Scott Kazmir (SP-CLE): Scott Kazmir turned back the clock last night, tossing an absolute gem against the Athletics. The lefty allowed only 1 earned run on 5 hits in 6 innings of work, impressively striking out 10 without walking a batter to pick up his 2nd win of the year. Over his last 3 starts, Kazmir is 2-1 and has allowed only 4 earned runs on 15 hits in 16 innings with an impressive 21:3 K:BB ratio. His velocity continues to improve (according to Brooks, he averaged over 93 MPH last night with his 2-seamer and touched 96 on his 100th pitch) and he once again is mixing in an effective slider 19.7% of the time. His .346 BABIP and 3.33 xFIP suggest that Kazmir's 4.87 ERA may even be a bit unfortunate. Put it all together and Kazmir's upside warrants a pick up in all AL-only and deeper mixed-leagues. While he's not quite 10-team relevant yet, if owners with bench spots want to speculate and stash, it's best to be proactive and do so immediately. You don't want to be the one saying "I wanted the Kazmir!"
David Price (SP-TB): David Price took a huge step in the right direction last night in a matchup of reigning CY Young winners. Price tossed 8 solid innings, allowing only 2 earned runs on 7 hits and 1 walk, with 8 strikeouts. In the no-decision, Price's velocity was markedly better than it has been all season. According to Brooks, he averaged over 94 MPH with his 2-seamer and 95 MPH with his 4-seamer, touching 96 MPH after his 100th pitch. While Price's ERA now sits at 4.78, his 3.33 xFIP backed by a .338 BABIP suggests he was unfortunate even while his velocity suffered. Roll with him in all formats, as Price looks primed to regain his Cy Young form.
Oswaldo Arcia (OF-MIN): Oswaldo Arcia continued to impress at the dish, logging a 2 for 4, 2 RBI, 2 run night in leading the Twins over the Red Sox. The rookie added his 3rd home run as well, and over his last six games, is 11 for 23 with 4 RBI and 4 runs scored to push his season line to .313/.353/.547. While Arcia's minor league track record suggests his bat is for real, his 5.9% BB rate, 26.5% K rate, and .395 BABIP portend a significant regression. While pitchers will adjust how they attack him, look for Arcia to battle and put up respectable numbers across the board. Keep an eye on his home/road splits and how they develop as the season progresses. So far, he's .240/.269/.480 at home and .359/.405/.590 on the road in a limited sample. While he makes a solid long-term keeper, for those in yearly leagues it might be a good time to sell-high if others see him as more than a #5 OF in mixed leagues.
Josh Hamilton (OF-LAA): Josh Hamilton continued to show signs of life at the plate last night, hitting his 4th homer of the year in a 2 for 4 effort. While his season line still sits at an abysmal .213/.267/.346, he is 3 for his last 9 with 2 home runs. Should we look for the resurgence to continue into the weekend? On the one hand, Hamilton's home run to fly ball rate of 10.3% is well below his career average of 19.0%, and he's hitting fly balls at a rate in line with his career norm (39.8%). On the other hand, his chase rate of 42.1% is still above his career average of 38%. Most alarmingly, he isn't hitting fastballs, especially those in the middle of the zone, hitting .200 on such pitches this season. There have been no reports of a decline in Hamilton's bat speed, so this could be a case of Hamilton pressing when in fastball counts. Put it all together, and I sense that the resurgence will continue.
Eric Hosmer (1B-KC): Eric Hosmer appeared to find his power stroke last night, going 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, including his first home run of the season. The effort pushed his season line to .277/.345/.366 with 11 RBI, 10 runs, and a 10:22 BB:K ratio through 29 games. The biggest question surrounding Hosmer is about the power: will he channel his power stroke and approximate the .172 ISO from his breakout 2011, or continue the downward trend and hover at his current .089 mark? His ground ball to fly ball ratio has risen from 1.57 in 2011, to 1.92 in 2012, to an astounding 2.41 in 2013. Additionally, his home run to fly ball rate ratio has decreased from 13.5% in 2011, to 11.3% in 2012, to an alarming 5.9% in 2013. Pitchers are pounding him inside with fastballs and Hosmer isn't turning on them to right field but appears to have developed an inside-out, all-fields approach. While the average and on-base skills remain solid, and while the potential is there, I'm legitimately concerned about his power.
Follow me on Twitter @walterkuberski
There are over 100 players covered in the members' area each day. If you're not already a subscriber, please join us today!
