Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Welcome to the final Frozen Ropes of the first half. Since the All Star break is next week, I'm going to do something different for this article. I'm going to go over the Top 5 fantasy hitters of the first half, the Top 5 busts of the first half, and finish it off with 5 hitters who are having much better years than I anticipated.
The Best:
1. Albert Pujols - .332, 32 HR, 83 RBI, 68 R, 10 SB
All I really have to say is WOW! This type of first half reminds me of the good ol' steroid years. I'm not stupid enough to allege anything, so don't take that statement the wrong way. FFS is not looking for another Raul Ibanez incident. What he's done is even more amazing considering he hasn't had a consistent hitter behind him all year. He should top 50 homers and 130 RBI easily.
2. Carl Crawford - .313, 8, 38, 58, 44
This is exactly the type of year Crawford can have when he's healthy. His legs are obviously back as his major league leading 44 stolen bases attest to. He'll never hit 30 homers, but around 20, 80+ RBI, 100+ Runs all lead to an amazing year. Watch out for the Rays in the 2nd half.
3. Prince Fielder - .312, 22, 77, 54, 0
Many people think he had a down year last year when he hit only 32 homers and had 102 RBI. That may be true, but now he's hammering the ball once again and is part of one of the best 3-4 combinations with Ryan Braun. He did have a very good 2nd half last year, so look for more of the same.
4. Tori Hunter - .305, 17, 65, 57, 13
I am going to steal a line from someone on ESPN, but I can't remember who said it so I apologize. Tori Hunter is like fine wine. He gets better with age. He's one of the early leaders for AL MVP as he's been huge for the Angels. He's well on his way for career bests in average, home runs, RBI, slugging, OBP, OPS, walks and stolen bases. Not bad for someone who just 34 and is playing in his 13th season.
5. Hanley Ramirez - .348, 14, 60, 51, 12
I've said it many time before, but HanRam is doing exactly what the Marlins wanted him to do when they moved him from leadoff to third in the batting order. He's now in a position to drive in runs, and already have 60 RBI on the season. His career high is 80, so he should smash that. His runs scored are down this year, but that's a simple case of not hitting leadoff. He's one of the most exciting players in baseball so watch him every chance you get.
The Worst:
1. Jimmy Rollins - .227, 7, 34, 49, 13
J-roll is in his 9th full season right now and it's clear that he's on the downside. I know he had a better 2nd half last season, but I don't see a turnaround this season. He's been downright awful so far, and if the Phillies were smart, they would not deal shortstop prospect Jason Donald.
2. Russell Martin - .255, 1, 25, 34, 8
The love muscle is one of my favorite players to don the signature uniform of the LA Dodgers. If you go back and look at my predictions, I actually said he was going to be in the NL MVP discussion. Boy, was I wrong. Really wrong. He only has 1 home run this season. 1 home run! I have no explanation as to what happened to him. He seems to get serious this offseason when it came to his diet and training, but none of that has helped.
3. Geovany Soto - .230, 8, 27, 19, 1
In his defense, he did start of the season with an injury. Unfortunately he hasn't been able to right the ship since. The Cubs hope it's a simple case of the sophomore slump. Soto's season is actually a microcosm of the Cubs season. High expectations and not delivering on them.
4. Magglio Ordonez - .260, 4, 28, 30, 3
I think Maggs is done. He's had a terrible season so far, and has relegated to a platoon. The platoon just may be a device to not allow him enough at bats to vest his option for next season. They're still in the divisional race, so let's see if he can turn it around for the Tigers in the 2nd half.
5. Chris Davis - .202, 15, 33, 31, 0
I was so high, so was everyone else, prior to the season. He had such a great 2nd half last year, that I thought he'd translate that into a full season. Of course he's still hit 15 home runs this year, but his average is awful and he's already struck out 114 times in only 258 at bats. Let me put is this way. He strikes out 44% of the time. Yikes! He may be damaged good this season, but still think he can be a productive power hitter in the majors.
6. Injury Busts - This is just a short list of top players who have struggled with injuries and their return from them. Jose Reyes, Josh Hamilton, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Quentin and Vlad Guerrero.
Pleasant Surprises:
1. Mark Reynolds - .259, 24, 62, 54, 15
He's can pretty much say he's a proven power hitter now. What I don't get is the 15 stolen bases. Talk about finding ways to increase your fantasy value
2. Raul Ibanez - .312, 22, 59, 54, 1
Before getting injured he was having a fantastic season. It looks like he'll be activated this weekend, so hopefully he can come back and enjoy Citizens Bank Park like the start of the year
3. Justin Upton - .296, 16, 50, 53, 12
J-UP has burst on the scene this year. He has more potential than his older brother, BJ, and has been pounding the ball. He's still so young, so look for him to be one of the better outfielders for the next 10 years.
4. Paul Konerko - .304, 16, 59, 39, 0
As a former Dodger's farmhand, he's always been a favorite of mine, so it brings a smile to my face to see him playing so well. Even before he hit 3 homers and 7 RBI in a game this week he was having a great season. I really thought he was done after last year, but once again I was wrong
5. Juan Rivera - .313, 16, 52, 36, 0
Apparently this is what happens when Rivera is healthy and gets playing time. This is the reason why the Angels have held onto him this long during his many injuries. He's been huge for the Angels during Vlad's injury and lack of power production this year.
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