1. Mark Reynolds (3B - Diamondbacks) - . Reynolds continues to struggle at the plate, going just 2-for-14 in the last 4 games with only one HR in the last 11 (or the last 38 AB). In his first 83 AB, he hit 9 HR for an AB/HR of 9.2. Reynolds tends to go into these deep streaks on both sides while posting huge K rates. After posting consecutive seasons of 200+ K's (204 and 223 in 2008 and 2009), he is well on his way to equaling last year's mark. He is currently averaging a K for every 3.3 plate appearances, but has still managed to generate a respectable 0.49 BB/K rate (respectable for a guy who strikes out 200 times in a season).
2. Adam LaRoche (1B - Diamondbacks) - LaRoche has been slumping of late, watching his average dip from .296 to end April all the way to .257. He broke out last night with a multi-hit game (just his second of the month) and 3 RBI. Roche looked like he was on pace for another 20-25+ HR season when he hit 4 in the last week and a half of April. But he has yet to hit his 5th of the season and his AB/HR has dropped to 27.3. His 5-year AB/HR rate is 20.3 and his breakout last night could be a good leading indicator to another power surge. Playing in Arizona now shouldn't stop him from reaching the 20 HR plateau. Because he plays 1B, he's usually a cheap source of power off the wire in mixed leagues.
3. Clayton Richard (SP - Padres) - Richard is quietly putting up solid numbers out in San Diego. Another quality start for him on Wednesday gives him 4 out of his 7 starts. He has given up 3 ER or less in all of his starts this season and is currently sitting on a 3.21 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and a 2-2 record. His WHIP is definitely high, scattering 44 hits in 42.0 IP to go along with a BB/9 of 4.1 and a K/BB of 1.6. But he's posting an impressive 2.50 GO/AO rate, inducing ground balls and, ultimately, outs. Add that impressive GO/AO rate with a decent K/9 of 6.4 and one of the more pitcher-friendly parks in the league, and Richard is a decent bet to continue his success. His ownership, according to one of the unnamed "leaders" in the fantasy service world, is in the single digits.
4. Carlos Marmol (RP - Cubs) - It was only his 2nd ER of the season, but it made Wednesday's matinee at Wrigley a nail-biter. He still earned the save and is now 5-for-6 in successfully save conversions in 2010. Marmol boasts one of the best sliders in the game, yet it hasn't always looked easy for him in the past. But 2010 has mostly been a different story for the Cubs closer. His 2 ER is good for a 1.13 ERA to go along with a 1.31 WHIP (mostly due to 10 BB in 16 IP). The 27-year-old is still growing in the role and his best days are easily ahead of him. The first 6 weeks of the season have shown more maturity after some shaky moments in 2009 and his high K-numbers and his ability to get out of BB-induced jams seem to be helping his confidence.
5. Matt Lindstrom (RP - Astros) - The closer that few people talk about (mostly because the Astros only have 12 wins on the season for the worst Win Pct in the NL), Lindstrom has succesfully saved all of his opportunities this season (8-for-8). That's a pretty impressive figure considering Lindstrom has saved 2/3 of all games won by the 'Stros so far this year. He has allowed just 3 BB and 3 ER in 16.1 IP while striking out 13 and inducing 2x groundballs as flyballs. He's a hidden gem on one of the worst teams in baseball. The number of save opportunities could come in bunches, giving H2H owners fits on a weekly basis. But over the long season, don't let the low win percentage scare you away. The correlation between win pct and save opportunities is not as relevant as your intuition would tell you, proven time and time again over the years by closers such as Joakim Soria, Trevor Hoffman (when he was with the Padres), etc.
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