| NL Grumblings - May 3, 2007 |
| By Jesse Draper |
Published
05/2/2007
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NL Grumblings
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Jesse Draper
Jesse is researching Fantasy Sports in Popular Culture for the American Studies
M.A. program at Michigan State University. He's been playing fantasy sports for
10 years and has been a writer at Gridiron Grumblings for two years.
View all articles by Jesse Draper
Week 5 Grumblings from the Senior Circuit
| Brett Myers has 14 strikeouts in 8 innings since becoming Philadelphia's primary setup man.
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National League East
New York Mets
Carlos Delgado was absolutely wretched last week, managing only four hits in 21 at bats. It’s true that Delgado’s batting average has been slipping a bit in recent years, but remember that he hasn’t had fewer than 30 homeruns since 1996.
The Mets rotation which was under so much scrutiny in the preseason appears to be coming together better than anyone could have hoped. John Maine is 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA, and while he definitely will experience a correction in that ERA, he has posted 30 strikeouts in 33 innings. Oliver Perez has always been a big strikeout pitcher, but he’s never been able to harness his stuff. This season he’s got a 3-1 K/BB ratio, that is actually misleading. If you remove a seven walk performance against the Phillies on April 11th, his numbers look like this: 36 Ks, 3 BB over 29 IP and Another pitcher to watch is Joe Smith who has yet to give up run, while striking out 17 over 16 innings out of the pen. He’s behind Aaron Heilmann and Billy Wagner in the bullpen pecking order, but arms like his eventually find their way to a bigger role.
Atlanta Braves
There was a huge sigh of relief when x-rays confirmed that Brian McCann’s  | McCann and the Braves are banged up behind the plate
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finger is only bruised. Chipper Jones (NL leading 10 HR) and Tim Hudson (3-0, 1.40 ERA) aren’t done yet. Talk up their struggles over the last couple of years and see if you can get someone to “sell high” on them. Both are still impact players who can be counted on to provide top shelf production this season.
Edgar Renteria and Kelly Johnson are proving to be one of the better hitting middle infield tandems in the National League. Renteria should be rostered in most leagues, but if Johnson is still being overlooked for some reason, pick him up. He’s in the middle of a seven game hitting streak and has only gone hitless twice since April 17th.
With the injury to Bob Wickman, Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez with share closing duties. Both should be picked up immediately. Soriano will probably get the first look based on usage patterns this season, but Gonzalez is every bit as capable as evidenced by the 24 saves he racked up with Pirates last season.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies’ outfield has been a bit beat up lately, with both Aaron Rowand and Shane Victorino missing time last week. Jason Werth has been the primary beneficiary of the extra playing time as the teams fourth outfielder, and he’s performed reasonably well with three hits and three RBIs in ten at bats. But the guy to watch in this situation is 24 year old Michael Bourn, who had two hits and a walk in four at bats last week. He’s a phenomenal sleeper for steals should he see any regular playing time.Jon Lieber has transitioned extremely well back into the rotation, going 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts last week. He has always been steady when healthy, and if the bats can get him some run support, he now has Brett Myers and Tom Gordon in the pen to finish games off for him. Myers’ subsequent transition to the pen has been dominant. In five innings of work, he has nine strikeouts and just one walk. As of Wednesday night, Gordon is heading back to Philly to have a sore shoulder examined, and Charlie Manuel has already said publicly that Myers has a shot at taking over closing duties.Florida Marlins
Josh Willingham went 9-21 with two homeruns and eleven RBI’s last week. He got a lot of hype last season due to his catcher eligibility. He’s a solid hitter with or without the position flex, and should be picked up if he’s available for some reason. He’s also the perfect play to target as a “throw in” in package deals; solid production without the sexy name.Scott Olsen has started to turn it around, and this may be your last opportunity to get in at a discount. Despite allowing four homeruns over his last two starts, he only gave up a total of five runs. His 15/3 K/BB ratio over those two games is what you need to be paying attention to. Henry Owens is a phenomenal trade target if you’re looking for cheap saves. There’s been a lot of talk about Taylor Tankersley and Matt Lindstrom as better candidates for the roll, but Owens has shown no signs of faltering. He as 2-2 last week in save opportunities with six strikeouts in four innings.Washington Nationals
Shawn Hill, I'm not buying your hocus pocus voodo magic. Jason Bergmann on the other hand, looks very good, and as strong peripherals to back up his numbers. I'm not saying he's gonna win a lot of games pitching for the Senate J.V. team there at RFK, but he does have value if utilized in the right matchups.I know it's painful, but be patient with Ryan Zimmerman. He's a stud, and he will hit with authority again sooner than later.
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