Daily Leaders 6/14/11

Bats

1.  Domonic Brown, PHI;  2 for 4,  2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R:  Wait, so the kid can hit?  Yes, he can indeed, but only if a righty is on the mound.  The left-handed swinging Brown is hitting just .143 off of southpaws.

2.  Curtis Granderson, NYY;  2 for 4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R:  I've run out of awesome shit to say about him, and it's only the middle of June.

3.  Jose Reyes, NYM;  3 for 5, RBI, 2 R, 2 SB:  Reyes is hitting over .450 in his last 16 games.  I traded him before the season in a keeper league, basically for the rights to CC and Jon Lester.  Can't say if I'd do it again.

4.  Drew Stubbs, CIN;  3 for 4, RBI, R, 2 SB:  Stubbs has picked up right where he left off last year, scoring runs in bunches and on pace to be a 20 HR/30 SB guy again.  He's a little older than I thought (read: older than me), and his strikeouts are up, but he's even hitting for a better average than last season.  So far.

5.  Adam Lind, TOR;  2 for 4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R:  I love Adam Lind, in a very non-homosexual way.


Arms

1.  Justin Verlander, DET;  CG, 2 H, BB, 12 K, W:  It's not even impressive anymore.  Throw a no-hitter or GTFO.

2.  Jered Weaver, LAA; CG, 5 H, BB, 6 K, W:  Kinda looks like shit when you put it up against Verlander's outing.  That's five strong starts in a row after Weaver suffered through a down month of May.

3.  James Shields, TB; CG, 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K, W:  Three walks?  How did this guy even make the Daily Leader board with three goddamn walks?

4.  ^Cole Hamels, PHI; 7 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 6 K, W:  An earned run?  How did this guy even make the Daily Leader board...actually, in all seriousness, Hamels left the game last night with tightness in his lower back.  He should make his next start, but be aware.

5.  Johnny Cueto, CIN;  7 IP, 5 H, BB, 5 K, W:  That's 14 straight innings without allowing a run for Cueto.  On a side note, this was the easiest pitching section of Daily Leaders I've ever had to do.  Gems galore.

6/15 Game of the Day

Marlins (32-34) at Phillies (41-26)

Sanchez (6-1) vs Halladay (9-3)

Pick: Phillies

*Game 2 of a doubleheader between the two marks one of the better pitching matchups I could remember in recent days. Both starters are pitching extremely well for their clubs and both saved their top guns for the night cap. Over the past few weeks, the Philly bats have really heated up and with the resurgence of Utley, the Phills look like a really tough team to beat given the pitching staff. If the Phillies can continue to hit and feed off the bats of Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino I don't even think Anibal the "Great" has a chance here. Oh. actually I could just delete everything I just wrote and replace it with two words. Roy-Halladay.

Fantasy Impact: Around the United States, and especially Canada it is a well known fact and recognized by baseball fans everywhere that every fifth day is actually a Halladay. Also, given the circumstances where anytime I pick the Marlins in G.O.D I call a Mike Stanton Homer and have been correct, you heard it hear first. Mike Stanton will not hit one. (In the night cap that is)

Record: Don't know, but chalk this one up in the W column.

6/14 Mush of the Day

Reds (35-33) at Dodgers (31-37)


Johnny Cueto (3-2) vs. Clayton Kershaw (6-3)


Pick:  Dodgers

*I have to try something new here.  I was going to pick the Stros yesterday, but I went against my gut, thinking that there was no way I could pick the worst team in baseball for the Game of the Day.  So instead of going against my gut today, and instead of going against my head like many days before, today I'm going against my heart.  I got Cueto in a trade two weeks ago and have been diehard ever since.  I really, really, really want him to win tonight.  So that means I'm going to take the Dodgers, and hope that Kershaw gets over his recent struggles.  Feel free to bet against me.

Fantasy Impact:  Matt Kemp is 5 for 9 lifetime agaist Cueto, with two homers.


Record:  Don't ask.

Daily Leaders 6/13/11

Bats


1.  Vernon Wells, LAA;  2 for 4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R:  There will be a ton of outfield shuffle in Anaheim now that Wells is off the DL, but not if Vernon has more nights like last night.  Peter Bourjous has played too well for the Halos to just cast aside.

2.  ^Miguel Montero, ARI;  3 for 5, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R:  Anyone who's followed Montero for the last few years know this is what to expect when he's healthy.  How long he'll stay healthy, however, is something even the Guru couldn't predict.

3.  Hunter Pence, HOU;  3 for 4, HR, 4 RBI, R:  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

4.  Jordan Schafer, ATL;  2 for 5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, R:  With multi-hit games in three of his last five contests,  Schafer may worth keeping an eye on in deep leagues or NL Only.  He's swiped a few bags when he has gotten on, so if he picks it up even a little, he could be a, well...steal in those formats.

5.  Ichiro Suzuki, SEA;  2 for 4, R, 2 SB:  Three straight games with two hits for Ichiro, who has been torturing his owners so far this year.  He does have 16 SB, which only slightly makes up for that .262 batting average.


Arms

1.  Carlos Carrasco, CLE; 7 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 7 K, W:  The Yanks loaded the bases with none out in the first, then got second and third with none out the next inning and couldn't push anything across.  Carrasco has now won five out of his last six decisions, the piece of shit.

2.  Paul Maholm, PIT;  7 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K, W:  Smoke and mirrors again for Malholm, who hasn't allowed a run in his three of his last four starts.  The only bad one in that bunch came against last night's opponent, when the Mets roughed him up for six runs on June 2nd.

3.  Wandy Rodriguez, HOU; 6 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K, W:  As I mentioned yesterday, the Braves have always had trouble with Wandy.  He only allowed two hits and would have gone longer had he not walked four guys.


4.  A.J. Burnett, NYY;  7.2 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 8 K, L:  Burnett needed to bounce back in a big way after getting lit up like a Christmas tree against the Red Sox.  He came through, mostly due to excellent control, but the Yankees bats didn't show up at all.

5.  Ryan Dempster, CHC;  7 IP, 4 H, BB, 7 K:  It's gotta be heart breaking for owners to see a line like that with a no decision attached, but Dempster certainly brought his A-game against Fielder, Braun and the Brew Crew.  He's now allowed one earned run in his last 13 IP, striking out 15 and walking just two.

6/13 Game of the Day

Braves (38-28) at Astros (24-42)


Derek Lowe (3-4) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (3-3)


Pick:  Braves


*Two pitchers having decent seasons square off tonight, despite the fact that neither has the record to show for it.  If this were say, 2004, both these guys (with their sub-3.5 ERA and sub-1.3 WHIP) would almost be top tier options.  Their status today should only further indicate to you how the fantasy value of pitchers has evolved over the last 3-5 years.  As far as tonight goes, the Braves have historically struggled against Wandy, and Derek Lowe is certainly no Tommy Hanson.  Nevertheless, the Braves have the most road wins in baseball, and I can't really find it in my heart to pick Houston to win anything.

Fantasy Impact:  Lowe has not earned a win since May 6th against the Phillies, but the Braves are 5-1 in his six starts since.

Record: 6-13

Golden Arms

Top Five Pitchers Doing Work

1. Roy Halladay, PHI

2. Cliff Lee, PHI

3. Tommy Hanson, ATL

4. Zach Greink, MIL

5. Matt Cain, SF

Halfway Home

We're ten weeks into the season in New Ro MLB, with just ten more matchups before the playoffs begin.  Here's how things are shaping up as we turn down the back stretch.

Mid-Season Power Rankings

1. Komplex Thoughts (70-45-5): The Komplex Thoughts have been atop the standings all season and have made the correct moves to really bring the roster together. The pitching has been surprisingly dominant, and with a 10-2 win last week they remain in first after a surprising 3-9 loss the week before.

Biggest Stud: Prince Fielder, MIL Golden Arm: Justin Verlander, DET

2. Madoff Like Bandits (67-48-5): Madoff has been hot as of late, going 19-4-1 in the past two weeks. The staff is very strong and with his slow starting Red Sox finally turning things around, it has really helped this team.

Biggest Stud: Adrian Gonzalez, BOS Golden Arm: Anibal Sanchez, FLA

3. Team Corruption (64-53-3):  Corruption is holding a nice five game lead in the South End, due more to the underachievement of his opposition than Claudie's domination. Hitting remains the achilles heel for this bunch as the pitching has been carrying the load. Claude may need to make a few hitting moves to stay atop the division.

Biggest Stud: Jose Reyes, NYM Golden Arm: Roy Halladay, PHI

4. Binghamton Bombers (58-57-5):  Bing Bomb let a golden opportunity slip away last week while facing the league leading Komplex Thoughts. The Bombers could have made a push for the best record in the league but ended up falling 2-10. This team still has much promise as the pitching is underachieving at the moment. Look for a nice bounce back this week.

Biggest Stud: Carlos Quentin, CWS Golden Arm: C.J Wilson, TEX

5. Prestige World Wide (58-55-7):  Prestige WW has been the surprise of the league, as not many believed this was one of the circuit's top teams. The bats are superb, but the pitching is what seems to slow him down most weeks.  Scary thought: Siegel actually paid more attention, what would his record be?


Biggest Stud: Curtis Granderson, NYY Golden Arm: Josh Beckett, BOS

6. High & Tight (56-58-6): The Coach's team, ranked at #2 to start the season, has yet to stake his claim as one of the league's contenders. High & Tight has been floating around .500 and has yet to take advantage of the tight race in the South End. With the recent controversial trade, Laps looks to bounce back this week and get over the .500 mark.

Biggest Stud: Gaby Sanchez, FLA Golden Arm: Jered Weaver, LAA

7. Welcome Home King Felix (55-59-6):  Auto Pick Pasqua has changed his team name 30 times, but his place in the standings and Power Rankings always seems to be the same. Kudos to Pasqua for building his team after the Auto Pick made his roster very hitting heavy. I think his team is overall better then it was when we started, but loosing Kemp and Braun have to be hurting now.

Biggest Stud: Brian McCann, ATL Golden Arm: Matt Cain, SF

8. The Cenzations (52-59-9):  Vinny's bunch have hit a new low. After a lighting start out of the gate, this team has been the definition of a flop. Injuries play a part in this, as the team is limping and should be getting healthier soon. Eigth in the Power Rankings marks the lowest the Cenzations have been all year. Nevertheless, just seven games under .500 means a turnaround is still on the horizon.

Biggest Stud: Miguel Cabrera, DET Golden Arm: Cliff Lee, PHI

9. Below Me (46-70-4):  Don't let the record fool you; this is a team on the upswing. Matt has now got a grasp on how to run his team and his record over the past few weeks has shown that. He is sitting at about .500 over the past month, but will need to start making bigger dents in the scoreboard if he wants to compete for a playoff spot come September.

Biggest Stud: Mark Teixeira, NYY Golden Arm: Cole Hamels, PHI

10. This League Is Fucking Rigged (45-67-8):  Well, the team name speaks for itself as Brett has had some heartbreaking Sunday's over the past few months and can't seem to string wins together. With his most recent trade, his outfield looks great, but I am not so sure the return on King Felix was worth it.

Biggest Stud: Matt Kemp, LAD Golden Arm: Alexi Ogando, TEX


This Week's Matchups

Team Corruption vs. High and Tight:  Half of New Rochelle High School's coaching staff square off.  Can Laps stay in the race?  Can Frenchie extend his lead?

Below Me vs. Prestige World Wide: Siegel hasn't been able to make a move in the North End standings, so he must hope Lanza's team doesn't pick this week to start earning W's.


This League is Fucking Rigged vs. Madoff Like Bandits:  Fuck you, Brett.

Binghamton Bombers vs. The Cenzations:  Bing Bomb isn't exactly the team you want to see when you're trying to rebound after eight weeks of below .500 play.


Komplex Thoughts vs. Welcome Home King Felix:  A lot of big name players in this matchup, as the Guru will be the first opponent to welcome King Felix to the party.  Don't be shocked if these two make a trade before the week is out.