Toronto Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia made his debut Aug. 7 against Tampa Bay.
Not even Arencibia could have predicted the outcome:
4-for-5, 3 R, 2 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI.
Wow.
If fantasy owners didn’t hit their waiver line when they heard he was getting called up, there was most likely a mad rush following that performance.
Nobody would expect that from the encore.
What we have been greeted in his three games since can only be considered a disappointment.
Arencibia is hitless in 11 at-bats since his dazzling debut.
Do not cut Arencibia yet, of course. However, owners should be more worried about Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston playing Jose Molina because he can call a better game than Arencibia’s hitless streak.
John Buck could be returning from the DL as soon as next week.
This means Arencibia could be headed back to Triple-A.
If Arencibia doesn’t pick up the pace this week, his fantasy owners would have received zero value in the top prospect’s short-lived MLB stint.
NL Three Up, Hitters
Mike Stanton, OF, FLA
Well, hello, Mike Stanton. Stanton, a highly touted prospect, recently had the week of his young career. Stanton opened up a three-game home run streak by going 5-for-5 with four RBI on Aug. 11. He currently has a six-game hit streak intact, raising his season average to .275.
He is only hitless in two August games. His .432 batting average ranks second behind Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun for all outfielders in August. Stanton also has a stolen base this month. In just over two months of work, Stanton is batting .275 with 14 HR, 39 RBI, 29 runs scored, and four SB.
Chris Johnson, 3B, HOU
Chris Johnson is hitless or has one hit in six August games. Otherwise, Johnson is hitting multiple times in each game. His .388 average in August leads all NL 3B. Chris Johnson’s 13 RBI in August is second only to Casey McGehee of all NL 3B. Johnson can still be had in most leagues and is worth a look in all formats for his stellar play.
Albert Pujols, 1B, STL
Pujols is “back.” His six home runs are second only to the Washington Nationals’ Adam Dunn, who has seven in August. Pujols has 14 RBI, tied for third among NL hitters. He leads the Majors with 16 runs scored this month. He is batting .440, second only to Ryan Braun’s .458 for all NL hitters. On Aug. 15, Pujols hit his 30th HR of the season, meaning Pujols has hit at least 30 HR every year for his entire career.
NL Three Up, Pitchers
Johan Santana/R.A. Dickey, SP, NYM
So, that happened. Francisco Rodriguez was arrested for beating his father-in-law Wednesday night in front of other Mets players’ relatives. Rodriguez was then suspended for the next two games. So without their closer, what were the Mets to do?
Johan Santana started the fun with a complete-game, four-hit, 10-strikeout, shutout victory against the Colorado Rockies. This was his second consecutive impressive performance of the month. On Aug. 7 against Philadelphia, Santana picked up the victory as he tossed 7.1 shutout innings of five-hit ball with six strikeouts. His August stat line: 23.1 innings pitched, two wins, 27 strikeouts, 1.54 ERA, and 1.07 WHIP.
Santana is looking to finish the season strong.
Okay, so Santana did his job with Rodriguez suspended. Surely R.A. Dickey couldn’t follow that up against Philadelphia, who touched him up for six runs (four earned) in three innings on Aug. 8, right? Not quite. Dickey pitched a complete-game, one-hit, seven-strikeout shutout. Who needs a closer?
Dickey’s August stat line is mediocre: 18 innings pitched, one win, nine strikeouts, 3.00 ERA, and 1.11 WHIP. The impressive shutout of Philadelphia needed to be noted though.
Adam Wainwright, SP, STL
Adam Wainwright, for many, is this year’s Cy Young winner. Nothing but consistency from Adam. He pitches impressive start after impressive start in August: three wins in 23 innings pitched with a 0.39 ERA and 0.57 WHIP. His most impressive start of the month came against Florida on Aug. 6—a complete-game, two-hit, seven-strikeout shutout.
Brad Lidge, RP, PHI
It can often be nerve-racking when Lidge pitches. He can be shaky and blow a save at any time. Not this month yet. Lidge has converted six straight save opportunities. He is sporting a 0.00 ERA. He has only allowed two hits this month while recording seven strikeouts. With Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt leading the staff, Lidge will have plenty of save opportunities the rest of the season.
NL Three Down, Hitters
Andrew McCutchen, OF, PIT
One of the brightest young players in the league, McCutchen is having a rough August. Although he has three stolen bases, he is batting .189 in 53 at-bats. He has six runs scored. Oddly enough, McCutchen hit his only home run of the month the day after getting hit in the neck during an at-bat against Cincinnati.
Justin Upton, OF, ARZ
Upton, having a rough season for where he was drafted in most leagues, is still having trouble finding success. He is batting .182 in 55 at-bats with six runs scored and seven RBI. He has zero home runs and stolen bases this month. He has two hits in the last eight games.
Buster Posey, C, SF
Posey stands out because of how incredible he has been since getting called up to the Majors. For the month, however, he hasn’t been Poseylike. He is hitting .269, dropping his average to “just” .337. He has one home run, nine RBI, and five runs scored. The hits are coming though. Of his 14 hits this month, six have come in the past three games. A mere slump for Posey, he should be just fine the reason of the season.
NL Three Down, Pitchers
Matt Lindstrom, RP, HOU
Lindstrom opened the season as one of the most reliable closers in the game. Although he didn’t have many opportunities on the lowly Astros, he made the most of them when they were presented.
Now in August, Lindstrom has been shut down the past few days due to a troublesome back. Prior to that, he was dreadful. He has blown two saves resulting in two losses. He has a 21.00 ERA in three innings pitched. In the two blown saves, he has allowed a combined three home runs. Lindstrom is back with the team and will hopefully regain form for his fantasy owners.
Josh Johnson, SP, FLA
A leading candidate for the NL Cy Young, Josh Johnson is having a rough start to the month. He is winless in all three games. Two of his five total losses have come this month, the first time he has had two losses in one given month all season. In 17.1 innings pitched, he has given up 22 hits, walked six, and has a 6.75 ERA with only 10 strikeouts.
His 3.2 innings pitched against Cincinnati on Aug. 13, where he gave up six earned runs, was the shortest of his season. Johnson has a start against Pittsburgh on the horizon.
Tim Lincecum, SP, SF
With three losses this month, Lincecum has tied his seven-loss total from last season. He has 17 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched but has also walked seven and given up 22 hits. He has a 9.00 ERA in the midst of a terrible start to the month.
His latest outing lasted 3.2 innings with six strikeouts and six runs against (five earned) while giving up eight hits to the San Diego Padres. His previous outing was equally as bad: six earned runs on eight hits in four innings pitched with four strikeouts.
AL Three Up, Hitters
Joe Mauer, C, MIN
Last year’s MVP is regaining form quickly this month, leading the AL with 21 hits. He is batting .467, leaps and bounds above everyone else in the AL, and no other catcher ranks in the top 67. He has one home run and eight runs scored. However, his 10 RBI have him tied at eighth in the AL. He his hitless in just two games this month and has four games with three or more hits.
Jason Kubel, OF, MIN
Mauer’s teammate also makes the list for his fantastic month. His 17 RBI lead the AL, and his five home runs are tied for first with five other players. He is also batting .308.
Kubel was extremely disappointing to start the season as he tried to duplicate his outstanding 2009 season. He appears to be settling in finally. If he can somehow keep this up, he will provide a huge push for fantasy owners attempting to make the playoffs or keep their leads.
Adam Jones, OF, BAL
With Buck Showalter taking over the managerial role in Baltimore, Baltimore has been on a rampage. Adam Jones is just one of the players excelling for Baltimore this month, but he is one of their most important players as well. His .370 is tied for third in the AL, and his 20 hits are second only to Joe Mauer. He has scored 10 runs and has two home runs and eight RBI this month.
Adam Jones is starting to live up to his potential and could very well close the season as one of the top outfielders in the game.
AL Three Up, Pitchers
Brandon Morrow, SP, TOR
Morrow needs to make the list after posting arguably the best pitching performance of the season on Aug.8. He pitched a complete-game, 17-strikeout, one-hit shutout against the Tampa Bay Rays. The one hit came from Evan Longoria, one of the premier hitters in the game, in the top of the ninth inning.
Prior to that performance, Morrow struck out nine Yankees en route to a victory. In two games this season, Morrow has pitched 14.1 innings, given up eight hits, and has a 3.14 ERA and 26 strikeouts.
Jeremy Hellickson, SP, TB
Hellickson has been simply fantastic in his first three Major League starts. He has a win in all three games. He has pitched 20 innings with nine hits and only three earned runs allowed in all games combined, giving him a 1.35 ERA. He has only walked three batters and has 18 strikeouts. Difficult to ask for much more.
David Aardsma, RP, SEA
David Aardsma is showing 2009 form. In six games this month, he has converted all five save opportunities. He has only given up one hit, a home run, en route to a save on Aug. 8 against Kansas City. He has six strikeouts in six innings pitched and a 1.50 ERA in August.
AL Three Down, Hitters
Vladimir Guerrero, DH, TEX
Vlad has been one of the best stories of 2010. After a disappointing 2009 season with the Angels, he went to division rival Texas and made the All-Star team. However, August has not been friendly to Guerrero. He is hitting .220 with zero home runs and just three RBI and three runs scored. In Texas’ hitter-friendly park and in the excellent Rangers lineup, Vlad should have no trouble rebounding shortly.
Miguel Cabrera, 1B, DET
Cabrera has been one of the Majors’ most consistent players this season, which makes months like these easier to accept. Cabrera is hitting .244 with one home run, four runs, and five RBI. Cabrera does have 17 walks, however, so his .466 on-base percentage is second to only Joe Mauer. However, most fantasy players need Cabrera to start hitting and up the mediocre monthly average.
Delmon Young, OF, MIN
Young is having a great season, batting .316. Yet in August, he is batting .196 with three RBI, one walk, five runs, and zero home runs. Minnesota is currently surging, and Justin Morneau should return at some point, which will give Delmon Young plenty of time to up his monthly average. He will also have a lot of chances to drive in runs, and he will soon surpass his career high of 93 RBI.
AL Three Down, Pitchers
Josh Beckett, SP, BOS
In the first start of the month, Beckett pitched a gem against Cleveland—eight innings pitched with eight strikeouts while only giving up three hits and one earned run en route to a victory. The next two starts were awful: 9.2 innings pitched, 10 strikeouts, and 13 earned runs on 22 hits allowed.
James Shields, SP, TB
Shields, like Beckett, started August pitching a gem against the New York Yankees: 7.1 shutout innings of four-hit ball and 11 strikeouts. His next two starts were disastrous: nine innings pitched, 19 hits allowed, 12 earned runs, seven walks, and just four strikeouts.
A.J. Burnett, SP, NYY
Burnett has continued his shaky ways in August. His last outing on Aug. 15 against Kansas City was stellar: eight innings pitched, four hits, one earned run, and six strikeouts. However, he picked up a loss, his second loss of the month. The previous two losses saw a combined stat line of 11.2 innings pitched, 14 hits, 11 earned runs, four walks, eight strikeouts, and one loss.
Unfortunately, this is what we have come to expect from Burnett, and his owners just have to live with the ups and downs.
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