Welcome to another meaningless fantasy awards column, one where nothing is gained other than the satisfaction of seeing your players listed. This is the National League’s midseason fantasy all-star team, where production is great, but even better when it’s relative to low expectation.
 
Of course, seasons never unfold how preseason fantasy drafts dictate they should. Superstars slump and get injured; uknowns take the fantasy world by storm and lift teams to championships. Sometimes it’s blind luck that leads you to the best overachievers, and sometimes knowledge is the difference. 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 »

Rookies, despite all their inexperience, can make even a novice fantasy baseball manager look like a serious veteran. These are the top 10 rookies so far this season in the fantasy landscape. And yes, the Cincinnati Reds do have an incredible group of young players. Read more »

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Jeff Keppinger broke the patella in his left knee on Tuesday night when he fouled off a Mark Hendrickson pitch in the second inning of the Reds’ 8-7 win over Florida, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. A postgame X-ray revealed a fracture, but an MRI will determine the extent of the injury, John Fay said in his Reds Insider blog. Read more »

In fantasy, rookies come in all positions and prices. Some of them enter the majors with much fanfare and expectations, while others are well-kept secrets until they drop big stats into a smart owner’s lap. This year, however, untested superprospects such as Evan Longoria and Jay Bruce have failed to take off; Bruce hasn’t even made the majors yet for Cincinnati, who have a fairly promising crop of rookies even without him.

So which rookies and other first-time starters are making a big splash at their positions after over a month of play? The all-freshman (and some sophomores) team from both leagues includes: Read more »

In a surprising move, the Cincinnati Reds sent Josh Hamilton and his feel-good story to the Texas Rangers for pitching prospect Edinson Volquez over the winter. The decision has turned out to be a win-win for both clubs, with Hamilton hitting the cover off the ball in Arlington and Volquez leading the National League in ERA, even before his seven shutout innings against the Cubs on Wednesday afternoon.

Volquez garnered significantly less attention than teammate Johnny Cueto early, who burst onto the scene with an outstanding spring and a dominant first outing. Though Cueto has just a tad more upside, Volquez features a similar repertoire and is already growing into a frontline big-league starter. Read more »