The Baseball Show with No Name will air at 7:00 PM with me & @JoelHenard & guests @Brandon_Warne @FigureFilbert

The Baseball Show with No Name will air at 7:00 PM with me & Joel Henard & guests Brandon Warne and Jonathan Mitchell: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thefantasyinsiders/2012/05/07/baseball-daily-digest-radio-with-joel-henard-and-albert-lang.

We’ll talk Mariano Rivera, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, Jason Heyward, Albert Pujols, Bryce Harper, Hanley Ramirez, Heath Bell, Tampa Bay Rays, Jemile Weeks, Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Robin Ventura, Adam Dunn, Kansas City Royals, Francisco Liriano, Alcides Escobar, Brett Lawrie, Kyle Seager, Adam Lind, Huroki Kuroda, Felix Hernandez, roto, fantasy baseball and much more.

Will Carroll and April Whitzman join the guys on BDD Radio at 7:00 ET

Will Carroll and April Whitzman join the guys on BDD Radio at 7:00 ET: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thefantasyinsiders/2012/03/26/baseball-daily-digest-radio-with-joel-henard-and-albert-lang?utm_source=BTRemail&utm_medium=ShowReminder.

We’ll talk Brian Matusz, Nolan Reimold, Josh Willingham, Ben Revere, Buster Posey, the Blue Jays, Adam Lind, Travis D’Arnaud, Anthony Gose, Brett Cecil, Kyle Drabek, Noah Syndergaard, Henderson Alvarez, J.P. Arencibia, Carlos Gonzalez, Jonathan Sanchez, Justin Morneau, Chris Sale, Chase Utley, David Wright, Michael Morse, Joba Chamberlain, Pedro Alvarez, Julio Teheran, Giancarlo Stanton, Zach Britton, Scott Baker, Asdrubal Cabrera, Neftali Feliz, Rajai Davis, Alex Presley, Tyler Pastronicky, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Michael Bourn, Matt Holliday, Mike Napoli, Rickie Weeks and much more.

h2h Corner ~ Katy Perry (Hot ‘N’ Cold Fantasy Baseball) All-Stars

Players get hot and cold over a seven-day period, it’s as sure as the samples are small.

That is why Katy created the Hot ‘N’ Cold All-stars.

‘Cause you’re hot…you’re yes…you’re in…you’re up

 Jose Constanza – I’ve resisted writing about Constanza for as long as humanly possible. But, as noted in the Chicken Roaster episode from Seinfeld, you just can’t shake the name or the jingle “By Mennen.” Alright readers, I’ll be honest, the first time I heard about Constanza, I found him very irritating, but after seeing him play for a couple of times, he sorta got stuck in my head, Constanza! Well, over the last seven days, the plucky fourth outfielder has gone 10/23 with a homer and three steals. After looking like a promising little player in 2008 (at AA for the Indians he went .282/.378/.342 with 49 steals), Constanza hasn’t done much of note. Even that impressive season is marred by the fact that he was repeating the level. Constanza’s one positive attribute, speed, is rendered nearly void by the fact that he hasn’t figure out how to walk or really get on base without a BABIP north of .360. His MLB BABIP sits at .450 this year despite a paltry line drive rate (15.4%) and massive ground ball rate (69.2%). He doesn’t swing and miss, so he will put the ball in play, and we all know how many seeing eye grounders it takes to turn a .250 hitter into a .300 hitter, but he’s never going to get on base enough to make his speed matter. His upside is a slightly broken down version of Juan Pierre.

Don’t Look Back In Anger: Adam Lind, Brandon Morrow, Justin Masterson

At Razzball: http://razzball.com/dont-look-back-in-anger-adam-lind-brandon-morrow-justin-masterson/

h2h Corner ~ Katy Perry (Hot ‘N’ Cold Fantasy Baseball) All-Stars

Players get hot and cold over a seven-day period, it’s as sure as the samples are small.

That is why Katy created the Hot ‘N’ Cold All-stars.

I might have been a little late to the Twitter party, and might still think it is kind-of-sort-of stupid, but there is no denying the utility of the thing. People (hotties), like Katy Perry and Eliza Dushku have active and interesting Twitter handles. In fact, Katy Perry “used Twitter to announce [her] album release” yesterday morning.

Quite simply, you learn stuff on Twitter before others who look to mainstream media outlets. You don’t even have to take part, just think of it as your sports news fix. It’s where I learned Brandon Lyon was the latest Houston closer, that AROD was going on the DL, that Joe Nathan was out for the year, that Favre was retiring and then unretiring, that Sidney Rice just had surgery, etc.. Really, you learn news there before your league mates. All you have to do is get a generic handle and follow me (https://twitter.com/h2h_Corner). I pass along all fantasy baseball and football information I can.

Ok, that was completely self-serving – well somewhat, at least. Anyway, what I want to do with the rest of the column is pass along some players who will help you get into the play-offs and dominate in head-to-head leagues.  As always, if there is a player I missed that you have a question about, post a comment (or hit me up on Twitter).

‘Cause you’re hot…you’re yes…you’re in…you’re up

Omar Infante – The great Rob Neyer outlines a case where Infante might win the batting title. In so doing, Infante might give fantasy owners a similar stretch as Freddy Sanchez did in 2006. Certainly Infante’s last seven days (.452 AVG, eight runs and three HRs) pour gasoline on the fire. Still, there is nothing in the 28-year-old’s career to suggest he is anything other than a light hitting utility player capable, but not assured, of batting around .300. Enjoy the surge while it lasts, but don’t count on it.

Lyle Overbay – Overbay has been on an RBI bender over the last seven days (he has 10 of them!). Still, the writing is on the wall and it is pretty clear Overbay is toward the end of his career. He does get great opportunities for as long as he mans first base for the Blue Jays, but he might not get consistent playing time down the stretch. If he has some decent match-ups in a given week, feel free to roll with him, otherwise, unless you are in dire need of RBIs, feel free to ignore the Bay.

Gregor Blanco and Wilson Betemit – See last week’s Royals binge. Not much else to say here, except Blanco keeps swiping bags Willie Mays Hayes-style and Betemit keeps hitting ropes like I thought he would back in 2003.

Gaby Sanchez – Early in the season, I predicted Sanchez would approach 20 HRs and be as valuable as James Loney. (I also linked to awesome photos of Katy Perry, Eliza Dushku, Rachel Billson and Allison Brie – different links than those). Well technically Sanchez is ranked higher and has hit more HRs and posted a better average. Seven-day stretches like Sanchez had recently had (two HRs, nine RBIs and a .333 AVG) make him a far better option than Loney from now until the end of the year.

Brandon Inge – recently, I tweeted with @fakebaseball (a tremendous follow for any baseball fan) about possible AROD replacements. I think a decent alternative is Inge, who has been smacking the ball around since coming off the DL (last seven days: .429 AVG, five runs and six RBIs). He will never bat that high, but has the potential to hit some HRs and scoop up some Miguel Cabreras.

Roger Bernadina – Did you know Roger Bernadina and James Loney have the same number of HRs (eight) this season? Crazy eh? Well Bernadina is trying his best to get your attention – over the last seven days, he stole two bases, hit one HR and scored four runs. He has a couple of 40+ steal seasons in the minors, which makes him an attractive free agent addition from the waiver wire for those in the need of speed.

Josh Bell – It’s always fun for me when I get to talk about young Orioles with promise. It’s even more fun to watch a young blue-chip prospect smack two HRs off of Cliff Lee. In fact, over the last seven days, Bell has the two HRs, five RBIs and a .333 AVG. Bell, a switch-hitter, hasn’t really flashed much power from the right side, so he shouldn’t be used against lefty starters. Still, if you’re in a deep league and are chasing some upside, Bell is a decent add at third base.

Armando Galarraga – Galarraga isn’t my favorite kind of pitcher (just 5.8 K/9), but he will get some starts against the most woeful line-ups the AL has to offer (Kansas City and Cleveland). He should be a pretty safe deploy in those outings (over the last seven days, he started against Cleveland and went seven IPs without allowing a run, struck out eight batters and posted a 0.43 WHIP). He gets Kansas City today.

Rich Harden – Don’t blink, or you’ll miss Rich Harden’s latest attempt to stay off the disabled list. In his first start back, Harden went 6.2 no-run innings and posted a 0.75 WHIP. He also fanned six batters. Harden is always a good type to have on your bench in case you are losing ratios and trying to make a run at Ks. He’ll hurt your WHIP, typically, but the Ks will, generally, be there.

Joe Blanton – Blanton could not have found his groove any faster for the Phillies. Over the last seven days, in 13.1 IPs, Blanton struck out 16 batters and posted a 2.02 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. He has been successful in the past and has been pretty unlucky this year (.336 BAbip). He actually has a FIP of 4.28 – there might be far more good outings down the stretch than bad.

Then you’re cold…then you’re no…then you’re out…then you’re down

Jered Weaver – Jered Weaver always reminds me of three things: The Scout, the Great Earl Weaver and this scene. His last seven days must have reminded owners of a nightmare however (11 IPs, seven Ks and an 8.18 ERA and 1.64 WHIP). While his K/9 rate has clearly spiked this season (9.78 compared to 7.82 for his career), there really aren’t any underlying statistics to say his performance is absurdly lucky. His FIP (3.31) is right in line with his ERA (3.21), his BAbip is right around .300 and he has a slightly lucky strand rate (75.9%). Basically he had a couple of rough road outings and should be fine going forward.

Barry Zito – I must have mentioned a dozen times that Zito was prime for a fall. So shame on you if you were stuck with him over the last seven days (8.2 IPs, three Ks, 9.35 ERA and 2.08 WHIP). His K/9 rate has actually dropped from 7.22 last year to 6.57 this year. In addition he has a .282 BAbip and a 76.1% strand rate. He’s been a tad lucky which is why his FIP (4.13) is a decent amount higher than his ERA (3.75). All of this is by way of saying that you should be very careful with the way you use him going forward.

Tim Hudson – It appears some of Tim Hudson’s luck has run out (last seven days: 13 IPs, seven Ks, a 4.15 ERA and 1.38 WHIP). Quite frankly, Hudson’s ratios have been incredibly lucky so far this season. He has a .239 BAbip and 83.5% strand rate. In fact his FIP (3.89) is 1.6 points higher than his ERA (2.28). While Hudson is clearly not a sub-3.00 ERA pitcher, he is someone who can pitch in the 3.50-4.00 range and win some ball games – just be careful when he faces some of the more imposing line-ups in the NL.

Adam Lind – Did Jose Bautista somehow zap all of Adam Lind’s and Aaron Hill’s (more on him below) power? No one really thought Lind would repeat last season’s exploits, but he seemed a lock for 25+ HRs. Unfortunately, he has continued his miserably unsuccessful season over the last seven days (.067 AVG). At this point, if you have held onto him (he is 69% owned), it might be time to test the free agent pool. Just go with the latest hot hand – it’ll be much more worth your time than Lind.

Aaron Hill – Yucky, Aaron Hill’s 2010 campaign has been one to forget, yet people are still using him (76% owned) through the rough stretches (.053 AVG over the last seven days). Sure, second base is deep, but Omar Infante does qualify there. At the least, Infante won’t prohibit you from competing in AVG from week-to-week.

All stats as of noon on August 24, 2010.

FB101’s 411: Be sure you know how to judge a hot streak. Omar Infante, Gaby Sanchez, Gregor Blanco, Joe Blanton, and Rich Harden make good adds. Keep your eye on Josh Bell, Armando Galarraga, Roger Bernadina, Brandon Inge, and Wilson Betemit. You are allowed to sort of give up on Adam Lind and Aaron Hill.

h2h_Corner on Twitter

h2h Corner ~ Katy Perry (Hot ‘N’ Cold) All-Stars

Players get hot and cold over a seven-day period, it’s as sure as the samples are small.

That is why Katy created the Hot ‘N’ Cold All-stars.

In case you were unaware, “Trash chic, which should really be a faux pas, is the here and now fashion trend in the music industry.” Whether it be Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Rihanna, or are very own Katy Perry, every poprock goddess is putting on the new faux garbs. At least, Katy has been able to “bring more of the “chic” out in her “trash chic” image.”

I think we can all agree that the above paragraph is the perfect lead-in to the Katy Perry All-stars (not because of all the hot links). Quite simply, you need to be able to dissect fantasy fads – which surges are signs of trends that will stay long term and which aren’t. Luckily, I’ll give a handy dandy score sheet below.

‘Cause you’re hot…you’re yes…you’re in…you’re up

Ian Desmond – With Christian Guzman being shipped halfway across the country, Ian Desmond immediately got an uptick in playing time. This comes at the right time as his bat has been doing a lot of talking lately (.435 AVG, one HR and one SB). At the moment, he is a huge add for deep leagues and NL-only. He won’t hit for a good average, but can provide power and speed from the middle infield. Mixed leaguers should have him on their radar.

Jason Michaels – Michaels only got nine ABs last week, but he did some damage (.444 AVG and two HRs). He hit both dingers off of lefties, and he has always been a southpaw killer. He could be a Matt Diaz-lite, something that is valuable in NL-only leagues.

Chris Johnson – Speaking of the Astros, Johnson is someone who should have drawn a lot more interest in fantasy baseball circles (not just fantasy football). Heck I’ve been writing about him since July. Last week, the youngster hit .455 and added a HR. He is hitting for average so far this season and providing some decent pop. He’s definitely someone I’d like to have down the stretch in 14-teamers and deeper.

Matt Joyce – It’s been a rocky ride for Joyce since he was shipped to Tampa for Edwin Jackson. He is finally healthy and in the majors. Over the last seven days he has shown his ability to smack the ball (two HRs and eight RBIs). He should continue to put up nice power numbers down the stretch. He’ll likely sit against lefties, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Nyjer Morgan – I was at the Stephen Strasburg infamous start game last week. The second thing I noticed at the game (after Miguel Bautista warming up) was Morgan’s willingness to steal some bags and wreck havoc on the base paths. In fact, he is hitting .320 over this last seven days with four SBs. He took down a lot of bases in the second half last year. If you need speed, I’d be scooping him up in hopes of a 2009 second half redux.

Alex Gordon – Alex Gordon has three HRs on the year, but two of those came over the last seven days, during which he hit .273. Gordon has been too successful in the minors to completely write off his recent surge. I don’t fully believe in his recent success, but on the off chance that he is Adam Lind-ing us, I’d be adding if I needed power numbers. I wouldn’t drop anything special, but, occasionally, people do win the lottery.

Josh Tomlin – Tomlin strikes me a lot like John Ely. Unfortunately for Tomlin, he pitches in the big boys league and doesn’t have a ton of spacious NL West parks to pitch in. From what I’ve gathered, Tomlin profiles as a fourth starter at best, yet he has looked like an ace over the last seven days (12.1 IPs, seven Ks, 1.46 ERA and 0.73 WHIP). If you’re in a pitching starved league, it doesn’t hurt to grab him, but be careful when you deploy him.

Daniel Hudson – I love it when pitchers switch from the AL to the NL (see Vazquez, Javier, circa 2009). While Hudson’s home ballpark isn’t overly generous, getting to face the opposing pitcher a couple of times sure must be nice. In his first start in the NL, Hudson went eight innings, struck out four and posted a 0.50 WHIP. I’d be grabbing him if I needed a decent SP.

Bud Norris – I liked Bud Norris in the preseason, but, unless he was facing the Cardinals, it hasn’t been a good year for him. However, he did have a good last seven days (six IPs, seven Ks, no runs, 1.17 WHIP) and a decent last 24 IPs (20 Ks, 4.81 ERA and 1.36 WHIP). I see him as a lot like Gio Gonzalez in 2009. You need to be careful when you use him, but, at the very least, you are guaranteed 5+ Ks. That is a very important commodity to have in h2h leagues.

Then you’re cold…then you’re no…then you’re out…then you’re down

Fausto Carmona – While Carmona has been good this year, I’ve been hesitant to buy into it. His last seven days (two starts) were pretty detrimental to fantasy owners (9.2 IPs, six Ks, 7.45 ERA and 2.07 WHIP). However, that statement is a bit misguiding as he was brutal in a start against the Yankees (2.2 IPs, seven runs) and great against Boston. Every pitcher has a bad outing. So, should we brush this off? Not necessarily, his BAbip on the year is a tad low (.284), he has a much lower HR/FB% (6.3) than he typically does, and his xFIP is 4.53. I don’t think he’ll fall off the cliff over the balance of the year, but I do believe his numbers will regress a tad. This just means you have to watch his match-ups a little closer than you have been.

Johan Santana – It’s odd that Ervin has almost had a better year than Johan. He certainly had a better week, as Johan went 12.2 IPs and posted a 7.82/1.97 ERA/WHIP. He did strike-out 13, which is pretty nice. While he had a bad BAbip in those two starts (.444), Johan is who he is at this point. He wont be the Johan of old unless he brings his K/9 up to near eight (currently it is only 6.1). Still, he’ll provide useful ratios.

Jonathan Niese – It was a bad week for two-start Mets pitchers, as Niese went 10.1 IPs, and posted a 6.10 ERA and 1.84 WHIP. What’s worse is that he collected only three Ks. However, that was mostly a product of a disaster start against the Diamondbacks (4.1 IPs, six runs). Niese isn’t as good as his ERA indicates, but can be a serviceable pitcher with a low- to mid-4.00 ERA down the stretch.

Josh Johnson – I hope last week reminded everyone of what Ubaldo Jimenez’s consecutive poor outings meant: pitching performances are incredibly inconsistent. Last week, Johnson went 12.2 IPs, struck-out 10, but posted a 5.68/1.74 ERA/WHIP. Certainly, people were expecting more out of a two-start Johnson week. Still, it was just two-starts; expect him to be back and good (though not sub-2.00 good) in his next outing.

Brennan Boesch – I hope you listened to me and traded Boesch. If not, you were treated to a very poor week (2/25) and an even worse month (.161 AVG). At this point, I’m dropping him in 10-team leagues and benching him in all others. He isn’t this bad, but you don’t have time to wait for him to make some corrections.

Adam Lind – I’m finally ready to give up on Lind. While he has been decent over the last month or so .267 AVG and five HRs, his last week was disastrous (.158 AVG. You simply can’t count on him in h2h leagues. If there are decent OF options out there, I wouldn’t think twice about dropping Lind.

Alex Rodriguez – Everyone says AROD is pressing to get to number 600. Maybe he is. He does seem like the type to let something like that bother him. However, you’d think he’d be hitting a little. Over the last seven days, AROD has just three hits and a .115 AVG. He is what he is at this point, a pretty streaky, somewhat old player. Recently, I suggested he might be a third rounder next year. I think I’m right. He is only the 73rd ranked player. He is on pace for 83 runs, 27 HRs, and 136 RBIs. Sure the RBIs are nice, but he only has two SBs (and no signs that he wants to steal double digits like he has done every year since 2002). He also has the worst AVG/OBP/SLG of his career. Some of that is due to a low BAbip (.280 in 2010 versus a .319 career mark), but some of it is old age. I’d be scared of AROD in early rounds next year.

Julio Borbon – Borbon hasn’t been awful this season (.271 AVG), but he only has nine SBs. For someone with no power, he needs to have a lot more SBs to make himself useful. He didn’t hit well over the last seven days (.231), and he has only stolen once over the last month. If you haven’t already, it is time to cut Borbon.

All stats as of noon August 3, 2010.

FB101’s 411: Be sure you know how to judge a hot streak. Desmond, Johnson, Morgan, and Hudson make good adds. Keep your eye on Gordon, Norris, Tomlin and Joyue. You are allowed to sort of give up on Julio Borbon, Brennan Boesch, and Adam Lind.

h2h_Corner on Twitter

h2h Corner ~ The Buddy Garrity, Don Draper, Ed Norton Sales Convention

Buddy Garrity sales time (sell now)
When it is Buddy Garrity sales time, you should be moving players immediately. These are players that will likely regress to means or not perform as well as they have been (i.e., sell high candidates). In addition, they include guys I don’t think will perform well at all during the rest of the season. These are players you are best cutting your losses with.

h2h Corner ~ Katy Perry (Hot ‘N’ Cold) All-Stars

Players get hot and cold over a seven-day period, it’s as sure as the samples are small.

That is why Katy created the Hot ‘N’ Cold All-stars.

As I’ve no doubt discussed, Katy Perry is set to marry some dude named Russell Brand, who has something (nothing) to do with BP, but will be the reason the U-S-A beats England in soccer (yeah right). Anyway, he recently worked on a movie with P-Diddy. According to a recent taletela story, it will be up to Katy whether the Did-meister partakes in Mr. Brand’s stag party.

See, this story illustrates why it’s always helpful to get a second opinion (which is why I answer every question posed to @h2h_corner on twitter). So, for the next XXX words, I’ll play Katy Perry and you play Russell Brand. I’ll tell you who should or should not be attending your next fantasy stag party.

‘Cause you’re hot…you’re yes…you’re in…you’re up

Austin Kearns – Man, Kearns hasn’t had a seven stretch period (nine runs, two HRs, two SBs and a .423 AVG) like he just had since he killed the ball in 2006. The 10 percent owned Kearns is having his best season batting-average wise. Of course, he’s been a tad lucky (.410 BAbip compared to .305 for his career). So, don’t expect him to hit much more than .265 or so for the rest of the year. Still, he could end up with 80 runs, 15 HRs, 70 RBIs and 10 SBs. That ain’t bad. I’m a serious buyer in AL-only and a moderate buyer in 12-teamers. In deeper than 12-team mixed, he showed be owned.

Sean Rodriguez – With the recent injury to Jason Bartlett, SeanRod has seen increased playing time. Over the last seven days, he belted two HRs and hit .364. The average will likely never be there (he has 101 Ks in 113 MLB games), but he does have some power potential and second base eligibility. If you need power, he’s a good speculative add, just be weary of the average downside.

Aubrey Huff – Stand up if you didn’t think Aubrey Huff was done. Okay, Mama Huff you can sit down now. Last week Huff put a hurting on the baseball (two HRs, two SBs and a .320 AVG). Don’t expect any sort of speed going forward (he has never stolen more than eight bases), but he is a career .283 hitter. He presents a great buy in NL-only, 12-teamers and deeper. He seems to be a cheap source of batting average and RBIs.

Justin Smoak – Maybe the vanquishing of the “real” smoke monster allowed Smoak to shirk his bad luck and start smacking the ball around. Over the last seven days, Smoak hit .409 with six runs and seven RBIs. He appears to have been pretty unlucky this year (.243 BAbip), so his batting average should be fine from here on out. He represents a good buy in all leagues.

Blake DeWitt – Those in deep leagues with a need to fill the middle infield slot should take a look at DeWitt. Over the last week, he hit .444 and knocked in eight runs. He could be a double digit HR guy with a decent average (.270) from here on out. The Dodgers seem willing to stick with him and he has been producing, and, more importantly, not hurting squads.

Trevor Crowe – I told you to pick Crowe up a few weeks ago, yet he is only one percent owned. Hopefully he raised some eyebrows with his last seven days (six runs, three steals). If you need cheap speed (and who doesn’t really?), Crowe should be on your short list. He won’t do much else, but he is batting lead-off for the Indians and will be all season now that Grady Sizemore is again on the DL.

Jonathan Niese – What a week for Niese: 16 IPs, two wins, 12 Ks, a 0.56 ERA and 0.50 WHIP. Nine of those spectacular innings came against the Padres, so there is a bit of a caveat here. In addition, his BAbip in those two starts was .171. So don’t expect him to remain this dominant. However, he has pitched admirably in the minors (8.2 K/9) and has turned in a decent 2010 K rate (7.1). He is certainly streamable in most leagues and ownable in NL-only and 20-teamers.

Justin Masterson – The K-upside with Masterson is tantalizingly. The fact that he can’t get a lefty out (they hit .306 against him) leaves his WHIP murderous. However, his last two starts have been real good: 14.2 IPs, two wins, seven Ks and a 0.61 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. That includes a complete game, six-K effort against Boston. He is certainly streamable everywhere and now ownable in 12-teamers. In 10-teamers with deep benches, I’d also, speculatively, be buying. Still, be wary of lefty-heavy line-ups.

Felipe Paulino – Of the three pitchers mentioned here, I am most comfortable advocating for Paulino. Paulino owns a career 8.1 K/9 rate. That’s impressive. What’s more impressive? His last seven days: 16 IPs, 14 Ks, a 1.69 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He is ownable everywhere based on his K-potential. He can come to my stag party any time! (That sounded weird).

Then you’re cold…then you’re no…then you’re out…then you’re down

AJ Burnett – When he is on, Burnett can carry a team from week to week. When he is off, well it gets ugly. The last seven days haven’t been pretty (seven Ks, a 7.11 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP). But, even with those horrendous two starts, Burnett is on pace to post his best WHIP and ERA in three years. There is one concern: he is only striking out 6.4 batters per nine innings. For his career, he Ks about 8.3 hitters. However he has been able to maintain a 2.07 BB/K rate, which is better than last year. So he is walking fewer batters than he normally does. If you were expecting a dominant K performer, that might not be the case this year. Still, it is possible that when he starts K-ing batters (and if he can keep his walk rate down), he’ll have some great weeks.

Derek Lowe – why does anyone own him? He is terrible.

Scott Baker – Scott Baker had a bad ERA from two starts last week (6.57). He had a decent WHIP (1.30), but relatively few Ks (just five). His 2010 WHIP (1.36), while not horrible, is much worse than his last two seasons’ average (1.18). He is also striking out about 0.7 batters less per game than he did over the last two seasons. Here is why you shouldn’t worry: Baker is a perennial second half dominator. His career ERA in the second half is 1.2 points lower. Don’t cut bait just yet. You’ve waited this long, might as well keep him around until the All-star break.

Jason Bay – There is no getting around Bay’s useless last seven days (.143 average and just one RBI). People who are worried about him need to look at his historical output in August and September/October, as these are two of his best months. He doesn’t perform all that well in July, but if you trade him now, you’ll be selling low and regret it come the home stretch.

Adam Lind – There isn’t much you can do with Lind. You can’t trade him for anything of real value. Even if you do part ways, the risk of him picking it up on an opponent’s squad far outweighs what miniscule return you could pocket. His last week provided no hope (.136 AVG), but he is changing his approach. In shallow leagues, sure feel free to drop him if there is good OF talent available. In deeper leagues, I’m keeping him on my bench against lefties, starting him against bad righties and hoping he gets his swagger back. I have faith.

Bobby Abreu – Over the last seven days, Abreu hit .087 with one HR and three RBIs. All seven games were on the road. On the season, he is hitting .100 points lower on the road. However, there was virtually no difference in his output home or away in 2009. I’m chalking this up to a few months aberration. Still, I wouldn’t fault you for sitting Abreu on the road until he figures it out. Clearly, though, he is a must start at home.

All stats as of June 11

FB101’s 411: Be sure you know how to judge a hot streak. Paulino and Smoak make good adds. Keep your eye on Crowe, Kearns, Huff, Masterson, Niese, DeWitt and Rodriguez. You are allowed to give up on Derek Lowe and sort of give up on Adam Lind.

h2h_Corner on Twitter

h2h Corner ~ Team Profile: Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays have scored more runs than the Rays (and every other American League team not nicknamed the Bronx Bombers). The Blue Jays have the most extra base hits – 35 more than the Red Sox, who have the second most. The Blue Jays have 16 more HRs than the second place team (also the Red Sox). The Blue Jays have the most RBIs. While the average (fourth to last) and OBP (third to last) aren’t good, they have been four category dominators.

h2h Corner ~ Keep, Trade or Drop: Adam Lind, Shin-soo Choo, Nick Markakis?

Adam Lind shed the AAAA label in overwhelming fashion (35 HRs, a .305 AVE and a .370 OBP) in 2009. What’s more, those numbers are not out of line with his minor league stats (.318 AVE, .380 OBP and a .509 SLG percentage). Still the 35 HRs might be a bit high for a line drive hitter like Lind. However, he should settle in the 30 HR area with real upside to the mid- to high-30s. Lind will be 27 in July, so he was a bit old for his “break-out” year, but, all that means, is he is just entering his prime. The only real concern with Lind is if he eventually moves out of the outfield and becomes a utility or fist basemen in your fantasy line-up. He has more value as an outfielder.