Ricky O'Donnell: May 2009 Archives

Players of the night

Hitter

2B Freddy Sanchez - Pirates
@ Cubs
6-for-6, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB

Here's when you know a team is going through a rough patch: Sanchez was this close to not playing yesterday. His manager was supposed to give him the night off.

"At the last minute when I was making out the lineup, I decided to put him in," Pirates manager John Russell said. "I guess it was smart of me."

Smart, lucky; same thing.

The real question is why would Russell want to give Sanchez the day off in the first place when he's in the middle of stretch like this. He's been killing the ball since the middle of May. Can't go wrong with a middle infielder hitting .320/.354/.503.

More, after the jump.

Players of the night

Hitter

CF Nate McLouth - Pirates
Vs. Rockies
3-for-5, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R

No Pirates cracked our top ten list of best players in the NL Central, but McLouth could change that next year. The 27-year old center fielder was a revelation last season, and continues to prove that, despite playing in Pittsburgh, he warrants your attention for fantasy purposes.

Sure would be nice if the South Siders could swing a trade for him, huh?

Players of the night

Hitting

RF Shin-Soo Choo - Indians
@ Tampa Bay
4-for-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R

Choo's hot second half last season made him a trendy sleeper candidate in deep or AL-only leagues. So far, Choo has been every bit as good as his owners could have hoped for. His triple slash hitting line sits at .287/.414/.467, and he has even added six stolen bases.

Choo is owned in 82 percent of ESPN leagues. If he's still somehow available in your league, grab him. At just 26, it looks like Choo will be a healthy fantasy option for a long time. The guy knows how to hit.

Players of the night

Hitting

CF Willy Taveras - Reds
@ ARI
5-for-5, 2 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB

Taveras has been hot at the plate lately - he entered with an 11-game hitting streak - but no one could have seen Monday's explosion against Arizona coming.

Fast Willy is often mocked across the internet for being a 'traditional' leadoff man with only one tool, speed, but he's quite valuable in fantasy. Taveras is one of the league's premier base-stealers. You can't can count on him for 50-plus if he gets regular at-bats.

Steals is usually a swing category in fantasy, and Taveras can do significant damage single-handidly.

You've met the teams, now it's time for the first check in on our fantasy baseball league. We've been at it for a month, and I want to commend nearly all the owners for continuing to update their teams. Fantasy baseball is a grind, so I'm glad to report stellar participation throughout the first month of the season.

After the jump, we'll take a look at standings, trades, and what to expect in May....