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
3. Bruce Bochy

You can find our member opinions here:

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.

Pauly’s Pickup of the Week: The Elusive Third Baseman

I’m sure I’m not the only one in this situation: I have lost Pablo Sandoval (or Ryan Zimmerman or David Wright or David Freese…you get the idea), and the landscape of replacement third basemen is TERRIBLE!

This couldn’t be more true for my mixed league team. I lost Sandoval, and my only third base eligible backup is Pedro Alvarez, who, as you may know already, pretty much stinks. In my desperate search for a third baseman, I have started (comically in some cases) Ian Stewart and Ty Wigginton. As I have learned from that experiment, never try to predict a Jim Tracy move, because the guy is LaRussa-like in his decision making.

So here I am again, stuck with no legitimate third baseman, and staring at a dearth of talent on the wire.

Or am I?

Here are some recommendations among third basemen with a middle to low owned percentage in the CBS player universe. I don’t know that all of the will be available in your league, but one or two of them probably will…

Scott Rolen (54% owned): I have a claim in for Mr. Rolen this week, and hopefully I can land him to take the place of Wigginton, who I recommended last week (that also means I have a very low waiver claim, so pray for me haha). Since coming back to the Reds from the DL on May 13, Rolen has 10 hits in 23 ABs with a run scored in nearly every contest. I wouldn’t want to be holding Rolen at the end of the season (his numbers steadily decrease with time every year), but he is exactly the type of guy that can help you big while your superstar 3B is injured mid-season....now can someone explain why Jim Tracy has batted Wigginton a grand total of FOUR times this week? Arrrgh!

Wilson Betemit (33% owned): He isn’t exactly tearing the cover off the ball right now, but he is hitting a respectable .258 over the last two weeks. A solid, if not unspectacular stopgap, Betemit is fully capable of stringing together a bunch of big hits for the Royals.

Justin Turner (12% owned): The Mets had moved Turner into the starting lineup at second base, and he will likely slide over to third base with the David Wright injury. He ranks sixth among all third baseman over the last two weeks after hitting .382 with a HR and 12 RBI. When Wright comes back, Turner will probably slide back over to second base, and by that time he will be far more than 12 percent owned.

Jerry Hairston (3% owned): Hairston has seen the bulk of playing time at third base while Zimmerman recovers for the Nationals, but his super utility role should provide him with plenty at-bats once Zimm returns. Yes, Hairston is hitting .229 for the season, but in the last two weeks he ranks 12th among third basemen with a .315 average with one HR and one SB.

Two to avoid:
Jack Hannahan (27% owned): He was on the most added lists a few weeks back, but Hannahan has pretty much proven that he cannot contribute much in the important counting stats like Runs and RBI even when he is running good for the Indians.

Emilio Bonifacio (11% owned): Ever since manager Edwin Rodriguez moved Bonifacio to the No. 2 hole for the Marlins, he has been in a tremendous slump. Now that he is no longer batting there, Bonifacio is still in a terrible slump, with just 6 hits in his last 10 games. Plus, he isn’t using his best asset – his speed – by stealing any bases (zero steals in May, 2 steals for the whole season).

Two on the farm:
Mike Moustakas: If Betemit falters, the Royals have already shown they have no qualms bringing their young prospects up to the bigs (see Eric Hosmer and Danny Duffy). Moustakas is hitting .275 with 8 HR and a .514 SLG% at AAA Omaha this year.

Lonnie Chisenhall: Baseball America ranked him the #25 prospect in baseball in the preseason, and he only has Hannahan standing in his way. Chisenhall has been hitting well of late in AAA Columbus, and boasts a .282 average with 23 RBI this season.

WORTH A BID?

I heartily concur with Pauly's Picks this week, but there are a few other players I'm looking at as potential free agent pickups, so in the spirit of sharing, here they are:

Jamey Wright - Depending upon the structure of your league and how liberal the free agent policy is, Wright may be worth a bid. In my 15-team mixed, we have a $100 FAAB, and we use the Vickrey auction format, which makes a modest bid a decent play. As of this writing, Eric Wedge says he is sticking with League, but that could easily change. There looks to be a decent chance that Aardsma will not be back at all, which makes Wright even more attractive.

Marc Rzepczynski - I think this guy is a good play in deep "only" leagues, regardless of whether they are keeper leagues or redraft leagues. He has been pitching very well in relief, and I suspect he will wind up in the rotation by the end of the year. I even like him in mixed keeper leagues, where he can probably be picked up for a couple of bucks and could be a potential freeze for 2012.

Laynce Nix, Endy Chavez - These guys have been sitting on waiver wires and free agency lists in many leagues, and there is a chance they can provide you some short term help. Nix should get plenty of at bats for the Nats, at least for a while, and he has been displaying good power and hitting for a good average so far. As for Chavez, many have forgotten he's still in baseball. He's a little long in the tooth, but still has some wheels. The Rangers look like a MASH unit, so Endy should get a good bit of PT and may swipe a few bags for you. Just don't break the piggy bank to grab him.

Louis Coleman - I know that Soria has been one of the safest bets around for the last few seasons, but I like this guy and would not be surprised to see him get a few more save opportunities, despite what management is saying.

Will Rhymes - A terrible start got him sent down, but if your league lets you FAAB guys in the minors, he's not a bad gamble in an "only" league if you have a place to stash him. The guy has absolutely no pop, but he has a good eye and some speed. He could be back up with the big club before long.

So, just a few nuggets. I'll probably be throwing a few ducats at some of these guys myself before the weekend is over.

Good luck and have fun!

Some Trade Advice...

Hey I was searching google for fantasy baseball trade analyzers and ran across your article: http://www.advancedfantasybaseball.com/2009/05/ten-fantasy-baseball-trade-secrets.html. It said email you, so whether you still are around to help, we will see.

I give: kershaw and ellsbury

I get: hanson and J.Upton

My team is: My team looks like: Avila, Youkilis, Philips, Mcgehee, Tulo, Mccutch, Ellsbury, Stanton, Davis(rajai), Lomo... Would this trade be sideways?

I lead in Hrs, rbis and am in sixth for SB. Would Justin Upton power/speed combo be much better than Ellsbury superspeed?

It seems like you have a bunch of stolen base guys already - McCutch, Ellsbury, and Rajai Davis, so I'm actually a little surprised you are leading in homers and just sixth is sbs. If we ignore the stats, it seems like Upton's power is something your squad could use. On the other hand I believe Kershaw and Ellsbury to be a superior pair to Hanson and Upton.

Hanson's roto stats look slightly better than Kerhsaw's at the moment but not by much and I am still confident that Kerhsaw is the slightly better pitcher. Ellsbury is the better hitter for average and steals more bases and is also developing some power. Upton has far superior potential but has underachieved much like his brother. I love Upton and keep hoping for a breakout, but I don't think I'd deal Ellsbury for Upton.

I would suggest you find a better, more typical, speed for power deal. Something along the lines of Rajai Davis for Adam Dunn (who is hitting well of late).

Pauly's Pickups of the Week: Ty Wigginton & Vicente Padilla

This just in fantasy baseball managers: Ian Stewart SUCKS!! And so does Jose Lopez!!

And that's why Ty Wigginton is a great pickup right now. Unless you are playing in a 20-man league, or your league has unlimited DL spots, or you are in a deep NL league, odds are that Mr. Wigginton is available.

He is finishing up a rehab assignment right now and will likely rejoin the Rockies this weekend. And manager Jim Tracy -- much like the rest of the fantasy baseball community -- has had it up to HERE with the joke that Stewart has become...and the never-was that Lopez really is. Wigginton is the only guy on the team with enough talent to make an impact at third base - especially with the speculation that Stewart is heading back to AAA with Ty's promotion.

If you own Ian Stewart (like me), your only prayer is for a change of scenery (a trade, not AAA), because it looks like he has truly worn out his welcome in Colorado. What a shame, the kid has some talent -- but that's what an .067 batting average will get you.

Wigginton has 20 HR potential from here on out -- and as I said, very little competition for playing time. He will be picked off most wires before the end of next week, so grab him now.

As for Padilla, just look up recent news on Jonathan Broxton or Hong-Chih Kuo and you will realize that there is nobody but old (and I do mean old) Vicente closing games in Los Angeles these days. It probably won't last, but much like the last few weeks' recommended pitchers, cheap saves are a valuable commodity.

And just as a side note, if you are struggling to find saves, have you noticed that every week a new guy emerges with save potential? Truth is, closer is the most volatile position in baseball (well, maybe outside of manager lol) -- and just about every week will produce a new player earning saves. The morals: dont pay too much for saves on draft day; and stay on top of the closing situations league-wide. This is the easiest position for you to go out and "right the ship."

Good luck!

The Best Pitchers of 2011 so far...

There are a lot of names we've come to expect at the topof this list- Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Tim Linececum. Some we hoped would finally get here like Jered Weaver,Dan Haren and Josh Johnson. However there are a handfulof names that may surprise you (and maybe even their fantasy owners),I won't ruin the surprise, look at it below.

Name	Team	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	WHIP	BABIP	ERA	xFIP	tERA
Roy Halladay	Phillies	9.62	1.18	0.17	0.98	0.308	2.19	2.14	1.72
Matt Garza	Cubs	11.69	2.62	0.20	1.37	0.388	4.43	2.04	2.61
Cliff Lee	Phillies	11.65	1.36	0.78	1.17	0.355	3.69	2.11	2.72
Dan Haren	Angels	8.74	1.25	0.47	0.85	0.244	1.87	2.8	1.88
Jered Weaver	Angels	8.58	2.03	0.31	0.90	0.243	1.87	3.12	2.48
Tim Lincecum	Giants	10.84	3.04	0.38	1.08	0.289	2.47	2.39	2.44
Josh Johnson	Marlins	8.57	2.79	0.19	0.85	0.212	1.68	2.95	2.21
Jaime Garcia	Cardinals	8.74	2.18	0.40	0.97	0.263	1.99	2.59	2.58
Brandon McCarthy	Athletics	5.44	1.45	0.18	1.25	0.321	3.26	3.38	2.91
Tim Stauffer	Padres	6.75	1.96	0.22	1.16	0.299	2.61	2.99	2.99
Michael Pineda	Mariners	9.16	2.82	0.47	1.07	0.270	2.58	3.33	2.48
Daniel Hudson	Diamondbacks	8.73	2.64	0.41	1.26	0.331	4.47	3.32	2.99
Felix Hernandez	Mariners	8.10	2.38	0.48	1.11	0.283	3.02	2.89	3.09
Derek Lowe	Braves	8.26	2.82	0.40	1.25	0.313	3.22	2.98	2.81
Jair Jurrjens	Braves	5.00	1.50	0.25	1.08	0.278	1.5	3.37	3.3
Cole Hamels	Phillies	9.25	2.08	0.76	0.99	0.267	2.83	2.57	3.14
Jordan Zimmermann	Nationals	5.18	1.94	0.22	1.25	0.298	4.1	4.07	2.64
Tim Hudson	Braves	4.65	1.43	0.18	0.95	0.244	2.86	3.47	2.34
Tommy Hanson	Braves	9.00	2.41	0.66	1.02	0.262	2.63	2.94	3.08
CC Sabathia	Yankees	7.47	3.06	0.34	1.34	0.311	2.89	3.42	3.71
Justin Masterson	Indians	6.51	2.49	0.19	1.17	0.295	2.11	3.44	2.59
Trevor Cahill	Athletics	7.74	2.75	0.52	1.09	0.257	1.72	2.91	3.36
Jason Marquis	Nationals	5.95	1.60	0.46	1.32	0.326	3.66	3.21	3.17
Josh Beckett	Red Sox	7.94	2.58	0.60	0.88	0.211	1.99	3.25	3.15
Travis Wood	Reds	8.12	2.84	0.61	1.47	0.356	5.28	3.49	4.32
Brandon Beachy	Braves	9.57	2.34	0.85	0.97	0.245	2.98	3.13	3.23
Brett Anderson	Athletics	6.47	1.48	0.55	1.13	0.297	2.77	2.85	2.88
C.J. Wilson	Rangers	7.67	2.88	0.48	1.26	0.299	3.36	3.43	3.83
Bud Norris	Astros	10.97	2.95	1.05	1.27	0.321	3.16	2.66	3.02
Shaun Marcum	Brewers	8.66	2.47	0.82	1.03	0.248	2.06	3.27	3.07
Chris Narveson	Brewers	8.54	3.00	0.69	1.36	0.325	4.38	3.03	3.89
James Shields	Rays	7.38	2.01	0.67	0.93	0.234	2.01	3.2	3.14
Ian Kennedy	Diamondbacks	7.40	2.40	0.60	1.11	0.265	3.8	3.46	3.92
Doug Fister	Mariners	5.74	2.55	0.21	1.46	0.348	3.4	4.17	3.44
Jorge de la Rosa	Rockies	8.79	3.56	0.63	1.12	0.246	3.14	3.4	3.55

Pauly's Pickups of the Week: Mike Fontenot & Mark Melancon

I know, not the sexiest pickups of the week...but wait, look at these numbers:

Since taking over as the starting third baseman for the not-as-fat Panda in San Francisco on April 30, Mike Fontenot is hitting .350 with hits in 5 of 6 games. He has a steal, a homer and 4 RBI. Back in the pre-season, I highlighted Fontenot as a guy who could put up decent numbers if given a chance at an everyday role, and he hasn't disappointed yet.

I'm not saying everyone should stampede each other trying to sign Fontenot, but he definitely should not be available in NL-Only leagues. He will put up a decent cheap mix of steals, and possibly some more power -- he has batted third in the SF lineup since Tuesday and has all 4 RBI in that span.

Another player who will benefit from a recent injury is Mark Melancon, who is taking over at closer in Houston for the injured Brandon Lyon. Once again, here is a guy who I have not really seen pitch, but he is someone who will be scooped up in just about every competitive league by this weekend.

Unlike the ridiculous situation in St. Louis where Tony LaRussa is once again effing with the greater fantasy baseball community, the situation is much more clear-cut in Houston. Melancon is a Tommy John survivor (missed all of 2007 as a Yankees farmhand), and came over to the Astros in the Lance Berkman deal last year. He has already been officially "named" the closer, and he has proven he can handle somewhat-pressurized situations - 3 holds with a sub-2.00 ERA.

Sure, he might not be getting a ton of chances, but when you need saves, you'll take em from anywhere....won't you? And since he hasn't posted a save yet, he may be flying under the radar in your league right now. This is where you take advantage of the people who don't constantly read player/team updates -- and believe me, odds are there are quite a few in your league.

MAY IS HERE...WHERE IS YOUR TEAM?

The drafts and auctions are over. Other than checking boxscores every hour or two, what should we do now?

A lot of owners say just let them play awhile. But that’s second division thinking. There are a couple of ways you can help your squad improve right now. Both take a considerable amount of effort, but can yield substantial results.


Step 1: Many leagues provide the opportunity for owners to add new players to their rosters, either by free agent purchases or waiver claims. Some leagues allow you to pick up anyone from your fantasy league web site, while others require that a player be active before you can bid on him or claim him. Either way, it's a good idea to study the free agent list very thoroughly.

The time to get a player at a good price is before he pops up on everyone's radar. There are usually signs that an excellent opportunity is about to take place. If it looks like a player is scuffling so badly that the club may send him down, someone stands to pick up that playing time. It might be a fourth outfielder moved into a full-time job, or it might be the guy tearing up AAA who almost made the team out of Spring Training.

Take Casper Wells as an example. It may be that the only thing keeping him from playing every day is Austin Jackson, who has been terrible so far. If Wells hasn't already been taken in your league, he might be a good speculative play, given his combination of power and speed.

On the pitching side, anticipating a change in the way a reliever is used can bring rewards. For those of you in keeper leagues, an investment of a buck or two could have netted you a great freeze in Joel Hanrahan.

Another example is Fernando Salas. The owners who grabbed last week (or who might grab him this week) are optimistic, as he has now picked up two saves for the Cardinals.


Step 2: If you haven't already done so, it can be a good idea to analyze the rosters of every other owner. Doing so will show you where the other owners have weak areas which need to be improved, as well as areas of surplus from which they might deal. I make notes of my impressions of each of the other teams, and pull out those notes when a trade opportunity comes along.

Many owners just aren't very proactive when it comes to trading. The odds of making a deal with one of these passive owners can be increased significantly if you can demonstrate how your trade proposal can help his team. "You have plenty of pop on your roster, probably the most in the league. It looks like you could use a little speed, though. How about I give you X for Y. X might be good for three or four points in the standings, since stolen base totals are so closely grouped". It never fails to amaze me how many trade offers I receive that would do absolutely nothing to make my squad better. My usual response is "How would this help my team?"


Step 3: Even though every owner knows that it is still April, there's still a psychological tendency for some owners to hit the panic button when three or four of their players are hitting .160, or their team ERA is over 6.00 and rising. This can create some excellent opportunities to help your squad. I realize that everyone says "buy low" and "sell high", but doing so successfully requires finding the player who is badly under-performing now, but who should get it rolling any time.

Buying low also requires finesse. If your approach makes it obvious you are looking for a motivated seller, you may frighten away your prey. Similarly, if you are trying to trade away your $5 outfielder who is playing like an MVP, but is bound to come down to earth soon, be careful how you approach. Everyone has a different approach to trading, and sometimes the approach which is best depends upon owner across the trading table.


In summary, a vigilant owner can help his team this time of year. Lineups and pitching staffs are still shaking out. A free agent you buy now can help you for five more months, as opposed to a player purchased in August. Stay calm, but if others around you are growing impatient with their players, be ready to step in with a trade offer.

Well, that's it for this week's article. I hope your teams have gotten off to a good start, but if they have stumbled out of the gate, there are ways to get them back on track.

Good luck, and have fun!

Pauly's Pickups of the Week: Ryan Roberts & Sergio Santos

I am drinking the Kool Aid. I am a believer. This is a storybook kind of player. His name is Ryan Roberts. While the Diamondbacks were desperately looking for a third baseman in the offseason, and settled with an aging (to put it kindly) Melvin Mora...little did they know that there was a home-grown guy ready to step it up.

So is this guy ready for the big time? Will there be a typical baseball movie deal in his future? Let's see:
"In 2003, Baseball America analyst John Manuel described Roberts as the best player on the University of Texas at Arlington's squad which also included Hunter Pence."
"On August 3, 2006, Roberts connected on a solo home run in Yankee Stadium for his first major league hit in his second ever major league game."
"hit .290 in 2009 in his first true major league regular job at the age of 28, taking over the everyday second baseman's job around midseason....and tore up August with a .352 average and 4 HR."
"Stunk it up in 2010 and spent most of his time in Reno."

Sounds like a decent script to me. In any case, this guy has shown in the past that he can hit in the majors. He is extremely versatile (he is eligible at nearly every position in one of my leagues), has decent power and decent speed. I'm calling 2010 Roberts' wake-up call, and now he is taking advantage of his chance. And finally, there is no way Melvin Mora is going to stand in his way any longer this season.

Now it is true, I should have posted this last week....but family obligations, etc. etc. But if Roberts is still out there, take the shot -- he is still only 50% owned on CBS.

Sergio Santos....I'm going to be honest, I have only seen him pitch once or twice. But when you are trolling for cheap saves, it means jumping now on guys you know you probably won't have on your roster for a very long time. That means biting the bullet and signing Darren Oliver for two weeks (has anyone played for more major league teams?).

It also means taking a shot on Santos, who has converted two straight saves in the back of the murky ChiSox bullpen -- and I think he has yet to piss off Ozzie Guillen, so roll with it while it lasts!

Definitely helps that when you check out his last 7 game log, Santos has posted goose eggs all the way down the dreaded ER column...and that's how you don't piss off Ozzie, and that's how you move up in the standings.

Good luck!

Links You May Find Interesting

Whither Clay Buchholz’s Fastball?

Something is clearly off with Buchholz if he is seeing nearly a three mph drop from the end of last year, but last year’s velocity increase throughout the season is encouraging news for anyone concerned that his fastball is gone and never coming back.

Frank McCourt to make longshot pitch to league officials

The result of that meeting could determine whether McCourt proceeds with legal action against Commissioner Bud Selig, but one longtime major league executive said Tuesday he is convinced nothing McCourt might say could sway Selig from moving toward new ownership of the Dodgers.

Still No Joe Mauer?

Today, Joe Mauer should be coming off the DL. He’s not. We don’t know why. We don’t know why he went on the DL in the first place, because after 2 weeks, it seems unlikely that it was just the flu. We don’t know what the specialist in Baltimore told him. And we don’t know what needs to happen for him to return, or how long that will be. I’m starting to wonder if anyone in the Twins does know.

24 Consecutive Games With A Hit Makes ESPN's Karabell Notice Ethier

Fantasy owners have a tendency to assume that a player performing above and beyond his past history early in a season is an automatic sell-high option. But in the case of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier, who is in the midst of an April-record hitting streak (extended to 24 games Wednesday!), I'm not so sure that's the case. In March, I recommended numerous Dodgers as bounce-back choices, led by Matt Kemp, Ethier and Rafael Furcal and, to a lesser degree, James Loney and Jonathan Broxton (OK, so that's not working out), but as I watch Either hit against the Florida Marlins on Wednesday afternoon, I'm reminded that he can flat-out hit, and he looks versatile at the plate, stinging line drives all over the field.

Segura and Trout Continue to Break Out

Meanwhile, Jean Segura persists in simply dominating Cal League pitching, and launched his first two HRs Wednesday night with the 66ers in a 17 hit onslaught against the Mavericks in High Desert. This was coupled with two stolen bases to give him eight bags on the young season. Segura, who turned 21 in March, has made the transition to shortstop effortlessly, with only a single error in the first 18 games.

The Jose Bautista Cleanup Project

While more and more opponents may be intimidated of facing Jose Bautista, is it possible the Blue Jays aren't maximizing his potential by batting him in the three slot? On any other team, their best hitter would be hitting cleanup, but Bautista remains hitting third.

Are you enjoying the NBA Playoffs?

Oklahoma's Stars Have Words

Don’t get me wrong, Westbrook is a fantastic player, and at 22 he’s going to be one for a long time. But he’s a fantastic player with a Colorado-sized chip on his shoulder, and his quest to leave his imprint on every possession of every game often takes him racing past the nuances that could make him a better point guard and a better basketball player.

How the Grizzlies Came to Be

The process of returning the Grizzlies to respectability began in the summer of 2008 when the team traded for the draft rights to both O.J. Mayo and Darrell Arthur. To get Mayo’s rights they had to trade the rights to Kevin Love, but even though Love is currently the better player, Mayo has been a solid contributor to this year’s team. Arthur was disappointing in his first two seasons with the team, but has emerged as an athletic, energy guy off the bench for Memphis this season and is in the conversation for Most Improved Player.

The Season Thus Far...

It has been a great season so far.

Maybe, they all seem great to me. But I'm having fun watching the game this year. Really enjoying baseball. The Boston Red Sox are fighting their way back to a .500 winning percentage, a feat never accomplished by a team starting 0-6. But we all knew they were better than this. Their starters got off to a rough start but have been lights out lately. Dice-K Matsuzaka has been great in his last couple of starts, truly great, great like the hype said he would be five years ago. The starter that hasn't really come on as expected is Clay Buchholz. But we knew he was not quite what he seemed to be last season. Too much of that bad start is being credited to catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and too much credit for the resurgence has gone to Jason Varitek. If you can afford to hold on to Salty, I would do it. Kevin Youkilis is hitting but not at the levels we know he can reach. Carl Crawford is slumping but has shown signs of emerging lately, he's way too good to give up on.

The Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians are shocking a lot of baseball fans with their hard-fought wins and losses. The Tribe's Jack Hannahan (an unlikely starter at third base by most reckonings) hit two homers last night against those Royals and their staff's number one starter Luke Hochevar. Hochevar has been a mixed bag this season. He has a decent whip but his era is a bit high at this point. Stick with him if you have nothing to lose or you can stash him against certain teams. But he is the kind of pitcher that will frustrate you over the course of the season. I have my eye on every player these two teams call up, because their best players have yet to arrive.

A ton of great players haven't really hit their rhythm yet. Albert Pujols has shown signs of breaking through his funk lately only to suffer a mild hamstring pull. Josh Hamilton is injured (again) and after a great start Nelson Cruz is slowing down a bit more than we like to see. Mark Teixeira also tried to break his slow start trend but hasn't really delivered the batting average. But it could be worse...

The Most Disappointing Ten (by fWAR) Thus Far

1. Raul Ibanez OF Phillies - He's losing at-bats to John Mayberry Jr.
2. Carl Crawford OF Red Sox - He'll be fine.
3. Aubrey Huff 1B/OF Giants - Is he back to that every odd year thing?
4. Juan Pierre OF White Sox - So much for speed never slumping...
5. Alex Rios OF White Sox - Now you know why the ChiSox are struggling to score runs...
6. James Loney 1B Dodgers - The man Jerry Sands will eventually force to be traded.
7. Chris Johnson 3B Astros - I'm shocked.
8. Miguel Tejada SS Giants - No, he doesn't have much left but he's still better than this.
9. Nick Markakis OF Orioles - He'll probably never be what we hoped, but trade for him now.
10. Brett Gardner OF Yankees - Supposedly his swing is messed up. I'm a little worried.

and so we're not dwelling on the negative...

The Best of the Best Thus Far... (another Top Ten by fWAR)

1. Jose Bautista 3B Blue Jays - Now do you believe?
2. Joey Votto 1B Reds - MVP, MVP, MVP!
3. Troy Tulowitski SS Rockies - I thought those picking him 2nd overall would be disappointed, opps...
4. Matt Holliday OF Cardinals - "I don't need no damn rehab games or time off!"
5. Howie Kendrick 2B Angels - Finally!
6. Ryan Braun OF Brewers - Already rewarded with a new contract. Groundball hitter...HAH!
7. Curtis Granderson OF Yankees - Ok, coach you fixed Grandy but you screwed up Jeter and Gardner!
8. Colby Rasmus OF Cardinals - This might be the season he puts it all together.
9. Matt Kemp OF Dodgers - I never doubted you, buddy!
10. Andre Ethier OF Dodgers - Outfielders are ready, just need an owner.

In case you care, I've not been well lately. Nothing tragic, but I've been exhausted. Too much so to do much more than work my crazy stressful day job and deal with my four hours of commuting back and forth. I hope you've enjoyed reading Pauly and Lucky's work, I'm praying they'll stick around. But this site isn't going anywhere but up and to better places in the future.

Pauly's Pickup of the Week: Nick Hundley

OK I may be a tiny bit biased about this one, but here's my case.

Back on draft day, I put Hundley up for auction as my second nominee at my 10-team NL-only auction. I put him up for a dollar, since I only bid $1 for catchers, just to see what would happen. Would it become a nightmare when low-ranked guys like Hundley actually went for more than a dollar? Well, it wouldn't, because I put up Hundley and all I heard were crickets.

So, I landed him for a buck, but I wasn't that worried. Hundley was tearing the cover off the ball in spring training, he is the magic age of 27, and he has three good years under his belt with a steadily progressing OPS.

Catcher, as a fantasy position, is the closest thing to a barren wasteland of contributors as you can get, and most people are just trying to find a guy that wont hurt them, as opposed to helping them. With a guy like Hundley, you can likely have your cake and eat it too -- at least the way he is raking right now.

Needless to say, Hundley has already earned his dollar this season, batting .361 and slugging .639 through his first 11 games. Let's compare that to the 12 catchers who were picked before him (excluding the big-money guys, who, outside of McCann, Hundley is outperforming anyway).

Hundley: .361 avg 2 HR 1.081 OPS

1. Geovany Soto: .220 avg 1 HR .646 OPS
2. Miguel Montero: .444 avg 2 HR 1.262 OPS
3. Mike Napoli: .333 avg 3 HR 1.312 OPS
4. Matt Wieters: .212 avg 1 HR .661 OPS
5. Yadier Molina: .189 avg 0 HR .539 OPS
6. Carlos Ruiz: .351 avg 2 HR .982 OPS
7. Kurt Suzuki: .186 avg 1 HR .581 OPS
8. Jorge Posada: .189 avg 5 HR .825 OPS
9. J.P. Arencibia: .323 avg 2 HR 1.110 OPS
10. Chris Iannetta: .207 1 HR .866 OPS
11. Russell Martin: .289 3 HR .904 OPS
12. John Buck: .217 1 HR .641 OPS

As you can see, of everybody who spent more than you on draft day for a catcher (forget the dudes who banked on McCann, Mauer, Posey, Martinez and Santana -- that's a discussion of craziness for another article), only those who drafted Miguel Montero, J.P. Arencibia and Mike Napoli are feeling as good as Hundley owners right now -- and those owners undoubtedly spent much more at the draft to earn those stats.

Can Hundley keep it up? Sure, a .440 BABIP isn't going to last, but Hundley has already been moved up into the heart of the San Diego lineup (he hit fifth on Thursday), with the rest of the team struggling offensively. The bottom line for me is Hundley is a guy who was trending upward heading into the season, had a great spring training, and is continuing that rise to start the season.

Nick Hundley isn't Carlton Fisk, but if you own some of those guys above, it may be time to consider a change. Go pick up Hundley and pawn dead weight like Wieters or Soto to a less-savvy owner for something that can actually help you in the short- and/or long-term. The longer these high-priced catchers suck, the less time you have to cash in on their perceived value.

My pitcher pick for this week remains Alexi Ogando. Go get him!

Pauly's Pickups of the Week: Brennan Boesch & Alexi Ogando

For all of you who missed out on the Jordan Walden sweepstakes, here are a couple of guys to keep a close eye on (and potentially make a move). I understand that everyone's league is different, but my pickups of the week should apply to your standard 12-team formats.

And if last week's recommendation is any indication, these choices are merely suggestions :)

Hitter of the week: Brennan Boesch OF Det
Those of us who rode the Boesch roller coaster last year know how good it can be when the young outfielder is running hot. They key is to get while the gettin's good -- and now is that time. Why? Because this guy is about as free as a free-swinger can get, which usually translates into the highest of highs and rock-bottom lows.

Boesch hit .342/.397/.593 in the first half last year, was actually snubbed (arguably) from the all-star team, and was leading the AL Rookie of the Year race by a mile. But of course, his ultra-aggressive approach eventually caught up to him, and he hit an almost unbelievable .163/.237/.222 the rest of the way.

As of now, Boesch is getting a lot of playing time, and even opened the season with hits in four of his first five games. Sure, he didnt have any walks in that span, but he does have two free bags in his last three games (albeit with no hits) -- for a guy with only 40 walks in 464 ABs last year, this might actually be an improvement.

In any case, it doesnt hurt to pick up a hot player, and Boesch certainly fits that category right now.

Pitcher of the Week: Alexi Ogando, Tex
Last week I was in Vegas blowing $ with my uncanny ability to pick the wrong side of baseball games -- and during an incredible streak that saw me pick 9 games and win only ONE (ouch), I did happen upon this rookie starting pitcher with the Texas Rangers.

For my bet, I had taken the underdog and much more heralded rookie, Michael Pineda of Seattle, to upset Ogando and the Rangers. But the young Dominican converted outfielder stole the show (and my cash) with a downright nasty fastball that was hitting 95-plus routinely with movement, along with a very good-looking slider and splitter.

Ogando may be a risk, since he does not have extended time pitching (only 112 IP over four years in the minors), is only filling in for Brandon Webb right now (well that's not so bad), and lets face it, the Mariners hitting lineup might be worse than the University of Virginia's.

However, with this kind of electric stuff, be sure to see what Ogando does in his next start, which comes today at 1 p.m. against the Detroit Tigers and Justin Verlander.

UPDATE: Ogando looked awesome today, pitching 7 innings with 4 K, 1 BB, 2 hits allowed and no runs. If Neftali Feliz shuts the door, Mr. Ogando is 2-0 and has himself a pretty decent ERA (that's under 1.00, kids). Mark my words, he will be the hot pickup across fantasy baseball....probably in less than 2 weeks.

Pauly's Pickup of the Week: Takashi Saito

Time to throw out those multi-sheet projections (better yet, recycle them)....it was opening day yesterday, which means it's time to start going on some real numbers.

When you have 6 total MLB games to go on, the player pool for the first pickup of the week is rather thin, but thanks to Ramon Hernandez, it was pretty easy to pick the first one - Brewers RP Takashi Saito.

Heading into the season on those projection sheets, John Axford looked pretty decent -- he was a good strikeout guy last season and was very successful in the closer's role, converting 24 of 27. What a difference a day makes, as the second-year pitcher got utterly torched with an inherited three-run lead, looked bad doing it, and the debacle was capped by a three-run walk-off HR courtesy of the light-hitting Hernandez.

Yes, it is just one game, and yes, Axford only gave up one HR in 58 innings last year, but -- in all honesty -- my eye was on Saito even before this mess.

Saito may be flying under the radar because of his more limited (than he is used to) role with the Braves last season. Even so, he was still extremely effective (2.83 ERA and 1.07 WHIP) -- something that happens with Saito just about every season. Take away his one year with the Red Sox (the year his closer role was stripped away), and the career WHIP is in the 1.05 range.

Let's not forget that Saito was a big-time closer for the Dodgers for three straight years from '06-'09, where he averaged 20-plus saves with some of the best ratios you could hope for; and not only that, but he is also a true contributor in Ks for an RP. Yesterday Saito came into the 8th inning with a 3-run lead and gave up two singles, but he also struck out two and got out of the inning unscathed.

For all Axford accomplished last season, he is still not the most experienced closer on Milwaukee. If you aren't willing to take Saito now for the ERA, WHIP and Ks, you'd best keep an eye on him and Axford in Milwaukee.

I will be on the road in Vegas next Friday, so Pauly's Pickups of the Week will next appear on Monday April 11. From then on, this column will appear on Fridays. --Pauly