LestersLegends.com

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Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche is tearing the cover off the ball to start the year. He is hitting for average and for power, and he’s been highly productive driving his teammates in.
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Despite his hot start, LaRoche is owned in less than half of fantasy leagues. The question is whether you should add him to your team and raise that percentage. The way the lefty is swinging the bat, I don’t see why not.
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He is locked and loaded and the 32-year old has a solid enough track record to make his 2011 debacle a distant memory. He hit .172 in 43 games for the Nats. His .546 OPS was just brutal. It’s a new year though and he has turned it around in the early going.
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LaRoche is a guy that had hit 20 or more homers the previous six years, averaging 24.7 HRs per season during the stretch. He also averaged 87.3 RBI. Is he guaranteed to keep this form and return to that hitter? Of course not, but it does seem likely that last year is a fluke and he is the hitter that we have come to love and sometimes love.
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I say sometimes because LaRoche is the type of hitter that has a track record of being much better in the second half of the year. The fact that he’s getting it done early is encouraging.
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Adam hits nearly 50 points higher (.295) and sports over 100 points higher of an OPS (.889) after the All-Star Break. He has more HRs despite nearly 500 fewer at bats.
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If you have a roster spot available, give him a shot. You could get some nice power and RBI production. If he tails off, you can decide if he’s worth waiting for that second half splurge.
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Click here for Brandon Berg’s take on Adam LaRoche.
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Also check out:

• Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Picks
• Overrated Fantasy Baseball Players
• Closer Talk
• Can Jason Vargas Continue to Roll?
• Fantasy Baseball 2012: Early Trade Targets

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By Brandon Berg
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It is no secret that Adam LaRoche was abysmal in his first year with the Nationals.
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He hit a whopping .172 with 3 HR and 15 RBI. Nobody should’ve read into it. He battled injury all year until he was shut down when he underwent surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder. As bad as it looks, had that just been a slow start, he might have been alright last year.
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His BABIP was a porous .205 and he was walking a ton to produce a .288 OBP. Still nothing great, but considering how poor he was hitting, he was getting on base by walking 14 % of the time.
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From 2008-2010, LaRoche hit 25 HR in each year, to go along with a batting average hovering around .270. That’s what the Nationals were paying to get. They certainly didn’t get that type of production last year, but it is starting now.
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LaRoche is on a tear so far this year, hitting .341 with 2 HR and 12 RBI in just 10 games. LaRoche is a career .268 hitter, so the batting average should cool off into that range, but we can expect 20 plus homers with around 100 RBI.
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I don’t see him having any trouble driving in runs in the middle of a lineup that features Jayson Werth (also having a bounce-back season) and Ryan Zimmerman. The only red flag for LaRoche is that his contact rate is down a little, leading him to strike out too much, but it is still plenty early.
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He still is only owned in 57.0 % of ESPN leagues, so if he is still available in your league, snatch him up.
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I host the Fantasy Feast every Monday Night at 11:30 Eastern. Here is tonight’s show link.

Written by Eric Stashin the Rotoprofessor

Some believe that players entering their contract season have more motivation to perform.  They see the golden ring, the fat contract, staring them in the face knowing that if they can put up career numbers the dollars will only go up.  It doesn’t matter what they have done in the past, perform now and get paid.

It’s easy to look at the big names like Vladimir Guerrero, Jason Bay and Brandon Webb (who has an option) as players who could have big seasons this year.  That has nothing to do with it being his walk year, however.

If you are a believer in this theory, though, here are three players who could be available late in your draft who have the potential to post career years:

Rick Ankiel – St. Louis Cardinals – Outfielder
Going in the eighteenth round, on average, we all know the story of this pitcher turned power hitter.  In his first full season as an offensive player he hit 43 HR between Triple-A and the Majors.  Last season he mustered just 25 HR, but injuries played a huge role, limiting him to just 413 AB.

In a full season, it’s easy to imagine him slugging at least 30 HR, if not more.  With Adam Dunn getting a 2-year, $20 million contract this off-season, despite the turn in the market, there certainly is hope for Ankiel.

Yes, Dunn has a much greater track record in the power department, but Ankiel has shown more potential in the average department.  He hit .285 in 2007 after being recalled and .264 last season, but that came courtesy of a .292 BABIP.

An increase there would be great, but his value comes from the power.  Last season it was Ryan Ludwick posting a career season and this year it is easy to imagine Ankiel following suit.  For a 5 OFer league, he’s an easy call.

Adam LaRoche – Pittsburgh Pirates – First Baseman
I spoke about him as a late round power option (click here to view), but he also fits here as well.  He has put up some good seasons already, including a 32 HR barrage in 2006, but he never has been able to put it all together.  He’s never had a 100 RBI season and never hit higher then .285.

The problem is his starts.  Last season was particularly bad, hitting just .163 in April.  Over the past three seasons, his first half averages have been:

• 2006 – .251
• 2007 – .239
• 2008 – .251

With a contract hanging in the balance, would it surprise anyone if this was the season that he bucked that trend?  We have all been waiting for him to finally put together a full season.  He’s consistently hit .300 after the All-Star Break, now, at 29-years old, I’m willing to gamble that he can put it together.

He’s got an ADP of 279.87, so really, what do you have to lose?  I’d grab him in a heartbeat at that point in your draft.

Coco Crisp – Kansas City Royals – Outfielder
Another player I’ve discussed in the past, this time as a late round speed option (click here to view) and a late round run option (click here to view).  Crisp will finally return to a full-time position, instead of being tossed onto the bench as a fourth outfielder and always worrying about his playing time.

He’s proven that he could be a productive player in the past, back when he played with the Indians.  At 29-years old, he is quickly running out of time to cash in on his talents.  While the Royals line-up may not be the best, if Billy Butler and/or Alex Gordon can take the next step, they will provide plenty of opportunity for Crisp to succeed.

Centerfielders are tough to come by in this day and age, so a productive season easily could turn into a huge payday.  He’s been on the cusp of stealing 30 bases in the past, and achieving that with double-digit HR, a strong average and great defense could lead to a huge payday.

Those numbers are all achievable, but could the contract sitting before his eyes motivate him to even outperform those numbers?  Absolutely, making him well worth the risk.

So there you have three contract year players that I am high on.  What about you?  Do you like these three?  Are there any others you are eyeing?

Written by Eric Stashin the Rotoprofessor

Looking for a possible power option late in your draft?  I’m sure that’s a situation many of us are going to find ourselves in.  I know from experience, sitting there at the tail end of my draft just trying to find a name who can provide some power after I didn’t quite get enough in the early rounds.  Well, here are 5 names that are likely to be had after the 18th round who have the potential to significantly help your team in power:

Travis Hafner – Cleveland Indians
He is just 2 seasons removed from a 42 HR campaign, and I find it extremely hard to believe that at 31-years old (he turns 32 in June), he has just completely lost that type of potential.  Problems with his shoulder led to his demise last season, limiting him to 198 AB with 5 HR and hitting .197.  This is a player with a career .284 average and was between 24-42 HR the previous four seasons.

We aren’t talking about a guy who’s going to hit .310 with 40 HR, 110 RBI and 100 R, like he once was.  Would you complain with a late round pick who goes .275 with 28 HR, 85 RBI and 85 R though?

If he’s healthy, there’s no reason to believe that he can’t be that type of player.  No one would project him out to that level, but the upside is there.  There’s that disclaimer to consider, which is why he should be nothing more then a late round flyer in all formats.  That way, if he fails, he doesn’t hurt your team in the least, but if he rebounds it is huge dividends for all.

Billy Butler – Kansas City Royals
I know, given his numbers last season you have to wonder why you would even consider taking him.  We’re talking about a player who had just 11 HR last season and was so bad that he was demoted in June.  Still, 9 HR and a .305 average after the All-Star Break gives plenty of reason for optimism.  He’ll be 23 in April, which tells me that there is plenty of reason to believe the power is still developing.

At Single A in ‘05 he showed the potential, hitting 25 HR in 379 AB.  Even in Triple A in ‘07 (prior to being recalled), he hit 13 HR in 203 AB.  The power is there, he just needs to start hitting the ball in the air more.  In the major leagues, his career FB% is just 33.8%.  As he matures, I fully believe the power is going to come around, with 2009 likely to be the first time owners see his full potential.

I’m not saying he’s going to hit 30+ HR this season, that’s just too big a jump to predict.  I would think 20-25 as very realistic, however, making him a great pick at the end of your draft.

Matt Joyce – Tampa Bay Rays
After hitting 12 HR in 242 AB last season for the Tigers, there are people who are expecting him to fully breakout with regular playing time likely coming with the Rays.  At 24-years old (he’ll turn 25 in August), maybe that’ll be the case but I can’t say that I’m sold on it fully.  That’s not to say that I don’t think he has a chance to hit between 20-25 HR, because I do, but raising your expectations any higher then that would be a mistake.

At Double A in 2007, he had 465 AB and hit 17 HR.  Last season, his success came courtesy of a FB% of 47.5% and a HR/FB of 14.1%.  While I could believe him keeping up that type of HR/FB, a regression in the FB% is likely.  If he had enough AB’s to qualify, it would have placed him ninth in the league and that just isn’t going to happen over a full season.

Is he a good late round pick if you are in need of a bit of power from your OF?  Absolutely, but temper your expectations.  I would put his upside at around 25, not beyond that.

Jack Cust – Oakland Athletics
We all know the story of Jack Cust, don’t we?  He brings with him a tremendous amount of HR ability, but with it comes literally no batting average.  If you are looking for power and nothing else, however, who cares?

I know the HR/FB rate seems very unrealistic at 29.7%, but that was actually a decrease from his ‘07 season (31.7%).  Someone puts up a stat once, we call it an aberration but if he repeats it, we call it a trend.

I have to believe that he is what he’s shown us over the past 2 seasons, so 30 HR is a number that we can almost expect from him.  If you need average, I’d avoid him, otherwise he’s a good source of power at the end of your draft.

Adam LaRoche – Pittsburgh Pirates
Another player whose story is pretty well known; terrible in the first half, tremendous in the second.  Over the past 3 season, let’s take a look at his second half lines:

• 2006: .323, 19 HR, 48 RBI
• 2007: .312, 8 HR, 37 RBI
• 2008: .304, 14 HR, 42 RBI

Could this be the season where he finally puts things together for a full season?  It’s possible, and I would be willing to bet on it with one of my last picks in a draft.  I would be even more apt to do so if I’m making the pick of him as a reserve and I have a bench deep enough to stash him away and wait and see what happens.  Either way, he’s proven to be a player well worth using once the All-Star Game has come and gone, but if he could put it all together a 30 HR campaign is certainly in reach.

So, there are 5 good late game power options for you to consider.  Which one would you most like to own?  Is there someone I didn’t list you’re targeting?

Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media, Inc.