2011 Fantasy Baseball Rookies

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Grey

2011 Fantasy Baseball, Rookies to Target

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 70 Comments

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Rookie pitchers give you a roofie.  Rookie hitters give you agita.  So why do we keep going back for more like a guest on Montel?  It’s sorta like the old joke that Woody Allen quotes in Annie Hall.  We need the eggs.  Besides said eggs, if a rookie somehow/someway breaks out, he’ll help you win your championship.  If you draft properly in the first 7 to 10 rounds, your team will be competitive, but so should other teams.  It’s what you do after those rounds that makes the difference.  You’re not winning your league with Longoria in the first round, but you could with Mike Minor in the 20th.  As wonky as that sounds, it’s true.  If you click on the player’s name, you’ll find whole posts and projections for each guy.  It’s like Santa woke up drunk in March.  Anyway, here’s some rookies to target for 2011 fantasy baseball:

Mike Minor – In my pitchers’ pairings post, I told you to grab Mike Minor or Jordan Zimmermann on every team.  Then I see teams in the comments that don’t have either with a variation of this comment, “Grey (insert compliment), what do you think of my team?”  I don’t think you have Mike Minor or Jordan Zimmermann, that’s what I think.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Michael Pineda, 2011 Fantasy Outlook

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 53 Comments

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As far as I’m concerned, the greatest thing Bill Simmons ever gave us was the Reggie Cleveland All-Stars.  With that in mind, Michael Pineda made me say, “Wow, he’s Dominican?”  I would’ve went Italian.  I probably would’ve known he wasn’t Italian if I saw he was six-five.  You put my Italian grandfather on my shoulders and we’re lucky to be six-five.  Ay, now where’s the broads?!  Pineda was the Mariners’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year.  His overall numbers were 3.36 ERA in 139 1/3 IP with only 34 walks vs.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Mike Minor, 2011 Fantasy Sleeper

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 32 Comments

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First, let’s go to the videotape, “Almost a 11 K/9 in the minors is, uh, Mike Minor.  He major, Kanye.  I hope Roberto Kelly doesn’t come back to visit the Braves because when R. Kelly sees a minor, urine trouble!  So should you play some Gary Glitter if you’re lusting after this Minor?  In 118 2/3 IP this year, he has 144 Ks and 44 walks.  Hello, beautiful.  Want me to continue?  Of course you do.  You’re greedy.  In Triple-A through five starts, his ERA is 1.99 while rocking a .171 BAA.”  I loved him when he was called up and he rewarded me with a punch to my no-no area.  In 40 2/3 IP, a 5.98 ERA and 1.57 WHIP.  His FIP was much better, but they don’t count that in my fantasy leagues, so there’s that.  It is worth noting that his BABIP was astronomical in his small sample size (hehe, he has a small sample size).  So I’d take Minor’s 2010 with the Braves with a grain of salt (to an open wound if you owned him).  So what do I think Mike Minor will be like for 2011 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Chris Carter, 2011 Fantasy Outlook

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 47 Comments

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No, not that Chris Carter.  This Chris Carter looks like Ryan Howard.  In every possible way.  He strikes out a lot.  He hits a lot of homers.  He talks to Turtle about tequila.  He weighs 230+ el-bees.  He stands six foot five.  He once finished off a grand slam 7 hours after the last pitch of a game thanks to Denny’s.  You know that bar game Picture Perfect where you try and pick out the differences between two pictures that look nearly identical?  You could have Ryan Howard on one side and Carter on the other side and stump the soberest of men.  In 2010, Carter hit 31 homers in Triple-A and batted .258.  Then in a short stint in the majors, Carter had only 13 hits in 70 ABs for a .186 average, but three of those hits were homers.  Sure, Carter farted up those numbers, but, to clear the air, it was a small sample size and he did something similar in his first taste of Triple-A and straightened that out in time.  So what can we expect of Chris Carter in 2011 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Jesus Montero, 2011 Fantasy Outlook

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 79 Comments

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At some point in the near future, you knew I was going to put Jesus Montero on your fantasy radar.  Well, here we are.  The first big question is, are the Yankees handing over catching duties to a rookie who can’t catch?  As Jacques Cousteau might’ve said, I can’t fathom it.  The Yankees were thinking similarly when they traded him for Cliff Lee for a brief moment in July in Buster Olney’s mind.  (I think they’d probably do the trade now if they had a DeLorean.)  Maybe the Yankees can have Austin Romine catch and Montero hit.  Or do they only do that shizz in Pee Wee Leagues?  Could Montero be the DH?  I suppose.  But you know when you suppose, you make a supp out of you and me.  Wait, that’s wrong.  The Yankees could do well going a bit younger in at least one spot on their roster.  The other Jesus knows they’re old enough.  So what can we expect of Jesus Montero for 2011 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Jeremy Hellickson, 2011 Fantasy Outlook

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 76 Comments

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Don’t cha love how the Rays are one of the best teams in the major leagues and their minor league system is stacked and no one cares?  I’d say that the Rays have more pure baseball fans than any other club, but we all know pure baseball fans live in K.C., eat BBQ and listen to jazz.  They don’t go to Tampa to watch the Rays play in a terrible stadium.  More people outside of Tampa know about the Rays than people in the city.  Okay, that point’s belabored enough.  Jeremy Hellickson has the goods, young sir.  Control?  Check!  Strikeouts?  Check-check!  A bit too many fly balls?  Yeah, but whatever.  The Rays outfield is quick to the point to the point no fakin’.  I want to wrap Hellickson up in a lavash, top him with spicy hummus and rename him Baba Gotnastystuff.  So what can we expect of Jeremy Hellickson in 2011 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Domonic Brown, 2011 Fantasy Outlook

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 68 Comments

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Let’s start with what I said a few months ago, “This year in the minors Domonic Brown had a line of 65/20/68/.327/17 and .391/.589/.980.  Let’s recap, whoa/wow/nice/yum-yum/don’t mind if I do and yowsers/that’s lovely/yowsersthat’slovely.  To break that down for the people who skimmed the first two sentences, he has 20/20 potential with plate discipline.  It’s the fantasy baseball equivalent to:  “I don’t think this glazed donut can get any better.”  “How about we sprinkle bacon on it?”  Drool.  By my estimation (and Keith Law’s), he’s the number one prospect in the minors.  (Desmond Jennings is a close 2nd in my book that was rejected by Simon & Schuster.)”  And that’s me quoting me!  First off, Jennings is now one, according to me, and Brown is two for 2011.  Don’t ask me how it changed.  It just did, okay?  Well, actually, I’ll explain how it changed.  Preemptive, you’re welcome.  Speed translates easier than power.  Power, on youngsters, doesn’t always immediately appear.  Beyond 2011, I could see Brown leapfrogging Jennings to have more value in fantasy.  Shoot, he can have more value in 2011, but he’s not safer.  So what can we expect for Domonic Brown in 2011 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Aroldis Chapman, 2011 Fantasy Outlook

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 39 Comments

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I’m not sure anyone can hit Aroldis Chapman.  For a pitcher, that’s a pretty good thing.  If you speak street, he be fire on Crunk Juice.  He can throw the ball faster than Bob Feller on a motorcycle.  Fidel Castro used to karaoke Sublime by singing, “I don’t practice Santeria, I can’t see Aroldis’ fastball.”  It’s fast.  We’ll leave it at that.  There’s really no question.  Let’s give some numbers now.  In 26 IP of his rookie year, 25 Ks, 1.15 WHIP and a 2.42 ERA.  Then in his sophomore year, his numbers were 160 2/3 IP, 130 Ks, 1.51 WHIP and a 4.82 ERA.  His wildness really stopped him from being successful with 96 walks.  There were definitely some flashes of brilliance, but almost completely unownable in fantasy.  Wait, next year hasn’t happened yet.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Freddie Freeman, 2011 Fantasy Outlook

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 113 Comments

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For Freddie Freeman, let’s start with what Stephen had to say earlier this year, “Turning 21 in a little over a month, Freeman has consistently hit the ball well with his “sweet, fluid swing.” He currently displays doubles power, but scouts believe this gap power should, and will translate to more home runs (seems to be happening this year).  He is an aggressive hitter but isn’t a free-swinger.  Keith Law said before the season started that he doesn’t use his trunk well.”  I know how Freeman feels.  Sometimes I’ll go grocery shopping and pile everything into my passenger seat.  Right side of brain, “It’s not that trunk, you moron.”  Left side of brain, “Shut up.”  In 2010, Freeman’s Triple-A numbers looked like this:  73/18/88/.319/6 in 461 ABs.  Okay, this guy isn’t exciting me at all, so let’s get outta the intro paragraph and see what we can expect for Freddie Freeman in 2011 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Danny Espinosa, 2011 Fantasy Outlook

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 8 Comments

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Prior to landing on Danny Espinosa in this 2011 rookie series, I almost wrote about Brandon Belt, but I need to see exactly where Belt straps into the lineup.  (See what I did there? Yeah, I’m not sure either. (Oh, and I may still write about Belt if the Giants commit to him.))  Here’s what I said earlier this year about Espinosa, “Let’s go over the Danny Espinosa positives first.  A) In Triple-A, he had 18 homers and 20 steals.  B) At MI, you need another positive after A?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
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