Justin Smoak - The Smoak Monster made his major league debut Friday against the Tigers and finished 0-for-2 with 2 Walks. With Chris Davis in the minors after striking out in 35% of his ABs and hitting .188 with a .292 SLG%, Smoak should see considerable playing time for the foreseeable future. In AAA this season, Smoak was hitting .300/.470/.540 with 16 Walks and just 8 Ks in 66 plate appearances. He also had 2 HRs and 5 RBI. The 11th overall pick in the 2008 draft, Smoak should provide your team with a solid OBP/BA and good power after hitting 17 HRs and posting a .293/.411/.463 slash line in 492 career minor league ABs. Smoak is a must-have in keeper leagues and definitely worth a look in one-year leagues as well.
Rich Harden - It’s getting to the point where Rich Harden may not be worth a roster spot on any fantasy team. On Friday, Harden once again struggled with his command (4 BB) and pitch count (99) en route to logging just 4 1/3 innings. He managed to strike out 5 and allowed just 2 ER but this is the third time in four starts that Harden hasn’t reached the 5th inning. Yes, he struck out 171 batters in just 141 IP in 2009, but if Harden can’t even log 5 innings he’s not providing your fantasy team any chance to record a Win or QS and likely will hurt your ERA and WHIP categories. Entering Friday’s start, Harden’s indicators were absurd – 10.13 K/9, 9.45 BB/9 and 2.03 HR/9. You know it’s bad when the Rangers’ TV announcers say, “at least Harden didn’t have a 30-pitch inning tonight” and mean it as a compliment. Sit Harden on your bench until he learns how to throw a strike.
David Ortiz - The Boston Red Sox designated hitter finally connected on his first HR of the season and picked up RBI No. 3 after taking Jeremy Guthrie deep Friday night against the Orioles. Ortiz is now on pace for 31 RBIs and 10 HRs in 2010. Get excited! After sitting in back-to-back games while the Red Sox faced two lefties, Ortiz may begin splitting time with Jeremy Hermida and Mike Lowell for ABs at the DH spot. At 34-years old and unable to generate the bat speed that helped him become one of the league’s most feared hitters in the 2000s, Ortiz and his “old player skills” are declining at an alarming rate. It’s hard to imagine any scenario where Ortiz becomes fantasy relevant in 2010.
Andruw Jones - The resurgence of Andruw Jones continued Friday night when the White Sox outfielder blasted two HRs, including the game-winner, to lift Chicago over Seattle. Jones now has 6 HRs and 9 RBI in just 41 ABs and is trying to force his way into more playing time for Ozzie Guillen’s club. While he has struck out 13 times already, it’s hard to argue with Jones’ slash line of .270/.386./622 entering Friday’s contest. Last season, Jones homered 17 times for the Rangers but OPS’d a mere .782. Despite the high strikeout totals, Jones is actually being more selective at the plate this season, swinging at just 57% of pitches in the strike zone compared to 69% in 2009. When he does swing at a strike, Jones is connecting at a higher rate than a year ago (87% compared to 81%). As one of the league leaders in HRs, if Jones is available in your league, get him now because he’s sure to be picked up soon. The promising start likely won’t last based off Jones’ numbers the past few seasons, but there’s nothing wrong with riding the hot hand while you can.
Matt Garza - The Rays’ ace struggled with his control Friday evening against the Blue Jays, issuing 4 Walks in just 5 innings of work. He allowed 5 ER on 8 Hits while striking out 6. Entering Friday, Garza had pitched well in his first three starts, posting a 0.88 WHIP and .171 BAA although his FIP was more than two runs higher than his actual ERA (2.99 FIP compared to 0.75 ERA). He had also benefited from an unsustainable 92% LOB%. For his career, Garza has never posted an FIP lower than 4.00 and his K/9 is a decent but unspectacular 7.29. He should be a safe play moving forward and is a decent No. 2/excellent No. 3 starter for any fantasy team’s rotation.
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