Yesterday the crash came in the form of head first slide into home plate in which Hamilton broke a small bone in his right shoulder. The slugger was placed on the DL and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

Finding a replacement won’t be an easy task but if you’re looking for a place to start, check out Hamilton’s real life replacement, David Murphy. In 16 at-bats the former Red Sox farmhand is batting .312 with one home run and two stolen bases. Murphy impressed last year when he batted .291 with 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 419 at-bats.

There’s no replacing Hamilton’s numbers but Murphy should be a more than serviceable fill-in. And the good news is he’s only owned in 31% of Yahoo leagues and in a shockingly low 3.5% of ESPN leagues.

Three Up

Dan Haren, SP, Los Angeles Angels – CG, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Alexei Ramirez, SS, Chicago White Sox – 2-for-4, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 HR

Chris Young, OF, Arizona Diamonbacks – 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR

Three Down

Chris Carpenter, SP, St. Louis Cardinals – 4 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 4 K

Edwin Jackson, SP, Detroit Tigers - 4 2/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Carlos Lee, OF, Houston Astros – 0-for-5, 1 K, 6 LOB

Notes:

• Magglio Ordonez was out of Tuesday’s lineup with an ankle injury and could be out of few days. The injury should put both Ryan Raburn and Brendan Boesch in the lineup in the coming days. Leyland has frustrated Raburn owners by declaring him the starting left fielder in spring training only to thrust him into a platoon role once the season began. But if the 37-year-old Ordonez continues having trouble with nagging injuries all year, Raburn and Boesch could both find themselves in the lineup more often than not as the season progresses.
• Michael Pineda turned in another solid outing going 7 1/3 innings allowing five hits, one earned run and striking out seven batters. Through two starts his ERA and WHIP sit at 2.70 and 0.98, respectively. Even more impressive is that both of his starts have come against Texas and Toronto, two offensive juggernauts. After last night’s game several Blue Jays hitters praised Pineda’s stuff, proclaiming that he’s an ace in the making.
• Lance Berkman hit his third home run of the season and drove in his fifth and sixth runs last night. Predictions of his demise may have been premature. After all, he does get to hit behind Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols so the RBI opportunities will be plentiful. He’s still nowhere near the player he once was but if he can stay healthy—which is a big if—Berkman could have a quietly productive season.

Nicks, bruises and cuts:

Ryan Zimmerman was placed on the DL with an abdominal strain. The Nationals hope he’ll be back in 10 days but he’ll probably be out longer than that. … Chone Figgins was not in the lineup due to a thumb injury. There’s no word yet on whether or not he’ll hit the DL. … Rafael Furcal was placed on the DL but don’t worry, he’s not retiring as was originally reported. … Michael Morse was out of Tuesday’s starting lineup with the flu but he did manage to pinch hit.

Links from around the league:

• Jair Jurrjens is on track to start Saturday night.
• Kendry Morales plans to start running on the field in the next few days.
• Joe Maddon thinks a move out of the leadoff spot would benefit Carl Crawford.

The pitching side wasn’t better. Aside from Felix Hernandez, no other starter sustained value for a consistent period of time.

The good news is the Mariners offseason ranked right up there with that of the Miami Heat. Oh wait, no it didn’t. They didn’t make any acquisitions of note and failed to upgrade their lineup or pitching staff. I’m sorry Mariners fans, but you’re in for another long season.

With that being said we can’t ignore the entire team for fantasy purposes, except for those players in the “Guys I Don’t Like” section, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Guys I Like

Ichiro Suzuki, OF – Besides Albert Pujols, Ichiro may be the most consistent player in the league. Every year of his career he’s batted at least .300 and had 200-plus hits. The only question with him is how great his impact will be in stolen bases and runs.

I started to worry about Ichiro’s declining speed in 2009 when he stole only 26 bases, the lowest of his career, but he quickly calmed those fears by swiping 42 bags in 2010. That’s the thing about Ichiro, you can never discount him. My only worry about him is that the 74 runs he scored last year become the norm with such an anemic lineup behind him.

Felix Hernandez, SP – Do you want to know what’s scary about Hernandez? He’s improved his ERA, WHIP, K/9 and BB/9 for three consecutive seasons and he’ll be 24 years old on Opening Day. I can’t imagine him topping last year’s numbers except for adding a few more wins but it’s not crazy to think he hasn’t hit his peak yet. Also, his durability is not something to be underestimated. Hernandez has eclipsed 200 innings in three consecutive seasons.

Franklin Gutierrez, OF – Even though Gutierrez couldn’t build off his 2009 campaign when he batted .283 with 18 home runs, 70 RBI and 16 stolen bases, he still managed to hit double digit home runs and set a career high in stolen bases with 25.

There’s definitely value in someone who can go 15/25 even if he’s not really a .280 hitter. When you consider that Gutierrez pretty much has to bat 3^rd in the Mariners lineup with Ichiro setting the table, he could be a sneaky source of RBIs. Not a bad outfielder to fill out your roster.

Guys I Don’t Like

Chone Figgins, 2B/3B – Figgins isn’t the same player he used to be. He used to thrive in runs and stolen bases and bat nearly .300. But that all changed last year when he scored a pedestrian 62 runs and batted only .259. The runs aren’t likely to improve by much with the lack of quality hitting behind him and his career high strikeout percentage last year doesn’t give me confidence that his average will rebound.

In addition to Figgins’ waning numbers, his dual position eligibility is not that much of an advantage.  Second base is deep this year and Figgins is not someone you want starting at third base with all the power you’d be foregoing there.

Jason Vargas, SP – Don’t get suckered into his 3.78 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Vargas’ xFIP was 4.82 last year and his K/BB ratio was basically the same as it was in 2009 when he had a 4.91 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. He doesn’t exactly have win potential in Seattle and his 5.42 K/9 is well below average. There aren’t many reasons for Vargas to be on your fantasy team.

Michael Saunders, OF – Saunders will intrigue some with his age (25) and his top prospect status a year ago but I don’t see him mattering that much in fantasy this year. He struck out in nearly 30 percent of his 289 at-bats with the Mariners last year which led to his poor .211 batting average. He showed decent power (10 home runs) and stolen base numbers (6) but not enough to be that strong in either category. There are a lot of other upside outfielders I would take before Saunders.

Sleeper

Justin Smoak, 1B – It would be unwise to write off Smoak so early. Sure, he didn’t live up to expectations right away, but that didn’t stop Seattle from trading Cliff Lee for him. And it’s not like his numbers were that bad. His walk rate of 11.6 percent was impressive for a rookie as well as his line drive rate of 23.1 percent. That high line drive rate certainly didn’t mesh with his .255 BABIP and caused his deceivingly low .218 batting average. Better days are ahead for Smoak and you can likely get him on the cheap.

Tier 1

Evan Longoria (TB), David Wright (NYM)

Longoria has the potential to be one of baseball’s greats and maybe one day reach that 40-home run mark. His 15 steals were a bit high, but not unrepeatable. … Wright is already one of the greats who provides elite steals at a power-heavy position and showed the home run scare of 2009 was just that—a scare. He provides elite steals at a position where you don’t normally find them.

Tier 2

Alex Rodriguez (NYY), Ryan Zimmerman (WAS), Kevin Youkilis (BOS), Jose Bautista (TOR), Adrian Beltre (TEX)

It’s no shocker that Rodriguez has fallen out of the top tier of third basemen. The power is still there, but his batting average cannot be counted upon to help fantasy squads in 2011. … Zimmerman has improved his batting average over the last three years and seems poised to take the next step into the top tier of third basemen. … Even though Youkilis missed 60 games in 2010, his line of .307/.411/.564 was on par with his career numbers. … Can Bautista repeat his 54-home run performance? We have your answer here with Jose Bautista’s 2011 fantasy baseball projection. … Beltre should find his new home to be a lot friendlier than the last time he made a long-term commitment to a city. That hot Texas air will provide an extra boost to his power numbers.

Tier 3

Michael Young (TEX), Mark Reynolds (BAL), Aramis Ramirez (CHC), Pablo Sandoval (SF), Martin Prado (ATL), Casey McGehee (MIL), Pedro Alvarez (PIT)

Young, or Mr. Reliable, should provide runs with decent power and a good batting average at the very least. … The .198 batting average is scary, but no one is questioning Reynolds‘ power as his all-or-nothing approach makes him a perennial 40-home run threat. … Ramirez would like to forget 2010 after most of it was lost to injury. … A lot of owners were burned by Sandoval last year, and I think it’s time to temper expectations. The average will rise, but he will never hit 30 home runs. … What you see (.307 AVG, 100 R, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 5 SB) is what you get with Prado. … Don’t look now, but McGehee is turning into a good source of HR (23) and RBI (104) without killing your batting average (.285). … There’s no doubting Alvarez‘s power potential (16 HR in 386 PA), but he has to cut down on the strikeouts (34.3%).

Tier 4

Ian Stewart (COL), Chone Figgins (SEA), Placido Polanco (PHI), Chase Headley (SD), Michael Cuddyer (MIN), Jose Lopez (COL), Omar Infante (FLA), Juan Uribe (LAD), Chris Johnson (HOU), Miguel Tejada (SF), Danny Valencia (MIN), Scott Rolen (CIN), David Freese (STL)

If Stewart doesn’t cash in on his potential in 2011, I will officially be off his bandwagon (yes, I have said this before). … If you wan’t steals, Figgins is your guy. If you wan’t anything else, he’s not. … It will be interesting to see what Lopez does in Colorado because he has always been a guy with decent pop in his bat. He’s probably better suited at second base, though. … Don’t expect a repeat of Johnson‘s .308 batting average, because his .387 BABIP is not happening again. … I’m sort of buying Valencia‘s rookie campaign and think he can be a good source of power and RBIs late in the draft. … Before injuries ruined his rookie season, Freese was making a strong case to be the NL’s rookie of the year.

Tier 1

Robinson Cano (NYY), Chase Utley (PHI), Dustin Pedroia (BOS)

Cano has vaulted to the top of just about every second base ranking on the web due to a breakout 2010 season right when Utley started to seem mortal. Cano’s last two seasons were nearly identical, and he hasn’t missed more than three games in any of the last four years. The only downside is his almost non-existent stolen base output, but a .320 average, near 30 homers and 200 R/RBIs kind of make you forget about that. … Yeah, Utley is 32 but I’m inclined to believe he’s still an elite option. His batting average has dropped each year since 2007, but he’s a 30/100 threat nonetheless and should steal 10-20 bases. … Pedroia was on pace for his typical 115-run, 20-steal season again last year before a freak foot injury derailed his season (my sources tell me Rex Ryan was behind it). Best of all, he had 12 homers in his 75 games and looked set to finally crack that 20-homer mark we’ve been waiting for.

Tier 1.5

Ian Kinsler (TEX)

I rewrote this post twice before, once with Kinsler in tier one and once with him in tier two. Neither seemed right to me, so I decided to give Kinsler his own tier. The guy can’t stay healthy, but he’s the closest thing to a 20/20 lock at second base and he even has 30/30 potential (did that in 2009). Injuries have always been a concern, and his batting average fluctuates rather wildly, but I have no problem starting Kinsler at second base. When he plays, he easily belongs in tier one. When he doesn’t, I don’t mind starting someone else like Neil Walker or Jose Lopez in the interim.

Tier 2

Dan Uggla (ATL), Rickie Weeks (MIL), Ben Zobrist (TB), Brandon Phillips (CIN), Martin Prado (ATL), Aaron Hill (TOR)

If Uggla really was a .280 hitter, he might be a member of tier one. He’d certainly be a member of tier 1.5. Unfortunately, he’s not a .280 hitter. His .330 BABIP last season was easily higher than his current career mark of .302, and his LD% last season wasn’t that much better than his career LD%. Summary: Uggla’s .280 average was lucky. It’s back to the .260s for him. Four straight 30-plus homer seasons and 90-100 runs and RBI are very nice, but negative contributions in two of the five standard fantasy categories (SB and AVG) keep you out of the top tier. … Weeks‘ 11 steals were actually the fewest of his career (if you don’t count his injury-shortened 2009 season), but no one really cared since he was busy hitting 29 homers and scoring 112 runs. The power is semi-legit; I think something in the 20-25 range is more likely in 2011, but I do expect more steals. … I’m still a huge fan of Zobrist and I’m willing to overlook everything he did last year. … Phillips‘ RBI total fell way down to 59, but he’s still a solid bet for a 20/20 season but, sadly, a .265-.275 batting average. … All of Prado‘s numbers last year (.307 AVG, 100 R, 15 HR, 66 RBI and 5 SB) were in line with his 2009 per-game averages, so expect the joy ride to continue. … We already covered our 2011 Aaron Hill fantasy projection, but if I had to sum up my feelings towards him in four words or less I’d say “Buy.” Ha. Only needed one word.

Tier 3

Gordon Beckham (CHW), Brian Roberts (BAL), Howie Kendrick (LAA), Chone Figgins (SEA), Kelly Johnson (ARI), Neil Walker (PIT), Jose Lopez (COL), Tsuyoshi Nishioka (MIN), Danny Espinosa (WAS)

Beckham actually rebounded well in the second half last season. Maybe he’s just one of those “one year too early” guys. If so, you’ll want to own him this year. … Roberts is a major health risk and is getting up there in age. Don’t count on more than 20 or so steals (even if he plays in 140 or more games), but that paves the way for increased power output. He’s always been a serious doubles guy. … Kendrick should get his average over .290 again, but perennial first-half struggles have been limiting his end-of-season stats. If he can put it together in April and May, buy on him. … Figgins is likely going to hit at the tail end of a pitiful lineup, but he could always steal 40-plus bases. … We already wrote our 2011 Kelly Johnson fantasy projection, so check that out if you want. Summary: Prognosis Negative. … Walker had a surprisingly solid rookie season (.296/.349/.462 with 12 HR, 57 R, 66 RBI and 2 SB in 110 games), and nothing suggests he can’t continue to improve over a full season. … Take a look at Lopez‘s career stats and tell me that doesn’t look pretty good in Colorado. … Nishioka is an unknown, but we do know he had a heck of a career in Japan. Should hit for a good average and steal a lot of bases. Then again, Kaz Matsui was supposed to be pretty good, too. … We didn’t rank Espinosa in our top 30, but right about now I’m wishing we had (check back for our updated rankings). Hey, better late than never. You can check out our 2011 Danny Espinosa fantasy projection instead.

Tier 4

Sean Rodriguez (TB), Omar Infante (FLA), Juan Uribe (LAD), Mike Aviles (KC), Reid Brignac (TB), Alberto Callaspo (LAA), Freddy Sanchez (SF), Ryan Theriot (STL), Jed Lowrie (BOS), Ryan Raburn (DET), Eric Young Jr. (COL)

Rodriguez had a great spring training last season, but he’s still nothing special. … Infante can hit for average, but that’s about it … Uribe seems to turn it on late in the season these days. … Aviles and Brignac are two of the guys from this tier you’ll want to target if only because they have the potential to be rosterable players for an entire season. … Sanchez gets you a little bit in every category, and Theriot gets you everything in only one category (SB). … Red Sox manager Terry Francona has said Marco Scutaro is his starting shortstop and Lowrie will be the backup everything. That means a lot of AB for a guy who posted nine homers and slugged .526 in just 55 games last year … Like Lowrie, Rayburn has the talent but doesn’t have a starting job. Still, he finds a way to get ABs. … Young is a 50-steal threat with enough playing time. Lopez’s presence in Colorado muddies the picture, though.

Gutierrez finished 2009 with a .283/.339/.425 triple-slash line and 18 home runs with 16 stolen bases. I viewed him as a solid third outfielder in 10-team mixed leagues going into the season especially with Ichiro and Chone Figgins batting ahead of him in the lineup.

Gutierrez was proving me right in April (.323 batting average), but since the calendar turned to May he has been struggling at the plate. He now sits with a disappointing .251/.324/.379 triple-slash line and despite solid power/speed numbers (8 HR and 13 SB) he has hardly been worth a roster spot over the last three months.

Looking at the numbers, Gutierrez has improved his walk rate (10.1% up from 7.3% in 2009), but has also been striking out more (24.2% up from 21.6% in 2009). If you look even deeper into his approach at the plate you will see that he is swinging at 27.1 percent of pitches outside the strike zone (23.2% in 2009) and 56.5 percent of pitches inside the strike zone (59.4% in 2009). Coincidentally, his contact outside the strike zone has gone up (60.5%), which probably describes his decrease in line drives as he isn’t making as good of contact.

There is no doubt that Gutierrez has been in an extended funk this season, but he has still managed eight home runs and 13 stolen bases. If he can correct his approach at the plate, there is some value to be had in the second half as I think he can recapture that magic from the beginning of the season. I’m still holding onto some hope.

Three Up

Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Chicago Cubs

On June 7, Aramis Ramirez landed himself of the DL with a .168 batting average, but has been on an absolute tear batting .438 (21-for-48) over the past 12 games with nine home runs and 24 RBI. It looks like he is healthy again and owners should be all-in on this perennial .300-30-100 threat.

Derrek Lee, 1B, Chicago Cubs

Sticking with the Cubs theme, Derrek Lee is starting to hit as he has a .423 batting average with two home runs and eight RBI in the past week. Lee was a late bloomer last year, but showed he could still be a valuable asset in fantasy and it looks like he’s getting ready for that second half surge again.

Yunel Escobar, SS, Toronto Blue Jays

Maybe a change of scenery was all he needed because in four games since being traded, Yunel Escobar has hit .471 with two home runs and seven RBI. Unfortunately, a hand injury has benched him the last two days, but Escobar is listed as day-to-day, which means it isn’t anything serious. Don’t forget this guy was a .300-15-75 guy last year.

Three Down

Nick Markakis, OF, Baltimore Orioles

I’m just about done with Nick Markakis because he gets the most value out of a .300 batting average that I’ve ever seen. Markakis provides you with waiver-wire power and speed yet he’s considered a keeper in most formats. Markakis has just four hits in his last 23 at-bats and hasn’t collected a run, home run or RBI in that span. Color me pessimistic, but give me Josh Willingham for the price of free over the overrated Markakis.

Chone Figgins, 2B/3B, Seattle Mariners

Who knew that a move from Los Angeles to Seattle would have this sort of effect on Chone Figgins? Sure the 24 steals are good, but he’s batting just .226 on the season and has two hits in his last 21 at-bats. I tend to be more patient than the average owner, but even I am stretching my patience with this guy.

Chris Davis, 1B/3B, Texas Rangers

How many of you scurried to your computers/iPhones/iPads to pick up Chris Davis after Justin Smoak was sent out of town? If you raised your hand, use that same hand to slap yourself in the face. I’m sorry, but it’s only your fault if you believed in someone who spends the better part of every year in the minor leagues. Davis has resumed his striking out ways (22 K in 81 AB) and has just a .185 average. Save yourself the headache and stay away from this heartbreaker.

It’s a common phrase we use when something is said that really surprises us. It’s something so surprising you do not believe it at first and as the messenger to repeat the message so you can make sure you heard correctly.

Like most things in life, this saying can be applied to fantasy baseball.

April is especially a “say what?!” month because with just one month’s worth of data, numbers tend to be very skewed so here are my “say what?!” player of the 2010 season so far:

My 2010 “Say Whaaaaat?!” Team

C –  Jason Varitek – 39 PA/5 HR/.800 SLG
1B – Paul Konerko – Leads MLB with 13 home runs
2B – Kelly Johnson/Ty Wigginton – Lead all second basemen with 10 home runs
3B – Casey McGehee – Second among 3B in RBI (28)
SS – Alex Gonzalez – Leads all shortstops in HR (10), RBI (27) and SLG (.594)
OF – Andruw Jones – Nine home runs and six steals in 107 plate appearances
OF – Juan Pierre – Leads MLB with 15 steals…and has a .292 OBP
OF – Austin Jackson – Has a .371 BA and…and a .511 BABIP…Just sayin’

Surging

Juan Pierre, OF, Chicago White Sox

I mentioned Juan Pierre in my “say what?!” team above, but it was more because I could not believe that he led the league in steals despite posting an on-base percentage that is 50 points lower than his career average. Over the last week, Pierre has batted .313 and has a .353 OBP that has led to five steals. If he can continue to get on base at a decent rate, it is not crazy to think he can approach 60-70 steals this year.

Vladimir Guerrero, DH, Texas Rangers

It will be interesting to see how Vladimir Guerrero will respond to the hot summer days in Texas, but for now he seems like he’s back to his old self. He has batted .360 over his last seven games and hit four home runs and led the league with 13 RBI. The Rangers’ lineup is no joke and he should continue to get plenty of RBI opportunities batting in the cleanup spot.

Victor Martinez, C/1B, Boston Red Sox

Victor Martinez had a horrendous April, in which he batted .238 with one home run and five RBI. However, so far in May he has two home runs and nine RBI in just nine games. The entire Red Sox offense is starting to come around and Martinez will love to have the speedy Jacoby Ellsbury back in the leadoff role in the next week or two.

Falling

Carlos Pena, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays

Yikes! May has not been kind to Carlos Pena as he has come to the plate 34 times and walked back to the dugout empty handed 31 times. Out of those 31 failed at-bats, 13 were of the strikeout variety, which is downright embarrassing. By this time, you should know what Pena is and what he isn’t so a slump like this is not out of the norm. He will kill your batting average, but should provide you with 35-40 home runs so there is some value in that.

Chone Figgins, 2B/3B, Seattle Mariners

What has happened to Chone Figgins? I’ve been holding on to hope that he will turn around his season, but he is currently sitting on a .185 batting average and while he is walking more this year (17.5 BB%), his strikeouts are much higher as well (27.8 K%). He is affected by a very low .247 BABIP, especially for a speedster and his .194 BABIP on grounders is 70 points lower than his career average. All is not lost for Figgins, but he needs to get it going fast.

Hunter Pence, OF, Houston Astros

Through my traveling as a freelance writer, I actually had the opportunity to talk to Hunter Pence at a Reebok event in January and I asked him if he had big things in store for us fantasy owners in 2010. Naturally, as a Pence owner myself in 2009, I was left both excited and disappointed at the end of the season, but it has become clear to me that when Pence told me he wouldn’t disappoint this season he was lying right to my face. Well, Mr. Pence, not only have you discouraged me from asking other baseball players fantasy-related questions in the future, but you are hereby shunned from my fantasy teams FO-RE-VER. Yes, I displayed absolutely no stats in this paragraph so here is a link to his Yahoo! player page.

Pickup of the Week

Mike Aviles, SS, Kansas City Royals

Mike Aviles was everyone’s favorite sleeper middle infielder for the 2009 season. Thirty-six games and a .183 batting average later, Aviles was a huge bust. He was recently called up from Triple-A when Alex Gordon was demoted and in eight games Aviles has batted .417 with two home runs and five runs. He is definitely worth a look because he plays a very shallow position that is full of underachieving players such as Alexei Ramirez, Yunel Escobar and Asdrubal Cabrera.

On the Mend

Nelson Cruz, OF, Texas Rangers

Cruz was placed on the DL on April 27 with a hamstring cramp and the rest has appeared to work wonders. He is scheduled to start a rehab assignment today and if all goes well he should be back in the major leagues by Thursday or Friday. Hamstring injuries are always unpredictable but it seems like Cruz owners should prepare to activate the slugger very soon.

Down on the Farm

Brett Wallace, 1B, Toronto Blue Jays

How does Brett Wallace sleep at night? He has nine home runs in 31 games down at Triple-A to go along with a triple slash line of .294/.361/.597. Then he looks up at the current Blue Jays lineup and sees Lyle Overbay starting at first base and he is slugging .301 in 32 games. Yes, you read that right. Overbay’s slugging percentage is almost the same as Wallace’s batting average. It is only a matter of time before Wallace gets the call to the big leagues and once he is up he will show that he has the ability to get on base and hit for decent power.

On to the happenings of Saturday afternoon/night.

Saturday’s Best: C.C. Sabathia (NYY) – 7.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Saturday’s Worst: Ryan Doumit (PIT) – 0-for-4, 4 K

Tigers 4, Indians 2

I knew the Indians’ offense was going to be bad, but they only managed three hits (all singles) against Jeremy Bonderman and co.? C’mon! … The Indians aren’t really bringing anything in the pitching department either as they have walked at least five batters four of their five games. … Magglio Ordonez is doing his best to prove that he is not done hitting and now has two home runs on the season and leads the American League with a .476 batting average.

Twins 2, White Sox 1

The White Sox have four starters batting below the Mendoza Line and Carlos Quentin leads all with a whopping .267 batting average. I liked this team in the preseason and I would be patient as I think they figure it out soon. … Scott Baker showed off his great control as he  walked just one in seven innings for the win.

Nationals 4, Mets 3

Owning Oliver Perez is like playing the lottery every five days; sometime you win big, but most of the time he burns you. … The big news is the return of Jose Reyes who batted leadoff and collected a hit in his first game back.

Cubs 4, Reds 3

Alfonso Soriano went deep for the first time this season, but the emergence of Tyler Colvin might cut into his playing time this season. … Carlos Zambrano showed us why we shouldn’t overreact to just one start and pitched a strong seven innings (3 ER, 9 K, 8 RA). … It was nice to see Aaron Harang put up a goose egg in the walk column because if he can figure out his control issues maybe he can return to his pre-2008 form.

Yankees 10, Rays 0

C.C. Sabathia had his no-hitter broken up with just four outs to go, which is a good sign because usually he is a slow starter. … Mark Teixeira finally got his first hits of the season as he went 3-for-4. … Don’t look now, but Brett Gardner has a .467 OBP after the first week and has scored 80 percent of the time he’s gotten on base. Also, he has three steals and could be a very cheap source of steals and runs on your team. … Not to be lost in the blowout, Evan Longoria had a steal with Sabathia on the mound; he will give you a sneaky 10 steals on the season.

Cardinals 7, Brewers 1

Jaime Garcia‘s first start for the Cardinals was a great one and he’s worth a look in deeper leagues. … After he showed us what he can do in the Cardinals’ lineup last year, it’s no surprise that Matt Holliday has a .476 batting average through the first five games of the season. … It’s not a good sign that Yovani Gallardo is already struggling this season as he has shown in the past that he only gets worse as the season progresses.

Mariners 4, Rangers 3

Franklin Gutierrez is touted as the best defensive outfielder in the majors, but he is no slacker at the plate either. He’s batting behind Ichiro Suzuki and Chone Figgins, which will make it almost impossible for him to reach 100 RBI this season. … Not a great start for Milton Bradley (.048 BA) who is being heavily relied on by the Mariners for his power. … Nice to see Felix Hernandez bounce back after walking six batters in the opener. … David Aardsma is doing his best to prove that 2009 was no fluke and now has two saves and four strikeouts in two innings of work. … Speaking of closers, what’s up with Frank Fransisco? He already has two blown saves and it seems that he is handing over closing duties to youngster Neftali Feliz.

Phillies 9, Astros 6

It would be an understatement to say that the Phillies’ offense is on  fire as five of their eight regular starters have a batting average over .368. … Felipe Paulino, who is a sleeper for many because of his strikeout potential, will have to figure out how to keep guys off base before I consider him a safe waiver wire pickup. … Matt Lindstrom better get his act together or else he will be losing his closers role to Brandon Lyon very soon.

Blue Jays 3, Orioles 0

After blowing his first save opportunity, Jason Frasor has converted three consecutive saves. … A lot of us loved the Baltimore offense coming into the season, but up until now it has been all Matt Wieters (.389 BA) with very little help from everyone else. … Vernon Wells finally came back down to earth with an 0-for-3 day and if you can trade him for top value I would jump on the opportunity.

Marlins 7, Dodgers 6

Gaby Sanchez is doing his best to keep Logan Morrison in the minors and I would say a .353 batting average and his first home run of the season is a good sign. … Not a great start for Josh Johnson, who now has a 10:7 K:BB ratio this season. … Russell Martin went 2-for-2 and is now batting .364 on the season with at least one walk in every game. … Rafael Furcal had his third straight multi-hit game and has three steals after a miserable 2009 season.

Red Sox 8, Royals 3

The Red Sox must have had a nice breakfast buffet because they hit five home runs, two of which came from Jason Varitek and one from Jeremy Hermida. … Josh Beckett pitched seven solid innings and seems to be fine after his opening day troubles. … Zack Greinke surrendered two home runs and let up four earned runs (he let up four earned runs just once last season).

Pirates 6, Diamondbacks 3

Maybe Dan Haren is trying to not dominate as much in the first half so his second half struggles don’t seem as bad. That’s the only explanation I have for letting up five earned runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings pitched against the Pirates. … A nice start from Zach Duke ()who now has two wins on the season and his next start is against Cincinnati.

Padres 5, Rockies 4 (14 inn.)

He did let up three long balls, but Mat Latos (7 IP, 4 ER, 4 K) was very good otherwise. He pitches in a great home ballpark and could be a very good matchups play in 10-team leagues this year. … Not a bad day for Chase Headley who went 3-for-5 with two walks on the day. … Ian Stewart continues his hot start with a 3-for-6 day and could finally be ready to break out now that he has an everyday job.

Angels 4, Athletics 3

Ben Sheets continues to struggle (6 IP, 13 RA, 1 K) and it seems like everyone’s favorite sleeper is rapidly losing followers. … On the other side, Jered Weaver has another good start to a season. Hopefully he can keep it up past the All-Star break this year. … If Hideki Matsui (3-for-5, 2 RBI) can stay healthy (and as a DH that shouldn’t be hard) he should continue to put up very good numbers hitting fourth for the Angels.

Braves 7, Giants 2

Somehow Derek Lowe let up just one run despite walking seven batters and now has a K:BB ratio of 7:10. … Jason Heyward (3-for-3, 2 RBI) hit his second home run of the season, but before you start buying into the hype of this 20-year old remember that he will be prone to slumps in his first major league season. … Martin Prado (2-for-4) has been on a tear to start the season and leads the National League with a .600 batting average.

Monday’s Worst: Carlos Zambrano (CHC) – 1.1 IP, 8 ER, 2 BB, 6 H, 1 K, 2 HR

Phillies 11, Nationals 1

Of course Roy Halladay showed that he will love pitching in the NL (7 IP, 9 K), but the real story here is Placido Polanco batting second in that stacked Phillies lineup. Polanco could score 100 runs this year and he won’t have to hit .341 to do it. … Nice to see Jimmy Rollins steal a base in his first game of the season and I could see him topping 40 once again. … On the Nationals’ side we have Nyjer Morgan picking up where he left off in 2009 and Adam Dunn could be returning to his truer form (0-for-3, 1 BB, 2 K).

Mets 7,  Marlins 1

Stop the presses! David Wright homered! Honestly, did you really think he was never going to approach 20 home runs in a season again? … It was nice to see Johan Santana back in dominating fashion, but what I really liked were his five K’s in six innings. … The Marlins managed only six hits on Monday, but Cameron Maybin continues to disappoint as he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. … Don’t worry too much about Josh Johnson’s rough outing (5 IP, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K) because everyone is entitled to an off-day.

Cardinals 11, Reds 6

It was nice to see Albert Pujols get back on track with two home runs – unless you were facing him – as everyone seemed to be worried about his health this season. … Colby Rasmus’ home run was a monstrous 450 feet long and almost just as high. It makes me love him even more as a sleeper in 2010. … Yadier Molina hits an opportune grand slam in the ninth, which was nice because I like him as a cheap catcher solution and also Ryan Franklin, who was warming up to pitch in a one-run game, struggled in a non-save situation and let up two runs in his one inning of work. … Joey Votto proved why he belongs in the conversation of top-30 players in fantasy baseball as he went 3-for-5 with a home run off Chris Carpenter.

Pirates 11, Dodgers 5

Vicente Padilla (4.1 IP, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) showed why he should never be an opening day starter, even against the Pirates. … Don’t call it a comeback, but Ryan Doumit homered in the ninth inning and could be poised for a serious comeback year after an injury-plagued 2009 season. … Not a huge fan of Rafael Furcal and Russell Martin at the top of the order, but the Andre Ethier-Manny Ramirez-Matt Kemp trio could be one of the better 3-4-5 combos in baseball. … Nice to see Garrett Jones (2 HR) show that he is serious about keeping the Pirates over .500 for at least one game this season. Does he have the drive for two or even three games?

Rangers 5, Blue Jays 4

Vernon Wells and Adam Lind combined for six hits, four RBI and two home runs, or in other words, the entire Blue Jays’ offense. … Nice to see Shaun Marcum back from Tommy John surgery and he pitched very well (7 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K). Grab him off your waiver wires. … Jason Frasor did little to prove that he is the definite choice for closer on the Blue Jays as he blew a save and let up four hits in just a third of an inning.

White Sox 6, Indians 0

Mark Buehrle was marvelous over seven innings of shutout ball and showed how truly bad the Indians offense will be this year. … I saw encouraging signs from Gordon Beckham as he went 2-for-4 and scored two runs in what should be a great encore to his 2009 rookie season. … What might be the most underrated aspect of the White Sox team this year is their bullpen, which features not only Bobby Jenks but Matt Thornton (2 K) and J.J. Putz (2 K). … Alexei Ramirez continues to get no love from his manager as he batted ninth, but going 0-for-3 isn’t going to help his cause.

Rockies 5, Brewers 3

There is a massive timeshare in Colorado and it seems like all five outfielders are going to get 2-5 plate appearances every game. It’s worth noting that Carlos Gonzalez batted leadoff and stayed in the entire game, and Dexter Fowler gave way to Seth Smith … Ian Stewart got his season started quickly with a solo shot in the second inning, and Franklin Morales didn’t help his chances at being the team’s interim closer. … As fantasy owners feared, Jim Edmonds got the start over Corey Hart but it really wasn’t a surprise. … What is interesting was seeing Carlos Gomez batting second. He’s hardly a high-contact hitter, but he steals a lot of bases and batting him second signals the Brewers want to let him run.

Tigers 8, Royals 4

Justin Verlander threw strikes and Kansas City hit them early on. … Johnny Damon appears to be an important catalyst atop the Tigers’ lineup as he went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. … Scott Sizemore and Austin Jackson had rough starts to their rookie seasons, combining to go 1-for-8 while scoring two runs. … Outside of Yuniesky Betancourt‘s home run, not much happened for the Royals.

Braves 15, Cubs 5

Carlos Zambrano easily had the worst performance of the day allowing eight earned runs in 1.1 IP. … Major League Baseball, meet Jason Heyward. The rookie’s legend grew as he hit a home run in his first career at-bat. … We’ve said it in our podcasts but we love Yunel Escobar as a great value shortstop, and with a 2-or-5, 2 R, 5 RBI performance on Opening Day you can see why. … For the Cubs, Aramis Ramirez and Marlon Byrd provided some much-needed pop in the middle of the Chicago lineup.

Diamondbacks 6, Padres 3

Just throwing it out there, but Stephen Drew hit an inside-the-park home run. … No surprise here; Dan Haren was fantastic in the win, allowing only three base runners in his seven innings of work. … It might have been in vain, but Adrian Gonzalez and the much-hyped Kyle Blanks hit ninth-inning home runs for San Diego.

Giants 5, Astros 2

Tim Lincecum was dominant in his seven innings, striking out seven while walking none. … Roy Oswalt wasn’t nearly as good, and you can expect to see more starts this year nearly identical to last night’s – 6 IP, 3 ER, 7 hits, 2 BB, 3 K. … Mark DeRosa homered in his San Francisco debut, and John Bowker‘s hot bat carried over to the regular season as he added an RBI single in the second inning. … For Houston, seven of their eight regular starters had at least one hit, Hunter Pence being the odd-man out.

Angels 6, Twins 3

Kendry Morales homered to pick up where he left off last season, Hideki Matsui added one of his own, and even the light-hitting Jeff Mathis added a long ball. … Same story, different day as Brandon Wood went 0-for-4 with three K. … Delmon Young went 2-for-4 with a home run and a stolen base for the Twins, a nice reminder of the potential he has, or at least was supposed to have. … In the face of rumors surrounding Brian Fuentes‘ job security, he nailed the door shut on Minnesota in an efficient ninth inning while Fernando Rodney struggled with control in the eighth.

Mariners 5, Athletics 3

It looks like Seattle is going to run – often. Chone Figgins and Ichiro Suzuki attempted two steals apiece with Ichiro caught once. … Bryan told us to watch out for Casey Kotchman and after one game he’s making Bryan look like a genius. Kotchman went 2-for-4 with four RBI. … Felix Hernandez walked six batters for only the third time in 139 career starts (8/7/09 vs TB, 7/28/06 at CLE). Ben Sheets had some control issues as well, walking four in five innings. … Set to prove 2009 wasn’t a fluke, David Aardsma struck out two in the ninth to pick up the save.

Best Offseason Move (Hitters)

George: Matt Holliday (Re-signed by St. Louis Cardinals)

Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don’t make, and in this case Matt Holliday did himself a favor by staying in St. Louis. In 2009, Holliday showed that he enjoyed hitting with Albert Pujols as his numbers jumped to .353/13/55 in just 63 games. It looks like it wasn’t just Coors Field that made Holliday a top outfielder so fantasy owners can relax now that they know Holliday will be staying put for a while.

Chris: Matt Holliday (Re-signed by St. Louis Cardinals)

If Matt Holliday signed with an American League team or another National League team, there would be uncertainty surrounding him.  But since he hit so well with the Cardinals last year we can be confident making him a top 5 OF.

Bryan: Curtis Granderson (Traded to New York Yankees)

Much was made of Yankee Stadium’s right field porch last season, and Granderson will be the latest beneficiary. It looks like a second consecutive 30 HR season is a distinct possibility.

Jeff: Curtis Granderson (Traded to New York Yankees)

The Yankees definitely upgraded their center field by replacing Melky Cabrera with Granderson. He is a great fielder with a lot of pop in his bat. Combine his lefty power with the short porch at Yankee Stadium and he could hit close to 40 homers this season.

Honorable Mentions: Austin Jackson (traded to the Detroit Tigers); Casey Kotchman (traded to the Seattle Mariners); Juan Pierre (traded to the Chicago White Sox); Adrian Beltre (signed by the Boston Red Sox); Nick Johnson (signed with the New York Yankees).

Worst Offseason Move (Hitters)

George: Johnny Damon (Leaving the New York Yankees)

While we don’t know where Johnny Damon is going to end up, we do know one thing–he will not be on the Yankees in 2010. This means that Damon will be leaving the deepest lineup and one of the more hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball, all of which will hurt his 2010 value. If you think Damon will approach 25 home runs and 80 RBI on another team you are mistaken.

Chris: Jason Bay (Signed with the New York Mets)

It’s not that I think his numbers will take a huge hit, it’s just that Boston was the perfect fit for Jason Bay.  He had Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, and Kevin Youkilis to drive in and a short left field that was conducive to his pull happy swing.  Now he has to deal with the uncertainly of the Mets top of the order and a more spacious home ballpark.

Bryan: Chone Figgins (Signed by the Seattle Mariners)

Figgins will still steal bases and still score runs, but Seattle’s offense isn’t in the same class as Los Angeles’ offense. Jose Lopez, Milton Bradley, and Franklin Gutierrez aren’t Kendry Morales, Torii Hunter, and Bobby Abreu. Plus the Angels now have Hideki Matsui, too.

Jeff: Jason Bay (Signed with the New York Mets)

Bay will probably still have a solid season, but it is not reasonable to expect the same output he had in Boston for a year and a half. Citi Field eats home runs, as evidenced by the Mets power outage that lasted all year. His fantasy value goes down a bit with this signing.

Honorable Mentions: Melvin Mora (signed by the Colorado Rockies); Hideki Matsui (signed by the Anaheim Angels); Jeremy Hermida (signed by the Boston Red Sox); Garret Atkins (signed with the Baltimore Orioles).

Best Offseason Move (Pitchers)

George: Cliff Lee (Traded to the Seattle Mariners)

There is a lot to like about Roy Halladay moving to the National League, but Cliff Lee will have one of the best defenses behind him in Seattle, which is also one of the best pitcher’s parks in baseball. Lee will see a couple less wins potentially, but everything else should be better than advertised.

Chris: Roy Halladay (Traded to the Philadelphia Phillies)

What’s not to love about Roy Halladay getting traded to the Phillies?  He moves over to the National League, moves out of the best division in baseball, and moves to the best team in the National League.

Bryan: Roy Halladay (Traded to the Philadelphia Phillies)

A move to the National League and a team with both a better offense and a legitimate closer (assuming Brad Lidge rebounds, which I think he will) can only mean good things for Halladay. Without having thrown an inning in the NL, he’s already Tim Lincecum’s biggest threat for a Cy Young three-peat.

Jeff: Roy Halladay (Traded to the Philadelphia Phillies)

While the Phillies lost Cliff Lee to the Mariners in this trade, I think the Phillies made out best here. Halladay is the better overall pitcher and I don’t see him having trouble adjusting to the National League. In fact, I see him getting better, which is a scary thought for NL hitters.

Honorable Mentions: Ben Sheets (signed by the Oakland Athletics); Edwin Jackson (traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks); Jon Garland (Signed by the San Diego Padres); Brett Myers (signed by the Houston Astros); Rich Harden (signed by the Texas Rangers).

Worst Offseason Move (Pitchers)

George: Max Scherzer (Traded to the Detroit Tigers)

He has to face a DH instead of a pitcher now, which will only hinder his ability to pitch past the sixth inning. He already had enough trouble with that in the National League, so wins will be hard to come by for the third-year pro.

Chris: Javier Vazquez (Traded to the New York Yankees)

Vazquez was a fantasy ace last year.  He won’t be this year after moving to the American League and baseball’s best division. Vazquez, who is prone to giving up the long ball, is not the best fit in a home run hitters park such as Yankee Stadium.

Bryan: Javier Vazquez (Traded to the New York Yankees)

No shock here. Vazquez is the popular pick because of his last stint in New York, and I’m going to back it up. A move to the American League and a hitter’s ballpark should cause more problems for Vazquez than 2009. On the bright side, he could have more win opportunities.

Jeff: Joel Pineiro (Signed by the Anaheim Angels)

The Angels coughed up far too much money for Pineiro, especially since they are trying to find a filler for losing John Lackey. He has never had very good strikeout numbers, and has a career ERA of over 4.50. Better to stay away from him.

Honorable Mention: Jason Marquis (signed by the Washington Nationals).

Best Offseason Move (Closers)

George: Billy Wagner (Signed by the Atlanta Braves)

Last year, Billy Wagner was coming off Tommy John surgery and was picked up by the Red Sox to be a set up man in the second half of the season. He had virtually no fantasy value, but now with Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez gone to other teams, Wagner is the main guy for saves  in Atlanta. It will be interesting to see what he can do as a full-time closer.

Chris: Billy Wagner (Signed by the Atlanta Braves)

Wagner had very little value last year.  He missed most of the year, got healthy, then was traded to the Red Sox where he backed up Jonathan Papelbon as closer.  This year, Wagner will be the undisputed closer for one of the best teams in the National League.

Bryan: Rafael Soriano (Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays)

This award was split between Soriano and Mike Gonzalez, but because Soriano is going to the better team, he gets the edge. Soriano has already shown he can succeed as a team’s closer, and now he has no competition for the job.

Jeff: Rafael Soriano (Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays)

Soriano will not have to share the load with Mike Gonzalez next season as the closer in Tampa. He will get plenty of save opportunities and his value goes up because of his solid numbers last season.

Honorable Mentions: Mike Gonzalez (signed by the Baltimore Orioles); Brandon Lyon (signed by the Houston Astros); Jose Valverde (signed by the Detroit Tigers).

Worst Offseason Moves (Closers)

George: Fernando Rodney (Signed by the Anaheim Angels)

Rodney is the only closer who moved into a worse situation this offseason, so by default he loses. He was a valuable source for cheap saves last year (37), but now he will be backing up Brian Fuentes in Anaheim so stay away.

Chris: Fernando Rodney (Signed by the Anaheim Angels)

Last year Fernando Rodney saved 37 games for the Detroit Tigers.  After signing with the Angels, Rodney will no longer be a closer as he will be backing up Fuentes.

Bryan: Fernando Rodney (Signed by the Anaheim Angels)

Rodney goes from the number one closer to the number one setup man. It’s Fuentes’ job to lose, and he’s not losing it.

Jeff: Fernando Rodney (Signed by the Anaheim Angels)

Rodney converted save opportunities when he had to last season, but it wasn’t always easy. He pitched himself into trouble often, and I don’t see him being so lucky with the Angels next season.

Honorable Mentions: Chris Ray (traded to the Texas Rangers); Matt Lindstrom (traded to the Houston Astros).

Hitter Most Affected Indirectly

George: Buster Posey – Negatively Affected (Promotion delayed with Bengie Molina still on the team)

This was going to be the year that Buster Posey rose to the majors and showed us that he is real deal–much like Matt Wieters did last season. Not so fast, because when Bengie Molina re-signed with the team the Giants pretty much created a logjam at the position. They will probably wait on bringing up Posey until he is absolutely ready for the big leagues.

Chris: Alcides Escobar – Positively Affected (Now starting after J.J. Hardy was traded)

When management traded away J.J. Hardy to the Minnesota Twins they showed that they had full confidence in Alcides Escobar’s ability to be the full time shortstop.  After taking over for Hardy late in the season last year, Escobar batted .304.  He also has shown speed in the minors, swiping 34 bases in 2008 and 42 in 2009.

Bryan: Scott Sizemore – Positively Affected (Starting after Placido Polanco signed in Philadelphia)

Sizemore is a front-runner for AL Rookie of the Year, and he should bat atop the Detroit lineup with players like Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez to drive him in.

Jeff: Jeremy Hermida – Negatively Affected (Fourth OF on the Boston Red Sox)

Hermida is capable of starting on a handful of teams in the league, but not in Boston. He will not realize his full potential with the ton of outfielders on the Red Sox.

Honorable Mentions: Ian Stewart (was supposed to see more playing time with Garret Atkins gone but now potentially less with the Melvin Mora signing); Brandon Wood (should be Angels’ starting third baseman with Figgins gone); Delmon Young (less playing time with Jim Thome).

Pitcher Most Affected Indirectly

George: Rich Hill – Positively Affected (Now with pitching coach Dave Duncan)

Rich Hill wasn’t on my radar until he signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals this offseason, and it’s because of Dave Duncan. Duncan has had a very nice track record with pitchers, most recently with Joel Piniero, so if he can help bring back that talent we saw in 2007 when Hill struck out 183 batters in 195 innings with a 3.92 ERA, he will be a sleeper in almost all leagues.

Chris: Boston Red Sox pitching staff – Positively Affected (After Boston’s defensive overhaul)

The Boston Red Sox set out to improve their defense in 2010 and they did.  The signings of defensive wizards Adrian Beltre, Mike Cameron, and Marco Scutaro should go a long way in run prevention.  As a result, Boston’s pitching staff should see a slight boost in numbers with better defenders behind them.

Bryan: Ricky Romero – Negatively Affected (New Toronto ace with Roy Halladay)

It’s tough enough for young pitchers to succeed on an average team in the AL East. It’s even harder when your organization trades away Roy Halladay and looks at you to be their ace. Good luck, kid.

Jeff: Tim Wakefield (Could be out of rotation with Lackey signing)

Wakefield signed a new deal with the Red Sox, but now it looks like he will not be used in the rotation. The addition of John Lackey sets the rotation without Wakefield in it. He will probably be used as a relief pitcher which lessens his value.

Honorable Mentions: Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain (potentially no room in the starting rotation for them); Jeremy Guthrie (no longer has pressure of being the ace); Jordan Zimmermann (not sure where he fits in rotation after offseason signings).