MLB: Hitter Report (July 29)

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MLB: Hitter Report (July 29)



By Dan Schwartz


Here is a look at some recent developments in fantasy baseball as we prepare for the stretch run. Some unexpected infielders are scorching hot right now and need to be noticed, such as Furcal, Weeks and Alexei Ramirez. Some traditional big names are stuck in some serious funks, namely David Wright, Hanley Ramirez and Robinson Cano.


Take a look below for some help navigating this key point in the season.


NATIONAL LEAGUE


3 up


Raphael Furcal, SS, Dodgers


Over the last month, Furcal has been the No. 1 shortstop in fantasy baseball. His numbers for the month include a .371 average, an OPS of 1.09, 22 runs and 16 RBI. He has also thrown in a very r espectable five stolen bases and five home runs. Furcal may struggle to maintain this torrid pace, however, with stud hitters behind him like Kemp, Ethier and Loney, look for Furcal to continue to be a weapon for your team.


Chris Young, OF, Diamondbacks


Young has stepped up his aggressiveness on the bases, adding eight stolen bases in the last month and four in the past 10 games. Young's 21 steals this season has already surpassed his total for each of the past two years and puts him on pace to surpass his personal best of 27 (2007). Don’t expect much in the way of batting average; his assets are speed and power. Most burners lack power, but not Young, who has 17 homers on the year. Young is coming into his own, and now is the time to take advantage of his value.


Rickie Weeks, 2B, Brewers


The long-awaited potential is finally paying off. Weeks was the No. 1 fantasy producer over the last 30days. Over this period, his owners have reaped a remarkable 9 homers, 20 runs and 23 RBI. Production like this from a leadoff man not named Henderson is simply unthinkable. With Chase Utley on the DL, Weeks is the second best second baseman in the game behind Robinson Cano.


3 Down


David Wright, 3B, Mets


The woes of the Mets offense are magnified by the lack of production from David Wright. Wright is batting .178 with two runs and four RBI over the last 14 days. Much of Wright’s value lies in his power and speed. Unfortunately, since the All-Star break he has only one stolen base and zero home runs. Wright is the quintessential streaky player, and this is not a streak fantasy winners can be part of.


Hanley Ramirez, SS, Marlins


We expect the world from Ramirez, but his July has been awful. His batting average is .253 for the month, and he only has one home run. More recently, in his last 16 games he has two runs and one RBI. There is not much positive to say about Ramirez right now. Make sure he turns it around before you decide to depend on him.


Ryan Braun, OF


Braun has two hits in his last six games (23 at bats), and over the last month he is hitting .208 with a paltry .640 OPS. Braun ended June with a .299 batting average that now stands at .276. Braun, like David Wright, is a streaky hitter, so wait for this recent downturn to pass before investing in his services.


AMERICAN LEAGUE


3 UP


Scott Podsednik, OF, (Dodgers, Wednesday night)


The 34-year-old Pods has 30 swipes on the season, the most by any Royal since Carlos Beltran. Over the last month, he is batting at a .356 clip, picking his season average up to .309. Podsednik is a great option for cheap stolen bases, swiping five in the past week. His move to the Dodgers might seem to increase his run-scoring potential, but Los Angeles actually carries a lower batting average and slugging percentage than Kansas City. Podsednik stays worthwhile but doesn’t really gain anything with the move.


Nelson Cruz, OF, Rangers


Cruz has dealt with two stints on the DL this season, resulting in him missing a third of the games. Remarkably, he has still managed to produce decent totals. Nelson has 13 homers and 12 stolen bases and boasts a .330 average. Cruz possesses a valuable combo of power and speed that few can claim. He has been absolutely scorching the past 10 games, batting .404 while chipping in two home runs and two stolen bases. On a per-game basis, Cruz is a top-20 fantasy producer, he is a commodity now and will be for years to come.


Alexei Ramirez, SS, White Sox


Ramirez is hitting .378 since the All-Star break (17-for-45 in 12 games), an impressive .100-point improvement on his first-half batting average. Hitting at the top of one of the most powerful lineups in the league has helped him cross the plate 11 times since the break. Shortstop is a thin position this year, and Alexei is currently in the upper echelon right now.


3 Down


Robinson Cano, 2B, Yankees


Robbie had a tremendous May, knocking 11 home runs while flirting with a .400 batting average. Unfortunately, it has taken him all of June and July to equal those 11 home runs. Batting average is another category that is losing steam for Cano. In July, his average has been a meager .238. Owners should steer clear of Cano right now and wait for him to work out of this current extended slump.


Nick Markakis, OF, Orioles


In 11 games since the all-star break, he is batting .205 with two runs and two RBI. Markakis gets no protection in the worst hitting lineup in the AL but doesn’t contribute much else to fantasy besides his traditionally good batting average (.297 career). His current lack of hit production and the fact that he doesn’t steal bases currently leaves him with little fantasy value.


Ben Zobrist, OF, SS, 2B, Rays


Zobrist is 8-for-46 (.174 batting average) over his last 13 games. His position flexibility make him a popular name in fantasy circles, but his feeble production has made him fantasy poison. Zobrist’s inability to get on base during the second half has kept him from adding to the 19 swipes he amassed during the first half. Zobrist is no longer a three-hole hitter for the Rays and his days as a versatile producer are all but over.


Dan Schwartz is a contributing writer for World Fantasy Games.

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