Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Miguel Ferreras continues to get stretched out in this, first season as a full-time starter. And while the 21-year-old righty isn’t exactly dominating the Dominican Summer League, there have been some promising developments.

In his start Monday, Ferreras lasted five innings for the first time this season, and while he gave up five hits and three runs, he matched his season-high with six strikeouts while enjoying his first walk-free outing of the season.

Through three starts, opponents are batting just .205 against Ferreras, and that has to have the Pirates thinking this 6′5″ Dominican is nearly ready to go stateside after three seasons in the DSL.

Farm Seedlings

• Heading into the season, A.J. Schugel was the No. 12 prospect on the Angels as ranked by Monkeywithahalo.com. Well, to say that he’s struggling to adjust to his first season in Triple-A is an understatement. Despite plenty of Ks, he went 0-1 with a 7.54 ERA in April and was battered in May to the tune of a .365 BAA and 8.36 ERA. However, Schugel has really turned things around this month – notwithstanding his outing Monday, that is. He had won his last three starts, each more impressive than the previous one, culminating in a six-inning shutout performance Wednesday. He’s a small (5′11″) righty that will be 23 later this month but doesn’t seem fazed by a heavy workload. Last year was Schugel’s first season starting full time and he logged over 140 IP and this season he’s tied for the PCL lead in starts (15) and has already pitched nearly 75 frames. The Angels’ 25th rounder from 2010 is still a tad raw on the mound as he was a two-way player in college. Schugel throws strikes (and gets lots of movement on his pitches which you can see in the video below), which is always a good thing, but it’s unclear if his stuff is good enough to translate into a major league rotation.
• You may recall that when the Padres’ rotation was reduced to rubble last year, southpaw Andrew Werner was among the cast of thousands given a shot, and he made eight starts, more or less holding his own. San Diego dealt him to Oakland in the Tyson Ross deal in the offseason and given his work at Triple-A this year, Werner hasn’t exactly put himself in consideration for another look in the Show. In fairness, Werner also got off to an ugly start (8.78 in five April starts) before starting to roll in May and June. Like Schugel, he was ripped Monday to end a really nice run. In his eight previous outings, Werner had seven quality starts and had not given up more than three earned runs once. Through a PCL-leading 15 starts, the former Indy League star had worked 90 1/3 IP, putting him on pace to smash his previous organized ball high (136 1/3). Home runs have been a problem for Werner as his normally extreme groundball rate has dramatically neutralized. This soft tosser’s fastball only averaged 87.9 mph during his run with the Padres last year, so keeping the ball on the ground is vital for his chances. Werner, 26, could emerge as a long man/spot starter if the A’s have a need later this year.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. Tune in here.

With a hotly contested, back-and-forth NBA Finals winding down, it’s time to turn our attention to the upcoming NBA Draft, which is a mere 10 days away.

For many teams, the draft is an opportunity to turn their franchise around, but 2013 lacks obvious star power. Mostly, it will be about assessing individual team needs as opposed to a best available player approach.

With this in mind, please note that this draft preview does not necessarily factor in specific team needs, but rather is a representation of who we consider to be the top 30 draft prospects this year.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers — Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky: Depending on who you speak to you, any one of the top half dozen players listed here could go first, but despite a torn ACL that will sideline him until December, most expect Noel (6′11″, 206) to go No. 1. He has the chance to be a serious defensive force as you can see in the video below.

2. Orlando Magic — Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas: Yes, Orlando has another three years of Arron Afflalo, but if the vet is shifted to the three, McLemore will find the PT he needs (at the cost of overall team size, of course).

3. Washington Wizards — Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown: Porter is a fantastic shooter from outside and brings a real energy to the floor that makes him tough to cover.

4. Charlotte Bobcats — Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana: Oladipo has really soared up the draft chart after averaging 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds as a junior for the Hoosiers.

5. Phoenix Suns — Alex Len, C, Maryland: Len is another big man dealing with injury issues, as a partial stress fracture in his ankle that required surgery last month could delay his debut next season.

6. New Orleans Pelicans — Anthony Bennett, SF/PF, UNLV: Toronto-born Bennett can score, but there are serious concerns about his defensive intensity.

7. Sacramento Kings — Trey Burke, PG, Michigan: The general assumption has been that the Pistons would take Burke if he’s sitting there at eight, but recent reports suggest they are not that high on him despite how many tickets he’d help them sell. It may be moot, because Burke could easily go before Detroit has to make the tough call of passing up on a Michigan hero.

8. Detroit Pistons — C.J. McCollum, PG/SG, Lehigh: McCollum has been compared to 2012-13 ROY Damian Lillard, but given that he’s not a true PG like Lillard, we don’t see it. Still, that’s an intriguing parallel.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves — Cody Zeller, PF/C, Indiana: Even though they need backcourt help, rumours suggest Detroit likes Zeller, so he may not last until ninth. It’s unclear if he’ll fit as a five or four as a pro, but he is a seven-foot white dude.

10. Portland Trail Blazers — Shabazz Muhammad, SG/SF, UCLA: Four years ago, Muhammad was the number one player in his high school class, but because of the rule changes, he was ineligible for the draft when he graduated in 2012. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the same level of success in college and his draft stock has slipped as a result.

11. Philadelphia 76ers — Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse: Carter-Williams has nice size for a PG (6′6″) and has impressed plenty of teams during his workouts. His work ethic should make him a lottery pick.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Toronto via Houston) — Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Georgia: The Georgia sophomore looks like he’ll settle in as a pure two that can shoot the rock.

13. Dallas Mavericks — Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh: Adams doesn’t get the hype some of this year’s prospects do, but he should be a solid NBA defender capable of pulling down boards and blocking shots.

14. Utah Jazz — Kelly Olynyk, C, Gonzaga: This may be high for Olynyk as his stock has slipped and many now think he won’t be a lottery pick anymore.

15. Milwaukee Bucks — Dennis Schroeder, PG, Germany: A mid-first round sleeper pick, Schroeder has been compared to Darren Collison.

16. Boston Celtics — Mason Plumlee, PF, Duke: While Boston could use a centre or a point guard, Plumlee is a top-notch rebounder, pulling down 9.9 boards per game as a senior, good for 16th in the country.

17. Atlanta Hawks — Shane Larkin, PG, Miami: A 5′11″ point guard, Larkin could slide enough to be a real steal in this year’s draft. He’s projected as a late first rounder/early second rounder by many, but we believe he’s going to go earlier than that. Larkin has a blazing first step.

18. Atlanta Hawks (from Houston via Brooklyn) — Rudy Gobert, C, France: Don’t overlook Gobert as a late lottery pick even though we think he’ll slide a bit lower than that. Either way, he should be the first international centre off the board.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers (from the Los Angeles Lakers) — Jamaal Franklin, SG/SF, San Diego State: Franklin’s a decently-sized shooting guard (6′5″), but because of an ankle injury, he was unable to work out for teams prior to the draft, so that may slightly hurt his stock.

20. Chicago Bulls — Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville: A 6″11″ native of Senegal, Dieng hasn’t been getting a ton of press, but man, does he know how to throw a block party.

21. Utah Jazz (from Golden State via Brooklyn) — Sergey Karasev, SG, Russia: Karasev opted to head back to Russia instead of engaging in pre-draft workouts, but the 19-year-old two-guard has not pulled out of the draft.

22. Brooklyn Nets — Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF, Greece: This 18-year-old has flown under the radar as a Greek League prospect, but he could easily go a few picks before this, possibly with one of the Hawks’ back-to-back picks.

23. Indiana Pacers — Tony Mitchell, PF, North Texas: At 6′8″, 235, Mitchell is a bit undersized for a four, but some have compared him to a young Josh Smith.

24. New York Knicks — Lucas Nogueira, C, Brazil: This Brazilian big man (seven feet in shoes) is a project, but “Bebe” is a bundle of energy and he has a tremendous ‘do that nearly rivals another Brazilian beast, Anderson Varejao.

25. Los Angeles Clippers — Allen Crabbe, SG, California: Crabbe has been compared to Wayne Ellington, which isn’t exactly exciting. But the kid can shoot.

26. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Memphis via Houston) — Tim Hardaway, Jr., SG/SF, Michigan: The 6′6″ swingman, who is foregoing his senior season, could be next Danny Green – hopefully the one excelling in the Finals, that is. A more bullish comparison would be Joe Johnson, but we think that’s a stretch.

27. Denver Nuggets — Reggie Bullock, SF, North Carolina: This Tar Heel has been compared to Dahntay Jones, and since he decided to skip his senior campaign, his draft stock has risen nicely. Bullock is nice looking jump shooter.

28. San Antonio Spurs — Jeff Withey, C, Kansas: The Jayhawk big man has been favourably compared to Tyson Chandler as a defensive force. Withey would be ideal as a backup centre to start, as long as the team took a patient approach and allowed him to develop at a comfortable pace.

29. Oklahoma City Thunder — Glen Rice, Jr., SG, NBA D-League: Rice brings plenty of baggage to the table with several incidents at Georgia Tech that led to him being kicked off the team and ultimately opting to play in the D-League. The pro experience should make for an easier transition to the NBA.

30. Phoenix Suns (from Miami via Cleveland and the Los Angeles Lakers) — Tony Snell, SG/SF, New Mexico St.: Snell can shoot it, is a solid rebounder and knows how to play D. The 6′7″, 200-pounder is probably going to be a two-guard in the NBA.

This week features the MLB debut of another of the game’s most highly touted young pitching prospects as Zack Wheeler takes to the hill Tuesday against the Braves. It’s hard to ignore his huge potential but also hard to recommend buying him as a waiver wire addition when he’s owned in 75 per cent of CBS Leagues. Fantasy owners aren’t pulling punches in their estimation of Wheeler’s upside.

Thursday was the 13th, but you’d have a hard time convincing the Rockies it wasn’t a Friday. The Rox had an evening to forget as a good chunk of their offense was either at the hospital or on their way to the hospital. The final verdict is in and Carlos Gonzalez and his owners have dodged a bullet. Dexter Fowler is day-to-day dealing with a finger issue, but the worst news of the day was that All-World shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will be lost for 4-to-6 weeks with a broken rib. Thursday was a day to forget for Colorado.

Enough of the bad news. Let’s move on to the good and get to this week’s Troll.

Mike Zunino, C, Seattle Mariners (CBS: 35 per cent owned, ESPN: 6 per cent): After months of speculation, Zunino has arrived in Seattle. In 185 at-bats at Triple-A Tacoma he hit 11 bombs with 43 RBI which, on the surface, looks great but with a BB/K ratio of 14/59, we recommend you be cautious with your expectations. Zunino has the potential to be a very good backstop (and he sure looked good in lining his first big league hit — see below), but he could also struggle offensively early on as we’ve seen with so many young catchers as they try to adjust to the demands of handling a big league staff.

Oliver Perez, RP, Seattle Mariners (CBS: 4 per cent owned, ESPN: 4 per cent): Closer Tom Wilhelmsen has been struggling and has officially been given a time-out to get his act together. The M’s have stated that they will be rolling out the bullpen-by-committee plan of attack, with Perez earning the first opportunity and successful save Friday against the A’s. Carter Capps could also find himself in the mix for saves in Seattle, but we’re putting our money (and just a small amount at that) on Perez to get the bulk of the opportunities while Wilhelmsen sorts things out.

Mike Carp, 1B/OF, Boston Red Sox (CBS: 29 per cent owned, ESPN: 37 per cent): Supposedly a part-time player entering the 2013 season, Carp’s strong play is forcing Manager John Farrell’s hand. Carp is now up to eight homers and 25 RBI in 103 at-bats with a phenomenal .320 BA. As long as he’s tearing the cover off the ball, the Red Sox will find a place for him in their lineup.

Logan Forsythe, 2B, San Diego Padres (CBS: 6 per cent owned, ESPN: 4 per cent): Forsythe finally made his season debut last week after overcoming plantar fasciitis. It couldn’t have come at a better time with NL ROY candidate Jedd Gyorko hitting the DL with a strained right groin. Forsythe is a solid short-term option if you’re looking to fill a MI void in your lineup.

Steve Cishek, RP, Miami Marlins (CBS: 36 per cent owned, ESPN: 64 per cent): The bullpen-by-committee situation in Miami seems to be resolved with Cishek back closing full time. He has now earned saves in three of his last four outings without allowing an earned run. Go get Cishek while the going’s good.

Jordan Lyles, SP, Houston Astros (CBS: 21 per cent owned, ESPN: 3 per cent): Over his last six starts Lyles has allowed a paltry seven earned runs and he’ll need that kind of performance to generate wins with the moribund Houston offense behind him. He’s coming off seven scoreless innings and a career-high 10-strikeout performance against the Mariners and should be rostered and active in all formats.

Other Options

Alex Torres, RP, Tampa Bay Rays (CBS: 2 per cent owned, ESPN: 1 per cent): The southpaw has now pitched 16 IP without allowing an earned run (with just three hits and three walks given up). Toss in the 23 strikeouts and what’s not to like? Even better, Alex Cobb’s injury could send Torres to the rotation which is where he was in the minors.

Michael Pineda, SP, New York Yankees (57 per cent owned, ESPN: 3 per cent): Pineda is looking solid as he continues his rehab assignment and he could return to the Yankees rotation by the end of the month. Buy in early and avoid the rush.

Lyle Overbay, 1B, New York Yankees (CBS: 7 per cent owned, ESPN: 1 per cent): The problem of finding at-bats for Overbay could be resolved as Mark Teixeira has aggravated his right wrist (which sidelined him for the first two months of the season) and has returned to New York for further examination.

Kevin Jepsen, RP, Los Angeles Angels (CBS: 1 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Jepsen is slowly moving into a more prominent role in the Halos pen. In 10 appearances since returning from the DL at the end of May he’s been virtually untouchable.

Jose Alvarez, SP, Detroit Tigers (CBS: 3 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Anibal Sanchez has been labouring, making it through only 3 2/3 IP against the Twins on Saturday. Should further rest be required for Sanchez, Alvarez could get recalled. Alvarez sure didn’t look out of place in his stellar June 9 debut against the Indians.

Jesus Guzman, 1B/OF, San Diego Padres (CBS: 1 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Yonder Alonso is out for at least another 2-to-3 weeks dealing with a broken hand so expect Guzman to get more action for now.

Alfredo Figaro, SP/RP, Milwaukee Brewers (CBS: 7 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): The Brewers desperately need rotation help and Figaro responded in fine form, pitching seven scoreless against the Fish Wednesday to earn his first victory of the season. He gets the Astros next, as part of a possible two-start week.

Logan Schafer, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (CBS: 1 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Schafer enjoyed back-to-back three-hit games last week as he moved into a full-time role while filling in for the injured Ryan Braun.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. Tune in here.

On Thursday we wrote about how either Dillon Gee or Jeremy Hefner could lose their rotation spot for the New York Mets once top prospect Zack Wheeler is recalled next week.

Well, perhaps we should have included Shaun Marcum in that list of pitchers that were facing the heat in New York.

Hefner, of course, only got his shot because Marcum was hurt early in the season, but since Marcum has returned in late-April, it’s been a serious struggle for the most part.

The Mets say that when Wheeler gets here, they’re going to go with the Fantasy value draining six-man staff a couple of times through the rotation. But come on. Let’s get real… that can’t last.

With Gee and Hefner both pitching better lately, Marcum could be the one at risk – despite his relatively high salary.

Marcum has been seriously inconsistent with his performance, yet has been consistently losing. And by consistently, we mean constantly. Hell, last Saturday he tossed eight innings of relief (see video below) in that crazy 20-inning marathon against the Fish and he was actually fantastic. Yet he lost.

Marcum followed that up Friday with an ugly outing against the Cubs to suffer another loss and fall to 0-8 on the season. The Mets gave him an extra day of rest before this start, but it sure didn’t help as the Cubbies simply battered him.

Believe it or not, Marcum has actually been improving as the season has progressed, so for our money, he should be given the chance to stay in the rotation and right himself. But in looking at the bigger picture, staying healthy has become an issue for the veteran, and after back-to-back 13-win seasons, he’s only totalled seven victories since the start of the 2012 season. Yuck.

With an 0-8 record, Marcum is in rare company this season. Only Houston’s Philip Humber is also winless with as many losses as that. In fairness, Marcum hasn’t exactly been blessed with great run support. For instance, in half of his losses, he allowed just three runs or less, which should be good enough to bag a win or three, shouldn’t it?

The way things are going, Marcum could soon be carving his name in the Mets’ record book in a rather notorious fashion. The record for consecutive losses at the beginning of a Mets’ career is 12, held by Bob Miller in 1962. and let’s not forget Anthony Young’s epic 0-13 start to the 1993 season for the Mets.

Hey, it’s something for Marcum to shoot for as he tries to justify the contract the Mets gave him.

For Fantasy purposes, before you throw Marcum back onto the scrap head after Friday’s stinker, consider this: His FIP is 3.06 – nearly two and a half runs lower than his actual ERA. Marcum’s .329 BABIP and 57.2 per cent strand rate both paint a picture of an extremely unlucky pitcher. We suggest you hold for now and see how this plays out because if he can survive the rotation cut, Marcum has a chance to be a rather useful asset in the second half.

Now tell us what you think in the comments below. Which Met starter will get the hook from the rotation after Wheeler arrives?

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. Tune in here.

On the plus side, after missing the Podcast last week, we were back this week. On the down side, so were the technical issues, causing about 90 seconds of dead air early on (when it starts, skip forward to the 4:00 minute mark) as we got kicked out the system — apparently as a result of a storm system. At any rate, on this week’s episode of RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast (heard every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on Blogtalkradio), we muddled on and were were able to bring you plenty of Fantasy baseball goodness, including:

• Tim is as happy as a clam, except for Jeremy Hellickson getting slapped around.
• John Lackey was at the centre of the latest beanball war between the Red Sox and Rays.
• Clay Buchholz has been nearly unhittable this year, but now his neck is acting up.
• What the hell is going on with Chris Perez?
• RotoRob discusses the connection between branding strategy and David Aardsma.
• Tim marvels at how well Yu Darvish can throw a ball.
• Could Marlon Byrd make a run at 25, even 30 homers this year?

Listen to the complete show below.

If you love a good pitcher’s duel (Jordan Lyles vs. Jeremy Bonderman, anyone?), you better be tuning in Thursday afternoon for the rubber match of the series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets.

The Cards trot out their ace Adam Wainwright to counter early-season stud supreme Matt Harvey.

Of course, rain may threaten all the fun, but if you ask Wainwright, he might tell you that missing the Mets wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen to him. After all, he’s inexplicably struggled in his career against them (1-4, 7.29 ERA in seven games, five of them starts). WTF?

Harvey still hasn’t lost this year, but he’s not exactly winning anymore either with just one victory and eight no decisions over his last nine starts after that crazy good start to the season.

He looked very sharp in his last start (see video below), but it was the Marlins he was facing, and worse yet, Harvey had to come out early with back stiffness. Hey, carrying a rotation ain’t easy, folks.

Still, despite the Mets struggles this year, it’s an exciting time for their fans as they begin to put the pieces together to recover and be competitive again.

While Harvey’s emergence has been the most obvious development this year, the impending arrival of pitching prospect Zack Wheeler (No. 7 on our Top 60 Prospects list) will amp up the feeling that the future looks bright.

Wheeler will make his MLB debut Tuesday, but the team has yet to determine who will lose their job as a result. Dillon Gee seemed the likeliest candidate, but he’s won three straight starts and looked really sharp Wednesday, so he’s giving the team pause to reconsider.

If it’s not Gee, then Jeremy Hefner might get the boot. Or perhaps the Mets will go with a six-man rotation for a while, especially with a doubleheader looming plus the makeup game against the Rockies on the horizon.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. This week, we examine the latest chapter in the ongoing Red Sox-Rays beanbrawl war. Tune in here.

With the 2013 MLB Draft now complete, it’s time for us to wrap up our look at the first round.

Picks 1 through 11 are here.
Picks 12 through 22 are here.

23. Texas Rangers – Alex Gonzalez, RHP, Oral Roberts: Gonzalez is nicknamed Chi-Chi, which is handy in case the fact that he’s not a shortstop is not enough to hep differentiate him from the game’s other Alex Gonzalezes. His draft stock really soared in the weeks leading up the draft; in fact, some believed he could go in the top 10. The 21-year-old pitches in the 90 to 92 mph range and has three different offerings that he can get over for strikes.

24. Oakland Athletics – Billy McKinney, CF, Plano West St. High School (Texas): Yes, the A’s took a high schooler for the second straight year. Moneyball? Bah! Despite the fact that McKinney is committed to TCU, the A’s won’t have any problems signing this sweet-swinging flyhawk (check out the video below for evidence of how gorgeous his swing is). He has a gifted bat – one of the best of all high schoolers in this draft — but there are questions about the upside of the rest of his toolset. No one, however, questions McKinney’s effort as he’s known to play all-out all the time.

25. San Francisco Giants – Christian Arroyo, SS, Hernando High School (Florida): The Giants tried to beef up the offensive side of the organization by taking sticks with three of their first four picks this year, headlined by Florida prep shortstop Arroyo. Picking him surprised some, as Arroyo wasn’t a projected first rounder; in fact, most experts ranked him at the bottom of or even outside any top 100 list. He’s got some power, with potentially more to tap into if he can refine his approach. What cinched it for the Giants was Arroyo’s MVP showing for USA Baseball’s 18-under team.

26. New York Yankees – Eric Jagielo, 3B, Notre Dame: Why on earth would the Yankees need a third baseman considering they have A-Roid? [Pause to let dripping sarcasm sink in.] Jagielo, the 2013 Big East Player of the Year, hit .321 in his Fighting Irish career, prompting some to believe he could be a top 20 pick. College third basemen were a strength of this draft, but Jagielo has the bat to differentiate himself from the pack. And while he’s likely to stick at the hot corner, even if he has to shift over to first base for defensive purposes, he rakes enough to succeed.

27. Cincinnati Reds – Phillip Ervin, CF, Samford University: The Reds haven’t necessarily exhibited a pat drafting philosophy in recent years, but for the most part their darts have hit the board, so there’s no reason to question the selection of Ervin. He gives the team the right-handed hitting outfielder it needs, and all the better if he can stay in centre. Ervin, who turns 21 next month, offers a nice collection of across-the-board tools – especially his bat.

28. St. Louis Cardinals – Rob Kaminsky, LHP, St. Joseph Regional School (New Jersey): Despite his height, (6′0″) Kaminsky is one of the top high school lefties in this draft thanks a heater that comfortably resides in the 91-92 mph range, but has been cranked up to 94, and a nasty curve. The last time a New Jersey high school kid went in the first round, things turned out okay (Mike Trout, anyone?). Kaminsky isn’t massively projectable, but for a high school hurler, he’ll move fairly quickly.

29. Tampa Bay Rays – Ryne Stanek, RHP, Arkansas: One of a whopping (and new school record) 11 Razorbacks picked in this draft, Stanek will turn 22 next month. He was originally a third rounder by Seattle in 2010, but he opted to attend college, and that worked out well for him. Stanek is thin (6′4″, 180) so if he doesn’t add weight, durability could be an issue, but for now he looks like a high-end No. 3 or low-end No. 2 starter.

30. Texas Rangers – Travis Demeritte, SS, Winder Barrow High School (Georgia): Demeritte has already signed, making the Rangers the first team to ink their first three picks. This right-handed hitter is 6′1″, 195, and possesses a very quick bat, but it’s unclear what position he’ll wind up as he could be ticketed for the hot or keystone corners (probably third base). A Brandon Phillips-type, Demeritte was also the ace hurler for Winder Barrow.

31. Atlanta Braves – Jason Hursh, RHP, Oklahoma State: Hursh can bring the heat, having been clocked as high as 98 mph and usually residing in the 92-95 mph range. His fastball is considered one of the top pitches in this year’s draft. Hursh missed all of last year after Tommy John surgery, but he bounced back this season and proved he was healthy. He’s well built and athletic, but until this 21-year-old’s secondary offerings improve, he projects as either a back-of-the-rotation starter or as a reliever.

32. New York Yankees – Aaron Judge, CF, Fresno State: With their second pick, the Yankees scooped up behemoth (6′7″, 255) outfielder Judge. Just try hitting a ball over this dude’s head. On Tuesday, Judge joined the Yanks for BP and impressed the hell out of Manager Joe Girardi with his power. There’s no doubt the potential is there, but we didn’t really see it manifest itself in performance until this year, and really he’s still quite raw. The A’s grabbed him in the 31st round in 2010, but Judge judiciously opted to attend Fresno State and now he’s a first rounder. Expect lots of dingers… and lots of whiffs.

33. New York Yankees – Ian Clarkin, LHP, Madison High School (California): Clarkin made no secret of the fact that he hated the Yanks as a child and that he wouldn’t automatically sign with them if they drafted him, but the Bombers were undeterred and plucked him with their third pick anyway. The Pinstripers are confident they can sign him, so time will tell. Armed with a strong curve and 95 mph fastball, Clarkin also has a change-up that some believe could become his go-to offspeed pitch. That’s saying something, because his curveball is considered among the best of any high school pitcher in this year’s draft.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. This week, we examine the latest chapter in the ongoing Red Sox-Rays beanbrawl war. Tune in here.

In what could be the biggest scandal to hit baseball since the 1919 Black Sox scandal, the threat of suspensions in the wake of the Biogenesis clinic scandal is now very real.

Fantasy owners worldwide are holding their breath. Ryan Braun owners will definitely want to stock up on Kleenex. Other names being mentioned include Alex Rodriquez, Jhonny Peralta, Gio Gonzalez, Everth Cabrera and Melky Cabrera. Melky, of course, has already serviced a 50-game ban for testing positive for a banned substance.

There are some other names out there but the aforementioned ones will have the biggest impact on the Fantasy, should the hammer fall.

For Braun owners, the consensus here at RotoRob.com is that we are very sorry. He is not someone that you can just go to waiver wire and replace. There is hope in knowing that this could take a while and that MLB must be sure before these hefty suspensions are handed out. Also there is no need to scour the Brewers farm system because there isn’t really much there that could really translate on a Major League level. 

If you are in a keeper league and you want to deal Braun before the fan starts oscillating, we suggest trying to get a package of young players. Miami Marlins minor league outfielder Christian Yelich is a name you must target as the top prospect in a stacked system has five-tool potential. Baseball Prospectus compares him to Adam Jones, Vada Pinson and Willie Mays.

Cincinnati Reds minor league outfielder Billy Hamilton is another player to target, especially if he’s shortstop eligible in your league. He stole a zillion bases last summer and is working hard on becoming a more consistent hitter. Hamilton might be a year a way from an extended stay in Majors, but he can always flipped to one of those owners that loves stolen bases.

If you owner Peralta or Evereth Cabrera chances are you were very happy until they were linked to this Biogenesis mess. There is still hope though.

Look at Seattle youngster Nick Franklin, as he appears to be in the majors to stay barring any extended slump. Franklin has power and speed potential which is rare for a shortstop, so 20-20 seasons could be his norm. Stephen Drew is another candidate to snag as he appears to finally be past his injuries and settling in nicely. He is veteran on a contending team and he will assuredly be getting at-bats. The dark horse is Minnesota Twin 2B/SS Brian Dozier. He is not going win any batting titles but he seems to have a very acute Shawon Dunston quality about him. If you understand that statement much respect to you. If you don’t, just know that is a slight upgrade for Dozier going forward.

If you own Melky Cabrera you were probably praying for more production at this point. Owners of St. Louis outfielder Jon Jay and Miami outfielder Justin Ruggiano were probably thinking the same thing. They both possess the potential and experience to have much better second halves. A dark horse replacement possibility is Boston’s Mike Carp. He is a veteran that knows how to make the best of his opportunities. With Shane Victorino now off the DL, Carp who will be forced to scrap and rake if wants to keep getting at-bats. Remember that Carp, 26, is in the majors for reason and Boston is not going to keep him around to sweep the dugout. He can hit and he has done so everywhere he has been (career minor league batting average of .276 with 136 homers in 3,552 plate appearances). Considering Carp has been in affiliated baseball since he was 18, you have to take those numbers as a surface scratching compliment.

Maybe an even darker horse is Oakland outfielder Chris Young. Once a 30-30 threat, he now a product of the talent squeezing Billy Beane system. A’s skipper Bob Melvin has recently given Young a vote of confidence, so we suppose that’s reason enough to not let his sub Mendoza Line average scare you. The aging Young might not have elite base stealing wheels anymore, but his power is still there. Patience comes with age and given Young’s past, his future is certainly not bleak.

Gio Gonzalez owners were grinning like possums when they drafted him and his 200-strikeout potential. Now, they face a post All-Star break challenge of trying replace his strengths. Fear not, there are always Cubs pitchers available. For those not afraid of a little goat take a look at Scott Feldman and Travis Wood. Both are having Matt Garza like years and the future of Cubs baseball might actually be bright. Both have legit MLB experience and each seems to have turned the corner in their careers. Sure, pups like Tony Cingrani, Chris Archer, Gerrit Cole, Zack Wheeler and Kevin Gausman are sexy, trendy snags but if you want to win now you need consistency.

Some other arms that can be had cheaply include Angels’ Jason Vargas and Tommy Hanson. Again, experience trumps promise and with that ye will flourish. Vargas started slow but he is another veteran that just finds a way to win. He is also a very patient person, stemming from his years in Seattle (that included no run support). Hanson has been dealing with a lot of off-field distractions, but he is now finally back and seems poised to get his season going.

Replacing Gonzalez’s strikeout potential is not easy. Some will stream, testing their league’s innings max. This can only bruise your team ERA and heighten your WHIP. Smarter owners in well-developed keeper leagues should look to the bottom of the standings and remind those cellar dwellers how fresh Gonzalez will be next season, should the long needle of the MLB poke him this season.

Another name to file in the back of your skull is starter John Danks of the White Sox. With Gavin Floyd out forever and Jake Peavy done for at least a month, the Sox will look to Danks for stability every fifth day. Danks has been plagued by injuries over the last year or so, and he’s struggled with inconsistency on the comeback trail. He appears to now be fully healthy (although we’re still waiting for his velocity to bounce back) and given his successful past he is certainly worth a waiver bid.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. Tune in here.

As I’m sure I’ve written before, the undead craze just hasn’t clicked with me. I don’t watch The Walking Dead (though I did enjoy Telltale’s version), hardly played the Left 4 Dead series, ignored Dead Island, etc. So when I say that Undead Labs’ new downloadable title, State of Decay, is highly compelling you can be assured it has earned that designation.

CONTROLS (4.25/5)

Part brawler, part shooter and part resource management sim, State of Decay does a good job of placing all the necessary controls at your fingertips. Melee combat consists primarily of bashing zombies until they fall or are temporarily incapacitated, at which point you can finish them off. Most face buttons serve multiple functions — for example, tapping “B” dodges an attack while holding it down crouches for stealth — but rarely did I have any trouble doing what I intended. A stamina meter drains whenever you’re exerting your character (sprinting, climbing, attacking), which creates added vulnerability.

While melee combat is tight and simplistic, shooting lacks precision. Holding down the left trigger draws your gun and provides an over-the-shoulder view with a reticule to aim. It’s a traditional setup, however — in what was likely a decision to simulate inexperienced firearm users — it’s not easy to dispatch groups of zombies with bullets. Combine that with the tendency for gunfire to attract more enemies and I found myself using guns about once for every 25 melee encounters.

Driving is a big part of the game as well, and it employs a nice, basic approach that any Grand Theft Auto aficionado should approve of. Plowing through a herd of zombies is a good way to blow off steam, and the ability to open your car door to smack stragglers is awesome. Using the d-pad to manage inventory and resources is competent.

One thing I did take umbrage with was the need to fumble through your backpack in real time. When you’re searching a house or preparing to undertake a mission it’s a non-issue, but weapons degrade and break in State of Decay, and the built-in warning system is a little too ambiguous — a yellow icon appears when the weapon is damaged, but you receive no further feedback until it breaks. If that happens in the heat of battle it can make for a very bad day for your survivor.

GRAPHICS/SOUND (3.5/5)

Given the size of the sandbox here coupled with Xbox Live Arcade’s two GB limitation it’s actually quite impressive what Undead Labs has been able to pull off. The world offers a nice mixture of towns and wilderness, and the muted tones typically associated with these kinds of games are paired with fall colours in the trees. Houses and businesses don’t feel like clones of each other, and there’s a respectable amount of diversity within even the basic zombies.

Blood and gore are effectively deployed without being completely overdone, and the finality of one of your survivors’ demise makes those death sequences visceral. There are lots of small touches sprinkled throughout the environment as well. They give it a down and dirty, realistic vibe that serves the source material and tone of the game exceedingly well.

From a technical standpoint, however, State of Decay has plenty of issues. Textures load slowly, creating rampant pop in, and enemies routinely clip through walls — a phenomenon that erodes some of the tension since you can frequently see them before they can harm you. At times weapons don’t load, leaving you to swing imaginary nightsticks and axes at the undead. Future patches may address some of these things, but for now it’s simply the cost of doing business.

Voice acting is mostly solid, at least with the actual story-advancing dialogue. The in-game banter with the radio operator and survivors is incredibly repetitive, though, and it never changes no matter who you’re controlling at the time. Plus, the voices are recycled so that multiple characters sound exactly the same. A decent soundtrack is backed up by a lot of creepy moans and screams from the undead… some of the bigger ones will definitely heighten your awareness.

GAMEPLAY (4.25/5)

Things begin with you in control of Marcus, who has just returned from a vacation into a wooded area untouched by modern technology, so he is therefore blissfully unaware that, courtesy of the undead, society has gone to hell in his absence. Unlike most games, however, State of Decay doesn’t have a main character. Instead, the focus is on communal survival as you’ll switch between people throughout, leveling up their various skills in RPG-inspired fashion. It’s an interesting approach, and one that underscores one essential truth — anyone can die at any time… and unlike the zombies, they stay dead.

State of Decay is an open-world, sandbox title, and it follows the general conventions of the genre with mission indicators popping up on the map for you to activate when ready. Secondary quests — such as helping a fellow survivor or hunting down a particularly nasty Zed (slang for zombies) — will eventually expire at a cost to things like overall morale or individual relationships within the group, but the main ones will stay active with occasional radio reminders that they’re still available.

As a story there isn’t a lot going on here, and despite some early indications that a shadowy conspiracy involving the government may be involved it never really amounts to much. Instead, the game focuses on creating desperation in the quest to stay alive another day. Needed resources like food, medicine and ammunition are in short supply, and acquiring them means venturing out (usually alone) to scrounge through zombie-infested streets. And naturally, the more people you have in your compound the more reserves you’ll need to keep on hand.

There’s a lot to keep track of, and the game rarely lets you take a breath. There’s always something that requires the group’s attention, whether it be zombie hordes or infestations, food going bad or materials needed to complete construction on a new area of the camp. It can feel a bit overwhelming at times, but that’s by design. Undead Labs wanted you to be under constant pressure, and on that front it succeeded.

As noted, you start by controlling Marcus, but as you meet new people you form relationships, and once those reach “friendship” status you can take direct control of them. This is necessary because characters get tired as they undertake missions, dropping their stamina and making them more vulnerable. Each time you take direct control you earn experience points, which are distributed to the appropriate area — bashing skulls improves your fighting, sprinting boosts cardio and so on. Advance a skill far enough and you’ll be able to choose specializations. It’s a familiar and effective system.

Since money would have no meaning in a zombie-filled society, State of Decay replaces traditional currency with “influence.” As the name implies, influence represents the amount of sway you hold to make decisions for the group, so everything you do (good and bad) affects that. All the weapons and items you salvage add to your total, and when you take things from the combined locker it subtracts… as you’re using your influence to take two guns or extra medicine or whatever. Completing missions and claiming bulk resources also boost your influence, which proves to be a very creative way to give more weight to your contributions to the collective.

For all the good things that State of Decay pulls off, however, there are a number of items that keep it from attaining the heights it could have. Beyond the lukewarm story and rampant technical issues, which I’ve already touched on, the game suffers from plenty of uneven moments. I lost my first two characters under circumstances directly caused by teammate A.I. that stood literally two feet away from me and rendered no help as I was ripped to pieces.

Those same teammates get themselves into trouble far too often as well, which, when combined with the near constant warnings (and accompanying morale penalties) for zombie infestations that are nowhere near your camp, can make playing feel like a grind — it should be noted that the infestation issue is set to be corrected as part of the first patch. The game is persistently on, too, meaning if you shut down you’ll be returning to a world where much of your hard-earned influence, resources and goodwill have been used in your absence.

Perhaps most annoying, though, is the inability to direct individuals you’re not controlling. It really bothered me when I switched away from my primary character because they were tired, and then 20 minutes later they’re listed as “missing.” Wait, what? Why is the game sending a fatigued character into the world without my consent?

I felt the same way about my inability to bring other survivors along on scavenging runs to serve as backup and/or pack mules. Yes, you can radio for runners to come pick things up once you’ve found them, but it still makes resource gathering incredibly time consuming when you can only carry one rucksack at a time. The ability to delegate to NPCs — sending combat-ready ones to bail out trapped survivors, or bringing along strong ones to carry items, etc. — would’ve been a great feature, but at this point I’d settle for not having my best people arbitrarily lost.

OVERALL (4.25/5)

I like State of Decay. A lot. It’s just so tantalizingly close to being brilliant, however, that its few non-technical shortcomings are magnified. Still, State of Decay does so much right that it is more than worth the 1,600-point buy in. Just watch out for those pesky infestations.

Baseball has been thrown back into the murky world of steroids with news that MLB could be handing out suspensions related to the Biogenesis scandal. We still haven’t heard anything official, but Bud Selig’s stance has been very clear. If you’re concerned about the possible ramifications to our game, don’t panic yet. At this stage there are more questions than answers so until we see the specifics in this case it should be business as usual. This process — however it is initiated — is going to be long and drawn out given how high the stakes are. ‘Nuff said… for now.

Moving forward, let’s get to this week’s Troll options.

Gerrit Cole, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates (CBS: 54 per cent owned, ESPN: 6 per cent): For those chomping at the bit for the next can’t miss prospect, Cole (No. 5 on our Top 60 Prospects list) makes his MLB debut Tuesday. He’s replacing Wandy Rodriguez but the Pirates dodged a bullet as Rodriguez’s forearm issue won’t require a DL stint. Cole has enjoyed a great season at Triple-A Indianapolis (68 IP, 44 hits, 47 Ks, 2.91 ERA), but a brief note of caution is in order: It could get very crowded very quickly in the Pirates rotation as Jeanmar Gomez, James McDonald, and Charlie Morton are all either currently on or about to start rehab assignments. The point is, depending on the result of his debut, Cole’s stay in the Pittsburgh rotation could be very short.

Adam Lind, 1B, Toronto Blue Jays (CBS: 42 per cent owned, ESPN: 36 per cent): Lind finished up May on a tear (prompting RotoRob to recommend him as an option) and has continued his strong play into June (.500 BA in 26 at-bats, including a moon shot homer that — as you can see in the video below — even Petco Park could not guard against). We’re still a bit skeptical about his long-term ability to hit southpaws but right now he’s seeing the ball and batting with a level of confidence we haven’t seen since his amazing 2009 campaign. It’s time to find a home for Lind in all formats.

Cameron Maybin, OF, San Diego Padres (CBS: 25 per cent owned, ESPN: 18 per cent owned): After missing nearly two months with a right wrist issue, Maybin returned Thursday and immediately made his presence felt by going 2-for-5 with two RBI and a pair of thefts. All told, he’s swiped four bases in three games since his return. From a power perspective, the wrist is a concern, but the speed is very real and Maybin could be a huge boost to teams looking to gain ground in the stolen base category.

Kyle Blanks, OF, San Diego Padres (CBS: 8 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Blanks was sent down when the Padres activated Maybin, but even before he managed to get his suitcase packed, he was recalled to replace the injured Yonder Alonso. This weekend, Blanks has gone 5-for-9 with two homers and five RBI in Colorado. Between outfield and first base he should garner full-time at-bats until Alonso returns and given how hot his stick is, he makes a solid addition in all formats.

Anthony Rendon, 3B, Washington Nationals (CBS: 51 per cent owned, ESPN: 3 per cent): The Nats didn’t bring up Rendon to sit on the pine. He is currently only third base eligible but that is going to change very quickly. Danny Espinosa is dealing with myriad injuries and Stephen Lombardozzi playing full-time is not the answer. Rendon’s bat is ready and if he can handle the move to second base, he could have a lengthy and productive stay in Washington.

Other Options

Chien-Ming Wang, SP, Toronto Blue Jays (CBS: 2 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Wang was released by the Yankees, signed by the Jays and is scheduled to pitch Tuesday. He was enjoying a solid year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and there’s an opportunity in Toronto given the seriously depleted group of starters.

Logan Morrison, 1B/OF, Miami Marlins (CBS: 21 per cent owned, ESPN: 1 per cent): Morrison’s knee is finally in game shape, so he’ll be activated Sunday. To say that the Marlins (dead last in bigs with 29 homers) could use Morrison’s power potential is an understatement.

Chris McGuiness, 1B, Texas Rangers (CBS: 2 per cent owned, ESPN: 2 per cent): Less than two weeks ago, RotoRob wrote about what a fine year McGuiness was having at Triple-A, and now he’s gotten the call to replace the injured Mitch Moreland, so he should see the bulk of the at-bats at first base. You also can’t ignore Jeff Baker, who’s now up to eight long balls on the season. Both players are only deeper AL-only options.

Tony Cingrani, SP, Cincinnati Reds (CBS: 69 per cent owned, ESPN: 21 per cent): Those of you that cut bait and moved on after Cingrani’s first stint in Cincinnati are now uttering a collective “oops!” Johnny Cueto is back on the DL, leaving Cingrani as a must-start in all formats with the Cubs and Brewers on the schedule this week.

Tyler Colvin, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies (CBS: 6 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Colvin will offer outfield insurance until Michael Cuddyer returns to full health.

Rajai Davis, OF, Toronto Blue Jays (CBS: 15 per cent owned, ESPN: 1 per cent): Melky Cabrera is hobbling, but Davis isn’t any longer, having just been activated off the DL after oblique issues.

Rick Porcello, SP, Detroit Tigers (CBS: 41 per cent owned, ESPN: 12 per cent): You can’t ignore the fact that Porcello has quality starts in each of his last three outings and seven of his past eight.

Juan Perez, 3B, San Francisco Giants (CBS/ESPN: unowned): Angel Pagan is on the DL and Pablo Sandoval could be right behind him. Opportunity beckons for Perez — another player RotoRob was tracking in late-April.

Peter Bourjos, OF, Los Angeles Angels (CBS: 28 per cent owned, ESPN: 2 per cent): Bourjos’ rehab stint is going well, so he should be activated sometime in the next week. J.B. Shuck’s time in the Angels outfield is drawing to a close.

Hector Santiago, SP, Chicago White Sox (CBS: 16 per cent owned, ESPN: 1 per cent): Jake Peavy (rib) will be on the DL for a while, allowing Santiago to slide back into the rotation. Santiago’s strikeout rates are alluring — especially if he can keep the walks under control.

Chris Archer, SP, Tampa Bay Rays (CBS: 18 per cent owned, ESPN: 1 per cent): Archer’s very impressive outing Friday guarantees he’ll be holding down the fort until David Price returns.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. Tune in here.

The 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft continues Saturday, and today we’re continuing our look at the first round results.

You can find our analysis on picks one through 11 here.

12. Seattle Mariners – D.J. Peterson, 3B/1B, New Mexico: Peterson can definitely hit and is expected to continue to do so at the big league level (of course, the same was said of current Mariner first baseman Justin Smoak when he was picked in 2008). That Peterson wound up in Em City was no surprise, but make no mistake – he’s unlikely to stay at third base, so will probably wind up across the diamond at first. Still, winning the Mountain West Triple Crown last year was a pretty damn impressive feat, and his excellent batting eye should take him far in the pros.

In the video below you can see how quickly Peterson gets the bat through the zone.

13. San Diego Padres – Hunter Renfroe, RF, Mississippi State: After focusing on pitching in 2012, this year the Padres were all about the sticks. One of four Bulldogs selected in this year’s draft, Renfroe flashed serious power at college, where he continues to compete as Mississippi State seeks a spot in the College World Series. The 21-year-old was originally drafted by Boston in the 31st round in 2010, but opted to attend college to hone his impressive, but raw skills. Renfroe looks like a Raul Mondesi-type with very nice across-the-board talent.

14. Pittsburgh Pirates – Reese McGuire, C, Kentwood Senior High School (Washington): Signability shouldn’t be an issue with McGuire, so the Pirates probably won’t have a problem like they did last year with Mark Appel. The 18-year-old backstop was a real asset in this year’s draft given the scarcity of top catching talent in this class. McGuire’s defensive skills – and speed – are more impressive than his hitting. Should his bat continue to develop as it has recently, he has a chance to be very special.

15. Arizona Diamondbacks – Braden Shipley, RHP, Nevada: Originally expected to be a shortstop in college, Shipley’s arm was so impressive that he wound up on the mound, and now he joins an already impressive cadre of young Diamondback pitching talent. Clearly, Arizona subscribes to the philosophy that you can never have enough pitching. Shipley, 21, really saw his draft stock soar over the past year, especially after his performance in the Alaska League last summer. His fastball and changeup are his best weapons, and he really does not lack in any one specific area. Unlike most college pitchers, Shipley has a lot more upside than what we’ve seen to date.

16. Philadelphia Phillies – J.P. Crawford, SS, Lakewood High School (California): Jimmy Rollins has held down the shortstop position for Philly since 2001, but in Crawford the Phils may finally have a succession plan. Crawford, a cousin of Dodger outfielder Carl Crawford, is just 18 and is a rare commodity in this year’s draft – an impact middle infield prospect. Better yet, he has the glove to stay at shortstop and the bat to be an above average player at the position.

17. Chicago White Sox – Tim Anderson, SS, East Carolina Community College: The ChiSox have been all about athletic, speedy players in recent drafts, and Anderson continues that trend. Well, he may be athletic, but questions about his arm and bat make some wonder if he’s a legitimate first rounder. Chicago, however, sees Anderson as a top-of-the-order type. He’s good enough to stay at short and be a solid big leaguer, but that doesn’t mean he’s a first-round talent. Keeper league owners looking for a basestealing threat should consider Anderson.

18. Los Angeles Dodgers – Chris Anderson, RHP, Jacksonville University: It’s interesting that Anderson’s pitching role model is Nolan Ryan: “I’ve always watched him. I loved his demeanour on the mound,” the youngster said. What’s curious about this is that Ryan’s last season was 1993 – when Anderson was just turning one. Um, okay. At any rate, Anderson’s mid-90s heat and plus slider should make him a successful No. 2 starter in the bigs. He’s lauded for his bulldog mentality.

19. St. Louis Cardinals – Marco Gonzales, LHP, Gonzaga: When the Cards tabbed Gonzales with the 19th pick Friday, they made him the highest draft pick in Gonzaga history. If there was one area in the draft that was deep it was college pitching – especially left-handed pitching, and Gonzales was at the top of that heap thanks to his athletic ability and superb fastball command. The 21-year-old was a two-way star for the Zags, but there’s no doubt that his ticket to the bigs is his arm.

20. Detroit Tigers – Jonathon Crawford, RHP, Florida: The Tigers traditionally love college arms and with their first opening round pick in four years, they went right back to that well in Crawford. A power pitcher with a nice slider, Crawford’s heater can reach the mid-90s, but his delivery lacks polish and – hence – repeatability. Whether he ultimately winds up in the rotation or in the bullpen is still a big question with Crawford, so he’s a risky commodity in keeper leagues.

21. Tampa Bay Rays – Nick Ciuffo, C, Lexington High School (South Carolina): The Rays have been trying forever to develop a long-term solution at catcher and Ciuffo represents their latest stab at it. He has good offensive skills for a backstop but also has solid receiving skills. Frankly, some consider Ciuffo the best all-around catching prospect in this draft and the fact that he’s a left-handed hitter only adds to his appeal.

22. Baltimore Orioles – Hunter Harvey, RHP, Bandys High School (North Carolina): Baltimore went big in the prep ranks this year, spending its first three picks on high school kids. Harvey, the son of former big league closer Bryan Harvey, generally throws in the 89 to 92 mph range, but has been clocked faster and has a delivery that suggests more velocity is possible. Unlike his dad, he’s expected to be a starter in the bigs and should one day join Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy as part of a superb young rotation in B-More.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. Tune in here.

On Wednesday, we previewed the 2013 MLB Draft and now that the first round is complete, it’s time to see how things shook out.

Without further ado, here’s a rundown of the top 11 picks, with the rest of the first round to follow shortly…

1. Houston Astros — Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford: The Astros skipped taking the Houston native in last year’s draft, instead letting him slip to Pittsburgh, which couldn’t sign him (despite offering a $3.8 million signing bonus). Appel can bring the heat, regularly throwing in the 93 to 97 mph range, a weapon that allowed him to become the all-time strikeout king for the Cardinal (see video below). He should move through the Astro system quickly.

2. Chicago Cubs – Kris Bryant, 3B/OF, University of San Diego: We’re quite surprised the Cubs opted for a bat here instead of grabbing the other consensus top pitcher, Jonathan Gray. However, in Bryant, Chicago has landed a serious power bat – the top one in the college ranks this year. This 21-year-old is a former high school shortstop that the Jays were unable to sign after taking him in the 18th round in 2010. The next Troy Glaus? It’s a good comp, given that Appel also grew too big for short, shifted over to third, and is known for his pop.

3. Colorado Rockies – Jonathan Gray, RHP, University of Oklahoma: The Rockies, desperately trying to shake that image that they can’t produce pitching, were probably doing cartwheels when one of the big two hurlers fell to them – especially the one that will be easier to sign. Gray, who currently has the Sooners battling for a spot in the College World Series, is just 21, yet this is the third time he’s been drafted. He has a traditional power pitcher’s build (6′4″, 240) and his heater has reached as fast as 102 mph recently. Gray is a future ace in the Roger Clemens mould (except without the drama, hopefully).

4. Minnesota Twins – Kohl Stewart, RHP, St. Piux X High School (Texas): Stewart has a football scholarship from Texas A&M, but he’s reportedly already leaning towards signing with the Twins, who desperately need the pitching help. The 18-year-old has a projectable build with room to add strength. High school hurlers are a risky proposition this high in the draft (Stewart is just the fourth to go in the top five since 2005), but Minnesota must think he’ll buck the trend given that the team doesn’t tend to touch prep pitchers. So this pick is either a shift in organizational philosophy or a serious vote of confidence.

5. Cleveland Indians – Clint Frazier, OF, Loganville High School (Georgia): Cleveland needed more power in its system, so this pick made perfect sense. Frazier, who graced the cover of Baseball America’s draft preview issue, is just 18, but he’s already flashed incredible ability and maturity. Possibly the best all-around position player in the draft, he brings a little bit of everything to the table and the Indians have said they have no plans to move him from centrefield.

6. Miami Marlins – Colin Moran, 3B, North Carolina: Miami hadn’t really been linked to Moran, but given that some thought he was a darkhorse for the top overall pick, this could turn out to be a great selection. B.J. Surhoff’s nephew was not picked out of high school, but his performance in the 2011 Cape Cod League landed him on the prospect map. Moran can rake, but will he develop power? And will he improve his defense enough to stick at the hot corner?

7. Boston Red Sox – Trey Ball, LHP, New Castle Chrysler High School (Indiana): This was a vital draft for the BoSox as the team looks to rebuild its way back into perennial contention after the hiccups the past few years. Ball, a 6′6″ lefty, won’t be rushed by Boston, which is good news for his development, but not what you wanted to hear if you own him in a keeper format. The BoSox clearly love tall and projectable arms, and Ball’s lanky build has earned comparisons to Ross Detwiler — not a bad one to emulate given his showing this year.

8. Kansas City Royals – Hunter Dozier, SS, Stephen F. Austin: This pick caught most of us very much off guard. Dozier is a 21-year-old, 6′4″, 220-pound college shortstop that led the Southland Conference in hitting, slugging, doubles and homers, but the Royals probably could have had this dude with their next pick at 34. This was the biggest overreach of the first round, and he probably won’t even stick at shortstop given his size. Dozier has nice bat speed, but man, the Royals screwed the pooch here.

9. Pittsburgh Pirates – Austin Meadows, CF, Grayson High School (Georgia): This left-handed stick joins a system that is already pretty deep in the outfield, but as a high schooler, he’ll need time to develop anyway. Meadows, who projects to have above-average power, just turned 18 last month, and some thought he was the best high school prospect in the draft. Taken with the compensation pick the Bucs received for failing to sign Appel, Meadows may turn out to be a very nice consolation prize.

10. Toronto Blue Jays – Phillip Bickford, RHP, Oaks Christian High School (California): The Jays sure love those tall and athletics pitchers that can bring the heat, don’t they? The 17-year-old Bickford, at 6′4″, 200 pounds and armed with a heater that has been clocked as high as 97 mph, fits the bill. He’s raw, so don’t expect a rapid ascension through the system, but if he can develop better breaking balls to go with that lively heater, look out.

11. New York Mets – Dominic Smith, 1B, Junipero Serra High School (California): As always, California is a hotbed of talent, and the Mets hope that with Smith, they will get as fortunate as they did the last time they used their top pick to grab an LA-based high school hitter (Darryl Strawberry). With his bat speed and raw power, Smith projects as a 25-homer, .290ish hitter as a big leaguer. He’s a solid gloveman at first (in fact, it’ll probably be his best tool in time), and at the age of 17, there’s plenty of room for growth here.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. Tune in here.

Traditionally here at RotoRob.com, any and all Metal Gear reviews are handled by the illustrious Mike Chen, whose knowledge of the lore borders on the supernatural. This time, however, I’m calling an audible and tackling the recent DLC releases for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance personally. As these two episodes have been out for a while and were recently bundled with the Ultimate Edition of MGR, we’re rolling them into one review.

Jetstream DLC (800 MSP; US$9.99)

Released in April, Jetstream serves as a prequel to the events of the full game, putting you in the cybernetic shoes of one of the main antagonists, Jetstream Sam. The story clues you in on how Sam came to be in the employ of Senator Armstrong and Desperado Enforcement, but even with a handful of cut scenes involving other characters from the game, it’s safe to say the thin narrative isn’t much of a selling point.

That leaves the action to do the heavy lifting, and although Sam does possess some unique abilities there isn’t a whole lot of difference in playing the game as him versus Raiden. And that feeling of sameness carries over to the enemies you do battle with and even the DLC’s location as well. All of which means that if you enjoyed the core combat experience of Revengeance you’ll enjoy this, too. Conversely, if you were hoping for Konami to vary the formula there’s nothing here to sate that appetite.

Jetstream is a mostly linear experience, and on the default difficultly setting it took roughly 90 minutes to roll the credits. There are some VR missions available to add a little more meat, but they can only played by activating them within the story itself. They’re not overly compelling, either, as four of the five are very straightforward “kill all enemies” stuff. Sprinkle in a handful of data collectibles to locate and you’ve seen the DLC’s entirety.

Blade Wolf DLC (560 MSP; US$6.99)

Konami’s second major piece of DLC, dropped in mid-May, is Blade Wolf. It’s similar to Jetstream in that it reuses environments and enemies liberally, but what sets this one apart is that instead of a Raiden-esque main character you get to play as Blade Wolf LQ-84i, a sentient robotic wolf that moves differently and sports a mean ass chainsaw.

Once again, the story revolves around Desperado — this time featuring Mistral, who is essentially Blade Wolf’s handler. In that capacity she works out the kinks through a series of VR missions before turning it loose in a live combat scenario. Blade Wolf longs for freedom, though, and is intent on escaping Mistral’s influence. There is also a new villain (the forgettable Khamsin) that provides the DLC with a fresh boss battle.

What makes Blade Wolf stand out over the previous DLC is the implementation of stealth. Sure, you could sneak around some with Raiden in the main game, but it here feels more natural — and more satisfying. Still, even taking a deliberate approach won’t stretch the game much beyond the one-hour mark — and unlike Jetstream, there is no additional content. You play through the linear levels, kill enemies, take down a boss and you’re done.

OVERALL (3.5/5)

While both add-ons are enjoyable for fans of Revengeance, they’re a bit lean on bang for your buck. If funds are tight I’d say give Blade Wolf a go first — it’s more interesting and checks in as the cheaper of the two. Conversely, if that’s not an issue go ahead and download them both for a couple extra hours of MGR goodness.

The 2013 MLB Draft (or, as it’s more formally known, the First-Year Player Draft), kicks off with the first round Thursday at 7 p.m. EST and runs through Friday until the 40th and final round wraps up Saturday.

Note that we discussed our projected top five picks in detail in last week’s Podcast, so today will mostly focus on the rest of the first round and subsequent rounds.

This year, most of the top 20 prospects are high school athletes, but the spread is not as great as usual – at least 40 per cent will come from the college ranks. It’s actually not a great draft for high school talent. In fact, overall this year, the talent is not as good as usual. The fact that there’s no slam dunk top overall pick speaks volumes.

For instance, there is a cloud over possible No. 1 overall pick Jonathan Gray after it was revealed this week that he tested positive for Adderall, but most scouts don’t think his draft status will change.

Here are a few tidbits to help you prepare for this year’s festivities – one of the most exciting times of the season for prospect hunters.

The top prospect from the state of New Hampshire (which has produced both Chris Carpenter and Bob Tewksbury, among others) is high school righty David Drouin. At least 10 teams have scouted him, with the Yankees, Tampa Bay and Cincy reportedly showing the most interest in this 18-year-old, expected to go within the top 20 rounds. Drouin dominated this year, putting up a 1.20 ERA and mowing down 80 batters in just 47 IP thanks to a fastball that usually resides in the 89-92 mph, but has been clocked even higher of late (check out the video below for an idea of how hard he throws). He’s also been lauded for his command and presence.

The Chicago Cubs pick second overall, and it will be extremely surprising if they don’t nab a hurler and spend most of the draft focusing on improving their organizational pitching depth. Keeper league owners need to be aware that given the Cubs’ paucity in pitching, more advanced hurlers that are taken this week have a chance to move through the system very quickly.

The Red Sox pick seventh overall – their highest pick since they plucked Trot Nixon seventh overall in 1993. The BoSox may target Georgia high school outfielder Clint Frazier here. He’s considered to have the best bat speed in this draft class and will almost certainly turn pro if he’s taken among the top 10 picks. Frazier, who also has a great arm and an intriguing power-speed combo, would join a system that already boasts prospects Matt Barnes, Anthony Ranaudo, Henry Owens, Bryce Brentz and Blake Swihart, Boston has three picks among the first 81 in this draft, so it’s an important week for Director of Amateur Scouting Amiel Sawdaye, who will be overseeing his fourth draft for the Sox.

Keep an eye on where Tennessee high school pitcher Kyle Serrano goes. He’s projected as a late first rounder or early second round pick, but he has to deal with that long-standing issue that major league teams have against vertically-challenged righties (6′0″). In a nutshell, Serrano has top 10 stuff without the body to match. The son of Tennessee head coach Dave Serrano, would he opt to join his day with the Vols if he slipped in the draft? Serrano’s curve is ranked as one of the best in this year’s draft, so it will be interesting to see if some team decides to buck the trend in the hopes that his body type won’t break down over time.

Speaking of prospects that are related to famous baseball people, North Carolina high school righty Hunter Harvey – the son of former big league closer Bryan Harvey — projects as a mid first round pick. Hunter is athletic and is focused on turning pro, yet he opted to skip the showcase circuit last summer.

Manny Ramirez, Jr. is also expected to be selected this week – probably somewhere in the middle of the draft. The 17-year-old first baseman hit .365 for IMG Academy this year, but don’t expect Boston to take a shot at the offspring of one of the most contentious stars in team history. “We’ve seen him, but we are unlikely to draft him,” a Red Sox executive told The Boston Globe.

While we’re talking about Massachusetts, high school righty Pat Ruotolo is also a top 20 prospect. This kid has amassed 300 career strikeouts and last year in a four start span, he tossed three no-hitters. Woah. Ruotolo also played defence on his high school hockey team – an unusual combination of sports. Tom Glavine, anyone?

Need a shortstop? California high schooler J.P. Crawford should go somewhere between picks 10 and 20, making him the only prep shortstop projected to be a first rounder this year. The 18-year-old is 6′2″, 175 pounds and while he’s not “toolsy,” he offers a diverse enough skill set and is good enough defensively that he should stay at shortstop – an important consideration for keeper league owners that often dig deep for a shortstop only to wind up with a second baseman down the line.

Domonic Smith, a friend of Crawford’s, trained at MLB’s Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. Another potential first rounder, 1B/OF Smith also spent plenty of time pitching. But his bat – he hit .551 with nine dingers as a junior – is why someone will take him in the top 20. It’s great to see the Youth Academy program continue to have success stories (such as Anthony Gose, Trayvon Robinson and Aaron Hicks).

With the eighth overall pick, Kansas City may target RHP Braden Shipley from the University of Nevada. He features three plus pitches and has a good pitcher’s body (6′3″, 190), but is raw, as he just converted to pitching in college. So don’t expect Shipley to rise through the organization quickly.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. Next week (June 6), we’re off because of Game Four of the Western Conference Finals, but will return on June 13. Tune in here.

Back in a March Podcast, we openly wondered whether things could get any worse for Rickie Weeks after enduring one of his worst seasons in 2012.

Clearly, the answer is a resounding yes.

And now, in the wake of the promotion of second base prospect Scooter Gennett, we’re left to wonder if Weeks’ time is running out in Sausage City.

Weeks’ season-long slump has already sent to him to the wire in tons of leagues and news that he will now be on the weak side of a platoon at second with Gennett should expedite his dumping.

By now, you shouldn’t own Weeks in any standard sized mixed league and if this keeps up, soon he may only be good enough to be a backup in NL-only leagues.

He sat Friday and Saturday and that seemed to awaken him somewhat as he singled, walked and scored Sunday and then homered and tripled, driving in two runs on Monday. It was Weeks’ first long ball since May 15 and just his fourth of the season after pounding at least 20 jacks in each of the last three seasons.

April was bad enough for Weeks (.191/.296/.319), but at least he swiped four bags and hit a couple of dingers. May, however, was even uglier as he slugged merely .235, managing just one homer and getting caught stealing on his only attempt.

How bad has it been for Weeks this year? How about 35 hits in 54 games from a dude that stroked 175 safeties just three years ago?

Now 30, he’s at the age where it’s not uncommon to see second basemen really fall off the cliff, but this is ridiculous.

Of course, it doesn’t help that when Weeks does actually hit it well, he’s getting robbed, as you can see below.

Let’s hope Gennett’s recall and the platoon announcement is a wakeup call and that Weeks has heard it, given his huge night Monday.

Weeks has already gone from a must-own to a mostly dump, but it’s worth remembering that he started poorly last year as well, compiling a slash line of just .230.328/.400 through the first two months. From June on, it was .260/.344/.445.

So perhaps there is hope. If Weeks gets dumped in your league, keep an eye over his performance for the next week or so and consider taking a flier on him. With things falling apart in Milwaukee, there’s a good chance he gets dealt, and perhaps a change of scenery will spark a revival.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. Next week (June 6), we’re off because of Game Four of the Western Conference Finals, but will return on June 13. Tune in here.

In Game Two on Sunday, the Chicago Blackhawks wasted no time in jumping on Los Angeles Kings goalie supreme Jonathan Quick, scoring an early and then late in the first period and adding goals midway through the second period on consecutive shots to send him to the bench.

That was all the Hawks could muster, but it was more than enough as they hung on for a 4-2 win for their fifth straight win and a commanding 2-0 lead over the defending champions in the Western Conference Finals.

Chicago’s speed has simply proved to be too much for the Kings, but counting LA out would be foolhardy. They fell behind the Blues two games to none in the opening round and have consistently looked like a very different team in the Staples Center during these playoffs.

Andrew Shaw, who came up so big in that Game Five win over Detroit that launched Chicago’s comeback, got the party started Sunday, scoring less than two minutes into the game for his third tally in the last five games.

Now the series shifts west to Los Angeles for Game Three on Tuesday. As we mentioned, thinking Chicago is home and cooled is unwise. LA has won 14 straight at home and dug its way out of that 2-0 hole vs. St. Louis with four straight wins. No way will this team panic with all that championship confidence in the dressing room and that banner proudly hanging from the rafters.

But let’s put things in perspective: four goals against Quick and the Kings in a playoff game is seriously rare footage. LA had a run of 34 straight playoff games in which it gave up three goals or less – by far an NHL record. When Jonathan Bernier took over midway through the second, it marked the first playoff action of his career as he never got off the bench during the Kings’ run the Cup last season.

Ice Chips

• Former star defenseman Phil Housley continues to soar up the coaching ranks, having recently been appointed as an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators. The 49-year-old was an assistant coach on Team USA’s bronze medal squad at the World Championship this spring – a gig that led to a chat with Nashville head coach Barry Trotz in Stockholm. Housley has clearly landed on the radar as a future NHL coach and is a candidate to lead the 2014 U.S. Men’s Olympic team next year in Sochi, Russia.
• Over in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pittsburgh Penguins have already lost home-ice advantage, having dropped Game One 3-0 to the Boston Bruins on Saturday. This is the first time during these playoffs that Dan Bylsma’s squad has dropped the opening game of a series, which pretty much sets up a must-win game Monday at home. While it was admirable to see Pittsburgh’s stars standing up for themselves and mucking it up, they need to stay focused on doing their damage on the scoreboard if the Pens are going to make it to the Finals. A good start would be figuring out how to stop David Krejci. When the Bruins won the Cup in 2011, he led the league in postseason scoring and after his two goals in Game One, he’s now up to 19 points in 13 games — three points up on Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang in this season’s playoff scoring race.

June has arrived, so we should start seeing the arrival of some prospects that have been held back because of service clock issues. The big name expected on the scene very shortly is Wil Myers, who should be producing in Tampa Bay as he’s simply playing too well to be calling Durham home.

In addition to last week’s injuries in the closer ranks, we’ve also endured our share of less than inspiring performances. Brandon League can’t be long for the job in Dodgertown. Jose Valverde imploded against the O’s Friday, costing Max Scherzer the victory. Poor Jim Leyland will be chaining them back until we see some resolve in the Tiger bullpen. Keep your eyes glued to the news updates as there will be more changes in unsettled bullpens over the coming weeks.

Let’s get to this week’s Troll options.

Nick Franklin, 2B, Seattle Mariners (CBS: 47 per cent owned, ESPN: 14 per cent): The Mariners finally tired of underachieving Dustin Ackley and have turned to Franklin for some offensive help. Franklin showed some pop with a two-homer game against the Padres Thursday (check out his compact swing on the first jack below), but it’s the strong BA and stolen base potential that we should be buying into. Get him rostered and going in all formats for this week.

Wil Myers, OF, Tampa Bay Rays (CBS: 75 per cent owned, ESPN: 13 per cent): Myers has been tearing it up down on the farm, smoking five long balls with 19 RBI and a stellar .341 BA over the last 10 games. He’s chomping at the bit to show off his talents in the bigs, but he shouldn’t have to wait much longer.

Yasiel Puig, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (CBS: 48 per cent owned, ESPN: 4 per cent): Puig is also hot now, having smacked two homers with 14 RBI, stolen four bases, and a .355 BA in his past 10 games at Double-A Chattanooga. Matt Kemp has hit the DL and Carl Crawford and his wonky hammys could be joining him soon. Many believed that another young phenom, namely Joc Pederson would be the first to get the call but he’s been in a major funk the past couple of weeks so we’re putting our cash down on Puig to earn the promotion. Surely the Dodgers aren’t going to be rolling out Skip Schumaker on a daily basis until Kemp returns.

Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals (CBS: 61 per cent owned, ESPN: 25 per cent): Call us crazy, but if anyone can right the floundering Moustakas it it has to be newly anointed hitting coach George Brett. “Moose” has been a huge disappointment this season with only four homers and an abysmal .177 BA, but in the event a disgruntled league mate cut bait, we’d gamble on a return to at least a semblance of his 2012 form.

Rex Brothers, RP, Colorado Rockies (CBS: 21 per cent owned, ESPN: 23 per cent): Rafael Betancourt’s groin injury has moved from day-to-day status to the 15-day DL so for the next two weeks Brothers is the go-to guy for the Rox. Brothers earned his first save a week and a half ago against the DBacks and despite his tendency to walk a few too many hitters, has allowed only one — yes, one — earned run this season. It’s been an amazing year for the young southpaw.

Luke Gregerson, RP, San Diego Padres (CBS: 15 per cent owned, ESPN: With San Diego closer Huston Street, it’s never a matter of, but when, and sure enough he was DLed Saturday with a strained left calf. Gregerson earned his first save Saturday against the Jays (albeit a shaky one) and should get the lion’s share of opportunities while Street is out.

Other Options

Robbie Erlin, SP, San Diego Padres (CBS: 3 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Erlin’s solid start against the Jays Saturday has vaulted him to the top of the list should the Padres need rotation help down the road, so consider him a worthy stash in NL-only and deeper formats.

David Murphy, OF, Texas Rangers (CBS: 31 per cent owned, ESPN: 25 per cent): After a horrid start, Murphy is now up to seven homers and 24 RBI. He offers solid off-the-radar value.

Nathan Eovaldi, SP, Miami Marlins (CBS: 4 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Eovaldi is currently working on building up strength in the shoulder that has kept him sidelined all season. The prognosis is very good, so a return to Miami could be coming soon.

Erasmo Ramirez, SP, Seattle Mariners (CBS: 6 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Ramirez finally showed up last week after missing all season with arm issues. After he racked up 48 Ks in 59 IP, he caught the attention of many pundits heading into this year’s drafts and assuming his shoulder holds up we could be looking at two or three more rehab starts before he returns to the M’s rotation.

Jacob Turner, SP, Miami Marlins (CBS: 9 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Turner spun seven shutout inning against the Mets Friday, and while the Miami offense is, well… offensive, in deeper and NL-only leagues it’s time to find a home for this young prospect.

Jeremy Bonderman, SP, Seattle Mariners (CBS: 1 per cent owned, ESPN: 1 per cent): It’s great to see Bonderman back in the bigs but unless we see something amazing (and that’s highly unlikely), it won’t be a long visit. We’re betting that he’s simply holding down a slot until we see the return of Ramirez.

Daniel Hudson, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks (CBS: 16 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): It’s about to get very crowded in the Arizona starting rotation with Hudson just a few more rehab starts away from returning. Wade Miley should be looking over his shoulder.

Tyler Skaggs, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks (CBS: 30 per cent owned, ESPN: 1 per cent): Brandon McCarthy has hit the DL with shoulder issues and will be out at least 2-to-3 weeks, possibly longer. The six innings of shutout ball with nine punchouts that Skaggs threw at the Rangers Monday has guaranteed him several more opportunities, but even if this is just a short-term situation, his huge strikeout potential simply can’t be ignored.

Roger Bernadina, OF, Washington Nationals (CBS: 1 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Bryce Harper has hit the DL with knee bursitis, giving Bernadina an increased role for now.

Freddy Galvis, 2B/SS/3B, Philadelphia Phillies (CBS: 5 per cent owned, ESPN: unowned): Chase Utley’s injury guarantees full-time at–bats for Galvis over the next several weeks. Sure, he’s only slightly better than an empty roster slot, but middle infield is currently a wasteland.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. Next week (June 6), we’re off because of the NHL playoffs, but will return on June 13. Tune in here.

How huge was the New York Yankees’ 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox Friday?

For starters, the Yanks had lost a season-high five straight games, so desperately needed any win. But to start a series against their arch rivals with a victory to pull within a game of the lead in the AL East is massive.

The fact that CC Sabathia – who has struggled against the Red Sox over the years – was light outs was an even better sign. The big man was reaching 94 mph on the gun (a fantastic turn of events considering how much his velocity is down this season) and wound up tossing 7 1/3 IP of one-run ball for his best start since early April.

Sabathia matched a season-high with 10 strikeouts and did not walk a batter in earning his fifth win of the season – but just his first of May. He had gone five starts without earning a W, which is just one off his worst drought ever.

Back in mid-November we had worries about how Sabathia would hold up this season from a health perspective, and while he’s taken the ball every time it’s been his turn and has already amassed 80 IP (putting him on pace for his biggest workload since 2008), the decrease in his average fastball speed from 92.3 to 90 mph is worrisome – especially since Sabathia is using his heater more than last year.

His K rate is down this season, so now might be an ideal time to consider selling high on Sabathia. There have to be lingering questions about how much the offseason elbow surgery is affected him, but after Friday’s gem, float his name out and see what comes back.

Quick Hits

• We haven’t had an opportunity to cover former big leaguer Otis Nixon’s latest setback. No homer-robbing catch was going to save him this time. Last month, the 54-year-old was stopped after his vehicle was allegedly weaving on a Georgia highway and he was reportedly found with a bag of crack, several rocks of crack and a pair of crack pipes. That earned him an arrest. Nixon has long battled drug and alcohol issues, but he claimed to have defeated his issues just three years ago. Earlier this year, Nixon was implicated in a scam trying to bilk inmates’ families out of money by promising early parole. Hey, what do you expect from a guy who made his living stealing?
• Jon Lester’s comeback season continues to go off the rails as he struggled for a third straight start Friday. A season removed from earning consideration as the 2013 RotoRob Fantasy Baseball Dud of the Year, Lester was really putting last year’s nightmare behind him. He went 4-0, 3.11 in April with a .220 BAA and continued the party with a trio of quality starts to begin May, including a brilliant one-hit shutout on May 10. However, after struggling with his command against the Yanks Friday (four walks and five strikeouts in six innings), Lester has now given up 23 hits, 14 runs (13 earned) and eight walks in 19 1/3 IP over his last three starts, suffering his first two losses during this stretch. He hasn’t been awful, but says a combination of bad pitches, falling behind in the count and a lack of command has hurt him lately. For instance, Lester needed 48 pitches just to get through the first two innings Friday. Clearly, he’s not going to stick around in his starts with that kind of inefficiency. Lester is on pace for a career high 229 innings this season and currently leads the bigs in pitches thrown; could that be a factor in his recent struggles? Keep an eye on Boston’s top starter closely over his next few starts, specifically his command. If it keeps degrading, consider selling him after his next quality outing or two. Yes, Lester is a workhorse, but even workhorses get tired – and potentially hurt.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. Next week (June 6), we’re off because of the NHL playoffs, but will return on June 13. Tune in here.

OMG. After a four-week hiatus because of the NBA and NHL playoffs, RotoRob was back in action Thursday, returning to RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast, heard every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on Blogtalkradio. Tim and I — who hadn’t done a show together in even longer than that — were reunited to bring you our colourful Fantasy baseball banter.

Among this week’s highlights:

• If Brian Dozier can pick things up a bit, he can actually help the Twins.
• We discover that once Tim recommends someone in the Troll, his work is done. Tracking? We don’t need no stinkin’ tracking!
• Our predictions about Alex Liddi last year were bang on. What’s next for this kid?
• Tim laments the loss of Kyuji Fujikawa to Tommy John surgery in light of how long he’s wanted to come to MLB.
• Brett Lawrie was just heating up before things unraveled for him this week. What’s next for this fiery kid?
• Speaking of the Jays, is there a leadership gap in that clubhouse?
• B.J. Surhoff’s nephew is one this year’s top draft prospects.
• We both agree that Minnesota pretty much has to look to the mound with the fourth overall pick in the draft.
• Is Travis Wood the best player to ever step on to a baseball diamond?
• Mitch Moreland is coming into his own for the Rangers.

‘Twas a fun and entertaining evening of baseball chatter, one that you can relive in its entirety simply by pressing the pointy thingy below.

Heading into the season, we slotted Brian Dozier just inside the top 40 in our Shortstop Rankings. And even though he has played exclusively second base this season and has struggled to duplicate his rookie season, he’s nearly a top 30 shortstop this year.

Of course, that’s more a commentary on the sad state of the shortstop position than it is on Dozier’s emergence as anything more than deep AL-only league fodder.

He actually wasn’t completely awful in April (.295 OBP, 609 OPS in 70 at-bats), but May has mostly been unkind to Dozier (465 OPS) and he was in serious danger of losing his job altogether until showing some life this week.

Dozier singled, stole a base and scored a run Monday, followed that up with a three-hit, one-run, one-walk effort Tuesday (in which he got to bat second) and then came through with another hit and another run Wednesday.

That qualifies as a hot streak for Dozier, who has spent most of the season batting leadoff for the Twins. Reportedly, he has fixed a flaw in his swing that was prohibiting him from getting the bat head out fast enough. If it’s for real, Dozier has a chance to stick, because the Twins really need more out of the leadoff spot.

However, with Trevor Plouffe coming off the DL Wednesday (but unable to play because of his calf), Dozier’s days as a starter are in jeopardy. Jamey Carroll is currently manning the hot corner, but even if he doesn’t deserve it, he’ll need somewhere to play when Plouffe is back in the lineup.

With Pedro Florimon continuing to improve at shortstop, Dozier was shifted to second base this year after playing nothing but short last season. He’s adjusted well defensively and has arguably been the team’s top defender. Check out this video for evidence of Dozier’s prowess at the keystone corner.

But this is the major leagues, which means you’ve still got to hit your weight. The problem is that Dozier has struggled to make contact (22 per cent K rate), which is unacceptably high for someone with next to no power. His value lies in his speed (9-for-11 on the basepaths in 84 games as a rookie last year), but he’s been much less successful so far this season (5-for-9 in 39 games). Of course, it might help if Dozier were getting on base at a clip higher than .255.

Last year, Carroll’s ineptitude as a starter (no kidding, huh?) forced the Twins to give Dozier a shot at the starting shortstop gig. This year, it may be Carroll who ultimately forces Dozier to the bench.

Such is the irony of Minnesota Twins baseball and as good a reason as any why they have dropped to fourth in the AL Central, two games back of the third place Pale Hose.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim McLeod and RotoRob will entertain and edify you for a half hour or more each week. This week, we discuss Derek Jeter’s progress. Tune in here.