Thursday Hodgepodge

So here's the deal Tot Heads. Doing the Goulet last week was a huge pain in the ass.  It was great fun to think about and to write (and I hope to read), but when I started thinking about it for this week, there wasn't much new content to write about our teams other than what I covered in the Recaps on Monday.  And, as much fun as the random things are to try to throw in something like the power rankings, in the end, I am still mostly focusing on the thing that has brought us all to our gloriously strange, little dark corner of the internet, our fake game and the players on our fake teams.  I am still going to do the power rankings, but they are going to be a once in a while type activity (maybe every 3 or 4 weeks) instead of a weekly one. 

Instead, this week's calendar flip to the month of May gives us an opportunity to look back at the first month of the season and realize that we pretty much had no idea what we were doing (and really still don't). 

Check out these lists of the top 5 producers in each of the 12 scoring categories that we use:

Runs-

Pos	Player	Team	Cost	Runs
2b	Brian Dozier			25
SS	Troy Tulowitzki	Dustys Nustys	$52	24
OF	Jose Batista	Dustys Nustys	$29	24
OF	Charlie Blackmon	BySs	$1 (4/29)	23
3b	Josh Donaldson	Les Moles	$22	22

Of the top 5 run scorers, 1 (Donaldson) had not been used until this week, 1 (Blackmon) languished on the waiver wire until this Tuesday and was picked up for $1, and 1 (Dozier) was drafted for $1 but then dumped for Matt Garza early on.  There are some other interesting things with categories as we continue, but very few, if any, show the collective lack of knowing what the fuck we are doing that this list shows.  These guys arent 1 trick ponies either.  We will see Blackmon again in a bit and Donaldson (#16) and Dozier (#28) are both in the top 30 in the Yahoo game right now.  Go us!

 RBI-

Pos	Player	Team	Cost	RBI
1b	Jose Abreu	Bobs ATers	$2	32
of	The Mighty Giancarlo Stanton	UCCMA	$34	31
1b/of	Chris Colabello	Les Moles	$5 (4/29)	27
of	Nelson Cruz	ZAttack	$8	25
1b	Adrian Gonzalez	Les Moles	$19	24

This list shows at least a little more undertanding...at least all the guys are owned.  Abreu has been the baseball equivalent of Tony Montaña, walking up to the plate saying "Say hello to my not so little friend" and then spraying line drive missles all over the field.  As I mentioned the other day, he set rookie records for HR and RBI in the month.  Expectations for him were varied coming into the season despite the ridiculous video game type numbers he put up in Series National.  When I say video game numbers, I mean numbers put up by good players in video games.  I have Abreu on my team in a PS3 MLB 14 The Show franchise (hey Kyler, hey John) and he absolutely sucks it.  Anyways, Stanton is finally staying healthy.  The man can hit a ball from Miami to Cuba (appx distance 193 miles).  The real surprise on this list is Colabello, who was added in the pickup period this week by Tom.  Colabello has been a key cog in the Twins quick start and will need to continue his pace in order for them to remain competitive.  He is also the name most likely not to be on this list at the start of June.

SB-

Pos	Player	Team	Cost	SB
2b/ss	Dee Gordon	Bobs ATers	$3 (4/22)	13
of	Eric Young JR	Les Moles	$5 (4/29)	12
of	Billy Hamilton	Bobs ATers	$30	11
of	Ben Revere	Les Moles	$1	10
2b/3b/of	Emilio Bonifacio	MBHB	$2 (4/8)	10

EMILIO!!!  Any chance I get...

Stolen bases are always much harder to predict because there is so much more than pure speed to consider.  Players who lead the league in SBs these days are often 1 trick ponies whose playing time depends on their ability, not only to steal, but to get on base.  As you can see, 3 of the top 5 were waiver wire adds and a 4th was a $1 pick up of a former Twin by a Twins homer.  The only player in the top 5 who was actually counted on to start this year was Hamilton.  Hamilton was the subject of pretty vigorous bidding action during the draft as both Bob and I refused to stop bidding until his price tag hit $30 and I backed off.  During the first week, I looked smart as Hamilton looked lost.  But as he has found his bearings and started reaching base at a more reasonable rate (.280 obp...I didn't say reasonable, I said more reasonable) his SB total has risen.  It is concerning that he has already been caught 5 times, but when you have as much speed as he does, the CS rate will drop with experience.  Hamilton will likely be on top of this leaderboard by the end of the season because the other guys may or may not even have full time starting jobs by July.

AVG (75 ABs min) -

Pos	Player	Team	Cost	AVG
of	Charlie Blackmon	BySs	$1 (4/29)	0.374
ss	Troy Tulowitzki	Dustys Nustys	$52	0.364
2b	Chase Utley	Les Moles	$7	0.355
ss	Alexei Ramirez	MWP	$1 (4/15)	0.351
c	Yadier Molina	MWP	$24	0.350



Hey Charlie

Remember Blackmon?  He's only leading the league in AVG, is the #1 overall player in the Yahoo game and he was picked up this week (after an entire month of dominating) for $1!!!!  We should all go to the box for 2 minutes and feel shame.  I am actually crying inside right now.   Utley has turned the clock back to 2007, though it is largely a product of 1 ridiculously huge week.  Ramirez was a waiver pick up for Tom, but has predictable fallen off his torrid start.  He is hanging on the leader board, but his streaky nature means he will likely not be seen in this segment again.  To me the biggest surprise is Molina.  Not because he is in the top 5, but because he has turned himself from being the best defensive catcher in the game/offensive liability to being in the best defensive catcher ever discussion and turning himself into a legitimate middle of the order masher who absolutely could end up in the top 5 in the batting race at season's end.  It pains me because he's a Cardinal, but his brilliance is too special to let laundry get in the way of appreciating it.

OBP (75 ABs min) -

Pos	Player	Team	Cost	OBP
ss	Troy Tulowitzki	Dustys Nustys	$52	0.477
of	Jose Batista	Dustys Nustys	$29	0.467
1b	Joey Votto	BySs	$41	0.438
of	Shin Soo Choo	Zattack	$32	0.433
2b/ss	Jed Lawrie	UCCMA	$7	0.423

So about those Nustys... I guess I can see why they are doing pretty well in the OBP category (4-0 in that category this year).  Having the top 2 guys in the league makes up for a lot of Carlos Santana like performances...and Dusty doesnt have anyone who has been as bad as Carlos Santana.  The top 4 on this list are obviously guys we paid for with Votto and Choo being bought primarily for their on base skills.  The surprise here is Lawrie.  After spending a completely forgetable season in Houston in 2012, Lawrie bounced back as a first time everyday player in Oak Town finishing with a playable slash line and 62 extra base hits.  This year he has been the 2 hitter for the offensive Juggernaut that is the Oakland A's so far.  The A's are currently second in MLB in OBP and 4th in runs scored, though they are closer to the first place Rockies than the 5th place Twins.  He probably wont OBP over .400 for the season, but he should remain a solid option for fantasy purposes and the dual position eligibility only adds to his value.

SLG (75 ABs min) -

Pos	Player	Team	Cost	SLG
ss	Troy Tulowitzki	Dustys Nustys	$52	0.727
1b	Adrian Gonzalez	Les Moles	$19	0.644
OF	Justin Upton	BySs	$34	0.641
1b	Justin Morneau			0.618
1b	Jose Abreu	Bob's ATers	$2	0.617

There's that name on top of the leader board again. For those of you not paying attention, or who like Dory can't remember 3 seconds ago, Tulo is in the top 2 in 4 of the 6 scoring categories (he's tied for 8th in RBI and is tied to first base when he reaches -- 0 SBs).  He is definitely our fantasy MVP for the month of April.  That said, he could pull a Clint Barmes and fall down a flight of stairs while carrying a deer he killed hunting with Todd Helton.  Maybe not, since Helton retired last year.  Either way.  Heltons replacement in the Taco Hunters offense is Justin Morneau.  As Twins fans know, Morneau has struggled recently (to put it nicely) but a change in scenery seems to have turned him back into Justin Morneau, the Canadian Crusher.  I'm sure playing at Coors field doesnt hurt.




Wins

Pos	Player	Team	Cost	Ws
SP	Zach Greinke	Les Moles	$38	5
SP	Adam Wainwright	Bob's ATers	$42	5
SP	Kyle Lohse			4
SP	John Lackey			4
SP	Mark Buehrle			4
SP	Jason Hammel			4
RP	Jean Machi			4

There are about 3422 (approximate) pitchers currently tied with 4 wins, so I just highlighted the ones who are currently unowned.  Lohse, Lackey and Buehrle make this look like a 2008 wins leader board.  Kudos to Jean Machi for picking up 4 relief wins already this season.  He might be this year's Justin Wilson.

Ks

Pos	Player	Team	Cost	Ks
SP	Jose Fernandez	MWP	$46	55
SP	Stephen Stratsburg	MTMTAS	$35	53
SP	Max Scherzer	UCCMA	$39	51
SP	Johnny Cueto	MWP	$10	50
SP	David Price	Les Moles	$36	47
SP	Felix Hernandez	MBHB	$44	47

Lots of familiar names here.  Three Cy Young winners, a Rookie of the Year, the Next Big Things...and Johnny Cueto. Cueto has quietly become on of the best pitchers in the NL, winning 19 games in 2012 (how someone wins 19 games quietly, I will never know).  The biggest knocks on him have been durability and a lack of strikeouts.  He started only 11 games last season, went less than 6 innings per game despite great WHIP and ERA stats and struck out about 7.5/9.  This year he is averaging nearly 8 innings per over his first 6 starts and is striking out over a batter an inning.  If he an keep up the strike out rate as the season progresses while the IP/start falls, $10 for a Cy Young candidate will be a great bargain.




ERA ( 25 IP min) -

Pos	Player	Team	Cost	ERA
SP	Johnny Cueto	MWP	$10	1.15
SP	Adam Wainwright	Bob's ATers	$42	1.20
SP	Julio Teheran	MTMTAS	$15	1.47
SP	Yordano Ventura	Bob's ATers	$20 (3/25)	1.50
SP	Jose Fernandez	MWP	$46	1.59

Artist depiction of Teheran's birth

Julio Teheran was born in 1991 (I turned 10 that year and vividly remember images from the first Gulf War).  He was a top 5 prospect in 2011 and 2012 (getting cups of coffee in the Bigs in each season) but didnt really arrive on the scene until last year.  All he did as a 22 year old was throw 185.2 innings, strike out 174, have a WHIP of 1.17 and finish 5th in the NL Rookie of the Year voting (he should have been 3rd behind Jose Fernandez and Puig).  Basically the guy has been a stud since he burst from the womb fully grown and clad in battle armor.  Not sure how we collectively let Tyler pluck him up for a pittance, but well done Tyler.







WHIP (25 IP min) -

Pos	Player	Team	Cost	WHIP
SP	Jason Hammel			0.69
SP	Tim Hudson	Zattack	$1 (4/15)	0.74
SP	Johnny Cueto	MWP	$10	0.77
SP	Adam Wainwright	Bob's ATers	$42	0.78
SP	Jose Fernandez	MWP	$46	0.83

Hammel was already practicing for his post baseball career.

If you see a trend here, you arent alone. Cueto, Wainwright and Fernandez are basically the Mount Rushmore of the fantasy pitching landscape to this point in the season (the 4th spot is still up for grabs -- at this point I'd probably go Scherzer.  51 Ks in 37 innings is prett dominant).  Jason Hammel, on the other hand, doesnt fit anyone's view of a pitching stud.   Hammel was once ranked in the top 100 prospects.  Once...at #79...in 2006.  His biggest MLB accomplishment coming into this season may be that he went 2 full seasons (over 175 IP each one) without giving up 1 HR per game while pitching in Colorado.  This year he was signed as a cheap option to eat innings on a bad Cubs team in hopes of discovering another Scott Feldman, a journeyman who had a good season that they could flip at the deadline for prospects.  When the best perceived scenario is "Scott Feldman," no one imagines you to be on any leader board a month through the season unless its the leader board for "Most times first into the shower."  Hammel's K rate and HR rate are in line with career norms, but his hit rate and walk rate are at crazy career lows.  The 4.4 hits/9 will definitely correct itself (his career low is 7.9 and his career average is 9.7) but the walk rate will hold the key to his continued success.  Currently at 1.8 bb/9 (career 3.1), his 2 best seasons, coincidently the 2 previously mentioned in Colorado, saw bb/9 rates of 2.1 and 2.4.  If the walk rate stays low, Hammel turns into a great trade chip for the Cubbies and someone who warrants a long look from our fantasy league.

QS

Pos	Player	Team	Cost	QS
SP	Felix Hernandex	MBHB	$44	6
SP	Sonny Gray	BySs	$2	6
SP	Johnny Cueto	MWP	$10	6
SP	Julio Teheran	MTMTAS	$15	6
SP	Yovanni Gallardo	BySs	$1 (4/29)	6

This guy is 25 years old.  Seriously.

Cueto? Check.  Teheran? Check.  Wainwright? Wait, No? Wainwright gave up 4 runs to the Cubs, of all teams, in his 3rd start of the season.  In his other 5 games, he has given up 2 runs...total.  Yaozah.  Cubs?  Really? If i didnt just check the box score, I wouldnt have believed it.  The story from this set is Sonny Gray.  I wrote in the team preview that Sonny Gray had the chance to be the biggest steal of Kyler's auction, and he has proven me correct so far.  Sonny (his real name by the way, also a description of his general appearance) rarely gives up HRs and is otherwise solid across the board.  He doesnt stand out in K rate, or BB rate or hit rate, but he is better than average in all of them.  That, combined with a solid defense behind him and a roomy home park, make Gray a fantasy stud.  Yovanni Gallardo likes to drink...what of it?  Gray probably cant get a beer without being carded and then recarded and then having the bar tender call his mom to ask for permission.

SV+H

Pos	Player	Team	Cost	Sv+H
RP	Francisco Rodriguez	MWP	$2 (4/15)	13
RP	Kenley Jensen	MWP	$28	.
RP	Huston Street	UCCMA	$3	10
RP	LaTroy Hawkins	Dustys Nustys	$1	9
RP	Bajillions Tied			8

The combined age of these 4 players is 342, and 250 of it is LaTroy Hawkins.  Hawkins was drafted in the same year that Teheran was born (1991) and made his debut with the Twins as a starter 4 years later.  He has been in the Bigs every year since.  He's called Minnesota, Chicago (N), San Francisco, Baltimore, Colorado, New York (A), Houston, Milwaukee, Los Angeles of Anaheim, New York (N), and Colorado (part duex) home.  Other than his 9 Twins seasons to start his career, he has never played for the same team for more than 2 seasons.  It is crazy that he is still pitching, let alone showing up on a leader board.  Though, if you google him, you will notice that he hasnt aged a day in 20 years.  KRod continues to throw like he is vintage Dennis Eckersley circa 1989.  He has yet to allow a run over 16 IP, has 23 Ks and a 0.62 WHIP all for the low low cost of a $2 waiver wire pick up.