Roto Chronicles: American League, August 25

THREE UP/THREE DOWN

Hitters

• Jason Bay, OF—BOS (UP) Life is good for the new Red Sox left fielder. He not only was traded to a perennial contender, he also hit a hot streak as he moved into the Red Sox lineup. Since the acquisition, Bay has endeared himself to Red Sox nation by hitting .333 with four home runs and 18 RBI in 87 at-bats. After a mysterious drop in production a season ago in Pittsburgh, Bay has rebounded to prior levels of success and looks to be a perfect fit in Boston for years to come. He has cut strikeouts down to a career low 22 percent of at-bats, hit a very good 15 percent of fly balls over the fence, and has hit for a sustainable .327 BABIP. Bay may not equal Manny Ramirez over his career, but at this point in time, he is an excellent replacement.

• Derek Jeter, SS—NYY (UP) Very quietly the real Derek Jeter is close to returning. After hitting as low as .270 through June 14, Jeter has hit .315 with four home runs, 32 RBI, and five stolen bases since. He is getting back to where we are accustomed to seeing Jeter, but with less power. The power does still seem to be evading Jeter as his ISO power reaches a career low .109. Going forward fantasy owners need to readjust their expectations of Jeter. The .300 hitter will remain as he continues to cut back on strikeouts, but he may be a guy who just gets 10-12 home runs and 10-12 stolen bases over the next few years. In the American League this still qualifies you as a top three shortstop. For the season Jeter is hitting .293 with eight home runs, 60 RBI, 71 runs, and nine stolen bases.

• Alexei Ramirez, 2B/SS/OF—CHW (UP) The White Sox hit the jackpot twice this off-season, once on Carlos Quentin, and again on Alexei Ramirez. Since given the opportunity to play everyday May 16, Ramirez has hit .329 with 15 home runs, 55 RBI, and eight stolen bases. It seems as though as he settles into the league, his power numbers jump. Here is his slugging percentage by month: .207, .443, .527, .538, .563. This obviously can’t continue to increase, but if he starts to level off in the .500 range, Ramirez may soon become one of the top fantasy second baseman in the league if he is not already there. He also just obtained shortstop eligibility in certain leagues, which only adds to his value.

• Carlos Gonzalez, OF—OAK (DOWN)

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