Archive for Nate Schierholtz

It’s official. 100% of my value is bothering @jeffwzimmerman to run data and then use that data for said content. I did just that this morning for updated shift data. I believe the last time he posted related content on RotoGraphs was here back in May looking at: Early Hitter Shift Data.

It was because of this post and his balls in play (groundball and pop-up rates) that led me to believe Albert Pujols was going to drop off/continue his downward trend. I guess I pushed out the fact that he was the best hitter of his generation. While the .375 BABIP (from the above link) against shifts did not last, he’s at a very respectable .284. Between this and additional discipline (best contact rate since 2008 and hacking less at stuff outside of the zone), he is able to hover around a .280 BA, which remains elite in conjunction with 30HR, 90R and 100+RBI.

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If you clicked on this post, you are probably a Cubs fan or an NL-only league player. There are some seriously un-sexy names in the Cubs outfield, but there’s some definite value to be had for NL-only players, and one of the Cub outfielders makes for a very interesting sleeper in mixed leagues. Of the three expected starters, two are looking like values according to early ADP, and the other is priced just about right. Read the rest of this entry »

Maybe it’s just the optimism that spring brings, but I’m starting to believe the Cubs could have some surprises in them this year. Between two young infield stars, an improving starting rotation, and a surprisingly adequate outfield, Chicago should take nice steps away from last year’s dumpster fire as Theo Epstein & Jed Hoyer continue their rebuilding project. Is that enough to get them into the playoff race? Probably not, but nor should one expect another 101-loss disaster.

Let’s dive deeper into that outfield, where despite numerous efforts to move him, Alfonso Soriano remains the incumbent in left field. (This is me praying the Yankees don’t trade for him to help replace Curtis Granderson before this post goes live.) Soriano has long been saddled by the massive contract that looked foolish from the day he signed it prior to 2007, but that has been somewhat of an unfair burden on him. Soriano has been good-to-very-good in four of the six years he’s been a Cub, and while lousy campaigns in 2009 & 2011 don’t help, he’s averaged 3.3 WAR/year with the team. If not worth the contract, he’s at least been a valuable contributor. Read the rest of this entry »

In an effort to land a quality right-handed bat for the middle of their lineup and boost the overall production from their outfield, the San Francisco Giants finalized a deal on Tuesday that sent perennial fourth outfielder Nate Schierholtz and prospects Tommy Joseph and Seth Rosin to the Philadelphia Phillies for Hunter Pence and cash considerations.  From a reality standpoint, the trade was a no-brainer for the Giants.  They might sacrifice a touch of defense in right field going from the Schierholtz/Gregor Blanco platoon to Pence, but offensively speaking, the upgrade is huge, not just at the position, but for what it does to the middle of the Giants’ order.  But this is fantasy we’re talking about here, so let’s take a look at what this deal does for fantasy owners. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re getting down to that time of year where, unless you’re talking keeper league, it’s all about picking up the guy swinging the hot bat with a relative disregard for the long term.  If he keeps it up for a couple of weeks, then great, but no more worrying about small sample sizes or potential in the second half.  This is it.  So if you’re looking for some quick-fix help in your outfield, these guys just might fit the bill… Read the rest of this entry »

Since we’re over halfway through the fantasy season, most owners have a pretty good idea what categories they can make a push for points in during these next couple of months. With that in mind, here are a few players that can help you in specific categories if you give them the chance.

Jeff Keppinger: Batting Average
One of the few trade chips the Astros have at their disposal, Keppinger has hit better than the magical .300 mark this year after hitting .288 last season. Keppinger’s ability to make contact is absolutely ridiculous at the moment, as he is one of three players with at least 150 plate appearances to post a SwStr% below 2%. I don’t know if he’ll be able to hit .300 all season long, but odds are he’ll hit at least .285 for your team.

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San Francisco Giants purchased the contract of OF Pat Burrell from Triple-A Fresno; optioned OF John Bowker to Fresno.

“The Bat” ‘s lumber has flat lined since he inked a two-year, $16 million deal with Tampa Bay prior to the 2009 season. Burrell posted a combined .381 wOBA from 2006-2008, but he plummeted to a .304 wOBA as the Rays’ DH last season, battling a neck injury that forced him to the DL for a month.

Before drawing his release from Tampa in late May, the 33-year-old posted a .284 wOBA. San Francisco scooped him up on a minor league deal, and after a tune-up at Fresno, Burrell’s back in the big leagues. However, his utility to the Giants (not to mention his path to playing time) is unclear.

After routinely putting up Isolated Power marks in the .200-.250 range as a Phillie, Burrell had a .146 ISO in ’09 and has a .136 ISO in 2010. He has scuffled against fastballs and sliders over the past two years — he was -0.62 runs/100 against heaters in ’09, and is at -2.03 runs/100 when pitchers challenge him in 2010. Against sliders, he was -1.1 runs/100 last season and -3.37/100 this year. Burrell’s line drive rate, 20.7% for his career, was 18.1% last season and 16.7% in 2010. Those numbers portray a hitter having difficulty catching up to high-speed stuff in the majors, making less and less hard contact.

Coming into the season, CHONE projected Burrell for a .329 wOBA. ZiPS’ rest-of-season projection forecasts a .339 wOBA. Considering Burrell’s plodding D, it’s hard to say what he offers San Francisco that, say, Nate Schierholtz (.339 rest-of-season ZiPS projection, and a quality fielder) or Bowker (.332 ROS ZiPS) don’t. Granted, Bowker’s mashing and newfound patience at Fresno in ’09 (.342/.451/.596, 16.4 BB%) didn’t translate to the majors this season, but is he really a worse bet than Burrell going forward?

With Buster Posey now in the fold, San Fran has added another defensively-challenged player to the outfield mix in Aubrey Huff. Andres Torres is drawing every day play, and Aaron Rowand, despite replacement-level performance to this point, will likely keep his job. That leaves Burrell as a glorified fifth outfielder, drawing the occasional start against a lefty.

The first pick in the ’98 draft has enjoyed plenty of outstanding years at the plate. But when the skill for which you’re nicknamed vanishes, and your D draws groans, it’s a pretty quick path to retirement.