Fantasy Baseball Breakfast: B.J. Upton, Ike Davis and More from April 19

Matt Holliday is looking like one of the best hitters in the game. Ike Davis made his big league debut. Could Brandon Morrow be turning the corner?

Let’s look at 10 of the biggest stories from yesterday’s games.

Hitting

B.J. Upton (1-for-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R)

Through May ‘09, Upton had hit .204 with 2 home runs, 9 RBIs, 32 runs, and 15 steals. So far this season, the average still isn’t there (.234), and he hasn’t been electric on the base paths (3 steals). However, with 4 home runs, 11 RBIs and 9 runs, he’s clearly proving to be exceptionally productive.

He has hits in five of his last six games. He has four home runs in his last four games. He has 10 RBIs in his last five games. Needless to say, he’s on fire right now, though he also has a lot of value likely yet to come.

Ty Wigginton (1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R)

With injuries to Miguel Tejada and Brian Roberts opening the door, Wigginton has certainly stepped through it and made the most of his opportunities. He has home runs in three of his last four games (and eight RBIs over that span). The power is very much for real, and with the playing time, he’s worth using in all AL-only and deeper formats immediately.

Jason Bay (2-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 R)

He has been struggling in his first year as a New York Met—there’s no doubt about that. Couple that with fear of entering Citi Field, and there could be owners ready to give up on him already. It’s still way too early to write him off, however, which means now may be the perfect time to check in and try to buy low on him.

Ike Davis (2-for-4, 1 RBI)

It was his Major League debut, and if you play in a deeper league, I wouldn’t hesitate to grab him. I have my reservations about his power (as I’ve said before), but the kid can clearly hit. If he thrives before Daniel Murphy returns from the DL, he can earn the job full-time and be useful all year long (if you have a corner infielder).

Matt Holliday (3-for-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R)

Well, it clearly appears that his time in Oakland was an aberration, now doesn’t it? He’s hitting .340 with 4 home runs and 8 RBIs on the young season and is clearly one of the elite outfielders in the league.

Pitching

Brandon Morrow (7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K, W)

This is the type of performance that everyone has been expecting from Morrow for a long time. After being bounced around between the bullpen and rotation, it’s nice to see the Blue Jays giving Morrow the chance to flourish in the rotation.

After struggling in his first two starts (12 ER in 9 IP), it’s possible that this start gets him to where people have always thought he could be. Before we get overly excited, however, his next start comes against Tampa Bay.

Keep an eye on him. If someone has given up on him, stash him away. Don’t thrust him into your lineup quite yet, however.

Brad Penny (7.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 5 K, W)

Everything Dave Duncan touches just turns to gold, doesn’t it? Clearly, Penny's move back to the NL has done wonders for him (does anyone remember his 5.61 ERA in Boston last year anymore?).

Clayton Richard (6.1 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 5 K)

Despite being 0-2 on the season, he does have a 3.38 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 14 Ks over his first 18.2 innings pitched. He was a sleeper coming into the season and certainly has proven to have value already. Of course, wins may be tough to come by pitching for the Padres, but you can’t have it all. His next start comes in Cincinnati, and those in deeper leagues certainly can consider using him.

Doug Fister (7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K, W)

He strikes out few batters and certainly hasn’t squared off with powerhouse offenses quite yet (Oakland twice and Baltimore). Still, it’s tough to ignore his 1.42 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in the early going.

Is he a must start? Of course not, as there’s little chance that he can continue this amazing success. His next start comes in Chicago against the White Sox, where things can quickly slip away from him. Without the Ks, he has little value anyway, so I wouldn’t touch him.

Jeff Niemann (7.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K, W)

Often forgotten in the deep Rays pitching staff, Niemann was one of my favorite sleepers heading into the season, and thus far he has lived up to that hype. He’s now 2-0 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. His next start comes against the Blue Jays, who he certainly could keep the good times rolling against.

What are your thoughts on these stories? What else happened yesterday that you think is worth mentioning?

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