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Young Guns: Free Trevor Bauer... 2.0

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Is it time for the Indians to call up Trevor Bauer?

It was unfair at the time, but leading up to the 2011 MLB Draft, Trevor Bauer was hailed as the second coming of Tim Lincecum. It was all there- the rubber arm, unorthodox mechanics, slight frame, big fastball, quirky personality. The comparison now seems star-crossed, as 2011 was the apex of Bauer's prospect value and the last time Big Timmy Jim was an above-average major league starter. After a solid 2012 in the minors (2.42 ERA in 130.1 IP), the D'Backs mysteriously shipped Bauer off to Cleveland for defense-first shortstop Didi Gregorius. The move was met with industry-wide disdain for Arizona's part, although Bauer did his best to prove his former team prescient, posting an ERA over 4.00, a walk rate over 5, and a K-rate under 8 (he'd never posted a k-rate below 10). In 18 innings this year, however, Bauer's looked like the guy many of us expected to see a few years ago. In 3 starts (one in the majors), Bauer has thrown 18 innings, with 26 strikeouts, 5 walks, and an ERA of exactly 1.00. It's a microscopic sample-size, but Bauer is grabbing folks’ attention by showcasing unprecedented control and an uptick in stuff.

Here's a look at Bauer's goods on April 9 vs the Padres:

Fastball:

Fb_medium

Since his pro debut in 2011, Bauer’s Achilles heel has been FB control. Even in the days of #FreeTrevorBauer, his outings were marked by high pitch counts and short outings. Against the Padres, Bauer sat 93-95, reaching back for 96 when he needed it. The San Diego hitters had difficulty squaring up the fastball, giving the impression that the perceived velocity was even higher than the radar gun readings.

Bauer works relentlessly up in the zone, the reason being three-fold: he has a "rising" effect on the pitch-making it difficult to get on top of; fastballs up in the zone tend to get more whiffs; it has a similar trajectory out of the hand as his breaking pitches, making them difficult to discern from one another. While this approach should result in piles of strikeouts, it could also lead to high home run totals. He could be susceptible to early exits on days he doesn't tote his best fastball.

Grade: B+/A-

Slurve:

Slurve_medium

Bauer has multiple breaking pitch looks. The slurve he throws in the mid 80's (84-85). It has sharp late break, and appears to be his next most reliable pitch after the fastball. He's getting tons of whiffs on the pitch, and in this particular outing he caught a few batters looking at backdoor breakers over the heart of the plate. In order to make the slurve a bonafide weapon, Bauer needs to keep it in the lower half of the zone.

Grade: B

Curveball:

Curve_medium

Cb2_medium

Uncle Charlie is X-rated. In the top graphic you can see the jelly-legged umpire is so fooled that he can't bring himself to call the obvious strike. it's encouraging that batters swung at 57% of the curves he threw. While curveballs tend to be better for ground balls than strikeouts, Bauer's is an out pitch because of the unique way he uses his fastball.

Grade: A-

Change-Up:

Change_medium

Against the Padres, Bauer began to use the change the second and third times through the order, with middling success. It's a work in progress, and he doesn't throw it often. But as you can see, the pitch has good shape and movement. I've yet to see him throw it for a strike near the bottom of the zone.

Grade: C

Mechanics/Make-Up/Fantasy Outlook:

During the offseason, both Bauer and the Indians were adamant about relaying the message that he'd made important mechanical adjustments and had fully recovered from the groin issues that plagued him throughout the 2013 season.

He's slowed his pace to plate-although it's still well above average- in exchange for a more repeatable, balanced delivery. If the mechanical improvements hold, there's no reason to believe he can't continue to throw strikes. This is not a given however, for Bauer is well known for his obsession with tweaking and re-tweaking even the smallest minutiae of his delivery, leaving him with a floating mechanical profile. With Carlos Carrasco "struggling" at the major league level (7.31 ERA, 3.61 FIP), it may not take much for Bauer to wiggle himself into Cleveland's starting 5, and his strikeout upside makes him an attractive add in all formats.



Padres are 9-11 after 20 games

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Last year after 20 games the Padres were tied for the worst start in franchise history with a record of 5-15.  This year they have 4 more wins and sit at a 9-11 record.  It's not a great start but only mildly embarrassing, like when the tag is hanging out the back of your t-shirt.  Last night's loss and all those Padres left on base just made it feel worse.

The 1988 Padres were able to turn a 9-11 start into an 83 win season, the 1969 Padres pooped the bed and only managed 52 wins.  Those are the two extremes in Padres history.  If I did my math properly and used the formula supplied by Neil Paine correctly, the Padres are currently on pace for a 78 win season.  You can read more about his procedure by following the link.

How to Predict MLB Records From Early Results | FiveThirtyEight

Another great thing about this procedure is that the "add 67 games of .500 ball" trick works no matter how far into the season a team is. It’s just as valid now as it will be in late July. The difference between now and then will be the amount of weight that a team’s observed results take in the formula.

Here's how all Padres teams have fared after 20 games.

Win % in first 20 Games

Year

Wins in first 20 games

Win % in first 20

Season Wins

Season Games

Season Win %

1971

5

25

61

161

37.89

1987

5

25

65

162

40.12

2013

5

25

76

162

46.91

1974

6

30

60

162

37.04

1981

6

30

41

110

37.27

1970

6

30

63

162

38.89

1994

6

30

47

117

40.17

2012

6

30

76

162

46.91

1973

7

35

60

162

37.04

2003

7

35

64

162

39.51

2001

7

35

79

162

48.77

1978

7

35

84

162

51.85

1979

8

40

68

161

42.24

1977

8

40

69

162

42.59

2011

8

40

71

162

43.83

2006

8

40

88

162

54.32

1969

9

45

52

162

32.1

1993

9

45

61

162

37.65

1972

9

45

58

153

37.91

2008

9

45

63

162

38.89

2002

9

45

66

162

40.74

1980

9

45

73

163

44.79

1976

9

45

73

162

45.06

1999

9

45

74

162

45.68

1990

9

45

75

162

46.3

1997

9

45

76

162

46.91

1995

9

45

70

144

48.61

1983

9

45

81

163

49.69

2005

9

45

82

162

50.62

1988

9

45

83

161

51.55

1975

10

50

71

162

43.83

2000

10

50

76

162

46.91

1992

10

50

82

162

50.62

1989

10

50

89

162

54.94

1986

11

55

74

162

45.68

2009

11

55

75

162

46.3

1985

11

55

83

162

51.23

1991

11

55

84

162

51.85

2004

11

55

87

162

53.7

2007

12

60

89

163

54.6

2010

12

60

90

162

55.56

1996

13

65

91

162

56.17

1982

14

70

81

162

50

1984

14

70

92

162

56.79

1998

16

80

98

162

60.49

Padres all-time Earth Day team

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Every Christmas or 4/20, someone invariably constructs a team of guys with names like Steve Christmas and Juan Bong, so since it's Earth Day I thought "What the heck? My little garbagebrain can't think of anything better to write about" and put together the Padres' all-time Earth Day team.

C- Pete LaForest
1B- Mike Ivie
2B- Craig Stansberry
SS- Khalil Greene
3B- Jeff Gardner
LF- Billy Bean
CF- Reggie Sanders
RF- Phil Plantier

SP- Chan Ho Park
SP- Woody Williams
SP- Brian Meadows
SP- Clay Kirby
SP- Burch Smith

RP- Dave Eiland
RP- Shawn Hill
RP- Cla Meredith
RP- Jason Middlebrook
RP- Steve Reed
RP- Ricky Stone

Some of these were a bit of a stretch ("The stansberries taste like stansberries!") but nobody else at second base, center field, or right field even came close so I had to settle for guys with stuff like 'sand' and 'plant' in their names.

There, now that I've done my part for Earth Day, I can go back using hairspray and throwing cigarette butts on the ground.*

*Kidding! I don't do either of those things. Please don't send me angry emails.

04/22 Padres Preview: Game 21 @ Brewers

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Padres won't be sweeping in Milwaukee this time around after losing the opener last night, but a series win is still in play. They'll try to keep it in play tonight as Ian Kennedy takes the mound opposite an undefeated Yovani Gallardo in game 2 at Miller Park.

Kennedy has been decent in four appearances this year, but has only received four total runs of support. He took a no-hitter into the 6th inning his last time out before yielding three runs on four hits to the Rockies through seven innings of work. He made two starts against the Brewers last season, going 0-1 with a 6.57 ERA, but tonight will be his first appearance at Miller Park in a Padres uniform.

Gallardo has had the same amount of run support but has been much sharper in his four starts this season. He didn't allow a single run in either of his first two outings and has only allowed two runs in each of his last two appearances. The right-hander is 4-3 in eight starts all-time against the Padres, but just 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA in the four of those starts that took place at Miller Park.

Make sure to join us for the middle game of the three-game set. First pitch is set for 5:10 PDT.

Carlos Gomez appeals suspension and is in tonight's lineup, Martin Maldonado begins serving suspension

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Carls Gomez will appeal MLB's suspension and play until the appeal is done, while Martin Maldonado will be unavailable for the next five games.

As promised yesterday, Carlos Gomez has decided to appeal his three game suspension that was handed down earlier today by MLB.  He will not begin to serve it until the appeal process is done, and thus, he is in tonight's lineup:

Also notable is that Khris Davis is back in the lineup after missing yesterday's game with the flu.  The Brewers need him in the lineup with their outfield depth thin.  Beyond that, it's mostly the same lineups as yesterday, with different pitchers and catchers replacing yesterday's starters.  Despite a two-hit day yesterday, Jean Segura slides down the lineup a little further and will hit eighth today.

In addition, the Brewers bench will be a little thinner tonight as Martin Maldonado will begin serving his five-game suspension.  The suspension will keep him out through the end of the homestand, and puts the Brewers in a tight spot if Lucroy can't play for any reason.  Logan Schafer is the normal emergency catcher, but with him on the DL, it will be Elian Herrera or Jeff Bianchi that will serve at catcher if needed.  Also, Herrera is the only true backup OF available, further complicating the situation if multiple injuries come up.

Tonight's game will feature a pitching matchup of Yovani Gallardo (2-0, 1.46 ERA, 2.88 FIP) vs. Ian Kennedy (1-3, 4.13 ERA, 2.29 FIP).  Gallardo has come back down to earth a little in his last few starts, but is still pitching very well.  In his last game, he pitched six innings against the Pirates and allowed two runs on three hits and four walks.  Meanwhile, Ian Kennedy has been pitching well but not seen good results.  He allowed three runs on four hits and two walks in seven innings in his last start, but has posted a 23:5 K/BB ratio, as well as allowed a total of one home run all year.

The bullpen is still in rough shape today and could use a long start from Gallardo.  Francisco Rodriguez is almost certainly not available after pitching four straight days, and Tyler Thornburg has pitched three of the last four.  Jim Henderson had pitched in three straight, but didn't pitch last night so he may be the closer tonight if a save situation comes up.

The Trading A's: Who Do You Want Back?

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The Trading A's. How have the recent trades worked out for Oakland the last few years? Did your favorite player or can't miss prospect get away? We all have favorite players, some fans even have favorite minor league players. Players flame out, get traded, or just get cast aside for new favorites. Today I look at recent players and prospects after they left the Athletics system. I also look at some recognizable trade patterns and hope to show why the Burns trade may be one of the A's best.

The Trading A's- Part 1

The A's have made a lot of moves the last few years and I was curious which ex-A's are doing well or started off hot this year. I looked up some former A's prospects and also some former A's players from the 2012-2013 Athletics.

For the players recently departed, 3-weeks is an extremely short amount of time to grade or judge anything. However, if you thought the ex-A's were very good or very bad to begin with, 3 weeks can help confirm your suspicions. It's been about 1/9th of a season. I have broken down this exercise in curiosity by each trade over the last few years to see if there is any recognizable trade patterns.

There does seem to be a trade pattern and it's nothing unusual for a team expected to make the playoffs. Current Playoff odds: 75%The A's want consistency right now,not questions. Not questions of youth, not questions of age. More trade patterns in part 2.

Statistics used this article: (wRC+) a players total offensive contribution with the bat. (FIP) Fielding Independent Pitching. What era the pitcher should be, assuming that performance on balls in play and timing were league average. I also use (OPS) on base percentage (obp) + slugging percentage (slg).

RatingwRC+OPSFIP
Excellent150.9002.90
Very Good125.8003.25
Above Average110.7503.75
Average100.7004.00
Below Average90.6504.20
Poor75.6004.50
Awful50.500
5.00


1) Jed Lowrie Trade:

  • Jed Lowrie: currently 3rd in wRC+ among qualified MLB shortstops (162). Was 2nd in SS wRC+ in 2013. The A's gave up a lot for two years of Jed. He rewarded them with a career year in 2013.
  • Chris Carter (HOU) Carter hit 29 HR in 2013 and did nothing else on the way to ( .4 WAR) in 150 games. This year he has started off worse.  2014. 0 HR. 36 wRC+ and a .461OPS. Fan's and pundits have called for a benching, a beating and even the dreaded DFA. But one thing Carter has continued to do is hit LHP. 128 wRC+. It will probably be about three more weeks, but if the A's were thinking about replacing Barton, and the Astro's are done with Carter, could Carter be a platoon fit again with the A's?
  • Max Stassi (HOU)-.279/.342/.588 in 76 plate appearances in his first taste of AAA. (132 wRC+). The Astro's are high on Stassi. His defense is plus and his power has spiked since leaving the A's. Max hits RHP well, so he should be a starter. Will it be Max or Castro traded next year if Stassi proves ML ready? Max Stassi is my dark horse to end up with more WAR than anyone else the A's have traded away in the last two years. The Book on Max Stassi.
  • Brad Peacock (HOU). Brad didn't seem to make the A's miss him last year. 2013 (5.18 era /4.5 fip). But apparently Brad went back to AAA and learned a new pitch.  He pitched to a (3.64 era/3.9 fip) in the second half of 2013, respectable. Thats down from (8era/6 fip) the first half of 2013. In 2014, Peacock has a 6.14 era/4.17 fip, and has started only one game.

2) John Jaso Trade:

  • John Jaso's was a disappointment to some in a concussion filled 2013. They felt he should have trained his head to be harder. A .387 OBP in 2013 speaks to why the A's wanted John.
  • 2014. 107 wRC+ .702 OPS. Has not hurt the A's on defense just yet. The A's traded three A ball minor league pitchers away for three years of Jaso control. The Nationals did their homework.
  • A.J. Cole (WAS) 2014. 2.63 era/3 fip in AA. 2.18 era in 2013 AA. #2 Nationals Prospect. #1 starter ceiling. 22 y.o. My favorite for "the one who got away". The Book on A.J. Cole.
  • Ian Krol (DET) The 23 y.o. lefty relief pitcher has a (2.84 era/6 fip) to start his second ML season. (3.95/4.69 in 30 2013 MLB relief innings). Could still start someday.
  • Blake Treinen (WAS) Treinen started off the year as a RP in Washington. (1.35era/1.85 fip). He was sent down recently and started one AAA game ( 0 runs).

3) Jerry Blevins Trade:

Jerry Blevins- (WSH) (3.86 era/3.36 fip). The Washington Nationals will have two years of Blevins.

Billy Burns- AA Midland. Burns is what we thought he was; so far.

T1rsz_1397071510000-usatsi-7837620_medium

The Good Burn.

  • 9 SB.#1 in Texas League. #2 has 6 steals. 1 SB/1.5 games in 2013. 1SB/1.5 games in 2014. 90% success rate in 2013. 90% success rate in 2014.
  • 20% walk rate. (4th in AA Texas League, Max Muncy is #1 at 25%). Burns had a 15% walk rate in AA last year, 4th in the Eastern League).
  • .397 OBP. #9 in the Texas League. Burns is younger than five of the eight players ahead of him in OBP.

The Bad Burn.

  • 2014 .685 OPS. With his low slugging % Burns will never be high in OPS. 111 wRC+. Better than average. But average doesn't get you promoted.
  • OPS is crude because OBP has been shown to be around 1.7 times as valuable as SLG*. ( Craig Gentry, Coco Crisp and even John Jaso say Hi). wOBA does a much better job, but for just three weeks in, crude is ok for now. * wOBA explanation.

  • wOBA and wRC+ no longer take into account base-running. Burns and Gentry will be undervalued (wOBA/wRC+) or severely undervalued (OPS) by most statistics. If you add Burns base-running to his wRC+, it goes up 10-20 points. A 121-131 wRC+ isn't average at all.

  • Let me beat you over the head with it one more time: With a high on base percentage coupled with a high SB% and good defense, OPS does not matter for Burns. His wOBA/wRC+may still be above average. Adding in his base-running skills could make him well above average .

  • The difference for Burns to succeed or fail? Probably K%. 9.2 K% in A+ in 2013. 12.3 K% in AA 2013. 20 K% in Spring training. 17.1 K% in 2014.
  • If Burns can keep his K% down, he can walk, bunt hit and infield hit his away to a respectable OBP and all the nice things that happens after that.

Blevins for Burns doesn't scream win now. But Blevins was replaced and then some rather easily by the quartet of Fernando Abad, Joe Savery, Drew Pomeranz and Eric O'Flaherty. Burns may also be helping the A's "win now" in 2014. If now means September 2014. The 2014 playoffs could also be a very good Burn as well. 14 position players, four SP, and seven RP ought to allow Burns to light the playoff fire. 

4) Brett Anderson Trade:

  • Brett Anderson (COL)- (3.60 era/4.28 fip), 15-Day D.L. Expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Because he bats. The A's gave up two expensive years ($8 and $12m) of Anderson for:
  • Drew Pomeranz- Somewhat of a surprise to make the A's because of his remaining player option, he has succeeded ( 2.16 era ) where advanced stats say he should fail ( 6.00 fip).  I really like having Pomeranz as the long man because he is an extra lefty with options. I will like it even more if he becomes an effective 5th starter when needed either this year or next.
  • Chris Jensen (AA MID)- The second piece of the Brett Anderson Trade. The 23 y.o. RH starter has done well in his first taste of AA with a (2.31 era/3.17 fip) in two starts. A low walk rate is his calling card. Scouting Report.


5) Jim Johnson Trade:

  • They can't all be green colored roses. Jim Johnson (7.0 era/4.04 fip) was traded for:
  • Jemile Weeks (BAL)-.268/.436/.416 in 41 at bats in AAA.  Steve Lombardozzi shouldn't keep Weeks down for too long. But J.J. was also traded for another player:
  • PTBNL- If its contingent on performance, the A's may have nothing to worry about.  But it's probably a 2013 draft pick; forcing the A's to wait a year to complete the trade. Lets hope Jemile is still the headline when that day comes.
  • Grant Balfour- (TB) (2/$12m). For awhile it looked like the A's and O's traded closers. Then the O's screamed bloody elbow or knee, hurting Balfour's market until signing with T.B.  2.35era/5.52 fip. Four saves. No blown saves. The A's traded in two years of a 36 y.o. closer for one year of a 31 y.o. closer. Results have not been great the first three weeks.

6) Michael Choice trade:

  • Craig Gentry 160 wRC+ and .876 OPS) in 9 games after back strain.
  • Michael Choice (TEX) ( 70 wRC+ and .636 OPS) in 24 at bats in MLB. The Book on Michael Choice. I was a really big fan of this trade not because Choice isn't good, but because Craig is the best 4th OF in the game. He fits the A's perfectly.
  • Josh Lindblom( Despite looking decent in his one emergency Oakland start (3.86 era) Lindblom has struggled in AAA so far. ( 7.79 era/5 fip in 17 IP).
  • Chris Bostick (TEX)- (.204/.279/.296) 54 at bats in A.

In Part 2-

Is there an "age" sweet spot the A's are pursuing? Seth Smith, Chris Young, Grant Green, Kurt SuzukiTyson Ross, Cash Trades, minor trades, DFA's and more. My analysis overall on how the A's have done with trades the last few years.

-OmahaHi

*Must Reads*  Oakland Athletics Extension with Sean Doolittle is Not that Weird

Doolittle Contract Announced: 5 years/13.75 million. ( I calculate he will be a super-2). Doolittle was a 1st round supplemental pick in 2007; losing Frank Thomas gained the A's this pick.

What we learned: April 23, 2014

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Today's lessons include suspensions from the Brewers-Pirates fight, the end of Johnny Hellweg's season, and more.

Yesterday's Results

Padres 2, Brewers 1

It was a pitchers duel yesterday, with both pitching staffs allowing only one run in the first nine innings.  It came down to a battle of the bullpens, and it was the Padres that had a little more as they outlasted the Brewers in 12 innings.  Scooter Gennett provided the only run for the Brewers on a solo home run, but the Brewers had plenty of opportunities yet left eleven runners on base.

Suspensions were handed down from Sunday's fight.

Yesterday was decision day for a few of the Brewers, as punishments came down from MLB as a result of the fight.  The Brewers got the worst part of it, with Martin Maldonado receiving a five-game suspension and Carlos Gomez receiving a three-game suspension.  On the Pirates side, Travis Snider got two games and Russel Martin was also suspended for a game.  For the Brewers, Martin Maldonado began serving his punishment right away, while Carlos Gomez decided to appeal his and was in yesterday's lineup (along with Travis Snider and Russell Martin on the Pirates side).  With the suspension yesterday, Noah asked the question of if Carlos Gomez needs to tone it down.  Gomez might be getting too emotional when playing the game, so perhaps a calmer Gomez would be better for the Brewers.

Johnny Hellweg's season is probably over with a torn UCL.

The other big news of the day came from Nashville, where Johnny Hellweg was removed from a bad start after feeling something pop in his elbow.  The news on the injury came back, and it appears that Hellweg tore his ulnar collateral ligament and will need Tommy John surgery.  It would be a tough setback for Hellweg if he does need surgery, as it would keep him out for a year.  Plenty of pitchers have come back from it, so it's just something that Hellweg would have to work his way back from.

Cram Session

Brewers-Pirates Fight

Brewers Pitching

Other Notes

Minor League Update

TeamLevelRecordYesterdayToday
Nashville SoundsAAA9-10Omaha 5, Nashville 1OFF
Huntsville StarsAA11-8Mobile 13, Huntsville 2Mobile @ Huntsville
Brevard County ManateesA+11-7Brevard County 2, Tampa 1Brevard County @ Tampa
Wisconsin Timber RattlersA9-8Burlington 2, Wisconsin 1Wisconsin @ Burlington

Check out morineko's daily minor league update for a more in-depth look at yesterday's minor league results.

Division Update

TeamWLGB
Brewers156-
Cardinals1293
Reds9115.5
Pirates9126
Cubs7127
  • Reds 4, Pirates 1: It was a pitcher's duel for six scoreless innings, but it was Johnny Cueto who lasted longer, pitching a complete game and allowing only one run.  An overturned play got the Reds on the board, and their offense went from there to secure the win.
  • Cardinals 3, Mets 0: Adam Wainwright cruised through seven scoreless innings before hyperextending his knee, and Jon Jay's fourth inning RBI single provided most of the offense that the Cardinals needed.
  • Cubs 9, Diamondbacks 2: Four-run fifth and eighth innings for the Cubs offense backed seven strong innings from Jason Hammel as the Cubs hammered the Diamondbacks.

Today's Games

  • Diamondbacks (Wade Miley) @ Cubs (Jeff Samardzija) - 1:20 pm
  • Reds (Alfredo Simon) @ Pirates (Charlie Morton) - 6:05 pm
  • Cardinals (Michael Wacha) @ Mets (Jon Niese) - 6:10 pm

Today's Action

The Brewers and Padres play the rubber match of their three-game series tonight.  Tyson Ross (2-2, 2.13 ERA, 3.00 FIP) gets the ball for the Padres, and Kyle Lohse (3-1, 2.67 ERA, 3.19 FIP) starts for the Brewers.  First pitch is at 7:10 pm, and MLB.com has the preview.

MLB Prospect Review: Hunter Renfroe, OF, San Diego Padres

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The Padres drafted Hunter Renfroe with the #13 overall pick last year, but has been a bit forgotten at times among his draft class. Is he being overlooked for fantasy purposes, and when could we see him in San Diego?

Throughout the minor league season, the prospect staff here at Fake Teams will look at a number of prospects for your fantasy and dynasty teams. Some will be prospects that you'll see this year in the majors, while others are interesting targets in longer term formats. Up today is Padres' outfielder Hunter Renfroe.

The Basics

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200 lbs.
On 40-Man Roster: No
Protect After: 2016 Season
DOB: 1/28/1992 (Age 22 Season)

His History

Renfroe was drafted in the 31st round out of Copiah Academy in 2010 by the Red Sox, but did not sign and opted to attend Mississippi State instead. Renfroe was a catcher primarily in high school, but also pitched and was considered a prospect at either position. His first two seasons at MSU were a bit pedestrian as he got his feet under himself, but emerged as one of the top college bats last year on the strength of a .345/.431/.620 slash line with 16 home runs. The Padres took him with the #13 overall pick, and he did not sign until early July after his Bulldogs finished as the runner-up in the College World Series.

After receiving a bonus of nearly $2.7 million, the Padres sent Renfroe to their Northwest League affiliate in Eugene, Oregon. He was promoted to full-season Low-A Fort Wayne after 25 games, during which he hit .308/.333/.510 with four home runs. Over his 18-game stint in Fort Wayne, Renfroe hit just .212/.268/.379, but had two home runs and seven RBI. He was moved up to High-A Lake Elsinore to start this season, where he has four home runs already but is hitting just .254/.333/.521. He also has three steals in three attempts through 18 games.

The Scouting Report

Hit (AVG): Renfroe is likely to be an average hitter at best, and has some work to do as he moves through the minors. He has shown issues with plate discipline so far in the minors, with a potential strikeout profile. That said, the reports on Renfroe seem to point more to a desire to swing than an inability to make consistent evaluations of the pitches being thrown his way, and if he can reign back a little on that aggression, should do alright.

Power (HR, RBI): Power is the calling card for Renfroe, as he has the potential to be a 25-30 home run hitter in the major leagues. There are questions surrounding how well it will play in game given the concerns about his hit tool, but he remains one of the few prospects with true high-level power potential.

Speed (R, SB): Renfroe is not a burner by any stretch, but has at least average speed which can flash a bit better at times. He won't be a baseclogger in the majors, and in fact could provide 15+ stolen bases a season in his prime with the potential for more some seasons.

Defense: Renfroe has a prototypical right field profile, with solid range and an excellent arm. He was viewed as an interesting prospect out of high school as a pitcher, and was even considered for the top outfield arm ($) in the minor leagues by the staff at Baseball Prospectus.

When Could He Arrive?

Renfroe could potentially see AA this season, but there is at least one prospect ahead of him that could keep him from moving too quickly (Rymer Liriano). I would expect that realistically we see Renfroe in San Diego at some point during the 2016 season.

What Can He Do When He Gets There?

I can see a line of .265 with 20 home runs and 12 stolen bases most years, with a 25+ home run and 15+ stolen base season possible as well. I don't believe he hits for higher than a .280 average at any point, unless he can make significant adjustments to his approach.

Conclusions

We had Renfroe as our #70 consensus fantasy prospect this offseason, and I had him as my #21 outfielder overall. That number will likely end up too low, as Renfroe can be kind of a poor-man's George Springer, providing a very nice power and speed combination, but with a bit more average and less power/speed overall. His power should play even in Petco Park, and should be a very interesting fantasy outfielder before too long.

Sources

Baseball America
Baseball Reference
Baseball Prospectus
The Baseball Cube
Fangraphs
MLB Farm
Gas Lamp Ball


Padres in active trade talks about Nick Hundley

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The catcher could be on the move soon as the Padres work on solving their catching logjam.

The San Diego Padres are involved in active trade talks centered around catcher Nick Hundley, according to a report from Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Hundley has shared backup catching duties with Rene Rivera behind Yasmani Grandal so far this season, but it appears that the Padres are looking to clear some roster space by exploring trades involving Hundley.

Hundley, 30, has hit .333 with 1 HR and 1 RBI while only appearing in ten games and seeing 21 plate appearances. He could be an interesting option for teams looking for catching help like the Yankees or Nationals, and is likely to be moved to a team that sees him as a primary backup, not a third catcher.

Hundley is in the final year of a three-year, $9M extension that he signed after the 2011 season, and is due to make $4M this season. Because that may be more than a team is looking to spend on a backup catcher, it would make sense for San Diego to include some cash in any trade involving Hundley, liking increasing the return that they receive.

In 487 games over seven major league seasons with the Padres, Hundley is a lifetime .238 hitter with 47 HR and 193 RBI. His best season came in 2011, when he hit .288, but he has struggled offensively over the last two seasons, hitting .157 in 58 games in 2012 and .233 in 114 games last year.

Padres play first extra-inning game of the year, 6th latest in franchise history

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I noticed a little earlier in the week that the Padres still hadn't played their first extra-inning game of the year.  Well it happened last night.  The Padres beat the Brewers in 12 innings thanks to a 447 foot homerun courtesy of Chase Headley and a save by Huston Street.

It seems kind of late in the season for the Padres to finally get around to playing extra frames.  When you look at the franchise data it is, in fact, the 6th latest.  Nineteen Seventy-Six holds the record for at least another year, waiting until the 32nd game of the season before going long.  Did you know that 1976 also holds title of the least extra-inning games played in a Padres season?  It's true, 1976 is tied with the 2011 season with 9 extra-inning games played.

If you want to learn other semi-interesting facts about extra-inning games, let me direct you to this older Gaslamp Ballmanac post from last year.

First Extra-Inning Game of the Year

YearGame ## of InningsOpponentOutcomeRunsRuns Against
19763211SFGW76
19733012CHCL23
19742810NYML46
19882612PITL14
20132312SFGW87
20142112MILW21
19692013CINW109
19831910CHCL45
19721814MONW32
19711710ATLL34
19771710HOUL89
20091510SFGL01
19821412ATLW63
19781312ATLW54
20061311COLL23
19801210ATLL23
19891210CINL36
19701010ATLW54
20011010LADW54
1993913PITL45
2008911SFGL23
1999811COLW85
2000813ARIW32
1995711COLL56
1998710CINW32
2003713LADL34
1990610SFGW53
1992610LADW32
2007610COLW21
1984510CHCL58
1986511CINW43
2010514COLW54
1979412LADL56
1985410ATLL57
1994411ATLL810
2002410SFGL13
1991310SFGL911
2004311LADL12
2005312PITW10
2012311LADL56
1997212NYMW65
1975110SFGL02
1981112SFGW41
1987112SFGL34
1996110CHCL45
2011111STLW53

Stephen Strasburg strikes out 11 Padres in Nationals' 11-1 win in D.C.

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Matt Williams reiterated again last night after Stephen Strasburg's best start of the year, that once the Washington Nationals' 25-year-old right-hander establishes his fastball he can get to work and dominate opposing hitters with his plus changeup and curve.

A 31-pitch third inning in last night's 11-1 win over the San Diego Padres may have cost Washington Nationals' starter Stephen Strasburg a complete game against his hometown team.

The San Diego, California-born, San Diego State University-educated, 25-year-old right-hander completed seven scoreless against the Padres last night, but by that point he was up to 109 pitches, so Nats' skipper Matt Williams turned to his pen, ending Strasburg's sixth outing of the season after 7.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 Ks, five groundouts and two fly ball outs.

"He knows where he's at pitch count-wise, and he knows that his pitches are probably limited in that inning anyway, so he went right after them." - Matt Williams on Stephen Strasburg in the 7th last night

It was the second strong outing in a row for the '09 no.1 overall pick coming off a rough four inning start against the Miami Marlins in which he gave up eight hits and six runs.

Though he was up to 101 pitches after six, Williams made the decision to send his starter out for the seventh inning, which Strasburg wrapped up quickly in spite of the fact that he gave up a two-out single. Strasburg needed just eight pitches to retire the side. His manager was impressed with the Nats' no.1 starter's work throughout the game, but really liked what he saw in his final innings of work.

"That's the learning curve, I think," Williams told reporters after Strasburg earned the win, improving to (W, 2-2) on the year. "He knows where he's at pitch count-wise, and he knows that his pitches are probably limited in that inning anyway, so he went right after them. Threw even more fastballs in the last inning than he had in any inning previous. So, that's just him understanding where he's at in the game and he has to pound the strike zone and go after them and he did."

"He had good command of his fastball down and away to the righties. And at 95 mph it's tough for anybody to hit." - Williams on Strasburg vs the Padres

Williams also explained that he sent Strasburg back out, in part, to prepare him for future starts when he might need to go a little deeper than he had in his first five outings of the 2014 campaign.

"He hasn't been much over 100," Williams said, "so we get into a situation during the course of this year where he's got a one-run lead going into the seventh and he's at 100, we want him to be used to it and be able to get to the eighth if we want him to go that far, but get him up over 100 and up over 110, it's important for him, because if he gets into those situations, he's used to it and he's done it."

In what was arguably his strongest start of the season, Williams said the key for Strasburg was once again establishing his fastball. He threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of 28 batters, struck out 11 and outside of the third when the Padres loaded the bases but came up empty, didn't allow a runner past second base.

"First-pitch strikes are key for him, of course," Williams explained. "He had good command of his fastball down and away to the righties. And at 95 mph it's tough for anybody to hit. Then he mixed in his offspeed pitches, but the key for him tonight was fastball, spotting it down and way to righties."

As Williams and Strasburg have said previously, once he establishes his fastball he can work his change and curve off of that and put hitters away.

"Having his fastball is key for him," Williams reiterated. "If he has that and he's able to put it where he wants to then everything else works really good and tonight was an example."

• We talked about Strasburg's outing, the Nats' big win and more on the latest edition of Nats Nightly:

Current Baseball Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with District Sports Page Nats Nightly on BlogTalkRadio

Nationals 4-0 over Padres: Tanner Roark loses no-hit bid in sixth, finishes CG/SO

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Washington Nationals' right-hander Tanner Roark set the first sixteen San Diego Padres he faced down before allowing the first hit of the game, then stuck around for a complete game shutout in the Nats' 4-0 win in the nation's capital.

Saturday Afternoon Top 5:

5. Quick Recap: Anthony Rendon was 4 for 5 last night with the first four-hit game of his major league career and 5 for 6 in his last two games after he singled through short with one down in the first today. Jayson Werth reached on what was originally ruled an error by San Diego Padres' second baseman Jedd Gyorko in the next at bat and when Adam LaRoche followed with an RBI single to right it was 1-0 early in the afternoon matinee in the nation's capital. Werth took third on a throwing error on LaRoche's hit then scored easily when Ian Desmond hit an RBI double to right field. A sac fly off Danny Espinosa's bat scored LaRoche too and it was 3-0 Nats early in the third game of four with the visiting Padres.

Tanner Roark took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning before Padres' catcher Rene Rivera broke it up with a one-out single to center that Nationals' second baseman Danny Espinosa tried for but couldn't reach. Roark retired the side in the sixth, however, and was at just 68 pitches on the day after six scoreless frames.

The Nationals added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth, with Kevin Frandsen singling, moving up on a sac bunt and scoring on a two-out opposite field single to left by Denard Span. 4-0 Nats after six.

Tanner Roark stuck around after losing his no-hit bid and completed the game, shutting out the Padres in what ended up a 4-0 win.

4. The Mousy Girls Screams, 'Violence, Violence!': Ian Desmond struck the first big blow in Friday night's game, hitting an opposite field line drive double into the right-center gap to bring Anthony Rendon and Adam LaRoche in for a 2-0 lead after Rendon singled to center off Padres' lefty Robbie Erlin and LaRoche drew a walk. Rendon singled again in his second at bat in the third and LaRoche took another free pass from Erlin before Desmond singled to center to load the bases and Bryce Harper tripled to clear them.

Nats' skipper Matt Williams talked after the game about Rendon and Desmond sparking the offense.

"I think Anthony and Desi certainly set the tone tonight," Williams said. "Taking the ball the other way against a left-handed pitcher and staying on it. That sets the tone for your team. They both did a nice job of that."

Desmond's 3 for 5 night was a big one for the Nationals' shortstop, who entered the game hitless in his previous 13 at bats going back to a 1 for 4 night in the series opener with the Los Angeles Angels.

Williams said it was the first at bat of the night that got Desmond going.

"He's been struggling a little bit at the plate," Williams said, "and last night's first at bat got him back on track."

Before he got back on track, Williams explained that it was a problem of swinging a little too hard and trying to crush the ball rather than just make solid contact.

"Just a little bit, a little bit violent with his swing," Williams said. "A little swinging hard and of course he's got the ability to hit the ball over the fence. From what I've seen over the last few games anyway, just a little bit too much extra and that causes him to pull off a little bit. But tonight he stayed on balls and what'd he get three hits? That's good for him, I'm glad for him."

Rendon and Desmond continued to swing a hot bats this afternoon with Rendon singling with one down in the first and scoring on an RBI single by Adam LaRoche and Desmond doubling in a run as the Nats took a 3-0 lead early.

3. Row-ark in D.C.: Tanner Roark, 27, took the mound this afternoon in the nation's capital with a (3-0) record, a 0.35 ERA, 2.52 FIP, eight walks (2.77 BB/9) and 19 Ks (6.58 K/9) in eight games, two starts and 26 IP in Nationals Park since he made his MLB debut last season.

Over that stretch, the right-hander held opposing hitters to a .183/.248/.204 line when toeing the rubber in D.C.

So far in the majors, before this afternoon's outing, the former Texas Rangers' prospect acquired in the July 2010 trade that sent shortstop Cristian Guzman to Arlington, was (8-1) overall with a 2.21 ERA, 2.92 FIP, 19 walks (3.04 BB/9) and 58 Ks (6.75 K/9) in 18 games, nine starts and 77 1/3 IP over which he'd held the opposition to a .242/.298/.333 line as a starter.

Facing the Padres for the first time today, Roark got off to a good start...

1st:Everth Cabrera was 4 for 11 in the first in the first two games of the series after going 3 for 5 last night. He was 0 for 1 today after grounding out to second on the first pitch from Tanner Roark. Chris Denorfia hit the fourth pitch of the game back to the mound for out no.2 and Will Venable went down swinging at a 73 mph 1-2 curve to end a nine-pitch, 1-2-3 inning by the Nats' right-handed starter.

2nd: Jedd Gyorko was robbed of a hit by a diving Anthony Rendon, who managed to pull in a sharp grounder before popping up and firing a strike to Adam LaRoche at first. Rendon handled another grounder off Yonder Alonso's bat for out no.2 and Tanner Roark took care of Alexi Amarista, getting the Padres' center fielder looking with an 0-2 fastball to end a 12-pitch, 1-2-3 second. 21 pitches total after two for Roark.

3rd: Jace Peterson went down swinging at an 0-2 curve. K no.3. Catcher Rene Rivera flew out to deep right field where Jayson Werth made the catch. Andrew Cashner stepped in next and took a 1-2 fastball for a called strike three. K no.4. 9 up, 9 down. 13-pitch inning for Roark, 34 total after two.

4th: Everth Cabrera took a 3-2 fastball for a called strike three. Chris Denorfia lined sharply to first where Adam LaRoche caught the second out of the fourth. Will Venable rolled the third out of the inning to Danny Espinosa at second and Tanner Roark was through the first 12 batters without allowing a hit. 13-pitch fourth, 47 total. 12 up, 12 down.

5th: Jedd Gyorko was robbed on an amazingly good backhand play by Anthony Rendon on a sharp grounder to third. Yonder Alonso grounded out to second. Alexi Amarista squared to bunt on the first pitch from Tanner Roark in his two-out at bat, then grounded out to first on the second. Six-pitch inning, 53 overall after five. 15 up, 15 down.

6th: Jace Peterson grounded sharply to second on the first pitch of the sixth. Padres' catcher Rene Rivera took a 1-2 curve to center and... just out of Danny Espinosa's reach to end Tanner Roark's no-hit bid. Andrew Cashner grounded to first in the next at bat, and Adam LaRoche bobbled it before tossing the ball to first too late. Two on, one out. Everth Cabrera flew out to Kevin Frandsen in foul territory in left for out no.2 and Chris Denorfia flew out to center field to end Roark's sixth scoreless inning after 15 pitches. 68 total after six.

7th: Will Venable K'd swinging through a 1-2 fastball to start the Padres' seventh. Jedd Gyorko took a first-pitch fastball to left via the third base line for San Diego's second hit of the game. Yonder Alonson flew out to left for out no.2, and Alexi Amarista's swinging K on a filthy 1-2 curve ended Roark's seventh scoreless. 10-pitch inning. 78 pitches overall after seven.

8th: Jace Peterson grounded weakly back to the mound on a 1-2 changeup from Roark. Pinch hitter Yasmani Grandal took a one-out walk, Roark's first of the day, but was quickly erased when Xavier Nady grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3. 12-pitch inning. 90 pitches total after eight.

9th: Everth Cabrera rolled a weak groundout to short that Ian Desmond handled. Chris Denorfia hit a one-out single through short for the Padres' third hit of the game. Will Venable bunted for some reason and was thrown out at first for out no.2. Jedd Gyorko fell behind 0-2 quickly and 31,590 fans cheered Roark on as he went to a 2-2 count and struck the Padres' second baseman out to end it.

Roark's line: 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 Ks, 105 P, 73 S, 14/3 GO/FO.

2. Nats vs Cashner: Andrew Cashner, 27, was a Cubs' first rounder in 2008. San Diego acquired the right-hander in the 2012 trade that sent Anthony Rizzo to Chicago. In seven games and two starts against the Nationals before today, the 6'6' righty was (2-1) with a 5.65 ERA in 14 1/3 IP, over which he held Nats' batters to a .255/.323/.364 line.

Cashner took the mound today with 2.10 ERA through five 2014 starts in which he'd held opposing hitters to a .210 BAA. The Nationals got to Cashner early today, however, putting three runs on the board in the bottom of the first, though two were unearned after an error by second baseman Jedd Gyorko put two on with one out.

Cashner settled in after that, completing four scoreless innings to keep things close. The Nationals loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth, but Danny Espinosa popped out to end the frame without further damage done.

Denard Span's RBI single in the bottom of the sixth brought Kevin Frandsen in from second to make it 4-0 Nationals.

Cashner's line: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 Ks, 99 P, 73 S, 6/4 GO/FO.

1. CG/SO: Tanner Roark ended up giving up three hits total today including the one on which he lost his no-hit bid in the sixth, but he needed just 78 pitches to get through seven innings of work and 90 to get through eight before finishing up the complete game shutout of the Padres. 4-0 Nationals final.

Nationals now 14-11

SD 0, WSH 4: Padres Don't Bother

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Instead of showing up to contest the Nationals after giving them batting practice last night, the Padres decide to sleep in this morning.

In a lousy Saturday morning effort, the San Diego Padres opted to get some not-so-earned shut eye. Or at least it seemed that's what we were focused on doing. The Washington Gnats were able to snuff out our Friars with a single Tanner Roark, striking out 8 and only walking one. His complete game effort stranded 9 Padres on base and only allowed Chris Denorfia, Jedd Gyorko, and Rene Rivera to muster up a hit apiece.

On the flip side, ace Andrew Cashner had a second not-so-stellar start. Partially due to a fumbling middle infield collecting errors like starter Pokemon (with one wrongly counted as a hit) in addition to a poor throw from Yonder Alonso for 3 total, Cash allowed three "earned" runs in the 1st that the Padres couldn't answer all game.

Yasmani Grandal at least enjoyed the day off.

It's a consolation knowing somebody got to see their team play today.

Adding insult to injury; Denard Span drove in an RBI with a single in the 6th that the Padres wouldn't even come close to letting faze them as they continued their quest to get shut out 4-0 for the day.

Good news? Nobody got injured and tomorrow we're going to split the series. With all the rest we had today we'll be back at full strength and ready to leave Washington no later than 3pm, this time on a good note. We haven't lost a 4 game series all season, so that's a pretty good bet. Ian Kennedy has my back.

Roll Call Info
Total comments67
Total commenters11
Commenter listB Cres, Friar Fever, Ivan Verastica, TheThinGwynn, abara, daveysapien, jaz_alive, jodes0405, lylestyles, raw_toast, walkoff59
Story URLs

Luis Perdomo Birthday Card: A journeyman looks at 30

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Former Padres reliever Luis Perdomo turns 30 today. I hate to bring it up since it's his birthday, but in his season with San Diego he became known as "Oh No Perdomo" due to his propensity to surrender home runs. In 60 innings over 35 games with the 2009 team, Perdomo gave up 11 homers, starting with the first batter he faced in his major league debut. Fortunately for him and the Friars, neither that shot by Carlos Delgado or any of the ten that followed cost the team the game, since he was already mopping up in a lost cause when all of them happened.

Perdomo is pictured here on his 2010 Upper Deck card, number 415. This was Upper Deck's last year of making baseball cards, and their first to do so without an MLB license. As you can see, the picture on the front was carefully selected so as to show no logos, and the team name is nowhere to be seen either.

Z39_medium
After this card was released, Perdomo got into one more game for the Padres... I'm sorry, I mean that baseball team from San Diego. Summoned from AAA Tucson on August 29, 2010, Perdomo came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning down 4-0 in Philadelphia and promptly added one more to his tater total, this time to the notoriously despicable Jayson Werth. He cropped up again for 15 games with the Twins in 2012, but nobody here cares about Arena League baseball, so I'll leave it at that. After spending all of last year with the AAA Rochester (NY) Red Wings, Perdomo failed to stick with the Washington organization this spring and is now plying his trade for Campeche in the Mexican League.

Happy birthday to Luis Perdomo, and best of luck working your way back to organized ball and then, who knows, maybe the majors.

SB Nation's MLB All-Star links (of the Week): 4/21 - 4/25

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An All-Star lineup of links from SB Nation's best MLB team blogs.

A look at the very best SB Nation's MLB blogs have to offer from both leagues.

The AL

An interview with a former major league pitcher on whether or not pine tar does more than help you hold onto the ball. (Over The Monster)

Is Brian McCann pressing? (Pinstripe Alley)

How is Toronto's Mark Buehrle still thriving after all these years? (Beyond the Box Score)

Can Michael Brantley keep this power surge going? (Let's Go Tribe)

A breakdown of Detroit's beleagured bullpen (Bless You Boys)

Kauffman Stadium: a place where home run hitters are born and home runs go to die. (Royals Review)

The future of the Mariners' magical marketing promotions. (Lookout Landing)

A wonderful piece on being a fan and raising one too. (Crawfish Boxes)

Why keeping your head on straight isn't as important as you think it is. (Athletics Nation)

The NL

The rising price of Pablo Sandoval. (McCovey Chronicles)

It is a small world after all. Just ask the Padres. (Gaslamp Ball)

The headline says it all: "Lance Lynn deserved a much better fate, but that's baseball". (Viva El Birdos)

It was a birthday party at Wrigley Field! And it was about as much fun as you'd expect... (Bleed Cubbie Blue)

The Great American Ballpark's great beer selection. (Red Reporter)

How awesome is Cliff Lee: A Survey (The Good Phight)

Good luck only last so long. (Talking Chop)

Is Nationals Park getting bigger.. OR ARE WE GETTING SMALLER? (Federal Baseball)

On being a fan without a county. (Amazin' Avenue)


Two-Start Pitchers: Week 5 (April 28-May 4)

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Ranking and tiering the two-start pitchers for Week 5, including Tyson Ross, Tyler Skaggs and Alfredo Simon.

Week 3 was my least productive period yet (hello Brandon Morrow), but so far Week 4 is looking like one of my better stretches. Wily Peralta, Travis Wood and Jason Hammel all picked up victories in their first five turns, with Peralta and Hammel facing off in Milwaukee today. My final streamer, Dillon Gee, was a tough-luck loser in his first start, throwing six innings of two-run ball against the Cardinals. He faces the Marlins later today.

Week 5 is a little starved for two-starters, so I'm going to resist the urge to suggest four streamers and go with a nominal three. Good luck!

Results (through Week 3)

8-4
7.16 K/9
1.91 BB/9
3.28 ERA
0.98 WHIP

Start!

Jose Fernandez: Tue-ATL (Wood), Sun-LAD (Greinke)
Max Scherzer: Tue-@CWS (Quintana), Sun-@KC (Vargas)
Yu Darvish: Mon-OAK (Gray), Sun-@LAA (Skaggs)
Michael Wacha: Mon-MIL (Gallardo), Sun-@CHC (Samardzija)
Madison Bumgarner: Mon-SD (Ross), Sun-@ATL (Wood)

Tier 1

Alex Wood: Tue-@MIA (Fernandez), Sun-SF (Bumgarner)
Zack Greinke: Tue-@MIN (Pelfrey), Sun-@MIA (Fernandez)
Sonny Gray: Mon-@TEX (Darvish), Sun-@BOS (Lackey)
Jeff Samardzija: Mon-@CIN (Simon), Sun-STL (Wacha)
Tony Cingrani: Tue-CHC (Jackson), Sun-MIL (Lohse)
John Lackey: Tue-TB (Bedard), Sun-OAK (Gray)
Justin Masterson: Mon-@LAA (Skaggs), Sun-CWS (Quintana)

Tier 2

CC Sabathia: Tue-SEA (Young), Sun-TB (Bedard)
Tyson Ross: Mon-@SF (Bumgarner), Sun-ARI (Miley)
Kyle Lohse: Tue-@STL (Lynn), Sun-@CIN (Cingrani)
Yovani Gallardo: Mon-@STL (Wacha), Sat-@CIN (Simon)
Tyler Skaggs: Mon-CLE (Masterson), Sun-TEX (Darvish)
Alfredo Simon: Mon-CHC (Samardzija), Sat-MIL (Gallardo)
Jason Vargas: Tue-TOR (McGowan), Sun-DET (Scherzer)
Jose Quintana: Tue-DET (Scherzer), Sun-@CLE (Masterson)

Tier 3

Wade Miley: Mon-COL (Morales), Sun-@SD (Ross)
Jonathon Niese: Tue-@PHI (Hamels), Sun-@COL (Chatwood)
Tyler Chatwood: Tue-@ARI (Bolsinger), Sun-NYM (Niese)

Not this week

Erik Bedard: Tue-@BOS (Lackey), Sun-@NYY (Sabathia
Dustin McGowan: Tue-@KC (Vargas), Sun-@PIT (Volquez)
Franklin Morales: Mon-@ARI (Miley), Sat-NYM (Gee)
Jake Odorizzi: Mon-@CWS (Rienzo), Sat-@NYY (Phelps)
Mike Pelfrey: Tue-LAD (Greinke), Sun-BAL (Gonzalez)
Andre Rienzo: Mon-TB (Odorizzi), Sat-@CLE (Salazar)
Chris Young: Tue-@NYY (Sabathia), Sun-@HOU (McHugh)

My Week 5 Picks

Tyson Ross (@SF, ARI)
2014: 2-3, 31.1 IP, 8.04 K/9, 3.73 BB/9, 52.2 GB%, 3.16 ERA, 1.34 WHIP

After walking nine batters in his first two starts spanning 10-plus innings, Ross has regained control with four walks in his last 21 frames. The 27-year-old right-hander was knocked around in his last start against baseball's best (Brewers), but he gets two favorable starts in pitcher-friendly venues in Week 5. Prior to losing in Milwaukee, Ross shut out the Giants in eight innings of work, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out a season-high nine batters. Ross' second opponent of the week, Arizona, is missing Mark Trumbo and are 23rd in the league with a .296 wOBA. He's still available in over 80 percent of ESPN leagues.

Tyler Skaggs (CLE, TEX)
2014: 2-0, 28 IP, 5.14 K/9, 2.57 BB/9, 58.3 GB%, 3.21 ERA, 1.11 WHIP

Skaggs has rediscovered life in the big leagues with a 92 mph fastball, going 2-0 in his first four starts with the Angels. The 22-year-old southpaw has generated a 58.3 percent groundball rate and is holding opponents to a .225 batting average. He's struck out five batters in a pair of games (his season high), but he's gone at least seven innings in three of four starts, including eight frames in a season-opening victory against the Astros. Week 5 will present a tough test for the young lefty, but it helps that both matchups are at home in Angel Stadium.

Alfredo Simon (CHC, MIL)
2014: 3-1, 27.2 IP, 5.53 K/9, 2.93 BB/9, 51.2 GB%, 1.30 ERA, 0.94 WHIP

Simon is actually owned in more than 50 percent of ESPN leagues right now, and while I think his hot start will fade, I don't think this is the week to sit him. The 32-year-old gets a pair of NL Central opponents in Week 5, facing both the bottom of the barrel (Cubs) and the cream of the crop (Brewers). Simon tossed six shutout innings against Chicago two starts ago, and eked out a victory against the Pirates on April 23. He's pounding the zone with 52.2 percent strikes and is producing a nice 51.2 percent ground ball rate. That will come in handy this week when he gets two home starts in Great American Ball Park.

Quiz: Padres pitchers with 15 or more losses in a season

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Pitchers' win/loss records are largely useless to me, but the fact remains that they're still a thing. Since the Padres have lost a great deal of their games over the years, a lot of their starting pitchers have worn a bunch of scarlet L's whether they personally merited them or not. Sixteen different San Diego starters have been saddled with 15 or more losses in a season, and you have all of four minutes to name as many of them as you can.

Most of you know the drill, but for the uninitiated I have two things to say. First, welcome! Second, once you're done with the quiz, log your results into the poll and comment away, remembering to use SBN's way-cool spoiler bar feature over names where applicable.

Poll
How many did you get?

  16 votes |Results

04/27 Padres Preview: Game 26 @ Nationals

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The Nationals have outscored our Padres an embarrassing 15-1 over the last two games. But there's still a chance to split the series in Washington.

Ian Kennedy will try to make that happen as goes to the mound for his sixth start of the season this morning. The lefty is just 1-3 on the season, but has been more of a victim of a hapless offense more than anything. He's given up 12 runs through his first five starts, spanning 30 innings, but has only received five runs of support. He has issued five walks while collecting 28 strikeouts on the season.

His opponent today will be Taylor Jordan, who may be just what the Padres need. The righty, in his sophomore year in the big leagues, has lost three straight starts coming into today's finale. Since his season debut on April 6th when he kept the Braves to just one run in 6 1/3 innings of work, he has struggled, giving up an 18 runs over his last three while pitching 15 1/3 innings. That makes him 0-3 with an 8.22 ERA in that stretch. Today will be his first career outing against San Diego.

Make sure to tune in for the second straight day of breakfast baseball. First pitch is scheduled for 10:35 PDT this morning.

Cameron Maybin activated, in starting lineup

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Guess who's back, back again. Maybin's back; tell a friend.

Not only is Cameron Maybin all rostered up for the first time of this young season, he's getting thrust into action. As Corey Brock tweeted seconds before his overlords at the team account dropped the statement seen above, Cam's cumulative numbers during his rehab stint seem to fit right in with the slow start his pals he'll be joining have had, but trends point to him being back to strength.

At this point most of the fanbase is grasping at straws, so maybe Maybin is just the spark the team needs to blah, blah, blah. He's back. We'll see how it goes.

Streamer Report: Monday's Streaming Pitcher Options

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Ray highlights some starting pitcher options that you should consider streaming on Monday, including Tyler Skaggs and Tyson Ross.

The Streamer Report provides you with daily startng pitcher streaming selections for owners who prefer to stream starting pitchers on a daily basis. This report identifies starting pitchers who are owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues, and who either has a decent track record vs their opponent, has pitched well of late, or has a decent matchup.

Monday's Streamers

There are only seven games on the schedule for Monday, so I am going to pick just two starters to stream, Tyler Skaggs and Tyson Ross.

Tyler Skaggs, Angels vs Indians

Skaggs is owned in just over 15% of leagues right now, but that number should be higher, as he has pitched very well this season. Skaggs is 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in his four starts thus far. He isn't striking out too many batters, but he isn't walking too many either, and is keeping the ball on the ground at a 58% rate.

Tyson Ross, Padres vs Giants

Ross is owned in just under 19% of leagues right now, and is coming off his worst start of the season, where he gave up five runs on nine hits in six innings in a loss to Milwaukee. He faces the Giants on Monday, a team he shut out over eight innings two starts ago.

Weekly Streamer Performance

I will be providing a status of how my picks have performed over the course of the season, and below you can find how my picks fared this week. Like Week 4, Week 5 has started out terrible, but Tanner Roark made the overall stats look respectable on Saturday.

Pitcher

IP

H

ER

BB

K

W/L

ERA

WHIP

Jenrry Mejia

5.66

8

6

1

6

9.54

1.59

Tanner Roark

9

3

0

1

8

W

0.00

0.44

Travis Wood

5.67

7

5

3

3

L

7.94

1.76

Totals

20.33

18

11

5

17

4.87

1.13

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