var player=new Array(); player[1]="Mat Latos" player[2]="Jeff Francoeur" player[3]="Leo Nunez" player[4]="Adam Lind" player[5]="Wade Davis" player[6]="Jason Heyward" player[7]="Stephen Strasburg" player[8]="Gordon Beckham" player[9]="Brett Anderson" player[10]="Scott Sizemore" player[11]="David Aardsma" player[12]="Kendry Morales" player[13]="James Shields" player[14]="Garrett Jones" var teampic=new Array(); teampic[1]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/SDG.gif" teampic[2]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/NYM.gif" teampic[3]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/FLA.gif" teampic[4]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/TOR.gif" teampic[5]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/TAM.gif" teampic[6]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/ATL.gif" teampic[7]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/WAS.gif" teampic[8]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/CHA.gif" teampic[9]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/OAK.gif" teampic[10]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/DET.gif" teampic[11]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/SEA.gif" teampic[12]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/ANA.gif" teampic[13]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/TAM.gif" teampic[14]="http://www.junkyardjake.com/baseball/teamgif/PIT.gif" var team=new Array(); team[1]="Padres" team[2]="Mets" team[3]="Marlins" team[4]="Blue Jays" team[5]="Rays" team[6]="Braves" team[7]="Nationals" team[8]="White Sox" team[9]="A's" team[10]="Tigers" team[11]="Mariners" team[12]="Angels" team[13]="Rays" team[14]="Pirates" var pos=new Array(); pos[1]="SP" pos[2]="OF" pos[3]="RP" pos[4]="OF" pos[5]="SP" pos[6]="OF" pos[7]="SP" pos[8]="2B/SS/3B" pos[9]="SP" pos[10]="2B" pos[11]="RP" pos[12]="1B" pos[13]="SP" pos[14]="OF/1B" var comment=new Array(); comment[1]="-Following his callup by the Padres in July 2009, Mat Latos proceeded to notch 4 victories over his first 5 starts, including a one-hitter against the Reds in late July. Over these impressive 5 games Latos had an ERA of 2.43, a WHIP of .95, and was striking out about 7 batters per nine innings. Unfortunately, the 22 right-hander wasn't able to keep up pace in 2009, ending the season with a 4-5 record and an ERA 4.62, but don't let this discourage you from taking a chance on this promising young pitcher in your draft. Latos throws with good control, featuring a fastball in the 95 MPH range, and possesses excellent complimentary pitches with good movement. During his time in the minors, Latos showed steady progress, culminating in a 2009 performance where he finished with an ERA of 1.37, and a WHIP of only .747. Latos is currently going in about the 25th round in fantasy drafts." comment[2]="-After his last couple disappointing seasons with Atlanta, it's easy to forget Jeff Francoeur's auspicious rookie season back in 2005, when he hit 14 HRs in only 70 games. He followed up his 2005 rookie debut with a 29 HR campaign in 2006, and although his homeruns dropped to 15 in 2007, he still delivered over 100 RBIs for Braves that year. In 2008, Francoeur reached the lowpoint of his young career, batting just .239 with 11 HRs in 155 games. Right before the Braves gave up on the once promising power hitter in 2009 and traded him to the Mets, he was lumbering through another mediocre season, with just 5 HRs and a .250 average through 82 games. While he is clearly no sure thing entering 2010, it is encouraging that Francoeur hit .311 with 10 HRs in 75 games with the Mets last year, and seems like a great value in the late rounds of fantasy drafts." comment[3]="-Leo Nunez pretty much inherited the Marlin's closer position out of default in 2009, but the results were generally good across the board - 26 saves, an ERA of 4.06, a WHIP of 1.25 and a .230 BAA. This of course is not to say that Nunez can now be considered a top-tier reliable closer, as he did have 7 blown saves last year. However, with the ability to hurl in the mid-90's, and his ability to throw with decent control, he is off to a good start. The Marlins unloaded their 2009 opening day closer Matt Lindstrom in the offseason, and although they did recently sign Derrick Turnbow, Nunez enters 2010 as the clear favorite to close games for Florida. The really good news for fantasy purposes is that Nunez seems like one of the better values in drafts this year. He is currently being taken in about the 19th round, right after closers like Matt Capps and Kerry Wood." comment[4]="-The path to notoriety as a reputable power hitter certainly wasn't smooth for Adam Lind, but after three previous tries at the major-league level the young slugger finally settled in and produced an impressive stat line, finishing the 2009 season with 35 HRs, 114 RBI with a batting average of .305. Lind had always been a standout hitter in the minors, showing good patience at the plate, and ultimately finishing with a very respectable .318 BA, and 55 HRs over 419 minor league games. However, what was most surprising about Lind's terrific season last year, is that he had never shown 35 HR power before. For example, his minor league stats translated into about 22 HRs per season, while his pre-2009 major league numbers suggested 18 HRs over 162 games. If you are going to draft Lind this year, it will likely cost you a 4th round pick, but it may be realistic to expect a slight drop in HR's to the 25-30 level." comment[5]="-Wade Davis isn't the type of pitcher who overwhelms you with his stuff, but he was an effective pitcher at the minor league level, and he continued to impress when he got the call for a major league audition in September last year. In fact when you compare his minor league numbers compiled over 6 seasons (3.28 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 3.3 BB/9, 8.7 K/9) to his composite stats over his six major league starts in late 2009 (3.72 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, 8.9 K/9), they are remarkably similar. Especially encouraging was Davis's ability to sustain his minor league trend of avoiding the longball. In 36 innings with the Rays he gave up only two HRs, and 14% of the flyballs hit off the 24 year-old righty turned into harmless infield outs. Davis primarily throws a 92 MPH fastball, but perhaps his best pitch is his 75 MPH, big-breaking curveball. The rookie makes an excellent fantasy pitcher to add in the late rounds of your mixed league draft." comment[6]="-Jason Heyward entered the Braves farm system at the precocious age of 17, advancing rapidly to a limited AAA level audition at the age of 19 in 2009. Considered by many scouts to represent the best pure hitting prospect in the 2010 prospective big-league class, Heyward will be given a fair chance by the Braves to win the right-field job out of Spring Training. Judging from his minor league career, the left-side hitting Heyward has demonstrated an uncanny ability to hit almost equally well against both left and left-handed pitching. Through last year, Heyward had a .318 minor league average, while showing the type of power and speed that projects him as a possible 20HR/20SB player once he reaches the majors. Also working in Heyward's favor is his strong work ethic, and the fact that he is an exceptional fielder with a strong arm. In early drafts, the aspiring right-fielder is going in the 24th round, but that will no doubt change if he gets the call on Opening Day." comment[7]="-One of the most anticipated pitching prospects to come along in recent memory, Stephen Strasburg certainly appears to have the talent to match the accolades that have been showered on him since the Washington Nationals made him the #1 pick in the 2009 amateur draft. Anyway you chose to look at his pitching performance at San Diego State, the numbers are gaudy. Last season, he went 13-1 with an ERA of 1.32, striking out 195 batters in 109 innings. His career WHIP in college ball is just under .80, and he once struck-out 23 batters in a single game. His fastball has been clocked as high as an obscene 103 MPH, and he consistently throws in the high-90's with superb control and good location. Strasburg complements his heater with a hybrid curve/slider breaking pitch that typically freezes hitters, and his recent development of a change-up makes his arsenal even more imposing. For fantasy purposes, Strasburg is well worth a pick in his current 20th round ADP." comment[8]="-A standout college middle infielder at the University of Georgia, Gordan Beckham was selected by White Sox in with the 8th pick in the 2008 amateur entry draft. This was also the year that scouts really began taking notice of Beckham, when he ultimately ended up leading the SEC in hits, slugging percentage and homeruns (28). The stocky SS also finished 2nd in the league with a .411 average that year, while displaying some skills on the basepaths with 17 swipes . During his brief stay in the minors, Beckham didn't show much power or speed, but made enough contact to generate a .322 BA in 59 games. Called up in June last year, Beckham started off slow, but ended up batting .270 with strong power/speed numbers that translate into 22 HRs/11 SBs over 162 games. Beckham's 8th round ADP in early baseball drafts seems a bit high, but if he qualifies at 2B/SS this could be a fair price to pay for a middle infielder with 20 HR potential." comment[9]="-While fellow left-hander David Price received more publicity in 2009, it was Oakland's rookie Brett Anderson who ended up looking like the more accomplished rookie pitcher. Originally drafted in the 2nd round by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Anderson was traded to the A's in 2008, and had only 6 starts at the AA level before joining Oakland's rotation in 2009. The 21-year old didn't disappoint, compiling 11 victories with 150 K's in 30 starts. Most encouraging was the rookie's ability to improve in the 2nd half of the season, lowering his ERA from 4.64 to 3.48, and his WHIP from 1.37 to 1.19 in the 2nd half. Anderson consistently throws strikes and his fastball is usually seen in the 92-93 MPH range. He also mixes in an effective 80 MPH slider about 30% of the time, and rounds out his arsenal with an excellent curve and solid changeup. Anderson generally pitches to contact, but still generated 7.7 K/9 while walking just 2.3 batters per 9 innings in 2009." comment[10]="-Scott Sizemore was relatively quiet during his first three years in the minors, compiling a .289 average and only 11 HRs in 248 games over the 2006-2008 timeframe. In 2009, after reaching the Tigers AA affiliate at the age of 24, Sizemore turned his game up a notch, hitting .307 with 9 HRs in only 59 games. After his promotion to the AAA level, Sizemore continued his offensive surge hitting another 8 HRs while maintaining a .308 average through 71 games at Toledo. Along with his good average, and recent HR power, Sizemore also offers some speed on the base paths, notching 58 steals in 378 career minor league games. With Placido Polanco being shipped out of Detroit this past offseason, and only the light-hitting Ramon Santiago seemingly in his way, Scott Sizemore has an opportunity to capture significant playing time for the Tigers at 2nd base in 2010. You should be able to snag Sizemore past the 25th round in your fantasy draft as a solid sleeper pick." comment[11]="- Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2003, David Aardsma progressed rapidly to the AAA, where he was being groomed as the clubs future closer. In 2004, he saved 11 games for AAA Fresno, but struggled with his control. That same year, he made it to the Giants, but continued to have trouble pitching strikes in his limited debut. From 2005-2008, Aardsma bounced between the minor and major league teams of 4 different organizations with erratic results. After seizing the closer assignment for Seattle in 2009, the 27 year old pitcher was finally able to produce a noteworthy season, with 28 saves, an ERA of 2.52 and a WHIP of 1.164. Aardsma has decent stuff, and his pitch selection/velocity is almost identical to Boston's Jonathan Papelbon. Both pitchers mix in a splitfinger fastball and slider while primarily relying on a 94-95 MPH fastball. Aardsma's 4.3 walks per nine innings wasn't awful in 2009, but the biggest potential liability associated with him remains the possible reemergence of control problems." comment[12]="– It's safe to say the Angels look like geniuses after replacing the uber-expensive Mark Teixeira with farmhand Kendry Morales last year. That transition could not have worked out better, as Morales finished up his first season as the Angels new first-baseman with 34 HRs, 109 RBIs and an impressive .306 BA. Before 2009, Morales had exhibited 30 HR power in the minors, but it had never translated to expected performance when he was called up major league auditions during those years. Morales obviously quieted all doubts concerning his abilities last season, and looked especially good after the All-Star break, when he hit .330 with 19 HRs compared to .284 with 15 HRs in the first half. While there are always doubts and risk inherent with young players who generate sparkling fantasy numbers seemingly out of nowhere, when you consider his second half performance along with his minor league resume, Morales looks to be a legitimate rising star." comment[13]="– A very consistent fantasy option during the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Tampa Bay’s James Shields fell victim to an uncharacteristically substandard second half in 2009, ending the year with a disappointing 4.14 ERA, and only 11 wins. While he started the2009 season looking like the reliable pitcher we had become accustomed to, with 6 wins a 3.42 ERA and a Whip of 1.26 through the All-Star break, his 2nd half ERA 5.16 was an unpleasant surprise for fantasy owners. As a consequence, his fantasy value has taken a significant hit in 2010, with his ADP dropping from the 7th round in 2009 to about the 11th round in most recent 2010 drafts. Shields is never going to overwhelm hitters with his 90 MPH fastball, but it’s his skill in combining this pitch with his excellent 80 MPH change-up and impressive control that makes him effective. Slated to be the Rays opening day starter, Shields seems undervalued and is a likely rebound candidate to target in fantasy drafts this year. " comment[14]="– Before his breakout season last year, 28 year old Garrett Jones seemed destined to languish as a career minor leaguer. Originally drafted by the Braves in 1999, Jones was shipped off to the Twins organization a few years later, and didn’t begin to show his power potential until 2004 when he hit 30 HRs for Minnesota’s AA affiliate that year. Still, up until last year, Jones had compiled just a .258 average during his time in the minors, and doubts remained about his ability to consistently handle major league pitching. After a trade to the Pirates in 2009, Jones received his first opportunity of significant playing time when the team traded Nyjer Morgan to the Nationals. He responded with 10 HRs and a .310 BA during the month of July, and finished the season with 21 HRs and a .293 average in 314 at-bats. It remains to be seen if Jones can follow through in 2010, and his .208 BA against left-handers last year is a concern, but he should represent a decent source of mixed-league power at a 15th round price." var time_now=new Date() var rand1=time_now.getMilliseconds()+10 num1=Math.round(Math.random(rand1)*13)+1 document.writeln (""); document.writeln ("
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