Tim Lincecum went 6 2/3 innings and notched 11 strikeouts in his win against the Diamondbacks yesterday. Ray posted about his top 10 starters for next season, and didn't include him. I am inclined to agree that there are 10 more starters I would want more than Lincecum right now for next year. That said, he's probably going to end up being a bit of a sleeper because he seems unlikely to be ranked based on what he'll produce in 2011.
Justin Verlander has been having an almost forgotten season in Detroit, and had a great start last night. He recorded his 15th win of the season, striking out 7 and allowing just 1 earned run over 7 innings. On the season, he's now struck out 179 and has a 3.53 ERA. He's not going to break into my top 10 for next year, but I think he's definitely going to be top 15.
I was emailing back and forth yesterday with some friends about whether or not Carlos Gonzalez would win the NL MVP award. He added to his resume yesterday with his 32nd home run, and now has 100 runs batted in on the season to go with his .340 batting average. Gonzalez is now leading the NL in batting average and RBI, and is only 3 homers behind the lead in that category. I think he won't win the award unless the Rockies make the playoffs though.
Carl Crawford went 4 for 4 with 2 runs batted in last night against the Sox, and I can't think of anyone I would rank higher than him for 2010. He is now hitting .307 with 15 homeruns, 75 runs batted in, 42 steals, and 98 runs scored. And he could end up in a better hitters' park potentially.
Dillon Gee made his major league debut yesterday, and allowed just 1 earned run over 7 innings to get the victory. He's a definite target for keeper leagues, as he struck out a batter per inning in AAA this season, and posted a 4:1 K/BB rate as well.
Jimmy Rollins went 2 for 3 with his 17th steal of the season last night, and I am really wondering where he should be ranked for 2011. He is hitting .240 on the season, and is on pace for 15 homers and 30+ steals for a full season based on the games he has played in. There is still upside with him more than with some other shortstops in my opinion, but I think he's definitely not going to be in my top 5 for shortstops.
Vernon Wells hit 2 homeruns last night, and has been hot of late. He is hitting .304 with 4 homeruns in his last 7 games, and now has 27 homers on the season. I think that if he is a very streaky player, and you just need to remember that when you draft him.
Clint Narveson appears to have figured something out. He struck out 9 over 7 innings yesterday, and is probably a spot starter at this point. He has an ERA just over 4 for the month of August, but also has 20 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings pitched.
Jim Thome hit his 22nd homerun of the season, and scored 3 runs in the Twins' victory last night. He's been really hot of late, having homered 4 times in his last 3 games. Granted that he only qualifies at UT, but power is still power. He's been getting fairly regular playing time, and can definitely help a team out.
Mat Latos is probably going to have to be in my top 10 for starters next year. He had another great performance last night: 7 IP, 10 K, 1 ER, 4 baserunners. He's not a name getting a lot of recognition for Cy Young voting, but he has a 2.21 ERA, 13 wins, a 0.96 WHIP, and 170 strikeouts in 162+ innings pitched. I'm not sure who gets displaced, but I think he honestly could be around 6 or 7 overall for me.