Fantasy Baseball

The Kansas City Royals are trying to turn around their franchise, from the bottom up.  They are asking their fans to be patient as they try to get the talent in the minor leagues to build from within.  Slowly but surely, we’re seeing positive signs.

We’ve talked about Mike Moustakas (he’s a part of our Prospect Tracker, so click here to find the latest update)

It wasn’t a good day for a few of the better starters in the league.  Let’s take a look at their struggles, plus all the other noteworthy performances from yesterday’s games—

American League—

Third base is a shallow position and gets even shallower with players like Kevin Youkilis losing eligibility. That’s not to say that some new options haven’t emerged. Let’s take a look at how things currently look (remember, these remain extremely early rankings and will likely significantly change as the season progresses):

With Ricky Romero recently signing a new 5-year, $30.1 million contract extension, there have been comparisons drawn to Jon Lester ($30 million) and Yovani Gallardo ($30.1 million), both of whom have signed similar contracts in recent years.  Those two have developed into the elite class of starting pitchers in Major League Baseball, so should we expect Romero to follow?

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

Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds
Bailey gave up three hits in six scoreless innings to improve to 2-2 with a 4.92 ERA.

Michael Brantley & Justin Masterson, Cleveland Indians
Brantley went 2-4 with two runs, a HR, and three RBIs to raise his average to .203. He is 7 for 17 in his last four games. Masterson gave up one run in six innings, but did not factor into the decision.

Kevin Slowey threw seven no-hit innings before being lifted from the game.  Tim Lincecum struggled once again.  Mike Stanton continued to rake.  Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games:

American League:

It’s time to look at the potential two-start options for the upcoming fantasy week.  If I have someone rated as a three, four, or five-star option, they are someone I would definitely use.  A two-star option is someone who is borderline, but I’d strongly lean against it unless I have no other options.  The one-star options are an absolutely not scenario.

So, with that said, let’s take a look at the players available to you this week:

Five-Star Options:

Nervous about the trade deadline in your fantasy baseball league? Don’t be. The Chinstrap Ninjas have you covered.

Be sure to start by checking out my 10 tips to pull off the perfect fantasy baseball trade deadline deal.

Then, check out the following players you should be targeting as you begin last-minute negotiations with an eye to your fantasy playoffs/championship…

If you haven’t already noticed, this is a hard time of year to make trades in fantasy baseball circles. About as hard as finding snowmen in the Sahara.

That’s because the marathon that is fantasy baseball has hit its fizzle time for owners who are looking at a losing season. Fantasy football drafts and NFL preseason buzz is heating up, which lures too many frustrated fantasy baseball owners away from the mid-summer classic.

It’s time to check in on three more prospects from around the minor leagues. Are any of them primed to make an impact in the not too distant future? 

Let’s take a look:

Freddie Freeman - Atlanta Braves - First Baseman
Triple-A: .303 (118-390), 15 HR, 72 RBI, 57 R, 4 SB