an added bonus (not to mention he's the obvious "next-in-line"candidate should anything bad ever happen to Jonathan Papelbon).
Jim Thome has his HR swing back. He has 3 HR in the last 3 games and is now sitting on 498 for the season. Averaging a HR for every 14.5 AB, the 500-HR milestone should be right around the corner. As for his fantasy production, when healthy, Thome has had a respectable 2007 with a 0.74 FPI, .931 OPS, 26 HR, and 80 RBI. Playing in a lineup that has basically given up and has been one of the worst offenses in the league, Thome has been one of the few bright spots.
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