Carlos Zambrano (SP - Cubs) - After a disciplinary hiatus from the Cubs, Carlos Zambrano will rejoin the team and make his first start since June 25th. The good news for fantasy owners is that the start will come on Monday against the Giants. That puts him on schedule to be a 2-start fantasy pitcher next week with a scheduled start against the Cardinals for the following weekend. Zambrano is a big name, but he’s not the pitcher he used to be. He’s had a horrendous year and hasn’t even looked sharp in his reliever role over the last week or so. For 2010, he will be rejoining the squad with a 5.71 ERA and a 1.75 WHIP. The K-rates have remained relatively flat (if not a little improved) from previous years, with a K/9 of 8.5 compared to the last 3-year average of 7.2. In fact, his start K-rate is actually higher than his reliever one with a 9.1 when starting compared to a 6.9 in 15 games of relief.
Vicente Padilla (SP - Dodgers) - Padilla took a no-hitter into the 7th inning last night against the Padres and ended the night with a complete game 2-hit shutout (and of course the Win). Padilla has been solid all season and gets less credit than he deserves. He has only given up more than 3 ER on three separate occasions this season with two of those coming in the month of April (his first two starts of the season). He was out of action for all of May and most of June, but has since returned to start 9 games and post a 1.80 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, K/BB of 4.0 and a K/9 of 7.8 (and a 4-2 record). Padilla will have a tough 2-start match-up next week which makes him a bit of a risky starter to experience the “reversion to the mean” theory. He’ll face the Phillies and the Braves, both on the road, within the same fantasy week.
Adam Dunn (1B - Nationals) - Dunn is really feeling his power stroke now. Four HR to start the month of August brings his season total to 28 and his AB/HR to 13.8. The amazing thing about Dunn that keeps him constantly popping up in my column on just about a weekly basis is his incredible consistency on a yearly basis. With this power surge, his power rate is now almost exactly in-line with his 10-season AB/HR rate of 14.0. While he fell 2 HR short of hitting exactly 40 HR for 5 straight years in 2009, he looks well on his way to flirting with 40 to end the season once again.
Melky Cabrera (OF - Braves) - Cold starts to the season sometimes completely scares away fantasy owners and puts a stigma on players. Cabrera may be that kind of case. After hitting just .259 with a .316 OBP and a .348 SLG pre-break, Cabrera has since hit .302 with a .387 OBP and a .528 SLG. The power is still zapped with just 3 HR in the first half and just 1 dinger in the 2nd half, but he has made up for it with 7 XBH of his total 16 hits in 53 AB. Not sure if the power is ever going to come around for Cabrera, but as the Braves have gotten hot, so has Cabrera.
Mike Stanton (OF - Marlins) - Stanton hit his 2nd HR in the last four games and his 10th of the season. For only being called-up in early June, a AB/HR rate of 17.0 is a pretty solid number for the highly-touted rookie. He still strikes out a ton, averaging a K for every 2.7 AB which could lead to extended slumps, but in a brief time, Stanton has made himself very fantasy relevant in mixed leagues and will undoubtedly enter 2011 drafts as a big time power hitter. especially if he ends the season with an AB/HR in the “teens.”
