FANTASY BASEBALL: DH Breakdown
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Mar 21 2010, 5:03 PM
Designated hitters are like brontosauruses. They are big, slow specimens that lumber around trying to stay alive. This year’s herd of DHs seems even bigger and slower than usual. Gone are the days of the Big Hurt and Big Papi. I know, Big Papi is still in the mix, but he’s not the player he was just a few seasons ago. Without any elite options at this position, it’s easy to forget about these guys during your draft. So pay attention, because while there’s no one worthy of a top draft pick, a few of the guys below can prove to be nice values if they fall in your draft.
Hitter-Friendly
1. David Ortiz, BOS – An abysmal first half last year had people bailing on Big Papi, who was seemingly a product of a steroid stat spike. In the second half, however, Ortiz revived his season and ended with respectable power numbers of 28 HR and 99 RBI. He still hits in the middle of a potent Red Sox lineup, so expect good production and some improvement on his .238 average from a year ago.
2. Vladimir Guerrero, TEX – Another once-elite slugger who is hanging on as a DH. Injuries held the former Angel to just 383 ABs in ’09, yet when he played, he was fairly effective. A change of scenery and staying out of the outfield most of the time will keep Vlad in the batter’s box and providing big stats. He will put on the glove some to spell Nelson Cruz, so he may qualify at OF at some point later in the season.
3. Hideki Matsui, LAA – The Angels say adios to Guerrero and replace him with Godzilla. Matsui had a quiet start to last season, but when you look at his final numbers, the HR and RBI are solid. The Angels want to play Matsui in the outfield a couple times a week, so you can get him at a DH discount and he could qualify at OF in a couple of months.
Designated for Assignment
4. Travis Hafner, CLE – He was injured and then returned as a part-timer for the tribe last season. This year, he’s healthy heading into the season, and could surprise some people. He’ll never hit 42 bombs again like he did in ’06, but at age 33, he could get halfway there.
5. Jim Thome, MIN – With 500 at bats, I have little doubt that Thome could put up 25 and 85. Problem is, there’s a logjam in the Minnesota OF/DH positions. Cuddyer, Kubel and Span are going to be full-timers. So it’ll be interesting to see how at bats are divvied up between the aging slugger and Delmon Young.
6. Pat Burrell, TB – Pat “The Bat” is just a season removed from a 33/86 season. That’s the good news. The bad news is Tampa Bay inked Hank Blalock and the two could be used in a platoon situation. If you’re desperate for a little pop late in an AL-Only draft, you could do worse.
7. Andruw Jones, CWS – Is he really an upgrade over Jermaine Dye? I don’t think so. ‘Druw still has some pop and he lost 25 lbs. in the offseason, so maybe he’s serious about a resurgence. Don’t expect much of a BA, though you could land some surprising power numbers if Andy gets regular ABs. He’s gotta still be a better fielder than Quentin, so maybe he’ll gain OF eligibility too.
8. Ken Griffey Jr, SEA – Last year’s numbers are about what you can expect from this future Hall of Famer on his farewell tour. His sweet power stroke still brings the dingers, though his average was a pitiful .214 last season. He’ll either improve on that…or he’ll be waving goodbye from the bench.
9. Mike Jacobs, NYM – The Mets signed the all-or-nothing Jacobs to a minor league deal. They’ve got Daniel Murphy slated to start at 1B…not exactly a powerhouse, so there’s a chance Jacobs gets some playing time. Still, it’s best to avoid this strikeout machine. Obviously, he’ll eventually qualify at 1B if he makes the big league roster.
10. Mike Sweeney, SEA – Perhaps the other part of Seattle’s DH platoon with Griffey, Sweeney is hanging on to his big league career by a thread. It’s interesting to note that he’s tearing it up this spring, going 14 for 20 as of this posting. Though it’s unlikely he logs enough at bats to help your team.
For more fantasy sports advice and info, join us at theFantasyGeek.com and for up-to-date fantasy news, follow me on Twitter.
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Designated hitters are like brontosauruses. They are big, slow specimens that lumber around trying to stay alive. This year’s herd of DHs seems even bigger and slower than usual. Gone are the days of the Big Hurt and Big Papi. I know, Big Papi is still in the mix, but he’s not the player he was just a few seasons ago. Without any elite options at this position, it’s easy to forget about these guys during your draft. So pay attention, because while there’s no one worthy of a top draft pick, a few of the guys below can prove to be nice values if they fall in your draft.
Hitter-Friendly
1. David Ortiz, BOS – An abysmal first half last year had people bailing on Big Papi, who was seemingly a product of a steroid stat spike. In the second half, however, Ortiz revived his season and ended with respectable power numbers of 28 HR and 99 RBI. He still hits in the middle of a potent Red Sox lineup, so expect good production and some improvement on his .238 average from a year ago.
2. Vladimir Guerrero, TEX – Another once-elite slugger who is hanging on as a DH. Injuries held the former Angel to just 383 ABs in ’09, yet when he played, he was fairly effective. A change of scenery and staying out of the outfield most of the time will keep Vlad in the batter’s box and providing big stats. He will put on the glove some to spell Nelson Cruz, so he may qualify at OF at some point later in the season.
3. Hideki Matsui, LAA – The Angels say adios to Guerrero and replace him with Godzilla. Matsui had a quiet start to last season, but when you look at his final numbers, the HR and RBI are solid. The Angels want to play Matsui in the outfield a couple times a week, so you can get him at a DH discount and he could qualify at OF in a couple of months.
Designated for Assignment
4. Travis Hafner, CLE – He was injured and then returned as a part-timer for the tribe last season. This year, he’s healthy heading into the season, and could surprise some people. He’ll never hit 42 bombs again like he did in ’06, but at age 33, he could get halfway there.
5. Jim Thome, MIN – With 500 at bats, I have little doubt that Thome could put up 25 and 85. Problem is, there’s a logjam in the Minnesota OF/DH positions. Cuddyer, Kubel and Span are going to be full-timers. So it’ll be interesting to see how at bats are divvied up between the aging slugger and Delmon Young.
6. Pat Burrell, TB – Pat “The Bat” is just a season removed from a 33/86 season. That’s the good news. The bad news is Tampa Bay inked Hank Blalock and the two could be used in a platoon situation. If you’re desperate for a little pop late in an AL-Only draft, you could do worse.
7. Andruw Jones, CWS – Is he really an upgrade over Jermaine Dye? I don’t think so. ‘Druw still has some pop and he lost 25 lbs. in the offseason, so maybe he’s serious about a resurgence. Don’t expect much of a BA, though you could land some surprising power numbers if Andy gets regular ABs. He’s gotta still be a better fielder than Quentin, so maybe he’ll gain OF eligibility too.
8. Ken Griffey Jr, SEA – Last year’s numbers are about what you can expect from this future Hall of Famer on his farewell tour. His sweet power stroke still brings the dingers, though his average was a pitiful .214 last season. He’ll either improve on that…or he’ll be waving goodbye from the bench.
9. Mike Jacobs, NYM – The Mets signed the all-or-nothing Jacobs to a minor league deal. They’ve got Daniel Murphy slated to start at 1B…not exactly a powerhouse, so there’s a chance Jacobs gets some playing time. Still, it’s best to avoid this strikeout machine. Obviously, he’ll eventually qualify at 1B if he makes the big league roster.
10. Mike Sweeney, SEA – Perhaps the other part of Seattle’s DH platoon with Griffey, Sweeney is hanging on to his big league career by a thread. It’s interesting to note that he’s tearing it up this spring, going 14 for 20 as of this posting. Though it’s unlikely he logs enough at bats to help your team.
For more fantasy sports advice and info, join us at theFantasyGeek.com and for up-to-date fantasy news, follow me on Twitter.
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