A Monday with baseball brings us a return to normalcy. It is the first full week of MLB action of the second half and a chance to, again, start off the workweek with a Star Fantasy Leagues daily lineup. Now that each team has a series under its belt following the four-day All-Star break, it’s a little easier to get a grasp on who’s hot and who’s cold. So this is the team I’ve put together. Try building one yourself and use the promo code “SJN” for a 40% deposit bonus.
(C) Jonathan Lucroy $7,589 – Were it not for being used as a pinch hitter last night, Lucroy would still own a nine-game hitting streak, but he went hitless in his only at bat. On Saturday, he went 4-for-4 with a home run, his 14th of the season. He’s swinging a hot bat.
(1B) David Ortiz $10,247 – Ortiz has five hits in the three games since the All-Star break. Tonight, he’ll face Matt Moore, against whom he has been very successful. In his career, Ortiz is 5-for-10 versus the Rays’ lefty, with three extra base hits and four RBI.
(2B) Darwin Barney $4,561 – Barney is my only real low-cost offensive player in my lineup tonight, but he could work out better than anyone else. He went hitless last night for the first time in six games and was 8-for-17 in his previous four.
(3B) David Wright $7,673 – Wright has been excellent since the All-Star break, with five hits in 12 at bats, including two home runs, four RBI, and five runs. This is a very affordable price for a guy of Wright’s caliber and current success.
(SS) Hanley Ramirez $9,768 – Ramirez might just be baseball’s best hitter at the moment. Not only is he hitting .393 on the year, but has gone 6-for-13 with two home runs and six RBI to open up the second half. It’s hard to pick a better option at shortstop right now.
(OF) Adam Jones $8,216 – Jones was hitless last night for the first time since July 11th. He has four home runs in his last six games and is hitting nearly .300 on the season. In his career against Wade Davis, he is 5-for-19 with three extra base hits.
(OF) Andrew McCutchen $7,989 – McCutchen had one of his best games of the season on Saturday with four hits in five at bats. He failed to hit yesterday, but with as good a season as McCutchen is putting together, he’s sure to get back on track against Dan Haren tonight, against whom he is 2-for-6
(OF) Marlon Byrd $6,874 – It still doesn’t feel quite right to be trusting Byrd, but the numbers don’t lie. A .277 average, 17 home runs, and 56 RBI are very respectable numbers. What’s also respectable is his performance to start the second half: five hits in 12 at bats, two homers, five RBI, and three runs.
(U) Edwin Encarnacion $9,573 – The Blue Jays are slumping coming out of the break, and Encarnacion isn’t immune to that. He only has two hits in the last three games, so this pick is based on a gut feeling. He has 26 home runs and 74 RBI on the season. I just feel like he is going to do something tonight to get Toronto back on track.
(SP) Bronson Arroyo $12,192 – Arroyo has turned in quality starts in seven of his last eight outings and tonight he faces the Giants, against whom he has been very good during his career. In 13 games against them he has a 3.00 ERA, averages six innings a start, and has two complete games. He should turn in another decent performance tonight.
(SP) Tom Gorzelanny $7,783 – It may not be obvious, but Gorzelanny is a no-brainer at this price. He’s made two starts for the Brewers and has been great. He has pitched 12 innings and hasn’t allowed a single earned run, while also managing a strikeout per inning. He has a very favorable matchup tonight against the Padres.
(RP) Francisco Rodriguez $2,099 – In 25 appearances for Milwaukee, Rodriguez has 10 saves and a 1.09 ERA. A good start by Gorzelanny could mean another save chance for K-Rod as he auditions for other teams.
(P) Brandon Workman $5,265 – Workman made his first career start just before the break and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Between AA and AAA this season, he was 8-2 with a 3.21 ERA and a 9.6 K/9 rate. Even against the red-hot Rays, he should pick up a few points and allow every sportswriter covering the game to, once again, say he turned in a “Workman-like effort”.
