Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Edwin Jackson has impressed catcher Miguel Montero early in spring training, according to the Arizona Republic.

Jackson, at least according to his new catcher, is no one-year wonder. He was traded to Detroit from Tampa Bay last season for little more than a bucket of baseballs (Matt Joyce) and went 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA, to the surprise of most. Read more »

The last month has been good to Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw.
 
Despite his usual walks and extreme pitch inefficiency, Kershaw has won five straight decisions and held five of his last seven opponents scoreless. Kershaw has used his unhittable fastball-curveball combination to move his season record to 8-5 and lower his season ERA from a lofty 4.50 to a tidy 2.95. Read more »

The Los Angeles Daily News had some glowing words for 20-year-old left-hander Clayton Kershaw Monday. Terms like “poise” and “maturity” were used when describing Kershaw, who the Daily News says has all but locked up a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation already.

Kershaw’s arrival in the majors last season was a big deal. We at ImaginaryDiamond.com made an early comparison to Philadelphia Phillies lefty Cole Hamels, saying:

“Their arsenals are different, but their deliveries are similar and the results, at least through one start, are looking very much the same. Kershaw is armed with a live fastball and a deadly curveball, where Hamels features a quality fastball and a plus-changeup.” Read more »

Filed under: Columns, News and Notes | Tagged: Clayton Kershaw, Cole Hamels, fantasy mlb, Los Angeles Dodgers | No Comments »

Let’s get away from the Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez talks for a few minutes. The hot stove is great, but when storylines are exhausted and speculation takes over, it gets a bit stale. So, why not take a quick look at the 2009 season. After all, that’s what we’re all in this for, right?

One other quick hot stove item, though, before we move forward. And we touch on this because the potential signing of free agent closer Brian Fuentes is significant news. If he and the Angels are in as serious a talks as the Los Angeles Times is indicating, the team’s closer situation gets incredibly murky. Fuentes, however, would be the only contender for the job - Scot Shields and Jose Arredondo being the others - with any real closing experience. Read more »

Chances are, keeper league decisions don’t have to be made for at least a few months. But, it never hurts to feed into the obsession and take a look now while information is fresh. Scratch out a preliminary list, then either add to or subtract from it as Spring Training 2009 approaches.

Simultaneously looking backward and forward are keys in keeper leagues, as projecting future results requires elements of both. The players carried over into 2009 build a fantasy team’s foundation, so making proper choices is imperative. The foundation has to be sturdy enough to stand strong through 2010 and beyond, but also has to be competitive right now. It’s a delicate balance. Read more »

A quick look at starting pitchers available in at least 50 percent of ESPN.com leagues. These are the guys who either haven’t deserved or haven’t earned fantasy owners trust, but who could lend a helping hand during the stretch run. Though some of the pitchers on this list have limitless potential, it is important to tread lightly and use them in comfortable spots.

Home starts are always advisable, especially for youngsters who are a little timid when they leave their comfort zones. Keeper leaguers should pay special attention to pitchers like Clayton Kershaw, David Price and Ubaldo Jimenez, who all have top-of-the-rotation type stuff, but need to put it all together at the major league level. Even if they don’t crack your fantasy team’s starting lineup, they can still have carry-over value to next year. Read more »

The arrival of much anticipated rookies Jay Bruce and Clayton Kershaw has shaken up the top 10 rookie rankings. The two phenoms join an already impressive class of rookies that includes: early Cy Young contender Edinson Volquez, Red Sox sparkplug Jacoby Ellsbury, and one of the game’s most productive catchers in Chicago’s Geovany Soto.

Here are the top rookies that have and will continue to make huge fantasy impacts. Read more »

First, it was Dodgers phenom Clayton Kershaw on Sunday. Now, it will be Reds super prospect Jay Bruce making his major league debut on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 21-year old outfielder will presumably take over full-time duties in center field, pushing Corey Patterson and Ryan Freel back into reserve roles.

Bruce was hitting .419 for Triple-A Louisville in the month of May, raising his season average to an International League-leading .364 in 49 games. He had 10 home runs, 24 extra-base hits, 37 RBIs and 8 stolen bases, and he ranked among the league’s top four in slugging percentage (3rd, .630), OPS (4th, 1.023) and total bases (2nd, 116). Read more »

Just like Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels in 2006, Dodgers phenom Clayton Kershaw made a highly anticipated debut on Sunday and still found a way to exceed lofty expectations. He worked six solid innings in a home start against the Cardinals, allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts in six innings. He got a no-decision when L.A. won 4-3 in the 10th on an Andre Ethier RBI single.

Hamels, a lanky left-hander with an advanced approach to pitching, is a solid comparison for Kershaw. Their arsenals are different, but their deliveries are similar and the results, at least through one start, are looking very much the same. Kershaw is armed with a live fastball and a deadly curveball, where Hamels features a quality fastball and a plus-changeup. Read more »

All signs are that the Los Angeles Dodgers will call up phenom Clayton Kershaw from the minor leagues in time for either a Saturday or Tuesday start, according to the Dodgers official site. See to it that you have enough roster flexibility to make the quick, speculative waiver wire addition.

While Kershaw is obviously not a slam dunk - no rookie is - a left-hander wise beyond his years and armed with two dominant pitches projects well. He could make strong contributions in strikeouts, ERA and WHIP immediately. Read more »