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Fantasy Baseball Stock Watch – Morse, Boesch, Ludwick, Niese

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Baseball season is moving right along, but remember more than 60% of the season is still to play, so big gaps can still be made up with good decisions and some luck.

 
Stock Up

Michael Morse, 1B/OF, WAS – Morse is still rocking the ball and is back in the Stock Up column again this week. Over the last two weeks, he hit .357 with 4 homers, 15 RBI, 10 runs scored and even added a stolen base. This guy started out ice cold but is a great play if he is still lingering on your waiver wire.

Brennan Boesch, OF, DET – Like Morse, Boesch also started the season without a full-time gig, but his bat is hot. Take advantage of the .340/5/14/11 over the last two weeks and assume it will continue for a bit longer. The average will eventually cool off, but the power should continue all season.

Eric Hosmer, 1B, KC – If this highly touted prospect is still on your waiver wire, you need to stop reading this and go pick him up right now. Hosmer is a legitimate bat and will give you power and average. He put up .371/2/14/11/1 over the fortnight and is likely to produce all season.

Corey Patterson, OF, TOR – Patterson finds himself on this list for the second straight week. When the opportunity presented itself, Patterson was ready to answer the call. During the last two weeks, he has hit .322/3/8/13/2 and will continue to get full time at bats as long as he’s producing.

Miguel Olivo, C, SEA – If you are looking for a hitting catcher, Olivo might be your answer. He hit .277/4/15/8/1 during the last two week stretch, so ride the wave.

Alexi Casilla, 2B/SS, MIN – If you need steals, Casilla might be your man. While hitting .321 with six ribbies and 8 runs scored in the last two weeks, Casilla also ripped off five bases and is a great middle infield play right now.

Ryan Ludwick, OF, STL – Ludwick is another repeat offender on the Stock Up list. In the last two weeks, Luddy has put up .396/0/7/9. He’s not hitting for power, but he is hitting the ball well right now so grab him and hope the power flares up.

Adam Kennedy, 1B/2B/3B, SEA – Kennedy has a lot of position flexibility and is getting playing time at the expense of other Mariners who aren’t hitting as well. Kennedy is hitting in the middle of the order and playing most anywhere around the infield while hitting .317/1/7/9/1 in the last two weeks. This is a very odd situation for a utility infielder with a historically weak bat to see this kind of attention, but why should you argue with this kind of production?

Jon Niese, SP, NYM – Niese is 4-1 with 36 K, a 2.25 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP since May 1. His home starts are significantly better than those on the road, so he’s a great spot starter.

 
Stock Down

Ryan Howard, 1B, PHI – Howard is really struggling without the complimentary pieces that he is accustomed to having around him. This season, he’s missed Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Domonic Brown and others. Over the last two weeks he’s posted .191/2/10/3 and isn’t getting too many quality pitches to hit. If someone is offering you full value, you might want to jump as he’s likely to find himself without much help for the rest of the season.

Shin-Soo Choo, OF, CLE – Choo is about the only Cleveland Indian who is struggling at the plate this season as the magical summer on Lake Erie continues for a most unlikely team. Over the last two weeks, Choo has posted .209/0/0/3 and it is unclear if he can get it together any time soon. He is hitting .169 with runners in scoring position this season and a recent DUI arrest may not be good for getting his focus back any time soon.

Adam Dunn, 1B, CWS – Dunn has hit 38 or more home runs in each of the last seven seasons and a new home at one of the most homer-friendly parks in baseball was supposed to elevate him into the 50-homer club. That only works if you can actually make contact, which is a big problem for Dunn these days. During the last two weeks, Dunn has only managed .143/1/3/5 and he may have the same disease that Pat Burrell suffered while with Tampa Bay. That disease is one where a player plays awful defense in the National League, while still hitting well. The obvious answer is a designated hitter gig in the American League, but for whatever reason it brings down their hitting. Dunn will most likely regain his stroke if he can get back to the NL, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone interested in his contract, which still guarantees him more than $50 million.

Jon Lester, SP, BOS – Lester dominated in April and then has struggled in May. His average fastball is still at 92 MPH, so he seems healthy. He’s probably just hit a rough patch that will work itself out and there is nothing to worry over even though his ERA has risen from 2.33 to 3.96 since his May 3 start.

Fantasy Baseball Stock Watch – Ludwick, Maybin, Pena, Collmenter

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Stock Up

Ryan Ludwick, OF, SD – Ludwick put together a big week hitting .440 with three homers, 10 RBI and scoring 5 runs. That is quite a feat for a guy playing in an extreme pitchers park on an anemic offense. Don’t expect a repeat of his monstrous 2008 season, but a good season could be in the cards for Luddy.

Justin Turner, 2B, NYM – Turner is taking full advantage of the second base vacancy that was created by injuries and poor play. Over the last week, he has piled up .400/1/10/4 and is trying to make his case for the starting team. The Mets and Turner are hot right now and he could be a very useful middle infield piece for the time being.

Cameron Maybin, OF, SD – Maybin has been a highly regarded prospect for several years now and the luster is beginning to wear off as he has not lived up to his billing. Maybe a change to San Diego and the relaxing SoCal lifestyle has finally helped him find his place in baseball. He has put up .368/2/5/5 with a stolen base over the last week and seems to be the catalyst in the suddenly hot Padres offense.

Ronny Cedeno, SS, PIT – Cedeno has been losing some starts to Brandon Wood, but should find more starts with weeks like this one: .444/1/4/5. Cedeno has always had a little pop in his bat, but he usually struggles with batting average, meaning that this isn’t likely to last. But enjoy the ride while he’s providing you with quality numbers from the very thin shortstop position.

Brad Hawpe, 1B/OF, SD – Yet another Padre who is hot, Hawpe has crushed the ball to a .381/1/3/6 tune over the last week. This guy has always had the goods, but keeping it all together for lengths of time was always his problem. Enjoy it as he’ll probably add some homer power to these numbers.

Carlos Pena, 1B, CHC – Is that the same Carlos Pena who had great difficulty keeping his batting average above the Mendoza Line? Yes it is and he’s smoking the ball right now on the North Side with a .316/2/5/4. He’s always had great power, but ride him while the average is good.

Josh Collmenter, SP, ARI – Collmenter was the focus of a prospect report last winter and he seems to be living up to his billing. His delivery is tough for hitters as the ball seems to come out from right above his head. He’s 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA and a 0.50 WHIP in two starts and seven relief appearances. As long as he keeps pitching like this, he’ll keep his rotation slot.

Ryan Vogelsong, SP, SF – Vogelsong has been a journeyman minor leaguer for quite a few years and San Francisco has found the right spot for him. He’s 3-0 with a 2.36 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in four starts and two relief appearances. With question marks surrounding Barry Zito and Madison Bumgarner, Vogelsong should keep his spot in the rotation as long as he keeps pitching well.

Colby Lewis, SP, TEX – Lewis had a breakout season in 2010 after a journeyman’s career. He struggled in his first four starts going 1-3 with a 6.95 ERA and only 14 strikeouts, but he has really turned it around in the last four starts, going 3-1 with a 1.67 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Buy now and point out the .500 record and hope that his owner hasn’t noticed the reversal of fortunes.

 
Stock Down

Albert Pujols, 1B, STL – Pujols got a second game this season at 3B and it is very possible that he might just find three more this season to get to five (an eligibility qualifying mark in many leagues), but his bat has been awful in the last week (.250/0/1/1/1). It has more to do with the surrounding cast than a Pujols slump, as Colby Rasmus, David Freese, Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman have all sustained injuries. Without any coverage, there’s no reason for pitchers to throw Phat Albert anything decent.

Evan Longoria, 3B, TB – Longoria is still not back to full speed yet after his oblique injury. He posted a .185/0/0/3 line, something we might expect from Eva Longoria, not Evan. As he regains his strength and stamina, Longo will be back to top form.

Ryan Howard, 1B, PHI – Howard is suffering from the same lack of help that Pujols is facing. Without Chase Utley, Domonic Brown and Jayson Werth, Howard doesn’t see too many worthwhile pitches. As the team gets healthy and the summer heats up in Citizens Band Box Park, Howard will post the numbers you’ve come to expect.

John Danks, SP, CHW – Danks hasn’t been miserable this season, he’s just been unlucky. At 0-6, the quick glance looks bad but his K/9 rate of 6.48 is slightly below is career rate of 6.94 but his batting average against is .274 compared with a career mark of .251 which is probably caused by a BABIP of .313 compared to his career average of .286. His walks are also up a little bit, so he may be causing some of his own damage. There’s nothing that says he should be 0-6, but there’s also no indications that he’ll turn things around anytime soon. He’s a great guy to buy low and stash, but he’s probably not ready to start for your team until he shows some serious upward movement in his game.

Ryan Franklin, RP, STL – If the fact that Franklin lost his closer role didn’t tell you he’s sucking this year, maybe his 12.46 ERA and 2.54 WHIP over the last two weeks will. If he’s still on your team, dump him now. The Cardinals have two legitimate closer options in Fernando Salas and Eduardo Sanchez to make sure that Franklin is nothing more than a setup man for the rest of his days in St. Louis.