By Richard Schortemeyer III
What in the ‘Devil’ has gotten into the Tampa Bay Rays? Since its existence, the team has been annual cellar dwellers. However, after 14 seasons of struggle, the Rays finally seem to be on the right track. They recently validated themselves as serious contenders with a three-game sweep over the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox. What has changed? Four reasons:
1) The bullpen - after a putrid, last place, 5.53 team ERA in ‘07, veteran closer Troy Percival (yet another great comeback story) has helped lead the relievers to a current top-5 ERA.
2) Starting pitching - led by ace and defending K champion Scott Kazmir, this fairly young staff, from 1 to 5, has matured and, basically, been rock solid all season.
3) A good talented mix - from the likes of veterans like DH Cliff Floyd and OF Carl Crawford to the young studs like OF B.J. Upton and ‘Rookie of the Year’ frontrunner Evan Longoria, this team has the combination that can put runs up on the board every night.
4) An attitude adjustment - It just looks like this fairly young core has grown up and started to believe they can play and win against anyone on any day. There have been unbelievable stories so far in ‘08, but I don’t know if anyone or any team can top the story this Tampa Bay team has been so far.
On this edition of “On the Record,” we’ll talk about a former Ray who’s putting up his ‘Dukes’ in D.C., a solid middleman in Oaktown, and an emerging middle reliever in the Windy City.
Question #1
What outfielder would Tampa Bay love to have in their lineup right now?
Not like their team needs it, but Tampa wouldn’t mind taking back the services of, now, Washington Nationals OF Elijah Dukes. Dukes, who has All-Star potential, has been clearly overmatched by his off-the-field troubles, but he was traded in the offseason from Tampa for a minor league pitcher.
After an injury earlier in the season, he has seemed to fully recover to show that he’s ready to become more of a headliner on the field. After the team’s #1 player, Ryan Zimmerman, went down with a shoulder injury in late May, the Nationals were desperately seeking some production in the middle of their lineup, and Dukes has risen to the challenge. In the last month, despite 32 Ks, he’s batted over .300 and has driven in and scored close to 20 runs. He’s also stolen close to ten bases and has shown a solid batting eye with nearly 20 BBs.
Those numbers are all well and good. However, there is one major issue - there simply is not a lot of support around this young slugger. A mixture of key injuries and inconsistency from key hitters lowers Mr. Duke’s fantasy value. However, with a developing all-around game, you should be able to get away with having him as a nice addition to your bench.
Question #2
Who is one of the top-5 all-around 2B that no one talks about?
With most of the lineup batting under .250, the few bright spots of the 2008 Oakland A’s come from the middle of the field, aka the Triangle, with CF Ryan Sweeney, SS Bobby Crosby, and the answer to Question #2, 2B Mark Ellis. After averaging 11 HRs and 52 RBIs from 2003-06, Ellis had a career year in ‘07, with career highs in HRs (19), RBIs (76) and SBs (9).
That solid production has rolled over into this season, as he’s in the double-digit HR range, driven in over 30 runs, and has already surpassed his career SB total, which is now in double digits. What’s been most eye-opening with Ellis’ 2008 so far has been his increased plate discipline. With a career-high of 48 BBs, he, amazingly, is already fewer than ten BBs away from reaching that mark.
Ellis has been moved around in the lineup, including batting in the leadoff spot. Speaking in fantasy terms, it would be best if manager Bob Geren can make Ellis the team’s leadoff hitter. As mentioned, he’s shown to have a stronger eye than ever at the plate, and with the team’s top hitters (Sweeney, Crosby, and C Kurt Suzuki) usually in the 2-5 slots, Ellis would benefit tremendously.
Yes, there are a few solid ‘Grade A’ 2B out there, but after that, there isn’t much offense you can find from that position. If your team is weak at 2B, picking up someone like Ellis, who’s got 20 HR - 20 SB potential, is recommended.
Question #3
Who has been Bobby Jenks’ favorite bullpen mate recently?
After a near 5.00 ERA in 2007, the Chicago White Sox bullpen has recovered exceptionally, as they currently sit atop MLB in that category in ‘08. One of the biggest reasons for this turnaround is lefty Matt Thornton. Not many middle relievers have been as solid as Thornton has been this season, and this past month definitely provides validation. This past month, Thornton has picked up a few wins, a save, and has struck out close to 20 batters while maintaining an ERA below 1.00.
Overall this season, he has averaged more than one K per IP and has only allowed batters to hit just under .175 while posting an ERA just over 2.50. The White Sox bullpen has been so impressive that there is not one RP who’s pitched over 10 IP that has an ERA of 4.00 and above.
With an offense that is not that dynamic, and that can struggle at times, you expect Chicago’s bullpen to play a huge role in ‘08. With 98% of the official closers currently on fantasy teams, if you need relief help, the best way to go right now is with someone who’s used regularly and that has electric stuff. At least that will help you in a few pitching categories.
Going by that, I would say that Mr. Thornton is a top three selection. Pick him up, if desperate, but if picked up, you won’t be disappointed. Plus, you never know; with a ton of closers going down this season, you just never know.
Check back next week to see who’s “On the Record.”
Until next time, Adios all.