If you can remember back a few years, Johnny Cueto 401KO'd Jason LaRue with a kick to his head. When he got up, LaRue couldn't see straight and needed to retire. Elsewhere, Yordano Ventura (7 IP, 1 ER, 6 baserunners, 5 Ks in what might've been a spot start) has been honing his fight-picking and ability to be held back by teammates so it doesn't look too obvious that he wants to be held back. After every game this year, Ventura sat in his hotel room, perfecting his Clubber Lang at the Rocky statue coronation. "Yo, if you want a real man, you come find me!" There was really only man that Ventura admired the league over. One man as diabolical. As lowdown! And now through a trade between the Reds and Royals, Cueto joins Ventura! This is like thunder meeting lightning! Bonnie and Clyde if they were both men! Germany and Italy joining forces to rid the world of non-mustached, non-broad shouldered women! Wonder Twin powers activate in the form of pure evil! So, Cueto's trade to the Royals obviously doesn't hurt him. He'll be on a team that can win games and it's a much better home stadium, but he also leaves the NL. That makes this feel like a push in value. Right now, his ERA is 2.62. How much lower could it be? Not much is my guess. He's a 2.50-3.15 ERA pitcher anywhere he is, so that's what he'll continue to be. Unless Yordano throws Great Kabuki-style green dust into every hitter's face when the ump's back is turned. Anyway, here's what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:
Search Results for: latos
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What do numbers call their father? Data. Thank you, Highlights. You taught me so much with the juxtaposition of Goofus and Gallant, and you've entertained me for thirty years. One copy, that is well worn, sits on the back of my toilet as my salvation, especially when Cougs forgets to restock the toilet paper. Why am I thinking about data right now? Because I just spent two hours (more like ten minutes) looking for something. I was trying to find what a hitter does after hitting the longest home run of their career, then sorting by guys that do it before their 24th birthday. Alas, I couldn't find anything. Elias Sports Bureau probably knows but they're a bunch of baseball nerds. We're fantasy nerds. Huge difference, we have imaginary friends cooler than their real friends! My hypothesis I was aiming for is if a guy, who was once a well-regarded prospect is called up at a very young age, it might take a bit of time for them to acclimate themselves. Then, once they were comfortable, they'd show power, hit the longest home run of their career and take off from there. At this point, it's just conjecture, but it makes reasonable sense in a case study of one. So, who was this well-regarded prospect that just hit the longest home run of his career this week? Nick Castellanos. My Spidey sense says Castellanos might finally be breaking out. Breaking out from what, you're likely thinking. Well, not from chocolate. From being a schmohawk. Plus, my Spidey sense is strong since this is on the web. Like Castellanos's relatives throw glasses into the fireplace, he was thrown into the fire at an insanely young age, and is only 23 years old now. It's a little early for 2016 sleepers, but Castellanos was a guy that was pegged as someone that could hit for a solid average with some power. I'm intrigued, y'all! In keepers, I could see going after him now for next year, and just grabbing him in redraft mixed leagues. Castellanos you later! Thanks again, Highlights! Anyway, here's some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:
"I don't know what my face is doing right now." "It looks like you ate a full Tony Luke's cheesesteak and forgot to swallow." "No. I mean, I did, but I took the sub out of mouth and put it in my glove compartment for later. But this is something else. Feel my cheeks, they're, like, pushed up." "You get that f**kin' Botox?" "No! I'm a 45-year-old construction worker with bad knees. Why would I get Botox?" "Then what's wrong with your cheeks? You're freaking me out!" "Wait, I know what it is. I'm...I'm smiling and I'm a Phillies fan. This is better than the day Charlie Manuel stopped at our job site to use our Porta-Potty!" Yesterday, Aaron Nola looked great -- 6 IP, 1 ER, 6 baserunners, 6 Ks, and Phillies fans, or Phans, have something to smile about. I watched a portion of the game and he looked like he could be an ace. Love, love, lurve the control and mid-90's fastball. At worst, he's a number three. I was pretty jazzed at what I saw. Whenever you have a guy that has great command and can strike out people, there's a chance for wonderful. With that said (hold on to the starboard, Grey's turning around!), he's a rookie and there will be some Growing Pains, and not the good kind of boners. I would absolutely own him, but in shallower leagues I'd be careful of roofies. Anyway, here's what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
“Corbin! Corbin My Man!” …and the Top 100 Starting Pitchers, Week 16
July 20, 2015 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Pitcher Profiles | 112 Commentsby: JB Gilpin
I've been sitting on a title like that for months!
I still can't believe Grey shat on The Fifth Element a few months ago on the Podcast, then followed it up with he hadn't seen it... Well ya know what?! War and Peace is an awful book!
[player]Patrick Corbin[/player] was an absolute G for me in 2013, as I streamed him in several leagues for a Padres start and decided to never look back. Although looking at his game log again, that certainly seemed like a no-brainer! He came out of absolutely nowhere and was shrugged off, but turned out to be a top-10 pitcher for most of the season. Then he really fell off in his final 7 starts before tearing up his elbow in 2014's Spring Training.
Now back in the rotation, the consensus seems to be pretty low on Corbin doing much this year, treating him like he's a meat popsicle. Maybe my 2013 love for Corbin has biased me, but I was excited to bring him in the ranks over a month before his debut. So with middling numbers thus far despite good velocity, I decided to break down his third start off the DL to see how he's looking pitch-by-pitch:
Last week I put together comprehensive year-to-date, rest of season and end of season rankings for batters. Quite honestly I think it was the bees knees, but that's just me tooting my own horn. Do bees even have knees? If you are in a points league and missed it, I highly recommend you check it out. And when I say I "highly" recommend it, that does not mean I ate pot brownies two hours before making said recommendation. I was just standing at the top of a 30-foot ladder.
Moore or Less Halfway Through The Season, and the Top 100 Starting Pitchers, Week 15
July 13, 2015 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Pitcher Profiles | 118 Commentsby: JB Gilpin
I've just never been a [player]Matt Moore[/player] guy...
Uber-talented Moore has always gotten praise for his clean mechanics and smooth delivery, plus fastball, and solid slider, but it never materialized into good control and solid numbers. Those horrible, horrible walks... Moore's K zone looks like a star chart!
After never ranking him favorably the past few years because of a 4.5 walk rate, yes 4.5, I thought the buzz for him off the DL from TJ recovery was too... buzzy. I'm at a loss for words I'm so confused! But I hadn't seen him pitch since hitting the DL after two starts last year, and maybe a reconstructed elbow can help. "He's more machine now, than man!" Well let's hope it helps the horrific walk rate! Here's how he looked yesterday hosting the Astros, along with ranks for pitchers for the second half:
Miggy Starbust And The Calf Strains From Mars
July 6, 2015 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 690 Commentsby: Grey
I hope everyone had a pleasant, footloose, but not finger-freeing July 4th weekend. I did. In the tradition of our forefathers, specifically Benjamin Franklin, I had an iced cold latte, three whole frankfurters and flew a kite with a key on the string. Also, since this year our country passed the right to gay marriage, I ate those frankfurters in the gayest way possible. *Graphic description of how I ate the hot dogs deleted* Also, on this wonderful holiday where we pretend to be the greatest country in the world, I'm reminded of an ally from the 1700's when we first got this ship afloat. That country was Germany and their concept of schadenfreude, the enjoyment derived from others' misery. I'm sorry if you lost Miguel Cabrera for six weeks. Really, I am. *bursting with the schadenfreude giggles* The Tigers say he could return around late-August, which is a bummer. *barely containing myself* Hopefully, he can return and give you a solid four homers and .300 average the rest of the way. Thank God, this schadenfreude concept has no karmic retribution attached to it. *reading that Strasburg is also hurt* NOOOOOOO!!! Can't I have one nice thing?! Ugh. I'm sorry I laughed at your loss of Miggy, can I have Stressbird back? Please! I can't, can I? Anyway, here's what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:
So I just wrote 250 about why you should start Chris Sale. Then It come to my attention that Mr. Sale had been pushed back until Monday. Damn you DFS gods why have you foresaken me. So with Sale being pushed back and Carlos Rodon taking his place it can only mean one thing, I'm going to focus on Danny Salazar. You didn't think I was going to sit here and suggest you start Rodon vs the O's did you? I mean I already had my teeth handed to me a month or so ago by Carlos Frias. I've sworn off all Carlos' until further notice. So let's focus on Danny shall we? The young god is averaging 10.65 K/9 and as we all know K's are the real kings of DraftKings. I know one would think it would be the drafts, but it's not. So let's get a couple of things out in the open before we go any further. 1. Danny's not exactly the safest of choices, 2. he's a bit homer prone and 3. will have his rough outings from time to time. But if you're a Razzball reader you already knew that. You know because we have the most astute readers in the industry. Right?
New to DraftKings? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well try out this 15 teamer of Razzball writers and friends to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. It’s how we know you care! If you still feel helpless and lonely, be sure to subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays.
The Only Way To Keep Mitch In The Park Is More Land
July 1, 2015 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 661 Commentsby: Grey
Dude's on fire. No. Need better! He is a high-speed torrent download of a yule log burning. Need better! He is Smokey the Bear at a Porno for Pyros concert, wearing earbuds and listening to Firestarter by Prodigy. Need better still! He's a pyrotechnician smacking a sparkler out of your hand and giving you instead the detonator for the Statue of Liberty's 4th of July celebration fireworks. Yesterday, Mitch Moreland went 2-for-3 with 4 RBIs and his 13th and 14th homers, and now has five homers in four games and six homers in six games. I already told you yesterday that Moreland has been better than Brandon Belt, Lucas Duda and Brandon Moss, and some other corner infidels, according to our Player Rater. That's on the year, not in the last week. In the last week, Moreland's been better than everyone. Let's take a hootie-hoo at who Moreland has more homers than on the year: Prince Fielder, Beltre (not close), Adam Jones, Big Papi, Tommy Tomstein, Freeman, Yoenis, Billy McDugal, Kris Bryant, Tulo, McClutchin and Sandoval. Sure, some of those guys I only named to rub salt in my own wounds -- I hate you, Sandoval! -- and other guys I mentioned don't even exist, but Mitch don't kill my vibe for the better part of the season now, and, if he's available, I'd grab him. Anyway, here's what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Matz Punz!!! …and the Top 100 Starting Pitchers, Week 13
June 29, 2015 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Pitcher Profiles | 173 Commentsby: JB Gilpin
Geez, what is it about [player]Steven Matz[/player]?!
The puns have been outpouring faster than illogical movies by Christopher Nolan. Maybe it's because he pitches for the Metz? I don't know!
I've been... well, naive to not rank Matz to this point. Even with my standing concerns coming into his debut, he likely should've been ranked the last few weeks. I thought it would be at least July until he was up, and I questioned how many innings he'd really get through in the Majors. His peak is 140.2 IP last year across high-A and double-A, and he entered the Majors at 90.1 innings before yesterday's debut. Innings concerns are a big question mark after his career started with major elbow issues (TJ and complications).
And after that debut with 4 RBI at the plate, the mythical legend might be one of the biggest gaps from perception to reality. Then again, I'm saying all this before breaking down his first start without seeing much of him beyond the numbers. What Pitcher Profiles are all about! You can't know for sure on a guy until you really get a chance to see him pitch. So without any more noodling, here's how Matz looked in his debut:
Two Start Pitchers, Week 13: Wesley Sniped Ya
June 27, 2015 | Two Start Fantasy Starters | 36 Commentsby: Geoff
Hey, you sit your five dollar ass down before I have to make change. It's two start pitchers, Week 13 edition and we're all about the immortal Wesley Snipes. Let's think about this for a minute, this is a man who's trained in five different disciplines of fighting, a man that revolutionized the flat-top, a man that played not only a hero-vampire but also Nino Brown. I pretty much live my life by Nino Brown quotes from New Jack City. In other words, I'm an awful brother. I also use Mother****** as a noun, verb, and adjective. My neighbors frown on the crack sales 364 days a year, but they love when I hand out turkeys on Thanksgiving. They're nice folks, and I can't blame them for their judgments. This sort of behavior is a bit out of place in Audi-driving Suburbia, but it's my self expression. What's the old saying? Trap or die? So our theme this week is Wesley Snipes movies because Wesley Snipes is awesome and he should be celebrated for his contributions to the craft.
Donaldson pulling a Jeter? Shades of Armando Galarraga on a play at first in a perfect game? John Gibbons looking like he's sucking on a lemon but really he just happened to glimpse Brett Cecil? The eighth was thick with humidity. The tension was buzzing from a few bugs that made their way inside the domed stadium as Marco Estrada went for a perfect game. Unfortunately, Donaldson diving into the stands to make the first out in the 8th, when the announcers said he was "pulling a Jeter," didn't stop the infield hit on the very next batter when Logan Forsythe just barely beat it out to first. To misquote that previous sentence, it would be the first time a pulling Jeter had to beat it out. Marco ended the game with 8 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 2 hits, zero walks and 10 Ks. He's now allowed three hits in his previous two starts (over 15 2/3 IP). Estrada's main peccadillo -- or ponchadillo, as might be the case with Estrada -- is he allows a shizzton of homers and he pitches his home games in Toronto. He's recently looked untouchable, and I'd stay with the theme and not touch him. Anyway, here's what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball: