Roto Choronicles - National League, Week 2

Week two is in the record books and here are some shockers and surprises:

Roto Ruts:

Andrew Miller, P: Miller was once a top prospect out of the University of North Carolina. Though he’s pitched in 3 games this season he has a dastardly 11.50 ERA, but he has 15 strikeouts. Give him some time, but I recommend putting him on the bench until he gets better command of the strike zone. Most of his strike outs have been swinging, but he’s young and will learn how to work the plate, especially with experienced hitters.

Dan Uggla, 2B: He was a promising player this season, but so far hasn’t lived up to his potential. There is no excuse as to why he’s struggling at the plate, but if he doesn’t turn it around quickly, find him on the bench. He’s batting an abysmal .191 and his defensive skills are a little suspect. 2 errors on the season through 13 games isn’t a good start. Hopefully it’s not a sign of things to come for him.

Cesar Izturis, SS: Though his .219 is scary, his RBI total is scarier. He only has one. The problem here lies on the depth chart at shortstop for the Cardinals. Until someone can show they have range and the ability to play SS, Izturis is the everyday player at short. His past numbers don’t dazzle you and this year’s numbers won’t either. He’s never been productive at the plate, and don’t expect him to have a surge in his numbers anytime soon. My suggestion is to trade him for a better player or drop him and use your other shortstop prospect.

Chris Young, P: Young surged last season finishing with a 3.12 ERA and had 167 strikeouts. This year it looks like he’ll break the 150 mark in strikeouts, but the numbers you have to be concerned about is his walk totals. He has a total of 12 walks on the season and that’s only through 3 games pitched. This is also what is leading to his abnormally high ERA of 5.17. He should be able to regain his composure, but until he becomes consistent on the mound, I would place him on the bench before he damages your team any further. His last outing against the Dodgers was forgettable, but he was in a rivalry game and there is no love lost between the two teams.

Andrew Jones, CF: Suffice to say, Jones is struggling. Nobody can strike out better than Jones. He averages a strikeout a game, and if he keeps this pace up, he may lose his job in CF. Not many players can replace him in CF, but Joe Torre ball clubs have relied less on defense and more on offense. If you think he’s going to turn it around soon, think again. His numbers have declined steadily over the past three seasons. His age isn’t helping make a case for him to stay with the team. Watch him closely over the next few games. He’ll be playing against Pittsburgh and Atlanta, which have tough pitching.

Those working their way out of the rut:

Mark Teixiera, 1B: So his .213 average isn’t going to dazzle you, he’s hitting the ball hard and forcing pitchers to respect him more.
Aaron Rowand, OF: Plenty of critics criticized Rowand’s move to the Bay City, and early on they were right, but he has come on of late to hit .267. He doesn’t have a home run to show for it yet, but give him some time.

Tom Gorzelany, P: Gorzelany is experiencing tightness in his shoulder, but despite that he still has a fastball in the upper 80s-lower 90s. He pitched a brilliant game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday outlasting Johnny Cueto.

Ryan Freel, OF: Freel is coming off the DL, but he is starting to get his form back at the plate. His .227 average is okay for a player, but one stat that does stick out is his strikeout totals. He only has 2 on the season with 24 at-bats…that’s pretty good.

Roto Royalty:

Ryan Doumit, C: This catcher is traditionally defensive than offensive, but this season he seems to have changed his focus on the offensive side of things. He is hitting .351 with 2 home runs and 3 RBIs. Runners will run on him due to his weak arm strength, but if those stats don’t matter in your league, don’t worry about it. There’s no telling how long he’ll stay on this hot streak, but until he cools down and cools down significantly, keep him in your line up. He’s one of the best offensive catchers at the moment.

Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B: You’re asking why a .302 batter is in my Royalty section this week. The answer is simple: he’s a good offensive third baseman that no one has heard of. His strikeout totals are a bit high with 8 through 13 games, but he’s gone hitless in only 1 game this season, that game against Derek Lowe who is no push over on the mound. His future looks bright and he will most likely get you a hit on any given day.

Justin Upton, OF: Last week’s pick for up-and-coming player hasn’t disappointed. Simply put, he’s a beast at the plate. He’s living up to all the hype that made him a number one overall pick. Upton is batting a .405, already smashed 5 home runs and driven in 11. Keep him at all costs! He does strike out often but he obviously makes up for it in other aspects of his offense. He also has a good feel on defense. He has 0 errors and 2 assists. He is a complete package and he’s young.

Matt Holliday, OF: He broke out of his Roto Rut fast. In one week he’s had a change of over .200 points in his batting average. He’s now batting .340 with 2 homers. His quick turnaround is thanks to his new found patience at the plate. However, be aware that he does have a wrap around his arm from tightness. Don’t let that bother you, but if his production starts to slump a little blame it on the wrap. If he’s still on a tear, don’t worry too much about it and leave him in.

Angel Pagan, OF: He’s tearing it up this week, and has a .385 average to show for it. Though he doesn’t have a home run he does has 10 RBI. His OBA is almost .500, which in most leagues takes precedent over average. He has 7 walks under his belt and if he keeps going at this rate, he’ll stay around the .500 mark for OBA this season. Pagan is an everyday player and is leading the team in average.

Playing into Royalty:

Cole Hamels, P: His 0.82 ERA is good, but he’s also gone against some weak offensive clubs. His two wins came against Washington and Cincinnati, two of the lowliest offensive teams there are. The real test of his mettle is when he faces the Mets next.

Tim Hudson, P: 2-0 and looking good. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes on the mound and he’s gone against some pretty tough offenses. His WHIP is a comfortable 0.67.

Yunel Escobar, SS: Already with 9 RBI he is poised to be an offensive machine at shortstop. Did I mention he’s only a rookie? And that he’s batting .340?

Kosuke Fukodome, OF: This Japanese superstar is showing why he was highly touted. He’s slumped a little of late, but if he’s anything like Ichiro, he’ll be fine. He doesn’t hit home runs, but he has a knack for finding the gaps.

Aaron Harang, P: With a 2.14 ERA, and a 1-1 record, he’s almost full Royalty. He needs to stay out of trouble with allowing runners to be in scoring position, but so far he’s been able to avoid trouble.

Up and Coming Player:

Keep watch out for Andre Ethier. Ethier has come on strong and may be the new face of the franchise. He has usurped Juan Pierre for the starting position in Left Field and that’s a tall task to do. His offensive numbers are above average, hitting a .296 and 6 RBI. Ethier was courted in the off-season and it’s a good thing the Dodgers decided to hang on to him. Though he usurped Juan Pierre for the Left Field spot, he still has work to do. L.A. is one of the toughest franchises to play for, but don’t expect him to buckle under the pressure. Joe Torre has a knack of forming average players into great players in a short time. Does Derek Jeter ring a bell? Watch for him to be in all-star games in the near future. Eithier has a dominating plate appearance, and he looks comfortable which also makes for good news. He has improved in all aspects of his game this year. Last season Ethier stayed off the DL, but he his batting and defensive skills were off. With a full season under his belt and a new lease on playing time, Ethier won’t disappoint.