Fake Teams Hits the Fantasy Links

Today is May 26.  On this day 18 years ago, Carlos Martinez hit a fly ball that plunked Jose Canseco in the head before settling on the opposite side of the fence for a home run.  Nine years ago today, one of the stupider controversies in recent memory was started when Ben Davis broke up a Curt Schilling no-hitter in the 8th inning with a bunt single.  Today is also the 154th anniversary of Dred Scott's emancipation, as well as the birthday of the late John Wayne (1907), the late Miles Davis (1926), and the still alive Dr. Jack Kevorkian (1928).  Here are your fantasy baseball links for today:

FANTASY BASEBALL ADVICE - CLOSING TIME | RotoExperts
Closer depth chart plus some bullpen notes.

Fantasy Focus: Checking the Leaderboards | Baseball Prospectus

With nearly two months of the 2011 season behind us, let's take a look at which players are leading the pack at their respective positions, and whether or not we can expect those starts to develop into trends, or if we should be selling high before the bottom falls out.

Buy Low and Sell High | fantasyphenoms.com

It benefits that [Granderson] hits in a home run hitters park, however his highest season home run total is 30 home runs which was on 2009. From 2006-2010, his first five full seasons, he averaged 23.6 HR/year. Last year he hit 24. Unless you believe he will continue this pace and end the season with 60 home runs, then it is safe to assume he won’t continue this pace or anything close to it.

Nathan, Volquez, Zimmermann: Tommy John Surgery Returnees | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball

All three of these pitchers are back pitching, but aren’t back completely to their pre-injury levels. I would expect some more improvement from each as the season goes on.

Under the Radar - AL/NL Only Leagues | BaseballPress.com

Fantasy Baseball Free Agent Pool – 2011 Run Scorers Vol. 4 | LestersLegends.com

Waiver Saviors: Who's Hot and Available | COSFBA

FANTASY BASEBALL ADVICE - H2HEADQUARTERS | RotoExperts
SP Waiver Advice

Mike Morse and Seth Smith: Outfield Help on Your Waiver Wire | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball

Wide World of Waivers: National Power | Fantasy Baseball Cafe

Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Mike Leake, more | KFFL.com
Mike Leake could get another shot. What about those new Dodgers relievers?

Zimmermann, Stauffer, and Lyles: NL Starting Pitchers | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball

Follow the jump for more of the latest fantasy baseball news and analysis from around the web.

Why Can't Pitchers Deal with Jose Bautista by Throwing Outside and Giving Him Nothing to Pull? | Beyond the Box Score

What's happening here? Well, Bautista's still pulling the ball, even when it's away! Bautista has hit 6 of his 19 home runs on pitches that are roughly 6 inches away from the middle of home plate, and FIVE of those were pulled to left field (one was an opposite field home run). In essence - it appears that simply keeping the ball away from Bautista is not preventing him from pulling the ball in the air.

Buy Low Or Ignore: Would The Real Ian Kinsler Please Stand Up? | Rotoprofessor

On paper, you would think that Kinsler is a great buy low candidate. To an extent I would agree, but Kinsler needs to help matters along as well. He had a huge spring (5 HR in 63 AB), and got off to a quick start. That easily could’ve gotten into his head, leading to him trying to hit home runs when he comes to the plate. If he can correct that and start hitting line drives, I’d feel much better about his "certain" improvement moving forward.

Gaby Sanchez's Hot Start | Baseball Analytics

The one issue Gaby Sanchez has had this season has been hitting changeups. He's faced 73 changeups this season with a 59.5% contact rate. He's yet to get a single hit off the pitch (0 for 25), while striking out nine times. If he doesn't work on picking up the change better, pitchers are really going to come after him with it the rest of the season.

Can Alex Rios Turn It Around? | LestersLegends.com

Whatever the case, Rios is trending in the right direction and the odds of improved luck are in his favor. It’s a good time to try to buy low on him.

The underappreciated Bud Norris | The Hardball Times

As the above indicates, Norris is not just a poor man's Morrow; he is the smart investor's Morrow clone. Both Morrow and Norris are elite strikeout sources who probably will not obliterate your WHIP or ERA (even in a season where some 40 starting pitchers (minimum 10 innings pitched) have sub-3.00 ERAs) on the merit of their relatively undifferentiated pitching talents. Neither pitcher is likely to win many games, Morrow because he tends to rack up high pitch counts and depart games early, and Norris because he plays for the offensively inept Astros.

Jhoulys Chacin vs. Jhoulys Chacin | Roto Hardball

While Chacin is producing a whiff rate by pitch type almost identical to 2010, something is going on with his change-up. That something being it's not fooling anyone. The change produced a whiff rate of almost 18% in 2010 and is down to 6% this year.

A 2nd Breakout for Scott Baker? | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball

With a Contact% worse than league average and also at its highest rate since 2006, [Baker's] strikeout rate is starting to really look suspect. Throw in an F-Strike% at its lowest mark since 2007, and right at the league average, and you realize that maybe that relatively high walk rate may actually continue.

The Excellence of Rivera | Baseball Analytics

Not only is Mariano great at getting batters to swing at balls, he's almost as good at getting them to take strikes. And he does it all with one pitch.

Rubby De La Rosa: The Next Dodgers’ Closer? | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball

Last night was an impressive start to [De La Rosa's] career, and if he continues to be effective for a few days/ weeks (last night was Guerra’s fifth MLB game, so the Dodgers aren’t shy about moving kids into high pressure spots), the save opps are almost certain to come his way.

Injury Report: Buster Posey, Hanley Ramirez, Kevin Youkilis & More | Rotoprofessor

The Cheeks Weather Report (5/26/11) | Sons of Roto
Fantasy baseball weather report.

Prospect of the Day: Rubby De La Rosa, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers | Minor League Ball

De La Rosa works at 94-96 MPH when used as a starter, though in relief he's been clocked as high as 102. He has a very good changeup, and a promising, if inconsistent, slider. He's not a big guy at 6-1, 185 pounds, and there is mixed opinion about if his long-term role will be as a starter or reliever, though for now he's in the bullpen.

Fantasy Baseball Player Prospecting: Rubby De La Rosa, more | KFFL.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers have plenty of arms vying for closing duties while Jonathan Broxton is sidelined. Is their top pitching prospect one of them? Plus, another Twins arm impressing.

Domonic Brown, Mike Minor, Rubby De La Rosa: Mining the Minors | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball

Prospect Tracker: Alex Cobb & Brett Jackson | Rotoprofessor

Minor League Notes, May 25th, 2011 | Minor League Ball
Juan Nicasio, James Paxton, Kevin Whelan, J.D. Martinez

Jacob Turner and Jordan Danks, Scouting the Unknown | Razzball

Prospect Watch: Mike Trout | Roto Hardball
Mike Trout came into the 2011 season with a ton of hype. So far he is living up to that hype and then some.

@Buster Olney | Twitter

Just filed a news story: Agent for Buster Posey will call MLB and raise idea of rule changes regarding collisions between runners/fielders. [Link to the article (ESPN Insider)]

Off Base breaks down the owners of all 30 MLB teams | ESPN

11 More Ugly MLB-Licensed Caps | Baseball Nation
Stagflation.