Creeper of the Week: Mounting Everth, and the Top 100 Hitters, Week 1

It’s really hard to pick a Creeper for Week 1. I asked myself, do you suggest a player the Razz army all drafted but is undervalued everywhere else? Is telling them to drop a player they drafted for my one week call a good idea? Why does Sky wear running shorts in the shower? How do I know what he wears in the shower? The latter is because I shared a hotel with him during Spring Training (insert winking emoji) and the former is why we are here. Welcome back to Sundays everyone, no not you troll…okay, you can come on over and troll. I don’t mind. Everth Cabrera is a recipient of opportunity this week and like we say around here SAGNOF! Why not start now? Unlike a diet in January this is a regiment that needs to be stuck to for the next six months. Yes we play for six months here. I don’t want any of that, I’m out of it in June B.S. from any of you. You might be surprised what can happen if you stick it out. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Our resident deep league aficionado Sky has been talking up E-Cab lately as he loves how the reclamation expert Orioles have created an opportunity for the PED busted weed puffing base stealer. To paraphrase Mr. Sky: Baltimore didn’t spend that kind of money for a pinch runner and the MI situation had questions marks with the health and ability of the current roster. Well it looks like Sky was pretty correct now that the injury to J.J. Hardy has opened a spot for E-Cab to show the O’s that they didn’t waste their time and money on him. If we look at his spring, which I hate to do, we see he led the team in AB’s and carries a 9/7 K/BB ratio. This only matters to me because he demonstrated a good eye and that the O’s wanted to give him every opp to make the club.  This week the 2.1% owned E-Cab has six games with three against the Rays and three against the Jays. As of now 4 are right handers and one lefty. Being a switch hitter I would like to see better numbers against right-handers in the average department (.247), but a three year OBP split of .315/.330 is encouraging enough for me. *crosses fingers the spring walks carry over* The thing about base-stealers that you should know is its easier to get a jump on a right-hander than a lefty. SAGNOF! To get back to my point in the opening, I don’t want you all getting batty call cray in week one, enjoy your new car for a week before you swap out the wheels or get a dashboard Jesus. Middle infidel is one of my Frankenpositions this year with catcher being the other. If you subscribe to this strategy then this is your guy and go ahead and play with as much confidence as a teenager at his first middle school dance. What! I’m kidding, it’s week one, chill out. Go ahead and take E-Cab out for a Joyride!  I’m sure we will be laughing about this next week when he chips in for your team and if not the bloodstains should come out with a little bleach.

Creepy Catcher – Frankencatcher special for the frequent rosterbating haters of the men that squat for money. John Jaso faces five right-handers this week with the only lefty being Wei-Yin Chen. Last year he hit .272 against righties and should have a favorable spot in the batting order as I have seen him as high as second, batting behind Desmond Jennings. At 5.5% owned he should be there and you can go confidently into this week with a DH manning your C-spot. If you really want the one day batty call from him I would go with him on Friday when he faces Dan Haren who over 26 AB’s has a .300 average with 3 HR’s.

Top-100 Hitters for Week 1

When Jay first approached me with this idea I thought he drank too much Makers Mark and needed to sober up. Oh how JayWrong I was. This is a very real thing, so I apologize if any of you choked on your coffee or threw yourself out a window. For the 2015 season, I’ll be including a top-100 hitters for the week in my Sunday Creeper post. Similar to JB’s top-100, this is the hitter compliment to complete the circle. This is my Top-100, it’s not Grey’s or Rudy’s, neither Sky’s or the Mike’s. In all truth, it’s a little bit of everyone’s, for I have respect for my co-workers and yet as you all know, I have my own values and opinions. I know everyone will not agree with what I’m putting out there and that is what the comments are for. Let’s talk it out and agree to disagree.

•  I can’t help myself with Troy Tulowitzki. He’s a top 5 hitter when on the field and to be honest is worth the risk. Last year, in only 375 AB’s he went 71/21/52/.340, which only makes me pander to Ms. Full Season…you looking good in dem jeans Ms. Full Season. I know its easy to write him off with the “injured every year” tag but I’m a risk taker at the the back end of round one. I would rather lose taking a risk on him than lose playing it safe with Adam Jones.
• I got a little crush on Springer and I just don’t care. Not many 30/20 upside guys running around here…okay more like 30/15 but still that 30 can quickly turn into 35. He’s my reach guy this year. Speaking of reaching I like Braun in a bounce back…if the thumb is back… am I right? The potential returns are too much for me to pass up on. Does he have a 30 HR year left? Maybe, I’m willing to find out because I own him in a few spots. I think at worst he is a good batting average, low 20’s HR hitter in a lineup great for counting stats floor guy.
• Adrian Gonzalez is a solid performer. That is all! Where I have him reflects my valuing of solid guys that aren’t showing their age, he’s still only 32. Playing in Los Angeles didn’t hurt him last year when he had 27 bombs, most since 2011. I’m going to put his three year ranks among 1st basemen like a slash line 6th/12th/2nd/5th (R/HR/RBI/AVG).
• I don’t like the price tags on Bryce Harper or Hanley Ramirez and I grouped them here because they both have heads that get in the way of them being successful. As we say around here: They can do that on someone else’s team.
• I don’t get those on the net that project Marte for 20HR’s. He was pretty meh until the Dreadless Pirate got hurt. Hitting 8 bombs the last two months after only 5 the first 4 coupled with two months of sub mendoza line in that first 4 worries me. We all get, or at least should know, that high K rate guys are prone to massive slumps. Is betting that his Aug/Sept was who he evolved into or is he the first half guy? He’s probably both and takes a very small leap, just not as much as everyone thinks.
• I love J.D. this year and after spending a weekend with Sky I am really convinced about the awesomeness that carries my grandmothers lastnamesake. Funny thing is I don’t own him anywhere. Stupid stupid me!
• Brandon Belt is one of those guys I have all over my draft folder. He started out on a holy terror last year before getting hurt. This is me gambling that he picks up where he left off. That .193 ISO in 2013 and the .206 ISO last year has me chomping at the bit if he can stay on the damn field. He turns 27 on 4/20 so roll one up and pass it around for Belt.

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