Tampa Bay Rays Archive

  • Kimbrel, Johnson Look Dominant
    April 29, 2012

    Here’s a look at the top five fantasy relief pitchers as we’re close to the end of the first month of the regular season.

    1.  Jim Johnson, Orioles:

    Part of Johnson’s success has been that the Orioles are playing much better than anticipated, but kudos for Johnson for converting the opportunities he’s been given.  Though Johnson isn’t much of a strikeout threat, he’s been perfect this season and he should be a high value guy if you were able to get him.  If you get the right price, though, Johnson is the kind of guy you might want to consider selling.

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  • Shields Pitches Another Gem
    August 10, 2011

    This season, Jared Weaver, C.C. Sabathia and Josh Beckett have pitched so well that James Shields has hardly gotten any notice, even though he now has a 2.80 ERA and has shown flashes of being one of the more dominant pitchers in the league.  On Tuesday night, Shields showed it once again against the Royals, as he hurled a six-hit shutout to lead the Rays past the Royals 4-0.  Shields now has five complete game shutouts this season, notching him with Cliff Lee for the most shutouts this season.  Not only has Shields been almost unhittable at times, but he’s also one of the most difficult pitchers to run on in the league.

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  • The Beastly A.L. East
    July 22, 2011

    We all know that the A.L. East has two giants that are always ready to fight for the division in Boston and New York, though this year some of the other teams are giving people reason to stop and take notice.  As of July 21, four out of the five games in the division were above .500, with Baltimore being the only team still struggling to maintain a winning record.  Even after losing some major free agents recently, the Rays might be the biggest surprise at 52-45, which normally would be good enough to be right in the thick of the Wild Card hunt.  This year, though, both Boston and New York appear poised to run away with the division title and the Wild Card, no matter who actually ends up on top.

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  • Potential Impact Call-Ups
    May 17, 2011

    They have Russell Martin, but doesn’t this Jorge Posada situation have the New York Yankees thinking about Jesus Montero?  According to Baseball Think Factory’s Dan Syzmborski, Montero is the number one potential impact call-up.  “There’s a definite need to get Montero into the mix in the near future,” Syzmborski writes. “With Tampa Bay and Boston both rebounding from dismal starts, the Yankees may be forced to make a final decision on whether to get Montero in the lineup or trade him.”  Montero is not mashing in the minors this year, but he’s got serious potential as a power hitter, especially for a backstop.

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  • MLB Power Rankings
    May 9, 2011

    The Philadelphia Phillies are again the top team in ESPN’s MLB Power Rankings.  The Phils have not been totally dominant, but their pitching has carried them in many cases.  Ball Baer of Crashburn Alley notes their offensive struggles.  “The offense continues to be inconsistent, scoring a meager five runs in three games against the Braves,” Baer writes.  “With Carlos Ruiz on the shelf, the bottom-third of the lineup is a veritable black hole.”  Cole Hamels has been especially effective on the mound for the Phillies this season, save for one rough outing to begin the year.  The addition of a cutter to his repertoire has been a big difference-maker.

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  • Top Fantasy Prospects
    April 21, 2011

    Fantasy baseball is often won on the waiver wire.  You can draft a great team, but there’s a good chance that you’ll need to make some good pickups to finish atop your league come season’s end.  Often times minor league call-ups make all the difference, for both their major league clubs and fantasy owners that are lucky enough to grab them off the waiver wire when they reach the big leagues.  Those that grabbed Buster Posey last season know this very well, as they certainly reaped the benefits from his production last season, especially at a position at which production is often an issue.

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  • Hellickson’s 2011 Fantasy Potential
    March 3, 2011

    ESPN’s Keith Law is the man for information on MLB prospects, and the recently laid out his Top 50 fantasy baseball prospects for 2011.  Tampa Bay hurler Jeremy Hellickson tops Law’s list.  Hellickson got more than a cup of coffee with the club last season, looking absolutely fantastic at times as a starter.  The Rays traded Matt Garza in the offseason partially due to their confidence in this youngster.  “‘Hellboy’ has drawn comparisons to David Cone from some scouts (though with a little less velocity), and that’s mighty high praise,” Law writes.  ”Hellickson locates his low-90s fastball on both sides of the plate, has a “plus” circle changeup to use against big league lefties and an above-average spike curve that he can drop in for strikes or make a chase pitch.  He even started showing a little feel for a new cutter last season.”

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  • Rays Still Upbeat This Year
    March 1, 2011

    The Rays lost some major pieces of their team in the offseason, with players like Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena and Matt Garza leaving town, but that hasn’t changed the upbeat atmosphere in the Tampa Bay clubhouse.  That’s not to say that it wasn’t tough on the current players to lose those guys that had been to the World Series with them.  “After [Game 5 of the 2010 ALDS] was over, packing our bags up and knowing our season was over, that was the hardest part for me,” pitcher James Shields told reporters.  ”Just saying goodbye to the guys I had a really good feeling were not going to be back.”

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