By Johan Lang

Buy: David Price

Yes, I realize he is on the DL, but Cy Young award winners don’t magically become average over the course of ¼ of a season. Price has been a victim of bad luck (BABIP is a crazy .345) and  gopheritus (HR/FB rate a full 5% higher) but the rest of his numbers are in line with his career averages. Although his ERA sits at an unsightly 5.24, his FIP rest at 4.01 and his XFIP at 3.51. Buy now while his frustrated owner doesn’t want to wait around for his DL stint to finish.

Sell: Fernando Rodney

He earned a save today and got a vote of confidence from his manager, but that’s about all I can say positive about this guy. Last year was an anomaly as his career ERA rests a shade under 4, which is actually lower than his ERA this season. Maybe it’s just me, but I remember the 10+ years of the mediocre Rodney rather than last year’s version. Regression always tilts towards the mean, and this year is no different, sell at 70 cents on the dollar and be happy with whatever you get.

Hold: Matt Cain

Similar to Price, I still very much believe in Matt Cain. I don’t think you can get fair value by trading him now, and most competitive owners wouldn’t discount a trade to you anyway purely based on name value and past performance, so the best scenario is to hold and expect better days ahead. Personally, I trust the track record, team defense, and ball park enough to still put Cain in my top 15 in any redraft leagues. Although his BABIP is low (never a good sign) and his FIP is in line with his ERA (also not a good sign), I still believe he can outpitch the sabermetrics and be an SP2 rest of the way.

Add: Jurickson Profar

There is no telling how long he will be with the big club, or if he even produces, but he is worth a flier in all leagues now that he is being called up because of Ian Kinsler’s DL stint. Although he didn’t race out to huge start this year, he is still one of the top prospects in all of baseball. Understand that Profar is still just a kid, and this may be the Rangers opportunity to let him get a taste of what major league ball is all about, but based purely on talent and ceiling, he is a flier worth taking. Drop someone of little value, and hope he turns into a lottery ticket.

Drop: Brett Anderson

Unfortunately this guy can’t stay out of the trainer’s room, and the only injury he hasn’t had is migraines, which instead he has transferred onto his fantasy owners. We are now looking at a early-mid July return date and then what? Who knows how long he stays healthy, if at all. On top of that, the results weren’t exactly mind blowing when he was healthy. With DL spots becoming precious at this point in the season, holding him just doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. Let him become somebody else’s migraine.

Stash: Brandon Beachy

Run, don’t walk, to the waiver wire and grab this guy. This is your final call as he is probably already owned in most competitive leagues. Remember, Beachy showed ace potential before going down last year, and although his best starts will probably come in 2014, I still want the 100 or so innings he throws this year. He has a chance to immediately become an SP3 in mixed leagues if he can show the same stuff he had pre-injury.

                                                                                By Johan Lang

I define a top 25 pitcher as a guy you start every single time he is up no questions asked. Doesn’t matter where or who he is playing, he is locked and loaded in your line up.

I also believe that every fantasy team needs an ace to be successful. As long as you have that one ace (especially in 10 team mixed) you can piece together a successful rotation based around that one guy. If you look at your leagues history, I bet every champion had at least one ace aka a top 5-7 guy.

All pitchers ranked in order of how I view them the rest of the season regardless of league rules.

Tier 1:

1)      Clayton Kershaw

2)      Justin Verlander

3)      Felix Hernandez

4)      Adam Wainwright

5)      Yu Darvish

Tier 2:

6)      Stephen Strasburg

7)      Madison Bumgarner

8)      Cliff Lee

9)      Cole Hamels

10)  Matt Harvey

11)  David Price

Tier 3:

12)  Matt Cain

13)  C.C. Sabathia

14)  Mat Latos

15)  Chris Sale

16)  Matt Moore

17)  Max Scherzer

18)   Jordan Zimmerman

19)  James Shields

Tier 4:

20)  Gio Gonzalez

21)   Jon Lester

22)  Anibal Sanchez

23)  Johnny Cueto

24)  Clay Bucholtz

25)  Jeff Samardzija

Next 5: Jake Peavy, Hiroki Kuroda, Yovani Gallardo, Shelby Miller, R.A. Dickey

     Before the season started I was telling everyone willing to listen that it will be of extreme importance that you avoid the minefield early in the draft. The first few rounds will packed with players with questionable paths or futures. A portion of these players have come out of the gates extremely slowly, and while most circumstances call for giving your fantasy anchors a long leash, there are a few of these sluggish stars that I would get rid of. So, let’s play a little “Grip or Dip”.

NOTE - Yahoo rankings will be used

NOTE - Stats & Rankings are of April 30

Mike Trout (O-Rank: 1; Current Rank: 69 )

Line to date: 15 R 2 HR 16 RBI 4 SB 13 BB 25 K 48 TB .261/.333/.432 .766 OPS

ADVICE: DIP

     Everyone should have expected regression from Mr. Fish before the year began. The debate lied in just how far south Michael would go. So far, quite a ways. But is he actually slumping, or did his luck just run out? Last year his BABIP was .383. While he put up gaudy BABIP numbers in the minors, .383 is just not fair to expect again in the majors. To this point, his BABIP this year is a much more believable .314 (the league average is .300). Last year his HR/FB rate was 21.6%, almost double the league average (which is 11%). He was never touted as a power prospect coming up through the ranks, so his power display came as a bit of shock last year. To this point, he is down to 8%. It will go up, but it will hover much closer to league average. All in all, trade him while he still has top tier name value. There should be another sucker who believes he will replicate last year’s numbers. There is already one owner who thought he would, isn’t there?

Matt Kemp (O-Rank: 5; Current Rank: 208)

Current Line: 11 R 1 HR 11 RBI 4 SB 8 BB 25 K 33 TB .260/.318/.344 .662 OPS

ADVICE: GRIP

     There is no denying that Kemp has come out of the gate slow. But the good news is that he is heating up. He is batting .363 over his last 9 games while raising his OBP and SLG just about 50 points. The better news is that he has no health scares (yet). If he can stay healthy, his skill set absolutely deserves a long leash. You will rep the benefits by staying patient.

Giancarlo Stanton (O-Rank: 10; Current Rank: 386)

Current Line: 8 R 3 HR 9 RBI 1 SB 12 BB 26 K 29 TB .227/.341/.387 .728 OPS

ADVICE: DIP

     You mean it took 18 games for him to hit a home run? 12 games to get an RBI? You mean he currently has a career high 13.6% walk rate because nobody will pitch to him? You mean he has a career low contact rate on pitches outside the strike zone? It wouldn’t be because he is chasing more pitches than usual because he wants to contribute to his team, would it? You mean he is on the DL for a couple weeks at minimum because his body is made of glass? Face it; Stanton just does not have the support around him to put up the numbers you wanted him to when you drafted him. When he is ready to come off the DL, trade him. Trade high. There will be somebody who bites. 

Josh Hamilton (O-Rank: 24; Current Rank: 701)

Current Line: 10 R 2 HR 9 RBI 1 SB 6 BB 32 K 32 TB .204/.252/.296 .548

ADVICE: GRIP

     Not much is going right in Anaheim to start the year. It is difficult to determine what is more embarrassing for the Halos; their record, their pitching staff, or Josh Hamilton’s start. This really should not be THAT surprising, given Hamilton is King Jekyll n’ Hyde. It is very clear that Hamilton is pressing, ala Pujols last year. He has a career low walk rate to this point to go along with a career high strike out rate. He has a career low line drive rate right now, and his HR/FB ratio is only 6.5%. It is tough to sit through this, but we seen last year how incredible he is when he is on. Hold on to him and watch him carry your squad for months on end.

     Have you heard about the newest hot spot to hit the MLB landscape this season? Apparently it has already established a good reputation within the locker rooms across the league, because it is quickly establishing a “who’s who” of clientele. All the cool kids go there. Brett Lawrie, Yoenis Cespedes, Jose Reyes and Freddie Freeman all hang out here, just to name a few. I’m talking about MLB’s place to be, Club DL!

     If you sense my sarcasm opening this article up, then you can sense my frustration as well. Having 5 teams, it is almost impossible to avoid getting hit hard by the medicine cabinet. But what’s done is done, and I am here to talk about what to do now. I’m not going to go league wide, rather I want to focus on one very important position.

     Bullpen catcher.

     Jokes. Some of you may have lost your #1 or #2 starter this week, as both Jeff Weaver and Zach Greinke will be on the shelf for awhile. Weaver is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a fractured elbow while Greinke is expected to miss 8 weeks with a fractured collarbone. 

     So we have some options here. Obviously your first thought out of desperation to make a trade for another ace. You could also stash him in the DL, attend the spot start theatre and attempt to patch it together and stay afloat until they get back. Or you can do what I want to talk about, and that is target below the radar guys who, while may not provide ace type numbers, will step up and shoulder some of the load and still make you competitive. The idea here is that while these guys may not be waiver wire pick ups, they are guys that you would not have to give up a whole lot to get. At least not yet.

NOTE** - No talking about Matt Harvey here. If you don’t have him, you won’t be getting him for anything less than an arm and 3 toes.

     Paul Maholm (Y! Ranking: 6; % Owned: 81) Maholm is off to a blistering start, as after 20.1 IP he is still yet to give up an earned run. He is 3-0, has a WHIP under 0.79, and the most surprising stat of all, has a K/9 ratio is 8.85. His highest strikeout total was 140 in 189 IP last year. The K/9 ratio for that year was 6.66. So while it is difficult to believe this can be sustained, a career high strikeout total is very believable. Another thing to keep in mind is Maholm really may have found a home in Atlanta after being traded from Chicago last year. To go long with the start he is having this year, last year in 11 starts with the Braves he was 4-5 with a 3.54 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP and 59 K’s in 68.2 IP. Everything about the Braves is hot right now, and certainly this hot start will cool off. But when that happens, the finished product still may be extremely helpful.

     Hisashi Iwakuma (Y! Ranking: 18; % Owned: 74%) Iwakuma did not begin starting games for the Mariners until July last year, but has been outstanding in that role. In those 16 starts last year, he pitched 95 IP, going 8-4 with a 2.65 ERA with 78 K with a 1.23 WHIP. So far in 3 starts this year, he has pitched 20.2 IP, going 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA with a 16/1 K/BB ratio and a 0.48 WHIP. So if I were to combine these two years and average them out over 30 starts (my set number for a conservative healthy year), his year would look like this. 

30 GS 16-6 182.2 IP 148 K 2.57 ERA 1.10 WHIP

     Hello.

     Anibal Sanchez (Y! Ranking: 32; % Owned: 89%) 

July 28: L 6 IP 5 ER 3 K

August 8: L 3 IP 7 ER 2 K

August 13: L 5.1 IP 5 ER 3 K

     Things did not start off well for Sanchez with the Tigers, as you can clearly see. Since then however, holy pastacholi, he has turned things around. In the 14 starts since August 13th of last year, including playoffs, Sanchez’s line has been the following:

6-5 93.2 IP 83 K 21 BB 1.92 ERA 0.97 WHIP

     Don’t worry about that record. You know the team he is on. You know that offense will not be as horrendous as it was last year. If you have a position or category of supreme strength, Sanchez is worth letting go of a piece to pick up, because those numbers are incredible. 

     Shelby Miller (Y! Ranking: 50; % Owned: 63%) Miller was a highly touted prospect in the Cardinals camp before he was named the 5th starter this year. He has responded tremendously, as his first 2 starts have yielded great results:

April 6 vs SF: W 5.1 IP 4 H 2 ER 4 BB 4 K

April 12 vs MIL: 7 IP 1 H 0 ER 0 BB 8 K

     He is definitely worth keeping an eye out for, as he plays for a good team in a decent park in the right league with 2 poor offenses in his division. 

Others to Consider

1. Alex Cobb
2. Alexi Ogando
3. Julio Teheran
4. Mike Minor
5. Barry Zito (!!!)

     In through your nose, out through your mouth. There are plenty of guys who are flying under the radar that can help you bridge the gap until your boy returns. It is a long season. It does not matter what seed you are in the playoffs. It just matters that you get there.

     Jason Heyward was not able to avoid it in 2011. Neither was Austin Jackson. Buster Posey got hurt that year. Last year guys like Hosmer, Jennings, Worley, Espinosa, Trumbo and Ivan Nova all fell victim. But Neftali Feliz was able to work around in 2011. Starlin Castro as well. Along with Craig Kimbrel, and to a lesser extent, Freddie Freeman and Jeremy Hellickson in 2012.

     I, of course, am speaking about the dreaded Sophomore slump.

     Last year ushered in a rookie class that will remain in the top tier in baseball history. But they are rookies no longer, and other teams have had months to figure out these player’s weaknesses. So who will be able to rise above and continue to grow? Who will wish to forget 2013 ever happened? Let’s look at the 4 best rookies from last year.

     Mike Trout: REGRESSION - I think that this is a very easy call, as I, like many others, expect regression because last year’s numbers were so stellar. But the amount of regression is the topic for this discussion. Looking at some of his telling stats really allow you to gain a perspective and determine what is repeatable and what is not. Last season he had a ridiculous .383 BABIP. Though his career minor league BABIP numbers suggest he will continue to have an above average BABIP number, .383 is asking for a lot to duplicate. Secondly, his highest home run total in any one season, before last year when he hit 30, was 17. Quite a climb. So how was he able to make such a large increase possible? Well his fly ball percentage (FB%) was only at 33%, which is very low for a player who hit 30. So it lies in his home run to fly ball ratio (HR/FB), which sat at an alarmingly high 21.6%. While his FB% has room to increase, his HR/FB was a lot more room to decrease. While his batting average should go down, he had a walk rate of 10.5%, slightly above his minor league averages, so he still should sustain a nice OBP. His speed + his lineup should have him lead the league in runs scored again this year. Obviously he is not near the age where we need to worry about a sharp decline in steals. Keep in mind, Trout really did not have a great YEAR, rather he was excellent in 3 moths. In August and September, when LAA really needed him, he hit .272 with 64 strikeouts in 55 games. That tells you pitchers were starting to figure him out. All in all he should have a fine year, but definitely no where near his rookie campaign.

Projection:

116 R 176 H 32 2B 9 3B 24 HR 76 RBI 48 SB 70 BB 147 K .302/.373/.496 .869 305 TB

     Bryce Harper: PROGRESSION - In July and August of last season, Harper was looking like the competition has figured him out. Then the calendar turned to September, and that notion was thrown out the window. In 106 at bats in 28 games during that month, he hit .330/.398/.651 with 7 HR. So what should we expect for 2013? Harper managed to slug 22 home runs last year, despite only having a FB% of 32.9%. This is extremely low.  His HR/FB was a very sustainable 16.2%. Looking at these numbers, while remembering power hitters tend to hit more fly balls as they mature, things are looking extremely positive in the power department. Thinking about the Nationals lineup, the addition of Denard Span and a healthy Jayson Werth leave Harper in a prime RBI position. Last year was the first time his walk rate was below 10% in any level of competition, so there is room to grow there. There is a shot for his SB to go up a tick, but it remains to be seen given his position in the lineup. He should score roughly 100 runs with who is hitting behind him as well. Bryce may also provides a nice chunk of triples again. All signs point in the right direction for Mr. Harper.

Projection:

99 R 160 H 32 2B 9 3B 25 HR 90 RBI 20 SB 67 BB 123 K .280/.357/.492 .849 270 TB

     Yoenis Cespedes: PROGRESSION - Not many knew what to expect when this import came on the scene wearing Oakland green last year. One thing was for certain was that the tools were there. He struggled early, but certainly showed the ability to adjust to pitching during the year. Prior to the All-Star break, Cespedes was hitting .263/.326/.465. But after the break, Cespedes raked to a line of .311/.376/.533. This bodes well heading into this season, as long as his lineup can give him ANY sort of protection. His .326 BABIP is above average, but many expect Cespedes to be able to repeat it or only slightly drop off. His walk rate should be able to increase, while his strikeout rate should only stay in the same ballpark as last year’s at worse. There certainly is nothing fluky about his 39.9% FB% and his HR/FB ratio of 14.8%. With his power, he should easily repeat his FB% while increasing his HR/FB ratio. He is the anchor of an other wise lacking lineup, so his team dependent stats of runs scored and RBI more than likely will leave you asking for more, but that won’t be his fault. He possess good speed, and because of Oakland’s lineup deficiency's, Bob Melvin will have to rely on Oaklan’d legs to generate runs, Cespedes’ included. Yoenis is poised to have another impressive year, should he be able to fend off a DL stint or seven.

Projection:

80 R 167 H 30 2B 5 3B 28 HR 94 RBI 20 SB 55 BB 106 K .296/.358/.520 .878 262 TB

     Yu Darvish: NEUTRAL - Like Cespedes, Yu Darvish was a rather unknown commodity to baseball fans in the states heading into last year. We heard the scouting reports, and they were good. We were then able to see him, and it did not take long to realize why the Rangers were so aggressive in signing him. He held opponents to only a .218 AVG, but allowing a gruesome 89 walks, resulting in a 1.28 WHIP. Darvish, to be blunt, threw up some funky numbers for much of last season. In months May - August, his monthly ERA’s were the following: 4.50, 4.15, 5.74, 5.29. Wow. It is interesting to note that after the All-Star break, his WHIP dropped .18 points and his opponents batting average dropped .015 points, yet his ERA went up .67 runs. It will be interesting to see if AJ Pierzynski and the coaching staff will be able to convince Darvish to scrap a couple of the 14 pitches he threw last year. If he can cut those 6, 7, 8 pitches down to 4 or 5, and really hone them, Yu has all the makings of being a fantasy ace. Seriously though...an effus pitch?

Projection:

207 IP 16-10 3.42 ERA 225 K 1.31 WHIP 85 BB 9.80 K/9 19 QS

     Let us be honest with each other; How many of you are excited about all the options in the early rounds of this year’s fantasy baseball draft?

     *See’s zero hands*

      I wish I could show you my shocked face. It looks a lot like my normal face. It seems that this year the phrase “You can’t win your league in the first round, but you sure can lose it” has never been more true. This year’s options aren’t like picking from a field of daisies; it is picking from a mine field. 

     Whether it is filled with injury risks, coming off career years that are impossible to repeat, or too lofty expectations, unfortunately owners must tread water carefully early on. I want to inform all of you of players whose ADP I hate in the first 5 rounds. I will be going off of Yahoo’s rankings and explaining my reasonings with thoughts off of a deeper formatted league. 5 x 5 blows guys and gals, it’s an absolute embarrassment that this is the standard format for fantasy baseball.

      NOTE* - Yahoo’s ADP rankings as of 3/24

 ROUND 1:

     Carlos Gonzalez (ADP: 8) - Listen this is not a knock on the guy’s ability. CarGo can go with the best of them. The problem is his inability to stay on the field. Gonzalez has never played more than 145 games in his career. Those 145 GP was in his breakout 2010 campaign. In each season since then, get a hold of the categories that has steadily declined: Runs, Home Runs, RBI, SLG% and OPS. So tell me why he is still be labeled as a fantasy anchor? The last thing you want attached to your first pick is the word “if”. 

 92 R 162 H 33 2B 5 3B 26 HR 90 RBI 21 STL 55 BB 115 K .300/.367/.525 .892 270 TB

      Nice projection, but at this point, is that a better chance he only plays 100 games or 150? It’s not worth it in the first round.

     Giancarlo Stanton (ADP: 10) - It is blows my mind every time I see another Stanton projection. It seems as if people forget one very fundamental concept. So let’s say you are the manager of a team playing the Marlins. Let me ask you this: For what reason would you pitch to Stanton? Miami has a grand total of zero other players worth fearing in that lineup. If the bases are empty (and they will be a lot this year in South Beach), he won’t be getting anything to hit. Get these thoughts of 50 HR out of your head. Take a look at the .344 BABIP from last year too. This is the year that I have projected for him.

 84 R 145 H 31 2B 2 3B 36 HR 85 RBI 6 STL 73 BB 140 K .280/.374/.580 .954 275 TB

      Sorry Stantionities, that is not first round value.

 ROUND 2: 

     Stephen Strasburg (ADP: 14) - Strasburg’s 2012 campaign ended in controversial fashion last year. Many of baseball officials and fantasy owners alike were outraged at the Nationals taking it easy on their budding star. Now heading into this year, where all signs point to Strasburg not having an innings limit, a lot of people have Strasburg too high on their pitcher and overall player rankings. Haven’t the Nationals been in this position before? You know, a pitcher 2 years removed from Tommy John surgery. The first year he is back he was placed on an innings limit, around the 160 area. Second year back Washington said there were no restrictions. This is applying to Jordan Zimmerman, who even though all the right things were said, he would still be removed around the 6th inning regardless of the situation last year. Strasburg pitched 159.1 innings last year. If you are in an innings league, assuming the Nationals are going to let him increase his workload by 40 innings AT MINIMUM is a little excessive don’t you think? 

182 IP 17-7 2.80 ERA 220 K 1.06 WHIP 56 BB 10.88 K/9 23 QS

     That projection is still easy on the eyes, but get an innings horse first. Plus, with those mechanics, he may have that “injury waiting to happen” label attached to him for his whole career. He has some proving to do before I put him ahead of Felix and Price, let alone in the same league as Verlander and Kershaw.

 ROUND 3:

     Edwin Encarnacion (ADP: 32) A .266 BABIP for a .280 AVG. Walk rate jumped 4.9% for a career high 13.0%. A 96 point jump in ISO (Isolation Power is SLG% - AVG.) from last year. His 2012 GB% was 3.1% lower than career average. His FB% was 4.2% high than his career average. His HR/FB was an extremely high 18.7%. That is just about twice the amount it was a year prior. So, how much of this sounds sustainable? 

80 R 142 H 30 2B 0 3B 27 HR 88 RBI 8 STL 65 BB 100 K .271/.355/.500 .855 270 TB

     Since we are talking about a deeper formatted league, look at some of those less sexier stats. 80 runs, 142 hits, 30 doubles and .271 aren’t things to get excited about. Expect regression. The amount of regression will not warrant 3rd round value.

     Adam Jones (ADP: 33) Let’s play a game. I’m going to lay down 3 different projections. Look them over and put all categories on a level playing field. Remember head-to-headers, home runs are only 1 win, loss or tie to your record. The same amount as every other category. The following 3 projections are 26, 27 and 29 year old outfielders for teams that figure to be fighting for playoff spots in the American League this year. Which one is more appealing to you?

Player 1:

112 R 180 H 31 2B 10 3B 17 HR 73 RBI 18 STL 71 BB 142 K .296/.370/.479 .849 290 TB

Player 2:

95 R 177 H 45 2B 4 3B 19 HR 84 RBI 12 STL 76 BB 130 SO .295/.377/.475 .852 300 TB

Player 3:

87 R 172 H 33 2B 3 3B 26 HR 78 RBI 14 STL 38 BB 121 K .281/.331/.476 .801 285 TB

     If you picked player 3, well you are not going to have a very good draft. Adam Jones will not be of 3rd round value in leagues of numerous categories with his inability to draw a walk and not score or drive in an amount of runs that would justify his ADP (you can thank his supporting cast in B-More for the shortage of runs and RBI). Do not do it, as I have clearly showed you there is much more value later on in the draft (in this case the 8th round). So who exactly is player 1 and 2? Player 1 is Austin Jackson, whose ADP is currently 88. Player 2 is Alex Gordon, ADP 87. You’re welcome for those 2 steals.

ROUND 4:

     BJ Upton (ADP: 40) Older Upton hit 28 bombskis last yurr. He also swiped 31 bags. That is a lovely, lovely power/speed combo to have on your team. Remember, we’re talking deeper formatted leagues here. The man also hit below .250. His OBP was below .300. He just about struck out 170 times! That is horrific! He was still able to get a cool 75 mill from the Tomahawk Chop’s over the winter, where he joins a much more prolific lineup. This should help in some areas, but he weaknesses are HUGE problems. He is ranked 16th for Yahoo’s OF’ers. He is 22nd on my list.

79 R 145 H 33 2B 3 3B 23 HR 87 RBI 30 STL 67 BB 159 K .254/.330/.444 .774 260 TB

     For me, his strengths do now outweigh his weaknesses. He certainly is not worth a 4th round pick. There is so much more value available in this round than that projected line of garbage.

     Jacoby Ellsbury (ADP: 37) I’m not going to waste anyone’s time here. There is nothing to elaborate on. The man will get hurt. Not worth it. Let’s keep it moving. 

ROUND 5:

     Jason Kipnis (ADP: 55) Kipnis and BJ Upton are quite similar. They are as high as the are in Yahoo’s rankings for the same reason (power/speed combo). They also appear on this list for the same reason - they aren’t very good at much else. Kipnis’ 2012 line of .257/.335/.379 for a .714 OPS is absolutely horrendous. Cleveland’s offense has improved and should help Kipnis somewhat, but that slash line is enough to understand that he is extremely overrated.

88 R 160 H 28 2B 6 3B 16 HR 72 RBI 25 STL 65 BB 120 K .264/.339/.411.750 242 TB

Brandon Phillips and Aaron Hill are much better options later in the draft that offer better all around value in the “other” categories beside the holy 5.

     Chris Sale (ADP: 57) He increased his workload by a staggering 121 innings last year. He weights 74 pounds. His mechanics are cringe-worthy at best. He was 7-6 with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP after the All-Star break last year. Where am I supposed to get excited? I didn’t bother looking at Sale, and you should not either.

     Regardless of the categories your league keeps score of, it is important to understand that the rankings are based off of a traditional 5x5 format. Do the research. Look at all your other categories. After doing so, you’ll understand the TRUE value of a player. These are just some of many players to be wary of early on. Avoiding these players and capturing the players whose value increases with more categories will be key to looking like a genius come late September.

By Johan Lang

Like every red blooded American, I am told year after year that I should embrace America’s pastime as it is a rite of summer, and thus welcome it with open arms. We American’s love baseball and the game itself stands for so much of what we as a country symbolize. The old timers love reflecting on the greats of yesteryear, while stat heads rattle of their fake teams. The start of the baseball season coincides with the beginning of spring so everyone’s a winner. We flock to the ballpark and overpay for everything from the time we bought the already overpriced tickets, so we can sit in the sun and lounge with our friends and family. Nothing is better than a day at the ballpark, well except of course watching the actual game.

Wait, what? Are you loco man? I just read an entire diatribe dedicated to the brilliance of baseball, only to hear you don’t actually enjoy the game? Untrue, I love baseball, but I do not love what baseball has become. I remember my first game at Yankee Stadium, it was in 1994, the Yankees beat the Orioles, and thinking how I was walking into a cathedral that held an aura that just couldn’t be explained…and I was 12. That was the last game of the season because of the looming strike, and on April 12, I fell in love, and had to wait another 7 months before I could even remember what I enjoyed so much about it. When it comes down to it though, that story is a metaphor for everything that has become of the game. Just like the lock out shortened season, the game itself has grinded to an inexcusable halt. Games are routinely over 3 hours and rarely can the average fan say they actually paid attention to the game as much as they should have when they last saw their team live; let alone admit to watching 9 full innings of baseball at home.  There is a reason why they call innings four through six the “nap” innings.

Ok just say it, I know the phrase is coming, so let’s get it over with before I explain my theory, “You’re destroying the purity of the game by changing it.”  Why is the “purity” of the game so important anyway though? When basketball games grinded into a half court mess of keep away what did they do? Invented the shot clock. When hockey games became tedious because of the “Devils Trap” what did they do? Invented the trapezoid. Same goes for the two point conversion, and the college overtime rule. When bread goes stale you don’t toast it hope it gets fresher (extremely guilty), you throw it out. Below is my proposal for fixing baseball and giving the people what they really want.

Shot Clock (well, pitch clock)

Before you overreact, hear me out. The best aspect of basketball is that is two and a half hours, and football is three, which means, that bearing overtime, you commit a specific time to that game, and know approximately when you will be free of your investment. However, baseball has no clock so the games have no set time, and thus become 3 hour plus marathons, and that’s before the playoffs when games become 4. When you play 162 games, which is incomprehensible amount of timed dedicated to watch your team, by far the most of any sport anywhere. By setting up a pitch clock for pitchers, there won’t be all that down time that makes the game last longer than it should. With over-managing skippers constantly going to the pen, and the amount of pick off attempts and foul balls, it a ton of wasted time for a small pay off of action.  In fact, As we speak I have a baseball game in the background, and can you tell everything that’s happening without actually watching.  The pitch clock will also give the viewer a whole different way to stay focused on the game, as their will be more going on during the down time.

Rules:

• As soon as the pitcher catches the ball from the catcher, he has 15 seconds before he must release the ball.
• If he does not release ball in the allotted time it counts as a ball and the clock resets.
• If he has 2 shot clock infractions, the batsmen will automatically take a walk.
• Each time the pitcher throws over to the 1^st basemen 5 seconds will be deducted from the pitchers pitch clock. He may not throw over a 3^rd time.
• A catcher may visit a pitcher once an inning. Once the catcher crouches the clock begins.
• There may only be one pitching change per inning.
• Batters are only allowed to step out of the box once per at bat.

Runs will increase, which will make dominating pitching performances that much more incredible as pitchers are forced to control the game and the tempo. Spectators will consistently have a few different  things to focus on rather than just wait, and most importantly, the games will go much faster. Pitcher will need to adopt a philosophy of controlling the situation, and thus having more freedom to call their own games. Hitters are certain to have an advantage with this scenario, but Major League Baseball loves to tout the long ball, remember “chick’s dig it”, and this will certainly increase the amount of run scored. However, hitters will have to constantly be prepared and base runners will no longer be able to torment pitchers with the hope that they will throw off his teaming. So with that said, what is glaring negative other than your “purity” and “statistics” argument? More offense? Check. Shorter Games? Check. Faster paced action? Check. A new way to value pitchers? Check (for you stat heads out there). 

Below the comment’s will tear this article to shreds, but I stand by what I have written. It is an honest interpretation of how to improve baseball without taking away its essence at heart.

CBS president Les Moonves issued a formal apology to the game’s 120 million viewers, many of whom are children.  “We sincerely apologize for the inappropriate content that aired immediately after this amazing game, especially to the kids,” said the man who personally chose Beyonce’s halftime performance outfit.  “The Super Bowl broadcast is supposed to represent our network’s mission to provide family-friendly entertainment, and we hope that our viewers will stick with us through our loaded fall lineup,” finished the man who green-lit the Two Broke Girls halftime pole dance, and the show Two Broke Girls.

The unfortunate audio mishap lasted for 2 minutes and 38 seconds, an eternity in the world of off-the-cuff double homicide confessions.  Reed could be heard several times begging Lewis to let him go and to stop talking.  “Ray man I don’t wanna hear this,” pleaded the star safety, “Let me go Ray I wanna hug Flacco.  Ray, please...Oh my God is that a knife?!”  But Lewis, always so emotional after huge victories, clung to Reed with the strength of a muscular doe.  

“I still pay his family 5 mil a year,” praised Lewis at the 1:37 mark.  “We worked so hard for this I can’t believe it.  We switched knives under the Abbotts bridge.  We’re a family.  I’m a murderer.”

After hearing the explosive audio file, local authorities quickly brought Lewis in for questioning.  Sources within the police department refuse to offer details of their conversation with the Ravens captain, but they can confirm that as of 11am Monday morning, Lewis is a free man, Police Chief Don Grush is retiring and buying a yacht, and Ed Reed is being held on a double murder charge without bail.

Mike Johnson is a writer in Chicago and can be reached at MikeJohnson683@gmail.com

Mike johnson is a writer in Chicago and can be reached at MikeJohnson683@gmail.com