After SG dogged 2B Kelly Johnson this week he has stepped up his play. Over the past four games (through Friday), Johnson was 10-for-16 with 2 RBI. When you factor in 12 BB in 15 games, he is sporting a .412 OBP.

National League Hitter and Pitcher Report: Week 4 

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Hitters: SS Stephen Drew has been scuffling over the season’s first three weeks. Through Friday’s game, he was batting .210 with 0 HR and 3 RBI. The fact that Drew has drawn 11 walks in 16 games has helped ease some of the pain, but he could be dropped to the bottom third of the batting order if he does not heat up soon.

Pitchers: RHP Livan Hernandez was hit hard in his last start (5 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 2 K) in San Diego against the Padres. Though his ERA stands at a respectable 3.96, the veteran hurler has more rough times ahead of him if he cannot demonstrate better control. Through four starts Hernandez has struck out 11 while walking 16 and has posted a 1.52 WHIP.

ATLANTA BRAVES

Hitters: 2B Kelly Johnson got off to a slow start, but he has really stepped up his play of late. Over the past four games (through Friday), Johnson was 10-for-16 with 2 RBI. When you factor in 12 BB in 15 games, he is sporting a .412 OBP. That’s not too shabby.

Pitchers: RHP Tim Hudson continued his exceptional start to the season by shutting out the Mets for eight innings on Friday. His record now stands at 3-0 with a 0.62 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 29 IP. We predicted a rebound season for Hudson this year, but he has surpassed even our expectations thus far.

CHICAGO CUBS

Lee doesn't seem to have lost anything after missing much of '06 with a wrist injury

Hitters: 1B Derrek Lee is off to a torrid start hitting the ball (.367 batting average through Friday), but fantasy owners are probably wondering about the absence of homers. Lee has not hit a home run yet in his first 60 AB, but he does have seven doubles so it should only be a matter of time before he starts hitting balls out of the yard. It would not be reasonable to expect another 46 HR season like he had in 2005, but around 35 HR should be within reach.

Pitchers: Who is leading the NL in ERA through Friday’s games? If you guessed LHP Rich Hill, you would be correct. The 27-year-old is 3-0 with a 0.41 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 18K/7BB in 22 IP. Considering the fact that Hill was 6-3 with a 2.93 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 79K/24BB in 80 IP over the second half of 2006, it is not terribly surprising that he is off to a strong start this April.

CINCINNATI REDS

Hitters: Few in the National League are swinging the bat as well as OF Josh Hamilton right now. He is 6-for-15 with 3 HR and 6 RBI over his last five games. The Reds have been giving him more playing time of late and figure to continue to do so until he cools. Enjoy the ride while it lasts.

Pitchers: RHP Kyle Lohse has been the surprise of the Reds staff thus far. Through four starts, Lohse is 1-0 with a 1.91 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 23K/3BB in 28.1 IP. His track record (4.78 ERA and 1.43 WHIP lifetime) suggests this run will come to an end very shortly, but NL-only leaguers have no complaints for the work he has done so far this month.

COLORADO ROCKIES

Hitters: SS Troy Tulowitzki has had a disappointing April to this point. He is batting a measly .193 with 0 HR and 4 RBI in 57 AB. The fact that his play over the last six games (5-for-20 with 2 RBI) could be considered a relative hot streak shows you how poorly he had been doing. Mixed leaguers will want to keep an eye on him, but he probably should not be on rosters at this time.

Pitchers: The Rockies have gotten solid work from RHP Jason Hirsh thus far (1-1, 3.38 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 16K/5BB in 18.2 IP). The fact that he has only allowed 1 HR in 18.2 IP after allowing 11 HR in 44.2 IP last season is a good sign. NL-only leaguers are no doubt pleased with their investment so far.

FLORIDA MARLINS

Most believed Hanley's performace in '06 would be career numbers but the Marlins shortstop is still rolling after his ROY season

Hitters: It is very difficult to complain about the performance of SS Hanley Ramirez up to this point in the season. The 23-year-old is batting .373 with 2 HR, 3 RBI, 5 SB and a .467 OBP through 13 games.

Pitchers: LHP Scott Olsen has struggled mightily this month (2-1, 7.50 ERA, 2.06 WHIP, 10K/15BB in 18 IP) and really has not shown any signs of encouragement. In what appeared to be a favorable matchup against the Nationals on Friday, he allowed ten hits and five runs in five innings of work. Olsen is a much better pitcher than this so he should get things together at some point, but we would not advise using him in mixed leagues this week.

HOUSTON ASTROS

Hitters: OF/1B Lance Berkman is off to an uncharacteristically poor start (.212-1-6 with .627 OPS in 15 games), but he figures to heat up in the near future. We’re talking about a guy with a .302 lifetime batting average and .978 OPS who is coming off of the best season of his career (.315-45-136 with 1.041 OPS in 152 games). It might be a good idea to check with the Berkman owner in your league to see about acquiring him while he is struggling.

Pitchers: The obvious mention here is RHP Roy Oswalt, but we wanted to take a moment to recognize RHP Chris Sampson. The 30-year-old is 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 7K/3BB in 15 IP. While this level of success isn’t likely to be maintained, Sampson is worth using in NL-only leagues.