Matt Kemp and Jacoby Ellsbury are two outfielders having terrific seasons who barring injury or complete collapses will be top-10 fantasy picks next season, but Curtis Granderson might be having a better year than them both. Granderson is well behind in batting average, but his counting stats are ridiculous. In fact, he's on pace to finish the season with 44 homers, 147 runs scored, 128 RBI and 31 steals. That's right, 147 runs scored. As in, the second most since Ted Williams in 1949 (Jeff Bagwell scored 152 runs in 2000). After struggling mightily against left-handers throughout his career, Granderson has actually fared better versus southpaws (.944 OPS) than righties (.921), and while he no doubt benefits from the new Yankee Stadium, he's also hit better on the road than at home (.941 OPS v. 916). He'd absolutely be among the top MVP candidates if not for his subpar defense, but Granderson's fantasy owners have little to complain about. Considering his ADP, he's easily been the single most valuable fantasy asset.
This spectator took his involvement in an arena league game to the next level.
Not only is "Poop, sing and learn" catchy, but it's also highly informative.
Those who invested in the Braves' closing situation and drafted both Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters have so far gotten a combined 1.51 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with 40 saves and nine wins with 163 strikeouts over 125.1 innings. Put differently, the most valuable closer in modern day baseball, especially those in innings cap leagues. After getting worked hard as a rookie last season, Venters has been used even more heavily in 2010, as his 64 appearances easily lead the majors (Kimbrel's 59 are tied for second most), and he's on pace to throw 93.0 innings. Whether it's the workloads catching up or plain old regression, neither's current level of performance should be expected moving forward, but they have been extremely impressive to date and appear to give Atlanta one of the league's best back ends to a bullpen for years to come. Since June ended, they've combined for 33.0 shutout innings. After Neftali Feliz set a rookie record with 40 saves last season, Kimbrel is on pace to finish with 50 this year.
Woman addicted to eating her husband's dead ashes.
Man acquitted of friend's murder confesses to police, walks free.
Despite somewhat underwhelming numbers (.830 OPS) as a 24-year-old in Triple-A this season, the fantasy crowd had been clamoring for Desmond Jennings' call up for quite some time, and he's not only exceeded expectations but surpassed them so far. Jennings has a .328/.423/.582 line with three homers and eight stolen bases over his first 17 games with the Rays this year. Fantasy owners might be shrewd to actually shop him around in a trade right now, but those who were patient holding him all season will reap the rewards from here on out regardless. There's a benefit to Tampa Bay holding back its prospects not only for arbitration reasons, but in making sure they are absolutely ready, immediate production at the major league level is more likely.
This hilarious new ABC comedy looks can't miss.
Ahh, now that makes more sense.
What has gotten into Ervin Santana? Over his last four starts, he's allowed just three runs over 34.0 innings (0.79 ERA) while posting a 0.68 WHIP and a 25:5 K:BB ratio. He hasn't allowed more than three runs in a start since June 10 and has served up just one home run over his past seven starts. Santana's velocity hasn't returned to what it was during his dominant 2008 season, but his slider remains one of the most effective pitches in all of baseball. In fact, Fangraphs ranks it as 18.3 runs above average, with only Clayton Kershaw's slider coming in higher (21.8). I still expect Texas to win the A.L. West, but even with a shaky offense, an Angels team with Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Santana at the front of their rotation wouldn't be an easy out in a short series in the postseason.
This parallel parker set a Guinness Book of World Records.
Coming off a disappointing season last year, Justin Upton looks to be fully reaching his massive potential. It's possible the shoulder injury greatly contributed to his down year in 2009 after posting an .899 OPS as a 21-year-old, but either way, it's great to see continued growth. Upton has a .309/.353/.702 line since the All-Star break, and if you factor in defense, he's suddenly looking like a legitimate MVP candidate, especially in an N.L. field that's wide open. Maybe he was never a real threat to be dealt, but it's crazy to think the Diamondbacks put him on the trade block this past winter. Since Upton is yet to turn 24 years old, is capable of stealing 25-plus bases and has Chase Field on his side, don't be surprised if he's a top-15 fantasy pick next season.
French bread now available in vending machines.
Don't look now, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia quietly has a .257/.323/.477 line this season. He still strikes out too much, but an .800 OPS as a catcher in today's offensive environment is far more than sufficient. It's a good thing the Red Sox stuck with the former top prospect, as after entering May 15 with a .203/.250/.266 line and zero homers, Salty has clubbed 11 home runs and raised his OPS nearly 300 points over the next 162 at-bats. A switch-hitter in an absolutely loaded Boston lineup with Fenway Park as his home digs, Saltalamacchia is in fine position to make an impact down the stretch. Still just 26 years old, there's legitimate power here from a position consistently lacking it. He's even thrown out 24.7 percent of potential base stealers, which ranks seventh-best in baseball. Salty looks like a long-term solution behind the plate for Boston.
Last week I was at an otherwise boring Giants game that quickly became much more exciting when the benches cleared. I wouldn't exactly call it a "brawl," and admittedly it certainly didn't get as out of control as this brouhaha, but it was pretty unexpected to see in person.
An informative read on why S&P's ratings are substandard and porous.
It's nice that a recent MRI revealed no structural damage, but it's a safe bet Tommy Hanson's shoulder is hurting him. Over his last five starts, he's allowed 24 runs over 26.2 innings, raising his season ERA from 2.44 all the way up to 3.60. His K rate has remained strong over that stretch, but his velocity has been down, albeit only slightly. After striking out just 5.5 batters per nine innings over the final two months of last season, Hanson's current 9.83 K/9 ratio ranks third in baseball, although it's worth noting his 1.18 HR/9 mark is the highest among the top-28 pitchers with the best strikeout rates. In fact, among those top-28 on the K/9 leaderboard, just four others have a HR/9 ratio 1.0 or higher. That's because pitchers with more strikeouts have lower HR/FB rates and induce weaker contact. Maybe it's a bad stretch of luck, but most concerning is the true health of Hanson's shoulder, as his current condition is bringing many fantasy teams, including mine in Yahoo Friends & Family, down with him.