This year is going much better than last year did for Jason Isringhausen.

A number of players have had surprising performances in the second half of the season, especially in August. Some are young players making their first splash.  Others are veterans bouncing back from rough starts.  In each case, these players could have flown under your fantasy radar. 

The surging St. Louis Cardinals have several examples of the veteran bounce-backs. Their slumping hitters came to life in a big way in August. For once Albert Pujols has not had to do it all by himself. 

Let’s take a look at some of August’s hot hands and whether or not they can keep it going into September.

For Better

1. Milton Bradley, OF, Padres: Bradley is an under-rated fantasy hitter and is still available in many leagues. He has hit well all season, both in Oakland (.292) and now in San Diego (.352).  That is impressive work in two pitcher’s parks. Bradley has been quite a steal for the Padres. In two months of duty, he has a Bonds-like 1.106 OPS. Nevertheless, Bradley is an HR problem – not a home run problem, but a human resources problem.  He has found clubhouse trouble nearly everywhere he has played in his career. Oakland gave him a short leash and dealt him after a stint on the DL.   Bradley should at least be able to stay out of trouble for the last month of the season.  The Padres are fighting for a playoff spot, so they will tend to be in a forgiving mood if Bradley acts up.

2. Jeff Keppinger, SS/3B/2B, Reds: Keppinger hit very well at every level in the minors and fairly well in limited duty with both the Mets and Royals.  He was a .278 hitter coming into this season.  Keppinger got a chance to play in Cincinnati and he has since torched NL pitchers with a .361 batting average and a.549 slugging percentage.  This is a case of a good hitter that is very hot.  Keppinger is available in most leagues and qualifies at multiple infield positions.  A good stretch drive pickup for your fantasy team.

3. Pat Burrell, OF, Phillies: Burrell has turned his season around with a torrid second half.   He was hitting only .215 at the break, but has hit .352 since then. Burrell also walks a lot – his season OBP is .410.   Burrell is a feast-or-famine hitter and, right now, he is feasting.  The Phillies have been hitting very well as a team, so that should help Burrell keep it going. In addition, Burrell hits third, between Chase Utley and Ryan Howard – a good place to be.

4. Orlando Hernandez, SP, Mets: El Duque has been the Mets most consistent starter, especially in the second half as John Maine and Oliver Perez have had their troubles. Hernandez’ ERA (3.07) and strikeouts (120 in 138 innings) are excellent.  The Mets’ stopper gets his Ks with a lot of guile, including Eephus pitches and 65 mph curves.

5. Adam Wainwright, SP, Cardinals: In most leagues Wainwright was drafted and dropped a while back.  Wainwright was terrible early this season, but he has come on strong since then. His stats after the All Star break are better across the board.  His strikeouts are up, to nearly one per inning. His second-half ERA is better by two full runs (2.51 vs. 4.66).  Wainwright is once again pitching at the level of his 2006 post-season.  If he is still available in your league, grab him.

Honorable Mention

Jason Isringhausen, RP, Cardinals: If you rolled the dice and drafted Isringhausen last spring, then pat yourself on the back. Isringhausen recovered from his health problems of last season and he is having an outstanding year. This time last year was when Isringhausen was breaking down.  After struggling in August the Cardinals had to shut him down in September and turn to Wainwright to close. 

For Worse

1. Rick Ankiel, OF, Cardinals: It is amazing that Ankiel was able to reinvent himself as an outfielder and return to the majors. The next chapter in the Ankiel feel-good story may be a little less uplifting.   Ankiel will need to prove that he can hit a breaking pitch.  So far, he has received a steady diet of fastballs. Once the opposition mixes up their pitches a little, Ankiel’s average will dip. His current average (.306) is much higher than what he was hitting in Triple-A.

2. Jim Edmonds, OF, Cardinals: Edmonds has been hot lately, as have most of the Cardinals’ hitters. A strong August raised his batting average over 30 points, to a more respectable .254.   However, the 37-year old Edmonds is too old and creaky to be trusted.  Tony La Russa will rest him on a fairly regular basis.  Edmonds will lose at-bats in La Russa’s outfield rotation of Ankiel, Chris Duncan and Juan Encarnacion. Edmonds should not be on any fantasy roster.

3. Yadier Molina, C, Cardinals: Molina hit as well in August as he has in any month in his career.   He has hit .365 with four home runs and a .554 slugging percentage in August.  Those are late-90s Mike Piazza style numbers. That is not what to expect of Molina, a defensive specialist.  Molina has never hit higher than .252 in a full season, so his current .282 mark is bound to drop.

4. Garret Anderson, OF, Angels: You could say that Anderson is a hot hitter. He has 40 RBI since the All Star break and 27 in August. However, ten of those RBI were in a single game.  That skews the numbers a bit.  The 35-year old Anderson has been declining since 2003, so keep your expectations in line with his recent performance.  He is a second-tier outfielder now, without the power he had in years past.

5. Alex Gonzalez, SS, Reds: Gonzalez just recently returned to action.  He has been unavailable, on the bereavement list, three times this season.  Gonzalez may have more important (family) matters on his mind right now.  Factor in the emergence of Keppinger and the fact that the Reds are out of it.  You have to wonder how much Gonzalez will play and contribute in September.

Dishonorable Mention

Lastings Milledge, OF, Mets: Endy Chavez’ return from the DL means less playing time for both Milledge and for Shawn Green.  Milledge might be productive if given at bats.  That does not appear to be in the cards in 2007.