2011 Best First Base Performance (ranked by wOBA)

Because I didn't post anything on Thursday or Friday, I'll be posting the rankings for first base, second base, and third base tonight.

Name	Team	PA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	BABIP	wOBA
Mike Napoli	Rangers	432	0.320	0.414	0.631	0.312	0.344	0.444
Miguel Cabrera	Tigers	688	0.344	0.448	0.586	0.241	0.365	0.436
Prince Fielder	Brewers	692	0.299	0.415	0.566	0.267	0.306	0.408
Jason Giambi	Rockies	152	0.260	0.355	0.603	0.344	0.284	0.407
Adrian Gonzalez	Red Sox	715	0.338	0.410	0.548	0.210	0.380	0.406
Joey Votto	Reds	719	0.309	0.416	0.531	0.222	0.349	0.403
Ike Davis	Mets	149	0.302	0.383	0.543	0.240	0.344	0.391
Michael Morse	Nationals	575	0.303	0.360	0.550	0.247	0.344	0.387
Albert Pujols	Cardinals	651	0.299	0.366	0.541	0.242	0.277	0.385
Paul Konerko	White Sox	639	0.300	0.388	0.517	0.217	0.304	0.383
Jesus Guzman	Padres	271	0.312	0.369	0.478	0.166	0.360	0.371
Lucas Duda	Mets	347	0.292	0.370	0.482	0.189	0.326	0.368
Todd Helton	Rockies	491	0.302	0.385	0.466	0.164	0.328	0.368
Mark Teixeira	Yankees	684	0.248	0.341	0.494	0.246	0.239	0.361
Paul Goldschmidt	Diamondbacks	177	0.250	0.333	0.474	0.224	0.323	0.356
Ryan Howard	Phillies	644	0.253	0.346	0.488	0.235	0.303	0.354
Carlos Pena	Cubs	606	0.225	0.357	0.462	0.237	0.267	0.354
Michael Cuddyer	Twins	584	0.284	0.346	0.459	0.176	0.312	0.354
Casey Kotchman	Rays	563	0.306	0.378	0.422	0.116	0.335	0.351
Daniel Murphy	Mets	423	0.320	0.362	0.448	0.128	0.345	0.350
Carlos Santana	Indians	658	0.239	0.351	0.457	0.217	0.263	0.349
Mark Reynolds	Orioles	620	0.221	0.323	0.483	0.262	0.266	0.348
Freddie Freeman	Braves	635	0.282	0.346	0.448	0.166	0.339	0.345
Eric Hosmer	Royals	563	0.293	0.334	0.465	0.172	0.314	0.342
Gaby Sanchez	Marlins	661	0.266	0.352	0.427	0.161	0.287	0.342
Mike Carp	Mariners	313	0.276	0.326	0.466	0.190	0.343	0.341
Carlos Lee	Astros	653	0.275	0.342	0.446	0.171	0.279	0.339
Derrek Lee	- - -	477	0.267	0.325	0.446	0.179	0.314	0.335
James Loney	Dodgers	582	0.288	0.339	0.416	0.128	0.309	0.329
Garrett Jones	Pirates	478	0.243	0.321	0.433	0.189	0.283	0.328
Mark Trumbo	Angels	573	0.254	0.291	0.477	0.223	0.274	0.327
Ty Wigginton	Rockies	446	0.242	0.315	0.416	0.175	0.271	0.322
Mitch Moreland	Rangers	512	0.259	0.320	0.414	0.155	0.290	0.317
Justin Smoak	Mariners	489	0.234	0.323	0.396	0.162	0.273	0.316
Adam Lind	Blue Jays	542	0.251	0.295	0.439	0.188	0.265	0.315
Juan Miranda	Diamondbacks	202	0.213	0.315	0.402	0.190	0.252	0.314
Brandon Belt	Giants	209	0.225	0.306	0.412	0.187	0.273	0.314
Kyle Blanks	Padres	190	0.229	0.300	0.406	0.176	0.281	0.312
Nick Evans	Mets	194	0.256	0.314	0.403	0.148	0.325	0.312
Brett Wallace	Astros	379	0.259	0.334	0.369	0.110	0.339	0.310
Chris Davis	- - -	210	0.266	0.305	0.402	0.136	0.366	0.309
Matt LaPorta	Indians	385	0.247	0.299	0.412	0.165	0.293	0.309
Juan Rivera	- - -	521	0.258	0.319	0.382	0.124	0.281	0.308
Jeff Baker	Cubs	212	0.269	0.302	0.383	0.114	0.333	0.300
Russell Branyan	- - -	146	0.197	0.295	0.370	0.173	0.244	0.300
Lyle Overbay	- - -	440	0.234	0.310	0.360	0.127	0.279	0.298
Aubrey Huff	Giants	579	0.246	0.306	0.370	0.125	0.271	0.294
Conor Jackson	- - -	390	0.244	0.310	0.341	0.097	0.273	0.292
Brandon Allen	- - -	195	0.200	0.277	0.377	0.177	0.284	0.286
Brad Hawpe	Padres	216	0.231	0.301	0.344	0.113	0.331	0.285
Xavier Nady	Diamondbacks	223	0.248	0.287	0.359	0.112	0.294	0.284
Luke Hughes	Twins	317	0.223	0.289	0.338	0.115	0.282	0.280
Adam Kennedy	Mariners	409	0.234	0.277	0.355	0.121	0.266	0.278
Justin Morneau	Twins	288	0.227	0.285	0.333	0.106	0.257	0.274
Daric Barton	Athletics	280	0.212	0.325	0.267	0.055	0.260	0.273
Adam Dunn	White Sox	496	0.159	0.292	0.277	0.118	0.240	0.266
Adam LaRoche	Nationals	177	0.172	0.288	0.258	0.086	0.205	0.258
Mark Teahen	- - -	177	0.200	0.273	0.300	0.100	0.252	0.255
Anthony Rizzo	Padres	153	0.141	0.281	0.242	0.102	0.210	0.248
Jorge Cantu	Padres	155	0.194	0.232	0.285	0.090	0.216	0.226

Some names that may deserve a closer look:

• Ike Davis - Mets
• Michael Morse - Nationals
• Jesus Guzman - Padres
• Lucas Duda - Mets
• Paul Goldschmidt - Diamondbacks
• Mike Carp - Mariners
  

2011 Best Catcher Performances (Ranked by wOBA)

Salvador Perez is the catcher of the future for the Kansas City Royals and a player to watch.

Name	Team	PA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	BABIP	wOBA
Mike Napoli	Rangers	432	0.32	0.414	0.631	0.312	0.344	0.444
Alex Avila	Tigers	551	0.295	0.389	0.506	0.211	0.366	0.383
Salvador Perez	Royals	158	0.331	0.361	0.473	0.142	0.362	0.361
Ryan Doumit	Pirates	236	0.303	0.353	0.477	0.174	0.331	0.36
Nick Hundley	Padres	308	0.288	0.347	0.477	0.189	0.362	0.354
Miguel Montero	Diamondbacks	553	0.282	0.351	0.469	0.187	0.317	0.351
Carlos Santana	Indians	658	0.239	0.351	0.457	0.217	0.263	0.349
Yadier Molina	Cardinals	518	0.305	0.349	0.465	0.16	0.311	0.349
Brian McCann	Braves	527	0.27	0.351	0.466	0.195	0.287	0.348
Chris Iannetta	Rockies	426	0.238	0.37	0.414	0.177	0.276	0.347
Matt Wieters	Orioles	551	0.262	0.328	0.45	0.188	0.276	0.339
Ramon Hernandez	Reds	328	0.282	0.341	0.446	0.164	0.291	0.339
Buster Posey	Giants	185	0.284	0.368	0.389	0.105	0.326	0.338
Jose Molina	Blue Jays	191	0.281	0.342	0.415	0.135	0.363	0.334
David Ross	Braves	171	0.263	0.333	0.428	0.164	0.358	0.332
Carlos Ruiz	Phillies	472	0.283	0.371	0.383	0.1	0.308	0.332
Wilson Ramos	Nationals	435	0.267	0.334	0.445	0.177	0.297	0.332
Russell Martin	Yankees	476	0.237	0.324	0.408	0.17	0.252	0.325
Francisco Cervelli	Yankees	137	0.266	0.324	0.395	0.129	0.315	0.322
Ryan Hanigan	Reds	304	0.267	0.356	0.357	0.09	0.285	0.32
Joe Mauer	Twins	333	0.287	0.36	0.368	0.081	0.319	0.319
Jarrod Saltalamacchia	Red Sox	386	0.235	0.288	0.45	0.215	0.304	0.319
Jason Varitek	Red Sox	250	0.221	0.3	0.423	0.203	0.264	0.318
Geovany Soto	Cubs	474	0.228	0.31	0.411	0.183	0.28	0.316
A.J. Pierzynski	White Sox	500	0.287	0.323	0.405	0.119	0.291	0.314
Jonathan Lucroy	Brewers	468	0.265	0.313	0.391	0.126	0.317	0.31
J.P. Arencibia	Blue Jays	486	0.219	0.282	0.438	0.219	0.255	0.309
Rod Barajas	Dodgers	337	0.23	0.287	0.43	0.2	0.244	0.307
Yorvit Torrealba	Rangers	419	0.273	0.306	0.399	0.126	0.31	0.306
Brett Hayes	Marlins	144	0.231	0.291	0.415	0.185	0.291	0.304

Some names that may deserve a closer look for fantasy purposes:

• Salvador Perez - Royals
• Chris Iannetta - Rockies
• Wilson Ramos - Nationals
• Ryan Hanigan - Reds
• Jarrod Saltalamacchia - Red Sox
• Jonathan Lucroy - Brewers
  

Rest In Peace, Smokin' Joe Frazier

Former Heavy Weight Champion, Joe Frazier has passed away at age 67 due to complications from cancer.

Known as Smokin’ Joe, Frazier stalked his opponents around the ring with a crouching, relentless attack — his head low and bobbing, his broad, powerful shoulders hunched — as he bore down on them with an onslaught of withering jabs and crushing body blows, setting them up for his devastating left hook.

2011 National League Best Hitting Performances (ranked by wOBA)

This is the second in a series of rankings. This is the NL, sorted by wOBA with a 130 at-bat minimum to allow us a glimpse at a few potential breakouts.

Name	Team	PA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	BABIP	wOBA
Ryan Braun	Brewers	629	0.332	0.397	0.597	0.265	0.350	0.433
Matt Kemp	Dodgers	689	0.324	0.399	0.586	0.262	0.380	0.419
Prince Fielder	Brewers	692	0.299	0.415	0.566	0.267	0.306	0.408
Jason Giambi	Rockies	152	0.260	0.355	0.603	0.344	0.284	0.407
Joey Votto	Reds	719	0.309	0.416	0.531	0.222	0.349	0.403
Lance Berkman	Cardinals	587	0.301	0.412	0.547	0.246	0.315	0.402
Allen Craig	Cardinals	219	0.315	0.362	0.555	0.240	0.344	0.399
Matt Holliday	Cardinals	516	0.296	0.388	0.525	0.229	0.330	0.393
Ike Davis	Mets	149	0.302	0.383	0.543	0.240	0.344	0.391
Carlos Beltran	- - -	598	0.300	0.385	0.525	0.225	0.324	0.389
Troy Tulowitzki	Rockies	606	0.302	0.372	0.544	0.242	0.305	0.389
Michael Morse	Nationals	575	0.303	0.360	0.550	0.247	0.344	0.387
Jose Reyes	Mets	586	0.337	0.384	0.493	0.156	0.353	0.386
Albert Pujols	Cardinals	651	0.299	0.366	0.541	0.242	0.277	0.385
Justin Upton	Diamondbacks	674	0.289	0.369	0.529	0.240	0.319	0.385
Carlos Gonzalez	Rockies	542	0.295	0.363	0.526	0.231	0.326	0.383
Pablo Sandoval	Giants	466	0.315	0.357	0.552	0.237	0.320	0.379
Mike Stanton	Marlins	601	0.262	0.356	0.537	0.275	0.314	0.378
Hunter Pence	- - -	668	0.314	0.370	0.502	0.188	0.361	0.378
Aaron Hill	Diamondbacks	142	0.315	0.386	0.492	0.177	0.356	0.376
Matt Downs	Astros	222	0.276	0.347	0.518	0.241	0.315	0.373
Aramis Ramirez	Cubs	626	0.306	0.361	0.510	0.204	0.308	0.373
Corey Hart	Brewers	551	0.285	0.356	0.510	0.226	0.323	0.373
Shane Victorino	Phillies	586	0.279	0.355	0.491	0.212	0.292	0.372
Jesus Guzman	Padres	271	0.312	0.369	0.478	0.166	0.360	0.371
John Mayberry	Phillies	296	0.273	0.341	0.513	0.240	0.293	0.369
Lucas Duda	Mets	347	0.292	0.370	0.482	0.189	0.326	0.368
Todd Helton	Rockies	491	0.302	0.385	0.466	0.164	0.328	0.368
Ryan Doumit	Pirates	236	0.303	0.353	0.477	0.174	0.331	0.360
Andrew McCutchen	Pirates	678	0.259	0.364	0.456	0.198	0.291	0.360
Rickie Weeks	Brewers	515	0.269	0.350	0.468	0.199	0.310	0.358
Seth Smith	Rockies	533	0.284	0.347	0.483	0.200	0.320	0.357
Paul Goldschmidt	Diamondbacks	177	0.250	0.333	0.474	0.224	0.323	0.356
Ryan Howard	Phillies	644	0.253	0.346	0.488	0.235	0.303	0.354
Reed Johnson	Cubs	266	0.309	0.348	0.467	0.159	0.394	0.354
Nick Hundley	Padres	308	0.288	0.347	0.477	0.189	0.362	0.354
Carlos Pena	Cubs	606	0.225	0.357	0.462	0.237	0.267	0.354
Miguel Montero	Diamondbacks	553	0.282	0.351	0.469	0.187	0.317	0.351
Brandon Phillips	Reds	675	0.300	0.353	0.457	0.157	0.322	0.351
Alex Presley	Pirates	231	0.298	0.339	0.465	0.167	0.349	0.350
Daniel Murphy	Mets	423	0.320	0.362	0.448	0.128	0.345	0.350
Nick Punto	Cardinals	166	0.278	0.388	0.421	0.143	0.319	0.350
Brian Bogusevic	Astros	182	0.287	0.348	0.457	0.171	0.355	0.349
Yadier Molina	Cardinals	518	0.305	0.349	0.465	0.160	0.311	0.349
Brian McCann	Braves	527	0.270	0.351	0.466	0.195	0.287	0.348
David Freese	Cardinals	363	0.297	0.350	0.441	0.144	0.356	0.348
Ryan Zimmerman	Nationals	440	0.289	0.355	0.443	0.154	0.326	0.347
Chris Iannetta	Rockies	426	0.238	0.370	0.414	0.177	0.276	0.347
Dexter Fowler	Rockies	563	0.266	0.363	0.432	0.166	0.354	0.346
Nyjer Morgan	Brewers	429	0.304	0.357	0.421	0.116	0.362	0.346
Jay Bruce	Reds	664	0.256	0.341	0.474	0.217	0.297	0.346
Chipper Jones	Braves	512	0.275	0.344	0.470	0.196	0.295	0.345
Freddie Freeman	Braves	635	0.282	0.346	0.448	0.166	0.339	0.345

Some interesting names for further study:

• Allen Craig - Cardinals
• Ike Davis - Mets
• Michael Morse - Nationals
• Matt Downs - Astros
• Jesus Guzman - Padres
• John Mayberry - Phillies
• Lucas Duda - Mets
• Paul Goldschmidt - D'Backs
• Reed Johnson - Cubs
• Alex Presley - Pirates
  

2011 American league Best Hitting Performances (ranked by wOBA)

This is the first in a series of 2011 performance rankings. The information is taken from fangraphs.com and transferred to excel by me. This list is sorted by wOBA and has a 130 at-bat minimum, so we can see some of the potential breakouts we'll be going after in 2012.

Name	Team	PA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	BABIP	wOBA
Mike Napoli	Rangers	432	0.320	0.414	0.631	0.312	0.344	0.444
Jose Bautista	Blue Jays	655	0.302	0.447	0.608	0.306	0.309	0.441
Miguel Cabrera	Tigers	688	0.344	0.448	0.586	0.241	0.365	0.436
Brett Lawrie	Blue Jays	171	0.293	0.373	0.580	0.287	0.318	0.413
Adrian Gonzalez	Red Sox	715	0.338	0.410	0.548	0.21	0.380	0.406
David Ortiz	Red Sox	605	0.309	0.398	0.554	0.246	0.321	0.405
Jacoby Ellsbury	Red Sox	732	0.321	0.376	0.552	0.23	0.336	0.402
Alejandro De Aza	White Sox	171	0.329	0.400	0.520	0.191	0.404	0.401
Curtis Granderson	Yankees	691	0.262	0.364	0.552	0.29	0.295	0.394
Paul Konerko	White Sox	639	0.300	0.388	0.517	0.217	0.304	0.383
Alex Avila	Tigers	551	0.295	0.389	0.506	0.211	0.366	0.383
Alex Gordon	Royals	690	0.303	0.376	0.502	0.2	0.358	0.382
Adrian Beltre	Rangers	525	0.296	0.331	0.561	0.265	0.273	0.379
Dustin Pedroia	Red Sox	731	0.307	0.387	0.474	0.167	0.325	0.377
Robinson Cano	Yankees	681	0.302	0.349	0.533	0.231	0.316	0.375
Andruw Jones	Yankees	222	0.247	0.356	0.495	0.247	0.296	0.371
Josh Hamilton	Rangers	538	0.298	0.346	0.536	0.238	0.317	0.371
Jason Kipnis	Indians	150	0.272	0.333	0.507	0.235	0.313	0.371
Ian Kinsler	Rangers	723	0.255	0.355	0.477	0.223	0.243	0.37
Michael Young	Rangers	689	0.338	0.380	0.474	0.136	0.367	0.369
Victor Martinez	Tigers	595	0.330	0.380	0.470	0.141	0.343	0.368
Kevin Youkilis	Red Sox	517	0.258	0.373	0.459	0.202	0.296	0.366
Evan Longoria	Rays	574	0.244	0.355	0.495	0.251	0.239	0.365
Carlos Quentin	White Sox	483	0.254	0.340	0.499	0.245	0.261	0.363
Jim Thome	Phillies	324	0.256	0.361	0.477	0.22	0.327	0.362
Brent Lillibridge	White Sox	216	0.258	0.340	0.505	0.247	0.310	0.362
Alex Rodriguez	Yankees	428	0.276	0.362	0.461	0.185	0.311	0.361
Salvador Perez	Royals	158	0.331	0.361	0.473	0.142	0.362	0.361
Desmond Jennings	Rays	287	0.259	0.356	0.449	0.19	0.303	0.361
Mark Teixeira	Yankees	684	0.248	0.341	0.494	0.246	0.239	0.361
Ben Zobrist	Rays	674	0.269	0.353	0.469	0.201	0.310	0.36
Nick Swisher	Yankees	635	0.260	0.374	0.449	0.188	0.295	0.358
Matt Joyce	Rays	522	0.277	0.347	0.478	0.201	0.317	0.357
Michael Cuddyer	Twins	584	0.284	0.346	0.459	0.176	0.312	0.354
Jhonny Peralta	Tigers	576	0.299	0.345	0.478	0.179	0.325	0.353
Travis Hafner	Indians	368	0.280	0.361	0.449	0.169	0.332	0.353
Nelson Cruz	Rangers	513	0.263	0.312	0.509	0.246	0.288	0.352
Casey Kotchman	Rays	563	0.306	0.378	0.422	0.116	0.335	0.351
Billy Butler	Royals	673	0.291	0.361	0.461	0.169	0.316	0.351
Josh Willingham	Athletics	563	0.246	0.332	0.477	0.232	0.287	0.35
Carlos Santana	Indians	658	0.239	0.351	0.457	0.217	0.263	0.349
Melky Cabrera	Royals	706	0.305	0.339	0.470	0.164	0.332	0.349
Howie Kendrick	Angels	583	0.285	0.338	0.464	0.179	0.338	0.349
Mark Reynolds	Orioles	620	0.221	0.323	0.483	0.262	0.266	0.348
Brennan Boesch	Tigers	472	0.283	0.341	0.458	0.175	0.315	0.346
Jeff Francoeur	Royals	656	0.285	0.329	0.476	0.191	0.323	0.346
Shelley Duncan	Indians	247	0.260	0.324	0.484	0.224	0.297	0.346
Yunel Escobar	Blue Jays	590	0.290	0.369	0.413	0.123	0.316	0.345
Asdrubal Cabrera	Indians	667	0.273	0.332	0.460	0.187	0.302	0.345
Edwin Encarnacion	Blue Jays	530	0.272	0.334	0.453	0.181	0.292	0.344
Marco Scutaro	Red Sox	445	0.299	0.358	0.423	0.124	0.312	0.343
J.J. Hardy	Orioles	567	0.269	0.310	0.491	0.222	0.273	0.343

Some names from the list that may warrant some further study include:

• Brett Lawrie - Blue Jays
• Alejandro De Aza - White Sox
• Andruw Jones - Yankees
• Jason Kipnis - Indians
• Salvador Perez - Royals
• Desmond Jennings - Rays
• Brennan Boesch - Tigers
• Shelly Duncan - Indians

BBA: Stan Musial Award

This is the official ballot of the Fantasy Chapter of the Baseball Bloggers Associations' vote for the Stan Musial Award which recognizes the Top Player in both the American League and the National League.

American League

1. Jose Bautista
2. Jacoby Ellsbury
3. Miguel Cabrera
4. Dustin Pedroia
5. Curtis Granderson
6. Justin Verlander
7. Adrian Gonzalez
8. Ian Kinsler
9. Alex Gordon
10. Melky Cabrera

National League

1. Matt Kemp
2. Ryan Braun
3. Prince Fielder
4. Joey Votto
5. Justin Upton
6. Troy Tulowitski
7. Albert Pujols
8. Jose Reyes
9. Hunter Pence
10. Lance Berkman

You can check out member blog opinions on these great sites:

Dear Mr. Fantasy
Roto Think Tank

BBA: Walter Johnson Award

This is the official ballot of the Fantasy Chapter of the Baseball Bloggers Association's Walter Johnson Award, given to each season's best pitcher.

National League:
1. Roy Halladay
2. Clayton Kershaw
3. Cliff Lee
4. Cole Hamels
5. Madison Bumgarner

American League:
1. Justin Verlander
2. C.C. Sabathia
3. Jered Weaver
4. James Shields
5. C.J. Wilson

See our member opinions:

Dear Mr. Fantasy
Roto Think Tank

BBA: Willie Mays Award

This is the official ballot of the Fantasy Chapter of the Baseball Bloggers Association for the Willie Mays award, given to the best rookie in each league.

National League
1. Craig Kimbrel
2. Freddie Freeman
3. Cory Luebke

American League
1. Eric Hosmer
2. Jeremy Hellickson
3. Ivan Nova

You can see other member votes on these sites:

Dear Mr. Fantasy

BBA: Connie Mack Award Ballot

The official Connie Mack Ballot of the Fantasy Chapter of the BBA reads as follows:

American League:
1. Joe Maddon
2. Ron Washington
3. Jim Leyland

National League:
1. Kirk Gibson
2. Ron Roenicke
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Dear Mr. Fantasy
The Sporting Hippeaux

Hanley Ramirez Injury Impacts 2012 Season

Hanley Ramirez's injured shoulder needs surgery. He could potentially miss up to six months which makes it possible he will not be available to start the 2012 season.

Hardball Talk

According to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, the Marlins’ medical staff has recommended surgery for shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who has been bothered by an unstable shoulder since attempting a diving catch in early August. No exact date has been set for the procedure, but it should take place within a week.

The recovery time could last anywhere from four to six months, meaning Ramirez might not be ready for the start of spring training next February and could even miss the start of the 2012 regular season.

Trayvon Robinson: Coming Up on Friday?

If this is true, grab him...

Trayvon Robinson will replace Greg Halman on the Mariners roster, Ryan Divish of The News Tribune tweeted Thursday.

Divish cited two “well-placed and well-informed” sources in a later blog post.

The team optioned outfielder Greg Halman to Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday and said they would make an announcement Friday about his replacement.

Robinson, 23, was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend in the Erik Bedard trade.

The Jimenez Deal

I've read a few smart people this morning say the Indians made a mistake trading for Ubaldo Jimenez yesterday. Their arguments are sound, mostly based on Ubaldo not being the pitcher he seemed to be in the first half of the 2010 season, and the Indians' mediocre record since their fantastic start to this season.

I understand what they mean. But a few points in defense of the Cleveland Indians need to be made.

First, Jimenez is not just a potential ace, he is signed for the next three seasons at a very reasonable price. Jimenez is also a much better pitcher away from Coors Field. The effect of pitching in Coors is not what it used to be but it is still one of the worst parks for pitchers in baseball. Eric Karabell pointed out this morning the Jimenez has a better xFIP this season (3.49) than he did last year (3.60). So away from Coors there is a decent chance his numbers rebound for the better.

Second, the Indians have a fan-base that has at times felt betrayed by the team ownership. They traded away players that were fan favorites and great players besides. a park that was once packed every night has had a lot of empty seats. giving up a few prospects from a loaded farm system to win back the fans is more than worth it if you want to have a successful organization. It can't be about just pleasing the number crunchers (I'm one) because at some point you have to please your customers.

I plan to make a reasonable bid on Jimenez in my AL-only league, It would be more if I were actually contending, but I'm hoping to acquire and trade him for a couple of keepers.

BBA: 2011 All-Star Selections

The Baseball Bloggers Association annually select their own All-Stars. They've been popping up all over the internet the last couple of weeks. Here are links to a couple of fantasy blogs and my own picks.

Dear Mr. Fantasy - National League

Dear Mr. Fantasy - American League

Colorado Springs Fantasy Baseball Addict

Bleacher GM

American League

Catcher - Alex Avila - This season has been great so far, but I think 2012 will be the real breakout.

First Base - Adrian Gonzalez - The best player in baseball this season, an almost certain MVP.

Second Base - Robinson Cano - Dustin Pedroia may be the slightly better player this year, but not for fantasy purposes, in most leagues anyway.

Shortstop - Asdrubal Cabrera - I was starting to think. he'd never get it together but he certainly has this season.

Third Base - Alex Rodriguez - He's back! The four stolen bases give him a slight edge over Adrian Beltre.

Left Field - Alex Gordon - Finally! How much did you pay for him? Did you just pick him up on waivers? You lucky dog!

Center Field - Curtis Granderson - The batting average isn't great, but this season, fantasy owners have nothing to complain about when it comes to the Yankees center fielder.

Right Field - Jose Bautista - He's faded from his incredible start to the season (how could he not?) but is still the most valuable keeper in most AL-only leagues.

Designated Hitter - David Ortiz - Victor Martinez has had quite a season but he just doesn't have the oomf that Ortiz provides. What's oomf? Homeruns, baby.

Pauly's Pickups of the Week: Stolen Bases Come onto the Market

Not a lot of time to discuss things this week, but there have been a couple of recent moves that have probably created a surplus of stolen bases on your league's waiver wire.

Angel Pagan has just been activated by the Mets and already has a stolen base to his credit; and Eric Young has been recalled (finally) by the Rockies.

Pagan was likely dropped in all shallow leagues and a good bit of mixed leagues after he stumbled mightily out of the gate, but now it's a fresh start in a sort of can't-lose situation. He hit sixth in the order in his debut from the disabled list, which means some RBI opportunities as well if it lasts.

Young has or will soon have dual 2B/OF eligibility in all leagues, as the Rockies are playing him in center field for the struggling Dexter Fowler. I will assume he will also see some playing time in the infield after Jose Lopez was finally and mercifully cut from the roster. I think Fowler and Jonathan Herrera will see a decrease in playing time.

Both of these guys are capable of stealing 20-plus from here on out... so if you have the need, they have the speed! Good luck!

Jose Bautista, Best of the Best?

Wow.

Last night Jose Bautista hit his 17th and 18th homeruns of the season. His fantastic start to this season has kicked off (ouch, sorry Football Fans) a debate not on whether he is for real (no longer much doubt about that) but if Bautista might be the best player in MLB! I'm not quiteready to take the title from Albert Pujols just yet. But I have to admit, Bautista is looking a lot like Pujols' Buster Douglas.

As of this writing, Bautista is hitting .364/.509/.841 with 18 homers, 37 runs, 31 RBI, and even five stolen bases. This complemented by a 22.2 percent walk rate, and just a 15.9 strikeout percentage. His .323 BABIP is high (a career high for him) but not not so high you might start calling him absurdly lucky or anything. Obviously, you'll have a tough time adding him to your fantasy team if you haven't already. If you own him he is no doubt worth whatever you paid.

A few Bautista links followed by other links you may be interested to read.

Is Jose Bautista the Best Hitter in the AL?
Essentially what it comes down to is how much weight you put on the most recent performance. If you think Bautista’s eight month power binge is evidence that he’s a changed hitter, then it’s hard to get away from the conclusion that he has passed Miguel Cabrera and is now the best hitter in the American League. More conservative types might want to see him keep this up a little bit longer before making drastic changes in their evaluations. I’m not sure either side has enough evidence to be clearly right or wrong, honestly.

José Bautista breaks down a life-changing home run, explaining the power swing that’s made him a star

“Last year was magical for me,” he says, settling by his locker in Dunedin, as footage of his homer loads on a laptop. “I made a lot of adjustments and some other things fell into place.” But to count among the perennial greats—that’s been his dream since he was five years old. “You have one great season,” he says with a smile. “Why wouldn’t you want to repeat it?”

Long-toss debate shakes up MLB draft

The Owasso, Okla., native surged to the head of the high school class this year thanks to a fastball that reached 100 mph this season, a beyond-his-years cutter and the sort of mature approach scouts believe can land him in the major leagues by 2013. Dylan Bundy’s ascent toward the end of the spring sent him to the top of at least one American League team’s draft board, according to a scouting director, and Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein called him the top talent available.

Eric Hosmer And The Gathering Horde

The argument for Eric Hosmer, though, is simply that he was dominating Triple-A to such an extent that he simply had nothing left to learn against minor league pitching, and keeping him in the minors would hinder his development. Most hitting prospects – even most top hitting prospects – are not finished products as rookies. Yes, there’s a chance that Hosmer is Albert Pujols, who was one of the five best players in baseball on his first day in the major leagues – but more likely than not, he’ll be a better player as a sophomore than he is as a rookie. The more reps he gets this year against major league pitching, the more likely he is to go off on the league next year – and next year, the Royals will want their best team on the field from day one, because next year their playoff odds figure to be a lot higher than 10%.

Updates on Strasburg, Ankiel, Wang, Perez
Stephen Strasburg was in Washington yesterday for a scheduled check-up with Nationals orthopedist Wiemi Douoguih and will begin throwing off a bullpen mound "any day now," according to general manager Mike Rizzo.

This Just In: The Mariners Suck!

For a season and a good part of two months, the Mariners have had pitching and known what they lacked - offense. So they broke camp this year with Milton Bradley batting third and Jack Cust at DH. Now Miguel Olivo has batted cleanup and so has journeyman infielder Adam Kennedy. Chone Figgins has been, as the Cleveland broadcast team said last week, "a bitter disappointment."
Fixing the Royals Lineup...

You may recall that when Eric Hosmer was called up, I suggested that he bat leadoff. This led to a discussion with Nate Bukaty and Steven St. John on 810 WHB, with Nate suggesting that for clubhouse reasons it wasn’t practical to lead off with Hosmer, but that you might be able to do it with Alex Gordon. Which was fine with me. At this stage of their careers, Hosmer and Gordon are pretty similar offensive players – left-handed hitters who can hit for a good average, will take a walk, and have power to the gaps if not to the bleachers, and while neither one is a threat for 40 steals, they both have the speed to take the extra base and occasionally catch the opponents napping with a steal.

Sean Burroughs Returns to MLB
Son of former major leaguer Jeff Burroughs, who hit 240 home runs and was AL MVP in 1974, the younger Burroughs led his team to Little League World Series titles in 1992 and 1993. By the time he was 18, he was nearly his dad's size at 6-2, 200, and when he was selected ninth overall in the 1998 draft, he turned down an offer to play college ball at USC to sign with the Padres.