Resurrection Project

Written by Consigliere
Every once in a while, the sports world presents us with a feel good story. Maybe it’s the nature of baseball that makes their stories seem that much better. Teenagers are drafted and often spend several years fighting their way through the minor league levels, praying that they will one day get the call. Hoping that they can call themselves a Major League baseball player.Recently, we’ve heard a couple of stories that made most of us instant fans of these players.We all watched as a promising young pitcher named Rick Ankiel made his debut in the bigs and seemed to have his whole career going in the right direction. As quickly as he arrived, he appeared to be on his way out of baseball, when he couldn’t seem to hit the strike zone and sometime he wasn’t even able to hit the catcher. Now you can’t help but be happy for the guy, as he’s renewed his career as a homerun hitting outfielder with a rocket arm.Last year also marked a turning point in the career of former #1 overall pick, Josh Hamilton. After a string of bad luck and a bit of getting tied up with the wrong crowd, the kid who seemed destined for stardom found himself out of baseball and in and out of rehab. Now he’s finally got his life on the right path and is a perfect example of why you never give up on a kid when he’s got something special. Hamilton continues to improve in his 2nd year back and has 19 HR as we approach the All-Star Break. It’s scary to think of how good he could have been.This year, we’re seeing another success story in the making.If you’re in Chicago, you know the name Carlos Quentin very well, but if you’re a casual baseball fan, it’s possible that you’ve never heard of him.The 25-year-old outfielder was a 3-sport star in high school and went on to attend Stanford University, where he led them to 3 postseason appearances and collected plenty of personal hardware along the way. He ended his college career with a .350 batting average, 35 HR, 170 RBI and 26 SB.He was a first round selection of the Arizona Diamondbacks, but had his career put on hold when he underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. When he returned, he dominated minor league pitching and became one of Arizona’s top prospects.The Diamondbacks called him up halfway through the 2006 season and Quentin recorded a .253 batting average, 9 HR and 32 RBI in 57 games.The start to Quentin’s 2007 season was delayed when it turned out that he had a partially torn labrum. Through 81 games, he was hitting .214 with 5 HR and 31 RBI before he was sent back to Triple-A. Arizona decided that he wasn’t working out and traded him to the White Sox in December.As it turns out, a change of address was exactly what Carlos Quentin needed, as he’s been the best hitter for the White Sox through the first half of the 2008 season.In 80 games this year, Quentin is hitting .284 with 19 HR, 61 RBI, 54 Runs and 5 SB. He currently ranks first on the White Sox in HR, RBI, Runs, OBP and OPS. He’s 2nd in SLG and SB.I think that it’s a safe bet to say that the Sox can attribute their division lead to this latest resurrection.

D-Day Rumor Mill

Written by Consigliere
It’s that time of year again when we hear “buyer” and “seller” in every other baseball story. July 31st marks the non-waiver trading deadline and teams begin to analyze each plate appearance, each pitch thrown and each contract on the books. Some teams are in the hunt and must decide if they are willing to dump prospects for a rental player that could help them reach the postseason. Other teams are hoping that they can find a trading partner willing to take a huge contract off their hands while giving up some young prospects.The rumors come and go so fast that it’s often tough to keep up with who might be going where, but here are some of the current talks between the movers and shakers.One of the biggest names circulating is Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday. Two possible destinations for him are Oakland and St. Louis. Holliday is signed through 2009 so the price will be steep. Oakland may not be able to afford the price and unless the Cards were to send pitching the other way, their OF is plenty stocked right now.Xavier Nady is more likely to be on the move and two teams that have been showing interest are Tampa Bay and Atlanta. Tampa Bay seems to have better options in house, but Atlanta could be a good fit. Jeff Francoeur hasn’t been hitting well and they could use some offensive help. If Atlanta starts to slip out of the picture, not only would the deal be off, but they could also begin shopping slugger Mark Teixeira. Teixeira will be a free agent after this year and the Braves probably can’t afford him, but if they hang onto him for the rest of the season, they could get draft picks as compensation if he leaves.Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. seem to be prime candidates to relocate, but it appears Griffey to Tampa Bay wasn’t true and there just doesn’t seem to be a market for the high-priced Dunn. American League teams don’t want a DH that bats .240 and National League teams are scared off by his defense.There are several players that may or may not become available depending upon how the next couple of weeks shake out.Ivan Rodriguez seemed to be playing his last games in Motown, but the Tigers are suddenly in the hunt and Brandon Inge going down, leaves Detroit needing Pudge in the lineup.The Rangers could be looking to move Frank Catalanotto or Hank Blalock if they hit a losing streak this month.The Angels may be interested in Brian Giles. The Padres might be mathematically eliminated already and Giles could contribute in Anaheim, but the Angels usually aren’t deadline dealers.Brian Roberts could also be moved if the Orioles find themselves on the outside of the playoff race. Roberts would be their biggest piece of trade bait, but closer George Sherrill has also been rumored to be heading to the Red Sox as a setup man for Jonathan Papelbon. The Red Sox rumors don’t stop there though.Boston may also be looking at Joe Borowski, Chad Bradford, Rich Harden, Roy Oswalt, Brian Fuentes and C.C. Sabathia. Fuentes and Sabathia are in the middle of most trade rumors right now.Fuentes could find himself out of the closer role and out of Colorado with the list of new teams growing daily. Along with the Red Sox, the Yankees, Rays, Cubs and Cards are also reportedly interested.C.C. Sabathia would be the biggest deal to go down, if the Indians end up moving him. They apparently would like to resign the reigning Cy Young winner, but as they fall double digits back in the division race, things could change. The Phillies, Rays, Cubs and Brewers have been mentioned the most as possible trading partners.Other arms that are rumored to be available are Joe Blanton, Huston Street, A.J. Burnett, Erik Bedard, Bronson Arroyo and Greg Maddux.

Back to the Future

It’s time to head down to the clock tower, fire up the flux capacitor and drive the DeLorean all the way back to March 10th, 2008.I know what you’re thinking. That wasn’t that long ago, but in baseball terms it was about a month before the season started. That’s when yours truly, The Consigliere, sat down and calculated the homerun projections for our pool players.It’s almost 4 months later and about midway through the season, so it’s time to look back and point out my spot on mathematics or take the blame for the minor miscalculations.For the purposes of this article, we’re going to ignore anyone who missed several games and concentrate on the guys who have been able to stay on the field.Right down the middleAlbert PujolsPrediction: If his elbow will allow him, Pujols will return to the 40 HR club.2008 Total: 17 HR. Despite his minor calf setback, he should finish right around 40 HR.Ryan HowardPrediction: Expect Howard to flirt with 50 this year.2008 Total: 20 HR. Howard started off in a huge slump and has found his groove as of late. He’ll clear 40 and aim for 50.Adam DunnPrediction: No reason to believe that Dunn can’t top 40 this year.2008 Total: 20 HR. He’s right on pace.Jim ThomePrediction: Thome should hit about 30.2008 Total: 16 HR. Bullseye.Magglio OrdonezPrediction: Maggs should contribute with a HR total in the mid 20s.2008 Total: 12 HR. Hopefully the injury doesn’t wreck my projection.Lance BerkmanPrediction: He should easily clear 30, with an outside shot at 40.2008 Total: 22 HR. Good call here.Ryan BraunPrediction: Braun should get 40 this year.2008 Total: 20 HR. Another one for The Consigliere.Manny RamirezPrediction: Should see 30 HR again.2008 Total: 16 HR. On pace to hit 30+.Carlos LeePrediction: If you want 30 HR, Lee is your guy.2008 Total: 18 HR. Headed for at least 30.David WrightPrediction: Hit 30 HR last year. Look for him to top that this year.2008 Total: 16 HR. Just where he needs to be right now.Adrian GonzalezPrediction: 40 HR potential.2008 Total: 21 HR. He’s found his potential.Derrek LeePrediction: Has a good shot at 30 this year.2008 Total: 15 HR. The Cubs slugger has returned.Jermaine DyePrediction: He’s a safe bet to top 30 this year.2008 Total: 18 HR. 30 looks to be a lock.Chipper JonesPrediction: Injuries are the only thing stopping Jones from hitting 30 each year.2008 Total: 16 HR. He’s looking for 30, but will the quad let it happen?Nick MarkakisPrediction: Expect more than last year’s 23 HR.2008 Total: 12 HR. Right on target at the midway point.Rick AnkielPrediction: Expect 25+ HR.2008 Total: 16 HR. The power is there and he’s improving this year.Brandon PhillipsPrediction: Expect around 25 this year.2008 Total: 14 HR. He may end up right on 25.J.J. HardyPrediction: Hardy will be lucky to hit 20 HR.2008 Total: 8 HR. Should finish short of 20.Corey HartPrediction: Hart could reach 30 HR.2008 Total: 14 HR. He’s a little off the pace, but coming on after a rough start.Aaron RowandPrediction: Hope for 20 HR.2008 Total: 8 HR. Another guy that will not make 20.Gary Matthews Jr.Prediction: He’ll hit 15.2008 Total: 7 HR. I might get this one dead on.Alex GordonPrediction: Expect 20.2008 Total: 11 HR. Right on pace.Joey VottoPrediction: Look for 20-25 HR.2008 Total: 12 HR. The rookie is aiming for dead center on this projection.High and insideJustin MorneauPrediction: 30-35 HR.2008 Total: 12 HR. Need a big 2nd half if I’m going to get this one.Carlos BeltranPrediction: 33 HR.2008 Total: 12 HR. I need the postseason Astros Beltran to show up.Miguel CabreraPrediction: Expect 35-40 HR.2008 Total: 11 HR. What the hell is his problem?Chase UtleyPrediction: He’ll hit close to 30…by the All-Star Break.2008 Total: 23 HR. Ok, so I made the last part up.Ken Griffey Jr.Prediction: Still a threat for 30.2008 Total: 9 HR. The threat is fading.B.J. UptonPrediction: He hits 20 HR.2008 Total: 6 HR. Rays need him if they want to remain contenders, so I still got a shot.Dan UgglaPrediction: Could dip from last year’s 31 HR.2008 Total: 23 HR. He still “could”, but not likely.Hanley RamirezPrediction: Look for a season of 20-25 HR.2008 Total: 20 HR. I love Han Ram, but who knew?Victor MartinezPrediction: Expect about 20.2008 Total: 0 HR. Ugh!Jason GiambiPrediction: I don’t like his chances for 20 HR.2008 Total: 17 HR. Come on 2nd half slump.Justin UptonPrediction: Expect about 12 this year.2008 Total: 9 HR. It seems to be a K or a HR, but he should still beat my mark.Evan LongoriaPrediction: 15-20 HR.2008 Total: 15 HR. All Hail Evan Almighty!Delmon YoungPrediction: Look for an upside of 20 HR.2008 Total: 2 HR. He’s got the skills, but something isn’t clicking

Major League Baseball Monthly Report

Written by Administrator
Each month, I’ll break down which of our pool players get the credit for their team leading the division and which players get the blame for their team being in the basement.AL EastFirst Place: Tamp Bay RaysCarlos Pena spent a lot of time sitting out and only has 1 HR, 5 RBI and 2 Runs to show for the whole month. That means that our pool player that gets the credit for keeping the Rays at the top is B.J. Upton. He has 6 HR, 41 RBI, 52 Runs and 23 SB.Last Place: Toronto Blue JaysVernon Wells came back early in June and hasn’t gotten back to his usual form yet, but Alex Rios hasn’t been there to pick up the slack either. Rios had just 1 HR and 7 RBI in June.AL CentralFirst Place: Chicago White SoxLast week in this very spot, I called out Nick Swisher, Paul Konerko, Jim Thome and Joe Crede for their lack of production. They responded in June. Konerko went on the DL, but the other 3 combined for 19 HR and 55 RBI, while raising their averages.Last Place: Cleveland IndiansGrady Sizemore and Ryan Garko combined for 10 HR and 35 RBI in June, but Travis Hafner missed the entire month.AL WestFirst Place: Los Angeles AngelsVladimir Guerrero put up 6 HR and 16 RBI last month, while Torii Hunter and Gary Matthews Jr only combined for 3 HR and 16 RBI.Last Place: Seattle MarinersRiche Sexson in June: 22 games, 6 runs, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 21 K. You have a guy that is 6-8, 240lbs and he has 1 extra base hit all month! He failed to record an RBI in 20 of 22 games! I’m getting an idea of why the Mariners are the worst team in baseball.NL EastFirst Place: Philadelphia PhilliesChase Utley and Pat Burrell have taken turns carrying the team. Ryan Howard handled that task in June. He hit 5 HR and knocked in 26 runs. Last Place: Washington NationalsRyan Zimmerman hasn’t played since the last time I wrote this column. The Nationals are going nowhere fast.NL CentralFirst Place: Chicago CubsSoriano is hurt, then he’s not, now he is… Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee have remained solid, but Kosuke Fukudome has picked up the slack for Soriano. He had 3 HR, 13 RBI and 19 Runs for the month of June.Last Place: Pittsburgh PiratesAdam LaRoche and Jason Bay haven’t set the world on fire, but they’ve been solid. The Pirates simply have no pitching.NL WestFirst Place: Arizona DiamondbacksJustin Upton in June: 23 games, 7 runs, 8 hits, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 25 K, while he fell from a .275 to a .236 average. Chris Young has been slightly better. They deserve no credit for the Arizona’s success and hardly deserve a spot on the club right now. Last Place: Colorado RockiesThe big 3 have returned from the DL and Hawpe and Holliday have been playing very well. Look for the Rockies to climb out of the cellar.

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Bombs Bursting in Air!

Bombs Bursting in Air


Most people should be able to tell you that Francis Scott Key is responsible for the National Anthem that we hear before each baseball game, but not many know the journey of the song.

Francis Scott Key was actually a poet who wrote a poem called “Defence of Fort McHenry” after witnessing Royal Navy ships attack Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. After being circulated, renamed and set to the tune of a British drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven”, Francis Scott Key’s poem became “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Although the debut of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in baseball typically gets linked to its rendition during the 7th inning stretch of the 1918 World Series, some historians will tell you that it was played as far back as 1897.

No matter what year the tradition began, it will certainly be heard at every ballpark this 4th of July, as a full slate of games entertains us while we celebrate our freedom.

Let’s take a look at some of the day’s key matchups…


Mets @ Phillies
Besides the possibility of fireworks in the hitter friendly park, it’s Johan Santana vs. Cole Hamels in a heavyweight pitching battle.

Athletics @ White Sox
Nick Swisher welcomes his ex-teammates to The Cell. You can also tune in to see if Jack Cust has 4 strikeouts or if he hits one into the parking lot. He reminds me a lot of Joaquin Phoenix’s character in Signs. “Felt wrong not to swing.”

Nationals @ Reds
Ok, so the matchup doesn’t look very exciting, but I had to include the Washington Nationals playing in The Great American Ballpark on the 4th of July!

Cubs @ Cardinals
Another installment of this classic rivalry. The Cubs will send Carlos Zambrano to the mound, while the Cardinals trot out undefeated Mitchell Boggs.

Red Sox @ Yankees
Enough said.



The pool players that are most likely to send bombs bursting into the air are…

Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder vs. Tom Gorzelanny and his 6.18 ERA

Nick Swisher at home vs. ex-teammate Joe Blanton and his 4.97 ERA

Alex Rodriguez because it’s a big game and that’s when the stars come out

Hanley Ramirez at Coors Field vs. Greg Reynolds and his 5.75 ERA

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard because they are too powerful for Citizens Bank Park

Written By: The Baseball Consigliere
Website: www.letsgodeep.com

Top 10 Overvalued Players

#10 Santonio Holmes: Holmes had a very good season in 2007 finishing the year as the 24th best WR in PPR scoring while playing in only 13 games. However, historically wide receivers that have such an improvement in their second NFL season tend to disappoint in their third season. Holmes went from 143 fantasy points in his rookie season to 239 fantasy points per 16 games in his second season, a 67% improvement. 17 WRs had between 200 and 280 pts in their second year and improved by at least 20% over their rookie year's point per 16 games numbers. Their average decrease in their 3rd year is 10% and only six improved. The concern is that six of them had a decrease of more than 20% which is what makes Holmes a high risk player. Ward will be fully healthy this season and the Steelers also added Limas Sweed, the tall wide receiver that Roethlisberger wanted. Holmes will likely put up similar receptions and yards numbers per game as he did last season but he is very unlikely to have 8 touchdowns in 13 games like he did last year.

#9 Matt Hasselbeck: It is quite abnormal for a quarterback to have career high numbers like Hasselbeck did at 32 years old and those numbers should decrease in 2008. There are 13 quarterbacks who improved their performance over their two previous seasons by at least 10% between the ages of 30 and 34 years old and attempted at least 400 passes in the next season. Their average decrease in fantasy points was 13% in the next season. Hasselbeck was not any better last season than he was in his three previous seasons but he had more fantasy points because he attempted a lot more passes. This season the addition of Mike Wahle means the Seahawks will run more often in goal line situations and the much weaker group of wide receivers should also hurt Hasselbeck’s numbers. His average draft position is currently seventh and many have him ranked in the top five, much too early for him in our opinion.

#8 Michael Turner: Michael Turner was one of the biggest free agent signings in 2008 and like many others, it is difficult to project how he will perform this season. Turner is currently being drafted somewhere between 18 and 21 in most drafts but in our opinion there are simply too many question marks for him to be ranked that high. Besides the obvious concern that he has never carried the ball more than 80 times in a season, there is the concern that he will be part of a running back by committee this season. The Falcons did sign Turner to a 34.5 million deal but they also have Jerious Norwood who has averaged 6.2 yards per carry in his first two NFL seasons. The Falcons only ran the ball 354 times last season and even if that number increases to 375 or 400, Norwood will have at least 125 or 150 of those which leaves Turner with about 250 carries. Furthermore, the Falcons have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. The only addition to the line in the off-season was first round pick Sam Baker and he is considered a much better pass protector than a run blocker. Overall, Turner has never been a starter in the NFL, he is on a bad offense that will be using a running back by committee and is on a team that did not do much to improve its offensive line in the off-season; he is simply not worth a top 20 pick at running back.

#7 Chris Cooley: Cooley has been a perfect example of consistency at the tight end position with at least six touchdowns in each of his first four NFL seasons and between 700 and 800 yards in his last three. We are going out on a limb by having him in our top ten of overvalued players after he has shown excellent consistency but we are concerned about new Head Coach Jim Zorn’s plans. The Redskins had needs on defence and on the offensive line but yet used their first three picks in the draft to select two wide receivers and a tight end. As much as Zorn says that Cooley will still be a factor this season, he will not match last season’s numbers with three new receiving targets for Campbell to throw the ball to.

#6 Ben Roethlisberger: Roethlisberger is the second Steelers player in our top ten and like Holmes it is a concern about touchdowns. Last season the Steelers had 34 passing and only 9 rushing touchdowns. Since 2002, 12 teams had at least 25 passing touchdowns in a season with at least 70% of their offensive touchdowns being passing touchdowns. The average decrease in percentage of passing touchdowns was 13% which would mean only 69% of the Steelers touchdowns should be through the air in 2007. If we assume that the Steelers once again have 43 offensive touchdowns it would mean Roethlisberger would have only 29 passing touchdowns, down from last season’s 33. If you also consider that the Steelers lost one of the best guards in the NFL in Alan Faneca and that they had the easiest schedule for quarterbacks last season, it makes Roethlisberger a risky pick and an overvalued player

#5 Steven Jackson: The Rams offense had to deal with injuries all of last season and it was the main reason for the team’s struggles. The line will be improved this year with everyone healthy and the addition of Jacob Bell at left guard but even with all that, Jackson should not be drafted fourth overall this season. As good as Jackson was in 2006, he was barely a top ten running back in 2005 and was only 15th last season. Jackson is a very talented back and he will get close to 300 carries and above 4.0 yards per carry once again but he is on a bad offense and will not get the touchdown numbers to be worth a top five pick. We have Jackson as the fifth best running back in our projections but he is a high risk player and as we have said many times, you are looking for a safe option with your first round pick and Jackson is far from being one.

#4 Larry Johnson: Similar to Jackson, Larry Johnson is a talented player who was once on a very good offense but is now on a bad one. The Chiefs offensive line is a big question mark with three starters who have never played an NFL game. The line should be better than last season but none of the new starters are particularly good run blockers so it will not help Johnson as much as many think it will. Johnson will still get a lot of touches but there are injury concerns and there is no way that he will come close to his touchdown numbers from 2004 and 2005 with the current offense. Johnson is another player who is being drafted too high because of his past and many fantasy football players fail to look at the current situation in Kansas City to realize that no one could be a top ten or even top fifteen running back with that offense.

#3 Carson Palmer: Many will be surprised to see Palmer at number three on our list but the Cincinnati offense is not what it was two or three years ago. Palmer was the ninth best quarterback last season and twelfth in fantasy points per game but is still being drafted at number five this season. There is no reason to believe that Palmer will be a top five quarterback this season with Chad Johnson and Levi Jones unhappy and requesting a trade. Even the best case scenario that both play for the Bengals this season, it is quite unlikely that they will perform as well as they did in the past. It simply does not make sense that people are expecting Palmer to be better than last season even though the offense did not improve in the off-season and two of the most important players on this offense are unhappy.

#2 Braylon Edwards: Edwards is very talented but last season was his first good one and he now has a lot of expectations to live up to. Many players like Isaac Bruce, Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Irvin, Muhsin Muhammad, Steve Smith and Torry Holt had a decrease in performance after their first good season in the NFL. No matter which way we look at it, the average decrease for wide receivers similar to Edwards is about 15%. It is very easy to explain why this could very well happen to Edwards as well and it is because of his touchdown heavy production last season. Of the 24 wide receivers that had over 13 touchdowns in a season and played at least 14 games in the following season, only 12 had over 10 touchdowns the following year. Their average decrease in touchdowns was 42% which would mean Edwards would have about nine or ten this year; a drop like that would make Edwards about the tenth best receiver this season.

#1 Frank Gore: Gore is the third running back in our top ten who disappointed last season and that everyone expects to bounce back to the level he was at previously even though there are no signs that he will. Gore was the ninth best running back in points per 16 games last season but is being drafted as the sixth best this season. This could make sense for certain running backs but it does not for Gore in part because the 49ers offensive line will be worse in run blocking with the loss of Justin Smiley and Larry Allen. Furthermore, Mike Martz offenses in the NFL have averaged 60 to 70 carries less than they did the season before and after he arrived, not very promising for Gore. He had an exceptional season in 2006 and although he is very talented, question marks on the offensive line and with the Mike Martz offense make Frank Gore the most overvalued fantasy player in our opinion for the 2008 season.

X Factor? No, it's more like Catch Factor!

Catch Factor
In 2007, only 2 catchers hit 20 or more homeruns.
Jorge Posada has been injured and only has 3 HR, while Victor Martinez currently sits on the DL and has yet to go deep.
So how has the 2008 class of catchers improved?
There are 5 catchers that are likely to hit 20 or more homeruns, 4 guys that are on pace for 80+ RBI and 16 players batting .280 or better.
We have all seen a dominant pitcher get hot and virtually carrying a team into the postseason and even to a World Series title, but the other half of the battery may be even more important to a team’s success.
Let’s take a closer look at the top catchers (min. 200 AB) as we near the All-Star Break…
Brian McCann (Atlanta Braves)
McCann is turning in a wonderful season thus far. He’s batting .299 with 14 homeruns, tops among catchers. His 35 runs is ranks 4th and his 45 RBI put him 3rd. The Braves have disappointing with a 40-43 record, but sit just 4.5 games back in the division race.
Joe Mauer (Minnesota Twins)
Mauer is batting a remarkable .322 and shows discipline at the plate evidenced by his 41 walks. He has just 3 homeruns on the year, but power has never been his game. He has contributed 32 RBI and leads all catchers with 48 runs scored. Mauer and the Twins have won 10 of the last 11 games and have closed to within 1 game of the White Sox for first in the Central.
Russell Martin (LA Dodgers)
Martin is a big reason that the Dodgers are just 2 games out of first place in the division. He’s been called upon to pick up the slack for the injured Andruw Jones and that’s exactly what he’s done. Martin has been solid all around with a .310 batting average, 8 HR, 37 RBI, 41 runs, 7 stolen bases and 44 walks.
Geovany Soto (Chicago Cubs)
Soto ranks 2nd among catchers in HR and RBI, with 13 HR and 47 RBI. He’s batting .280 with 27 runs and 37 walks. Soto has helped the Cubs to a 49-32 record. Those 49 wins are 2nd only to the Boston Red Sox.
Bengie Molina (San Francisco Giants)
Molina has been one of the lone bright spots for a Giants team that was picked to finish dead last after the loss of Barry Bonds. Molina is batting .308 with 6 HR and 25 runs scored. He has 48 RBI, which leads all catchers. The Giants don’t have the best-looking record but they are in 3rd place and 5.5 games isn’t too much to overcome.

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