Derek Holland - Now that Lonnie Chisenhall is back in the majors, Derek Holland has competition for best mustache in the AL and it's a three-man race for best mustache in baseball between those two and the Reds' Sam LeCure. That being said, Holland is likely more concerned about his recent performances on the mound rather than the hair on his upper lip. In his last start, the lefty got shellacked by giving up 8 ER in just 1 2/3 innings against the Mariners. For the season, Holland owns a good strikeout rate (8.32), but is giving up HRs at an alarming rate (1.31 HR/9) and his GB rate has fallen by 8% compared to 2011. Holland is also dealing with some poor luck as his strand rate is just 60%. Holland owners should be encouraged that his xFIP is more than a run below his 5.11, so expect his ERA to recover in the coming weeks. I still expect Holland to finish the season with an ERA around 3.80-4.00 and be a spot starter that's worth playing more often than not. I'd plug him in on the road against the Athletics this evening.
Josh Willingham - The Hammer went 2-for-3 on Monday against the Royals with a HR, 2 walks and 3 RBI. He's now hitting .287 with 11 HRs and 39 RBI in 2012. Willingham has put together a great first two months by posting an excellent .292 ISO and 14% walk rate to go along with a .409 OBP. That mark is a vast improvement over his .332 OBP in 2011 and something we expected based on the outfielder's career numbers. With a 20% HR/FB rate, Willingham is hitting a little bit over his head, but he's not going to experience any serious regression. When Willingham is healthy, like he has been so far this season, he can post 25+ HRs and 90+ RBI, making him a more than serviceable outfielder in most league formats.
Alcides Escobar - For all you Troy Tulowitzki owners looking for a backup during his DL stint, Alcides Escobar should be able to fill in and provide value to your team. The Royals' shortstop went 0-for-3 on Monday against the Twins, but is still batting .293 with 9 steals and 21 runs scored. After hitting .254 in 2011 with an 18% LD rate and .285 BABIP, Escobar has improved his LD rate to 25% this season which has fueled his .353 BABIP and close to .300 average. He also owns just a 21% FB rate, down 8% from 2011, which is a very good sign for a player with little pop since almost any FB is an out. He's also 9 for 10 in steals after swiping 26 bags a season ago. All told, Escobar can provide a solid BA and steal bases at a nice clip so he should be owned as a backup in most formats.
Philip Humber - Philip Humber pitched well last season, finishing with a 3.75 ERA and 3.86 xFIP in 26 starts and seemed primed to be a solid back end of the rotation starter. However, this season, aside from his perfect game, Humber has been a different pitcher - and that hasn't been a good thing. Humber's been able to increase his strikeout rate from 6.40 in 2011 to 8.13, but it appears those extra missed bats have come at a cost as Humber's walk rate has jumped to 3.98 and his HR rate has nearly doubled from 0.77 last season to 1.21 in 2012. He's also inducing significantly fewer grounders with a GB rate of just 34%, which represents a 13% decrease from his 2011 mark. All told, it's difficult to be successful in the majors when you're walking more batters and giving up a lot of FBs and HRs. I'd like to tell you that Humber is a buy-low target, but his peripherals make me think something is wrong with his mechanics and delivery. For now, he's waiver wire material in deeper AL-only and mixed leagues. He draws the Blue Jays this evening.
Ubaldo Jimenez - The Indians pushed back Ubaldo Jimenez's start from Saturday against the Twins to tonight versus the Tigers. The purpose was to have Jimenez focus on fixing his balky mechanics and get a couple extra days of rest. In his last start, Jimenez got shelled by the White Sox and struggled, once again, to locate his pitches. He walked 4 and is posting a 6.75 walk rate for the season. Additionally, he's been unable to miss as many bats as evidenced by his pedestrian 5.30 whiff rate and his HR rate has jumped to 1.29 compared to a 0.65 mark for his career. All signs point toward a pitcher that has multiple issues with his delivery, arm slot and stride. I'm encouraged that the Indians are working to help Jimenez correct these mechanical flaws, but that effort, in itself, doesn't change the right hander's value for now - he should not be started in any league format.
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