Miguel Cabrera - Miggy might have been removed from the lineup on Friday due to a strained pectoral, but he was back in action yesterday and didn't really show any adverse affects of the injury. The first half of the season was quite the disappointment for Cabrera, but a few positives have emerged over the last few months. He has gained extra position eligibility at 1B and most importantly he has greatly improved his overall stats. In the 2nd half of the season, Cabrera is hitting .292 with a .914 OPS, 0.72 FPI, and a HR/AB of 14.0. Quite the improvement from the disappointing first half. With his first half of the season being chalked up as an aberration, look for Cabrera to continue to be a first round pick in early 2009 draft sheets.
Robinson Cano - Cano continues to be streaky, but if he can finish with a hit or two in today's game, it will be his second straight month of hitting over .300. In July, Cano hit .327 with 3 HR and 17 RBI. In August, he's hitting .302 with 4 HR and 10 RBI. For the season, Cano is posting a 0.50 FPI with a .271 average and .719 OPS. But if you back-out his pitiful April when he hit .151, his numbers are a lot more Cano-like. From May 1st until today, Cano is hitting .303 with a 0.61 FPI, .795 OPS, 11 HR, and 53 RBI. So, if you traded for him early in the season with those expectations, you're actually getting what you thought.
Francisco Liriano - He didn't get the win due to Joe Nathan's blown save, but Liriano continues to pitch out of his mind. Put another quality start in the QS column for Liriano who now has 4 in his 6 starts since returning from the DL. In fact, Liriano has given up 3 ER or less in each of those 6 starts and has a 1.23 ERA to show for it. And to think he was floating around the waiver wires for free in many leagues throughout the May, June, and July months.
Dustin Pedroia - In a league with MVP candidates such as Carlos Quentin and Josh Hamilton, Pedroia will make the list but won't garner enough votes to make a serious run. But that doesn't mean he's not your fantasy MVP for this season. With a 4-for-4 performance yesterday, the Red Sox second baseman is cranking out a .327 average, .861 OPS, and 0.74 FPI. He has 182 AB heading into the last day of August and has consistently shown plate discpline all season with an impressive batting eye of 0.83. With few true premier 2B options in the fantasy world, Pedroia will rank toward the top amidst the Utleys and the Ugglas of the world come draft day in '09.
Orlando Cabrera - I think Orlando Cabrera may be slightly under-rated as a fantasy SS. His numbers aren't gaudy in any particular category, yielding a respectable 0.54 for a relatively weak SS position. But he's still hitting .272 with 149 hits to his name, 18-for-22 in stolen bases, 78 runs scored, and a batting eye of 0.75. And, to top it off, he's consistently in the lineup day-in and day-out, playing in 133 of Chicago's 135 games.
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