Nelson Cruz, OF, Texas Rangers: Hot Batter
The Texas slugger finished 2-for-4 while hitting his 19th home run of the season, which was enough to hand the Cardinals the loss, 4-2. After hitting a very underwhelming .216 with a .282 OBP in the month of May, Cruz has dialed it up in June, batting .297 (.332 OBP) with six home runs and 16 RBI. He now has 55 RBI on the year, putting him on pace for 120 on the season, which would be his career high by about 30. The warmer months and thick Texas air are normally kinder to Cruz's bat, so he should continue to do damage with the lumber, but don't expect this rapid run producing pace all season.
Will Myers, OF, Tampa Bay Rays: Rookie
Myers got off to a slow start in his first five games as a rookie, batting only .190 with two RBI, but he broke out in a big way against the Yankees yesterday, blasting his first career home run, a grand salami that just made it over the outstretched gloved of Brett Gardner in right center. The slam was one of Myers three hits on the day, pushing his average up to .280 on the year. He is widely considered to have the best power of any top 100 prospect, so the long balls should come, but he hasn't ever been much of an average guy in the minors, so he shouldn't impress anyone there. The Rays are an anemic offense at times, so having the pop of Myers bat in the middle of the order could end up helping Longoria's, Jennings' and Zobrist's value a bit.
Zoilo Almonte, OF, New York Yankees: Rookie
In just the second start of his career, Almonte delivered again, opening up the scoring for New York with a two-run single to give the Yanks the lead. After being stuck in the minors for years, Almonte is finally getting his chance, and boy is he making the most of it in the early going. He has been on base in 70 percent of his at-bats, and he has four RBI in two starts as a pro. Even with his nice start, it's hard to recommend any perennial minor leaguer with this little experience, but if you want to catch a guy swinging a hot bat, Zoilo could sizzle for a little bit before pitchers start to learn his tendencies.
Chien-Ming Wang, SP, Toronto Blue Jays: Idea
I thought the rumors of Chien-Ming Wang being resurrected from the dead were lies, but the man has been straight dealing in his last couple starts and is going to start creating some buzz in the fantasy world if he keeps trending up. Wang threw 6.1 innings, striking out two and allowing just one unearned run, pushing his ERA through three starts to a 2.18. He was one of the more reliable pitchers when he was in New York, winning 19 games in both 2006 and 2007, but those years are long behind him. He was also pitching for a offensively loaded Yankees team. It's also a little to early to tell what Wang is truly made off, but the great news is that he's back on an MLB mound and has had some success early on. I am always a big advocate of watch listing players so you can monitor their progress and jump on them at the right time, and Wang definitely fits in that category. He isn't someone that I would get too high on because he doesn't strike out a ton of batters and he pitches in a hitters park, but he knows how to manage games and he could get you some wins in the short term.
Addison Reed, RP, Chicago White Sox: Stats
Reed continued his stellar play, tossing a 1-2-3 ninth in Kansas City yesterday to notch his 21st save on the season in 23 opportunities. He has one very bad outing under his belt this month, which pushed his ERA way above three, but he has done well since then, allowing just a run in his last seven appearances. The White Sox are 10 games under .500 and reeling in the AL Central race, but Reed has been a bright spot at the ripe age of 24 and has the potential for a 40 save season.
