Roto Chronicles — National League Week 1 Wrap

Who made Roto Royalty and who stayed in a Roto Rut?

The first full week of baseball is under our belt, and it left some very surprising revelations. Superstar hitters struggled while some players came out of nowhere to steal the spotlight. Here is a breakdown of last week’s performances:

Roto Ruts:

Mark Teixiera, 1B: He is batting .192 with 2 homeruns and 3 RBIs. Those aren’t the numbers you want from an all-star 1st baseman. However, don’t rule him out yet. All-star hitters find a way to break out of their slumps. He hasn’t moved from his clean up spot, and don’t look for him to move anytime soon. Traditionally, he has slow starts and this year is no different. Once he gets a feel for the pitching in the National League, he’ll start his come back. Don’t give up on him; give him another week or two to get acclimated to his new setting.

Kerry Wood, P: Wood doesn’t have what he used to have, and his previous injuries showed in the Cubs’ opening series against the Brewers. He blew a save and gave up 3 runs in just one inning of work. His fastball isn’t in the high 90s and slumped to the high 80s-low 90s range, and is very sporadic. His ERA (6.75) is nothing to brag about, but he still does strike out hitters and has good control of the strike zone. His injury history is suspect, but you have to wonder when or if he’s going to go on the DL.

Barry Zito, SP: Zito’s not pitching like the ace he signed two seasons ago to be. He threw 5 innings giving up 8 hits and 4 runs in his opening start. Those aren’t numbers to see in the ace of any ball club. He’s already spent a year in the National League, and he hasn’t been able to adjust since then. Perhaps the Giants should keep their money and look for better starting pitching. Mediocrity describes Zito the best. He’ll have an average year, nothing to dazzle your senses over.

Matt Holliday, OF: He’s only batting a lowly .182 with one home run and one RBI. This is not the same Matt Holliday that hit .340 last season. No need to worry, however. His composure will return to him, but until he starts to be consistent at the plate, place him on the bench. You don’t want anyone in your lineup to go hitless in a game. You can’t blame his lack of hitting on the dense air at Coors Field, but you can blame his new-found pressure of having to produce coming off a career year. Once the pressure cools off he’ll be fine.

Hunter Pence, OF: Once an offensive machine, he’s tailed off this season. Batting .194 with one RBI, he will be facing a good Cardinals pitching staff, and a poor Marlins staff. My suggestion is to place him on the bench for the Cardinals series and play him against the Marlins. This once promising offensive power house hasn’t lived up to expectations yet, but it’s early in the season and he will overcome his jitters at the plate.

Those players playing in mediocrity:

Miguel Tejada, SS: Batting .241, 1 homerun, 3 RBIs

Dan Haren: 4.50 ERA, 4 strikeouts, given up 2 home runs
Ryan Howard, 1B: Batting .200, 2 RBIs, 1 home run

Jason Marquis, SP: 6.75 ERA, 2 strikeouts, 1.69 WHIP

Jeff Kent, 2B: Batting .176, 2 RBIs, 2 home runs

Roto Royalty:

Derek Lee, 1B: He started off slowly, but in his weekend series against the Astros, he exploded for 5 straight hits (home run, double, 3 singles). Lee looks to be injury free and his new batting stance has helped him maintain steady production at the plate. He’s a keeper; don’t let his slow start scare you.  As I’ve stated before, good hitters don’t stay in ruts for long and you saw him break out of it very quickly. There is plenty of baseball so be patient if he starts a downfall. If he was dropped for his slow start, quickly pick him back up.

Johan Santana, P: He has two starts under his belt and they were both dominant performances against the Marlins and the Braves. He went 7 innings, striking out 8 against the Marlins, and pitched 7 innings, giving up one run and striking out 3 against an offensive powerhouse in the Braves. Not bad considering he switched leagues. He’s going to strike out plenty of batters this year. Don’t be surprised if he leads the league in strikeouts at the end of the season. One glaring stat that jumps out with Santana is his WHIP average. Currently Santana holds an attractive .86 WHIP when the league average for starting pitchers is 1.35. His career average is 1.09. Look for Santana to be Santana. Keep him at all costs.

Albert Pujols, 1B: He is tearing up opposing pitchers with a .353 average. Even though he has 1 RBI and no home runs, he still proves to be a worthy hitter. Not to worry. The season has just begun. It’s only a matter of time before he starts to belt out home runs. Pujols has a cut on his right hand but that shouldn’t bother him as the season wears on. The Cardinals will play Milwaukee and San Francisco, so look for his numbers to grow. One thing that Pujols has improved on in his game this year is his patience at the plate. He has walked 6 times and struck out once; that’s not due to pitchers pitching away from him out of fear. If he can fine tune his newly found patience at the plate his RBI numbers will climb as well as his average.

Bill Hall, 3B: Even though his .267 average is anything but impressive, the number that should stick out to you is his RBIs. He has 7 RBIs and 2 home runs in just 5 games played. He blew up with 6 RBIs against the Giants. That’s not a tall task, you say, however, his RBIs came with Runners in Scoring Position. He is batting .378 with RISP. To compliment that, he has one steal and has been caught stealing once. Ned Yost’s system of baseball is playing with speed on the base paths. Bill Hall fits well with the scheme and will have many more steal opportunities. One thing of concern for Hall is his strikeout totals. He has 9 on the year. Keep an eye on that, but don’t count on that affecting his average too much.

Xavier Nady, RF: Did anyone ever think a Pirate would be on a hot list? Nady is batting an incredible .385 with 3 home runs. His slugging percentage isn’t that bad either with a .833. Nady will continue on his tear. His career batting average is .274 so you know he has the ability to hit and be consistent at it. Take advantage of him in your line up. He hasn’t hit top pitchers in the league yet, but his .444 average puts him in Roto Royalty for now. He’ll be batting against lesser pitching this week as he goes against the Cubs and the Reds. His name may not be a household one, but that will soon change.

Jake Peavy, P: His .57 ERA and 12 strike outs are no joke. Through 2 games, he’s pitched 15 innings, and has only given up 5 hits. His two starts should start to get him more recognition. Thus far he is the best pitcher in the league. You can’t argue with this numbers. He is a sure thing and has proven that he is among the league’s elite pitchers. His career ERA is 3.27. Surely you can throw his name in as an NL Cy Young candidate. He’ll face the Dodgers next and this one is a rivalry game. Rivalry games are intense but don’t expect he’ll have an easy time against the pesky Dodgers in LA. The Dodgers have the offense, so this should be an interesting game on all levels.

Those on the verge on Royalty:

Zach Duke, P: 3.18 ERA, 1 strikeout

Freddy Sanchez: Batting .417, with one RBI

Yunel Escobar, SS: Batting .304, 1 home run, 7 RBIs

Adam Eaton, P: 3.51 ERA, 2 strikeouts

Austin Kearns, RF: Batting .292, 4 RBIs

I will give out weekly updates on who I think are batting or pitching well enough to be in my Roto Royalty section, and who aren’t batting or pitching to their expectations that warrant them in Roto Ruts.

Roto Reliable Hints

Remember the name Ian Stewart. He is batting .308 in Triple-A with the Rockies and already has a home run and 3 RBIs. With the offensive woes of the Rockies, batting .198 as a team, look for Stewart’s name to be called soon. With the infield struggling to produce hits and good defense, Clint Hurdle will likely take a risk on the young prospect. He was one of the last players to be sent back to the minors so you know he has some skills that coaches liked. Don’t be surprised if you see him later this month. Keep careful watch on the Rockies’ organization in the next few weeks. If they’re in the doldrums of the NL West, they won’t hesitate to start making moves.

Up-and-Coming Players

Justin Upton, younger brother of B.J. of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays is showing why he was the number one overall pick of the 2005 draft. Called up for only 43 games in 2007 he only hit .221, but he showed his power ability belting 8 doubles and 3 home runs. He’s young and he has no history of constant injuries. He is helping the Diamondbacks stay in the hunt for the NL West lead. Only 20 years of age, he has nowhere to go but up. No doubt he’s already been snatched up in many leagues, but if there is a rare case that he’s still available, grab him. Already talked about as a leading candidate for the NL Rookie of the Year, he hasn’t disappointed. He’s already slugged three home runs, one more than he hit last season in fewer games. If you’re crafty enough, offer up a veteran power slugger for a younger Justin Upton. You won’t be disappointed. If possible, keep him as long as you can. Be patient with him if he slumps a little. All hitters do, but it will be a good test of his mettle if he can break out of slumps quickly or stays in them for long periods of time.