After all, if Wednesday is truly a downer, shouldn't it be like Ditch Day or Rut Day or maybe Rock Bottom Day?
Ahhhh. We don't have time for this.
Each Wednesday, I'm going to pluck two pearls who may be laying around most mixed-league waiver wires. Obviously, each wire is different, but the goal here is to not tell you that, hey, Matt Holliday is off to a great start or, NEWSFLASH, Jake Peavy is worth picking up.
Rather, these will be guys who may have slipped past your subconscious - maybe a young guy finally getting a chance to shine, or a veteran who's finding a niche. I'll be hand-picking one from each league.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Luke Scott, OF, Orioles (pictured above)
Don't look now, but Baltimore (6-1) is in first place in the A.L. East. And while it won't last, it's positive news for all you Roberts/Markakis owners out there. Those two have been rather quiet, but guys like Kevin Millar, Aubrey Huff and Luke Scott are making noise at Camden.Scott, who came over in the Miguel Tejada deal, is actually hitting .500 right now (10-for-20) with a HR Tuesday and 4 RBI on the year. Scott is getting regular playing time now, sitting just once for Jay Payton. And while he may sit more once his bat cools, the Orioles would love for Scott to be their everyday left fielder.
Scott is a power-hitting lefty whose game fits well with Camden Yards' short dimensions. He made a fantasy splash with the Astros in 2006, hitting .336 with 10 HR in 214 at-bats. But Scott struggled in '07 and his average dipped to .255, although he still hit 18 HR in 369 plate appearances.
Blessed with a sharp batting eye, Scott has already taken 4 BB this year and sports a lifetime .366 OBP in both the minors and the bigs. In 2006, his OBP reached .400 in 87 games at AAA Round Rock. For those in a 5x5, this should translate to a good source of runs to go along with solid power numbers.
2008 PROJECTIONS: 27 HR, 87 RBI, .276, 70 Runs, 4 SB
2008 PROJECTIONS: 27 HR, 87 RBI, .276, 70 Runs, 4 SB
Corey Patterson, OF, Reds
This is painful to say. The Cubs could use Patterson's numbers in CF this year.
This is painful to say. The Cubs could use Patterson's numbers in CF this year.
Don't misunderstand. Patterson burnt all bridges and toll booths leading back to Chicago, especially the day after the Cubs lost to the Rockies when he said, "It's only a game." But Patterson has actually turned into a quality CF option since being shipped off after hitting .215 in 2005.
Back-to-back .276 and .269 seasons in Baltimore also yielded 82 steals and now, he's up to his old tricks in Cincinnati.
So far, he's hitting .269 with 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 runs and 1 SB. But the lefty is platooning with the right-handed Ryan Freel, or so it seems (you never know with Dusty Baker).
Back-to-back .276 and .269 seasons in Baltimore also yielded 82 steals and now, he's up to his old tricks in Cincinnati.
So far, he's hitting .269 with 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 runs and 1 SB. But the lefty is platooning with the right-handed Ryan Freel, or so it seems (you never know with Dusty Baker).
Normally, platoon guys in mixed leagues are as popular as the beer man who just ran dry at Wrigley, but this may be the exception. Against righties, Patterson hits 22 points higher - not to mention that his HR rate is almost twice as high against right-handed pitchers. Further, he's stolen 7 times as many bases (148-21) against righties despite a less-than 2:1 at-bat ratio.
What's this mean to you? Well, Patterson seems allergic to taking a pitch and strikes out a ton and it never seems to bother him. But he's playing in a tiny park and Dusty is nothing but loyal (remember Neifi Perez). He'll get CP at least 450 ABs, which is plenty to warrant a roster spot in almost every league except those that are kiddie-pool shallow.
2008 PROJECTIONS: 17 HR, 52 RBI, .273, 81 runs, 38 SB.
1 comments:
How about calling it, "Three sheets to the wind" Day?
Post a Comment