This is what we're concerned about. The most interesting aspect of fantasy baseball (to me) is scouting the hot players and deciding whether or not to add them to your team. Here's a clue: past performance is not indicative of future production. Examples? Wandy Rodriguez. Brad Lidge. Eric Gagne. Lady Gaga. It's time to start listing.
THE PROSPECTS:
Jose Bautista, OF, Toronto Blue Jays- Listen. Bautista is a star. Yes, I said it, and you can quote me. Even next year. His power outage is not going to end anytime soon, and who's going to argue with 16 HR, 42 RBI and 37 runs? Not me. That's why I picked him up. To put it clearly, Bautista is a poor man's Ryan Howard. Puts up huge power numbers with a deceivingly small average. If you're lucky enough to have him available, get him now.
Corey Hart, OF, Milwaukee Brewers- I've been watching Hart for years, being an Astros fan, and not only has he beat the crap out of me on MLB The Show, but in real life as well. So logically, I decided I would't let him beat me in the third baseball world I live in. Picked him up two weeks ago, and boy am I glad. Hart finished the month of May on an absolute tear, belting 10 HR. What's more, his totals this season, with a .263 average, are 14 HR, 35 RBI, and 23 runs scored. And though he only has 3 accredited to him this year, Hart definitely has the speed to steal some bags too. Buried treasure for sure, though perhaps not "buried" anymore. He's owned in 95.9 percent of the ESPN leagues.
Anibal Sanchez, SP, Florida Marlins- Perhaps the most effective pitcher in the month of May he's now 5-2 with a 2.89 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. He's young, but I gotta believe that this is Sanchez's coming-out season. Be cautious, but he's the second-best Florida hurler to pick up.
Jonny Gomes, OF, Cincinnati Reds- I feel like no one will listen to me on Gomes, but maybe I'm just being an Astros lover after all. Listen. This guy reminds me of Fergie. You look at her sometimes and think "Man, I just wanna (fill in the blank). She's so (blank blank blank)". And other times, I think she looks a man in drag. Gomes has talent, true. And he's hitting .303 with 7 HR and 35 RBI. Don't take the bait. Unless he's simply trade bait for someone else. Then it's a great idea.
Angel Pagan, OF, New York Mets- I love love love love love love this Angel, but I can't make myself pick him up. He's a versatile outfielder with decent speed and a whole lotta heart, but everyone, including him, knows in the back of their mind that he'll be riding the pine once Carlos Beltran comes back from the DL. Though no one necessarily knows when that will be, (he just started running the bases this week) don't risk it. Especially when there are better outfield prospects out there. He's exciting to watch though. Ex. Citing.
John Ely, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers- Now don't get in a tizzy. I think Ely is a phenomenal talent. But what's gonna happen is this: limited innings and a future slump. He's great right now. But that's it. Right now. He doesn't have experience (yet) and he doesn't have enough velocity (or any at all) that can help him power past hitters when control struggles strike. Take him if you want, but I would wait for a couple of months to see if he pans out. Or seasons.
Congratulations. You survived. Now go take my advice and add/drop the players you need to. Don't blame me if it doesn't work. I only copied Matthew Barry anyway.
