All posts under "Player Commentary" - Page 84

Jean Segura (SS-MIL): Jean Segura continued his 2014 struggles with another 0-for-4 night. There are a number of ways to capture Segura's ineptitude at the plate, but the fact that his wOBA has plummeted 74 points from last season says...

Vidal Nuno, Arizona Diamondbacks - It's probably safe to say Nuno enjoys pitching in the NL already as he was great in his first start since being traded by the Yankees to Arizona. He threw seven shutout innings with seven...

Jacoby Ellsbury- Jacoby Ellsbury is pretty close to the player that fantasy owners should have expected in the pre-season. Ellsbury's plate patience, contact rates and speed generally paint the picture with perhaps a little positive regression in the second half,...

Marco Estrada- MIL- Cold- Estrada couldn't pull off a third straight quality start, lasting only 5 IP and giving up 3 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5. He also gave up his 27th homer of...

Manny Machado (3B-BAL). Machado had a big night against the Nationals on Monday, going 5 for 6 with 2 runs, 2 RBI and his 8th HR. Machado is now slashing .261/.308/.404 on the season and is rewarding those owners who...

Jeff Samardzija -- Samardzija impressed in his Oakland debut on Sunday, allowing a single run on 5 K and 1 BB in 7 innings pitched. A trade of Samardzija was inevitable, but being traded into the American League was far...

Jeff Locke - After an 8 inning, 3 hit, 2 run (1 earned) performance against the Phils Sunday, Jeff Locke has now rattled off 6 straight quality starts since returning from AAA. Most remember last year's flukily good first half...

Andrew Heaney (SP-MIA). Heaney's rough introduction to the majors continued on Saturday afternoon in St. Louis, as he was drilled by the Cardinals for 5 ER on 8 hits and 3 walks, while registering only 1 K over 3.2 innings....

Carlos Santana (CLE -3B) - Carlos Santana went 2-for-5 and raised his season batting average to .208. He started off the season in ugly fashion by posting a slash line of .159/.159/.261 through the season's first two months. He hit...

Kole Calhoun appears locked into the leadoff spot for the potent Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. However, he also appears locked into a platoon with Colin Cowgill. The left-handed hitting Calhoun has just 39 at-bats against left-handed pitchers this season....

Matt Cain (SP-SF) What are we to make of Matt Cain this year? A prime rebound candidate after last year's 8-10 4.00 ERA swoon, Cain was always considered a front line pitcher whose peripherals did not always support his performance...

Erick Aybar-Angels-SS Erick Aybar was 1-4 with a run scored in the win against the Astros. Aybar is in the midst of a very fine season for the Angels. He is slashing .277/6/42 with 8 SB. Aybar has been a...

Carlos Martinez (RP-STL) - As a Martinez owner in a couple keeper leagues, I was very worried that the Cardinals were going to turn him into a full-time reliever this year. With Trevor Rosenthal closing, Martinez would have had little...

Justin Verlander (SP Detroit) Justin Verlander picked up his 7th win against 7 losses today giving up 9 hits and 2 runs with 4 K's in 6 innings of work. This type of performance is a far cry from what...

Julio Teheran- Julio Teheran is one of those pitchers where I cannot explain or justify his success, which frankly, terrifies me about him. Teheran is not an elite strikeout artist as his K Rate sits in the low 20's (21.7%...

Khris Davis, Milwaukee Brewers - Davis left the game Tuesday after injuring his shoulder sliding into second base. He was replaced by Elian Herrera and it has not yet been determined how much time Davis might miss if any at...

Jose Reyes- TOR- Hot- Regression to the mean is in full swing for Reyes. Through June 23rd his BABIP was at .264 and his average at .247. In the 6 games since then he has gone 12-for-29 with a BABIP...

To say Jake Arrieta is rolling is an understatement. The 28-year old was solid, yet unspectacular throughout his minor league career, and ineffective at the highest level heading into 2014. Arrieta's season was delayed due to shoulder stiffness, but since...

Brian Dozier - Dozier had a rough three-game set in Texas, going 1-13 with 5 K's. Let's get something straight: I do like Brian Dozier as a player. He has some pop, he's running like he did in the minors,...

Clayton Kershaw (SP - LAD) - Clayton Kershaw threw a gem against the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, going 7 scoreless innings while yielding just 5 hits,2 walks and striking out 13. He has now gone 28 scoreless innings and has...

Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros - Keuchel was scratched from his start Saturday with wrist inflammation, but the team is optimistic that he will be able to make his next start. He had been receiving treatment all week for his wrist,...

David Wright (3B - NYM) - David Wright left the team and returned to New York for an MRI on Saturday. The test revealed a bruised rotator cuff which should sideline him for a few days but isn't serious enough...

Jorge Polanco (2B/SS-MIN). The Twins continued their trend of aggressively promoting their position player prospects by calling up Polanco from high A Fort Myers on Thursday. One would assume that the Twins intend to give Polanco playing time (presumably at...

Rick Porcello (SP-DET): Rick Porcello showed the upside that has teased us all for years, tossing a complete-game shutout against the Rangers. He allowed only 3 hits and 3 walks and added 6 strikeouts in the 115-pitch effort to pick...

Mike Leake (SP-CIN) - Leake was dialed in Thursday against the reeling Giants, tossing eight innings of one-run ball while striking out 12 and lowering his ERA to 3.41. After allowing 14 runs in 15.1 innings over three starts, Leake...

I take a look at hot hitters J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler, and Coco Crisp. I also examine the struggles of Evan Longoria.

Tim Lincecum (SP-SF): Tim Lincecum no-hit the Padres yet again, striking out 6 and walking 1 in an incredibly masterful 113-pitch outing to pick up his 6th win of the season. While Lincecum can be maddening to own with his...

Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs - Arrieta was dominant yet again Tuesday as he took a perfect game into the 7th inning before Billy Hamilton led off the inning with a single. He completed with seventh and was able to pick...

Dexter Fowler- Last month I wrote up Dexter Fowler, and I discussed how he was trending in a strange direction during his power prime. A hot June has helped Fowler's numbers regress back towards his career mean, but he is...

Steve Pearce is playing above his head, but fantasy owners should be reaping the rewards while he is locked in at the plate. Pearce hit No. 2 in the Orioles' order for a sixth straight game and entered Monday's game...

Kris Bryant- CHN- Hot- Bryant slugged his 4th homer in 5 games since being promoted from AAA. That move came on the strength of 22 homers for AA Tennessee. All of Bryant's AAA hits have been homers so his average...

Derek Norris -- Norris was hit with a backswing yet again on Sunday, leaving the game to receive concussion tests. There is no news as to the severity of the injury at present, but it seems safe to assume that...

Tanner Roark (SP-WAS). Roark picked up a win against the Braves on Sunday afternoon, although he lasted only 5.1 innings in the effort. Roark gave up only 1 run on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3, dropping...

I take a look at some over/under performing pitchers and a struggling 3B.

Marcell Ozuna (OF-Miami) Marcell Ozuna broke out of a 0-13 slump with a hit in 2 official AB's and two walks. In his 2nd year with the big club, Ozuna has displayed the power and the inconsistency that made him...

Starling Marte (OF, Pirates) Starling Marte was 0 for 4 today with two K's as his BA dropped to .258 in this somewhat disappointing follow-up to his fine season last year. Much was expected of Marte after a season where...