Kuzul

The Giants‘ offensive outburst in the first game of the four-game series in San Diego gives them momentum in the NL West showdown.

San Francisco will assuredly keep the momentum gained in a 7-3 win over the Padres if starting pitchers Matt Cain and John Garland can miraculously return to the mound tonight with exactly the same stuff they possessed on Thursday.

Since Cain can’t duplicate his masterful performance for San Francisco, and Garland won’t be out there to help the Giants make Petco Park play like a band box, all momentum gained on Thursday ends when the first pitch is thrown on Friday.

Different starting pitchers. Different lineups. If Jonathan Sanchez can pitch as well as Cain did, the Giants could keep the momentum, especially if Padres starter Clayton Richard struggles like Garland did in helping San Francisco’s batting order look like the 1927 New York Yankees in the series-opener.

Giants fans will choose to believe that the club’s superior heart, desire and focus resulted in the boys’ bats heating up at the start of a four-game offensive explosion. The Padres’ faithful will rest assured that Richard will pitch well and that San Diego hitters will solve Sanchez a little more easily than they did Cain.

So, let’s consider what we do know from the Giants opening-night win:

** Fans who griped all season long about the Giants’ decision to extend second baseman Freddy Sanchez’s contract must feel silly. Or, perhaps, they don’t understand the value of brilliant defense in the middle infield and a big league hitter who finds ways to get things going.

** The value of Andres Torres to the Giants’ batting order can’t be disputed. That lead-off knock to start the game made a big difference.

** The Giants wouldn’t be one game out of the NL West (and NL wild-card) race without Pat Burrell. That home run that he sent into orbit, crashing off the brick wall of the building that occupies space inside Petco Park, brought back memories of the old Giants teams that specialized in the home run.

** Cody Ross is pressing to perform in a playoff race and make the Marlins seem even more foolish in giving him away on waivers. He might want to stop choking the ash out of the handle of the bat and just let the game come to him.

** There are some who see young outfielder Darren Ford’s mind-bending speed on the bases and quietly think, “I wonder if he might not merit a start or an at-bat as a late-inning defensive replacement … just to see if he can show an ability to work his way on base from time to time, down the stretch.

** Folks who cringed when the Giants passed on trying to obtain Miguel Tejada should be acknowledging that the organization’s decision was money well saved. There’s not a lick of defense, at the plate or in the field, between Tejada and Juan Uribe.

** While the well known Giants “insiders” ponder rhetorical questions regarding which starting pitcher they’d pick to start a one-game playoff, they might slow down before insisting that Tim Lincecum is the only logical choice. Cain has made the case that he has become the club’s most reliable, and effective, starting pitcher. Things could change if Lincecum turns in a third straight gem on Sunday.

** The Giants should sign Aubrey Huff to a longer-term deal in the off-season. He came up big on Thursday, as he has all season. The club has no young first baseman or middle-of-the-order bat ready to jump to the big leagues any time soon. The metrics and comparative salaries that dominate off-season chatter won’t reflect Huff’s true value to the Giants.

** Burrell’s reputation, his personality, means nothing to Giants fans as long as he’s swinging the bat well. A reader complained that Burrell reported arrogance is “rubbing off” on Buster Posey. Hey, the guy’s not dating a family member so…let’s agree to appreciate what Burrell does with a bat in his hands. Period.

** Posey’s going to be the Giants leader for years to come so, really, a little bit of swagger and some red-ass rubbing off on him would actually be a good thing.

** They’ve pitched well for the most part, but there’s no reason to rush the Giants middle-inning relievers into action. Thus, Sanchez is in a spot where working into the seventh inning would save San Francisco fans some trouble.

** Pablo Sandoval has reached the point where having a healthy Edgar Renteria to play shortstop merits moving Uribe to third base against some pitchers. It would help Sandoval to know he doesn’t have to feel any need to do more than what he’s done all season — heat up, cool off, heat up, cool off. The Giants don’t want him playing the final 21 games pressing to recreate his 2009 performance.

** Bud Black, like every other big league manager, is only as smart as his players make him look. He opted not to walk Posey intentionally in that pivotal point in the fifth inning and Garland served up a home run.

** No, the Giants shouldn’t be thinking about the sizzling Rockies who trail them by a couple of games in the NL West. All the Giants have to do is focus on their game until the clubs open their three-game series in Colorado Sept. 24.

** “Desire,” “heart,” or “wanting it more” will have nothing to do with a single win or loss through the remainder of the season. Every team and every player really wants to help his team get into the playoffs. Great pitching, timely hitting … those things matter.

Ted Sillanpaa is a Northern California sports writer and columnist. Reach Ted at tsillanpaa1956@gmail.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

This year, the San Diego Padres have taken the West by storm and it’s no secret that they are at the top of their game.

The Padres have constructed a team that include good, young arms, contact hitters, and a well managed front-office.

Bud Black has been nothing more than stellar when it comes to game day and has showed off the potential of his squad. Combine that with power hitting in Adrian Gonzalez, and young pitching in Mat Latos, and your team will go a long ways.

Begin Slideshow

As the fantasy baseball trade deadline approaches, its getting closer and closer to the time when you need to lock-in your rosters. As always, benching the bad and starting the good can keep your team atop the standings for your stretch-run into the playoffs. Let’s take a look at some players you can acquire through trades or just through free agency.

Start ‘Em

David Murphy |Texas Rangers| 12.8% :  Over the last three years Murphy has hit .417 with 3 HRs 10 RBI in only 36 at-bats at Camden Yards, one of the parks he’ll see this week.  Against the other team he faces this week, Tampa Bay, Murphy has hit .345 with eight of his 19 hits for extra-bases.  His current hot streak should help propel him into a strong upcoming week.

Pedro Alvarez |Pittsburgh Pirates| 25% :  The ever increasingly hot rookie is poised for a big week. All week long he will have the benefit of home field where he’s hitting .287 with a .352 OBP. At home, nine of his ten home runs have been hit there, his average is 100 points higher and his OPS is a whopping 422 points higher!

Mike Stanton |Florida Marlins| 39.2% :  The upcoming away series at Houston should be great for Stanton owners. He has hit 140 points higher on the road (.327 avg. /.398 OBP / 1.081OPS away!!!). Those stats and his current hot streak in addition to the seemingly regular poor performances of the Pittsburgh pitching staff, should equate to a great week.

Sit ‘Em

Ike Davis |New York Mets| 28.1% :  Davis has been cold of late and this upcoming week shouldn’t warrant you taking any chances on this Met.  Both of his games this week come away from Citi Field.  On the road Davis is hitting .223 with a .288 OBP.  Further dowsing the fire is his .227 avg. since the All-Star break.  Leave him on the waiver wire where he belongs.

Brett Gardner |New York Yankees| 99.7% :  Gardner has been horrid since the All-Star break.  He’s hitting .174 with a .296 OBP in the 69 at-bats since.  Adding to his problems is his combined stats against the Tigers and Mariners, next week’s opponents.  He’s hitting a combined .219 and going two for three in steals in 32 at-bats against those teams.  Hitting 15 points higher at home might help him out, but don’t count on it.

Two-Start Pitchers To Use

Jonathon Niese |New York Mets| 15.5% :  The two teams he faces in the upcoming week have very limited at-bats against him and are batting .067 against him in this limited sample.  The main reason for Niese’s strong upcoming week is both Houston and Pittsburgh’s stats against left-handed pitching.  Houston is the fourth-worst team in the NL against lefties (.250 avg., .306 OBP) and Pittsburgh is the second-worst hitting team against lefties in all of baseball (.244 avg., .312 OBP).  Look for Niese to keep his WHIP low and hopefully score some wins for the reeling Mets.

Brett Anderson |Oakland A’s| 81% :  Next week Anderson faces a few teams that have some pop in there lineup.  Don’t be timid though, every major power threat on both the Blue Jays and Rays is a right-handed batter.  His career mark against righties is .239, and this year he has continued to lower it by keeping them to a .208 avg.  Two more facts will help keep the balls in the park against Anderson.  He has one of the best ground to fly-ball ratios in the majors this year (1.34) and both games will be at home in the Coliseum, the third-worst park for homeruns in the majors.

Two-Start Pitchers To Avoid

Jon Garland |San Diego Padres| 55.1% :  Garland’s career numbers at Wrigley exhibit a 5.50 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP.  Mix that with his numbers this year away from spacious PETCO Park (4.52 ERA and a .267 BAA) and you have a recipe for a benching.

Rich Harden |Texas Rangers| 39.4% :  Those of you hoping for a turnaround in the oft-injured Harden should keep hoping for a new week.  His career numbers against the Rays are bleak: 32 innings of 5.01 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.  Considering both of his starts are away this upcoming week it’s also advised to take note of his ERA outside of the Ballpark in Arlington this year (6.40 ERA and 11 HRs in only 45 innings), ironic for being such a hitter-friendly park.

Hind Sight

Here we take a look at last week’s decisions and whether they might have paid off or not.  All hind sight stats are through the end of games on Friday, August 13^th.

Start ‘Em:

Bill Hall |Boston Red Sox| : .235 avg. .250 OBP 2 Runs 2 HRs 4 RBI.  The batting average isn’t stellar but if you picked him up for the power and RBI production then you have reaped the benefits so far.

Chris Johnson |Houston Astros| : .429 avg. .467 OBP 2 Runs 4 RBI.  Chris Johnson continues to stay hot.  With trade deadlines approaching, now is a great time to get him if he’s still available in your league.

Jon Jay |St. Louis Cardinals| : .333 avg. .368 OBP 3 Runs 1 RBI.  So far it has been a great decision if you did pickup/start Jay.  The guy can rake and even though he can’t help in every category, he’s an asset to the one’s he can help.

Sit ‘Em:

Jack Cust |Oakland A’s| : .333 avg. 5Ks in 12 ABs.  This is a small sample size through the week so far, yet the four strikeouts is a lot in only seven at-bats.  Overall, this was a so-so sit, better if your league has a strikeout category for hitters.

Jay Bruce |Cincinnati Reds| :  .333 avg. in 9 ABs with 1 HR 3 RBI .  Of course he hits one out right before I submit this article.  Thanks for making me look bad.

Pitchers To Use:

Max Scherzer |Detroit Tigers|:  7IP 4H 1ER 4BB 2K

Ervin Santana |Los Angeles Angels|:  6.1P 6H 3ER 1BB 3K

Pitchers To Avoid:

Jair Jurrjens |Atlanta Braves|:  7.1IP 6H 1ER 1BB 3K

Edwin Jackson |Chicago White Sox|:  6IP 6H 1ER 1BB 7K

All Statistical Information was obtained through ESPN.com

Written exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com by James Bryce.  James is a Grad student at UCSD and is currently in his 13th year of fantasy sports.

Got a two-start pitching candidate for week 20?  
Leave a comment and let us know, or reply to us on twitter @TheFantasyFix

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Poor Mat Latos.  Right in the middle of a breakout season in his second year with the Padres, the baseball gods have dealt him a blow with a truly bizarre injury.

Latos landed on the DL Friday with a strained left side. He suffered the injury a week ago after a win over Colorado when he tried to hold in a sneeze while going down the dugout steps.

Welcome to the storied list of ridiculous baseball injuries.  You have plenty of company, Mr. Latos.

Latos’ snuffed sniffle has got to be up there with Mike Matheny and Clint Barmes cutting themselves with hunting knives or Joel Zumaya’s failure as a video game guitarist.

Of course, Sammy Sosa had similar problems with his schnoz when he went down with back spasms after an all-out achoo fit. 

Here is a list of some of the other more bizarre baseball injuries.

Of course, my fantasy team has been hit twice by the peculiar injury bug.  I wrote previously about Kendry Morales ’ fight with home base which cost him his leg and his season.

Lucky me, I also have Latos.

And folks wonder why people in baseball are so superstitious.  I mean do you remember Turk Wendell?  The eccentric reliever wore a necklace decorated with the sharp teeth of beasts he had hunted and killed, brushed his teeth between innings and regularly chewed black licorice while pitching.

Turk is certainly not the norm, but I’m sure every Major Leaguer has their fair share of superstitions. 

The superstitious nature is clearly more prevalent in baseball than in any other sport.  The anxiousness probably comes from the sheer length of the 162-game season.  When you’re playing damn near every day from March through October, something’s bound to happen. 

Still, landing on the DL because of a botched sneeze, you can’t make this kind of stuff up.

The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Padres’ 22-year-old hurler. 

Latos would be the front-runner for the Rookie of the Year if the NL wasn’t so stacked with young talent this season.  Jason Heyward, Stephen Strasburg, Mike Stanton and Jamie Garcia have certainly raised the bar for young talent in the NL.

But Latos is having just as big of an impact as any of those guys and –more importantly – he has led his team to the lead in the NL West – really out of nowhere.  I think it’s safe to say no one – even most Padres fans – saw their resurgence coming this season.

The Pads success has definitely not been a product of their bats.  They rank 14th in BA (.250), OBP (.319), SLG (.372) and HR (67), 12th in runs (376) and 13th in RBI (357).

Guess that’s what happens when your GM throws out a lineup that features Adrian Gonzalez and next to nothing else.  David Eckstein, yes that David Eckstein, is the only other Pad regular to be sniffing .300 at .279. 

It’s also what has made the Padres’ run to the top of the NL West so incredible.

Their pitching ranks first in ERA (3.25), second in wins (51) and fourth in strikeouts (698).

A lot of that success is thanks to Latos.

The 6-foot-6 righty is 10-4 this season with a 2.45 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 99 strikeouts.  He’s tossed 12 quality starts out of his 17 this season.  He’s second in WHIP, tied for third in wins, and ranks seventh in ERA amongst NL pitchers.

Once again he could have been a candidate for the Cy Young Award if the NL didn’t have guys like Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay, Adam Wainwright, Josh Johnson and Tim Lincecum.  But such is life during the year of the pitcher.

So what do you think, can the Padres maintain their two-game lead over the Rockies in the NL West without their top young pitcher?

The Pads haven’t had to go outside of their starting five rotation much this season.  Only Tim Stauffer and Chris Young have made starts outside of the starting five of Clayton Richard, Jon Garland, Wade LeBlanc, Kevin Correia and Latos.

My guess is Latos’ injury shouldn’t be too bad of a blow considering he’s eligible to return on July 24. 

Actually, it might be a blessing in disguise that Latos gets some more rest for the stretch run.  He’s still got a young arm and the Pads need him to be a sharp as possible if they’re going to hold off the Rockies and Dodgers with little offensive support.

Still, it hurts as a fantasy owner and as a fan to see one of your favorite players lose time in a season to this kind of nonsense.

As far as fantasy replacement options, I dug Cleveland’s Fausto Carmona out of the trash heap.  He’s got 14 quality starts, eight wins, a 3.64 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP.

The Mets’ Jonathan Niese, the Tribe’s Mitch Talbot or the Rockies’ Jason Hammel also could be good short term options.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

We are now two months into the season. While we are still a long way from the end of the season, those players who are in the MVP and Cy Young races are beginning to fall into place.

In the Cy Young races in particular, there are many candidates who are certainly worthy of the title with how they have been pitching so far. In the National League, there are 16 or so people that should be in the top ten. This is, unfortunately, not possible, and some surprising names are left off this list.

Stats used to rank them are as of May 31.

Begin Slideshow

The San Diego Padres are not only in first place in the National League West at 31-20, but they also have the best record in the National League by a full game over the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals.

It’s not exactly where most people and experts thought they would be at this point in the season. Yet, the Padres have gone from potential cellar dwellers and “sellers” at the trade deadline to buyers and possibly being able to take on salary above their $38 million payroll.

They’ve gotten great pitching from young starters like Mat Latos and Clayton Richard, as well as solid veteran pitching from Jon Garland and Kevin Correia.

But what if you could add one more arm that might solidify the rotation and turn this team from a “contender” to outright favorite to win not only the division, but the National League?

I’m talking, of course, about Detroit Tigers’ left-hander Dontrelle Willis who was designated for assignment a few days ago. Signing Willis wouldn’t be expensive either. In fact, they could sign him to a minor league deal and not have to trade any of their players away to get him.

That is, if the Tigers don’t trade him to another team first.

The Arizona Diamondbacks already have interest in him, but I can’t see Willis going to a team that’s already 11.5 games back in the NL West. He has said that he would prefer to play in the National League and for a team out west.

Hearing that, I would narrow his choices to three teams: The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and the aforementioned Padres.

At this point, I can’t see the Giants signing Willis on top of already having Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez.

The Dodgers might be a candidate to add Willis to a rotation that already boasts Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda. The once-dominant left-hander could definitely give the Dodgers a boost.

What might keep the Padres from bringing Willis on board is already having a set rotation with Garland, Correia, Latos, Clayton Richard, and Wade LeBlanc. What do you do with Willis if, in fact, you do sign him, and who becomes the odd man out?

The other question becomes, what happens when Chris Young comes off the disabled list? If Dontrelle doesn’t mind coming out of the bullpen, I’d add him in a heartbeat. But I doubt he’d be open to that.

As it stands now, the only thing we do know is that Dontrelle wants to be back in the National League and he wants to play for a team on the west coast. That being said, we saw how things worked out for John Smoltz when he left Boston for St. Louis and when Brad Penny also left Boston for San Francisco.

Could Willis become the dominant pitcher he was in Florida by returning to the National League? He still has a lot left to offer a team, so whoever signs him is taking a risk that could pay off huge.

As it stands now, and if you’re asking me, I believe the Padres could be the biggest benefactor by adding Dontrelle, especially for a fly ball pitcher in a ballpark where fly balls go to die.

He could definitely help them pull away from the rest of the pack and be a contender come playoff time.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

By now, everyone knows the 2010 Padres are very well so far in 2010. Currently at 26-18 and in first place in the NL West, they are this author’s biggest surprise of the first two months of the 2010 season, second to only the AL East’s amazing Blue Jays.

The Padres’ five-man rotation has been phenomal, and is making a COMBINED $9.5 million salaries for the 2010 season. Three of its five members are making under $500,000. By comparison, the Chicago White Sox are paying former Padre Jack Peavy $15 million this year.

Here’s a synopsis of the Padres 2010 rotation, complete with their salaries and also their individual statistics at pitcher-friendly Petco Park.

Can these Padres continue to compete?

In the sad-sack national league, anything is possible.

Begin Slideshow

On May 12, 2010, the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their first sweep of the season, defeating the Arizona Diamondback in a three-game series.

With the help of six consecutive losses from the stumbling D’backs, coupled with a four-game winning streak of their own, the Dodgers have climbed out of the bottom of the National League West.

The last three games against the D’backs have showcased a potent Dodgers offense headlined by a healthy Manny Ramirez and Andre Ethier, NL Leader in all Triple Crown categories. 

Considering the recent Dodgers surge some may be even convinced that their slow start to the season was just a minor aberration for a team destined to take the NL West for a third consecutive year.

However, their offensive successes have only managed to temporarily mask their blatant weakness in starting pitching. With only three starters healthy from last season, forty percent of their pitching rotation remain in flux.

Charlie Haeger (0-4, 8.49 ERA), the team’s 5th starter, imploded in his May 8 appearance against the Colorado Rockies allowing five runs before getting an out and promptly getting the hook.  He is now trying recover from a broken psyche (correction bruised heel) on the 15-day disabled list.

Vicente Padilla, the Dodgers’ opening day starter is (1-1, 6.65 ERA) this season and has been on the DL since April 24, is not expected to return until June. 

Rookie John Ely (1-1, 3.86 ERA) has been a pleasant surprise in three starts but it’s still too soon to see if he can be consistent. 

Rule-5 draftee Carlos Monasterios provided the team with a decent effort in a spot start (4.0 IP, 1 ER, 73 pitches) although the team believes he is better suited to pitch out of the bullpen. 

Putting further emphasis on the Dodgers’ need for starting pitching, 36-year-old Ramon Ortiz with a 5.16 ERA out of the bullpen is slated to make his first start over the weekend against the Padres.  Ortiz will be the 8th different Dodgers starting pitcher this season. 

The deficiencies in the starting rotation have been exposed this season.  Rumors swirling out of Los Angeles is that the Dodgers are trying to acquire a starter via trade.

It could have all been avoided if the Dodgers had simply brought back Jon Garland.

Fact is, the Dodgers overestimated the availability of starting pitching this past winter.  

Looking to trim payroll during the off-seasonthe team elected to buyout the last year of Garland’s $10 million contract for $2.5 million.  They also opted not to re-sign Randy Wolf who went on to sign a three-year contract totalling nearly $30 million with the Milwaukee Brewers.

With $7.5 million in net savings from the Garland buyout they chose to re-sign the enigmatic 32-year old Vicente Padilla to a $5 million contract. 

Had the Dodgers not re-signed Padilla and picked up Garland’s $10 million option instead, it would have only required an extra $2.5 million commitment from the team. 

In retrospect, retaining Garland who is two years younger than Padilla, at an additional cost of $2.5 million is a small to price to pay for a proven veteran pitcher that can help solidify the starting rotation.

Garland v. Padilla

Since becoming a starter in 2002, Garland has started at least 32 games over the last eight seasons.  He has won 18 games twice with the White Sox and 14 games once with the Angels.

On the other hand, the last time Padilla started at least 32 games was in 2006 when won a career best 15 games in 33 starts.  Over the last two years he has served four stints on the DL. 

And who can forget the much publicized fallout with the Rangers organization?  When he was designated for assignment late last season, a move which Rangers management said was the result of his behavior on and off the field. 

Where is Garland Now?

Now pitching for the Padres, Garland (4-2, 1.71 ERA) has found a home in San Diego.

Despite being offered a more lucrative contract by the Washington Nationals, Garland chose to stay in Southern California, close to his Valencia home. 

Moreover, he recognized that playing half of his games in the confines of pitcher-friendly Petco Park would be beneficial to his career. 

As a Dodger in 2009, Garland went 3-2 with a 2.73 ERA in six starts. 

At the time, the Dodgers could not justify investing $10 million on a number 4 or 5 starter.  But the reality–is buying him out and finding someone else to replace his consistent production will probably cost the Dodgers more money had they just kept him.

If the Padres go on to win the NL West, this mistake could haunt the Dodgers for a very long time.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In April 2006, two American League first basemen, both in their second year in the Show, had similar smokin’-hot starts:

Player A 

10 homers, knocked in 24 runs, a .313 average and a .404 on-base percentage.

Player B 

10 dingers and supported a .404 OBP, with 20 RBI and batting .326.

Although both players were highly regarded by their respective organizations, many critics did not believe either would continue their early-season dominance into the summer.

By the end of ’06, Player A would finish with 35 HRs and 95 RBI.

Player B, on the other hand, would conclude the season in the minors.

And the identity of the masked men? The former would be Nick Swisher , and the latter Chris “Big Red” Shelton.

The reason I tell this tale? After 30 or so games into 2010, there appear to be a handful of young guns posting statistical anomalies that are making fantasy owners go, “Uh what?”

The list includes Austin Jackson (leading the American League with a .371 batting average,) Ike Davis (.316 BA, .437 OBP,) Jamie Garcia (1.18 ERA in six starts,) Colby Rasmus (.304 with 20 runs,) and Starlin Castro (six RBI in MLB debut.)

Oh, and some guy for Atlanta named Jason Heyward is doing alright (.291 BA/eight HR/26 RBI/.410 OBP) as well.

I wish I could channel my inner Miss Cleo and prognosticate which of these players will continue to perform and which will fall by the wayside. However, I can tell you what to do if you’re lucky enough to own one of the aforementioned athletes.

Trade them.

For reasons not fully explained, there exists a certain phenomenon in fantasy sports where managers take a little too much pride in owning a breakout star.

It’s almost as if a sentiment of fantasy hubris exists, and the success of a rookie or gamble draft pick fulfills our self-fulfilling prophecy of sports expertise.

ANYONE can draft Pujols— it takes a man with some brass ones to pick Heyward a few rounds earlier than projected. (By the way, that’s the sound of me patting myself on the back for pulling the trig on Heyward in the eigth round.) To some extent, it’s akin to parents living vicariously through their children.

The case can also be made that following a rookie/young gun is exponentially more exciting than trekking a good-but-not-great player.

For instance, along with Heyward, I have Marlon Byrd and Magglio Ordonez in my outfield, both who are off to spectacular starts. But guess whose box score I check first in the morning? Exactly.

Yet, if the ultimate goal of fantasy is to win, you can enhance your chances by dealing these prospects while they’re hot in return for a proven commodity.

Chances are Jackson won’t be heading into August with an average above .335 or Garcia with a sub-3.00 ERA, so it would be behoove you to move them while demand is high.

Sure, you won’t be able to bask in the glory of your prospects accomplishments, but you’ll be closer in your quest to bring home fantasy gold.

Start ’em

Nick Swisher, Yankees.

Speaking of Swisher, in his last eight games, No. 33 has batted .438 with five HRs and 13 RBI.

Most fantasy owners had concerns about Swisher’s possible lack of playing time coming into the season, but Swisher has appeared in 29 of New York’s 30 games.

Sit ’em

Pablo Sandoval , Giants.

San Fran sits a half game back of San Diego in the West, which is a minor miracle considering the lack of production from their three-hole hitter Sandoval.

The Kung Fu Panda is hitting .081 in the month of May with just one RBI.

Fantasy Flashback

1894 Hugh Duffy .

The original Duff-man had quite the campaign in 1894, winning the Triple Crown with 18 bombs, 145 RBI and a .440 batting average that still remains the single-season BA record.

Duffy also posted a .502 OBP to go along with 48 stolen bases.

On a side note, Duffy logged his service with the Boston Beaneaters , who rank beside the Houston Colt 45s as possessing the sweetest team name in baseball history. Last on the list—the Cleveland Infants .

Waiver Wire Watch

Jon Garland , Padres.

The former White Sox/Diamondback/Dodger has been unhittable in his last four starts, surrendering just two earned runs in 27 innings of work.

Garland is owned by only 34 percent of fantasy users, so pick him up while he’s still available.

Rookie Review Mike Leake, Reds.

Heading into Spring Training, the major buzz surrounding the Reds rotation centered on Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, but it has been Leake who has shined in the 2010 season.

The 2009 First round pick out of Arizona State has validated Cincinnati’s selection thus far, compiling a 3-0 record though six games with a 3.10 ERA in 40.2 innings.

Related random rant—why do pitchers always rock the best facial hair in sports? This marvel has confounded me for years.

In theory, you’d think the football world would produce some kickass whiskers, but save for Jared Allen’s Fu Manchu, nothing impressive comes to mind.

Granted, hockey has the tradition of renouncing the razor come playoff time, but that’s only for two months of the year.

Yet, America’s pastime continually gives us the unintentional awesomeness of handlebar mustaches, muttonchops, dyed-goatees, and lumberjack beards. Go figure.

This week in Jonathon Broxton

Up and down week for the Ox.

Big 51 blew a save opportunity against Milwaukee on May 6th, yet was still credited with the win thanks to Andre Ethier ‘s grand slam in the ninth.

Broxton did bounce back by slamming the door against division foe Colorado on Friday and Sunday, bringing his save total to a whooping three on the season.

Trade Talk

Anytime a constant statistical discrepancy (i.e. lack of HRs, Ks) bears its face, owners will always look for a possible trade to enrich their roster.

While this approach is practical, owners who have low save totals should remain calm. A common blunder in fantasy is upgrading one’s bullpen to improve less than stellar stats.

Saves are fairly easy to come by, and the last thing you want to do is trade a valuable contributor for an unproven closer off to a hot start (yes, I’m looking at you Matt Capps. )

Instead, look to pick up a set-up man for a team whose regular closer is struggling.

Big League Chew Player of the Week Goes To

Vladimir Guerrero , Rangers.

Guerrero has proved skeptics wrong who claimed the slugger had nothing left in the tank.

In a series sweep over Kansas City, Vlad went 5-for-13 with three HRs and seven RBI.

On the season, the Vladiator has driven in 26 runs to go along with a .339 average.

Spit Your Tobacco at

Josh Beckett , Red Sox.

Beckett’s performance as of late hasn’t merited the $68 million extension he signed in early April.

Through seven games, Beckett is sporting an astronomical 7.46 ERA. His latest train wreck came against the Bronx Bombers, who tagged Beckett for nine earned runs in 5.1 innings.

That’s it for this week.

Enjoy the Padres-Giants, Twins-Yanks, and Indians-Orioles.

Class dismissed.

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After last night’s rally and dramatic bottom of the ninth victory, the Padres (17-10) assured themselves of having another successful homestand.  Winners of six of their last eight games and 11-4 at home, the Padres continue to roll.

On the offensive side, the Padres are showing an ability to hit with runners in scoring position—they are second in the National League with a .293 team average.  After collecting their third walk-off win of the season, they are also proving that they have the ability to come through when the game is on the line.

Showing that he is a go-to-guy in the clutch, with two outs, Chase Headley, lined a 1-0 count single to the right-center gap, scoring Lance Zawadski from second base.  This was Headley’s second walk-off hit of the season; the other walk-off hit for the Padres was a home run by David Eckstein.

Aside from the timely hitting, strong pitching has also been a major reason for their early season success—with a 2.81 team ERA that ranks second in the NL. 

Last night’s starting pitcher, Wade LeBlanc, called up to replace the injured Chris Young in the rotation, allowed two earned runs over six innings, received a no-decision. 

In three other starts this season LeBlanc (2-0, 1.16) has only one earned run and has shown a lot of promise.  LeBlanc was the pitcher of record in two of the Padres’ Major League leading six shutouts.

Opening day starter and free-agent acquisition, Jon Garland (3-2, 2.06) has been a steady contributor.

Veteran Kevin Correia (4-2, 3.97) leads the team in wins and strikeouts with 30.

Second-year starter Clayton Richard (1-2, 3.00) is beginning to hit his stride. 

The only sore spot in the rotation has been 22-year-old Mat Latos (1-3, 5.47), who has given up a team-high seven home runs.  All-star Heath Bell (2-0, 1.64) anchors a strong bullpen with seven saves in eight chances. 

It is still too early to tell if the first-place Padres have what it takes to take the division. But the middle of May just might give a clue as whether or not the Padres are true contenders. 

After a three game series against the NL’s worst team, Houston Astros, they are scheduled to face NL West rivals Dodgers and Giants from May 11-20 with five games at home and five games on the road.

If they manage to come out with a winning record against the second-place Giants and are able to take advantage of the struggling Dodgers, who were early season favorites to win the division, then the Padres will most likely still be atop the division. 

And that may just be time to start taking the overachieving Padres seriously. 

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