Fantasy Baseball Around the Majors: May 30: Pujols, Scherzer and More

Eric Stashin

May 31, 2010

Albert Pujols finally erupted. The talk of Max Scherzer fixing his mechanics in the minor leagues certainly looked legit. Buster Posey appears to belong in the middle of the Giants order.

Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games:

Hitters:

Mark Teixeira (2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R) - Is this the beginning of something for him? Generally just slow in April, Teixeira just hasn’t gotten going quite yet. He has scored runs in four straight, but this was his first home run and multi-RBI game since May 15. We all know a hot streak is coming, so all you can do is stay patient and hope this is it.
Lyle Overbay (2-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R) - He’s now hit three home runs over his last two games. That isn’t likely to continue, but he should continue raising his average (currently at .211). If you are desperate for a corner infielder (and you may be with Kendry Morales’ injury), as I said yesterday, an Overbay hot streak could make him usable in the short-term (click here for the article).
Albert Pujols (3-3, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R) - We all knew that a day like this was there, just waiting to bust out off his bat. Finally, right? It was a great day from the best player in the game.
Jason Heyward (2-5, 2 RBI) - Hitting third for just the third time this season, Heyward continues to thrive in the major leagues. There’s a good chance that he settles into this lineup spot for good, which certainly would be music to fantasy owners' ears.
Mike Napoli (1-5, 1 R) - He played 1B, in place of Kendry Morales. It’ll be interesting to see how often he sees time there, but if the Angels start turning to him more and more, his potential value is going to increase dramatically. He was plenty of power, but consistently found himself on the Angels bench. Keep a close eye on this one.
Howie Kendrick (2-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R) - He entered the game hitting .253 with 2 HR, so this was definitely a nice showing for fantasy owners. He entered with a .282 BABIP, so the upside is still there if his luck can change. In deeper formats, he’s definitely got value.
Rickie Weeks (3-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) - He’s a perpetual sleeper, but he’s now hitting .251 with 8 HR, 28 RBI, 32 R and 3 SB. Yeah, you want to see more speed from him, but he’s certainly proven to be usable in most formats. He’s hitting in front of Ryan Braun & Prince Fielder, so as long as he gets on base, he’s going to score runs and be worth using.
Ryan Zimmerman (2-5, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) - He hadn’t homered since 5/13 and hadn’t had an RBI since 5/20. Needless to say, this was a welcome sight for fantasy owners.
Buster Posey (3-5, 1 RBI) - Was anyone worried about his bat? Obviously, this won’t continue, but he’s now 6-9 with 4 RBI since being recalled.

Pitchers:

Max Scherzer (5.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 14 K, W) - Well, it would certainly appear like his time spent in the minor leagues helped, huh? We discussed his time there recently (click here to view) and as I said, you just don’t find strikeout options like this on the waiver wire. If someone in your league gave up on him, get him and get him now if it is not already too late. His next start comes in Kansas City, so get him active in all formats.
Anibal Sanchez (6.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 7 K, W) - A day after Roy Halladay’s perfect game, the Marlins take another pitcher’s duel, this one going in their favor. He’s allowed 2 ER or less in eight straight starts, going 5-1 over that span. He’s also struck out 6 or more in five of his last seven starts, meaning he certainly is usable in all formats right now.
Jon Lester (7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 5 K, W) - He’s now 6-0 over his last eight starts, allowing 9 ER over 56.2 IP. This start was only the second time during that stretch that he was under 7 Ks (he’s had four starts of 9 K or more). Needless to say, Lester is living up to the hype of being one of the elite starting pitchers in the game. His next start comes in Baltimore.
Mike Leake (6.0 IP, 0 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 3 K) - He just continues to get results. He’s gone at least 6 innings in all ten of his starts allowing more then 3 ER just once. Yes, he’s had some luck (entered with a .270 BABIP and 77.2% strand rate), but you have to be impressed by what you’re seeing. His next start comes in Washington, where he certainly is an advisable option.
Jake Peavy (5.1 IP, 5 ER, 10 H, 0 BB, 5 K, W) - He may have won, but that’s only because James Shields (5.1 IP, 7 ER, 11 H, 1 BB, 3 K) struggled more. Peavy has now allowed 4 ER or more in each of his last four starts (21 ER over 27.2 IP) and five times in his last seven starts. Needless to say he hasn’t been dependable, but with the Indians on the schedule next I’d roll the dice with him once again.
Clayton Kershaw (5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 9 K, W) - He’s been great since that debacle against the Brewers, improving to 4-1 since then. He’s among the top pitchers in the game, though he does walk a few too many hitters. Still, with 72 Ks in 64 IP, there’s a lot to like.
Derek Holland (1.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 0 K) - According to TR Sullivan on Twitter, he’s suffering from “left shoulder soreness,”which forced him from the game early. Chances are he’s heading to the DL, so you’d be best off looking elsewhere for the upcoming week.