MLB Fantasy Wake Up Call - June 19

Players of the Night

Pitching

Nick Blackburn, Minnesota Twins
vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
9 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 1 BB, W

While some teams have to go through hell and back during interleague play against their heated rivals, others get a chance to taste life on easy street. But it's up to the players to take advantage of this good fortune and Nick Blackburn didn't miss the opportunity to pad his numbers against the lowly, white flag Pirates.

While Blackburn isn't what you'd call a strikeout specialist, he's become a very dependable second starter for the Twins and hopefully maybe your fourth or fifth. When it comes to the back end of your rotation, having a solid pitcher like Blackburn is a luxury that doesn't come along very often. He'll take the ball every fifth day and you can count on solid, not great, production on a consistent basis.

Batting

Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres
vs. Seattle Mariners
4-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB

It's frightening to think of what this Padres team would look like if Gonzalez weren't a part of it. After a very successful 2008 season, Gonzalez hasn't lost a step in 2009 and leads the NL with 23 round trippers and 53 free passes.

He's an absolute fantasy beast and one of those players you'll never even think twice about trading. This is especially true in a dynasty league due to the fact that this slugger is only 27-years-old. In the NBA that might seem ancient, but in MLB, he's only getting started.

More to come after the jump...