The new generation of third basemen is making its mark on baseball, with possibly more young superstars than any other position in the game. Evan Longoria and David Wright are perennial All-Stars, and youngsters Gordon Beckham (who will play second base this season for the White Sox), Mark Reynolds and Ryan Zimmerman are well on their way.

The top 10 at the position is pretty sound, but anything after that and you’re wishing on a star with nearly no breakout prospects. Read more »

The end of a season is just about the only time where fans and fantasy owners can sit back and appreciate what their favorite players have accomplished. All things are equal then, so all numbers count the same. But, up until that point, there’s an ebb and flow to every player’s season, where hot streaks, cold streaks and fundamental changes should alter how he is viewed by fantasy owners.

There are all kinds of ways to split the numbers and get a deeper sense for a player’s long-term value. One of the easiest, most common ways is to take periodic snapshots of his production. Constantly take looks at the last seven days, the last two weeks, this month, last month, before the All-Star break, after the All-Star break. The numbers and the trends reveal stories and tell you where players have been and where they could ultimately be going. Read more »

Most fantasy owners have been waiting all season for Colorado Rockies infielder Ian Stewart to turn the corner. He’s teased with his prodigious power, then fallen victim to strikeouts, position logjams and inconsistent playing time. The potential has been there all along, but his batting average was an eye sore and there were no guarantees for playing time.

But, since new manager Jim Tracy has taken the reins, Stewart is getting the regular at-bats he’s needed to find his rhythm and become a fantasy force. Given his recent National Player of the Week award, that may be an understatement. Stewart is getting on track in a big way, hitting .349 with 5 HRs and 13 RBIs in his last 11 games.

Batting average and inconsistency may be persistent problems, but even with a .250 average, Stewart’s explosive potential and projected 33 home runs are worth your time in fantasy. Read more »

This has been a good week for those in the market for free agent hitters. An influx of young talent has provided a much-needed dose of excitement in an otherwise stale season for rookies and prospects in fantasy.

Andrew McCutchen and Gordon Beckham are the freshest faces to make their Major League debuts, joining Matt Wieters, Gerardo Parra, Chris Coghlan and Colby Rasmus, among others, in a select group of rookies worthy of fantasy consideration.

McCutchen graces our list below after getting off to a hot start as the new Pirates’ leadoff hitter. Colorado Rockies teammates Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes are swinging hot bats to gain serious consideration as additions to fantasy owners’ middle infields.

These are hitters available in a majority of mixed rotisserie leagues. We use ESPN.com as a baseline, only listing players available in at least 50 percent of standard leagues. Read more »

It’s hard to make sense of statistics this early in the season because any Tom, Dick or Harry can heat up for three-game stretches. It happens all the time. Figuring out who’s legit and who’s not is usually a longer term process, so lots of times it pays to jump on board with hot streaks and just see how far they take you.

At the same time, there are proven commodities and exciting young players sitting on the waiver wire, ripe for the taking. Waiting for them to heat up is a good way to lose out to rival managers waiting for the very same thing. To stay on the cutting edge, it’s imperative to take leaps of faith on players you believe will be good sooner rather than later. Read more »

At season’s beginning, quality rookie position players were tough to find. Cubs catcher Geovany Soto and Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury comprised the list, and of course Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was a near lock for eventual fantasy success. But, as the season has progressed, a number of rookies, both heralded and unheralded, have emerged to add some outstanding depth to the 2008 rookie class.

Soto and Ellsbury burst onto the scene and got fantasy teams started on strong notes. Longoria wasn’t far from behind, earning an early promotion when injuries bombarded Tampa Bay’s infield. Kosuke Fukudome was also a nice early surprise, but made more of a splash in reality than he did in fantasy. Read more »

One interesting item to note each season is how teams handle their underperforming young players, especially those who have garnered top prospect status. Confidence is key, so clubs must be cautious in their decision to bench a rookie, demote him, or let him play through his struggles. Demotions make for interesting storylines because a player can, and often does, come back to the majors more prepared than ever for sustained success.

Four players come to mind as going that route in ‘08. The most heralded of the group was Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano, who was called up for an early test in his first major league action since 2006 Tommy John surgery. Liriano crashed and burned in the earlyaudition and was sent to Triple-A Rochester, where he went 10-0 in his final 11 starts and hit the ground running upon his recall to Minnesota. Read more »

Houston Astros outfielder Carlos Lee is done for the season with a broken left pinky finger, according to the Houston Chronicle. This is a crushing blow to fantasy owners because a.) El Caballo was in the midst of a tremendous season, and b.) he has been so reliable over the years that his production was etched into all of your future plans.

There’s no replacing Lee’s 40-home run, 120-RBI type production, which makes the timing of this injury so tough to handle. Roster flexibility, if you’re fortunate enough to have it, makes this a little easier because the waiver wire is currently better stocked with non-outfielders with upside. Read more »

Colorado Rockies third baseman Ian Stewart has mashed left-handed pitching. Conventional baseball wisdom will say that Stewart, a left-handed hitter, should have problems with southpaws, but he has defied that logic. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, manager Clint Hurdle has looked beyond the numbers and platooned Stewart with utility man Clint Barmes, a decision that is seriously prohibitive to the rookie’s value.

Hurdle knows the numbers inside and out, all managers do, but this move has benefits beyond the split statistics. Stewart is 10-for-19 against left-handed pitching with the Rockies, and he hit 51 points higher against them than righties (.316 to .264) with Triple-A Colorado Springs. Barmes is a .254 hitter against lefties this season, but he is a right-handed hitter and the proper play according to the “managerial handbook.” Read more »

Colorado Rockies third baseman Ian Stewart got a nice boost to his fantasy value on Sunday when the Denver Post reported that first baseman Todd Helton suffered a setback in his recovery from a back injury. The newspaper said that Helton may miss the remainder of the season, which would open the door for Stewart to play every day at third base.

This announcement should leave little reason for Stewart to remain on the waiver wire in standard 10 and 12 team fantasy leagues. The 23-year old entered the season as Colorado’s top offensive prospect, according to Baseball America, and he proceeded to hit .280 with 19 home runs in just 257 at-bats at Triple-A Colorado Springs. Read more »