Mitch Moreland, 1B, Texas Rangers: Back on Track
After 10 games without one, Mitch Moreland finally broke the dry spell and went yard off of Brandon McCarthy in the 3rd inning of yesterday's game, chasing McCarthy from the game. The home run marked the 11th of the year for Moreland, tying him with Michael Morse for 11th place on the American League list. It was his only hit of the contest, but his average still sits at .286 and he has driven 26 runs on the year. In his first full year as a starter during his short MLB career, Moreland is putting up solid power numbers and he is holding his own in the middle of that Rangers order. During the month of May, he is batting .302 with eight home runs and 16 RBI, tying him for fourth in the league in long balls during the month, keeping him very fantasy relevant. The last couple of years, he floated between team to free agency because he was platooning and it's tough to keep a guy on your roster who doesn't play everyday. If he happens to be available (FA in 39% of Yahoo! Leagues) and you need a 1B, he is a great option in all formats because of the ballpark and his recent playing time this season.
Jake Peavy, SP, Chicago White Sox: Questionable Outing
Peavy was knocked around yesterday in his start versus the rival Cubbies. In four innings of work, Peavy allowed six earned runs on eight hits while striking out just three. It was his shortest outing of the year and it marked the first start in 2013 in which Peavy gave up more than four runs and lasted less than 5 1/3 innings. Owners need to be stoked so far because of the fact that the veteran righty has been able to stay healthy thus far. Before 2012, it had been three straight years of less than 20 starts for Peavy after battling shoulder issues and going through experimental surgery, so it has to be nice seeing him out there pitching and not under the knife. Even after yesterday's rough patch, the 32-year old owns a 3.62 ERA and has struck out 66 batters in 64 innings. He is starting to regain owners trust with each and every start he makes.
Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle Mariners: Dominating Again
King Felix was back to his winning ways after two straight very shaky starts at Cleveland and home against Texas. He struck out just six in eight innings of work, but he allowed just one run (given up one or no runs in 8 of his last 10 starts). The win was King's sixth of the season and his first since May 8th. No one really worried after Hernandez gave up five runs in two straight starts, people just trust him (6-3, 2.38 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 87 Ks in 83 IP). He is one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball and how he performs week in and week out dictates his reputation. Let's just collectively take a deep breath and exhale, because I know there would have been a weird aura surrounding his name today if he went out and had his third straight bad performance.
Coco Crisp, OF, Oakland Athletics: Doing it All
In the beginning of the year, Coco Crisp surprised everyone with his early power surge, hitting home runs in four straight games and putting five over the wall in April. Now, he is back to his old tricks, slapping the ball around and using his legs to score runs. On the season, Crisp is batting a respectable .284 with just those five homers and 19 RBI, but he has stolen 11 bases already and has crossed the plate 34 times in 2013. Oakland is (and always will be) a feisty team that maximizes at-bats and in turn, their offensive production. They used to be a team I would shy away from by means of fantasy because their offense was just anemic most of the time, but now that Cespedes holds down the middle of the order with surprise of the year waiver wire pick up, Josh Donaldson, the team has some stability and it has proven useful, helping the A's to win nine of their last 11 games. Crisp isn't available in most leagues (owned in 81% of Yahoo!), but he is a very nice source of runs and stolen bases if you need an outfielder.
Robinson Cano, 2B, New York Yankees: Staying on Track
Cano was the lone bright spot in the Yankees lineup last night, as they were swept in a four-game set with their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets. Cano hit a laser beam homer into the right field seats off of Dillon Gee in the third inning to mark the only run the Yankees would score in the contest. The long ball, Cano's 14th of the year, puts him third in the AL in that category. He is batting .296 with a .351 OBP, 36 RBI and remains truly the only Yankee that has hit through the entirety of the last two months. The team suffered an unfortunate hiccup, dropping four in a row, but you can't place any blame on Robbie, aside from maybe a goofball error he made in the first game of the series. He is on track to stay in the MVP voting for now at least, so he has definitely been worth the top 10 value people drafted him at this season.
