Results tagged ‘ Omar Infante ’
Miami Marlins: Shark Bait
Stick a fork in them, maybe even a kabob. The Miami Marlins have collapsed in June the way that the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox waited until September to collapse in 2011. The Fish are unable to be poked back to life and may as well be flushed down the NL East toilet, as their floundering has allowed the other strong teams in the division to leave them in the sand.
The Marlins are 8.5 games out in the NL East, having sunk to a 5-18 record in June after going 21-8 in May and creating enough buzz to hook even fans from South Florida into paying for baseball games; however, it hasn’t been meant to be. The team is hitting .224/.291/.373 in June and the pitching staff has a 5.88 ERA and has allowed a .282/.349/.453 line to opposing hitters. The combination of those stats leave the Marlins with the third worst run differential in all of baseball, though they haven’t been awful, 34-40, thanks to their incredible May.
With all due respect to Logan Morrison, you can blame him for a lot of the Marlins’ struggles. Hitting just .228/.307/.386, LoMo was a big part of Miami’s future. Maybe ownership knew something when they sent him down last season, as his 2011 line of .247/.330/.468 wasn’t all that impressive either. At 24 (he turns 25 in August), Morrison should be a huge part of the Marlins future, but his struggles are cause for concern, but not as much as…
Jose Reyes. That flopping that you hear isn’t just the Marlins, it’s the flop of an overpaid, overhyped player underperforming. Reyes wasn’t worth the contract and he has lived up to concern by posting a .273/.350/.386 line. While he is getting on base and stealing bases (16 steals), he isn’t doing enough to warrant a huge deal. While he is making “just $10 million” in 2012, he isn’t anywhere near his .877 OPS of his contract year of 2011.
Brad Barr/US Presswire
The starting pitching has posted a quality start in just 65% of their starts and have a 3.98 ERA overall, but they just aren’t scoring enough runs. A team that features Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez, Giancarlo Stanton, Morrison, and a solid Omar Infante, should be able to score runs. The incredible amount of speed should be capable of creating runs on its own, but with Ramirez and Stanton in the order, it should only make it that much easier.
Whatever the issue is for the Marlins, they need to get it straightened out. There is a lot of underperforming and a lot of struggling to place blame upon, but the roster is too talented to continue to struggle the way that they have in June. With the NL East being so competitive, there isn’t much time to waste getting back into it before the Miami Marlins have a trade deadline talent cast-off.
Week One Statistics to Impress
One week has gone by since baseball returned to bring joy to the world. After about six games for each team, there are some interesting stats to get excited about or become worried about, which ever reaction you deem necessary for your team.
* Zack Cozart is 2nd in MLB in Total Bases.
Cozart’s current .455/.520/.864 is very impressive and he was already a Rookie of the Year candidate before opening eyes this week. He should continue to hit with a solid lineup and a nice home park…the fact that he is hitting 2nd in the Reds lineup already is an excellent sign for his production, with some guy named Votto behind him.
Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Second Basemen
Overall rankings will consist of the player’s value in a points format, earning points for each H, R, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, basically a formula of Total Bases + RBI + Runs = Total Value. Here are the rankings for 2B, projections are italicized:
1. Robinson Cano, Yankees
.302/.349/.533, 46 2B, 7 3B, 28 HR, 118 RBI, 8 SB in 623 AB
.315/.357/.549, 43 2B, 5 3B, 33 HR, 121 RBI, 6 SB in 616 AB
Cano is underrated. Yeah, you read that right, I am saying that a Yankee is underrated. Cano is the best player on the Yankees roster right now, and that is saying a lot with Granderson, ARod, Teixeira, and the rest. He’ll turn 30 in November and he’s got a couple more years to reach his peak. He’ll be at an MVP level in 2012.
2. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox
.307/.387/.474, 37 2B, 3 3B, 21 HR, 91 RBI, 26 SB in 635 AB
.311/.389/.485, 38 2B, 4 3B, 24 HR, 96 RBI, 24 SB in 628 AB
Pedroia seemed like the only Red Sox player who didn’t collapse last September. He continues to be a leader for the team and a nuisance to opposing teams. He’ll turn only 29 in August, so he’ll continue to be a star with value across the board in fantasy leagues.
3. Ian Kinsler, Rangers
.255/.355/.477, 34 2B, 4 3B, 32 HR, 77 RBI, 30 SB in 620 AB
.271/.375/.481, 37 2B, 5 3B, 33 HR, 81 RBI, 27 SB in 607 AB
Kinsler’s AVG has been all over the place, but one thing is for certain: he continues to be a power hitting 2B with dynamic speed. The lineup around him will keep the runs scored and RBI opportunities at high levels, and he is still in his prime, turning 30 in June.
4. Brandon Phillips, Reds
.300/.353/.457, 38 2B, 2 3B, 18 HR, 82 RBI, 18 SB in 610 AB
.305/.355/.464, 34 2B, 4 3B, 21 HR, 86 RBI, 16 SB in 623 AB
Some feel that Phillips is headed towards a major decline, but he turns just 31 and he has a lot to prove in 2012. He is in the last year of his contract with the Reds and he’ll be looking for one more payday. His ballpark and the lineup that he has around him will be a major help in reaching another great season. He won’t touch 30/30 like he did in 2007, but his value is undeniable across the board still.
5. Ben Zobrist, Rays
.269/.353/.469, 46 2B, 6 3B, 20 HR, 91 RBI, 19 SB in 588 AB
.271/.357/.476, 43 2B, 5 3B, 24 HR, 92 RBI, 18 SB in 597 AB
Zobrist is a very unique player. His average is all over the place, just like Kinsler, but he gets on base and provides a lot of power and enough speed to boost his value. He’ll turn 31 in 2012, still in his prime, in a solid lineup and an ugly ballpark, which doesn’t matter. Zobrist may have RF eligibility in some leagues, as well, so his versatility could add to his value.
6. Dan Uggla, Braves
.233/.311/.453, 22 2B, 1 3B, 36 HR, 82 RBI, 1 SB in 600 AB
.255/.331/.489, 31 2B, 1 3B, 36 HR, 91 RBI, 1 SB in 591 AB
Uggla’s 1st half was gross to watch, especially if you owned him. Uggla continues to be a monster with his power numbers, which you can deal with at the expense of his low batting averages. Kinsler’s .255 average doesn’t compare due to his ability to fill all of the stats, as Uggla won’t steal many bases, if he steals any at all.
7. Howie Kendrick, Angels
.285/.338/.464, 30 2B, 6 3B, 18 HR, 63 RBI, 14 SB in 537 AB
.281/.336/.465, 35 2B, 7 3B, 21 HR, 68 RBI, 12 SB in 611 AB
Kendrick missed over 20 games last season and still posted solid numbers. If he knew how to take a walk, the arrival of Pujols would have had a greater impact on his numbers, but he’ll continue to swing at nearly everything and put it in play. Considering his swinging tendencies, his average is pretty impressive. He’ll give value across the board, not to the levels of some of the above players, but he, too, could have OF eligibility due to his starts in LF last year.
8. Rickie Weeks
.269/.350/.468, 26 2B, 2 3B, 20 HR, 49 RBI, 9 SB in 453 AB
.271/.353/.476, 22 2B, 3 3B, 20 HR, 62 RBI, 6 SB in 471 AB
Weeks can’t stay healthy. He posted his numbers last season in just 118 games. He’ll try to do more with Prince Fielder gone and, possibly, Ryan Braun suspended, so it’ll be interesting to see how he holds up. His ankle injury could lead to a sharp decrease in stolen bases, depending on how it actually healed this offseason. If 2012 ends up like 2010, his lone season with at least 130 games played (160), he will be capable of posting numbers close to a top 3 2B. Don’t count on it, though.
9. Chase Utley, Phillies
.259/.344/.425, 21 2B, 6 3B, 11 HR, 44 RBI, 14 SB in 398 AB
.271/.356/.441, 33 2B, 5 3B, 18 HR, 76 RBI, 20 SB in 521 AB
Utley’s days as an elite 2B are over, but he is still a great player. He and the lineup around him are shaky due to a cohesive aging process. Between Utley and Ryan Howard, the Phillies should begin to wonder what their right side of the infield is capable of, and if they have enough depth to survive another major injury over there.
10. Jason Kipnis, Indians
.272/.333/.507, 9 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 19 RBI, 5 SB in 136 AB
.274/.349/.494, 31 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 68 RBI, 11 SB in 597 AB
Based on Kipnis’ small sample size, you’d think he was going to be an elite 2B tomorrow. Hell, if you take his 136 AB and turn it into a full season, he would have posted his .272/.333/.507 slash with 41 2B, 3 3B, 32 HR, 86 RBI, and 23 SB. Kipnis is an offensive-minded 2B, but he isn’t going to touch those numbers. With that being said, it wouldn’t surprise me if he hit up to 25 HR in a season in the future. A great keeper league player.
11. Dustin Ackley, Mariners
.273/.348/.417, 16 2B, 7 3B, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 6 SB in 333 AB
.284/.356/.449, 41 2B, 11 3B, 11 HR, 67 RBI, 12 SB in 601 AB
Ackley won’t hit for power due to Safeco Field, but his gap power is impressive. At some point, he’ll be ripping 50+ doubles annually.
12. Neil Walker, Pirates
.273/.334/.408, 36 2B, 4 3B, 12 HR, 83 RBI, 9 SB in 596 AB
.275/.341/.419, 38 2B, 5 3B, 14 HR, 81 RBI, 11 SB in 613 AB
13. Danny Espinosa, Nationals
.236/.323/.414, 29 2B, 5 3B, 21 HR, 66 RBI, 17 SB in 573 AB
.241/.331/.416, 31 2B, 6 3B, 22 HR, 69 RBI, 19 SB in 586 AB
14. Gordon Beckham, White Sox
.230/.296/.337, 23 2B, 10 HR, 44 RBI, 5 SB in 499 AB
.249/.311/.401, 32 2B, 1 3B, 17 HR, 64 RBI, 8 SB in 597 AB
15. Aaron Hill, Diamondbacks
.246/.299/.356, 27 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 61 RBI, 21 SB in 520 AB
.258/.309/.398, 31 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 67 RBI, 18 SB in 563 AB
16. Kelly Johnson, Blue Jays
.222/.304/.413, 27 2B, 7 3B, 21 HR, 58 RBI, 16 SB in 545 AB
.239/.314/.422, 29 2B, 5 3B, 24 HR, 63 RBI, 14 SB in 571 AB
17. Omar Infante, Marlins
.276/.315/.382, 24 2B, 8 3B, 7 HR, 49 RBI, 4 SB in 579 AB
.269/.311/.385, 28 2B, 9 3B, 9 HR, 51 RBI, 6 SB in 589 AB
18. Jemile Weeks, Athletics
.303/.340/.421, 26 2B, 8 3B, 2 HR, 36 RBI, 22 SB in 406 AB
.297/.342/.425, 37 3B, 12 3B, 3 HR, 51 RBI, 36 SB in 593 AB
19. Marco Scutaro, Rockies
.299/.358/.423, 26 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 54 RBI, 4 SB in 395 AB
.286/.351/.410, 31 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 67 RBI, 6 SB in 589 AB
20. Johnny Giavotella, Royals
.247/.273/.376, 9 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 5 SB in 178 AB
.269/.310/.401, 22 2B, 7 3B, 12 HR, 56 RBI, 11 SB in 574 AB
The Rest:
Ramon Santiago, Tigers; Darwin Barney, Cubs; Brian Roberts, Orioles; Orlando Hudson, Padres; Jose Altuve, Astros; Mark Ellis, Dodgers; Freddy Sanchez, Giants; Daniel Descalso, Cardinals; Daniel Murphy, Mets;
