Swing for the Fences

Playing Out of their Gourd: NL

Some guys have also been playing out of their minds this April. Will it last? Well let’s take a look at some stud performances thus far and whether they will continue into the summer heat.

Jimmy Anderson (2-1 / 2.76 ERA / 1.53 WHIP) is the least likely of the young Pirates starters to put together a huge fantasy season, but he has pitched well so far. Anderson has always been a pitcher who has two good outings followed by a real bad one and that will most likely continue this year. His WHIP is too high for him to consistently be effective as a reliable fantasy starter.

Jeff Fassaro (9 SV in 11 chances) has pitched surprisingly well at times for the Cubs thus far. Of course, every time he takes the mound he has the stuff to get totally lit up. I would not expect much from Fassaro, even though he may close most of the first half of the season until Tom Gordon is healthy.

Luis Gonzalez (.307 AVG / 13 HR / 26 RBI) has always been a very good hitter and did mash 34 bombs last season. This month, though, he tied the major league home run record for April. When watching Gonzo at the plate, you see a guy on every pitch and in a zone. Will he challenge Sosa for the national league title this year? Not a chance. Gonzalez may push 40 home runs come October and will still provide a lot of fantasy pop the rest of the year. If you are an owner who likes to take risks and make moves, Gonzalez could be interesting trade bait. The hot start will push up his value and could net you some valuable depth at other positions if pulled off correctly. Something to think about if you are the type.

Todd Hollandsworth (.381 AVG / 5 HR / 15 RBI / 3 SB) won the rookie of the year award with the Dodgers back in 1996, so he doesn’t come out of nowhere. Hollandsworth’s numbers so far have been good but take them with the standard Coors Field grain of salt. He blasted three home runs in one game at Coors and none in the other 12 games he’s played there. He is hitting .303 on the road this season and appears to be comfortable in the Rocks lineup. I would expect about the same production from Hollandsworth the rest of the way, with numbers close to .300 AVG / 20 HR / 100 RBI / 25 SB. Most of us could use that in the lineup.

Charles Johnson (.333 AVG / 9 HR / 20 RBI) may be the best all-around catcher in the National League right now. I was not a believer in his offense, assuming last year was one of those fluke seasons. Early on, though, Johnson has produced for what is a pretty potent Marlins lineup. There is no reason to expect anything less than last year’s numbers for CJ, and he may even eclipse those.

Wade Miller (4-1 / 2.15 ERA / 0.93 WHIP) has established himself as the ace of the Astros’ staff. His numbers are all the more impressive when you consider he is doing half of it at Homeron Field. Miller’s hard, sinking fastball is a great asset to have at home and should continue to provide good numbers for Miller. Pitching at Enron eventually will catch up to Miller so it is important to beware the big number outing.

Albert Pujols (.370 AVG / 8 HR / 27 RBI) is without question the biggest shocker of the young season to me. This guy was unmentioned in most of the preseason sleeper reports I read and is now the heart of the Red Birds order with Big Mac sidelined. He reminds me a lot of Fernando Tatis at the plate, and his season is reminiscent of Tatis’ 99 campaign. As with all rookies, Pujols will come back to the pack some. But with Big Mac possibly out for an extended amount of time, he could continue to see the AB to be productive. Pujols, again though, is one of those guys who may be more valuable in a trade right now then he will be on your roster the rest of the season.

Reggie Sanders (.333 AVG / 8 HR / 19 RBI) is more of an enigma to me than women. The guy obviously has immense potential when healthy. Coming off a complete disaster of a year, Sanders has been one of the better early season pickups in a lot of leagues. He has speed and power and can put up all categories. It looks like he is ready to play this season so the hunch says to keep him if you have him. Look for 30 HR, 100 RBI and 20 SB.

Julian Tavarez (2-1 / 1.53 ERA / 1.47 WHIP) has spent his career coming out of the bullpen, but the Cubs have plugged him into the starting rotation this year with surprising results. Tavarez has always been a hard thrower but needs an effective offspeed pitch to continue getting guys out on a regular basis. Tavarez may end up with a decent ERA (career is just over four) but will be hard pressed to put up big numbers unless the Cubs continue their good play.

John Vander Wal (.356 AVG / 4 HR / 13 RBI) is the definition of a professional hitter. How the Pirates continue to platoon this guy is unbelievable to me. Don’t be fooled, though, he will continue to platoon and will not be as effective because of it. If given the chance to play everyday, he could hit over .330 with some power. It won’t happen.