Posts Tagged ‘Starlin Castro’

2011 Fantasy Baseball ADP – Shortstop

Posted by Todd Lammi on February 15th, 2011

This is the fourth article in the series examining the current 2011 fantasy baseball ADP (average draft position) for the position of shortstop. The data used for this article is from Mock Draft Central using the NFBC scoring system which has 15 teams per league in a mixed format with two catchers needed per team.

The grid below has the players listed based on my 2011 fantasy baseball rankings with the current ADP shown for where a player would fall in either a 12 or 15 team mixed league. The rounds for a 12 team league may vary slightly as shortstops may slide a little bit later with fewer teams in the league, but it will still give you a good ballpark range for what round you should be looking to take that certain player that you have an eye on.

It is interesting to look at the fantasy baseball ADP for this position as there are three kind of distinct fantasy baseball tiers with the top eight players going in the first eight round, then another four players going in rounds 10-12 and then the rest of the players going in the latter stages of the draft.

Those people drafting at the end of round three are going to have to make a tough call as to whether they want Derek Jeter at shortstop or Jimmy Rollins. Though Jeter’s dropped off last year, the one thing you can say about him is that you know he is going to play in almost every game. Rollins only played in 88 games last year and is headed toward free agency so one would hope he comes into camp in great shape this year so that is news to be watching for when players report.

I don’t have Alex Gonzalez in my top 20 shortstops, but based on ADP it looks like he is going as the 11th shortstop off the board. I am hoping that is some type of data discrepancy as I can’t believe he would be going that high. Again, don’t pay for last year’s numbers as regression always tends to counter balance ups and downs from season to season. Also remember that most of his damage came in Toronto where it seemed like everyone was swinging for the fences last season.

12 Teams 15 Teams
Rank Name ADP Round Pick Round Pick
1 Hanley Ramirez 2 1 2 1 2
2 Troy Tulowitzki 4 1 4 1 4
3 Jose Reyes 25 3 1 2 10
4 Derek Jeter 53 5 5 4 8
5 Jimmy Rollins 43 4 7 3 13
6 Alexei Ramirez 81 7 9 6 6
7 Rafael Furcal 143 12 11 10 8
8 Elvis Andrus 75 7 3 5 15
9 Stephen Drew 112 10 4 8 7
10 Starlin Castro 153 13 9 11 3
11 Ian Desmond 168 14 12 12 3
12 Miguel Tejada 211 18 7 15 1
13 Jhonny Peralta 269 23 5 18 14
14 Asdrubal Cabrera 180 15 12 12 15
15 Marco Scutaro 202 17 10 14 7
16 Yunel Escobar 329 28 5 22 14
17 Jason Bartlett 283 24 7 19 13
18 J.J. Hardy 311 26 11 21 11
19 Reid Brignac 299 25 11 20 14
20 Erick Aybar 282 24 6 19 12
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2011 Fantasy Baseball Rankings – Shortstop

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 8th, 2011

Here is the fourth article in the series for 2011 fantasy baseball rankings looking at the position of shortstop. As usual the position is top of heavy with only a couple of players with possible upside in the middle tiers with Ian Desmond, Starlin Castro and Elvis Andrus.

If you are looking for steals late in the draft, there are a few players that will be able to swipe close to 20 bases, such as Erick Aybar, Cliff Pennington and Ryan Theriot.

Just a reminder that you will be able to get player projections and more player rankings in the 2011 Fantasy Baseball Tools Draft Guide which will be released on February 1.

1. Hanley Ramirez – scored under 100 runs for the first time in his career and home runs dropped for the second consecutive season. Lost out on some RBI chances by getting 97 at bats from the leadoff spot. Combination of his position plus his ability still makes him the number two pick in fantasy baseball drafts and he will go number one in some leagues depending on the number of teams, roster size, etc.

2. Troy Tulowitzki – it’s interesting that statistically his season was better in 2009 in most categories except batting average, yet his ADP looks like he will be drafted higher in 2011. Saved his season stat wise with an incredible September, hitting 15 home runs and knocking in 40 runs in 115 at bats while hitting .322.

3. Jose Reyes – held up for a whole season, but made less effort to steal bases which hurts his value. Was only 11-for-19 on stolen bases the second half of the season. He went in the second to third rounds in most fantasy drafts last year when he was injured so don’t expect to get him at any type of discount in 2011.

4. Derek Jeter – the decline is finally starting to show for Jeter at age 36. Because of his team and where he hits in the lineup, he will still be good for runs scored. His .270 batting average was a career low as was his .340 slugging percentage. Power numbers were down after the All-Star break with just two home runs in 298 at bats. Struggled against right-handed pitching, bating .246 in 341 at bats.

5. Jimmy Rollins – Just turned 32 in November and batting average has dropped for three straight years. After suffering three different injuries to his legs last year in the form of strains and muscle pulls plus with him being a free agent at the end of this season, hopefully he has hit the weight room hard in the offseason to take of those potential issues in 2011. With an ADP that currently puts him in the middle of the third round, people picking at the front of the draft and going to have a good chance to grab him.

6. Alexei Ramirez – has had a pretty solid cluster grouping in three seasons in all stat categoires except for runs scored which has edged up slightly each season. Ran more on the bases the second half of the season, stealing 10 of his 13 bases.

7. Rafael Furcal – was on his way to a comeback season before injuries struck again. Has had less than 400 at bats in two of the last three years. Still managed to put up the same amount of home runs and RBI despite having 230 less at bats and his stolen bases were over 20 for the first time since 2007.

8. Elvis Andrus – caught a break when Julio Borbon could not cut it in the outfield and moved from last to first in the batting order. Got worse on the base paths in 2010 which is a slight concern going forward. Was only 9-for-14 on steals after the All-Star break.

9. Stephen Drew – maybe the expectations are too high based on the hype and his last name that he doesn’t get enough credit for having a decent season and others take it to be disappointing. Has kind of settled in to what he is, a mid-teen power guy with a couple of stolen bases. With Reynolds and LaRoche gone, this should be the year he finally cracks 70 RBI.

10. Starlin Castro – turns 21 in March so is still a few years away from any power showing. Should be close to a .300 hitter for his career, but steal needs to work on his base running. Was only 10-for-18 on stolen bases with the Cubs and had a success rate of 65% in the minor leagues.

11. Ian Desmond – not a bad rookie season for Desmond who will be close to 15 home runs and 20 steals if he can hit a few more home runs on the road after hitting just two in 263 at bats last year. Still needs work on his plate discipline as evidenced by his 28 to 109 walk to strikeout ratio. SO far his numbers in 607 total bats have been better than what he showed in 638 games in the minor leagues in terms of batting average and stolen base success.

12. Miguel Tejada – Tejada returns to the National League and the Bay Area at 36 years of age. Like Jeter, he also suffered a drop in batting average last season. He has been consistent with playing time, getting 600 at bats or more in nine of the last 10 seasons.

13. Jhonny Peralta – power picked up after being shipped to Detroit as did his plate discipline. Qualifies at SS and 3B but has much more value at SS or middle infield.

14. Marco Scutaro - don’t expect another 600 at season from Scutaro since he will be moving from hitting first to lower in the batting order in Boston. Will also qualify at 2b in leagues with a 10 game minimum.

15. Yunel Escobar – was awful in Atlanta the first half of the year with no home runs in 261 at bats with a .238 batting average before being shipped to Toronto where he hit .275 with four home runs in 60 games. Should bounce back like Kelly Johnson did when he left Atlanta but not quite to that extent.

16. Jason Bartlett – came back to earth as his power from 2009 did not carry over and he even ran less on the bases which left him with little value. Move to PETCO Park and the nation league will impact his stats as well.

17. J.J. Hardy – a wrist injury plus the pressure of playing for a new team and trying to bounce back from a disappointing 2009 impacted his performance at the plate. Was better after the All-Star break hitting .304 in 181 at bats vs. .226 the first half of the year.

18. Erick Aybar – season ended on a down note for Aybar after hitting .206 after the All-Star break. Managed to drive in only 16 runs in 325 at bats in the first half which almost seems impossible in the American League. Was pretty much useless hitting anywhere in the lineup but first, hitting .184 in 147 at bats in other parts of the lineup.

19. Cliff Pennington - batting average and power are always going to be low, but if you need steals late in the draft, could be worth a shot. It’s a pity he cannot get on base more because when he steals, he has great success, 40-for-51 career in the major leagues.

20. Ryan Theriot – wasn’t the same player once he left Chicago. Was only 4-for-9 on steals the second half of the season. His stats at Busch stadium are not too pretty, with a .220 average in 109 at bats. Qualifies at both second base and shortstop in 2011.

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2010 Waiver Wire – Week 6

Posted by Todd Lammi on May 8th, 2010

Here is a look at some potential players to target in your fantasy baseball league that might be out there on the waiver wire in week 6.

American League only:

C – Frank Cervelli – with the various New York Yankees falling down to injury, Cervelli is getting some time behind the plate with Jorge Posada moving over to designated hitter. Cervelli is hitting .345 over the last two weeks with four runs scored and four RBI.

C – Jason Varitek – who would have guessed that at this point of the season that Varitek would have more home runs than starting catcher Victor Martinez? Varitek is seeing minimal time, but has flashed power in his small sample of at bats. Varitek has two home runs and six RBI in 16 at bats the past 14 days.

C – Wilson Ramos – has short term value with Joe Mauer sidelined due to injury. Ramos, one of the top prospects in the Minnesota Twins organization has hit .400 in 20 at bats since being recalled from Triple-A.

1B – Kila Ka’aihue – recently called up by the Kansas City Royals, with Ka’aihue, it is always a question of how many at bats the Royals are going to give him. Despite putting up good minor league numbers in years past, the Royals have never fully commuted to him 100% in giving him an opportunity. Ka’aihue was hitting .304 with seven home runs and 20 RBI in 79 at bats before his promotion.

SS – Mike Aviles – Aviles was the odd man out in the Royals infield when spring training ended despite putting up stellar stats. Now he has been recalled and will have the chance to grab the starting job from Yuniesky Betancourt. Aviles was hitting .271 with a home run and eight RBI in Triple-A.

National League only:

SS - Starlin Castro - despite all the talk by Chicago Cubs management about keeping Castro in the minor leagues, Castro was just called up and immediately made an impact in his first game, going 2-for-5 with a home run and six RBI. His promotion moves Ryan Theriot to second base with Jeff Baker and Mike Fontenot going to the bench.

1B/OF - Steve Pearce – with Jeff Clement struggling at first base for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pearce was recalled and could see some spot starts. He has started one of three games since the promotion and is 0-for-5. In his career, he has shown to be nothing more than a Quad-A player, someone that performs well in Triple-A but not in the major leagues so he is stuck somewhere in the middle.

RP – Manuel Corpas – looks to have moved ahead of Franklin Morales in the Colorado Rockies bullpen and should see some save opportunities until Huston Street returns to action. Corpas has a 1.66 ERA on the season with a .88 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings.

SS – Ryan Rohlinger – could see a few starts at shortstop for the San Francisco Giants with Edgar Renteria going on the disabled list and Freddy Sanchez still out of action. Rohlinger was hitting .333 with two home runs and 13 RBI in Triple-A in 87 at bats.

12 /15 mixed league:

Utility – Jim Thome – I wrote about him in Rising / Falling in week 5.

RP – Alfredo Simon – has converted all three save opportunities and is still unscored upon in five innings.

SP – Wade LeBlanc – gets two starts in week 6 against San Francisco and the LA Dodgers. LeBlanc has a 1.16 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP in four starts with 20 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings.

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The Minor League Report – week 3

Posted by Todd Lammi on April 26th, 2010

We saw two players get promoted that were part of the minor league report in week 2 with Justin Smoak getting recalled by the Texas Rangers and most recently Eric Young Jr. getting promoted by the Colorado Rockies.

2010 looks like it might be turning into the year of the first basemen with Ike Davis and Justin Smoak already promoted and Brett Wallace, Freddie Freeman and Chris Carter (Oak.) looming as potential call ups later this season.

I have created a Minor League Tracker spreadsheet that shows all of the year-to-date stats for players that I highlighted in my team-by-team Triple-A minor league reports so you can easily keep an eye on possible players to target on the waiver wire in future weeks.

Since we took a look at some of the top players from Triple-A last week, here is a view of some of the top prospects in Double-A.

Hitters:

Shortstop Starlin Castro (Cubs) is making it look easy at the plate in Double-A, hitting .382 with one home run, 15 RBI and four stolen bases. With as well as he played in spring training, it will only be a matter of time until he is up in Triple-A.

Outfielder Domonic Brown (Phi.) is hitting .325 with a home run and five RBI with one stolen base for the Reading Phillies. There is not much chance he sees time with the Phillies this season barring injury, but he should have a shot to open 2011 in the outfield with Jason Werth a free agent after this season.

Outfielder Mike Stanton (Fla.) is hitting .311 for the Jacksonville Suns with six home runs and 13 RBI. While he is still striking out a fair amount with 17 whiffs in 61 at bats, his plate discipline has come a long way in the last two years. Stanton has 16 walks through 16 games and an on base percentage of .462.

First basemen Lars Anderson (Bos.) is trying to regain his top prospect status, after a disappointing season at Double-A last year, a level he is now repeating. Anderson is hitting .328 with five home runs and 16 RBI through 58 at bats.

Shortstop Dee Gordon (LAD) of the Chattanooga Lookouts is hitting .354 with one home run and four RBI to go along with four stolen bases.

Third basemen Lonnie Chisenhall (Clev.) of the Akron Aeros is off to a good start average wise, hitting .358, but with no home runs and five RBI.

It has been a slow go so far for Dustin Ackley (Sea.), the second pick of the 2009 draft. Ackley is hitting just .153 in 59 at bats with two RBI and stolen bases. The only bright spot has been his plate discipline with nine walks against 10 strikeouts.

Pitchers:

Kyle Drabek (Tor.) has a 3.80 ERA through four starts with 20 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings. Drabek has allowed two home runs and is holding hitters to a .228 average.

Jordan Lyles (Hous.) of the Corpus Christi Hooks has a 2.30 ERA after three starts with 16 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings. I expect the Houston Astros to be aggressive in promoting him so he should see Triple-A by the second half of the season.

Andrew Cashner (Cubs) has struck out 29 hitters in 24 1/3 innings and has an ERA of 3.33 after four starts, while holding opposing batters to a .188 average. After striking out 10 in each of his first two starts, Cashner has come back to earth a little bit.

Chris Withrow (LAD) has gotten off to a slow start, with a 9.00 ERA after four starts with hitters knocking him around at a .303 clip and three home runs allowed.

Christian Friedrich (Col.) has struck out 16 in 16 1/3 innings with an ERA of 2.81 after three starts. Friedrich has found the going a little tougher in Double-A after striking out 159 in 119 2/3 innings.

Future closer Drew Storen (Was.) has three saves and a 1.23 ERA in 7 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts. Despite being overshadowed by teammate Stephen Strasburg, Storen could have some value as well later this year if the Nationals deal Matt Capps

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The Minor League Report – Chicago Cubs Triple-A Roster

Posted by Todd Lammi on April 6th, 2010

Here is the minor league report for the 2010 Iowa Cubs roster, the Triple-A affiliate for the Chicago Cubs.

The key name to note on the roster is shortstop Starlin Castro. There was talk early on in spring training of Castro making the jump from Double-A to the major leagues, but the Cubs decided to send him down to Triple-A to start the season. Castro just turned 20 in March and could see time in the major leagues this summer with Ryan Theriot shifting to second base depending on how the Chicago Cubs current second basemen perform. In 665 minor league at bats, Castro has a .302 batting average with 34 steals.

The other name to watch is Jay Jackson, a starting pitcher selected in the 9th round of the 2008 draft. Jackson pitched at three levels in 2009, finishing with a 2.98 ERA and a 1.220 WHIP in 127 innings with 127 strikeouts. If the Cubs reach into the minors for a starting pitcher at some point this season, Jackson should be first in line.

How they rank:

Baseball America: S. Castro (1), J. Jackson (5)
Keith Law: S. Castro (1), J. Jackson (3)
John Sickels: S. Castro (1), J. Jackson (4)

Here is a look at 2010 Iowa Cubs roster by position:

Catchers:

Chris Robinson
Wellington Castillo
Mark Johnson

Infielders:

1B Micah Hoffpauir
2B Bobby Scales
SS Starlin Castro
3B Marquez Smith
Darwin Barney

Outfielders:

Jim Adduci
Matt Camp
Jason Dubois
Sam Fuld
Bryan LaHair
Brad Snyder

Starting Pitchers:

Mitch Atkins
Jay Jackson
J.R. Mathes
Mike Parisi

Relief Pitchers:

Casey Coleman
Thomas Diamond
John Gaub
Jeff Gray
Scott Maine
Blaine Parker
Brian Schlitter
Jeff Stevens

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2010 Chicago Cubs Team Preview

Posted by Todd Lammi on March 20th, 2010

This is the first part our series of 2010 fantasy baseball team previews looking at the National League Central. The team previews will include the projected batting order, projected rotation, rookies that could make an impact in 2010 as well as each players current ADP for a 15 team mixed fantasy baseball league.

2010 Chicago Cubs Projected Batting Order:

1.  SS Ryan Theriot (ADP 244)
2.  RF Kosuke Fukudome  (ADP 368)
3.  1B Derrek Lee (ADP 80)
4.  3B Aramis Ramirez (ADP 59)
5.  CF Marlon Byrd (ADP 293)
6.  LF Alfonso Soriano (ADP 87)
7.  2B Mike Fontenot (ADP ND)
8.  C Geovany Soto (ADP 144)

2010 Chicago Cubs Projected Rotation & Bullpen:

1.  Carlos Zambrano (ADP 167)
2.  Ryan Dempster (ADP 160)
3.  Randy Wells (ADP 314)
4.  Ted Lilly (starts on DL) (ADP 179)
5.  Sean Marshall / Tom Gorzelanny / Jeff Samardzija (ADP ND)

Closer – Carlos Marmol (ADP 134)
Handcuff – John Grabow

2010 Chicago Cubs prospects with potential impact this year:

1.  Starlin Castro – SS
2. Jay Jackson – SP
3. Andrew Cashner – SP


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Spring Training News & Notes from Thursday

Posted by Todd Lammi on March 12th, 2010

Here is a look at the Spring Training News & Notes from Thursday. The news & notes are focused on changes that affect players value as well as players coming back off of injuries or rookies that might make an impact.

Hitters:

Angel Pagan stole his third base of the spring and should have some value the first month of the season in NL only leagues while Carlos Beltran is out of action.

Lorenzo Cain stole his third base of spring for the Milwaukee Brewers and is someone worth stashing on reserve in NL only dynasty leagues. He had a chance to open the season as the starting center fielder this season before  he suffered a partially torn MCL in 2009. With no guarantee that Carlos Gomez is able to hold up as the starting center fielder, Cain could possibly see time later this season.

It looks like the position switch of Jose Lopez (to 3B) and Chone Figgins (to 2B) could grant extra flexibility for your fantasy baseball line up several weeks into the season.

As much as Chicago Cubs manager Lou Pinella wants to see Starlin Castro spend time at Triple-A, I still think he makes it to the major leagues sooner than later this season. Castro went two for three with three runs scored on Thursday, including his first home run of spring.

Pitchers:

Shaun Marcum had another solid outing for the Toronto Blue Jays with three shutout innings and two strikeouts. Marcum who missed the 2009 season after Tommy John surgery is a good late round option draft choice.

Keep an eye on Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants as he was supposed to open the season as the 5th starter. His velocity that dropped at the end of 2009 has reportedly not bounced back and he struggled on Thursday walking four in two innings and allowing two runs with no strikeouts.

James McDonald has been unable to take control of one of the rotation spots for the Los Angeles Dodgers so far this spring. He allowed three runs and five base runners in two innings.

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2010 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

Posted by Todd Lammi on February 24th, 2010

It always makes me laugh when a magazine or website reveals their list of 2010 fantasy baseball sleepers and it has names like Carlos Gonzalez, or Carlos Quentin or Billy Butler on it. Those my friends are not sleepers. Those are players that someone might expect to have a breakout season or someone that was injured last year and is expected to bounce back.

To me, a sleeper is someone that does not have a lot of value heading into the season, or is in the minor leagues and will be up in the major leagues soon, or somebody that in an AL or NL only format is going to be able to help your team.

With that in mind, as your fantasy baseball draft or auction winds down, here are some names to keep in mind as the best 2010 fantasy baseball sleepers by position.

C – Jason Castro (Astros) – only has Humberto Quintero in front of him and the Astros need all of the offense they can get. Reached Double-A last season and it would be quite jump for him to reach the major leagues. However, holds a .295 career minor league batting average with good plate discipline (77 walks to 108 strikeouts). Struggled in the Arizona Fall League hitting .143 in 42 at bats.

1B – Logan Morrison (Marlins) – like Castro, Morrison played in Double-A last year. Suffered a fracture in his right wrist in 2009 which limited his at bats to 278. Has great plate discipline as he walked 17 more times than he struck out. Power still needs to develop, but with the budget conscious Marlins, he has a chance to open the year at first base. Could put up similar stats to James Loney of 2009.

2B – Chris Getz (Royals) - was traded to Kansas City along with Josh Fields for Mark Teahen in the off season. Royals general manager Dayton Moore has already gone on record saying there could eventually be a trade with the depth they have in the infield which would open a starting role for Getz if that happened. Had 25 stolen bases in 375 at bats in 2009 so he is a good end game option in AL only leagues.

SS – Starlin Castro (Cubs) – this might be a little bit of a stretch but he has been drawing rave reviews in the minor leagues and handled himself well in the Arizona Fall League. With a weak link at second base, there is a slim chance that Castro could open the year at shortstop with Ryan Theriot moving to second base. Has a career .302 batting average with 34 steals in 665 at bats. Received a lot of playing time in the AFL and hit .376 with nine steals in 101 at bats.

3B – Chad Tracy (Cubs) – just another Aramis Ramirez shoulder injury away from getting 500+ at bats. Can also play first base so he should be able to get 250-300 at bats with the Cubs and has a little pop in his bat. Nice end game pick in NL only leagues.

OF- Jim Edmonds (Brewers) – an under the radar signing by the Milwaukee Brewers. Out of baseball last season and will be 40 in June, however he has a few things going for him. One, Carlos Gomez is in front of him and there is no guarantee he hits any better than he did with the Minnesota Twins. Two, if they fall into a platoon, Edmonds as the left-handed batter will get the majority of at bats. Slugged 19 home runs in 250 at bats with the Cubs in 2008.

SP- Felipe Paulino (Astros) - has the chance to grab the 5th starter spot from Brian Moehler. Has a nice strikeout rate but has been too inconsistent in the major leagues. Had a string of four solid starts in September in which he allowed 9 runs in 23 innings with 27 strikeouts, but then was bombed for eight runs in his last start of the month. Is an option in NL only leagues and  worth stashing on reserve for his strikeout upside.

SP – Hector Rondon (Indians) - the Indians rotation is a mess so it’s not like he has a bunch of stud pitchers to pass on the depth chart. Split time last season between Double-A and Triple-A. Has shown good control in the minor leagues with 1.9 walks per nine innings and eight strikeouts per nine. Even if he starts the year in Triple-A for more seasoning, he should not be down there too long. Turns 22 later this week.

RP – Kris Medlen (Braves) – made it to the major leagues before Tommy Hanson did last season. Once he arrived, he struggled as a starter and was then moved to the bullpen. He posted some nice numbers after the All-Star break with a 2.80 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with more than a strikeout per inning. Only a string of bad starts away by Kenshin Kawakami from moving into the rotation.

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