Power On, Power Off…
The strong winds from Hurricane Ike took down a ton of power lines in and around the Columbus area, and I am just getting my power back today. Sorry for the short hiatus!
With power around the area in flux, I decided to post today regarding who has delivered in the home runs category for fantasy owners. Let’s take a look at some of the big time power sources from the past thirty days.
POWER ON:
Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies. Yeah, this is no big surprise. Howard has smacked 12 dingers in the past thirty days, and his power has been huge for the Phillies playoff push. Even more of a surprise, however, is his incredible batting average and on-base percentage. He is batting .324 (.411 OBP), and his batting average on the season has risen to .249. Keep this power and average surge in mind for next season. He could be severely undervalued in drafts.
Carlos Delgado, New York Mets. With ten home runs in the past 30 days, Delgado has really turned it on in September. Delgado had some trouble getting going early on in the season, but his second half power surge this late in the season proves that he is not at replacement level (yet). The guy isn’t getting any younger, so wait on him in next years drafts and see if you can get him at a good value.
Power Off:
Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers. By far and away my favorite MLB player, Hamilton has really struggled from a power standpoint as of late. Hitting only three home runs in the past month hasn’t helped the Rangers one bit. His batting average (.303) and OBP (.389) have stayed high however, so he hasn’t exactly gone “cold.”
He has hit balls almost the same way the entire season, so there isn’t a massive change in his approach (42-26-33 Ground Ball/Line Drive/Fly Ball percentage in Sept.). Hamilton is a young, elite player, and should be drafted in the first round of drafts next season.
Lance Berkman, Houston Astros. Like Hamilton, Berkman has only hit three home runs in the past month. He has gone ice cold when his team has needed him the most, batting .163 in the past fourteen games. It seems to have gotten to his head too, as the stats look like he is overcompensating for his power outage (29-26-46 GB/LD//FB percentage in Sept.).
Berkman needs to relax at the plate, and his power and batting average will rise again. We’re looking at an incredible fantasy player here, so it’s only a matter of time before he rebounds. He will have to hit very well, very soon, if the Astros want to capitalize on their slim wildcard chances.
Which players have surprised you with their power output this year?
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