Today I wanted to take a look at some of the bigger stories from yesterday’s Mets vs. Yankees game (for the full Around the Majors column, click here ).
What is going on with Johan Santana? Has Mark Teixeira turned things around? What’s the situation with Jorge Posada? Let’s take a look:
New York Mets:
Johan Santana (6.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 3 K) – One big mistake, that was all. Santana continues to have two major problems this season, which both plagued him in this game.
One is the lack of strikeouts. His K/9 is under 6.0 for the first time in his career (62 K over 98 innings). In fact, since he joined the Mets, his strikeouts haven’t been greater then 7.9 K/9 (down significantly from his days with the Twins).
In 2010, he’s topped 6 Ks just once (he struck out 9 on April 17 in St. Louis) and has six starts with 3 Ks or less (including his last four).
The other major problem is the long ball, and it hasn’t just been solo shots. He allowed his third grand slam of the season, having allowed only two in his career prior to 2010. That’s a huge problem, to say the least, and has cost him opportunities to win.
Don’t get me wrong, Santana remains one of the top pitchers in the league, but he’s clearly no longer the fantasy ace that he once was. Unless he has a drastic turn around in the strikeout department, he’s looking more like a No. 2 pitcher for 2011.
Jose Reyes (0-4) – This broke his 11-game hitting streak (21-48 with 4 HR, 7 RBI, 12 R and 3 SB. As I’ve said, with the injury problems behind him he is once again performing like one of the elite shortstops in the league.
With Troy Tulowitzki on the DL, would it be a stretch to call him the second-best fantasy shortstop right now?
Rod Barajas (0-3) – Things have done a complete 180 for Barajas, not that the Mets are complaining. They never expected to get much from his bat, but he started out with a blast. He hasn’t homered in June, going 8-44 (.182), with 0 RBI and 4 R.
He clearly no longer is a starter in one-catcher formats and is borderline in two-catcher formats, at best. He’s likely to get hot again at some point, so depending on your format I’d keep him stashed on the bench if possible.
David Wright (1-4) – We all know the type of stretch he’s been on, so it’s a bit of a shock that he’s now gone three straight games without an RBI.
It’s funny, because despite heating up (24-69 with 4 HR, 19 RBI, 11 R and 2 SB in June), he continues to swing and miss an awful lot. He didn’t strike out yesterday, and that broke a six-game strikeout streak (9 Ks).
Still, with the way he’s been producing of late, I think we can all live with it. He’s returned to being an elite 3B option with little question about his ability.
Ruben Tejada (1-3) – He’s on a five-game hitting streak, going 6-15 with 4 R. No, he’s not a top option, but he’s producing at the plate and, at this point, is likely better in the field then Luis Castillo.
Would it be a huge shock to see the Mets stick with him even after Castillo returns? It doesn’t mean he’s fantasy viable, but still worth monitoring.
New York Yankees:
CC Sabathia (8.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K, W) – A rain delay may have cost him his chance to go the distance. He appears to have settled down, improving to 4-0 in his last four starts. He’s gone at least 7 innings, allowed 3 ER or less, and struck out at least 6 in each of them.
He was really struggling prior to this stretch (three out of four starts allowing 5 ER or more), but that appears to be a thing of the past. Obviously, continue to use him with confidence in all formats.
Mark Teixeira (1-3, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R) – It’s the second straight game he’s homered. He’s scored at least one run in 11 of his last 13 games. Still, can you say that he’s fully turned it on?
While he’s had hits in eight of his last 10 games, none of them have been multi-hit games. Sooner or later things are going to fully click, but he’s just not there yet.
Jorge Posada (2-4) – He was once again DHing, which really makes you question exactly what the Yankees will do with him in the NL parks in the coming week. As I said yesterday, I would expect him to split time with Francisco Cervelli, limiting his potential value.
Alex Rodriguez (0-4) – Since returning to the lineup, he’s gone 2-18 with 1 RBI. Is the injury still causing him problems? It’s very much a possibility, but what can you do? You have to stick with him and hope he turns things around.
Robinson Cano (0-3) – It’s a story any time he goes hitless at this point. It lowered his average to .367.
What are your thoughts from this game? Is there any hope for Johan Santana? Will Mark Teixeira ever fully turn things around?
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