Look Who's Back! - Starting Pitchers Edition

This is another of my "Look Who's Back!" reports; this time I'm going to look at some starting pitchers who have turned it around recently.

Pitchers:
Tim Lincecum (SP)
July Numbers:
27 1/3 IP
3 W
15 H
9 BB
33 K
1.32 ERA
0.84 WHIP
.161 BAA

Very impressive month from Lincecum. He had an alarming June, with a 7.71 ERA & 0 W. He has done a wonderful job re-gaining his composure & pitching like a #1 starter. I've mentioned it before, but I am little concerned that the Giants might shut him down early this year, but until then, continue to start him every time out. If you're in a keeper league, you'll need to seriously consider holding onto him next season (depending upon your # of keepers). I don't expect a King Felix-like sophomore slump next seson for Tim.

Please note, he starts tonight against the Braves, so get him in your lineup.

Felix Hernandez (SP)
July Numbers:
34 1/3 IP
2 W
32 H
12 BB
25 K
3.41 ERA
1.28 WHIP
.252 BAA

He has progressed nicely during the season. His monthly ERA from May - July has gone from 6.30 to 4.60 to 3.41...that's a nice trend. His walk ratio is up in July from earlier in the year (3.15 BB/9 in July vs. 2.75 BB/9 through the end of June), but given his overall performance, I don't think it's anything to be concerned about. Even though he has yet to fulfil his potential after what he flashed during his rookie year, I think he's going to continue to gain consistency in the second half & he should be a solid performer from here on out.

Dave Bush (SP)
July Numbers:
25 IP
2 W
24 H
6 BB
22 K
3.96 ERA
1.20 WHIP
.240 BAA

He's had a solid turnaround in the past two months. Let's compare his April & May numbers vs. his June & July numbers:

1st 2 Months:
3-5
68 2/3 IP
5.64 ERA
1.33 WHIP

Past 2 Months:
3-0
50 2/3 IP
3.73 ERA
1.28 WHIP

His WHIP is still a little high given his historical performance, but he's been a steady pitcher recently. Given the choice, I'd still take James Shields (who I discussed in an earlier Player Profile) over Bush, but Bush should continue to give you solid innings for the remainder of the year. I also expect his WHIP to decline from it's current level, possibly finishing the year below 1.20.

Some other pitchers who've picked it up as the season has progressed include:

Jered Weaver (SP) - He has gained consistency in the past two months. In April & May, he put up a 4-3 record, with a 4.25 ERA & 1.58 WHIP vs. his June & July totals, where he's posted a 2-2 record, with a 2.18 ERA & a 1.14 WHIP. He'll should be a solid middle of the rotation starter the rest of the year.
Adam Wainwright (SP) - I was worried earlier in the year, as the former Braves prospect almost lost his spot in the Cardinals rotation with his performance, but he's really steadied himself in the past two months. In April & May, he put up a 4-4 record, with a 5.58 ERA & a 1.79 WHIP. In the past two months, he's improved with a 5-4 record, a 3.46 ERA & 1.26 WHIP. Still not a guy I'm overly high on, but not bad if you're looking for some decent starts.
Scott Kazmir (SP) - This guy still has consistency problems, but at some point, look for him to put it all together & be a true # 1 starter (just maybe not this year). In his last three starts (covering 19 2/3 innings), has has a 2-1 record, allowing only 4 ER, while striking out 15, walking 8 & allowing 14 hits. If he can keep the walks down to a reasonable level, he'll be very helpful to fantasy teams. Just don't expect many wins, since he does play for the Devil Rays. Although he'll still have some occasional inconsistency & control issues, he's a solid play for K's & ERA, and I'm looking for a breakout season in the near future.

Did you know - On May 24, 2006, in Adam Wainwright's first career at bat, he hit a home run against Noah Lowry of the San Francisco Giants. In doing so, he became the 22nd batter in Major League history to hit a home run off his first pitch thrown in his first at-bat, and the 11th National Leaguer.

Look Who's Back! - Hitters Edition

This is the first of my "Look Who's Back!" reports. What I'm going to do here is take a look at a player or players who have recently recovered from a slump & give you my thoughts on which player is the real deal - the slumping one or the breakout one. This first report will focus on some hitters; a pitcher's report is coming soon.

Today I'm going to review a few hitters who have been coming on strong recently.

Hitters:
Corey Patterson (OF)
His July numbers are:
.355 Avg
3 HR
6 RBI
6 SB
11 R
1 BB
12 K

What I find interesting is that his walk totals have gone from 7-4-2-1 since April. Usually, a declining walk rate is not a good sign, but I think in this case, Patterson is finally getting comfortable at the plate again. For him, that means a high K rate, low BB rate, and mediocre Avg...but his free swinging aggressiveness will bring some more HR & likely get his Avg in the .260 - .275 range.

I think he's a smart pick up now if he already hasn't been nabbed in your league. If you need steals & solid peripherals (although he won't hit .300 from here on out), he's a good choice.

Julio Lugo (2B, 3B, SS)
His July numbers are:
.400 Avg
2 HR
13 RBI
5 SB
9 R
5 BB
4 K

Man, what a way to break out of his season long slump. His April - June monthly batting averages were - .256, .209, & .089! The biggest downside of his prolonged slump & subsequent return to the lineup is Boston has moved him to the bottom half of the order; so the run totals won't be great, but he'll likely finish strong in all other categories.

I actually dropped him in one of my leagues a few weeks back, after giving up on him this year. Thanks to Rickie Weeks' lack of production (and Howie Kendrick's recurring injury bug), I recently picked him back up & I am enjoying this run. He should finish the year strong, so he's a good one to grab if you need middle infield help.

Andruw Jones (OF)
His July numbers are:
.306 Avg
7 HR
19 RBI
2 SB
18 R
9 BB
11 K

I was about the put a fork in him last month, but never underestimate the power of a contract year. His batting average for the month of June was a putrid .143; I can honestly say that I didn't expect such a strong return from the dead from Andruw this month. Apparently, he has been choking up on the bat more, which gives him more bat control, which in turn, has led to the improvement.

He's probably already on a roster in every league out there, but I was lucky enough to pick him up in one league after somebody dropped him earlier in the season; he was hitting around .190 at the time. He'll never be a great batting average guy, but he should good for about 12-15 HR from here on out, along with good RBI production, and maybe a stolen base here or there for good measure. If you've got him, continue to play him while he's hot...you also might be able to get someone to bite on trading for him now, which might not be a bad move if you're strong in the OF & weak in other areas. His value is higher now than it has been at any point this season, although he's still going to be valued below where he was coming into the season.

Coming on Strong:
Ryan Garko (1B)
His July numbers are:
.455 Avg
3 HR
10 RBI
11 R
6 BB
8 K

Garko plays for my favorite team (in the city where I was born & raised), the Cleveland Indians, so forgive me if I seem a little biased. He currently has a 14 game hitting streak (Post game update - it's now up to 15, after a 2-3 day on Saturday against the Rangers), which is tops in the majors right now. The only reason he's on this list is his quiet June (OK, that's an understatement) where he hit .192 with only 2 HR & 8 RBI.

I think he's a good sleeper at 1B the rest of the season. I recently dropped Nick Swisher to pick up Garko in one league, and I haven't regretted it yet (although it is risky & I'm normally not a backer of "picking up the hot player & discarding a proven veteran" strategy). He is probably available as a free agent in many leagues currently, but if he continues to hit, his ownership % will increase quickly. I expect him to finish the year around .300, with around 20 HR & 65-75 RBI. Go Indians!

Did you know - Ryan graduated from Stanford University in 2003 with a degree in American Studies, a mix of politics and economics.

Knocking on the Door:
I'm not quite ready to declare Jermaine Dye back yet, but keep an eye on him. He's hitting .306 since the all star break, with 4 HR & 7 RBI. He may be in one of these reports soon, but I'm just not sold on his turnaround yet...oh yeah, and I dropped him myself in a league before the all star break, so I'm a little bitter about missing out on the recent streak.

That's all for now...I'll be back with a "Look Who's Back - Pitchers Edition" in the next few days.