Fake Teams

Fake Teams Fantasy Links of Interest

2012-05-17T16:00:19Z

We're bringing plenty of fantasy baseball coverage on a daily basis, and have just recently started publishing some early 2012 fantasy football rankings, so in case you missed them, here are the links:

Minor League Prospect Coverage

Minor League Level Review (Low-A): Francisco Lindor Cruising, Dylan Bundy Throws 5 - Fake Teams

Prospect Preview: Tyrell Jenkins - Fake Teams

Coming Soon To A Stadium Near You: Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs - Fake Teams

Low Level Prospect Review: Matt Barnes, RHP, Boston Red Sox - Fake Teams

Minor League Level Review (AA): Taijuan Walker, Tyler Skaggs Dominating, Wil Myers and Oscar Taveras Crushing Everything - Fake Teams

Fantasy Football Rankings

Fantasy Football 2012 Rankings: Wide Receiver Part I - Fake Teams

Fantasy Football 2012 Rankings: Quarterbacks - Fake Teams

Fantasy Football 2012 Rankings: Running Back Part I - Fake Teams

Danny Hultzen vs Trevor Bauer Tonight (Edit: OR NOT!)

2012-05-17T15:18:45Z

EDIT: Welp, just like that, Bauer has been promoted to AAA (per Ray's comment below) and this is NOT happening. :(

As a Mariners fan, let me tell you that I was among the stunned when the M's took Danny Hultzen with the 2nd overall pick in the 2011 draft. We had been led to believe that this guy was "not elite" and that he was a "safe pick" that might only be a number three starter. Seattle took Hultzen over a host of other good-looking prospects such as Bubba Starling, Francisco Lindor, and the number three overall pick, Trevor Bauer.

Many people had felt that Bauer was a better prospect than teammate and number one pick Gerrit Cole, and drew comparisons to Tim Lincecum based on size and delivery. The last thing I need as an M's fan is to hear more crap about how we passed on University of Washington's Lincecum and were we doing it again?

I think that it's fair to say that Hultzen was undersold at the draft and just because people might not have had him rated that high in their minds, he was still going to be a top-10 pick. He's left-handed, polished, near-MLB ready, 6'3", 200 lbs, who already thrives on his change-up. Bauer is more exciting, probably has a higher ceiling, and works with a four-seam and a two-seam fastball at different speeds plus an excellent curve.

Tonight, whether it's fair or not, they'll face off and be compared to one another based on who has the better game.

This seasons stats:

Hultzen: 37.2 innings, 36 K, 23 BB, 1.91 ERA, 17 hits allowed, 51% groundballs, 3.45 FIP, .178 BABIP against.

Bauer: 48.1 innings, 60 K, 26 BB, 1.68 ERA, 33 hits allowed, 47% groundballs, 2.63 FIP, .288 BABIP against.

Both pitchers could stand to walk fewer hitters and Hultzen's control has been unbelievably bad in his last two starts, walking 11 batters in 11.1 innings and thriving off of a low BABIP that has kept very few balls from dropping in for hits this season. He has failed to go more than five innings in three of his seven starts, but only three earned runs have scored in his last six trips to the mound.

Bauer is coming off of perhaps his best start of the season, after striking out nine and walking one in seven innings of work. He gave up one hit in seven innings in his start previous to that, but walked five and struck out five. These guys are facing off at 5:05 PST tonight and could be pitching in the majors at some point this season, but it will help if they can refine their command.

Gameday Audio can be found here.

I can be found on Twitter, if you please.

Waiting in the Wings: Wil Myers

2012-05-17T12:00:40Z

To preface, I really tried to hold off writing about Myers, since Jason had covered him earlier this month, but given his hitting binge and subsequent promotion to Triple-A, he fit the profile of a "Waiting in the Wings" hitter too well. I link to Jason's article below, and you should absolutely read it.

Wil Myers - RF - Royals - Myers was drafted in the third round of of the 2009 draft out of Wesleyan Christian Academy. He had first round talent but dropped due to $2 million demands, which the Royals did not hesitate to meet. Myers was drafted as a catcher, and played there during his first two seasons, before transitioning to the outfield in 2011. The transition had less to do with Myers' defensive deficiencies as it did with his prowess with the bat, and expediting his path to the major leagues. That plan didn't pay off as Myers struggled through a knee injury that later got infected, and clearly affected his 2011 season. While his first crack at Double-A didn't go smoothly, Myers proved his health in the Arizona Fall League, and has abused Texas League pitchers so badly that they all breathed a sigh of relief when Kansas City promoted Myers to Triple-A Omaha yesterday.

Read more on Wil Myers both after the jump and here, where Jason Hunt wrote about him previously...

Myers introduced himself to prospect watchers with a sampling of his talent in Rookie level Idaho Falls, posting a .426/.488/.735 slash line, albeit in only 68 at-bats. He continued his mashing ways in 2010, splitting the season between Lo- and Hi-A, finishing with a combined .315/.429/.506 slash line with 14 home runs and 37 doubles. Pardon my general glossing over of his early seasons, but 2011 and Double-A is where things really get interesting. After spending his first two professional seasons as a catcher, the Royals opted to move Myers to right field, where his position wouldn't hold back his bat, similar to what the Nationals did with Bryce Harper. Unfortunately, they didn't get to see the true Wil Myers, as he struggled through the entire season with a knee injury that became infected. He posted a solid if unspectacular .254/.353/.393 slash line, but also saw a decreased walk rate and elevated strikeout rate compared to his career norms. That said, for a 21 year old in Double-A, a 12.5% walk rate is nothing to sneeze at and a 20.9% strikeout rate isn't something that would hold a prospect of Myers' ilk back. He also put up a .312 BABIP which one would think is average, but Myers has never posted a lower one in more than 16 at-bats. 2011 also featured his career low ISO rate as he only managed eight home runs in 416 at-bats. 2012 could not be more different for Myers, as he's *this* to changing his official name to The White Hot Wil Myers. Through 148 at-bats Myers has hammered opposing pitchers to the tune of a .354/.426/.754 slash line, with 25 of his 46 hits going for extra bases (13 HR, 11 2B, 1 3B). Myers had been on a special kind of tear of late, smacking seven home runs in his last 12 games. Before you break out that change of shorts, allow me to throw some cold water on the numbers. While Myers is posting elite slash stats, his walk rate has dropped to a still pleasant 10.8% (a 1.7% drop from 2011) and his strikeout rate has skyrocketed 6.8% to 27.7%. It is possible his elevated strikeout rate is correlated to his increased power production, but at some point a strikeout rate that high will take a toll on Myers' average. I think it's likely Myers is able to find a middle ground between his high power, high strikeout approach and his previous one of patience and plus hitting ability. Lastly, this is a second go round at Double-A for Myers and some of his incredible success could be attributed to that as well.

Myers tools stand out immediately. He has quick hands that allow him to wait on pitches while still getting the bat through the zone. He struggled last year with pitches on the inner half of the plate, despite good batspeed, but was able to adjust later in the year by altering his batting stance to open him up and allow him to get his hands inside the ball better. Power isn't, or wasn't, a natural part of Myers game, as his swing didn't have the plane to create loft to hit home runs. He had enough strength and bat speed to do it, but his swing wasn't geared for it. It's likely he's made an adjustment this year, though it's also possible that at 21 years of age, he is simply growing into his strength. As he continues to fill out, he will hit for more power with some going as high as 30 home runs annually in his prime, with others settling in at 25+. His approach was considered major league ready before the season began, and despite the decline in his walk rate, it remains a weapon for Myers at the plate. Defensively, Myers has the tools to contribute on both sides of the ball, but not the skills at the moment. His arm was a plus behind the plate, and remains so in the outfield. Where he struggles is in his routes to the ball, though that should improve given enough reps. Despite being a catcher early on, Myers has above-average athleticism that should allow him to excel in a corner outfield spot. So far in 2012 Myers has seen time in center field in addition to the corner outfield spots, and has even recently been given a look at third base. He would be a stretch in center field, but may be able to fake it for a few years, and has the tools to contribute at third, but would be well served to see a lot of reps in the minors if he was going to play there long term. Given the presence of Mike Moustakas, it's likely the Royals are just increasing Myers versatility and value by giving him time at these positions. Speed is not an aspect of Myers game, though he did reach double digits in both 2010 and 2011, getting 10 both years. Makeup is a plus for Myers as well, as he's known to take extra rounds of batting practice to maintain his swing.

Triple-A will be a good test for Myers as he's torn through the Texas League in his second go round, and could use a new challenge. I am absolutely enamored of Myers, and see him as a well above-average hitter with plus power as he grows into his frame. Scouts have thrown grades as high as 70 on his future hit tool and 60 on his future power. To be sure, there are things Myers needs to refine, but he has an all-star starter kit when it comes to tools, and is ~~knocking~~ banging on the door to Kansas City. I'd be concerned if I were Jeff Francouer, though the possibility of Myers breaking into the big leagues in center field is a very real one.

Follow me on twitter: @cdgoldstein

Source Material:

Baseball America
Keith Law
Baseball Prospect Nation
Fangraphs

Roto Roundup: Gio Gonzalez, Yu Darvish, Edwin Encarnacion and Others

2012-05-17T11:00:30Z

Reds setup man Aroldis Chapman has been dominating major league batters since the start of spring training, but is still setting up for Sean Marshall. To me, he should either be closing or in the starting rotation. In 19.1 innings this season, he has given up just 6 hits, walked 5, struck out 34 , and has yet to give up a run. Teammate Mike Leake has struggled to start the season, and he had a solid start last night to remain in the starting rotation for at least one more start. But, there are hints that Chapman will eventually end up in the Reds rotation this season. The longer the season goes with Chapman throwing one inning here, two innings there, the longer it will take to get him stretched out to start.

Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo was recently moved to the leadoff spot in the lineup, and leading off appears to agree with him. He went 3-5 with 2 runs scored last night. He is now hitting .261-.380-.391 with 2 HRs, 14 RBI, 17 runs, 5 stolen bases and a solid 28-17 strikeout to walk ratio in 115 at bats thus far. He had a disappointing 2011 season and is a year removed from two straight 20-20 seasons, so there is more power in the bat. The fact that he is leading off now could result in a few more stolen base opportunities this season.

Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson went 2-3 with an RBI and 2 runs scored last night, but was removed from the game in 5th inning with a mild abdominal strain. Jackson is enjoying a solid bounce back season so far, and it would be ashame to see his hot start interrupted by an injury.

More Roto Roundup after the jump:

Tigers catcher Alex Avila enjoyed a breakout season in 2011, where he hit .295-.389-.506 with 19 HRs and 82 RBI, but he did it with a ton of luck, as his BABIP of .366 would indicate. Coming into the season, many questioned whether he could duplicate his 2011 season, and with good reason. This season, he has struggled out of the gate, hitting .232-.313-.414 with 4 HRs and 12 RBI. Looking at his batted ball data, we see his 27.1% line drive rate is not sustainable, and he is hitting a ton more ground balls this season than last, which is not good for a catcher. Given he is hitting .232 right now, one wonders what impact some regression in his line drive rate will have on his BA going forward.

Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez appears to like pitching in the National League, I see. Gonzalez held the Pirates to 3 runs, on 4 hits, 2 walks and 10 strikeouts to improve his record to 5-1. He has given up 3 runs or less in each of his last 7 starts, and owns an excellent 60-19 strikeout to walk ratio in 48.2 innings. Many thought he would pitch well with the move to the NL, but I certainly didn't expect him to pitch this well.

Blue Jays DH/1B Edwin Encarnacion had a big night at the plate last night, going 3-4 with a HR and 3 RBI, and is now hitting .283-.340-.640 with 13 HRs, 34 RBI, 23 runs and 6 stolen bases. He is on pace for 55 HRs and 26 stolen bases, but we all know how likely that is. But, it is entirely possible he puts up a 30 home run and 15 stolen bases season this year. If he keeps this up, he will certainly move up rankings in 2013.

Blue Jays starter Kyle Drabek had one of his better outings of the season last night, holding the aging Yankees lineup to one run on 3 hits, 4 walks and striking out 5. Drabek benefitted from 13 ground ball outs to limit the damage of the 4 walks. His 59.7% ground ball rate for the season is elite level, and if he can bump his strikeout rate a bit, he is an ace in waiting. Keeper league owners may want to target him in deals should you decide to bail in the coming months.

Angels first baseman Albert Pujols may have had a hand in getting batting coach Mickey Hatcher fired on Tuesday, and maybe he didn't. Either way, he is starting to hit, as he had 3 hits in Tuesday night's game and homered in last night's game. I asked Fake Teams' readers if Pujols would reach 30 HRs this season, and the response was overwhelmingly no.

Rangers starter Yu Darvish is continuing to have success at the major league level as he held the A's to just one run in 7.2 innings, giving up just 4 hits, walking 2 and striking out 7. He is now 6-1 with a 2.60 ERA, 3.46 FIP and 3.56 xFIP, with a 58-26 strikeout to walk ratio in 52 innings. After walking 13 batters in his first 3 starts, covering 17.2 innings, he has walked 13 over his last 5 starts, covering 34.1 innings, and has struck out 44 in those 34.1 innings as well.

Mariners starter Felix Hernandez was knocked around for 8 runs, 6 earned in 3.2 innings last night. He gave up 10 hits, 3 walks and 3 strikeouts in his shortest outing of the season. He is now 3-3 with a 3.02 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. He has given up 10 earned runs and 26 base runners in his last 10.1 innings, raising his ERA from 1.89 to 3.02. Is there cause for concern with Felix? Check out this tweet from ESPN's Buster Olney, which shows a negative trend in his fastball readings:

Buster Olney ‏@Buster_ESPN

Fangraphs has these average year-by-year fastball readings for Felix Hernandez 2007-12: 96.3 mph, 94.5, 93.8, 94.4, 93.4, 91.5.

Minor League Level Review (Low-A): Francisco Lindor Cruising, Dylan Bundy Throws 5

2012-05-16T17:00:04Z

With the weather starting to warm up across most of the minor leagues, we're starting to see some of these hitters get going a bit more than they were in April. Every other Wednesday I take a look at some of the top prospects in the Low-A leagues, and we could be looking at a number of top 10 and top 20 prospects at the end of the season. All stats are courtesy of Baseball Reference.

Midwest League

Francisco Lindor (CLE) - .312/.358/.475, 23 R, 5 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 11 for 15 SB, 10 BB, 19 K

Lindor has been hitting better of late, and I'm wondering if by this time next month he will already be at High-A. There really has not been any question about his defense at shortstop, and if he continues to hit like this he may need a greater challenge.

Miguel Sano (MIN) - .293/.410/.639, 27 R, 9 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 35 RBI, 2 for 3 SB, 23 BB, 42 K

Sano is leading the league in home runs so far, and I'm guessing we could see record numbers from him. I believe the Twins will leave Sano down in Low-A for the entirety of the season, to allow him to work on his defense at 3B.

Eddie Rosario (MIN) - .289/.381/.467, 21 R, 13 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 7 for 13 SB, 20 BB, 17 K

Rosario has not been atrocious in his transition to 2B thus far, as he has a .946 fielding percentage and only 8 errors in 147 chances. I'll be interested to see what the scouting reports are on Rosario's defense, as the numbers likely do not give us the full story so far.

Colin Walsh (STL) - .300/.425/.631, 29 R, 10 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 25 RBI, 1 for 1 SB, 26 BB, 23 K

Walsh is near the top of the leaderboards in nearly every offensive category thus far in the Midwest League. However, he is also 22 years old (average age in the league is 21.5), and this is also his third time playing in the Midwest League. I like seeing the production, but let's see the Cardinals move him up to the next level first before we really buy in.

Archie Bradley (ARI) - 5 W, 2.25 ERA, 40 IP, 14 H, 1 HR, 22 BB, 44 K

Bradley's walk total is a bit concerning, but there have already been signs of improvement, as he threw 5 innings on Monday night, allowing just 1 hit and 1 walk to go with 6 strikeouts. I have a feeling that the numbers will even themselves out as the season progresses.

Noah Syndergaard (TOR) - 3 W, 2.19 ERA, 24 2/3 IP, 23 H, 2 HR, 10 BB, 35 K

Syndergaard leads all starting pitchers in the Midwest League with a 12.8 K/9, and the Jays have been using him both as a starter and in relief (4 appearances).

Aaron Sanchez (TOR) - 4 W, 0.78 ERA, 23 IP, 8 H, 0 HR, 12 BB, 28 K

Sanchez has also been used in both starting and relief roles thus far, and I would imagine that he will be in Low-A for most of the season as he works on his control and his stamina.

South Atlantic League

Tyler Austin (NYY) - .298/.352/.695, 33 R, 11 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 31 RBI, 4 for 5 SB, 10 BB, 32 K

Austin is currently leading the Sally League in home runs, slugging, and OPS, and really seems to be forcing his way up top prospect lists. You can read about Austin a bit more here from Craig Goldstein.

Angelo Gumbs (NYY) - .269/.338/.378, 16 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 19 for 20 SB, 19 BB, 32 K

Gumbs was last week's hitter of the week for the Sally League, and is currently 2nd in the league in stolen bases behind Delino DeShields Jr.

Henry Owens (BOS) - 3 W, 4.91 ERA, 29 1/3 IP, 26 H, 3 HR, 21 BB, 47 K

Owens made his longest start of the season on Saturday, going 6 innings, striking out 8, walking 3, and allowing just 2 hits. He's walked at least 3 batters in his last 6 starts, but he has progressively been getting deeper into games since his first start of the season.

Jose Fernandez (MIA) - 4 W, 1.67 ERA, 43 IP, 27 H, 1 HR, 10 BB, 52 K

Fernandez is leading the league in strikeouts now, and has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.2 so far. The Marlins may want to be aggressive with Fernandez and get him up to High-A relatively soon.

Dylan Bundy (BAL) - 25 IP, 4 H, 0 ER (2 R), 2 BB, 36 K

Bundy made his longest start of the season on Monday night, going 5 innings, allowing 2 hits, 1 unearned run, and 3 strikeouts. He's already almost 1/4 of the way to his expected innings limit, so we could be looking at him being shut down in early August.

Fake Teams Fantasy Links of Interest

2012-05-16T16:00:35Z

Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football 2012 Rankings: Running Back Part I - Fake Teams

Fantasy Football 2012 Rankings: Quarterbacks - Fake Teams

Fantasy Football 2012 Rankings: Wide Receiver Part I - Fake Teams

Fantasy Football Rankings Reaction: ESPN - Fake Teams

Fantasy Baseball

Seesaw Report: May 6-12 - Fake Teams

Two-Start Pitchers: Week of May 14-20 - Fake Teams

FAABwire Week 5 - Fake Teams

Don't Believe The Hype: Third Basemen Everywhere Edition - Fake Teams

Ahead of the Curve: The Changing Landscape of Matchups - Fake Teams

Detroit Tigers: Drew Smyly Has Been Lucky AND Good - Fake Teams

Danny Duffy Tears His UCL - Fake Teams

Closer Report - Fake Teams

Options For A Royal Rotation - Fake Teams

Head-to-Head Points League Strategy: Waiver Wire Week 8 - Fake Teams

Double Play Depth: The Fountain of Youth, or Luck - Fake Teams

Deep League Fantasy Fishing - Week 7/8

2012-05-16T15:39:51Z

Every week I give pick-up suggestions for leagues that are of the deeper variety. These suggestions aren't for everyone because that would just be dumb. These leagues are usually scrapping the bottom of the waiver wire looking for the week's useful guy or an injury replacement for a few days or even weeks. So turn your attention to the few suggestions I have this week.

Alex Cobb SP TB - While nothing has been announced for Jeff Niemann's next scheduled start, I fully expect Alex to jump up and take it. In 9 starts last year, he went 3-2 with a 3.42 ERA and a mid 6 K/9. In the minors his K/9 average hovers above 9, so the skill is there but tempered to some degree. Like any young pitcher walks are the teenage acne that they must fend off. He gets 2 starts in the next week starting Saturday vs the Braves and a friday tilt next week in Beantown.

Daniel Nava OF BOS - You ever sit at a craps table and leave when your hot and a on streak. Me neither. Well that's what this is a "heater", he is hitting and hitting a ton. He is 8-15 since being called up with a lot of counting stats. Now no one expects it to last but isn't it more fun to gamble on a guy like this then cheer when someone like Delmon Young goes 1-4 and we say "Hey it's a good start"

More after the jump.

Manny Ramirez DH OAK - Manny is eventually coming back. He recently reported to extended spring training in preparation that he will be eligible to return on May 30th. Now leagues that have a DH spot if isn't owned already burn a bench spot, for other leagues this is a monitor closely situation. He is going to get plenty of playing time in DH spot. He will lose 6 games in June when they travel to NL parks, but it should give you a week's worth of AB's to see if he is worthy of a spot. Be early or don't complain.

Elliot Johnson 3B/SS TB - A jack of all trades and as a Yankee fan I still remember him more famously for breaking Cervelli's wrist in a Spring Training game. Well we will fast forward to the past 7 games and see what he has done, more like what hasn't he done, he is batting .500 with 5 runs and 3 Sb's. As a multiple position eligible guy me likey even more. Longoria isn't walking through the door any time soon and Maddon likes to play scrappy guys who are hot.

Gregor Blanco OF SF - My first repeat offender. I had previously opined about Gregor early in the year when the"Oxymoron" was injured. Now Bochy has said that he has anointed him as the Giants starting RF. Now that's like having a less stale cracker in a package of stale crackers. He still is a high OBP guy who likes to run. I say if you missed out on what Campana is doing then you could have the next best thing.

Kyle Kendrick SP PHI - With Worley just hitting the DL Kendrick get's the spot start tonite and will be a 2 start threat for next week as well. Kendrick is your run of the mill back end starter that has FB tendencies. In a H2H match-up this week and next it's always good to jump on the counting stats factor, if he gets that far for next week.

Tim Byrdak RP NYM - He is quoted mimicking Vin Diesel as saying "I like to live my life 1/3 of an inning at a time", OK well I just made that up. The back end of the Mets bullpen looks like a scrap yard of really tall tattooed guys and an unreliable closer. It's the perfect situation to grab the everyday LOOGY that is getting it done with 9 holds this year. You say your league doesn't count holds, I say your league is boring.

Jesus Flores, Finally Catching

2012-05-16T15:00:45Z

Remember Jesus Flores? I don't mean that you recall that there's a catcher named Jesus Flores who backs up Wilson Ramos for the Nationals. No, I'm talking about when he was giving us something to be excited about, before injuries and the acquisition and emergence of Ramos made it tougher for Flores to become what we had envisioned.

In his short 2009 stint, Flores hit .301/.371/.505, with four homers in 106 plate appearances. Now, no one expected him to replicate that exactly -- his minor-league numbers had their moments, but weren't that good, by any means. But the chance to see how much of that he could approximate in 2010 never came, as he missed the entire season and then logged just 91 plate appearances as a backup in 2011. His 2012 season has started off just as poorly, with the backstop amassing an OPS+ of just 40.

The thing is, with Wilson Ramos out for the year and Sandy Leon injured in his very first game in the majors, it's basically up to Flores to catch the majority of the games unless the Nationals go out to acquire someone else, or decide to give the 33-year-old Carlos Maldonado all the playing time. In NL-only leagues, Flores doesn't need to approach a 900 OPS to have value. Playing everyday might help him get out of the rut he's been in since his return from labrum surgery, and the further he gets from that procedure, the better he might feel as well.

That's just speculation, of course, but catching is thin enough that taking a risk on Flores hitting might end up being worth it. At this point, if you've already lost Ramos in a 12- or 14-team NL-only setup, you're close to just punting catcher altogether. But give Flores a shot, and hope he's even half the player he was in 2009, or the player who slugged .422 during his six seasons in the minors. He's been bad enough that owners might not be jumping on him, so even if he's a stash, grab him while you can just in case.

Let me make this clear, though: in mixed leagues, you don't want anything to do with Flores. The chances of him becoming something productive again aren't that great, and it's only the desperation of a dual-catcher, NL-only existence that makes him have even the iota of appeal that he does.