Robinson Cano- NYA- Hot- Cano went 1-for-4 with a homer last night to make him 6-for-10 in his last 3 games, raising his September batting average to .226. Still, this month Cano has only drawn a single walk while striking out 10 times and this does not bode well for 2009. The main difference between this year, when Cano has hit .264 with a Batting EYE of .40 and 2006, when he batted .341 with a Batting EYE of .33 is that he was on opposite ends of the luck spectrum. His BHIPx this year of .217 contrasts sharply with his .291 mark in 2006. Sandwiched between these extremes is the 2007 season, when Cano hit .308 with a BHIPx of .265 and a Batting EYE of .46. The key to Cano bouncing back next year will be an improvement in his plate discipline. If he does that and gets reasonable luck at the plate, then he is a .300 hitter. If not, we see the kind of disappointing numbers he had this season.
Armando Galarraga- DET- Hot- Galarraga was back to form after 2 non-quality starts. Despite the game being interrupted by a bench clearing brawl, Galarraga lasted 7-2/3 IP, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, walking no one and striking out 5. This outing was much more in keeping with the bulk of his season than were his last two stinkers. Galarraga has enjoyed some good luck this season, with a .242 BHIP%, so there may be a bit of a sophomore slump in store for him next year.
Alberto Callaspo- KC- Hot- Callaspo is finishing up the season with a flourish. Currently he is riding a 13-game hitting streak, in which he is hitting .347. Callaspo has had his share of good fortune this season, with a .294 BHIPx, but with a Batting EYE of 1.31, he may just be living up to the potential he had as a prospect in the Arizona system.
Grady Sizemore- CLE- Great Player- Sizemore went 2-for-4 with a double and homer to extend his current hitting streak to 8 games. Only one of those games is not a multi-hit one, giving him a .471 average during that span. We may be seeing some late season regression to the mean here. Sizemore was carrying a .214 BHIPx. Expect even better things out of him in 2009, when it is likely that his luck will not be so poor.
Radhames Liz- BAL- Hot- With auditions for the 2009 Baltimore rotation going on, Liz has picked a good time to put together his first back-to-back quality starts. Last night he allowed 3 runs to the Yankees on 8 hits and 3 walks while striking out 1 in 6-1/3 IP. This came after Liz threw 8 shutout innings in his last start. The performance against the Yankees was good by 2008 Orioles’ standards, but still not quite enough to vaunt him to sleeper status for next year. Liz does have a .309 BHIP%, so maybe some of his woes this year are due to luck, but it seems that he mainly was in over his head in the majors this year and it’s hard to think he will turn around on a dime for next season.
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