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Brandon Belt had zero homers in April but hit six in May, finishing the month with a .330/.393/.642 line, when he was one of the best players in baseball. Injuries ruined his breakout last season, but he sure looks ready to explode in 2015. He has the highest LD% (34.5) in all of baseball, and his 47.3 Hard Contact% is the second best, behind only Giancarlo Stanton (but Belt’s 10.9 Soft Contact% ranks as No. 10 lowest in MLB, whereas Stanton’s 17.4% is higher than Stephen Drew’s). Moreover, Belt plays in a park that’s suppressed home runs for left-handed batters by an MLB-high 34 percent over the past three seasons. He had 20 extra-base hits in May, and his 152 wRC+ is the sixth-highest among all hitters in baseball. He was well on his way to a breakout last year before a HBP (that required thumb surgery) was followed by a concussion that essentially ruined his season. Belt, who also did this last postseason*should be able to add a handful of steals, so he can be treated as a top-10 type fantasy first baseman moving forward.
Here are the world’s worst Tic Tac Toe players.*
The UroClub is one of the world’s greatest inventions.*“The only club in your bag guaranteed to keep you out of the woods.” I especially like how if you buy one the second is half priced (h/t Ricky Sanders).*
Here’s a self-driving car running over someone.*
Quick Hits: I don’t normally like to brag, but I’d be shocked if there’s anyone out there who drafted Stephen Strasburg in a higher percentage of their leagues than I did. He’s the first pitcher this season to record fewer than 17 outs in six consecutive starts (h/t ESPN). I'm beginning to think he might not be totally healthy....Craig Kimbrel owns a career 1.64 ERA and 0.93 WHIP and has struck out 28 batters over 19.0 innings yet has a 4.74 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. His current career highs both in FB velocity (97.4 mph) and SwStr% (19.4) suggest he’s been unlucky, so he should be fine (the SwStr% leads all of MLB). That or PETCO is the new Coors Field...Speaking of disappointing Padres pitchers, how does Tyson Ross have a 1.50 WHIP with a 9.88 K rate? His 13.1 SwStr% ranks top-10 among all starters. Seriously, what’s going on in San Diego?...Jonathan Singleton has 14 homers over 47 games in Triple-A, and while that’s been in the hitter-friendly PCL, he’s just 23 years old (3.9 years younger than the average player there) and should be on every fantasy owner's radar if he gets called up later this summer...Here’s Bartolo Colon hitting a double.
Headlines of the Week: Maniac Sets World Record By Covering Himself With Over A Million Bees...Scientists Discover Species Of Flying Spider And It’s Highly Venomous...Man Hangs Himself ‘Because His Penis Was Too Big After Enlargement Op’...Party Guest ‘Snorted My Mother’s Ashes From The Urn’ Says Host..Taco Bell And Pizza Hut Removing Artificial Ingredients, Pledge To Use Real Food...Swordfish Kills Fisherman Who Was Trying To Catch It...Cow Escapes Slaughterhouse, Goes On The Run, Gets Shot Next To McDonald’s.
Quick Hits Part Deux: Colleague Scott Pianowski offered me David Ortiz for Alex Rodriguez in the Yahoo Friends and Family league, and it didn’t get done mostly because I was too slow to respond over the weekend, but I appreciate the challenge offer either way. Ortiz has hit more groundballs than ever, is 39.5 years old and took a break recently. Here’s how Steamer projects both over the ROS - Ortiz: .273-56-18-60 vs. ARod: .241-42-12-44. Looks like I made a mistake...Hanley Ramirez didn’t have one RBI over the first 25 days of May, but he’s homered twice and stolen a bag since then, so hopefully he’s back feeling healthier. Han Ram has been graded as the fourth worst baser runner in all of baseball by FanGraphs so far this year...Aroldis Chapman somehow has a 15.31 K/9 rate to go along with a 1.43 WHIP. Call me crazy, but I’m guessing the latter drops precipitously from here on out...Jon Lester has set a record for futility by starting his career 0-for-58 at the plate...Brandon Crawford committed a brutal error in the ninth inning of Sunday’s game that cost the Giants the win, but as a shortstop (who’s very good defensively usually) batting .299/.371/.506 while calling AT&T Park home, he’s easily been one of the 15 most valuable players in baseball this season...I’m a big fan of Jake Odorizzi, but his league-low 2.8 HR/FB% is going to rise...The Indians have three starting pitchers in the top-eight in xFIP in major league baseball. Of course I’d like to point out here my bet on them to win the World Series,*but unfortunately defense matters, so K rates may not increase my bank account (but seriously, how good is this staff?!).
Police Blotter: Teen Steals Lexus For Joyride, Then Comes Back To Try It Again...Man Choked His Fiancee For ‘Trash Talking’ NASCAR...Woman Gets Forked In The Eye At BBQ For ‘Taking The Last Rib’... Man Arrested For Taping Dog’s Mouth Shut...Oregon Man Asks City Council To Ban Fart Smells After It Outlaws Pot Odor...82-Year-Old Arrested After Slashing Woman’s Tires Over Bingo Seat.
Longread of the Week: Mike Tyson vs. James ‘Buster’ Douglas: An Oral History Of Boxing’s Most Remarkable Upset.
Quick Hits Part Tres: Melky Cabrera has come to the plate 211 times this season, which has resulted in five extra-base hits. This despite playing in one of the best hitter’s parks in baseball (only Coors Field has increased run scoring more over the past three seasons)...Eduardo Rodriguez should be owned in all leagues, given what he did in Triple-A this year (2.98 ERA, 6.3 K/BB ratio) and his impressive first start with Boston...Jorge Soler had a .903 OPS last year, and while in limited action, I thought that was going to lead to a big year in 2015. Instead, he’s on pace to strike out 226 times, which would be an MLB record...Carlos Gonzalez has the lowest WAR (-0.9) in baseball...Corey Kluber has a 50:2 K:BB ratio over his last four starts, which has to be a record...Fernando Rodney has a 7.08 ERA but is 14-for-16 in save opportunities with two wins...Steven Souza is batting just .238, but he’s also on pace to hit 32 homers and steal 22 bases, so it’s crazy he’s owned in just 50 percent of Yahoo leagues...Jesse Hahn’s 3.77 ERA is extremely impressive given his MLB-worst 58.1 LOB%. He’s also not even striking that many batters out (6.03 K/9)...Starling Marte somehow has a .320 BABIP despite a 27.1 Soft Contact% that’s the third-worst in MLB...Josh Hamilton!*
Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter.*
Here are the world’s worst Tic Tac Toe players.*
The UroClub is one of the world’s greatest inventions.*“The only club in your bag guaranteed to keep you out of the woods.” I especially like how if you buy one the second is half priced (h/t Ricky Sanders).*
Here’s a self-driving car running over someone.*
Quick Hits: I don’t normally like to brag, but I’d be shocked if there’s anyone out there who drafted Stephen Strasburg in a higher percentage of their leagues than I did. He’s the first pitcher this season to record fewer than 17 outs in six consecutive starts (h/t ESPN). I'm beginning to think he might not be totally healthy....Craig Kimbrel owns a career 1.64 ERA and 0.93 WHIP and has struck out 28 batters over 19.0 innings yet has a 4.74 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. His current career highs both in FB velocity (97.4 mph) and SwStr% (19.4) suggest he’s been unlucky, so he should be fine (the SwStr% leads all of MLB). That or PETCO is the new Coors Field...Speaking of disappointing Padres pitchers, how does Tyson Ross have a 1.50 WHIP with a 9.88 K rate? His 13.1 SwStr% ranks top-10 among all starters. Seriously, what’s going on in San Diego?...Jonathan Singleton has 14 homers over 47 games in Triple-A, and while that’s been in the hitter-friendly PCL, he’s just 23 years old (3.9 years younger than the average player there) and should be on every fantasy owner's radar if he gets called up later this summer...Here’s Bartolo Colon hitting a double.
Headlines of the Week: Maniac Sets World Record By Covering Himself With Over A Million Bees...Scientists Discover Species Of Flying Spider And It’s Highly Venomous...Man Hangs Himself ‘Because His Penis Was Too Big After Enlargement Op’...Party Guest ‘Snorted My Mother’s Ashes From The Urn’ Says Host..Taco Bell And Pizza Hut Removing Artificial Ingredients, Pledge To Use Real Food...Swordfish Kills Fisherman Who Was Trying To Catch It...Cow Escapes Slaughterhouse, Goes On The Run, Gets Shot Next To McDonald’s.
Quick Hits Part Deux: Colleague Scott Pianowski offered me David Ortiz for Alex Rodriguez in the Yahoo Friends and Family league, and it didn’t get done mostly because I was too slow to respond over the weekend, but I appreciate the challenge offer either way. Ortiz has hit more groundballs than ever, is 39.5 years old and took a break recently. Here’s how Steamer projects both over the ROS - Ortiz: .273-56-18-60 vs. ARod: .241-42-12-44. Looks like I made a mistake...Hanley Ramirez didn’t have one RBI over the first 25 days of May, but he’s homered twice and stolen a bag since then, so hopefully he’s back feeling healthier. Han Ram has been graded as the fourth worst baser runner in all of baseball by FanGraphs so far this year...Aroldis Chapman somehow has a 15.31 K/9 rate to go along with a 1.43 WHIP. Call me crazy, but I’m guessing the latter drops precipitously from here on out...Jon Lester has set a record for futility by starting his career 0-for-58 at the plate...Brandon Crawford committed a brutal error in the ninth inning of Sunday’s game that cost the Giants the win, but as a shortstop (who’s very good defensively usually) batting .299/.371/.506 while calling AT&T Park home, he’s easily been one of the 15 most valuable players in baseball this season...I’m a big fan of Jake Odorizzi, but his league-low 2.8 HR/FB% is going to rise...The Indians have three starting pitchers in the top-eight in xFIP in major league baseball. Of course I’d like to point out here my bet on them to win the World Series,*but unfortunately defense matters, so K rates may not increase my bank account (but seriously, how good is this staff?!).
Police Blotter: Teen Steals Lexus For Joyride, Then Comes Back To Try It Again...Man Choked His Fiancee For ‘Trash Talking’ NASCAR...Woman Gets Forked In The Eye At BBQ For ‘Taking The Last Rib’... Man Arrested For Taping Dog’s Mouth Shut...Oregon Man Asks City Council To Ban Fart Smells After It Outlaws Pot Odor...82-Year-Old Arrested After Slashing Woman’s Tires Over Bingo Seat.
Longread of the Week: Mike Tyson vs. James ‘Buster’ Douglas: An Oral History Of Boxing’s Most Remarkable Upset.
Quick Hits Part Tres: Melky Cabrera has come to the plate 211 times this season, which has resulted in five extra-base hits. This despite playing in one of the best hitter’s parks in baseball (only Coors Field has increased run scoring more over the past three seasons)...Eduardo Rodriguez should be owned in all leagues, given what he did in Triple-A this year (2.98 ERA, 6.3 K/BB ratio) and his impressive first start with Boston...Jorge Soler had a .903 OPS last year, and while in limited action, I thought that was going to lead to a big year in 2015. Instead, he’s on pace to strike out 226 times, which would be an MLB record...Carlos Gonzalez has the lowest WAR (-0.9) in baseball...Corey Kluber has a 50:2 K:BB ratio over his last four starts, which has to be a record...Fernando Rodney has a 7.08 ERA but is 14-for-16 in save opportunities with two wins...Steven Souza is batting just .238, but he’s also on pace to hit 32 homers and steal 22 bases, so it’s crazy he’s owned in just 50 percent of Yahoo leagues...Jesse Hahn’s 3.77 ERA is extremely impressive given his MLB-worst 58.1 LOB%. He’s also not even striking that many batters out (6.03 K/9)...Starling Marte somehow has a .320 BABIP despite a 27.1 Soft Contact% that’s the third-worst in MLB...Josh Hamilton!*
Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter.*