Summer Bats Heat Up

The past month in fantasy baseball has delivered some interesting stats. Some hitters finally woke up, began producing and even beat out some of the game’s more consistent point-getters.

Outfielder Chris Young of the Arizona Diamond Backs showed off why he was once considered a top young prospect. Young hit only .261 but hit six homers and drove in 17 runs to go along with his seven stolen bases. These numbers produced more points than Matt Holiday of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ shortstop, Rafael Furcal, brought back memories of when he was one of the best players at his position. Furcal hit .322 with four home runs, 18 RBI and even had four steals. Those numbers beat out Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins.

Carlos Quentin, outfielder for the Chicago White Sox, was a major piece of the Sox’s rejuvenation. Q posted a .303 average with eight homers and 21 RBI. Those numbers were much better than those of the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp.

One of the bigger surprises of the past month was the Florida Marlins’ outfielder, Chris Coghlan. Batting a solid .302 with eight homers and 21 RBI, Coghlan produced more points than the Detroit Tigers’ Magglio Ordonez. Coghlan does have the advantage of having an emotionally rocking ballad penned and sang by Creed’s (yes, THAT Creed’s) front man, Scott Stapp, entitled “Marlins Will Soar” uplifting the team and every individual that can hear, including Billy the Marlin, every home pre-game. “Marlins Will Soar” may be the audio version of steroids or a song that will never be remembered.

One interesting line is that of Vernon Wells of the Toronto Blue Jays. After a torrid start, and having been a huge fantasy point-scorer, Wells has been a disappointment. Hitting just .193, with 13Ks and an awful .264 OBP, Vernon has many people asking: is Wells done?