Garrett Atkins is ridiculous. He posted his 33rd mutli-hit game of the year last night as he went 5-6 with a 2B, HR and the game-tying single in the bottom of the ninth. Atkins is now hitting .315 with 12 HR, 50 RBI, 50 R and 17 2B. Atkins is the exact type of player that I wish I had 9 times over. He is balanced in every single way with the exception of speed. He’s having a phenomenal season and although I considered packaging him in a deal for a power-huge 1B, I have since totally disregarded that option. I won’t give this guy up for anything.
Fred Lewis is putting together a nice season and stole home for the 2nd time in his last four games yesterday against the Dodgers. Lewis boosted his SB total to 16 for the season and also brought his BA up to .286. His season numbers are decent at 6/25/56/16 but his high K rate at 28-years old concerns me a little bit. I think it’s a major positive that he can sustain a .280+ BA with a 26% K% but you’re looking for much better out of a leadoff hitter at this stage in his development. However, Lewis has not had a ton of major league experience (no MLB season of 100 G or more) and I think he can be a solid addition to deeper lineups if you need speed and R. He plays in an offense that doesn’t have a ton of pop and has still scored 56 runs. In addition, his SB total this year should reach 30-40 swipes. Combine that with a solid BA and he’s a good speed candidate for even shallower leagues. If you need help in R/SB, I’d look for Lewis and certainly keep him in your mind for the 2009 draft.
Xavier Nady continued his breakout season yesterday with a 2-4 performance with 1 RBI. Nady is having a really solid year with season totals at .326/12/53/40 and 23 2B. This certainly doesn’t seem as though it’s an aberration either when you consider how well he’s done in cutting down the K’s, boosting his BB’s, and developing his power. His K% is down 5% from 2007, he’s drawn 23 BB in 72 games (23 in 125 G last year), and he’s on pace for 25+ HR and 100+ RBI. Nady has always had the swing and build to be a decent power hitter in the majors but he never got the consistent playing time until now, and he also hit in a huge pitcher’s park for 3 years in San Diego. The only thing that is above normal for him that I think may begin to regress is his BHIP of .278 compared to his .232 average over the last 3 years. However, .278 isn’t an enormous mark and I really believe we may be able to expect a .300+ year out of Nady this season. If he’s still available for some reason and you need OF help, scoop him.
Carlos Zambrano was extremely effective in his first start off of the DL against STL as he pitched 6 shutout innings, allowing 4 H, 2 BB and striking out 5. He lowered his ERA to 2.96 and improved to 9-3 on the year. He also didn’t overextend himself as he threw just 87 pitches, 53 of them for strikes (61%), which is a refreshing thing for both Cubs’ fans and Zambrano owners to see. In the Dusty Baker days, Baker did his utmost to run Big Z’s arm into the ground by routinely letting the guy throw around 150 pitches per outing (exaggeration, of course, but you get it). The Cy Young candidate seems healthy and back on track.
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