Chris Davis (1B - Rangers) - We recommended Chris Davis as a pickup when he was called-up and Hank Blalock was relegated to bench duty. So far, its proving to be a fruitful call if you made the claim. Davis finished the Tuesday double-header going 5-for-8 with a HR, 4 RBI, a run, and 8 total bases. That makes him 11-for-32 in 8 games with 2 HR, 9 RBI, and 5 runs scored. Davis still shows his youth and immaturity with his strikeout frequency. When he makes it, its by the "K" - averaging a strike out for every 3.0 plate appearances. For now, we'll take the K's if it means a AB/HR in the mid-teens and an OPS .900+. He has 3B eligibility in addition to 1B and should continue to see plenty of PT in the final 4 weeks of the year.
Robinson Cano (2B - Yankees) - In the midst of an All-Star / MVP lineup, Robinson Cano is quietly putting up a stellar season of his own. With a 3-for-4 night including a double and a HR on Tuesday, Cano is hitting .320 for the year with a .876 OPS, 22 HR, and a 0.71 FPI. We've talked about this before, but Cano has really improved his batting eye over the last couple of seasons with BB/K starting in 2005 of 0.235, 0.333, 0.459, 0.400, and this year at 0.511. Its a steady improving trend that has also led to better pitch selection, deeper counts, and of course, higher OBP. With Cano turning the magical "27" next year, we could even see bigger numbers and that one career-year that could even exceed his 2009. With the new Yankee Stadium playing like your backyard whiffle-ball grounds, I think a 2010 30-HR total is not out of the question.
AJ Burnett (SP - Yankees) - This is the 3rd big blow-up for Burnett in the last 7 starts. Facing a weak Baltimore lineup, Burnett gave up 11 hits, 6 ER, 2 HR, and 2 BB while only recording 2 K's. He threw 109 pitches before being removed with 5.1 IP under his belt. Burnett gave up 9 ER against Boston two starts ago and 7 ER against the ChiSox at the beginning of August. While his ERA was as low as 3.53 at one point, he is currently sitting at 4.29 with a 10-8 record and 1.41 WHIP. Burnett as been dominant at times and has 155 K's in 170.0 IP to show for it. Even so, he's struggling more often as the season wears on and you have to wonder if the Yanks will begin watching his pitch count and innings total a little more closely as the AL East wraps up and the team starts looking toward October.
Jorge Posada (Catcher - Yankees) - So much for that hand injury. Posada went yard twice on Tuesday, giving him 19 for the season and putting him on the brink of hitting 20+ HR for the 8th time in his 13-season career. The 38 year-old catcher should show a decline in September, but Posada has had plenty of rest this season and only has 321 AB for the year. Injuries throughout the season (especially in May) has kept him out of action, but manager Joe Girardi has also made a serious effort to give the aging Posada plenty of days off when needed. That has led to a .280 average, 0.69 FPI, .883 OPS, and AB/HR of 16.9 for Posada heading into September. There's no way a catcher at his age can have many more years left in him and I would be very careful about drafting him in 2010, but it certainly looks like the rest has kept his legs healthy and fresh enough for him to not show the typical September decline seen in other catchers.
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