Fantasy Baseball Around the Majors, May 12: Heyward, Hughes and More

Eric Stashin

May 13, 2010

Jason Heyward and Starlin Castro enjoyed success in the No. 2 hole. Derek Holland made his 2010 debut with impressive results. Phil Hughes continues to impress. Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games:

Hitters:

Travis Snider (2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R) - He has been on fire of late, with hits eight of his last 10 games, going 15-38 with 2 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R and 1 SB in the process. Yes, he’s been striking out a bit, but that production makes him plenty usable in five-outfielder formats.
Angel Pagan (2-4, 1 RBI, 1 R) - He’s on a five-game hitting streak, with four straight two-hit games. Over the streak he’s gone 9-22 with 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R and 1 SB. Hitting atop the Mets lineup, he’s a significantly undervalued option in five-outfielder formats, hitting .282 with 2 HR, 15 RBI, 18 R and 5 SB. Granted, he’s going to lose his job when (or should I say if) Carlos Beltran returns. Still, for the time being, if you are in need of some help in the outfield he’s worth considering depending on your team needs.
Jason Heyward (1-3, 1 RBI, 3 R) - Hitting in the third spot in the order, he is now 3-7 with 2 RBI, 6 R and 1 SB. Think they’ll be moving him any time soon?
Starlin Castro (2-4, 1 R) - The Cubs moved him up to the No. 2 hole for the first time and he responded accordingly. We’ve already said he’s got value if you are in need of SB, but if he’s going to be hitting towards the top of the order his value increases significantly thanks to his ability to score runs. Either way, he should be owned in formats that require a middle infielder at this point.
Miguel Olivo (5-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R) - No sooner do I discuss Chris Iannetta (click here to view), and Olivo has a huge day at the plate. It’s almost like he could hear the footsteps, huh? It’s his first multi-hit game and first home run since 4/25 and his first RBI since 4/28. I wouldn’t get too excited.
Adam Jones (3-4, 1 RBI, 1 R) - He’s now on a five-game hitting streak, going 8-19 with 2 RBI and 1 R. At .245 with 3 HR and 8 RBI he hasn’t come close to living up to the high expectations many had for him this season. Don’t give up on him yet, but he’s got a long ways to go before living up to his draft status.
Colby Rasmus (DNP) - That’s two out of the last three games he’s been out of the lineup. We all know Tony Larussa juggles things a lot, so keep a close eye on this. In shallower formats, you certainly may want to go with another option, for the time being, until the Cardinals settle back in on him.

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Pitchers:

Javier Vazquez (7.o IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 7 K) - We all know of his struggles, so hopefully having his start skipped has helped him get things back on track. While he didn’t get a W, this should go a long ways in rebuilding owners’ confidence. No, he’s not a must start, especially with the Red Sox next on the schedule at home.
Rick Porcello (7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K, W) - He out dueled Vazquez to even his record at 3-3. I know people have thought he’d pick up more strikeouts, but his season high is just five (the only game he’s struck out more than three). Aside from an ugly ERA and WHIP (which he’s bound to improve upon), that is just a huge liability and a less than ideal option.
Shaun Marcum (7.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K, W) - He hasn’t allowed more than four earned runs in a start (and he did that just once). While he’s been aided by a bit of luck (.255 BABIP entering the game), he has been significantly better than anyone could have expected after missing all of 2009. There’s got to be some bad starts in his future, especially pitching in the AL East (and with a decrease in luck), so now may be the best time to get a max value for him. I’ll look at him in a little bit more detail in the next week or so.
Homer Bailey (9.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K, W) - Everyone has to have a good start once in a while, don’t they? This certainly isn’t enough to convince me that he’s usable. With the Brewers next on the schedule, I wouldn’t consider slotting him into your lineup quite yet.
Phil Hughes (7.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K, W) - Is anyone questioning the decision to move him to the rotation? He has not yet allowed more then 2 ER in a start. His next start is a rematch with Boston, who he beat on May 7, so that will be extremely telling (if you need a little bit more proof). Obviously, we can’t expect a 1.38 ERA all year long, but he is pretty darn good.
Jered Weaver (7.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 12 K) - That gives him 59 Ks in his first 51 innings to go along with a solid 2.47 ERA. Could he finally be living up to the expectations many have had for him for some time? Considering his minor league K/9 of 11.0, he certainly could be for real.
Derek Holland (6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 7 K) - I know it was against the A’s, but fantasy owners still need to take notice of his return to the big leagues. He has been dominant in the minor leagues (as we’ve discussed ) and certainly is usable in all formats depending on the matchup. If you need pitching, I wouldn’t hesitate to stash him away.