Kuzul

J.J. Hardy, SS Baltimore Orioles (23 percent owned in Yahoo, 37.1 percent ESPN)

Current Stat Line: .288 AVG / 19 R / 6 HR / 19 RBI / 0 SB

Hardy has been a monster the past 14 days hitting .375 AVG, 11 R, four HR, seven RBI. It seems like everyone has forgotten his ’07 and ’08 seasons with the Brewers when he hit .280 AVG, 167 R, 50 HR, 164 RBI. I am writing off last year as a fluke because Target Field is a tough place to call home. Now he is in a park that is very friendly to right-handed hitters.

My Projection: .279 AVG / 80 R / 20 HR / 65 RBI / 2 SB

Michael Brantley, OF Cleveland Indians (49 percent owned in Yahoo, 83 percent in ESPN)

Current Stat Line: .293 AVG / 35 R / 5 HR / 26 RBI / 8 SB

You Yahoo people need to get with the program. I don’t know what else this guy has to do to be more universally owned. He is sitting atop a good AL lineup that will continue to score runs, he is taking walks at a decent clip and the batting average should stick. I would like to see him be more active on the base paths because he has shown the ability in the minors and don’t expect 15 home runs.

My Projection: .290 AVG / 100 R / 10 HR / 62 RBI / 29 SB

Corey Patterson, OF Toronto Blue Jays (43 percent owned in Yahoo, 77.8 percent ESPN)

Current Stat Line: .293 AVG / 35 R / 5 HR / 28 RBI / 9 SB

If Brantley isn’t available in your league, hopefully Patterson is because you are getting similar production. He has not consistently hit for high average in his career (.255 career AVG) but it should remain respectable if he continues to hit in front of Bautista and Lind. His .153 ISO is in-line with his career mark of .151 ISO so 15 HR is not out of the question. He has been caught stealing 6 times but the Jays are very aggressive on the bases so he still has the green light.

My Projection: .270 AVG / 85 R / 15 HR / 65 RBI / 30 SB

Mark Trumbo, 1B Los Angeles Angels (34 percent owned in Yahoo, 79.2 percent ESPN)

Current Stat Line: .252 AVG / 23 R / 11 HR / 29 RBI / 6 SB

Mark Trumbo’s Yahoo ownership level baffles me. In the minors last year, he hit .299 AVG with 36 HR and he is showing the same type of power in the majors. This guy is a near lock for 25 HR and the stolen bases are an added bonus. He has been hitting out of the seven spot more often than I would like but he may get an opportunity to move up.

My Projection: 250 AVG / 65 R / 26 HR / 79 RBI / 12 SB

Miguel Olivo, C Seattle Mariners (31 percent owned in Yahoo, 29.2 percent ESPN)

Current Stat Line: .241 AVG / 28 R / 8 HR / 30 RBI / 2 SB

In a year that the catcher position is so thin, Olivo deserves a good look. Seattle may not have the best lineup in the world (or 28th best) but Olivo is batting cleanup or fifth everyday for the Mariners. In the past seven games he has four HR and 11 RBI. He may finish the year as a top ten catcher so give him a shot.

My Projection: .250 AVG / 72 R / 22 HR / 85 RBI / 4 SB

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Brian “Killboy” Kilpatrick is a Senior Writer for 4thandHome.com, where this, and other work, can be found. Additionally, he is co-host of The 4th and Home Show on Blog Talk Radio.

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I had probably the same reaction as most when the Orioles announced Trent Mummey as the team’s fourth-round pick a few weeks ago.

Nice name, but….who?

And like some of you, I dug a little deeper to see what kind of havoc Mummey brought on SEC pitchers this year.

What I found was very, VERY impressive.

Mummey tore the cover off the ball to the tune of a .366 average, 20 points less than Hunter Morris, his teammate at Auburn and fellow fourth-round pick, but still impressive.

Mummey finished third on the squad with 17 home runs, which would have been good enough for the team lead on most NCAA teams.

Mind you, the Tigers had 11 players selected in the 2010 draft, more than any other team.

His 54 RBI also ranked third, behind Morris’s 76, and Brian Fletcher’s 75. He scored 46 runs, rapped 15 doubles and showed off his above-average speed, swiping eight bases.

All of that offensive firepower, and that’s not even the best part. Hold onto your butts…

…Mummey only played in 36 games, 34 of which he started. He missed the first 28 games of the season with an ankle injury.

If you prorate his numbers through a full 64 game season, like the one Morris enjoyed, his numbers look ridiculous: 

.366 average, 27 doubles, 30 home runs, 96 RBI, 82 runs scored and 14 stolen bases.

Let me remind you that the NCAA leader in home runs finished with 27, and the RBI leader topped out at 89. 

Granted, Mummey would have inevitably encountered some kind of slump, or another injury had he not come down with a lame ankle, but the point is proven.

This kid can rake.

And the best part on top of the best part…

…Mummey is usually thought of as a defense-first player.

In addition to being named first-team All-SEC, he was also a recipient of the 2009 NCAA Division I Gold Glove after playing spectacular defense, despite his less than impressive offensive numbers (.289 with 15 homers and 42 RBI).

Mummey possesses many skills that the Orioles have in their system. He has close to top-notch speed (22 stolen bases in 37 Cape Cod League games last summer). He has some pop in his bat, and this season he showed the ability to hit for average. He’s also developed a pretty good eye at the plate, making him all the more dangerous.

Toss in stellar defensive play, and Mummey gives the Orioles all those skills in one player, something they do lack. 

Most of the “typical” lead-off guys in the system feature top-end speed, with little plate discipline or power (see, Xavier Avery, Kyle Hudson). They have a few with a decent combo of speed and discipline (see, L.J. Hoes and Paco Figueroa), but getting one player with all three traits?

That’s straight Mummey.

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