Little was made of Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds this winter. He came off a season in which he hit just .239 and struck out 204 times and entered a situation where playing time was no guarantee in the Arizona infield. Too many variables and not enough certainty justified fantasy owners who passed him over, on average, 200-plus times in preseason drafts.

But, what Reynolds has done is helped turn the third base position in fantasy on its ear. He has led a new wave of young talent at the hot corner while familiar names Alex Rodriguez and David Wright, for their own reasons, have drifted back to the pack. The power structure and dynamic at the position have changed as names like Reynolds, Evan Longoria, Pablo Sandoval and Ryan Zimmerman have made it one of the most talent-rich in the game. Read more »

The New York Yankees are putting wins on the board a little differently these days. The Bronx Bombers are still lighting up the outfield bleachers, but they have also made better use of smaller ball tactics to scratch out runs and win games.

The Major League leaders with 112 home runs, the Yankees have fallen just off the pace in June, hitting the seventh-most homers (32) in baseball. But in the place of overwhelming power, baseball’s most star-studded, veteran-laden and patient lineup has worked over opposing pitchers and scored runs the old-fashioned way. Read more »

Last week, we took a look at the pleasant surprises in baseball. “The All-Overachievement Team” featured players in the midst of career seasons; the kinds of guys who step up and make huge differences in their teams’ pennant chases. This week, we go in the opposite direction and make mention of the not-so-hot players who are going in the tank and taking their real-life and fantasy teams with them.

Just as timely late fliers on Raul Ibanez or Mark Reynolds can push fantasy teams to the top of the standings, early picks on Josh Hamilton or Matt Holliday can anchor them to the bottom. Either through injury, ineffectiveness or some combination of both, underachievers put fantasy teams permanently behind the eight-ball.

Fantasy owners often recover from bad draft days, but can rarely bounce back from drafts that feature multiple swings and misses in the early rounds. The following lineup consists of those kinds of players - highly acclaimed busts and sleepers who have yet to wake up. Read more »

We touched on this in our “All-Overachiever Team” piece, but it’s too remarkable of a statistic to not go a little deeper.

San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is finding it a little harder to abuse opposing pitchers these days. The 27-year-old slugger has next to no lineup protection, so hurlers are blatantly working around him and taking their chances with Kevin Kouzmanoff. Read more »

Success in any brand of baseball, Major League or fantasy league, is measured by more than just the contributions of star players. The guys who unexpectedly step up and deliver throughout the season most often make or break that team’s chances of competing for a championship.

In real baseball, managers have tentative ideas of what each player on his 25-man roster will give him throughout the season. Fantasy owners aren’t much different. They do their best selecting players in their preseason drafts, then scour the waiver wire all season long looking for diamonds in the rough who can help their chances for a league title. Read more »

This isn’t a commentary on the talents of former San Diego State right-hander, and the newest member of the Washington Nationals organization, Stephen Strasburg. Obviously, they are immense. YouTube videos can prove that fact.

No, this is a commentary on the types of domestic players who do and do not go on to become stars in the Major Leagues. They have pedigree. They have confidence. They are good, have always been good, and will always be good. We don’t believe Strasburg is that type of guy. Read more »

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports on the struggles of players dealing with stress-related problems in the context of young Reds first baseman Joey Votto. He and St. Louis Cardinals’ shortstop Khalil Greene have both been placed on the disabled list recently to deal with social anxiety, according to the Enquirer.

This is a very real disorder, one that can greatly impact a player’s on-field performance. Essentially, these players are succumbing to pressure and seeing all their failure scenarios just a little too vividly in their heads. It’s not impossible to overcome, though, just look at Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke as proof of that. Read more »

In his fourth start of the season, Baltimore Orioles starter Rich Hill flashed what once made him a prized member of the Chicago Cubs’ organization. The left-hander blanked the Seattle Mariners over seven innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out seven, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Needless to say, don’t get too carried away with Hill’s impressive performance. Chalk it up as another point in his favor in his quest to get a once-promising career back on track, but don’t go as far as adding him in mixed fantasy leagues. Read more »

Headliners of the 2009 rookie class David Price and Matt Wieters have made their major league debuts, and they couldn’t have come at a better time. Prospects have largely fallen flat this season, with most failing to capitalize on the opportunities they’ve gotten.

Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Mat Gamel isn’t down and out yet, but he’s got to pick up the pace to land an everyday job. With starter Bill Hall as mediocre and truculent as ever, Gamel can first seize at-bats against right-handed pitchers, then become something close to a full-timer. Read more »

Roger Clemens continued down his stubborn path of denial Tuesday, restating his claims on ESPN’s Mike & Mike in the Morning that he never took performance-enhancing drugs. Baseball fans collectively sighed, found themselves unsure whether to respect or seriously question Clemens’ arrogance, and once again begged for the truth.

We’ve heard this whole song and dance before.

1.) Superstar hard-headedly denies what the public already knows to be fact.

2.) Superstar’s attempts to clear his name go horribly wrong. Superstar realizes his Hall of Fame chances are shot.

3.) Superstar admits his wrongdoing, but it’s too late. Neither America nor the baseball community will forgive. Read more »