Fantasy Baseball

Mark Trumbo, 1B Los Angeles Angels (40 percent owned in Yahoo, 80.5 percent in ESPN)

Current Stat Line: .261 AVG / 36 R / 17 HR / 41 RBI / 8 SB

In 2011, one closer has stood above the rest and that is Joel Hanrahan. In 2008, Hanrahan joined the league of closers when he began closing out games late in the season and finished with nine saves.

He opened 2009 as the Washington Nationals closer, but quickly fizzled due to complete lack of control. He walked 14 batters in just 32.2 innings of work and batters compiled a .342 average against him. His biggest problem was not controlling his slider and that forced more fastballs and MLB hitters were expecting it.

Ryan Dempster was a roller coaster ride last year. Check out his ERA by month:

April: 2.75
May: 4.54
June: 3.24
July: 5.03
August: 2.89
September/October: 4.59

This year Dempster started off in the outhouse with a 9.58 ERA in April. He then went 3-1 with a 3.08 ERA in May and 1-2 with a 3.13 ERA in June. I wouldn’t quite call that the penthouse, but he has his numbers at least looking respectable at 5-6 with a 4.99 ERA and 1.41 WHIP.

The first month of baseball is coming to an end.

Breakout teams, key injuries and hot hitting has culminated into the exciting product that the MLB has to offer.

However, while we sit back and watch these natural occurrences take place, what does that do for our fantasy teams?

Many owners have been biting their fingernails through the first month of fantasy leagues, anticipating their early round draft picks to breakout and earn their keep.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster allowed seven earned runs for the second consecutive start on Thursday, recording just one out before being yanked. Along the way he walked four, hit a batter and yielded four hits, including a grand slam to Stephen Drew.

Just because you’ve slipped behind in the Stolen Base category doesn’t mean you can’t catch up. Here are some reasonably available stolen base options.

Orlando Hudson, San Diego Padres

Here’s a look at the unheralded fantasy baseball players who played well yesterday.

Chicago White Sox @ New York Yankees

Philip Humber gave up one hit with five strikeouts in seven scoreless innings to improve to 2-2 with a 3.20 ERA. A.J. Burnett (eight IP, one run, three hits) pitched well but took the loss.

Washington Nationals @ Pittsburgh Pirates

April 25, 2011 was a good day in baseball, as there were a couple of walk-offs, a couple of complete game-shutouts and a near no-hitter.

Road team standouts are listed first, followed by the home team.

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Through the first month of the baseball season, there have been a few pleasant surprises.

These are the type of surprises that fantasy baseball gurus have already jumped on.

However, depending on the nature of the league, there may still be time to grab one of the following April fantasy sleepers.

While there’s no guarantee that these players will continue their hot starts, the production they’ve shown in just a short time could be a precursor to a breakout year.

As the old saying goes, “Strike while the iron’s hot.”

With the first full month of the season just about behind us, we've seen a number of players step into the spotlight and make their names known.

To the same token a number of players that we've grown to love, and in the case of fantasy baseball players that we've grown to count on, have let us down in comparison to their true potential.

Some fantasy owners are quick to rush to judgment and drop players to avoid an early decline in the standings.

At the same time, baseball is a marathon that takes us all the way through the dog days of summer into the fall.