I cannot believe the All-Star break is this weekend. It is pretty depressing knowing that summer is half over and living in the northeast makes it that much more depressing. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that football is right around the corner. Well, the CFL is going on right now but I’m talking NCAA and NFL, the latter hitting camps in a couple weeks.
The All-Star break also brings a break for handicappers and gamblers as Monday and Wednesday have no action, the only two days of the year this normally takes place. Although there are WNBA games on Wednesday, if you go that way. It actually is a nice little break as the long days and nights of work will be here before you know it.
How’s your fantasy team doing? I’m fortunately in first place in my division but I don’t know how long this is going to last as my pitching staff is falling like flies as Clay Buchholz and Shaun Marcum have landed on the DL. According to the ESPN Player Rater, three of my players, Carl Crawford, Miguel Cabrera and Adam Wainwright, are all ranked in the top four. Can you say luck?
Let’s take a quick look at some early fantasy surprises.
Joey Votto – Votto is making a name for himself for not being included on the All-Star team which is a travesty. The season he is having is not a fluke as he hit .322 with 25 home runs and 84 RBI’s last season.
Alex Rios – He was left for dead in Toronto and as is case for most Blue Jays, they catch fire when leaving Canada. Rios is a five-tool player and he is on pace to topple his career highs in all statistical categories.
Carlos Gonzalez – Who? This guy was a nobody in Oakland but he showed positive signs when he played 89 games with Colorado last season and hit .284 with 13 home runs and 29 RBI’s. He has played 16 fewer games this year and has 26 more RBI’s. Not bad.
Brett Gardner – He is hitting leadoff for the most potent offense in baseball so good things are bound to happen. He is on pace to shatter all of his numbers from a year ago when he played 108 games in a limited role.
What other surprises are out there that we should keep an eye on?