I apologize for running late today. Here are your fantasy baseball links for today, August 3:
Get Goldschmidt | Fantasy Baseball 365
The bottom line is that fantasy teams in need of a power boost from here on out should jump all over Paul Goldschmidt. He has a legitimate chance to hit 10 or more homers over the season's final two months.
Buy or Sell: Derek Holland | Fantasy Baseball 365
Looking at his velocity chart at FanGraphs, we can see that Holland has improved his velocity at a steady pace throughout the season. The increasing velocity on his fastball seems to have made his slider more effective as the whiff rate on that pitch has jumped from about 12 percent from April through June to about twenty percent from July to August.
Why Doesn't Anyone Own Javier Vazquez? | Roto Hardball
Vazquez has progressed throughout the year, though, and has pitched much better since June. While his ERA in June was still lofty thanks to problems with homers, Vazquez struck out 8.4 per nine, walked just 1.7 per nine, and brought his missing velocity up from 88.5 mph to 90.4. That velocity has stuck with him, too, as he has averaged 90.6 mph on his fastball since June 1, and cut out most of the homer shenanigans since June ended, too.
Follow the jump for more of the latest fantasy baseball news and analysis from around the web.
Third Base Updated Rankings: August | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball
I think A-Rod is just about right, actually.
Approaching endgame | The Hardball Times
This week marks the two-thirds point of the season. If you haven’t made traction in the rate categories in the 27 games between midway and two-thirds, the window of opportunity to do so is far more closed than it is open.
Waiver Worthy: Is There Fantasy Appeal In The Astros’ New Rookies? | Rotoprofessor
As the league gets a book on [Altuve] and learns his strengths and weaknesses we’ll get a much better read on his abilities. However, be prepared for him to struggle in the coming weeks, making him a less than ideal option with fantasy titles hanging in the balance.
Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn, Trades, Fantasy | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball
Bourn was the best position player to be traded by the deadline, even if most of America doesn’t realize it. He also instantly becomes the second best player on the Braves behind Brian McCann.
Fantasy Impact of NL Players Moving to AL | Baseball By Paul
A player of [Rasmus'] caliber is unlikely to show up on the wire throughout the remainder of the season so take a chance on the upside if an offensive spark is what you’re missing. Last year he ended the season on a very high note with a .318/.403/.514 line and four home runs, 12 RBIs, 19 runs scored and two stolen bases in 107 at-bats in September.
Warming In The 'Pen: AL Edition | COSFBA
[Robertson's] ERA this year is 1.90 below his average, his FIP is 1.35 lower, and his WHIP (while not impressive) is 0.11 lower. His LOB % (85.5), GB % (46.0), and K/9 ratio (14.46) are all much higher than his career marks. He's picked up 2 MPH on his fastball, almost 3 MPH on his curve, and a touch over 3 MPH on his changeup.
Injury Report: August 3: Stephen Strasburg, Hanley Ramirez, Troy Tulowitzki & More | Rotoprofessor
Prospect of the Day: Garrett Richards, RHP, Los Angeles Angels | Minor League Ball
Richards doesn't have a lot left to learn in Double-A, and a promotion to Triple-A Salt Lake could come at any time. However, a deeper look into his statistics gives some reason for caution. His current home park in Arkansas is very pitcher-friendly, and his home/road splits are pretty sharp right now: he has a 1.65 ERA, a .190 batting average-against, and just one homer allowed in 71 innings at home, but on the road he has a 4.57 ERA, a .258 average-against, and seven homers coughed up in 65 innings. Hitter-friendly Salt Lake and the PCL will require him to make more adjustments.
Fantasy Baseball Player Prospecting: Ubaldo Jimenez prospect haul, Trayvon Robinson | KFFL.com
Ubaldo Jimenez netted some nice prospects for the Rockies, including Drew Pomeranz and Alex White. Plus, what does the future hold for Trayvon Robinson?
Daily Dish: Neftali Soto Homers Twice, Prospects Debut With New Teams | Baseball America
Soto, Wheeler, Singleton, Eichhorn, Grichuk, Green, Hobgood, Matusz
The Lineup Card: 12 Favorite Baseball Songs that are NOT by The Baseball Project | Baseball Prospectus
"Center Field" is not one of my favorites, but I think an inventory like this is incomplete without it.