Mid-Season Report
The mid summer classic is upon us, giving a few days of fantasy rest. Take a shower. Go for a walk. Floss.
Here is my arbitrary mid-season all-value fantasy team. No one picked lower than the 10th round is on the team and I’m pretty sure it would be competitive, but I’d have to run the numbers. B.J. Upton is on the list but injured. If you want, you can sub in Polanco (14th round, 82 overall). Who did I snub? Who is in there that shouldn’t be? Take your best shot.
2007 Mid-Season All-Value Team (round.overall)
C - Jorge Posada (25.146)
1b – Kevin Youkilis (10.57)
2b – B.J. Upton (18.107)
SS – Orlando Cabrera (25.150)
3B – Mike Lowell (ufa)
OF – Magglio Ordonez (14.84)
OF – Torii Hunter (14.80)
OF – Curtis Granderson (13.77)
DH – Alex Rios (11.63)
SP – Mark Buehrle (13.75)
SP – Eric Bedard (11.66)
RP – J.J. Putz (10.55)
RP – Hideki Okajima (ufa)
P – Joe Blanton (ufa)
P – James Shields (21.121)
P – Kelvim Escobar (13.74)
*Blog interruption: Did anyone see saw that catch by Granderson on Willy Mo? Holy shit. That guy is quickly becoming one my favorite outfielders in the AL. Also, I really hate Sheffield. Never met or will meet the guy but I’m 99.9% positive he is a complete asshole. I’d bet Okajima’s good karma necklace on it.
Given that the all-star game is coming up, we can take a look at how well the selections translate to our fantasy league. The most obvious flaws are players picked because to represent their woeful team. Michael Young, Gil Meche, and Bobby Jenks fit this category. The rest of the selections mostly deserved it.
Licker Store All Stars (5)
Victor Martinez (C), Justin Morneau (1B), Brian Roberts (2B), Grady Sizemore (OF), J.J. Putz (RP)
If I had to pick my top 5 players on my team, this would be the group. Hands down. Eric Bedard is the most obvious snub (has a chance at 300 Ks this season) but overall I can’t be disappointed with the first half. Delmon Young and Felix Hernandez looked like locks for keepers at the beginning of the year, but injuries and inconsistent play have kept them at a distance behind the all-star group.
Key waiver wire additions: Gary Mathews Jr., Joe Blanton
Warning Track Power (8)
Placido Polanco (2B), Alex Rodriquez (3B), Michael Young (SS), Alex Rios (OF), Josh Beckett (SP), Gil Meche (SP), Justin Verlander (SP), Hideki Okajima (RP)
The number of all-stars is a bit more impressive than the actual group but you can’t find too many flaws up and down the Warning Track’s lineup. A-Rod has been the first half MVP and Beckett’s 12 wins has him front running for the Cy Young. Meche and Young were throw-ins but picking up Pedrioa and Polanco off the waiver wire was smart. Both no-hitters thrown this year (Buherle and Verlander) are in Warning Track’s rotation. As much as I hate him, Sheffield is deserving of an all-star spot too.
Key waiver wire additions: Polanco, Dustin Pedrioa
The Pete Rose Legacy (8)
Ivan Rodriguez (C), Derek Jeter (SS), Mike Lowell (3B), Ichiro Suzuki (OF), Magglio Ordonez (OF), Bobby Jenks (RP), Francisco Rodriguez (RP), Johan Santana (SP)
With the exception of Jenks, Pete Rose Legacy has a well deserving group of players going to the all-star game. Johan may not be pitching at sub 2 ERA levels, but 10 wins and 125 Ks is nothing to be unhappy about. Lots of good wavier wire additions has kept Pete Rose in the race. Mike Lowell has provided a huge lift in the power numbers but will need to keep producing if Pete Rose has a shot at contending in the second half. A lot of points can be gained in the HR and R category, but it looks like another trade will have to be in order. Trade acquisistions Jermaine Dye and Julio Lugo have been busts and won’t add the power and run support Pete Rose had hoped for.
Key waiver wire additions: Lowell, Sammy Sosa, Jeremy Guthrie
Berkeley Hoboes (5)
Jorge Posada (C), Carl Crawford (OF), Manny Ramirez (OF), Dan Haren (SP), C.C. Sabathia (SP)
The Hoboes season has been marred by some first half disappointments and injuries. Wells and Konerko look as it they are turning things around and starting pitching has held strong all season. If someone can emerge as a consistent starter at third, there may be enough kick left to contend late in the season.
Key waiver wire additions: Al Reyes
Marginally Effective (5)
David Ortiz (1B), Vladimir Guerrero (OF), Torii Hunter (OF), John Lackey (SP), Jonathan Papelbon (RP)
Looking at the group of all-stars here you might expect more from the 5th place team. It’s hard to say what has gone wrong here, but perhaps asking why Torii Hunter has sat on Andrew’s bench for 81 at bats this season is a good place to begin. To be fair, injuries have played no small part in the lack-luster 1st half performance but something feels amiss here.
Key waiver wire additions: Akinori Iwamura
Yooouuuk!!! (1)
Carlos Guillen (SS)
Not much to say about this team other than there’s always next year. The one all-star representative was acquired through a trade. Ironically, Kevin Youkilis is the best player on this team and good value for a keeper if he keeps his 3B eligibility. Trading Rivera for Guillen has worked out so far (.386, 5 Hr). A strong draft with the right keepers will put Youk right back on track for 2008.
Key waiver wire additions: Chad Gaudin
5 comments:
Ah, the usual LickerStore AllStar centric analysis from the Licker Store All Star himself.
You realize you have Orlando Cabrera on your "all value" team when you played him for all of 47 out of his 351 first half at bats - it's true, he would have been valuable - but you were too busy playing Tejada!
And if you're going to reward good players who didn't actually play, where is Jeremy Guthrie? I got on the train a bit late but 35 innings of 0.88 whip and 2.80 ERA certainly deserves a spot.
The first place team has 4 out of the 16 players on the list and you call that a centric analysis? Come-on, you can do better than railing on O-Cab and crying about Guthrie.
Just because you don't play a guy doesn't mean he doesn't have value on your team. O-Cab is the perfect example of this - my 3rd round pick goes down and I can put in a equivalent if not better player drafted in the 25th round. The fact I had that talent on my bench is exceptionally valuable to me. Having good depth is a huge asset to any fantasy team. The better argument is for Carlos Guillen. However, because Rivera - drafted in the 9th round - was traded for him gave O-Cab the slight (and possibly undeserving) edge in my mind.
Guthrie was a consideration, but for me the jury is still out on him. His 3 wins in 13 games started certainly hurt his fantasy value and he doesn't get much in the way of strikeouts. His WHIP and ERA are good, but that is in large part due to his .235 BABIP against. If that goes up to a more reasonable level in the second half you'll see those numbers balloon.
"If you don't got no money take your broke ass home!"
60k's for 80 innings of starting pitching work aint that bad.
Your love fest with Guthrie is a bit perplexing.
There are plenty of pitchers with those kind of strikeout numbers. He is in the 53rd percentile for K/9 in the majors. What is bad is 3 wins in 13 starts and a .235 BABIP.
Nice analysis, and nice surge at the end of the first half, LickerStore.
I actually drafted both Pedroia and Polanco, in the 19th and 14th rounds, respectively. My most productive waiver wire pickup has probably been Meche, but he hasn't done much for me. Okajima's been great too.
I like the all-value team, but I don't really think they'd be competitive in the long run. Who knows.
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