Stats as of July 24th ,2010 courtesy of ESPN.
1st Basemen
Gaby Sanchez
41.9% owned in ESPN Leagues
Sanchez can be a good backup 1st baseman in most leagues, putting up respectable numbers, .302/.366/.470. After a hot June where he batted .375, Sanchez has cooled down in July.
I would recommend to start Sanchez when the Marlins are playing against a lefty. Sanchez bats .361 vs. lefties as opposed to .283 vs. righties. Sanchez doesn’t put up the power numbers you would want from a first basemen, but if your team lacks hitters, I would pick him up.
2nd Basemen
Neil Walker
7.1% owned in ESPN Leagues
The youngster doesn’t get much attention because he plays for the lonely Pirates, but lately he has put up good numbers (.314/.353/.463). He has been hot since the All-Star Break. In 33 at bats he has 16 hits, 5 doubles, and 9 RBI.
The thing about Walker is that he is a very situational hitter. He bats .336 at home vs. .241 on the road, not to mention Walker is a righty killer. In 130 at bats against righties, Walker has 44 hits (.338 average). Walker is also a Brewers/Astros killer, combining for 20 hits in 53 at bats against those teams. In a weak year at 2nd base, Walker can be a good pickup.
Shortstop
Starlin Castro
36.3% owned in ESPN Leagues
The 20 year old is starting to adapt to major league hitting. After batting .310 in May, his first month in the majors, Castro had a mediocre June where he hit .227. Castro has been able to turn things around, batting .388 in July with seven doubles, three triples, a homer, and three stolen bases.
What even more impressive, is the fact he is batting .500 after the break. He should cool down, but his batting average shouldn’t dip below .290. His .308 season batting average is impressive for a 20 year old and his power numbers are going up, but don’t expect much there. If you’re in a keeper league, I would recommend picking him up.
Outfield
Tyler Colvin
6.4% owned in ESPN Leagues
Colvin has been a home run machine the past two months. He only hit five home runs in the first 2 months of the season, but has launched 10 homers in June and July, bringing his total to 15. However, his batting average (.264) has dipped since June, thus keeping some fantasy owners away. Big Lou has recently put Colvin in the leadoff spot, so expect batting average to increase.
Pitcher
Brett Myers
21.8% owned in ESPN Leagues
Myers won’t win you a lot of games, mostly because he plays on the abysmal Houston Astros. Despite that, he is still having a great year, posting a 3.24 ERA. He had a decent June with a 4.24 ERA, but he is having a great July so far, 1.88 ERA.
If you’re going to pick up Meyers, I would try and avoid using him in away starts. His ERA on the road is a respectable 3.87, but no way near his microscopic home ERA of 2.48. Meyers could be traded to a contender at the break, which will immediately increase his value. If you need a spot start, I would recommend Myers.
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