MLB Fantasy Baseball 2011: 10 Up, 10 Down in This Week's Player Stock Report
We are now officially one-and-a-half weeks into the 2011 MLB season, and there has already been significant movement on player's stock in the realm of fantasy baseball.
A player's movement, up or down, is relative at this point. Some players had high expectations coming into the season and have not been living up to them. Other players may have had few expectations coming in, and have come with the thunder. In a third category, some others started out slowly and are currently on a tear.
There are 20 players I have identified as either being up or down.
UP: Jered Weaver, SP
1 of 20
Jered Weaver is dominating. There really isn't too much more you can say about him. This afternoon he raised his record to a perfect 3-0.
While his victories have come against the Royals, Rays and Blue Jays, any time you do this, you're practically untouchable:
3-0, 0.87 ERA, 20.2 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 9 BB, 27 SO, 0.87 WHIP
UP: Ike Davis, 1B
2 of 20
Okay, I was going to throw in an "I Like Ike" slogan but thought better of it. Wait, I DID say it. Well it's true.
I drafted Ike late as my first first baseman, and I guarantee some of the other league owners were laughing at me. How you like me now?
Davis has hit safely in seven of nine games, including five multi-hit games. His .364 BA, .436 OBP, 1.042 OPS and 10 RBI make him one of the top first basemen thus far.
DOWN: Vernon Wells, OF
3 of 20
You stink. The odds are that Wells may have heard that phrase from a few fans in the past 10 days or so.
While Wells brought that hefty contract with him to Anaheim, he forgot his bat. Four hits in 40 at-bats. That's where Wells sits right now.
No, those four hits were not home runs. A .100 BA and 11 SO put Wells pretty much at the bottom of all MLB hitters, let alone outfielders.
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DOWN: Phil Hughes, SP
4 of 20
It wouldn't surprise me if Tony Soprano already had a hit out on this guy. There's no way to spin Hughes' start other than saying it sucks.
Apparently yesterday, Hughes worked on using his legs more during a bullpen session. Did the new pitching coach forget to remind him that you're SUPPOSED to use your legs when pitching?
For those Yankees fans that can't get enough, here are some numbers: 6 IP, 12 H, 11 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO, 2.67 WHIP
Sorry, it had to be done.
UP: Jaime Garcia, SP
5 of 20
Who needs Adam Wainwright? Obviously Jaime Garcia doesn't.
Garcia showed flashes last year and had a nice rookie season. His 2010 season did not foretell this start: 1-0, 0.60 ERA, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 15 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 18 SO, 0.73 WHIP
That has surpassed anyone's expectations for him thus far. Stay tuned.
UP: Shane Victorino, OF
6 of 20
He started off as a dud, and now he's playing like a stud.
After his first four games, Victorino was hitting .154. He quickly turned things around and is now hitting a robust .417 with multiple hits in each game after that slow start.
Victorino has totaled 15 H, 8 R, 8 RBI, 2 SB and a 1.044 OPS.
Not too shabby after all.
DOWN: Freddie Freeman, 1B
7 of 20
Oh how the Freddie have fallen. Even the highly regarded rookie "studs" find hitting day to day in the majors a daunting prospect. Just ask him.
While Freeman has picked it up slightly having a hit in each of the last four games, he only has six overall with only one extra-base hit.
Freeman's eye at the plate has been tested, and so far it has failed with only two walks and eight strikeouts.
UP: Chris Narveson, SP
8 of 20
This is a guy who was lined up to be the Brewers' fifth starter coming out of the gate. While Zack Greinke's injury bumped him to fourth, Narveson apparently would like to continue moving up the ladder.
He found success during the latter portion of the 2010 season and has carried that into his first two starts in 2011: 1-0, 13 IP, 9 H, 4 BB, 14 SO, 1.00 WHIP
You will notice that I did not mention his ERA. He doesn't have one as of yet. He's looked smooth. I can say that because I have seen both of his starts.
DOWN: Carl Crawford, OF
9 of 20
If you can complete the following name, you will have exactly what Carl Crawford has been this season.
Pepe Le ___
Crawford is hitting a solid .152. He has scored two runs and stolen two bags as well.
If you're a Yankees fan, you're probably laughing. If you're a Red Sox fan, you're probably dropping an f-bomb or two. Just don't take it out on us Brewers fans. We laugh at everyone.
UP: Alex Gordon, OF
10 of 20
Gordon is the answer to a trivia question. Well, more than one actually. In this case the question is, who were the three collegiate third basemen drafted in the top five of the 2005 MLB draft?
Okay, if you're brilliant you said Gordon. The others were Ryan Braun and Ryan Zimmerman. Maybe this Gordon guy just has a steeper learning curve.
At age 27 Gordon is starting to look like the hitter he was supposed to be.
He's currently hitting .357 with five doubles, five multi-hit games and is currently on a six-game hitting streak.
If you asked me last year, I would have said he was a better hitter at the age of 12. I can say that since I saw him hit back then. I may have to rethink that stance if he keeps getting it done.
DOWN: Cliff Lee, SP
11 of 20
Do I feel bad for him? Yes and no. He's a good guy, so yes. He's ridiculously rich, so no. And he's a Phillie, so there's another no.
Regardless of how I feel, Lee has struggled so far in 2011. After two starts this is what Lee has accomplished: 1-1, 7.84 ERA, 10.1 IP, 14 H, 9 ER, 1 BB, 14 SO, 1.45 WHIP
You can probably see that he's not too far from finding that groove with a 14/1 SO/BB, but he's not there yet.
UP: Joe Nathan, CL
12 of 20
An older pitcher coming back from an injury is always a risky proposition. The Twins even covered themselves by keeping Matt Capps around.
It doesn't look like they'll need Capps' closing skills much as Nathan seems to be quickly rounding into form. He struggled in his first outing, but Nathan seems to be back.
In his first outing against Toronto, Nathan gave up two hits, two walks and one earned run but still picked up the save. Since then he has given up only one hit while notching two more saves.
Stupid old closers. In case you're wondering, I own Capps.
DOWN: Kurt Suzuki, C
13 of 20
This is, of course, the other Suzuki. This Suzuki isn't a bad hitter unless you've actually had to watch him try recently: .185 BA, 1 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 SO
That's it. Those numbers seem lonely. Now is the time to pick this guy up. His stock won't get much lower.
DOWN: Clay Buchholz, SP
14 of 20
It's funny how when you pitch as bad as this guy has so far, you can just sign a hefty contract extension. I'm guessing the Sox are looking at last years production and not his garbage from 2011: 0-2, 7.20 ERA, 10 IP, 13 H, 8 ER, 5 BB, 5 SO.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the five home runs he has given up in two starts.
If you are part of Red Sox Nation, you have to cringe at those numbers. The worst part is that one of the losses was to that team from the Bronx.
UP: Willie Bloomquist, SS/3B/OF
15 of 20
You have to love those stories of players seemingly coming out of nowhere to become early-season fantasy studs. My boy Willie is one of those guys. He started subbing for the injured Stephen Drew (overrated) and now has solidified a spot in the lineup in the OF or possibly at 3B as well.
Bloomquist has hit in all seven games he's played in to a .394 clip. His 13 hits, eight runs and six stolen bases were completely unexpected at this point. Ride him until he goes lame.
He has multiple position eligibility in many leagues, which is a huge bonus as well.
DOWN: Mike Aviles, 3B
16 of 20
Some other players have stunk things up so far this year. Aviles has completely sucked. That's not exactly what you want to be doing when one of the top prospects in baseball, Mike Moustakas, is knocking at your door. Aviles has a .115 BA, 2 R, 3 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 6 SO, 2 SB, .179 OBP stat line.
Get it in gear, or you'll be watching very, very soon.
DOWN: Ryan Franklin, CL
17 of 20
Franklin and that crappy beard has struggled right from the start. He has already blown three save chances in four opportunities. That matches his entire total from the 2010 season.
Franklin's putrid numbers: 0-1, 3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 2.18 WHIP.
Franklin has gotten the dreaded vote of confidence from manager Tony LaRussa already. That can't be good.
I should probably go pick up Jason Motte.
UP: Prince Fielder, 1B
18 of 20
Prince is a notoriously slow starter, and it seemed this year would be no different. In games one through five, Prince was hitting .176 with only three hits. Then he seemed to turn things around rather abruptly.
In 10 games this is where Prince now stands: .400 BA, 4 R, 14 H, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SO, .488 OBP, 1.174 OPS
His coolest stat has to be from yesterday's game against the Cubs. He hit three doubles all on 0-2 counts, driving in four.
DOWN: Albert Pujols, 1B
19 of 20
Yes, there was the whole contract thing in spring training, which was a distraction no matter what Albert and Tony LaRussa tried to sell us.
Now Albert has gotten off to a really slow start, including only getting one extra base hit: .143 BA, 2 R, 5 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .225 OBP, .229 SLG, .454 OPS.
Those are terrible numbers for a crappy player, let alone one of the greatest hitters of all time.
The Cardinals can't afford to fall too far behind the Reds and Brewer,s because they don't have Adam Wainwright any longer and Jaime Garcia can't possibly keep up his current pace.
UP: Hiroki Kuroda, SP
20 of 20
I've liked Kuroda for awhile, and I knew he could pitch. It seems as though he's trying to take the title of staff ace away from Clayton Kershaw and claim it for himself with a 2-0, 1.72 ERA, 15.2 IP, 12 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 S0, 0.89 WHIP stat line.
Ted Lilly and Chad Billingsley have struggled, but Kuroda has stepped it up in a major way.
Based on his track record, I expect more of the same from Kuroda.
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