2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Brett Lawrie

admin / March 9, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Tooliatos

Brett Lawrie, the 22-year-old native of Canada injected a blast of enthusiasm when he made his debut with the Blue Jays last August.

Lawrie also showed that the can’t-miss prospect tag was applied to him for a reason.

In just 43 games last season he hit 9 HRs, eight doubles, four triples and had a batting average over 290. with 25 RBI’s. Those are the kinda of numbers that make my co-host drool more than he does when there is a pork bun in the building! Can I get an Amen!

Anyways, I say that our friendly tattooed neighbor from the north is gunna throw up a stat line around .299/28 HRs/115 RBIS. And if you disagree go choke on a pork bun.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Giancarlo Stanton

admin / March 7, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Reedy

Giancarlo (Mike) Stanton, your future homerun leader and thanks to his brute strength: future killer of a pitcher via linedrive. He’s got all-stars getting on base for him with Reyes and Ramirez and has a lot to prove with this whole “Giancarlo is my real name” fiasco.

First things first, he strikes out….but who cares? No one plays in leagues that count strikeouts as a category.

Stanton, a California native, stands at 6’5 and 248 lbs…a true beast. The guy is only 22 years old and has shown that he has the potential to be an ULTIMATE power hitter. Stanton hit 22 homeruns in 2010 after being called up during the season and followed that up with 34 homeruns in 2011 and drew 70 walks (twice as many as in 2010).

To put into words the sheer monstrous power Stanton has, here’s a quote from hittracker.com, they did the work…so I didn’t have to:

“Stanton hit the longest home runs of the season by any player in 2011 at Citi Field (465 feet), Nationals Park (455 feet), Coors Field (475 feet), and Sun Life Stadium (466 feet).” hittracker.com

Like I mentioned earlier, he strikes out a lot. When you swing the bat with that kind of “superhero” like force, you miss every once in a while. It’s simply the price you pay (.262 avg in 2011) for the world’s deadliest hitter. Oh I forgot, he doesn’t steal a lot of bases, but I’m assuming  that’s more of a religious choice.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Michael Bourn

admin / March 7, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Tooliatos

In case you forgot, Michael Bourn is on the Braves and he is a free agent at the end of this season. So that means one thing………..contract year numbers!!!!!!!!

I suggest you BUY! BUY! BUY!

Bourn, who played 53 games with the Braves after coming over from the Astros, led the Majors in stolen bases with 61. He hit .294 (20th in the NL) in 2011 and was among the National League leaders in several categories in 2011.

Bourn finished third in hits with 193, ninth in runs with 94, 19th in doubles with 34 and fourth in triples with 10. Bourn also drove in a career-high 50 runs. I expect all those number to go up this year! So get Bourn! and make Matt Damon happy!

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Ian Kennedy

admin / March 2, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Tooliatos

Ian Kennedy might have opened eyes during a breakout 2011 season, but the element of surprise won’t be in play this year for Kennedy or the Diamondbacks as a whole.

Still, Kennedy is worth a long look due to that fact that he pitches in NL West. Last season he faced a handful of NL West hitters more than 10 times and it paid off for him as he finished the season with a 2.88 ERA and over 200 innings pitched, both career bests.

However, if you think he will win 21 games again you my friend are on a bad Oreo-Cookie trip. Kennedy should win around 16-18 games with an ERA around 3.10 and finish with about 180 strikeouts.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Jon Lester

admin / March 2, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Tooliatos

Implicated in the great beer-and-chicken fiasco of 20ot-11, Lester is looking to put that behind him and focus on a new season with a new manager and new pitching coach.

While many will once again look at Lester as a top tired fantasy pitcher, you have to take into account the fact that he pitches in hitter friendly Fenway Park, which hurts his ERA.

He will get you some wins, but he has a higher ERA and WHIP then most top tier pitchers. Lester won 16 games last season and he should win between 15-17 games this season, but as mentioned earlier he could haunt you with a high ERA or one too many PBR’s.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Prince Fielder

admin / March 2, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Tooliatos

The Fresh Prince of Detroit!

Fielder, according to Detroit, in many ways, was the most attractive player on the free-agent market — even more so than all-time great slugger Albert Pujols, who left the Cardinals for the Angels.

If he does not eat Detroit out of house and home, Fielder should be a top ten pick in the draft. Fielder has hit over 30 Hrs in the past five seasons, so look for him to top that number once again.

Detroit however, is a bigger park then Milwaukee, so look for Fielder’s Avg. to dip down to around .289.

 

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Alex Gordon

admin / February 26, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Reedy

A lot of people let their impatience get the best of them when it came to Alex Gordon and refused to see that Gordon was putting together one hell of a season last year.

Sure, in his two previous seasons he only played a combined 123 games and never hit anywhere close to .300 prior to last year. But sometimes you just got to keep the faith (Alex Smith anyone?).

How many players hit .300 with 20+ HR, 85+ RBI, and 15+ stolen bases last season?

I’ll tell you how many! ONLY SEVEN PLAYERS REACHED THOSE STATS.

To be honest I made that number up and if we had interns working for us; I would definitely have them find out for me.

There’s a lot to suggest that Gordon set the bar too high for himself last season but with an improving Kansas City lineup and the fact that he’s still in his prime at 28, chances are good that he could repeat last year’s success despite a conceivable drop in AVG. He’s a top 20 outfielder and I would have him going at the same time as names like Victorino, Hart, and Crawford.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Robinson Cano

admin / February 26, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Tooliatos

The Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano is a perennial MVP contender, a fixture in the All-Star Game and also possesses strong defensive skills with a Gold Glove to show for it.

It also helps that he plays in a stadium the size of a little league field.

The 29-year-old Cano enjoyed another MVP-caliber year last season and set a career-high in RBIs. Even though his average dipped a bit in 2011, it doesn’t change the fact he’s a dangerous power hitter.

Considering Cano is in his prime — barring injury– he could potentially top his home run numbers. Expect to see numbers around .310/30/110 with around 6 stolen bases.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Eric Hosmer

admin / February 25, 2012 / 2 comments

By Nick Tooliatos

Eric Hosmer might be the one shining light in the Royals’ franchise. Which means he will probably be on the Yankees by the end of the season.

Anyways, prior to the 2011 season, Hosmer was ranked the No. 8 prospect by Baseball America, so last season was likely not a fluke. Hosmer should morph into a Joey Votto like player after finishing his rookie season with a .293 average, 19 homers, 78 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.

This season’s numbers should increase with more playing time and a stat line around .300/25/100 is not out of the question.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Hunter Pence

admin / February 25, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Reedy

The more I analyze baseball players, the more I find out that I despise a lot more players than I thought.

It might be a guy who’s got a temper, its might be a guy who plays dirty, or in Hunter Pence’s case, it’s a guy who looks like a mutant mosquito that smoked a big ‘ol bag of drugs.

It’s not just that he looks a twacked out space goon, it’s that he made The Phillies downright deadly when they got him.

His power numbers skyrocketed in Philly ( 100 games in Houston: 11 HR, 54 games in Philly: 11 homeruns) and he slugged  at .560 clip while hitting .324. It must have been the thrill of playing relevant baseball for the first time in his career OR it might have just been Citizens Bank Park and that potent Philly lineup.

You ever notice Pence’s running motion is the same as a Gollum from Lord of the Rings? You’re welcome.

Okay all joking aside, a part of me does hate him but even that part of me can’t deny the fact that Pence will be a great fantasy asset in 2012 and could be slotted in the ¾ spot most nights. Look for the bug-eyed goober known as Hunter Pence to come off the board around the 4th round, perhaps later depending on if your league hates the Phillies.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Mariano Rivera

admin / February 22, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Tooliatos

Can you hear those footsteps behind you Mariano, thats Rafael Soriano……or death.

Rivera is heading into his 18th and mostly likely last season with the Yankees in 2012. So what can we expect from the future Hall of Famer?

Rivera is still on the Yankees so he will get a lot of save chances, last year he converted 44 saves and only has 5 BS.

This means we can look for the Yankees to give Rivera around 50 or so chances again this year again.

However, the 42 year old closer is dealing with some health problem this off-season. Rivera had some polyps removed from his throat recently and his injury concerns have dropped him out of the top spot when it comes to RP in fantasy baseball going into this season. If Rivera can stay healthy he is a top 5 closer up their with Kimbrel, Wilson, Axford, and Papelbon.

A healthy Rivera will give you about 40 saves around 65 strikeouts and an ERA of about 1.90-2.00. Expect the blown saves to increase this year, but not by much Rivera will likely finish with around 6-8 BS this year. Rivera is one of, if not the best closer in the history of the game, so it should be exciting to watch his final act in those famous Yankee pinstripes

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Joey Votto

admin / February 22, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Reedy

There’s something about Joey Votto that makes me think he’d fit in with those old time ball players like Mel Ott, Goose Goslin, or Wally Berger. The name just sounds like he should been playin ball back in the 30’s! I can hear the “old-timey” audio right now….

“Stepping up to the plate is the youngman they call Joey Votto, boy I’ll tell ya, this kid is “The Real McCoy”, The Genuine article indeed! And How, he’s hittin’ on all sixes this season and you won’t catch him taking any wooden nickels at the dish. Votto undoubtley will be looking to put the bum’s rush on that rag-a-muffin Patty Caraway in this at bat!”

Awesome throw-back names aside, Joey Votto is a premiere player at the talent heavy position that is first base.  With Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols going within the top 5 in most fantasy drafts, Joey Votto  will be just as productive for whomever is at the tail end of the draft order in the first round.

“But that means you’ve ranked him higher than Adrian Gonzalez and Prince Fielder! WHATS WRONG WITH YOU?!”

Okay, all of these options at first base are GREAT options but I’ll explain why I’d take Votto before Gonzalez/Fielder.

First off it’s important that you realize I’ve always hated Fielder since his WWE style antics (see: http://youtu.be/KxAlPvTQSqo) and I NEVER trust a vegan. 

Fielder is just too much of a head case for me to trust him in the first round and no one is quite sure how he’s going to adapt to Detroit’s (ugh) vegan cusine.

Don’t get me wrong, Prince and Votto will have some-what similar numbers at the end of the year (Fielder will most likely have more HR than Votto) but I side with the cool-headed 1930’s ball player; Joey Votto. Plus he’ll get a handful of stolen bases.

When it comes to Adrian Gonzalez the only argument I can really make is that he only hit 27 HR last year…..while hitting .338 with 100+ runs and 117 RBI. Not bad at all. In fact I would challenge that Adrian Gonzalez is worthy of the first round with a full season under his belt in Boston and with his improved vision getting laser eye sur……wait a minute I’m getting off track!

Its first base, you can’t go wrong with any of these fantasy monsters. If you’re like me, you tend to use your massive gut to make decisions…and my gut says Miggy>Pujols>VOTTO>Gonzalez> and finally the Prince.

Sorry Prince, don’t come banging on the door of my softball training facility, security won’t let you in.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Roy Halladay

admin / February 20, 2012 / 2 comments

By Nick Tooliatos

Doc Halladay is currently the second best pitcher in baseball.

Coming in just behind Justin Verlander, Halladay will be one of the first pitchers off fantasy draft boards again this season.

Halladay, a sure fire Hall of Famer, will battle Phillies’ teammate Cliff Lee along with Clayton Kershaw and Tim Lincecum for his first National League CY Young Award in 2012.

A win would make Halladay one of the only pitchers in baseball history to win the award in both leagues.

Halladay finished with 19 wins last year and another 17-20 win season should be in the future for the good doctor. Another 200+ plus strikeout season is also something you can look forward to. Halladay as he has broken the 200+ plus strikeout marker for the past 3 season and does not show signs of slowing down.

As far as ERA goes it will be hard for Halladay to beat his 2.35 marker form last season, look for an ERA around 2.6-2.8 which is closer to his career average.

While Halladay maybe ice cold and not reply to a hello or wave from a teammate until he has been relieved or has thrown a completed a game, he will be a warm addition to your fantasy team in 2012.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Yovanni Gallardo

admin / February 20, 2012 / One comment

By Nick Reedy

Yovanni Gallardo: If your like me, your buying Galladro to have a huge season, and why not? The guy has gradually improved every season and will be in the prime of his career being 26 years old.

Take a look at this generic graph that displays Gallardo’s  baseball productivity over the course of his MLB Career:

 

Simple mathematic science backs my theory that Yovanni Gallardo is a badass.

His wins might take a hit without Fielder and Brauns’ suspension, but he should more than make up for that with 200+ strikeouts and an ERA under 3.50/ WHIP under 1.20. Look for him around the 7th round.

 

 Red: ERA, Blue: Strikeouts, Green: Wins

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Ben Zobrist AKA ZORILLA

admin / February 19, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Reedy

ZORILLAAAAA!!!!!! This guy…THIS GUY! Ben Zobrist is quite the enigma. He’ll drive you crazy because he won’t seem to be doing anything for your team and then BAM! He’ll drop 2 HR and 10 RBI while going 7-10 in a double header.

He’s one hell of a talented lanky bastard and you might be able to stash him on your team and reap the benefits of an above average season (somewhere around 15 HR with 15SB, with potential for more) when all is said and done.

Plus, Zobrist will be eligible at 2B and OF which is always a nice bonus. Keep in mind that a guy like Zobrist will come in handy in the middle of the season when injuries strike and you can plug him into multiple positions instead of having to pick up guys like Chris Getz, Mark Ellis, or (god forbid) Alexi Casilla.

Look for him in the late 5th-early 6th rounds.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Brandon Phillips

admin / February 19, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Tooliatos

Brandon Phillips is waiting on a contract extension from the Red’s and this can mean one of two things. The first being that Phillips has another All-Star type year hitting over .300 with 20+ HRs trying to prove to the Reds he is worth the money.

The other way this could go is that Phillip’s becomes distracted by the fact that the team’s number one priority is resigning Joey Votto and not him. If the latter scenario happens Phillips could fall way down in the fantasy 2B rankings. Currently Yahoo Sports has Phillips ranked as the 6th 2B to take, but a distracted Phillips could wind up around 12-15 with other Second Basemen like Jemile Weeks and Dustin Ackley out playing him.

Phillips said he’s “not tripping” over his new contract but the Red’s have made it pretty clear their number one priority is to resign Votto. A distracted Phillips could put up numbers around .250/12/70 which does not qualify him to be a top ten second baseman.

Phillips has the potential to go off this season and prove he is worth the money, but the risk is far greater than the reward so if you have a chance to grab a different 2b like Dustin Pedroia or Chase Utley go in that direction.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Evan Longoria

admin / February 17, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Tooliatos

Evan Longoria’s short career has been plagued with injuries masking his great talent. However, according to Longoria he is in the best shape of his life and he is looking forward to playing a full season.

After spending the past two offseasons sculpting his guns (no not his stolen AK47s…his arms), Longoria is 10 to 15 pounds leaner and considerably looser, he has focused more on flexibility over strength in an effort to avoid the muscle injuries (hamstring, quadriceps, oblique) that have sidelined him during the past two seasons … Instead of lifting weights, Longoria focused on muscle stretching and explosiveness.

If Longoria can avoid pulling his groin in Spring Training he should be a lock for a late first round to high second round pick in most fantasy drafts.

Last year in only 133 games Longoria hit .244/31/99 and while I dont see the number of HRs or RBIs increasing that much look for the average to increase by at least 30 to 40 points. Longoria is a career .274 hitter so look for a stat line along the lines of .279/28/102.

When he is healthy Longoria is the second best 3B in the league behind Tony Bautista so grab him if you get the chance and pray he does not sneeze to hard and pull his oblique again.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Nelson Cruz

admin / February 17, 2012 / No comments

 By Nick Reedy

Nelson Cruz is always a threat to hit 30 homeruns…IF HE CAN STAY ON THE FIELD!

Nelly always seems to be on and off the field with a plethora of miscellaneous injuries, whether it be a hernia, plantar fasciitis, turf toe, the flu, or slipping on dog excrement.

In all seriousness, Cruz can carry your team for weeks straight but might end up hurt when it matters the most, hes worth a gamble but I wouldn’t pass up more consistent options.

However, a couple things are working in Cruz’s benefit. One of those things is a potent lineup (featuring Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, and Adrian Beltre) that will ensure that his runs are rbi stay on par with his career numbers. The other is the never ending confidence players have in their health, even if they are labled “injury prone”…..

“I feel like I’m in better shape right now than in the past,” Cruz said. “I expect a big performance of myself and nothing less than going back to the World Series.”

With his decline in stolen bases, his season might end up somewhere around 28 HR 80+ RBI with a .260-.280 average.

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What to Expect 2/14: Legedu Nannaee DUI on Moped

admin / February 14, 2012 / No comments

TUESDAY: Exactly one year and two days removed from his last alcohol related arrest, Legedu Nannee has done it again.

Legedu Nannee (a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers) was arrested Tuesday morning in Oregon for driving a Moped while intoxicated.

Wittiness indicated they recognized him from his “awesome dreads” as they saw him slowly driving down highway 26 around 7:15am. Reports on if he was nude have varied from witness to witness.

“When I saw him, he was nude and was hastily pouring a bottle of Aquafina on himself.” Said Mark Moorenad, a witness on highway-26. “I was headed to Grissoms Breakfast Sanctuary for a Gouda Cheese Breakfast Muffin Melt when I saw him, I nearly crashed from trying to shield my children’s eyes from his grotesque “member.”

Naanee will be charged with a DUI once he is released from The Oregon hospital he is being treated at for hyperthermia and an unrelated case of gonorrhea.

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2012 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Hanley Ramirez

admin / February 14, 2012 / No comments

By Nick Reedy

Hanley Ramirez did few favors to owners that drafted him in the first round last year, in fact he was pretty bad.

In 92 games (injuries), Hanley set career lows across the board including avg (.243), homeruns (10), and onbase percentage (.333). But now that the Marlins are in Miami with a new shortstop named Jose Reyes, Hanley will inevitably have a better season than last season. 

He has also embraced moving to third base and will also embrace Jose Reyes getting on base for him every time he’s up, heath is always a concern however. 2011 aside, he’s still worth a late first round pick.

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