As fantasy leagues wind down and head into playoff mode, most owners generally have similar goals in mind at this juncture.
Some owners are right smack in the middle of a battle for playoff position while others are looking forward to next season and the opportunity to start over. What you can expect to find in this week’s edition is a smattering of young players trying to impress their club and hopefully cement a spot on next year’s big league team.
The three players in this week’s spotlight also happen to be the top three most added free agents in CBS Sportsline leagues. Leading off is Mr. No. 3...
Jhoulys Chacin, SP – Colorado Rockies – Owned in 45 percent of CBS leagues
Jhoulys (pronounced Yo-lease) has been up from the minors, pitching primarily in the Rockies’ rotation for most of 2010. The spotlight shines brighter on him now mainly because he has begun to exhibit the skills to be a top-of-the-rotation type of pitcher for years to come.
In Chacin’s last four starts he is 3-1 and has allowed only four runs in those starts for an ERA of 1.38. He has also recorded 24 strikeouts while walking only eight batters. His ERA now stands at 3.65 on the season. He is showing that he belongs in the rotation for the remainder of the season as well as next season.
The 22-year-old Venezuelan righty was signed back in 2004 by the Rockies. He has ascended through the organization starting in rookie ball and all the way up. Last season for Double-A Tulsa he started 18 games and was 8-6 with an ERA/WHIP of 3.15/1.18. Chacin also had an 86:35 K:BB ratio in those starts. His ownership will rise to 56 percent and with the Rockies holding onto an outside shot of earning a wild card berth, it’s time to strike. The Rockies are riding a nine game winning streak and they will continue to lean on Jhoulys to anchor the back-end of their rotation. You can add him with confidence, especially in keeper leagues as Chacin has proved that he belongs.
Danny Espinosa, 2B – Washington Nationals – Owned in 6 percent of CBS leagues
Mr. No. 2 in the spotlight this week has exploded onto the scene in Washington after being called up on Sept. 1. Espinosa had a hit in his first game and a home run in the second. His coming out party was against the Mets on Sept. 6 when he went 4-for-5 with two home runs, six RBI, and 11 total bases.
Espinosa is simply crushing NL pitching with an obviously unsustainable .355 average, and if you think that number is gaudy, how about his 1.079 OPS? Allow me to clarify why these numbers are unsustainable (outside of the common sense factor). Espinosa has less than two full seasons of professional ball under his belt after being drafted in the third round in ’08.
In ’09 Espinosa batted .264 and...
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