LestersLegends.com

.
Hiroki Kuroda is 7-13 on the year. His .350 winning percentage is worse than every team in the league other than the Astros. His career record sits at 35-43 (.449) and he’s only had one winning season in his four years in the Majors. That season was just 8-7 (.533) so it wasn’t like he had a killer winning percentage. Of course, winning percentage isn’t always a reflection of the pitcher.
.
Kuroda has a 2.96 ERA on the year. He’s never had an ERA over 3.76 so the low mark isn’t that surprising, but he’s never dipped below 3.00 either. His WHIP is 1.21, which is right in line with his 1.19 career average. Kuroda is not picking up a strikeout per inning, but his 7.14 K/9 is solid.
.
The odd thing is Kuroda’s “struggles” have come at home.  He maintains a 3.48 ERA and 1.25 WHIP at home, but his record stands at just 2-8. On the road his ERA is 2.35 with a WHIP of 1.17. Even though his 5-5 mark on the road is much better than  his home winning percentage, it’s still not on par for the peripherals he has maintained.
.
His day and night ERAs are identical at 2.96. He’s been successful against both right-handed hitters (.238 batting average) and lefties (.257). His high water mark for monthly ERA is just 4.02. Bottom line is no matter the situation, Kuroda has been steady.
.
He’s going to help your fantasy squad so just keep trotting him out there despite his horrific winning percentage. You’ll just have to have somebody else pick up the slack in that category.
.
.

Also check out:

• Week 19 Two-Start Pitchers
• Can Josh Willingham Finish Strong?
• Fantasy Baseball Free Agent Pool – 2011 Run Scorers Vol. 8
• Can Doug Fister Produce For Detroit?
• Fantasy Baseball Free Agent Pool – 2011 Speed Demons Vol. 8

.
After going 1-4 with a 7.01 ERA in June, Ted Lilly was likely dropped in a number of leagues, especially when word came out that he had a sore elbow. He was given an extra day of rest before his last outing, which yielded a quality start. Considering he went nearly a month without a quality start, that must have been a relief for Lilly (and his fantasy owners).
.
One start, especially one with a 4.50 ERA, does not signify a turnaround per se, but he does have a reasonably good chance of building on that start against the Padres on Sunday. If he can string together two quality starts, that could give him some momentum heading into the second half of the season.
.
Speaking of the second half, Lilly has been significantly better in the second half over the course of his career. His winning percentage is .093 better in the second half (51-36, .586) than the first half (67-69, .493). His ERA is 4.10 in the second half, which is 21 points lower than his first half ERA. His WHIP is seven points lower in the second half. His K/9 is 7.8 in the first half and 7.5 in the second.
.
Last year was no different. After going 3-8 with a 4.08 ERA before the All-Star Break, Lilly closed out going 7-4 with a 3.17 ERA. You’d have to go back to 2007 for the last time his second half ERA was worse than the first.
.
Plus, the two teams that pounded him the hardest (Twins and Tigers) reside in the AL Central. Lilly’s ERA against the National League this year is 4.27.
.
So before you give Ted Lilly his pink slip, you may want to enjoy his favorable match-up against San Diego and take it from there.
.
.

Also check out:

• Can Garrett Jones Continue to Produce?
• Fantasy Baseball Free Agent Pool – 2011 RBI Guys Vol. 6
• Fantasy Baseball Free Agent Pool – 2011 Strikeout Kings Vol. 6
• Fantasy Baseball Free Agent Pool – 2011 Run Scorers Vol. 6
• Has Ricky Nolasco Turned the Corner?

.
Andre Ethier owners can breathe a little easier as the slugger returned to action tonight. He had missed Wednesday’s game with elbow inflammation. Ethier extended his hitting streak to 30 games, collecting three hits in five at bats to raise his average to .379.

We have teamed up with DraftStreet.com to offer an exclusive free fantasy baseball contest to LestersLegends.com readers. The freeroll will have $100 in cash prizes, the top 5 get paid, and it is totally free to sign up. Click here to get in on the action.
.
.

.
It’s safe to say Andre Ethier is in the zone. As of May 6th, Andre is hitting .370 and has a 29-game hitting streak. His streak is beginning to garner ESPN updates on his every at bat, so even the casual fan is noticing. If you own Ethier, now is the best time to sell high.
.
Virtually all baseball players are streaky. However, Ethier is streakier than most. Year after year he has been on fire one moth and ice cold the next. In 2010, Andre hit .453 in May and .305 in August. Surrounding it was .229 in June and .213 in September. In 2009, he hit .307 in April followed by .211 in May. He hit .333 in August followed by .212 in September. Every year follows a similar pattern.
.
An interesting note about Ethier this year is that the power has not come as of yet. Currently, he has three HRs in a year where he was projected to approach 30. His ten doubles thus far are in the top ten of MLB, but unless some of those start going over the fence, his value is limited. He has also been pretty lucky this year. His BABIP is .436 suggests that his batted balls are finding more holes in the defense than normal and a course correction is due.
.
Based on past performance Ethier is due for a prolonged slump. The time is now to get value for him and he can be used to address concerns for the rest of your team.
.
.

Also check out:

• Can You Trust Josh Tomlin’s Fast Start?
• Can Adam Dunn Turn it Around?
• Is It Time to Hit the Panic Button on Albert Pujols?
• Has Brett Wallace Arrived?
• Will Jason Kubel Cool Off?

.
By Matt Carpenter
twitter.com/carmatts
.
Clayton Kershaw has quickly established himself as the Dodger’s ace, but can he be relied on as the anchor of your fantasy staff. In 2010, Kershaw racked up a 13-10 record, 2.91 ERA, 212 K’s, and 1.18 WHIP. Certainly everything but the wins qualifies him as an elite starter and the best may be yet to come.
.
Entering his third full season, Kershaw will only be 23, when he takes the mound opening day. Kershaw’s stats are mouthwatering. In 2010, Kershaw ranked in the top ten in the following categories: K’s, BAA, K’s per nine innings, and hits per nine innings. Did we mention he’ll only be 23 this year? His great stuff combines with the fact that he is pitching in one of the best pitchers parks and in the weakest hitters division in all of baseball.
.
The primary concern regarding Kershaw has always been his walk rate, which leads to short outings and cuts down on his chances for accumulating wins. Last season Kershaw improved his walk rate from 4.8 BB/9 and pitchers per plate appearance (P/PA) of 4.32 in 2009, to 3.6 BB/9 and 4.00 PPA in 2010. He also increased his innings per start ratio from 5.63 to 6.39, allowing him to reach the 200 inning’s pitched milestone for the first time in 2010. An interesting note is that Kershaw’s road ERA of 2.43 was actually better than his home ERA of 3.33 despite a BAA of .207 at the pitchers haven that is Dodger Stadium, suggesting he was unlucky at home and those numbers should improve.
.
According to Mock Draft Central, Kershaw’s current APD is 52, the ninth pitcher off the board, right behind C.C. Sabathia and ahead of Dan Haren. His numbers are already top ten and still has as much upside as any pitcher in baseball. This will be the last year he is drafted outside of round three.
.
.

Also check out:

• 2011 Fantasy Baseball Profiles
• 2011 Fantasy First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Closer Rankings

.
Matt Kemp started the 2010 season like most expected, hitting .285 with 42 runs, ten home runs, 30 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. That’s what a player drafted in the first round does.
.
Unfortunately for Kemp owners, as the weather warmed, his bat cooled, and those owners who enjoyed his hot start were in for a rude awakening. Kemp hit just .230 from June on with 40 runs, 18 HRs, 59 RBI, and 12 SBs.
.
His torrid start had his overall numbers, aside for average, fairly impressive. He hit just .249, but scored 82 runs with 28 HRs, 89 RBI, and 19 SBs. So are his declining numbers a cause for concern?
.
I say no. Kemp is just 26 years old. If anyone is going to bounce back from a down year it’s him. He averaged 95 runs, 22 HRs, 88.5 RBI, and 34.5 SBs in 2008 and 2009. He was a first round pick in most fantasy drafts for a reason.
.
While I wouldn’t draft him in the first round this year, mainly because you don’t have to as he has an ADP of 24 according to Mock Draft Central, I wouldn’t shy against snagging him in the second round.
.
He’s a five-category producer. I expect his average to return to .280 or better. I expect his run total to jump into the nineties. While I don’t expect much movement out of his HR total, I do anticipate more RBI and stolen bases. Perhaps next year he’ll return to the first round of fantasy drafts.

.

Also check out:

• 2011 Fantasy Baseball Profiles
• 2011 Fantasy First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Closer Rankings

With Rafael Furcal and Yunel Escobar landing on the DL, there will be some fantasy owners in the market for a new fantasy shortstop. Here are some reasonably available options.

Yuniesky Betancourt, Kansas City Royals
The Royals are 23rd with 104 runs scored, but Betancourt has been decent. He’s hitting .278 with 10 runs, 2 HRs, and 8 RBIs. He’s owned in 14.7 percent of ESPN and 18 percent of CBS leagues.
***Update***
With Mike Aviles back in the mix, he’s probably a more attractive option.

Cliff Pennington, Oakland A’s
Oakland isn’t an offensive powerhouse either, but Pennington is hitting .272 with 10 runs, 3 HRs, 16 RBIs, and 4 SBs. He’s owned in 18.9 percent of ESPN and 46 percent of CBS leagues.

Cristian Guzman, Washington Nationals
Guzman qualifies at SS despite playing 2B for the Nats. He’s hitting .271 with 10 runs, 8 RBIs, and 1 SB. He’s owned in 6 percent of ESPN and 15 percent of CBS leagues.

Juan Uribe, San Francisco Giants
Uribe qualifies at 2B, 3B, and SS making him very valuable. He’s hitting .292 with 11 runs, 3 HRs, 16 RBIs, and 1 SB. He’s likely not available in ESPN leagues (74.2 percent ownership), but may be had in CBS leagues (48 percent).

Orlando Cabrera, Cincinnati Reds
Cabrera is the opposite of Uribe. He’s owned in 59 percent of CBS and 19.3 percent of ESPN leagues. He’s hitting .253 with 10 runs, 2 HRs, 14 RBIs, and 3 SBs.