The month of May is a cruel month in Fantasy Baseball. One minute that hot bat you were riding in April (you silly gullible little monkey) is nothing more than a cold memory of a faint caress with ultimate fantasy dominance and the next minute you’re up in arms over the anemic waiver wire pickings that aren’t even vulture worthy.
But don’t fret. Let’s take a look at a couple of hot players that are bound for a few great weeks of fantasy output, as well as, a look at who’s hot and who’s not.
THE BIG THREE:
Derrek Lee – 1B – CHC: Yes, that’s right, Derrek Lee. Look, Lee is hitting a modest .231/.337/.376 right now—an actually an improvement—but after his knockout performance against the red hot Dodgers (3 for 3 with a HR, BB, and 3 RBI) Lee suddenly looks pretty good.
Not enough?
In the month of June, Lee is a lifetime .317/.405/.556 hitter not to mention his lowest strikeout rate comes in the month of June. His bat is heating up and you should be taking advantage of it now, before the gravy train leaves the station.
Jon Lester – SP – BOS: Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick this guy is red hot! In the month of May Lester has fanned 40 while walking only 13 in 37 innings worth of work. He is 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA while touting an impressive 9.7 K/9 rate.
If I was a fortune teller (which I am by the way) I would tell you to keep him active for AT LEAST the next three outings (which I am doing) and not doing so will make you look stupid.
- 5/30 vs. Kansas City. Lifetime 3-1 with a 1.20 ERA
- 6/5 @ Baltimore. Lifetime 10-0 with a 2.22 ERA
- 6/10 @ Cleveland. Lifetime 3-0 with a 3.89 ERA
To sum things up, the next three COMBINED competitors are 1-16 against Lester…1-16!
Vladimir Guerrero – DH – TEX: One of the biggest debatable topics this offseason was Vlad moving to Texas to play a DH role, and whether or not it was going to hurt his overall fantasy value.
Some said that it would not, since Texas is a very hittable park and the DH role was exactly what he needed at this point in his career.
Others said his career was over and that Vlad was nothing more than an afterthought in Fantasy Baseball.
Well whether you were a believer or a nay-sayer, one thing is for sure: Vlad is killing right now! Vlad is currently hitting .359/.367/.717 with 33 H, 3 DBL, 10 HR, and 29 RBI in the month of May.
In addition to that, he has only had TWO DAYS in the entire month where he did not hit a ball, and has only struck out 12 times.
This is a guy to keep active if you own him, or at the very least, a guy you should try and trade for.
HOT
Edwin Encarnacion – 3B – TOR: Well looky here Mable, Encarnacion has resurrected himself as a viable waiver option for the month of May! Encarnacion is hitting .292 with 7 H, 6 HR, and 11 RBI in the month of May, and while this probably won’t continue, you can at least ride the heat wave while the gettin’ is good if you’re in need.
Luke Scott – 1B/OF – BAL: Thankfully for the Orioles’ fanbase there is a glimmer of offensive hope, and Scott is it. He’s been on fire this month hitting .354 with 23 H, 7 HR, 13 RBI, and while most will shy away from anyone playing from the O’s right now, you may wanna get in on Scott as he is one of the most underrated dual qualifiers on the waiver wire right now.
Billy Butler – 1B – KC: Billy who? That’s right, that’s what a ton of people said at the start of the season and Butler has been nothing BUT fantasy nectar for those (like myself) who either picked him up or traded for him.
Butler is hitting .364 with 32 H, 20 HR, and 15 RBI.
Butler won’t offer a ton of power, but he’ll get on base damn near every time he’s at bat. I have both Prince Fielder and Billy Butler on one of my teams and Butler has been the clear cut choice since day one…put that in your pipe and smoke it!
COLD
Geovanny Soto – C – Cubs: All the Subway hoagies in the world aren’t gonna fix Soto’s inability to figure out how to regain his 2009 monster form, and until he shows better consistency, you should steer clear of him altogether. In the month of May he has slumped down to a paltry .179 AVG with a dime’s worth of hits and pretty much nothing else to speak of. There are far better options out there at Catcher!
David Wright – 3B – Mets: Remember earlier this year when everyone said last year’s horrible season for Wright was just a fart in the wind…yeah ok! The month of May has produced nothing more than a dismal .250 AVG, and 4 homers, Make all the excuses you want, but Wright has a mountain to climb if he wants everyone to still believe he is among the elite.
Paul Konerko – 1B – CWS: It pains me to put Konerko on this list after his .297, 22 hit, 11 HR, 21 RBI performance in the month of April, but Konerko has hit the showers in May batting .225, 16 H, 3 HR, and 10 RBI.
He’s not the only April mishap hitting for the Southsiders right now. Remember Andruw Jones’ hot bat? Well, he’s apparently swinging an icicle hitting .224 with 15 H, 3 HR, and 11 RBI in May as well.
The White Sox have a ton of talent, but they are far to volatile to think they have anything worth mentioning. Try to ride the streaks if you want, but you’re better off shopping elsewhere.
Got an idea on a hot bat or arm? Leave a comment below and let the discussion begin!
