MLB Power Rankings: Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.
The second half of the season is in full swing and lo and behold if capitalism hasn't reared it's ugly head once again. Billy Beane was spun off Matt Holliday (as expected of course) and the eleventy billion dollar payroll machine that is the New York Yankees are in first place in the AL East. (Of course, that can't explain why the Mets are horrible but that's a whole other thing.)
Will the Yankees' surge be enough to propel them into the critically important No. 1 slot of the FanHouse MLB Power Rankings? Find out after the jump.
From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.
I think we can all agree that it's far too early to start voting upon who the best 2009 players are when it's only the middle of May. That being said, there are certainly some shining stars at this point who deserve some props. Plus, Major League Baseball recently released their All-Star ballots for our voting pleasure -- we vote on who will start the All-Star Game. If that's not important, I don't know what is. Let's take a gander.
OAKLAND -- You heard all that talk over the winter about how the American League East was going to be a tight three-team race.
The Blue Jays apparently didn't.
"You don't have to believe what you hear," Toronto shortstop Marco Scutaro told FanHouse. "In baseball, anything can happen. Last year if you would have told me in spring training that Tampa Bay would be in the World Series, I'd say you are crazy."
The first-place Blue Jays improved to 22-12, best in the American League, by taking two of three from the A's this weekend. Toronto has lost only one series so far this season.
From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.
A few days before the 2009 Major League Baseball season began, I was watching MLB Network. They were doing their Cubs' installment of "30 Teams, 30 Days." As I went to take a sip of my beverage, former Indians and Rangers general manager John Hart, when examining the Cubs' lineup, said, "you know you're gonna get your 30 homers from Derrek Lee." I'm pretty sure I spit Pepsi all over the room in disbelief.
After five-plus innings and 89 pitches, rookie phenom Rick Porcello was removed from his major league debut Thursday in Toronto. The 20-year-old had what I would call a good rookie outing, and you can see why the Tigers were so quick to promote him to their big-league rotation.
Porcello had solid stuff and good location for the majority of his first five innings. He's got good sinking action, in addition to running the two-seam fastball in on right-handed hitters. His fastball lived in the low-to-mid-90s (mostly between 91-94), and he showed some confidence in his curveball.
After five-plus innings and 89 pitches, rookie phenom Rick Porcello was removed from his major league debut Thursday in Toronto. The 20 year-old had what I would call a good rookie outing, and you can see why the Tigers were so quick to promote him to their big league rotation.
Porcello had solid stuff and good location for the majority of his first five innings. He's got good sinking action, in addition to running the two-seam fastball in on right-handed hitters. His fastball lived in the low-to-mid-90s (mostly between 91-94), and he showed some confidence in his curveball.
Fantasy baseball draft season is coming, so you best be prepared by delving through every major player on each team. Fantasy FanHouse is here to help with a quick once-over.
Meet the ... Team about to lose one of the best pitchers in baseball. Let's face it, with the economy in the tank for the rest of this calendar year, major league teams will be forced to cut costs. Roy Halladay makes a lot of money. The Blue Jays are going to be the worst team in the AL East (yes, they really will). People will stop attending games, and the Jays are going to have to deal him for about 30 cents on the dollar.
'Passed Out ...' is FanHouse's way of not saying that stupid, sexy "s" word that everyone gets so caught up on. Regardless of what they're called, though, you still want to draft and/or own these players.
Here's the deal. I hate the word "sleeper," especially this day and age. There are too many resources in and around fantasy sports and too many people are aware of which players are likely to break out. It's that sort of mentality that gets folks really overhyped. However, that doesn't mean great value will be missing on draft day. I have effectively culled that value to provide a list of folks who will vastly outproduce their draft position.
After missing 54 games last year due to a variety of ailments (including a strained left hamstring) Vernon Wells hired a personal strength and conditioning coach to work with him year-round -- training him in the winter, accompanying him to Spring Training, living near him in Toronto and traveling with him during some road trips this season -- all in hopes of finally staying healthy.
Here's to hoping he saved the receipt: Wells re-strained his left hamstring during Monday's workout with the Blue Jays, and while the results of an MRI are still unknown, GM J.P. Ricciardi told MLB.com, "Right now, preliminarily, I'd say he's going to miss four weeks."
Wells, who can't get mentioned in the local rags without mention of his $126 million contract, is called on the carpet because he hasn't raked Burnett over the coals for saying he'd accept a deal to Chicago. He's criticized for not chastising the home crowd after they gave Reed Johnson a standing ovation over the weekend, for not showing enough passion and, more than anything, he's blasted for not producing more on the field.
Wells is hitting an unspectacular .276, and a frustrating .255 with runners in scoring position. He leads the weak-hitting Jays in RBIs, but he should, he usually bats cleanup. He also has stranded too many base runners. And, quite frankly, he's not even that spectacular defensively anymore.
Right now, Wells is five points off his career average, two points above his career OPS+ and, if he gets two hits in a row, right on track with his career average with RISP. In short, Wells is having a Vernon Wells season. If your problem is with anyone, it should be with J.P. Ricciardi for signing him to a franchise player contract when Wells isn't a franchise player.
MLB Power Rankings: Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.
OAKLAND -- You heard all that talk over the winter about how the American League East was going to be a tight three-team race.
After five-plus innings and 89 pitches, rookie phenom 
Fantasy baseball draft season is coming, so you best be prepared by delving through 
After missing 54 games last year due to a variety of ailments (including a strained left hamstring) 
