Fantasy Baseball Stock Watch - Hitters - Davids and Goliaths

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Bullish ↑

Marlon Byrd (Rangers, OF) - 21 hits in his last 34 at bats is nothing to joke about, especially since he is hitting fifth in a potent Ranger’s lineup behind Josh Hamilton and Michael Young

Rocco Baldelli(Rays, OF) - Baldelli will see playing time with Carl Crawford on the DL for 6-8 weeks. Conveniently, Baldelli was just activated from the 60 day DL with a fatigue disorders. Managers in deeper leagues should keep an eye on the Rays lineup for the next week or so, to see how and where Rocco is hitting. 

Lastings Milledge(Nationals, OF) - Milledge is rocking a 14 game hitting streak, and has already hit 5 homers this month. This ex-Met was a solid prospect, and is starting to get into a rhythm.

Miguel Cabrera(Tigers, 3B) - Maggs isn’t putting up numbers similar to those in 2007, but Miggy is. After struggling for most of the season, Cabrera is finally putting up the stats we expected from him. Miggy is tied for third in the AL with 90 RBI’s and has hit 3 homers in the past 5. I was afraid that he lost some of his mojo by moving to Detroit, but Cabrera is back to his usual self.

Torii Hunter(Angels - OF) - Hunter has substantially raised his average, OBP, OPS, and slugging since July 1st. Hunter is just another Angel who is very happy to have Mark Teixeira on the squad.

Jody Gerut(Padres, OF) - It is hard to get worked up over anyone on the Padres, but Gerut’s bat is on fire. He has hit 5 homers in the past 8 games, and was just named NL player of the week. He has potential, so pick him up and see what happens.

Howie Kendrick(Angels, 2B) - I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Howie Kendrick is a stud. Amazing start to the season, long DL stint, struggles, and now he is beasting again. A .324 average is nothing to laugh at. Kendrick doesn’t possess a lot of power, but he has speed and a reliable bat.

Russell Martin (Dodgers, C, 3B) - Martin’s numbers have been slowly declining lately, but he should start to see better pitches with an improved Dodger’s lineup. Owners who are uninspired by Martin right now, might want to part with him for a hotter player. If the trade deadline hasn’t passed, make a move for Russell.

Bearish ↓

Dan Uggla (Marlins, 2B) - Uggla is hitting .194 since the all star break, but if you looked at his splits, this drop wouldn’t be that shocking. His owners shouldn’t expect him to help carry the fantasy team anymore.

Gary Matthews Jr.(Angels, OF) - Junior has been having knee problems, and may need to get major surgery in the offseason. Unfortunately, this seems to be affecting his play, and especially his bat. A crappy average can only be made up for with big power numbers, but Matthews doesn’t have that either.

Pat Burrell (Phillies, OF) - Burrell’s average has dropped 14 points in August. The entire Phillies offense is struggling, so Burrell’s value continues to fall until they can pull it together.

Damion Easley(Mets, 2B, OF) - Another guy who has seen his average get depleted in August. Easley was a decent pickup in deep leagues, since Luis Castillo and the Met’s outfield was injured. He looks uncomfortable behind the plate now, and will lose a lot of playing time when Castillo and Church return soon.