Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Welcome back to this weeks edition of Frozen Ropes. Just to recap, Frozen Ropes takes an in depth look into the hitters who are having a good or bad week in Fantasy Baseball. We'll delve into their stats and forecast whether this is a long term problem, or a simple slump. Now, onto the stats.
The Good
It's been a good week for outfielders as they take up each slot of the top five hitters this week. Matt Kemp, the Dodgers center fielder, continued his hot start this week hitting .348, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R, 3 SB with a whopping 1.293 OPS. The talented young start has put together a complete 5 tool season so far. He has the tools to be a superstar, but is still so new the game. It's scary to think how good he'll be in 3 years. He's certain to cool down, but should be a top 30 fantasy player this season. He had 35 stolen bases last year, so if he stays in the vicinity, and hits 25+ homers with 90 RBI, then that's a fantastic 2nd full season. Grady Sizemore, one of my personal favorites, has also been on fire this past week. Sizemore is hitting .333, 3, 8, 7, 1, 1.259. His average overall is still only .258 and is his only weakness at the plate. He's a career .279 hitter, so his average should come up, but not much. He'll still hit you 30 homers, drive in 90 runs and score 100. The Tribe has a tough week coming up as they play the Twins and Red Sox. He's sure to slow down, but is a sure fire fantasy star.
Manny Ramirez may have started off his first full season with the Dodgers slowly, but he's quickly turned that around. He's been pounding the ball of late, hitting .375, 4, 7, 7, 0, 1.319 this past week. He feels so comfortable hitting in the middle of a deep Dodgers lineup and seems to still be happy in LA. If he stays happy, then he'll put up mammoth numbers. LA travels to Coors field this weekend, so look for more of the same from Manny. Raul Ibanez seems to be settling rather nicely in Philly. The longtime Mariner has hit .478, 2, 5, 6, 2, with an OPS of 1.408 this week and is in the midst of a 9 game hitting streak. Overall, he's hitting .365 with 5 HRs already. Playing in Citizens Bank Ballpark seems to paying rather well for Raul. He's playing above his usual level, but is a solid fantasy contributor at his normal levels. He should hit more homers and drive in more runs in a stacked Philly lineup this season. Nate McLouth rounds out our top 5 hottest hitters this week. He's hitting .308, 2, 8, 7, 2, .938. and looks to have pulled himself out of an early season slump. It's somewhat amazing what this kid can do without any protection in a shoddy Pirates lineup. He's shown himself to be a legitimate big leaguer and will most likely be the Pirates lone All Star in July. He's the type of fantasy player I love. Has a decent average, good pop, drives in runs and can steal 20 bases. He doesn't have the high profile name but puts up very good fantasy numbers.
The Bad
Randy Winn headlines the bad portion of today's article. He's 1 for 22 this week only hitting .045. He's had a tough go of it against the Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks this week, and will face the Dodgers and Dbacks again this coming week. He should snap out of it sooner rather than later, but keep him on your bench for now. Kelly Johnson has had just as bad a week as Winn. Johnson is 2-23 with 0 runs and 1 RBI. Prior to the past week, he'd been playing well, so he should bounce back quickly. Series against the Reds and Cardinals should help him get back on track. Josh Hamilton has been slowed recently by "bruised ribs" and his day to day. That has certainly not helped since he 1-16 this week and is now on the bench to rest. He should stay on your bench as well until he returns to health. He's struggled in general to start the season off, so if you're not totally dependent on him in the lineup, then sit him for a while.
Troy Tulowitzki has struggled all year so far. This concerns me a little bit. He struggled when he returned last season from injury and looks to be pressing at the plate right now. I am sure he's trying to do his best to justify his contract, but trying to hard will just keep him in a slump. He's hit .150 (3-20) with 0 runs, 0 RBI and 0 homers this week. Keep an eye on Tulo for now. The shortstop position is so shallow you may be forced to ride it out with him. Make sure you check who's a free agent at the position though. Prince Fielder's early season struggles continued this past week. He's known for slow starts, but this is really bad. He's 2 for his last 17 and has a season average of only .170. He also only has 1 homer and 7 RBI. In time, he'll return to his old self, but how long can you wait for him to heat up. He's also averaging more than a strike out per game. While he always strikes out a lot, 134 last season, his k ratio is a bit higher than usual.
Under the radar
Cody Ross in another one of his hot streaks. He'll never hit for average, but is a cheap source for home runs. He hit 22 last year and already has 3. He's driven in 11 RBI this week. He's not a bad guy for a 4th outfielder and is owned in only 8% of leagues. Could Jason Kubel finally be living up to his potential? He's had a great start (.328, 2, 12, 8, .910) and is hitting .400 this week. He's owned in 22% of leagues so you may have some time to wait before you pick him. At least keep an eye on his production. I'll be perfectly honest, I am very surprised with how good Mike Lowell has been at the plate so far this season. He's hitting .315, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 7 R and a .936 OPS. You can tell he's still hampered by the hip injury, but has been solid at the plate hitting .474 this past week. He's owned in only 42% of leagues so grab him if you can. I mentioned him last week, but want to remind you that Brandon Inge is still having a great start to his season. He's hitting .320 with 5 HR & 14 RBI. He's still eligible at catcher which only increases his value. Jason Bartlett has made a great for himself to be a fantasy starter. He'll never hit for power, but if he keeps his average about .300 (he's currently hitting .373 with 11 runs) than he makes himself a very valuable fantasy player. He's a career .279 hitter, and could now be coming into his own at the plate. He's still out there in 43% of leagues, so don't be afraid to grab him if you're struggling at the shortstop position.
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