How’s this for a ridiculously hot line: 11 for 16 with a .688 AVG and 16 total bases, 5 RBI, 2 DBL, and a single homer in only four games!
Meet Edgar Renteria.
You remember him don’t you? The once hot and trendy shortstop that, for the last two or three years, seemingly hit a fantasy wall.
The once adequate Atlanta Brave and St. Louis Cardinal that was a guaranteed 20+ double hitter, and a guy who was good for at least 10 HRs, 12 SB, and a .300+ AVG?
Coming into the 2010 season, there were very few who considered Renteria a viable option for their fantasy rosters; even as a tenant renting bench space.
Now, thanks to his .688 AVG, his ownership skyrocketed to 23% (Yahoo) as managers are hoping to cash in on his ludicrously hot bat.
So is this sudden hot start worth your notice? Or is this unexpected heat wave approaching a cool down?
Historically, the answer would seemingly point to a cool down, but if you tweak your outlook on Renteria and do some digging around, you might find that the next couple of weeks are very favorable toward Renteria continuing his dominate play.
The 10 Day Outlook:
The Giants will spend the next two days focusing on retaining their unbeaten status by trying to deal with the Braves’ heavier pitchers Derek Lowe (Saturday) and Kenshin Kawakami (Sunday).
Lowe’s first outing was a rather forgettable one ( 7.50 ERA), and he will be looking redeem himself against this power packed Giants lineup.
Lowe will have to rely on his classic sinkerball to attempt to keep the outs on the ground and minimize anything being hit in the air, but with Renteria already racking up 16 total bases, the strategy could very much work against Lowe, and work for Renteria.
Kawakami enters his first game of the year with a slightly different approach, with a new re-tooled 2 seam fastball, that the Braves feel, can be a difference maker in neutralizing the Giants hitting.
The problem with Kawakami is he is known to be an unstable pitcher. In addition to that knock relying on the 2 seamer has its risks, as it is a pitch that tends to carry very well in the air; especially for guys who are hitting very hot like Renteria.
After the Atlanta stint, Renteria and the Giants will face the Pirates anemic pitching at home with Ohlendorf and Maholm to kick things off, before heading on a 6 game road trip to face the Dodgers and Padres.
For at least the next 4 games Renteria will face three right handed pitchers and one lefty—he is currently hitting RHP better than LHP.
For at least the next 11 games Renteria will be on the road for 6 of them—currently Renteria is hitting better on the road than at home, and the Padres (one of the teams he will face on the road) are not what I would call a team to worry about.
The other five games are obviously in the comfy confines of AT&T Park which is a better hitter’s park than his old digs at Comerica, so Renteria’s growing trend of hot hitting continues to remain very probable.
Prognosis: If you have some dead weight on your roster right now, you may want to grab Renteria and enjoy the ride, before the next hot hitter comes traipsing along. Renteria's situation over the course of the next two weeks suggests that his hot hitting trend will continue, and missing out on that gravy train could leave a bad taste in your mouth.
Remember, fantasy baseball competition thrives on hot trends and now's the time to start reaping the benefits.
