Catcher Carlos Santana (aka "Oye-como-va")
After being called up in early June, Carlos Santana has shown great potential as a major league catcher. His defense has been getting raive reviews, and his bat already appears to be well adjusted to major league pitching. For a position normally not known for it's skill at the plate, Santana is a pleasant surprise.
The reason I'm focusing on Santana today, is because his value just went up. Shin-Soo Choo just came back and his presence in the lineup means good things for Santana's value. Without Choo, Santana was easily Clevelands best hitter, and pitcher keyed in on him and he wasn't getting good pitches to hit. With Choo batting in front of him, he should have a mild protection in the lineup.
1B Joey Votto
Probably the most underrated fantasy first baseman in the game. He's currently second on ESPN's player rater for second basement, only behind the ungodly Miguel Cabrera. Votto has been a dominant force all year, and is a good reason the Reds came out of nowhere to contend with the Cardinals for the NL Central.
The good news is, I only see his value going up. He's a proven performer, and I think he'll perform even better under the pressure of a division race. Next season, he should definitely be considered a top 10 fantasy first baseman, possibly even top 5.
2B Alexi Casilla
The little known second baseman from Minnesota, has shined in his short tenure as the starting 2B for the Twins this season. With both Orlando Hudson and Nick Punto on the DL, he'll be the starter for the forseeable future.
In 2008, Casilla had a breakout year of sorts, hitting .281 with 7 homers, 50 RBI's, 58 runs and 7 SB's in 98 games. Not stellar numbers, but more than solid. He had a rough year in 2009, batting only .202 with no homeruns, but he seems to be back to normal in 2010. I don't consider him a future elite 2B, but he has some nice value here in the short term with the Twins playing some weaker teams.
3B Aramis Ramirez
This is a guy who was left for dead by nearly every fantasy owner that drafted him. You likely dropped him, and it's turned out to be a big mistake. Only a few weeks ago, Ramirez was available in my league, and had passed through waivers. The thought of myself skipping him rather than jumping all over it makes me sick.
In the last 30 days, Ramirez has been the 2nd most valuable third basement (behind only the fluky Jose Bautista) and his value is only going up. It first seemed as though he had taken a giant step backwards this season in his approach at the plate, but it now seems as just plain old bad luck. He is a must get (and potential keeper) in all leagues he is still available in, which at this time shouldn't be many.
SS Alexei Ramirez
Sometimes, an injury can be a blessing. When Troy Tulowitzki went down with an injury (#1 ranked SS at the time) I was devistated. I was extremely lucky to land Alexei Ramirez off waivers, and that choice hasn't disappointed.
In the last 30 days, Alexei, has been the most valuable short stop in baseball, even more so than Hanely Ramirez or Derek Jeter. Unbelievable turnaround this guy has had. After a very slow start, he has steadily raised his batting average, is hitting homeruns at an alarming pace, and even stealing a few bases here and there. Even though I'm a die hard Twins fan, I love you Alexei.
OF Delmon Young, Andres Torres and Coco Crisp
Delmon Young is finally proving to be the player everyone thought he could be, and he's doing it in style. The guy is on a monster tear of late, with no signs of slowing down. If someone would have told me at the beginning of the year that Delmon Young, and not Mauer, Morneau, Kubel or Cuddyer would lead the team in RBI's at this point, I would say they were crazy.
Andres Torres is having a fine fantasy season for himself as well, already with 18 SB's and 10 HR, and a decent average to boot (.283). Completely overlooked but you can't argue with the speed/power combo this guy can give you. Grab him while you can.
Coco Crisp has had a nice few weeks since coming off the DL for most of the season. Sure, it's a small sample size, but he has stolen 8 bases in his last 10 games. A must add in all leagues.
Pitching will have to wait for another day, as this post is getting pretty long. This concludes the first ever "Starting Lineup" post, I hope you enjoyed it.
