Fantasy Baseball : Mining for Gems : Swing for the Fences

The season is a third of the way in the books and flukes are not longer. If you are performing come the middle of June, the label comes off and the belief needs to be there. Of course, it becomes more and more difficult to find help on the waiver wire. Clever general managers have devoured up most of the talent out there come summer. However, there is a way to work the waiver wire to your advantage this deep into the season. You have to capitalize on guys getting hot at the right time. This week�s look is at players coming around from their early season struggles and possibly adding a much needed boost to your lineup.

Torii Hunter (.269 AVG / 9 HR / 36 RBI) is one of the key contributors in the Twins emergence this season. He is hitting for power and average, especially of late. Hunter is probably available in a lot of leagues, or at least for very little. While not getting as much pub as some of his teammates, Hunter is a solid outfielder with some pop. His BB/K ratio is harsh but should get better.

Gabe Kapler (.289 AVG / 9 HR / 29 RBI) was once the best prospect in the minor leagues. A five-tool stud, Kapler is finally living up to expectations after suffering through injuries the past couple years. He is on pace for 30 HR, 40 doubles and 20 steals. With the powerful Ranger lineup around him, runs and RBIs will also be plentiful. Think the Tigers wish they had that trade back?

Javy Lopez (.256 AVG / 6 HR / 21 RBI) is a career .288 hitter who has been hovering under .250 all season long. Expect Lopez to heat up in July, his best hitting month as a professional. The Braves have turned things on, with the guys at the top of the order getting on base. That means lots of RBI opportunities for Lopez, a consistent power hitter. Catchers have had such a bad start this year that the prospect of a hot Lopez for the second half of the season is very intriguing.

Derek Lowe (3-5 / 3.89 ERA / 8 SV) is back, and more importantly, Jimy Williams believes in him again. With the Red Sox sure to challenge all season long, Lowe will be a major save guy the second half of the season. It was never a question of stuff for Lowe, only confidence.

Ben Petrick (.250 AVG / 6 HR / 17 RBI) may finally be ready to fulfill the promise and potential he has shown in the minor leagues. He is the next great catcher in the big leagues and hitting in Colorado had fantasy owners drooling this spring. But after a very slow start, Petrick has been heating up the past few weeks. Go get him from the waiver wire now.

Shane Reynolds (6-4 / 5.14 ERA / 1.43 WHIP) fell off many radar screens last year with his elbow problems. Short-term memory doesn�t hold the truth behind the real Shane Reynolds, though. This is a front-line starter on a quality offensive ballclub. Reynolds, who is a ground-ball pitcher, has proven he can survive starts at Enron and Coors already this season. His value is skyrocketing as he appears to be the pitcher who won X games from 1996-1999.

Ruben Sierra (.348 AVG / 3 HR / 11 RBI) will put more strain on your memory than Shane Reynolds. Sierra�s best days in the big leagues were before many of us had ever heard of fantasy baseball. Sierra was the premier five-tool guy in the late 80s and early 90s but saw his career quickly and sharply fall off the map. Sierra has been pushing the past couple years to make an impact in the majors again and, finally, appears to have found a niche with the Rangers. The lineup is so potent that RBIs and runs should be plentiful, so while Sierra is in the lineup, he is a nice addition to your roster.

Bud Smith (7-4 / 2.14 ERA in triple-A) can be a big savior for the Cardinals this year if he can perform anywhere near his abilities. With the loss of Rick Ankiel for probably the season, the Cardinals will audition Smith for the fifth spot in the rotation. He is a finesse pitcher with great control. Watch closely, Smith could be of some help if your staff is hurting.

Matt Stairs (.259 AVG / 8 HR / 29 RBI) was on many lists as a possible stud at first base because of the friendly Wrigley confines. Stairs being all slugger, Wrigley figured to provide plenty of launches for some bombs. Of course, Stairs has come on the past couple weeks, and surprisingly, most of the damage has been done on the road. Stairs qualifies at first and the outfield in most leagues, so his value is twofold. Of course, if Stairs starts hitting at Wrigley, he could become the 30 HR threat he was in his 1998 heyday.

Ismael Valdes (4-3 / 3.51 ERA / 1.14 WHIP) has been huge for the Anaheim Angels this season. A statement like this about Valdes would have been followed by a clever line like �a huge blister� earlier in the season. Valdes, though, has been consistent and strong thus far for the Angels. His performance against the Dodgers this past Friday clinched in my mind that Valdes can be a strong contributor in deep leagues.

Quilvio Veras (3 HR / 21 RBI / .247 AVG) has seen his average rise from well below .200 to close to .250 in the past month. He was given up for dead by many owners in many leagues and could be a valuable addition. Most guys in the big leagues seem to hit in cycles and Veras is no different. He could be reaching a cooling off period soon but is worth some playing time while still hot. He�ll provide more runs as the rest of the Braves offense picks up and he continues to hit lead-off.

Tim Wakefield (4-0 / 2.12 ERA / 1.10 WHIP) has had the knuckler dancing like its 1992. Moved from long relief to the starting rotation about two weeks ago, Wakefield hasn�t slowed down. He continues to get people out and keep people off base. The Red Sox were expected to have a strong staff this year, but who would have thought a key anchor would be Tim Wakefield. Expect him to slow some (the knuckler won�t dance forever) but should be a solid starter the rest of the way.

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