Jason Heyward – Heyward picked up the hat trick on Saturday by homering in his third straight game to give the rookie phenom 7 already in 2010. What else can you say about the Say Hey Kid? He’s walking in nearly 15% of his ABs, has an ISO of .280 and SLG% of .520 despite a BABIP of .279. More amazing, Heyward is swinging at few pitches outside the strikeout zone compared to the rest of the league (22.5% to 27%) and has a significantly lower first-pitch strike % (50% to league average of 57%). As he continues to pile up ABs, Heyward will only improve his patience and cut down on his strikeouts (he does own a 34% K%), while flirting with 25 HRs and 90 RBI in 2010.
Wandy Rodriguez – Rodriguez had his start pushed back from Friday to Saturday and wasn’t particularly sharp against the Braves in allowing 10 Hits, 1 BB and 5 Runs (2 ER) in just 5 innings of work. He did manage to strikeout 5 and dropped to 1-3 for the season. After posting a 3.02 ERA in 2009 Rodriguez has a 3.64 ERA in 5 starts this season, which is right in line with his 2009 FIP of 3.54, so he’s pitching just fine overall. The one area of concern is a lack of strikeouts as Rodriguez had just 14 Ks through his first 24 IP entering Saturday. So, it’s especially good to see that the left hander tallied a strikeout per inning in his latest start. Going forward, he should continue to be a very nice No. 2 SP in all league formats.
Mark Reynolds – The big slugger crushed two more HRs on Saturday against the Cubs and now has 9 for the season. Through his first 83 ABs, Reynolds is showing some excellent signs of becoming an even better hitter in 2010. He’s lowered his K% by 3% and raised his BB% by 3%, while maintaining a .304 ISO and .544 SLG% despite a low BABIP of .267 (compared to his .339 career mark). Reynolds is also making pitchers throw him more strikes as he’s chasing just 21% of pitches thrown outside the strike zone (compared to 27% in ’09), while swinging at 76% of pitches inside the strike zone (compared to 72% in ’09). If Reynolds can sustain his improved plate approach then the third baseman may be in for an even more productive 2010, which is scary for NL pitchers.
David Freese – What the heck has gotten into David Freese? After hitting a HR and driving in 6 RBI on Thursday, Freese connected for his second HR of the season and finished 2-for-4 Saturday against the Reds. The Cardinals’ third baseman now has a .333/.388/.472 slash line with 15 RBI and has hit safely in 6 of his last 7 games. While the BA is too high thanks to a .420 BABIP, Freese did post BAs around the .300 mark during most of his minor league career so it’s not outlandish to think he’ll maintain a .280+ mark by the end of this season. He also showed some excellent power in the minors by crushing 26 HRs in 2008 and adding another 10 HR last season during his time in AAA. If you’re in a keeper league, Freese is a must-own and could even be worth a look in one-year leagues if he continues to show improvement.
Shane Victorino – Victorino collected his 4th HR of the season Saturday and finished 2-for-5 with 3 RBI against the Mets. The Flyin’ Hawaiian has been grounded for much of the early season, entering Saturday’s game with just a .226 BA and .268 OBP. Victorino’s problems seem to stem from some bad luck (BABIP of .240) and less patience at the plate (BB% of 5.1% compared to 8.6% in ’09). He’s also experienced a drop in his LD% (from 21% in ’09 to 15%) which has resulted in an increase in his FB% (33% in ’09 to 39%). Overall, none of the key indicators make me think Victorino is experiencing anything more than a couple of bad weeks. If you can acquire him as a buy-low option, make the move.
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