Cafe Home
Fantasy Football
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Hockey
The All-Star break is upon us, and with it comes the theoretical halfway point of the MLB season. Teams are already declaring themselves sellers in the MLB, and perhaps some teams are doing the same in fantasy leagues as well. Hopefully, this midseason version of the Top 50 countdown will help you decide who to take a shot at in the second half, and who to maybe let another hopeful owner go down the tubes with. Thanks as always to all the rankers: JFG, Element, Dannahann, WaCougMBS, Saltydog, and NikkiSixx, whose comments you will see on some of these players.
| Rank | Last Week | Player | Position | Team |
| 50 | 39 | Melky Cabrera | OF | SF |
| Hero of the All-Star game, Melky certainly showed why he got a bid to the game. His 5×5 production is looking like last season, when he was a top 20 hitter. | ||||
| 49 | n/a | Brett Lawrie | 3B | TOR |
| Lawrie and Bryce Harper were both in consideration for this spot, but Lawrie gets the edge thanks to hitting in front of a trio of bombers in Toronto. | ||||
| 48 | n/a | Alex Rios | OF | CHW |
| Rios was a dud in 2011, but his 5×5 skills have come back full circle, and he looks just like the Rios of 2010, who hit 21 HRs with 34 SBs. | ||||
| 47 | 46 | Edwin Encarnacion | 1B/3B | TOR |
| E5 continues to hit impressively, with six HRs, three SBs, and an AVG over .300 for the past month. Like it or not, E5 seems here to stay. | ||||
| 46 | n/a | R.A. Dickey | SP | NYM |
| Dickey has been the unquestioned best pitcher in baseball this year. Only his track record holds him back from rapidly passing other starters on this list. | ||||
| 45 | 50 | Chris Sale | SP | CHW |
| Chicago must be thanking their lucky stars that Sale insisted he be put back into the rotation, as he has been a top-five pitcher in baseball in the first half. | ||||
| 44 | n/a | Madison Bumgarner | SP | SF |
| Bumgarner is only 22 years old, and seems to keep getting better. Get pumped: he went 9-4 with a 2.52 ERA and an 8.91 K/9 in the second half last season. | ||||
| 43 | 23 | Dustin Pedroia | 2B | BOS |
| Pedroia keeps finding on the DL and slipping down the Countdown. If he can find his legs and play a solid second half, he could be a solid cheap buy. | ||||
| 42 | 21 | Adrian Gonzalez | 1B/OF | BOS |
| A-Gon had an impressive hitting streak recently, but it wasn’t accompanied by any power. Without a big spike, A-Gon will be off the Countdown shortly. | ||||
| 41 | 34 | Jose Reyes | SS | MIA |
| The power is basically gone, but you can still expect Reyes to be good in SBs and runs at a scarce position. –NikkiSixx | ||||
| 40 | 30 | Jay Bruce | OF | CIN |
| A boost in AVG or a few more steals would be nice, but the power is there for Bruce. His stock is right where is will likely stay, solid but not overwhelming. | ||||
| 39 | 37 | Jason Kipnis | 2B | CLE |
| Kipnis has been sluggish over the past 30 days, with just one HR and 5 SBs, but perhaps the break will get him going again. I still have faith in his talent. | ||||
| 38 | 36 | Gio Gonzalez | SP | WAS |
| Gio has been a bit lucky with the wins recently, but the Ks are all him. He looked good in the All-Star game;much of the same is expected in the second half. | ||||
| 37 | 33 | David Price | SP | TB |
| Price is a stud, and expect nothing but Ks and wins in the second half. | ||||
| 36 | 31 | Zach Greinke | SP | MIL |
| Greinke is allegedly on the trading block, and a move out of Miller Park should only serve to help Greinke. Even if he stays, he’s a top ten pitcher. | ||||
| 35 | 38 | Felix Hernandez | SP | SEA |
| Felix hit a bit of a rough patch in June, but he has been great in four out of his last five starts. If he could only get out of Seattle, he could be the game’s best. | ||||
| 34 | 43 | David Ortiz | UT | BOS |
| Big Papi had rankings all over the place this time, but he just keeps producing. He’s even scoring a lot of runs this season, further enhancing his value. | ||||
| 33 | 11 | Giancarlo Stanton | OF | MIA |
| Stanton was ranked much higher before news of his surgery broke. He could be a good guy to buy for a playoff run in H2H. | ||||
| 32 | n/a | Mark Trumbo | 1B/3B/OF | LAA |
| Trumbo had a great showing in the HR Derby, and people are starting to take notice. Twenty-two HRs before the break is enough to get my attention. | ||||
| 31 | 32 | Stephen Strasburg | SP | WAS |
| Strasburg would be the No. 1 pitcher if there wasn’t the looming innings limit. The limit potentially limits him to 60 more IP, or a maximum of 10 starts. | ||||
| 30 | 22 | Paul Konerko | 1B | CHW |
| Konerko hasn’t been very good the last 30 days, and it isn’t getting any colder in Chicago. Hopefully the heat doesn’t take all the pop out of this old slugger. | ||||
| 29 | 27 | Starlin Castro | SS | CHC |
| Castro has slowed down a bit, but he should start stealing bases again soon with a good average and a little pop. –NikkiSixx | ||||
| 28 | 26 | Michael Bourn | OF | ATL |
| Where did this power come from? Usually a three-cat player, Bourn is offering a little pop this season. –NikkiSixx | ||||
| 27 | n/a | Jered Weaver | SP | LAA |
| Back from the DL, and back to dominating. Weaver leads the league in ERA, and he shows no signs of slowing down. | ||||
| 26 | 28 | Adrian Beltre | 3B | TEX |
| Beltre is quietly having a good season, with impressive numbers in four categories. Ho-hum, but the guy gets it done. | ||||
| 25 | 35 | Matt Cain | SP | SF |
| Mr. Perfecto had a very solid showing in the All-Star game, and keeps on proving he is the ace of the Giants. More of the same good stuff is coming. | ||||
| 24 | 24 | Hunter Pence | OF | PHI |
| Pence is quietly awesome, producing everything you need, and even chipping in 4 SBs. | ||||
| 23 | 25 | Carlos Beltran | OF | STL |
| Beltran continues to defy his doubters, even putting up a nice showing in the HR Derby. As long as he is healthy, he is going to produce. | ||||
| 22 | 29 | Matt Holliday | OF | STL |
| Holliday is on a tear right now, hitting .415 over the last 30 days. He has been a .330 hitter before, so the numbers aren’t that ludicrous. | ||||
| 21 | 20 | Cole Hamels | SP | PHI |
| Hamels’ last few starts haven’t been pretty, but Philly has gotten him the Ws. He has been rumored as a possible trade target, which is worth monitoring. | ||||
| 20 | 18 | Adam Jones | OF | BAL |
| Jones has leveled off just a bit the past month, but he could get hot in a flash and shock the world again. Don’t sleep on Jones; a big month could be coming. | ||||
| 19 | 9 | Hanley Ramirez | SS/3B | MIA |
| Hanley has good production from a thin position, keeping him in the top 20. He still needs to pick up the numbers all-around to stick around. | ||||
| 18 | 16 | Prince Fielder | 1B | DET |
| The HR Derby champ could be primed for a monster second half, and Detroit needs him to step it up to make a playoff run. | ||||
| 17 | 17 | Clayton Kershaw | SP | LAD |
| His second half last year was memorable; let’s see if he can do it again this year. –NikkiSixx | ||||
| 16 | 19 | Ian Kinsler | 2B | TEX |
| Kinsler is sometimes a pain to own, with a lot of 0-for-4 and 1-for-5 nights, but he always seems to score a run and he does well with HRs and SBs. | ||||
| 15 | 15 | Justin Upton | OF | ARI |
| Hitting much better lately, although the HRs and SBs are lacking. Could be a great buy low candidate. –NikkiSixx | ||||
| 14 | n/a | Matt Kemp | OF | LAD |
| Should be back after the All-Star break and continue to wreak havoc. –NikkiSixx | ||||
| 13 | 8 | Curtis Granderson | OF | NYY |
| Granderson hits a lot of HRs. I like guys that hit a lot of HRs. | ||||
| 12 | 14 | David Wright | 3B | NYM |
| Wright has put a lousy 2011 behind him, and is back to his superb 5×5 skills at a tough position. Wright seems like a safe play for a great second half. | ||||
| 11 | 13 | Justin Verlander | SP | DET |
| Verlander had a poor showing in the All-Star game, but no one can deny his skills on the mound. He’s still the best choice to pitch a big game. | ||||
| 10 | 7 | Jose Bautista | 3B/OF | TOR |
| Bautista hits HRs better than anyone these days, and that’s good enough for a high ranking. With his walks and runs, he hangs around No. 10 with ease. | ||||
| 9 | 40 | Mike Trout | OF | LAA |
| Can’t deny the talent, and he could easily go 20/50 in his rookie season despite missing April. –NikkiSixx | ||||
| 8 | 10 | Robinson Cano | 2B | NYY |
| Despite the unruly temperament of the Kansas City fans, Cano is actually a great player. His power is impressive, and he hits in the best lineup in baseball. | ||||
| 7 | 5 | Josh Hamilton | OF | TEX |
| Hamilton’s numbers have slowed a bit the last month or so, but even on a slight down, he can produce enough for us to wait for another hot streak. | ||||
| 6 | 12 | Andrew McCutchen | OF | PIT |
| McCutchen is now the front-runner for the NL MVP, and he is most deserving. Ranked No. 1 in many fantasy games, McCutchen is a five-category beast. | ||||
| 5 | 6 | Albert Pujols | 1B | LAA |
| With five HRs, three SBs, 14 runs, 15 RBIs and a .300 AVG over the last month, Pujols looks solid for typical second-half production. | ||||
| 4 | 4 | Joey Votto | 1B | CIN |
| Votto has been hot and cold with the HRs, and a plethora of walks have cost him valuable ABs. He’s still elite, but the counting stats need to improve. | ||||
| 3 | 3 | Carlos Gonzalez | OF | COL |
| Remains an unstoppable five-category stud at Coors Field. –NikkiSixx | ||||
| 2 | 1 | Miguel Cabrera | 1B/3B | DET |
| Virtual lock to hit .300 with 30 HRs and 100 RBIs. –NikkiSixx | ||||
| 1 | 2 | Ryan Braun | OF | MIL |
| Braun retakes No. 1 from Miguel Cabrera, as his steals put him over the top. With a solid edge in HRs and SBs, Braun could be a mainstay at the top. | ||||
Dropped out: Cliff Lee, Aroldis Chapman, Craig Kimbrel, CC Sabathia, Andre Ethier, Nelson Cruz, Dan Uggla.
Just Missed: Jacoby Ellsbury, Evan Longoria, Bryce Harper, C.J. Wilson, Jason Heyward, Pablo Sandoval, Yadier Molina, Shane Victorino, Billy Butler, Shin-Soo Choo.
Thanks to everyone for ranking these guys again, and for waiting for this version of the Countdown. I decided it would be best served as an All-Star break/midseason piece, and proper adjustments were made for the injuries for Stanton/Pedroia. Saltydog kept up the great work on the spreadsheet, and I appreciate you taking the time to keep that up.
James is a 23-year-old accountant who spends most weekdays from 4-10 watching/tracking baseball and trolling the Cafe. He is also a golfer who is struggling to cope with the 110 degree heat in Las Vegas. If you ever come out here and want to hit the links or play some poker just let him know, and he is always game for a little side action. You can find James posting on the cafe as RJFORLIFE.
Rate this article:
   (3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Want to write for the Cafe? Check out the Cafe's Pencil & Paper section! |
subscribe
print version
I’m not sure why Melky dropped 11 spots.
He really didn’t even warrant being on the list, if you look at the rankings, but I saw what you saw, no reason to drop him off entirely.
In fact, you were the only one that had him in the Top 50….
……..how?
I can understand thinking he was a fluke last year. But he is actually hitting BETTER this year than he was last year, what else does Melky have to do in order to get respect? I’m the ONLY person that had him in the top 50? I just feel like there is something seriously wrong with that.
I agree. Thats why I left him on the Top 50 despite not being techinically “voted” in.
I feel David Ortiz is still under appreciated. He has 1B eligibility now and thats what was holding him back before. Ortiz>Konerko all day long yet Konerko is 4 spots higher.