Joey Votto - Votto was locked-in against the Cubs on Wednesday, turning the power hat-trick of 3-HR (and a SB), and improving his seasons numbers considerably in just one day. The talented Reds first baseman saw his FPI rise from 0.61 to 0.77, HR/AB drop from 23.0 to 13.7, average increase from .283 to .302, and OPS rise from .818 to .945. Its amazing how a single incredible day, even at this point in the season, can improve a player's stats. He's also the first 1B in the history of baseball to have 3-HR AND steal a base in the same game. Yes... EVER. Votto has been a long-touted prospect in the Reds organization and should definitely be snagged while he's swinging a hot bat. The only reason he's probably still available in most mixed leagues is because he plays in an extremely deep position, but his power potential and his playing maturity beyond his years should make him a solid rookie of the year candidate in the NL.
Ryan Howard - Its almost comical at this point. Remember those kids in little league who hit 9th and struck-out every single time they got to the plate? Watching Ryan Howard reminds me of those kids (no offense to any of those people who may now be subscribers). Here are some K figures from Howard's 2008 season that are simply startling. (1) He has struck out at least once in 6 out of the 7 games in May, (2) He has struck out 3-times in one game 5 times since the start of the season, (3) He is averaging a strikeout per every 2.9 trips to the play, and (4) He is on pace for a record-shattering 233 strikeouts. The best thing you can do for now is sit, wait, laugh (if you have a sense of humor), and hope he turns it around soon. The good news is that his HR/AB is still sub-20.0, but for his original fantasy value, it should be much better as we expect a 40+ HR performance.
Brad Penny - As Vin Scully said on the Dodgers broadcast yesterday, "That closes the book on Penny and its not a best-seller." With just yesterday's game against the Mets, Penny's ERA rose from 3.19 to 4.79. So what happened? He gave up 10 hits, 10 ER, and 3 BB in 4.2 IP, bringing his WHIP to 1.47 and H/9 to 10.0. While this is just one start and anyone could have a blow-up, this is the third time he has given up 10 hits in a start this year! He's only 3-for-8 in quality starts and his K/BB is just 1.29 with a K/9 of 4.29. There's nothing good going on for Penny owners right now and you may consider keeping him benched next week in his first start against the Brewers before deciding to pitch him against the Angels later in the week.
John Maine - A great sign for Mets fans and Maine owners as John Maine hurls another quality start and earns his 4th win of the season. Granted, the run support (12 runs) didn't hurt, but Maine cruised to victory against the Dodgers by hurling 8.1 IP on just 4 hits, 1 ER, 2BB, and 4 K's. He has given up 2 ER or less in each of his starts except for his 2008 debut (where he gave up 4 ER to the Braves in Atlanta). While Johan Santana gets most of the attention in NY, Maine deserves as much attention as one of the few bright-spots in 2008 for the Mets. His K/9 of 7.07 combined with a HR/9 of 0.64 keeps his value rising as he settles into a comfortable #2 role in the rotation. A 2-start pitcher in Week 7 has him facing the Nationals and the Yankees.
Lastings Milledge - Milledge has been a disappointment in his first 5 weeks of full-time production. After hitting a homerun in just his 2nd game with the Nationals on March 31st, Milledge has gone homer-less since, totaling 109 AB without a dinger. In April, Milledge hit just .266 with an OPS of .726 and FPI of 0.52. His first week of May has been even more disappoint, hitting just .217 with no power and no run/RBI production. He's 3-for-6 in stolen bases, so he is running as expected, but with an OBP of .326, his opportunities are fewer than forecasted. There's upside here as Milledge settles into an everyday role with the Nationals. I wouldn't be shocked to see him go on a HR tear at some point with a preseason 20/20 prediction still possible.
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