All posts under "Player Commentary" - Page 148

Matt Garza - Garza has been overlooked a bit this year, both by the Twins and by most fantasy players, after a poor MLB debut last season. The fact remains, however, that Garza has managed a strikeout rate of 10.36...

Chris Young- ARI- Hot- For the first time since the middle part of May, Young has consecutive multi-hit games. He followed up a 2-for-2 effort Sunday (in which he entered the game as part of a double switch) with a...

Buddy Carlyle: For those in some deeper leagues out there, I think Buddy Carlyle deserves a look and could be the guy that helps solidify the backend of the Braves rotation. Carlyle's a 29 year old journeyman who's an extreme...

(Editors Note: This is not the complete Prospect Central Report that is e-mailed to  Insiderbaseball.com's subscribers today. It is an edited version.) This week my son and I attended the Eastern League (AA) All-Star Fogfest at Dodd Stadium in...

Andruw Jones That sound you hear is Scott Boras breathing a sigh of relief. After getting off to a .199/.299/.377 start through June, including 80 strikeouts, Jones is a different hitter this month. He was 1-for-3 with a walk and...

Joe Blanton: Blanton picked up his 6th loss of the season last night allowing 4 ER's in his 7 2/3 innings of work. Blanton gave up 10 hits and walked 1 while only striking out 2. Blanton's an interesting case...

Erik Bedard- BAL- Hot- Bedard's first start after the All Star break was a good sign, particularly the 7 Ks in 7 IP. He is throwing fewer pitches per inning than he did last year, so fatigue may not be...

Luke Scott's dismal July keeps getting worse after he went 0-for-3 with two more strikeouts against the Cubs yesterday. Scott is hitting .050/.174/.200 in 20 July at-bats and he's now gone six straight games without a hit. In fact, going...

Reed Johnson: Johnson returned to the active roster after a two-month stint on the DL with a back problem. His 2006 career year, 12/49/.319, was more the product of good fortune, .298 BHIP%, than an improvement his average skill set,...

Brandon Phillips: Well I mentioned Dan Uggla last week as "one of"the 2b I missed on this season, the other one I was referring to was Brandon Phillips. Phillips was similar to Uggla in that they each came seemingly out...

Dan Uggla: I was just commenting to a friend the other day that there were a few 2B in the NL I couldn't have been more wrong about coming into the season and one of the guys I was referencing...

  Manny Parra – Brewers Starter – Throws Left – 6-3, 200 – 10/30/1982   Manny caught everyone’s attention on June 25th when he retired 27 straight hitters against the Round Rock Express to record the 8th perfect game...

Billy Butler: With Mike Sweeney out for at least six weeks, Butler will get a chance to show that he is ready to hit in the major leagues. In his first go around with the Royals earlier this season, he...

Chris Duncan - Chris Duncan didn't start again last night, but he did come in as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning and singled home two runs to make the game tight at the finish. Duncan is leading the Cardinals...

James Shields of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays appears to be turning into a pretty good young starter. The 26 year old right hander improved to 7-4 on the year on Friday in a win against the Kansas City Royals....

Brad Penny developed a blister in the first inning of last night's start against the Braves and limped to his worst outing of the season, allowing 6 runs, all earned in 4 IP on 9 hits, 4 walks and 5...

Chad Gaudin: Gaudin turned in another good performance last night, 2 ER in 7.2 innings, to improve his record to 8-3 with a stingy 2.88 ERA. His high GB% of 53% compensates for an average 5.6 K/9. At some point...

Injuries and ineffectiveness have shuffled the deck in a couple of MLB bullpens as we take a post-July 4th Closer Look. Devil Ray's closer Al Reyes was placed on the 15-day DL on Wednesday with a "mildly"strained rotator cuff. The...

American League 22 Daric Barton OAK 1B B+ After hitting .454 in June, A's reportedly considering dealing D. Johnson to make room for Barton. 23 Adam Jones SEA OF B+ Much closer to being ready now than he was last...

Scott Kazmir- TB- Caution- So maybe I'm a day late and maybe I'm a voice cryinhg in the wilderness, but once again it looks like mismanagement of Scott Kazmir is leading him closer to the day when he will blow...

Happy July 4th everyone! Having faced yesterday's opposing pitcher Ryan Feierabend in the minors, Billy Butler knew what to expect and he entered the game in a comfortable state of mind. The result was a 3- for -5 performance with...

Alex Gonzalez: Gonzalez is putting on a nice power display for the Reds this year, 13 home runs and 18 doubles in 288 AB. He is just 30 years old and has showed power before, 18 home runs in 2003...

Vernon Wells - Wells has had a horrible first half, but perhaps last night's 4-5 performance will jumpstart him. Wells' AVG this season is about 20 points below his career worst, and after posting four straight years with ISO's between...

Brandon Webb- ARI- Cold- Something is going on with Webb. Maybe he is having some fatigue issues. Earlier in the season he had a few starts where his pitch count reached above 110. He didn't seem to have any carryover...

Carlos Delgado: The power's starting to come for Carlos Delgado as he knocked out his 13th HR of the season on Sunday along with his 19th 2B of the season in a 2-3 performance. Delgado now has 17 extra base...

CC Sabathia: I love me some CC Sabathia! Big CC went 7 strong innings last night yielding only 2 ER's on 6 hits. He struck out 8 more batters without walking a hitter and raises his season K:BB ratio to...

Ryan Freel Good news on Ryan Freel lately, as the post-concussion systems continue to subside. Freel is currently on a Triple-A rehab assignment, and if things continue to go as planned, he should be able to be activated sometime next...

This week we will pick up some players from the Futures Game rosters that haven’t yet appeared in Prospect Central, and introduce you to a rising young star in the Red Sox System… Keep in mind that our Prospect...

Chris Ray- BAL- Drop Value- Ray may finally have pitched himself out of the closer role in Baltimore, at least as far as being the sole closer goes. "It would be nice if we could get him out of some...

Brian Mcann of the Atlanta Braves had been coming around of late but he had a real stinker at the plate on Friday night against the Florida Marlins. Mcann went zero for six with four strikeouts and seven runners left...

Jason Bartlett: Bartlett has quietly gone a perfect 15 for 15 in the steals department this year. He is not hitting for power, but is making good contact, 87% Ct%, and exercising plate patience, .79 BB/K, to get him on...

Scott Olsen: It seems every time it looks like Scott Olsen is taking a step forward, he takes another step backwards. This seemed to take place within the same game on Thursday as Olsen mowed through the weak Pirates lineup...

American League 23 Daric Barton OAK 1B B+ Having a pretty good June - .500/.545/.700. Just 5 HR in 275 at-bats but more power will come. 24 Adam Jones SEA OF B+ In 163 fewer at-bats, he's already tied last...

Jered Weaver- LAA- Hot- Weaver seemed fully recovered from the various maladies (sore shoulder, strep throat) that have affected him over the past few weeks. He held KC to just 1 run on 5 hits and a walk while striking...

It is dateline Chicago once again as we review the big bullpen news of the week. Ryan Dempster was placed on the 15-day DL on Tuesday with a strained left oblique. With Sweet Lou's alleged "closer in waiting"Angel Guzman also...

Chuck James: There could be some trouble looming for James. In two seasons, he has been at the league average with his HR/FB%, 10.3% last year and 10.6% this year. His fly ball pitching ways, 49% in 2007, means that...