Andy LaRoche (3B-PIT) – It wasn’t a great day Sunday for LaRoche, who made two errors while going 1-for-4 at the plate. However, 2010 is shaping up to be LaRoche’s best season. The 26 year-old is batting a solid .307/.384/.432. Sure, at .125, the ISO is nowhere near where it should be for a corner infielder, but is EYE is a solid 0.67, and LaRoche is now finding himself batting second in the order ahead of Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones. Of course we’d prefer the Bucs had a real leadoff man (no, Aki Iwamura and his .290 OBP don’t qualify), but for LaRoche’s fantasy value, it’s better than batting him seventh or eighth. Pedro Alvarez is batting a modest .252/.331/.487 in Triple-A, so he’s no immediate threat to LaRoche’s playing time. With Jeff Clement hitting just .177 and looking like a bust at first base, it will be interesting to see when or if the Pirates try Alvarez at first base in Triple-A. That’s probably his long-term home anyway.
Ryan Howard (1B-PHI) – Much as been written regarding Ryan Howard and his five-year $125 million extension already, so I won’t pile on too much other than to say that the probability that this will be a deal the Phillies regret in a few years is high. Howard is a great run-producer in traditional RBI-type sense, and after going 0-for-3 on Sunday, Howard is now batting just .279/.321/.465. That’s a .786 OPS, which compares barely favorably to James Loney (.768), but far less favorable to say Justin Morneau (1.095 OPS). Howard is also batting a typical .182 vs. LHP, so in a sense, he’s a $25 million/yr. platoon guy. One has to wonder whether the Phillies would have been better off paying Jayson Werth $15 million a year, using prospect Domonic Brown in the outfield, and having $10 million to upgrade the bullpen / rotation. Howard should again be around .270-35-120 by year’s end, but he’s also 30 and ask David Ortiz how big-bodied first baseman age.
Clayton Kershaw (SP-COL) – I’ve watched probably 90% of Kershaw’s pitches over the years, and Sunday’s was right up there with the best. After a shaking first inning in which Kershaw loaded the bases, Kershaw gave up just one hit over the next seven innings to win the game with eight two-hit shutout innings. With Ubaldo Jimenez nearly impressive on the other side, is was a great game to watch on a Sunday afternoon. If Dusty Baker were the Dodger manager, Kershaw probably would have been sent out to start the ninth, but Joe Torre showed nice restraint in ending Kershaw’s day at 117 pitches. Kershaw just turned 22 in March, so don’t expect consistency just yet, but he’s clearly capable of running off a string of strong performances. Kershaw walked three and struck out nine, and will continue to battle to drive down that 6.3 BB/9.
Chris Narveson (SP-MIL) – Narveson is an interesting guy. As a former top prospect in the Cardinals organization, his career has been a disappointment to date. At 28, he’s getting a chance at holding down a permanent rotation spot, and so far good. Narveson’s ERA stands at an unimpressive 5.06, but he was sharp Sunday, improving to 3-0 after allowing just one run in 5.2 innings against Arizona. He struck out an impressive eight while walking two. In three starts, Narveson has a 3.78 ERA with a solid 17:6 K:BB in 16.2. No, he doesn’t have lights-out stuff, but Narveson is good enough to channel the career of Doug Davis, Davis isn’t exactly Sandy Koufax, that’s a useful career.
Stephen Drew (SS-ARI) – Here’s a guy who’s flown a bit under the radar (just my radar?) this season. Sunday, Drew was 3-for-4 with a double in four at-bats. He’s now batting a solid .304/.371/.491. Drew’s 0.58 EYE is 10 points above his career mark and his .187 ISO 20 clocks in at 20 points above his 2009 mark. This is Drew’s age 27 season if you believe in that concept, but personally I’d attribute his success more to the struggles he and his wife had with a pregnancy last year. We can’t underestimate the effects of those sorts of personal issues, as despite the wealth that many ballplayers enjoy, they are actually human.
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