Jonathan Lucroy - Lucroy has hit in all five games since coming off the DL, and for me he's a bit of a sleeper as likely the sixth best bat in a decent offense (once Hart returns). Not only do his surroundings help his status, but I keep looking back at his minor league performances....he hasn't exactly hit in the best parks for batters on the way up the ladder. His 20 homers as a 22 year old in A-ball illustrate some power potential that everyone seems to be ignoring, although his 66.7% GB rate through five games makes it tough to hit much more than singles. I think there's some upside here beyond environment and playing time....necessity may have pushed Lucroy's MLB timetable a bit faster than you'd want for a backstop, so perhaps a bit of consolidation of gains might be coming.
Jerry Sands - Of course, the day that David mentions Jerry Sands here he comes. After 40 homers in 542 AB's between A, AA, and AAA in 2010 and 2011, Jerry Sands came to LA yesterday, started in place of Tony Gwynn in the OF, and promptly doubled in his first MLB AB. As we saw from Brandon Belt, it isn't always going to be smooth sailing for top prospects, but Sands is very likely to succeed and put a stranglehold on playing time right off the bat, something (in my bitterness) that for some reason eluded the departed Xavier Paul. Sands should immediately be rostered in all formats and started in most, as he has a high likelihood of sticking right out of the gate.
Nate McLouth - McLouth had a pair of doubles and an RBI last night against LA in a 4-2 loss. I remain a McLouth supporter for a couple of reasons. Number one is that his contact rate is actually improved the past few seasons in which his K rates are higher. McLouth has a very patient approach at the plate, swinging roughly 2/5 of the time, and that leads to deep counts and, when things aren't going your way, a bunch of called strikeouts. Curiously, his walk rate is down substantially in the early going, suggesting that pitchers are challenging him. His LD% has been very good thus far possibly due to that circumstance, but a BABIP 60 points under expectations is hindering things. Top it all off with the fact that he hasn't had a ball leave the park yet and you've got a really cold start. The Braves have very little to offer as potential replacements for McLouth (Matt Young, Jordan Schafer, and Joe Mather are 4th or 5th OFs at best), so he should be afforded the time to rebound. For me, McLouth is a solid buy-low candidate at age 29.
Joe Blanton - As the clear non-star in a star-studded rotation, Blanton is definitely going to have a tendency to be overlooked this season. A very unfortunate strand% and BABIP have masked a decent start by Blanton in the important areas of BB/9, K/9, and GB%, furthering Blanton's underrated status. I had the opportunity to watch Blanton's outing against the Brewers last night and he looked very sharp, exhibiting excellent control and generating ground ball after ground ball. The Phillie offense is enough to justify an investment in Blanton on its own, but if these improvements hold (specifically the GB%) he has the capability to be a mid-rotation guy in a neutral offense, let alone a strong one.
Shaun Marcum - Marcum continues to get a little bit sharper with each outing, as he held the Phillies to five singles and an unearned run over six innings last night. Marcum hasn't allowed an earned run in 17 innings now despite a fastball that sits in the 85-87 mph range...watching him work is really a pitching clinic at times. Marcum's ability to throw any pitch for a strike at any time allows him to survive despite substantially subpar velocity, and pitching in the NL Central should augment his numbers nicely this year. His health was the primary concern coming out of spring training, and judging from his progress the past few outings I'd feel comfortable with his current state.
