Kuzul

There is something to be said about anchoring your fantasy baseball team with players that have already reached their potential. That said, there is always a new crop, often made up of younger players, that take their game to the next level. Here’s a look at some National League Central fantasy baseball breakout candidates.  Gerrit Cole, SP, Pittsburgh PiratesCole will start the year in the minors, but he is one to keep an eye on when he gets the call.  Todd Frazier, 3B, Cincinnati RedsFrazier hit 19 home runs in 422 at-bats last year. He showed that he could handle both left-handed pitching (.857 OPS) and right-handed pitching (.817 OPS). He struggled down the stretch, hitting .176 in 74 September/October at-bats. He has power and is part of a potent lineup.  Jason Grilli, RP, Pittsburgh PiratesGrilli has 21 career wins and five career saves, but he has a chance to make a mark ...

Here’s the 2013 LestersLegends Catcher Rankings for NL-only leagues.1. Buster Posey, San Francisco GiantsPosey led the Majors with a .336 batting average. He led all catchers with 103 RBI. I’m not sure there is much he can’t do. Last year, he finished with a .336-78-24-103-1 line.2. Miguel Montero, Arizona DiamondbacksMontero has back-to-back years hitting better than .280 with at least 15 home runs and 86 RBI. He’s been better in the second half the past two years, so you’ll have to be a little patient.3. Wilin Rosario, Colorado RockiesRosario led all catchers last year with 28 home runs. His .270-67-28-71-4 line was impressive. His home and away splits (.957 OPS vs. .721) are a small cause for concern.4. Yadier Molina, St. Louis CardinalsMolina has been a model of consistency but blew up last year with a .315-65-22-76-12 line. Even if regression is likely, he should remain one of the league’s ...

Here’s the 2013 LestersLegends Third Base Rankings for NL-Only Leagues.1. David Wright, New York MetsWright returned to form with a stellar .306-91-21-93-15. He has alternated good and bad years since 2008. Hopefully, he can buck that trend.2. Hanley Ramirez, Los Angeles DodgersHanley has not been the same force as earlier in his career, but his .257-79-24-92-21 line was solid. He’s only 29 and should be even better in an improved offense.3. Ryan Zimmerman, Washington NationalsZimmerman is solid, but has missed 98 games over the past three years. When he’s healthy he delivers in all 5×5 categories besides stolen bases.4. Aramis Ramirez, Milwaukee BrewersRamirez has not played 150 games since 2006, but he did play 149 games in each of the past two seasons. He has hit 25 or more home runs in nine of his last 10 seasons.5. Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco GiantsKung Fu Panda came alive during the World ...

Here’s the 2013 LestersLegends Second Base Rankings for AL-Only Leagues.1. Robinson Cano, New York YankeesCano was tops among second basemen in runs, home runs, RBI and batting average. He has as much of a stranglehold on the position as any player in the league.2. Ian Kinsler, Texas RangersKinsler has averaged 156 games the past two seasons and has played in at least 144 games in three of the past four years. His batting average has become the biggest issue rather than his health. Kinsler delivers an elite amount of runs and home runs, as well as a solid amount of RBI and stolen bases.3. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red SoxPedroia took a step back last year with a .290/81/15/65/20 line in 141 games. He’s a strong bet to be among the leaders in all five categories once again.4. Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay RaysZobrist can be used at second base, shortstop and outfield, ...

Atlanta pitcher Kris Medlen, who threw a shutout as my recent streaming pitcher option, has been lights out since joining the Braves’ rotation. Is he for real? It is truly hard to argue with the results. Since joining the rotation Kris is 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP and 22 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings, including the aforementioned shutout against the San Diego Padres. On the season he is 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP and 58 strikeouts in 80.0 innings. Whether he is starting or relieving he has been spot on, aside from a bumpy May. It doesn’t matter if Medlen is pitching at home or on the road. He is 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and .234 batting average against at Turner Field. He has been even more difficult to hit on the road, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.95 ERA, a ...

After striking out 10 Yankee batters over seven scoreless innings on July 20th, Oakland A’s pitcher Tommy Milone was 9-6 with a 3.34 ERA. In his past three starts, against Toronto twice and Tampa, he has been battered for 16 earned runs in 19 innings (7.58 ERA). He dropped all three of his starts to even his record at 9-9 and his ERA ballooned to 3.91. That rough patch has led to many a fantasy owner jumping ship. The question is, should you swoop him up? He certainly has use as a streamer at the very least. In his home starts, Milone is 5-3 with a 2.13 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. On the road it has been a different story, as he’s 4-6 with a 5.77 and a 1.53 WHIP. He has also been hit hard during day games (5.68 ERA compared to 3.40 at night). That kind of split ...

Hisashi Iwakuma turned heads in his last start, striking out 13 batters en route to a 4-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. That’s three straight solid outings for the righty as he has gone 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP with 23 strikeouts in 19 innings against the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Rays.His recent success has allowed him to lower his ERA over a full point from 5.13 to 4.10, very impressive considering he was facing two of the top scoring offenses. In his five starts he’s also faced the Orioles and Rangers and has managed to go 1-1 with a 3.41 ERA.Iwakuma is a streaming candidate based on his home-road splits. On the road he is 0-0 with a 6.30 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP. He’s a totally different pitcher at home though, where he’s 2-2 with a 2.97 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP.Over the ...

Houston Astros pitcher Lucas Harrell is 7-7 with a 4.24 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP and 75 strikeouts in 114.2 innings. Not exactly impressive numbers, especially the 5.9 K/9 ratio, but lately he’s been much more productive making him a fantasy consideration. In his past five starts Harrell has allowed one or fewer runs on four occasions. He is sporting an impressive 2.18 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 33 innings of work during that stretch.Equally impressive has been the 35 strikeouts (9.5 K/9) he has racked up. Harrell has nearly as many strikeouts in his past 33 innings as he had in his first 81.2. Harrell has been a monster at home, sporting a 5-1 record with a 1.99 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP in 45.1 innings pitched. Unfortunately for Lucas, he has tossed 69.1 innings on the road, where his ERA is a robust 5.71 and his WHIP is 1.46.Clearly ...

In 42 games and 110 at-bats, San Diego second baseman Alexi Amarista is hitting .273 with 16 runs, four home runs, 18 RBI and a pair of stolen bases. These are not exactly numbers that make you want to waiver wire to snatch him up, but what he has done lately may make you reconsider.Amarista’s season average hides the .143 May he experienced.In June and July he has combined to hit .333. His OPS is at .771 thanks to his .367 in May. In June it was 1.088 and is at .775 so far this month. Amarista had just two extra base hits in April and has had 10 since.He had two runs and two RBI in his first 35 at bats. In his subsequent 75, he has 13 runs and 16 RBI. He’s not giving you the stolen bases that you would want from a second baseman, but that ...

The New York Mets have been a nice surprise, considering that Jose Reyes took his talents to South Beach. For the most part, the success has come from exceptional pitching.While most of the attention goes to R.A. Dickey and Johan Santana (who have been lights out) as well as Jonathon Niese, Dillon Gee has done his part as well. On the year Gee is 5-6 with a 4.42 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Decent numbers, but he has been even better of late. Over his past eight starts Dillon is 3-3 with a 3.42 and a 1.16 WHIP.Gee’s ERA has improved each month. His April ERA was 4.85. His May ERA was 4.58 and his June number is 3.90. He kicks off July on Sunday against the Dodgers. Gee has been surprisingly better on the road, posting a 3-2 record and a 4.23 ERA away from Citi Field, as opposed to a 2-4, 4.55 ...