Fantasy Baseball Around the Majors: June 11: Lincecum, Santana & More

Carlos Santana made his much anticipated debut and Tim Lincecum has appeared to have righted the ship. Francisco Liriano stole the show, despite Ubaldo Jimenez getting win #12. Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games:

Hitters:

• Alex Rios (4-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB) -  He has been a perpetual potential breakout candidate for years, but 2010 appears to be it. He’s now hitting .322 with 13 HR, 31 RBI and 19 SB, making 30/30 a very realistic possibility. It’s possible 2010 was the last year you could get him at a value.

• Carlos Santana (0-3, R) -  Yes, it was Austin Kearns who had the biggest day (2-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R), but Santana was the story.  The Indians immediately slotted him into the third spot in the order, telling you how highly they think of him. As I’ve already said, he’s a must own in all formats and there should be plenty of good days ahead.

• Gaby Sanchez (4-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R) -  Is calling it a monster day an understatement?  He’s now on a four-game hitting streak, going 8-17 with 3 HR, 7 RBI and 5 R.  He’s not that big of a power threat, however, despite his recent showing (33 HR total between 2008 & 2009).  His nothing more then a low-end option in deeper formats.

• David Ortiz (3-5, 4 RBI, 2 R) -  Washed up, huh?  I know he’s hitting .247, but he has 12 HR and 39 RBI. It was a rough start of June (entered the day 3-33 for the month), but he should come back strong.

• Joey Votto (0-5) -  He’s in a 2-17 slump, but there’s nothing to worry about. He’ll snap out of it sooner rather then later and you don’t want to miss it when he does. There are owners out there who are quick to bench a player, but don’t make that mistake.

• Corey Hart (2-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) -  He continues to hit the long ball, now with 17 on the year. On this night, he had help from his friends as the Brewers launched four home runs off Rich Harden. Also doing damage was Ryan Braun (1-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R), Prince Fielder (1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R) and Casey McGehee (1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R).

• Buster Posey (1-4, 1 RBI) -  The results weren’t the story. The fact that he was moved up to third spot in the lineup is. Needless to say, if he sticks in the spot his potential increases due to his increased opportunity for production. Then again, he was already a good option as a catcher, so this really doesn’t change much. He’s on a 10-game hitting streak going 15-39 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 7 R.

• Carlos Pena (3-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 4 R) - Guess who's back?  He’s homered in five straight games, going 9-20 with 6 HR, 9 RBI and 9 R.

Pitchers:

• Jake Peavy (7.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 5 K, W) -  One good start…Does anyone believe? I’m going to do an in-depth look early in the week, but I can tell you that I’m on the fence, leaning to the bad side.

• Andy Pettitte (7.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K, W) -  He improves to 8-1 with a 2.46 ERA. He entered the day with a .262 BABIP and 84.9% strand rate, so needless to say the luck is going to run out sooner or later. His best BABIP for the past four years has been .301, just to put things in perspective. I’d sell if there is someone in your league willing to pay a premium for the name.

• Justin Verlander (7.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 3 K, W) -  Where were the strikeouts? But I guess that’s just me being picky, huh? He’s now 6-2 over his last eight starts, having won his last two. With his next start coming against Luis Atilano and the Washington Nationals, there seems to be a good chance that he runs his winning streak to three.

• R.A. Dickey (7.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 8 K, W) -  He’s 4-0 with a 2.78 ERA, but does anyone really believe it? The bottom almost has to fall out of this fairytale, so don’t get too caught up in the hot streak.

• James Shields (3.1 IP, 10 ER, 9 H, 3 BB, 4 K) -  Exactly what is there to say after a start like this? We all know he’s better then this. It happens to the best of them, but unfortunately this is the second time it’s happened in his last three starts. On May 25 his ERA was 2.99 (now 4.55).  Two bad starts should not cause you to give up on anyone as he should bounce back.

• Franisco Liriano (8.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 11 K, W) -  He out dueled Tim Hudson (8.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 K) to improve to 6-3 with a 2.90 ERA, thanks in part to a stretch of seven consecutive strikeouts. Amazingly, he entered the day with a .349 BABIP, so it’s not like a regression is coming now is it. Needless to say, it certainly appears like he’s back.
• Ubaldo Jimenez (6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 5 BB, 6 K, W) -  He improved to 12-1, but his ERA rose to 1.16 in what was his worst start of the season.  If you saw the highlights, he was pitching in an absolute downpour, so you have to wonder if the weather had an affect (and the game probably should not have been played).  Still, if this is his worst, is anyone really concerned?  He is the elite pitcher of 2010 at this point, though that clearly goes without saying.

• David Aardsma (0.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 K) - He blew the save, falling to 0-4 with a 5.95 ERA.  He’s now allowed at least 2 earned runs in three of his last five outings. He’s a third closer, at best, and you have to wonder how long he’s going to be left in the role. Of course, the Mariners would have to have a suitable replacement to replace him. Maybe Brandon League, who has a 3.55 ERA and 1.21 WHIP? You may want to stash him, just in case.

• Chad Billingsley (5.2 IP, 7 ER, 9 H, 3 BB, 3 K) -  Needless to say, it turned into a disastrous outing.  Still, it’s his first completely awful outing since early in the season, so give him a pass.  His next start comes in Cincinnati and he remains a good option in all formats.

• Tim Lincecum (8.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 7 K, W) -  Well it’s about time, isn’t it? I know how much he’s struggled this season, but I’m still not concerned.

• Jaime Garcia (5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 5 BB, 4 K, W) -  He just continues to hardly give up runs. In fact, he hasn’t given up more than 2 ER in his 12 outings this season.  Of course, he has struggled with control (4.2 BB/9) and has had luck with a .279 BABIP and 85.4% strand rate.  There likely is a regression coming, so I’d consider selling high if you can.

What are your thoughts from yesterday’s games?  Which ones caught your eye? And which ones did I miss?

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