Chris Johnson (3B-HOU) – If you think about the Astros’ 3B situation throughout the years, it’s been a position the organization has really struggled with since the days of Ken Caminiti. Morgan Ensberg had a brief run of success, even making an All-Star team, but lately, the well has dried up. Chris Johnson is looking to change that and solidify the position for years to come. Johnson doubled and homered in three at-bats on Sunday and is now batting a tidy .322/.350/.507. His OPS leads the team, so why he’s continuing to bat sixth is beyond me. The real concern with Johnson is his 75:14 K:BB in 292 at-bats. That’s a CT% of 74.3% and an EYE of just 0.19. Johnson is still just 25, so there’s time to improve in the plate discipline area, but until he does, don’t expect anywhere near a .300 AVG going forward. Johnson batted .281 in Triple-A last year, right around where I’d expect him to hit in 2011 for the Astros.
Tyler Colvin (OF/1B-CHC) – There have been some odd injuries in sports over the years. From Sammy Sosa’s sneeze to Clint Barmes and the deer meet incident to this one: Colvin was running the bases on Sunday only to be impaled (yes, impaled) by part of a broken bat. Incredible. Rivals the fondue pot incident involving a couple NFL kickers if I recall correctly. Colvin is done for the year, but looking forward, his future is still bright. Colvin finished 2010 with a .254/.316/.500 batting line with 20 homers and six stolen bases in 358 at-bats. He did strike out a bit much with a 100:30 K:BB, and considering the 90:21 K:BB in 104 Triple-A games for Colvin in 2009, it may be a bit of a problem for his AVG going forward. As to Colvin’s 2011 role, it could be either the starting right fielder or first baseman given Derek Lee’s departure, but lots can happen over the winter.
Kenley Jansen (RP-LAD) – Not much Jansen coverage here at Fantistics, but that could be a mistake, as it’s very possible he could be in the closer picture at some point in the next couple years. Sunday, Jansen tossed a pair of scoreless innings (1 H, 1 BB, 2K), lowering his ERA to an easy-on-the-eyes 0.83 in 21.2 innings. You probably already know the story about Jansen converting from catcher just over a year ago, but his progress has been mind-boggling. As can be expected, he’s had some command issues with a 5.0 BB/9 but he certainly misses bats with a 13.3 K/9 and a measly 10 hits (no HR) all year. Continued refinement of his command could have Dodger Stadium watching their closer enter to something other than “Iron Man” or that ridiculous R. Kelly song for Hong-Chih Kuo.
Jayson Werth (OF-PHI) – Werth was 3-for-5 with his 24th homer Sunday, but that wasn’t the big news of the day involving the scraggly Werth. We found out that Werth is now represented by none other than Dr. Evil himself, Scott Boras. Werth is set to be one of the more attractive free agents this winter (next to Carl Crawford), and Boras will certainly be looking for something ridiculous. With the Phillies taking on Roy Oswalt’s $16 million for next year, it’s doubtful we’ll see Werth back in Philly, particularly given the presence of Domonic Brown. They could try and move a chunk of Raul Ibanez’s deal, but I still see Werth in Boston or New York next year. Going there won’t hurt his fantasy value, but keep in mind Werth is a career .292/.380/.527 hitter at Citizens Bank Park, compared to .261/.362/.461 on the road. Be wary of a dip across the board if Werth winds up in a place like Detroit.
Mike Morse (OF-WAS) – Morse was 2-for-3 with a walk and his 11th homer in 227 surprising at-bats on the season. I say surprising because his 20.6 AB/HR compares quite nicely with his pre-2010 mark of 69.8. At 28, we’re tempted to write this off as flukish, particularly given his 0.31 EYE, but maybe the Nats have something here. Morse was the 82nd overall pick in the 200 draft (White Sox), so at least he was once highly thought of. He also stands just 6’5” and weighs in at 230, so there’s some brawn behin the surprising burst of power. The Nats certainly have the OF openings to give Morse regular playing time, but he’ll probably still have to perform well next spring to earn at-bats.
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