1st Quarter Report: Studs and Surprises Thus Far
By orleanscardinals at 25 May, 2008, 8:42 pm
The other day I took an exclusive look at the top 10 fantasy players, as ranked by Yahoo Sports at the beginning of the MLB season. Here’s a look at some of the great draft picks and sweet surprises to begin the year.
The Studs
These are the guys you spent an early round draft pick on and they’ve well exceeded expectations.
- Lance Berkman
Even though 2007 was a disappointment, it didn’t seem like it would be a downward trend for Berkman. This year, Berkman is silencing critics and helping to keep the Astros in the middle of the race for the NL Central. With a .385 BA, 16 HR’s and 45 RBI through May 24 and playing in the cozy confines of Minute Main Park, Berkman has a legitimate chance at the Triple Crown. - Brandon Webb
Picked somewhere between the 3rd and 4th rounds of most fantasy leagues, Webb has blown past all starting pitchers selected in early rounds thus far this season. Given how the Diamondbacks are running away with the division thus far and have scored the 4th most runs in the major leagues, it would seem likely that Webb will continue to have success. - Chipper Jones
We all knew Chipper Jones is a good hitter; we just wouldn’t have thought he would be batting .400+ through May 24th. Ranked 1st for third basemen thus far, Jones is a key reason the Braves are right at the top of the NL East and why fantasy managers who have him are right at the top of the BA scoring category. - Dan Uggla
If I didn’t know Uggla was drafted on average somewhere around the 8th round, I probably would have classified him as a surprise; and shame on me for making that mistake a third year in a row. 15 HR, 37 runs, 34 RBI and a .320 BA later, Uggla is neck-and-neck with 1st round selection Chase Utley as the best 2B in 5×5 fantasy leagues.
The Great Surprises
Whether it was a free agent pick-up or late round pick, these are the guys you didn’t know what to expect or only hoped would be successful.
- Nate McLouth
McLouth wasn’t selected in most fantasy drafts but it’s pretty unlikely you’ll find him still available on the free agent list. Season to date, McLouth is ranked 3rd of all outfielders (behind Hamilton, below and Berkman) and is contributing in all 5 major scoring categories. McLouth is out performing guys like Magglio Ordonez, Matt Holiday and Carl Crawford. - Josh Hamilton
Even though the Rangers are a disaster, Hamilton (and guys like David Murphy and Ian Kinsler - both deserving of being on this list) has lived up to all the hype and potential. Leading the league with 53 RBI as well as contributing 12 HR and a .337 BA, fantasy owners have to be really happy with a guy selected on average in the 15th round. - Edinson Volquez
Sporting a 1.34 ERA and 74 K’s in 60+ IP, fantasy owners who picked Volquez up as a free agent or late round selection have to be happy. Volquez largely went under the radar with guys like Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto getting all the early season hype but no one is ignoring him right now. - Cliff Lee
The losing pitcher in the recent inter-league matchup between the 2 starting pitchers sporting the lowest league ERA’s (the other above), Lee rebounded nicely to pick up his 7th win, striking out 8 in 6.2 innings. His ERA stands at a sparking 1.50 and a 54:9 K’s to BB ratio (with 4 of those BB’s coming last night) and is one of the main reasons the Indians are still in the hunt.
There you have it, Fantasy Baseball Tips‘ look at some of the great picks and great pick-ups through the first quarter of the MLB - Fantasy Baseball season. What do you think? Who else should be here or deserves some mention? We’d love to hear your comments and opinions and up next: the big disappointments and major duds killing fantasy managers thus far.
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