Less than a week from now the Bronx will be home to the 2008 All-Star Game, the symbolic mid-point to the baseball season. As far as fantasy baseball goes, we’re about 60% through the regular season and I felt this was a good time to list my FANTASY all-stars to this point of the season. Some of the guys I have on this team are different from the real life squads (I have major beef with the rosters this year but hey that’s a whole other story) but as you should know by now, fantasy baseball and real baseball don’t always run parallel. Here’s my 32 man roster:
1B- Kevin Youkillis .311 AVG, .916 OPS, 50 runs, 13 HR, 53 RBI, 3 Steals
This was a tough call taking the Youk over Justin Morneau as their stats have been eerily similar thus far this season but Youkillis gets the nod as he has been slightly better in getting on base and shockingly has been a better power hitter. If you still need a tiebreaker, consider the fact Youkillis is eligible at 3B as well. Note: beware Youkillis is historically a horrific second half hitter.
2B- Ian Kinsler .332 AVG, .936 OPS, 79 runs, 14 HR, 53 RBI, 23 steals
Kinsler has been nothing short of a beast this season. The argument can be made that he has been the best fantasy 2B in baseball this season, though that’s a tough debate considering the likes of Chase Utley, Dan Uggla, and Dustin Pedroia. Not only does he lead all of baseball in runs but Kinsler has hit for both power and average. He gets on base a ton as his walk rate has been steadily increasing all season. His 23 steals are ninth best in the game. He gets bashed a bit for playing in such a loaded lineup but he is the leadoff hitter and igniter of that lineup.
3B- Alex Rodriguez .323 AVG, 1.014 OPS, 52 runs, 18 HR, 50 RBI, 13 steals
Fans have many different reasons for not liking Rodriguez (this whole Madonna saga is not helping his image by any means) but there is no denying he is the greatest player of his generations. His half season stats thus far are excellent and yet it could still be argued this is a bit of a down year for the reigning MVP. Oh yeah and he missed nearly a month of the season with a quad injury. What’s even more astonishing is that he’s doing with a lineup that is not nearly as potent as it should be due to injuries (Matsui, Posada) and stars having down years (Cano, Jeter, Abreu). A-Rod is making a run at both the AL batting and home run titles this year and has proven to be a stud yet again.
MVP Part IV?
SS- Michael Young .292 AVG, .763 OPS, 58 runs, 7 HR, 46 RBI, 5 steals
The left side of the INF is not at all deep this season in the AL and SS is the worst of the two positions. That being said, the Ranger’s shortstop is still having a solid season. His average is down from years past but his power and run production have not weaned. He may even set a career high in runs scored and walks which is a good sign. More importantly, the veteran has been scorching hot lately with 5 multi-hit games in his last 8.
C- Joe Mauer .325 AVG, .869 OPS, 54 runs, 4 HR, 37 RBI
Catcher is another position where the National League is a lot deeper in than the American League. Mauer is by and far the stud of AL catchers and deservedly so as he gets on base a ton and produces big hits constantly. Pending an injury, he will set a new career high in runs as well. The stat that sticks out and gets him a lot of gripe is his lack of power as he only has four on the season. But that’s the type of hitter Mauer is: high average, low power and I will take that from the catcher position any day.
OF- Josh Hamilton .309 AVG, .914 OPS, 56 runs, 19 HR, 84 RBI, 4 steals
Hamilton’s from mega prospect to ruined drug addict to baseball star story has been the feel good tale of the season and rightfully so (wouldn’t it make a great movie?). The Ranger outfielder has spent the first three months of the season tearing the cover off the ball and flirting with the triple crown harder than Big Brown. His batting average fell 19 points in June and he only hit 5 of his dingers during the month but Hamilton has been a monster this year and will continue to be one as long as he stays healthy (or as long as he doesn’t fall victim to the curse of the Home Run Derby).
OF- Grady Sizemore .269 AVG, .913 OPS, 56 Runs, 22 HR, 50 RBI, 20 steals
While he got decent hype in the off-season, I felt the Indian center fielder was actually a bit underrated going into drafts. I think it is fair to say I was right as the fifth year player has already went 20/20 and will absolutely flirt with 40/40 if he remains healthy. While I’d like to see him raise his average a bit, his power has been incredible as he leads the American League by three bombs. Combine that power with top 15 speed and that is one beastly all-star level player in both the real and fantasy format.
OF- Jermaine Dye .308 AVG, .919 OPS, 51 runs, 19 HR, 52 RBI, 3 steals
I will go on record as to saying that this may be the biggest All-Star snub in the game’s history. The White Sox veteran has put up incredible MVP caliber numbers and has been the offensive star of the AL Central leaders. Most indicative of how great Dye has been this season is that he has been doing it all year, whereas teammate and All-Star Carlos Quentin got off to a red hot start before cooling off. His average, on base percentage, and power have only increased as the season has progressed and Dye has proven to be a fantasy stud. It’s easy to overlook Jermaine but just take a gander at his career stats and you realize that he has been a star for a long time.
DH- Milton Bradley .320 AVG, 1.044 OPS, 52 runs, 17 HR, 54 RBI, 4 steals
Bradley is finally showing the type of player he is when he a) stays healthy and b) stays sane. He is two blasts away from tying his career high and 13 from besting his RBI mark so it is fair to say this has been Bradley’s career year. Yes some credit has to go to his home park and his loaded lineup but Bradley has always been this talented and pending he can stay healthy (both physically and mentally) he will keep up producing.
SP- Cliff Lee 11-2, 2.43 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 7.5 K/9
The American League is stacked with pitchers having insane years, both starting and relieving. This wasn’t an easy pick but Lee has been the stud pitcher in baseball thus far this season. Lee bounced back from a psychologically trying season last year to put up big numbers this year. His eleven wins are especially impressive considering how bad his Indians team has been. For the second half, Lee should keep the ERA around three and win anywhere from 6-8 more games but I don’t think he’ll be as dominant. Pitchers who rely on locating their fastball as their primary weapon like Lee are often a powder keg waiting to explode.
Cliff Lee has been the ace of the American League in ‘08
Bench:
1B- Justin Morneau- (.310 AVG, .858 OPS, 50 runs, 12 HR, 65 RBI) Morneau’s numbers are virtually identical to Youkillis but he hasn’t gotten on base as much. His power numbers seem to be a bit down but the average is a good sign. He’s a shaky second half hitter but he has the potential to breakout big. I like him better than Youkillis the rest of the way
2B- Dustn Pedroia- (.311 AVG, .812 OPS, 61 runs, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 9 steals) Last year my beef with Pedroia was that he was a guy I’d love to have on my team if I were a coach but felt he didn’t bring enough to the table as a fantasy player. This year, however, he is a very worthwhile fantasy 2B. While there are guys out there with more pop and speed, Pedroia is going to go 20/20, score over a 100 runs and keep the average around .300. Can’t ask for too much more
OF- Carlos Quentin- (.273 AVG, .886 OPS, 56 runs, 19 HR, 61 RBI, 5 steals) It’s not that I hate Quentin, in fact I expected him to be a solid contributor this season (tho these kind of numbers I would have projected over the entire season) but he is overhyped from a scorching start. His average has come down over 20 points since June 1st and he only has 5 dingers since that date. I also think his teammate, Dye, has been a better fantasy and real-life player. However, Quentin has not been terrible in June and was a stud in April/May. Expect a lot less production in the second half, but he will contribute.
3B- Aubrey Huff- (.283 AVG, .867 OPS, 51 runs, 18 HR, 56 RBI, 2 steals) I must admit that Huff is a guy that was not at all on my radar this preseason but he has been nothing short of impressive. He is among the AL home run leaders and is hitting for average while being eligible at both corner infield positions. This is the kind of production Huff put up from 2003-2005 so I don’t think it’s a fluke at all. Huff has been red hot lately and if he is for some reason available in your league, snatch him up now.
OF- JD Drew- (.299 AVG, .967 OPS, 61 runs, 16 HR, 51 RBI, 2 steals) 12 of his home runs have come in June when he got red hot but in the first 1/3 of the season he was still hitting solidly. The poster child for unrealized potential could be in the midst of a career year if he stays on the field. He has had as many as 31 blasts in a season before and is a career .285 hitter so there is no reason to believe he can’t continue to be a fantasy all-star for the rest of the season.
C- A.J. Pierzynski- (.296 AVG, .776 OPS, 39 runs, 7 HR, 33 RBI, 1 steal) In the interest of realism I decided to take a backup catcher. Pierznyski has been a solid fantasy catcher as he has hit for average, done a solid job of getting on base, and has even provided a bit of pop. More runs scored and power than Dioner Navarro gives him the edge. Next to Dye, biggest AL snub this year (White Sox in general got snubbed hard in my opinion).
3B- Evan Longoria- (.283 AVG, .889 OPS, 44 runs, 16 HR, 53 RBI, 6 steals) I didn’t want to take this many position players but I could not justify leaving Longoria off the squad. He is the unquestioned rookie of the year and the amazing thing is that I don’t see him regressing much if at all down the stretch. He’s gotten into a grove lately and is hitting at a nice clip. .290/30/100/15 is not at all out of the question for the rook.
Longoria has more than lived up to the hype
SP- Justin Duchscherer- (10-5, 1.78 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 5.6 K/9) The decision to start Lee over The Duke was a brutal one but for me it came down to Lee having a K/9 rate of nearly 2 more. I do think Duchscherer should start the game on Tuesday but in terms of fantasy value, I’ll take Lee ever so slightly. If he has another start like he did against Seattle on Tuesday though I may change my mind. FYI: I think the innings destroy Duchscherer’s value next season, not this year.
SP- Roy Halladay- (10-6, 2.88 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 7.4 K/9) Halladay has long been a beast in the real life game and now thanks to his new found K-rate this season, he has been a fantasy stud. With not much of an offense behind him, his 10 wins are especially impressive. Expect Halladay to be a huge contributor all season but I would beware as he is going to toss near 250 innings and his unusually high K-rate means he may be throw more pitches than usual.
SP- Ervin Santana- (10-3, 3.53 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 8.3 K/9) The poster child for young pitchers with electrifying stuff who never seemed able to put it all together, Santana seems to finally have found his niche after posting a 5.76 ERA last season. His K-rate has been excellent and the man who had an 8.38 road ERA last season has posted a 3.77 ERA away from the Big A. Fantasy stud who I think is for real.
SP- John Danks- (6-4, 2.52 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 7.2 K/9) Danks may easily be the most overlooked pitcher in all of baseball and fantasy this season. If he had any run support that win total could easily be doubled, his K-rate has been solid for a guy considered more of a finesse pitcher and overall he has been an ace on the year. Over his last 8 outings he has posted an ERA of 2.00 while averaging 8 strikeouts per game. He’s been better than Gavin Floyd and people need to realize that.
SP- John Lackey- (6-2, 1.93 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 7.4 K/9) Okay so Lackey has only made ten starts but to me that’s the perfect minimum to qualify as an All-Star. A sub 2 ERA and a sub 1 WHIP through ten starts is mighty impressive and despite missing a month of the season has been a huge spark plug for fantasy owners, not to mention the Angels (imagine if Escobar were healthy too?).
SP- Josh Beckett- (8-5, 3.70 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 8.8 K/9) Not everyone will agree with this pick but hey that’s the nature of articles like this. Despite some injury problems, Beckett has put up great numbers this season and his rate of nearly a K an inning is very impressive. He gets the nod over Jon Lester and Dice-K based on his superior strikeout percentage and WHIP.
SP- Scott Kazmir- (7-4, 2.69 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 9.8 K/9) Much like Lackey, Kazmir spent the first month of the season on the disabled list but has been so amazing since his return that he makes this squad easily. He is striking guys out at a great rate and has not once gotten rocked in his thirteen outings. Expect a big second half pending the arm holds up.
SP- Shaun Marcum- (5-4, 2.65 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 7.9 K/9) I had reservations about putting a guy who is currently hurt on this team but the fact is Marcum was great before hurting his elbow. He could easily be a 10-12 game winner if his offense showed up every time out and his peripherals are wonderful. He is a risk for the second half though with his injury.
RP- Mariano Rivera- (23 Saves, 1.12 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, 10.3 K/9) There is no other way to put it: Mo has been lights out this season for the Bombers. In fact, if these numbers were to hold up all season, which they easily can, 2008 will go down as Rivera’s best season. Now that’s saying something big. There were whisperings that he may have lost a step or two coming into the year but he has slammed the door in the faces of all of his doubters and has shown why he is the greatest relief pitcher of this generation.
RP- Joakim Soria- (23 Saves, 1.58 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 9.9 K/9) I have no reservations in saying this: Soria has been the third best stopper in the game this season. He doesn’t get much ink because he plays in KC but the 24 year-old has shown that 2007 was no fluke. Through 99 career games, Soria has 40 saves, a 2.15 ERA, and a miniscule 0.87 WHIP.
RP- Jonathan Papelbon- (27 saves, 2.27 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 11.5 K/9) That K/9 rate alone makes Papelbon an unquestioned fantasy all-star. Combine that with the second highest save total in the game and a beautiful WHIP and Papelbon is a beast. If you have him on your squad, consider yourself blessed
RP- George Sherrill – (27 saves, 3.72 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 9.7 K/9) Yes the ERA and especially WHIP are not exactly very attractive but Sherrill has been a huge fantasy contributor this season. He got a bit of buzz going in but he has exceeded all expectations. I do however expect a noticeable drop off in the second half.
RP- Joe Nathan- (25 saves, 1.23 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 9.9 K/9) Nathan is proving yet again that he is one of the top five closers in the game. His numbers all across the board are excellent and he will continue to get saves opportunities as his team is built for close, low-scoring games. Throughout his career his second half ERA, WHIP, BAA, and control have all improved over the first half. Don’t be shocked if he is the premier closer from here on out.
Nathan is again an elite closer
RP- Francisco Rodriguez- (35 saves, 2.54 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 8.5 K/9) Of course I was going to include the saves leader, the man who has recorded more first half saves than any other closer in history. K-Rod has been huge for the Angels but he has not been lights out. His 1.17 WHIP is the second highest of his career and his K-rate is way way down from his first five full seasons. That being said, he has only given up 2 dingers all season and very few teams are getting consistent hits off of him.
RP- Scott Linebrink- (2.37 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 2 wins, 1 save, 19 holds, 7.6 K/9) I wanted a set-up man on this squad and while there are four men deserving of this spot, I only feel comfortable taking one. Linebrink, who will now be picking up some saves with Bobby Jenks on the DL, has been the best of the bunch by a hair. Linebrink has garnered a ton of holds in the past and will continue to pitch this well the rest of the year.
Positional players just missing the cut: Ichiro Suzuki, OF/ Nick Markakis, OF/ Manny Ramirez, OF/ Brian Roberts, 2B/ Dioner Navarro, C/ B.J. Upton, 2B/OF
Pitchers just missing the cut: Joe Saunders, SP/ Rich Harden*,SP/ Gavin Floyd, SP/ James Shields, SP/ Felix Hernandez, SP/Daisuke Matsuzaka, SP/ C.C. Sabathia*, SP/ Scot Shields, RP/ Dan Wheeler, RP/ Eddie Guardado, RP/ Ron Mahay, RP/ Bobby Jenks, RP
