Archive for Roto Riteup

Today being June 22, 2012 means several things. I’m sure important things have happened on this date. I’m also sure that it is called “my birthday” by many people. Most importantly, today marks the 8th Anniversary of JoJo’s self titled debut album. I only bring this up because one of my friends was (and quite possibly still is) a massive JoJo fan. And yes, I am laughing as I type these words. Of course, I was just a senior in high school at the time and he was just a junior, but still, JoJo? Everyone has embarrassing things from their high school days, but few are on the same level as thinking JoJo was a supremely talented artist. This one’s for you Michael L. I know you just shipped out to Liberia in service of the Peace Corps, but I hope you read this somehow and laugh. Love you buddy! Tangents aside, here is today’s Roto Riteup:

• Will Middlebrooks‘ BABIP is now up to .380 after a 3-for-4 day at the plate yesterday. With the Red Sox actively pushing the “Trade Kevin Youkilis” angle, it appears as though Middlebrooks will be eventually be the guy to own. I’m not too crazy about Middlebrooks’ skill set of lots of K’s and not many walks, but if he is the starter in Boston, he has to be owned. ZiPS isn’t especially fond of him either, predicting a .255 average the rest of the way. On the bright side, he is only owned in 33% of Yahoo! and 32% of ESPN leagues, so maybe you can pick him up and flip him while his value is still high. I’m guessing here, but I’m going to say that his value will never be higher than it is right now. I’d see if I can do a little dealing. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m not a betting man (that’s a lie), but if I was, I’d wager that this is the best Roto Riteup that has been published in the past 24 hours. And if isn’t the best, then I’ll wager that it is at least the most recent.

• If it seems like I was just touting and recommending Justin Masterson last week, it’s because you have an excellent memory. It’s tough to read into a single start against the Pirates, but a nine strikeout and three walk performance is always nice regardless of the level of opposition. The same caution applies to Masterson as last week, but he is seemingly began to reshape into himself of old. His ownership rate in both ESPN and Yahoo! is still just 41%. Read the rest of this entry »

Compared to Wednesday, yesterday’s baseball news was considerably more dreary. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of useful info to be found in today’s Roto Riteup.

• Yesterday was a big day for Kirk Nieuwenhuis. It marked the first time that he powered multiple home runs in a single game. He led off the game with a shot to put the Mets ahead 1-0 and then he followed that up with another homer in the fourth inning. Although Nieuwenhuis has never topped the 20 homer plateau in any single season in the minors, he does have 17 and 19 home run seasons across different leagues in the same calendar year. With a BABIP at an even .400 so far this year I think he makes for a nice first half story with a big second half drop. He is striking out in over 25% of his plate appearances, 27.1% to be exact and his contact percentage is over six points below average. I’d go ahead and leave him on the waiver wire for now, but I have added him to my Yahoo! Watch List in several leagues. Read the rest of this entry »

Today marks my fourth Roto Riteup in a row! Only 52 more and I tie DiMaggio. Don’t worry, Zach Sanders will be back tomorrow and we’ll be back to the first half/second half platoon situation.

• Ubaldo Jimenez pitched one of his better games so far this season yesterday afternoon. He lasted seven innings while striking out seven and didn’t allow a walk. Over his past three starts and 19 2/3 innings, he has only allowed five walks. It’s possible that he has turned a corner and is ready to put his miserable start of the season behind him. If you are a fellow Ubaldo owner then you know how frustrating he has been so far. I wouldn’t make him an automatic start just yet but I would probably start him this week against the Pirates. With a 58% ownership rate in Yahoo! and just 47% in ESPN, Jimenez could be an ideal stream option this week.

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Today’s Roto Riteup might be a little more brief than the norm. I’d like to say that it is because I’m watching the free HBO weekend that is currently going on, but that would be a lie. The truth is that I am enjoying the other major league passion of mine, Major League Gaming. Today marks the final day of MLG’s Spring Championship, so go watch some StarCraft II already!

• So what if I told you that the leader for shortstops with 2.6 WAR who happened to lead the SS position in home runs was available in one third of Yahoo! leagues? It sounds pretty crazy huh? Well Jed Lowrie is exactly that. Somehow he still only owned in 67% of Yahoo! formats. For the love of cake, pick him up and play him if he is still available! His ESPN ownership rating is a full 100%, so to my colleagues in Yahoo! leagues: wake up already.

• Andrelton Simmons hit his first career major league home run last night. Power was never the strongest part of his game, but it is nice to see that he does possess the strength to knock one out. The ZiPS RoS on him isn’t too pretty but I think he has a chance to surpass those numbers. He might go off for a .280 average with lots of doubles and he’ll probably end the season with more triples than homers. Keep an eye on him. Simmons should be available in 95% of leagues. Read the rest of this entry »

Ahh, the weekend. It’s something that we all look forward to. And I know you are all looking forward to today’s Roto Riteup, so we’ll jump right in.

• In case you haven’t heard, Carlos Quentin is back and he is back in a big way. Since his return to action a mere nine games ago, Quentin is sitting at a .484/.543/1.097. Of course that isn’t sustainable, but seeing him already sock five home runs is encouraging. When healthy, Quentin certainly is a force at the plate. He is owned in just 64% of Yahoo! leagues, so if for some reason he slipped through the cracks of your league, pick him up. His ESPN ownership is all the way up at 98% however.

• If you’re set in the outfield but you need some infield help, then Kyle Seager could be just the man you’re looking for. Since May 26th, Seager has two homers, 10 RBI’s and a .311 average. For the season he has an impressive .275/.324/.475 line, good for a 124 wRC+. As a prospect he always had more doubles power than home run power, Seager has surprised us by popping seven home runs already. That is more than twice as many as last season in what is essentially the same number of plate appearances. He is still popping doubles at a very good clip, hitting 13 so far. ZiPS thinks he will end the year around 39 doubles and that kind of extra-base hit production from someone who is shorstop eligible is a very nice thing indeed. His ownership rating in both Yahoo! is a mere 70% and ESPN isn’t much better at 74%. Read the rest of this entry »

Today is Friday, and thus represents the light at the end of the work week tunnel. Today is going to be a good day. Today’s Roto Riteup was created especially for you.

• After just coming off of the disabled list a week ago, it seems as though Yoenis Cespedes could miss some more time in the upcoming days. He pulled up lame and holding his left hamstring after a first inning single in yesterday’s win over the Texas Rangers. He is currently being listed as day-to-day with a strained hamstring, but it is certainly something to watch for. Those of us in weekly leagues should pay close attention to the A’s twitter feed before the deadline passes to set our lineup for next week.

• The St. Louis Cardinals placed Jaime Garcia on the 15-day DL yesterday after he had an examination on his throwing shoulder. Garcia is set to see a second doctor today and the door is open to see a third doctor. The reason for all these varying opinions is that although it has been officially named as a shoulder strain, the root of the pain still remains a mystery. Garcia’s ERA is a rather ugly 4.48, but his 2.74 FIP is much better and even his 3.59 xFIP is a considerable step up from ERA. I would stash him on your DL for now. Read the rest of this entry »

I may have used a certain phrase quite a bit yesterday, but that doesn’t mean you should stray away from reading today’s Roto Riteup.

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According to the people who have too much time on their hands, June 3rd has been named national Repeat Day. Have no fear, I won’t repeat yesterday’s Roto Riteup.

• The experiment with Ichiro Suzuki batting third didn’t apparently didn’t impress Seattle Mariners manager Eric Wedge, so he moved Ichiro back to his customary lead off role for just the second time this year on Saturday. Ichiro immediately hit a home run in his first plate appearance. He also tacked on another solo shot in the third inning. I’ve touched on how Ichiro just isn’t the same elite player anymore, but he is still an above average player. Don’t expect this kind of power out of him regularly, but it is nice to see him contribute to the fantasy squad more than just steals for the first time in over a year. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Wild Wednesday here at the Roto Riteup office, so be prepared for the ride of your life.

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