The House of Crouse 05.24.08
Posted by Mark Crouse on 05.24.2008
The House of Crouse Close to Mid-Season All Stars have arrived! Check out who is making their owners smile like the producers of Iron Man in this week's edition.
Welcome to the most random sports column on the interweb, The House of Crouse. In light of the fact that I will be out of the country for three weeks or so and won't be able to write, I'm naming my Close to Mid-Season All Stars for fantasy baseball this week.
And now, the House of Crouse 2008 Close to Mid-Season All Stars! These players are the finest fantasy players at their position up to this point in the season from a fantasy point of view. That means draft position makes a difference. If players have similar stats and one was a first-rounder and the other was taken in the second half of most drafts, the latter player gets the nod. It's all about value. Let's take a gander.
Catcher: Geovany Soto (CHC) .314 AVG, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 21 R-I hate to say I told you so, but I rated Soto higher than most writers with the assumption that catcher was a position where you could take a chance with a young guy with upside, since a boring veteran can always be found on waivers. Soto has taken to everyday duty and has made good on the potential he showed in last year's playoffs.
Others considered-Mike Napoli (ANA), Brian McCann (LAD)
First Baseman: Lance Berkman (HOU) .382 AVG, 16 HR, 44 RBI, 50 R, 9 SB-I wrote about Berkman's monster first half last week, but it really can't be understated, especially since he was taken somewhere in the 4th to 6th rounds in most drafts. A pleasant surprise that can't really be explained is the fact that he has matched his career high in steals already. Berkman is a dominant force, and he has the talent to continue his level of production.
Others considered-Kevin Youkilis (BOS), Adrian Gonzalez (SD)
Second Baseman: Dan Uggla (FLA) ..323 AVG, 14 HR, 32 RBI, 36 R-Up to this point in his career, Uggla is regarded as a power source for second basemen, but a liability for your average. This year he is the best value at second base, and has matched Philly's Chase Utley almost exactly. If Uggla can maintain even a .280 average he will make his owners jump with joy.
Others considered-Ian Kinsler (TEX), Ryan Theriot (CHC)
Shortstop: Miguel Tejada (HOU) ..337 AVG, 5 HR, 35 RBI, 40 R-Sure, he may be older than he claims, but Tejada's debut in the NL has been a pleasant one. His non-fantasy impact lies in the fact that his presence makes Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee better, but his stats provide his owners with many happy returns. His average draft position of round seven means that his owners probably have an advantage at other positions over those who drafted guys like Jose Reyes, Troy Tulowitzki, or Jimmy Rollins.
Others considered- Hanley Ramirez (FLA), Clint Barmes (COL)
Third Baseman: Chipper Jones (ATL) .412 AVG, 12 HR, 35 RBI, 36 R-Here is where I lay down a huge mea culpa and just admit I was wrong. I dogged Larry hard in my preseason rankings, thinking he'd be injured by now, but I was proven wrong. The leader of the Braves is absolutely raking, and as long as he's in the lineup there's no reason to think he'll stop. Just an outstanding value for anyone who believed in the veteran.
Others considered- Ryan Braun (MIL), Blake DeWitt (LAD)
Outfielder: Josh Hamilton (TEX) .335 AVG, 12 HR, 53 RBI, 31 R-Talk about a trade that worked for both teams. Hamilton is in the triple crown picture in the AL, while Edinson Volquez (who we'll be seeing later) is providing the Reds with a young phenom on the mound. Hamilton is the AL's best hitter, and with an average draft position of the twelfth round, he is making his owners look genius-like.
Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS) .291 AVG, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 39 R, 19 SB-While Ellsbury has been hugely hyped since his performance in last year's postseason, he has lived up to that hype in the early going in '08. His 19 steals and 39 runs scored make him a great table setter in a potent offense. If you took a chance on him in your draft, congrats.
Nate McLouth (PIT) .314 AVG, 12 HR, 36 RBI, 41 HR, 5 SB-McLouth's power production is completely out of the blue, since he has already matched his best total for homers in any minor league season, much less in the bigs. Will he continue? Who knows, but let the good times roll while he's lighting it up.
Carlos Quentin (CHW) .299 AVG, 12 HR, 40 RBI, 33 R, 4 SB-For a guy who was called a bust in Arizona, Quentin has made White Sox GM Ken Williams look like a clever fellow. You could also be called clever if you drafted the outfielder on your squad, since he was undrafted in most leagues.
Others considered- Ryan Luwick (STL), Xavier Nady (PIT), Ryan Church (NYM)
Starting Pitcher: Cliff Lee (CLE) 6-1, 1.37 ERA, 46 K, 0.79 WHIP-I've discussed Lee in this space, but let's summarize what he's done. His impact on fantasy in a year where pretty much every top-rated starter has been either injured or crashed and burned is immeasurable. Lee owners most likely sit near the top of their league standings, since they know when to hop on a bandwagon and cut bait with their strugglers.
Brandon Webb (ARZ) 9-1, 2.69 ERA, 56 K, 0.98 WHIP-Remember what I said about top ranked starters? This guy is the exception, throwing down great start after great start. If you chose him in the Verlander-Sabathia-Beckett crap shoot that arose in the 3rd to 5th rounds in your draft, you hit it big. Webb has won a Cy Young and keeps the ball on the ground. Kudos to you if you have him.
Cole Hamels (PHI) 5-3, 2.61 ERA, 65 K, 1.02 WHIP-Hamels has lived up to expectations, which makes him light years better than a lot of starters in their second full season. Strikeouts make him a marquee starter, not to mention he does it primarily in a hitter's park.
Edinson Volquez (CIN) 7-1, 1.33 ERA, 62 K, 1.27 WHIP-What can you say about this youngster? The Reds made a smart move landing Volquez for Josh Hamilton, since they needed pitching more than hitting. Volquez has been a savior for his last place team, and has provided some stability in the wake of fellow rookie Johnny Cueto's roller coaster ride through the majors. If you have him, nice scouting, since he was nowhere near draft boards this spring.
Tim Lincecum (SF) 6-1, 2.17 ERA, 69 K, 1.28 WHIP- A strikeout machine, Lincecum has given his owners great value from the twelfth round where he was drafted in most leagues. The fact that he's winning games with a lineup like the Giants hitting for him is impressive in itself. Lincecum and Hamels have similar stats, and have lived up to their respective hype.
Closer: George Sherrill (BAL) 17-18 in saves, 3.43 ERA, 1.10 WHIP-The O's landed Sherrill in the Eric Bedard trade, and he's flourished as the closer. He was ranked near the bottom of the closer rankings coming into the season, but has produced excellent value for his draft position.
Brandon Lyon (ARZ) 12-14 in saves, 1.80 ERA, 1.00 WHIP-Lyon is another guy who was on nobody's radar coming into this season, as he had never established himself as the closer once Jose Valverde was traded to Houston. He is a top ten closer to this point, and has presented his owners with great value in the bargain.
The Soapbox gets a rest for Memorial Day, and I'm off to Europe on vacation next week. That means I'll be seeing all of you in a few weeks. Don't miss me too much, and drop me a line if you have a chance at mark_crouse@hotmail.com. Good luck, and Godspeed!
