Welcome to the first of our bi-weekly email newsletters that we will publish all season.  Each issue will discuss the players of interest over the past 2 weeks and any developments that will affect the near future in the baseball world.

As some of you are aware there were some problems with our stats update function which affected our RotoRankings feature as well as our Hot and Cold lists.  These issues have been resolved and the stats should be updating normally.  Please let us know if you see any incorrect stat totals on a player.

Catchers

Damian Miller, MIL – Miller has never posted an OPS of even .790 but he has started the season with a 1.043 OPS. You can be sure he will cool off very soon.  If you happen to have Miller pray that you can find another team that is desperate for some production from the catcher spot and make a deal.  You can bet that Miller will be subpar for most of the remaining season.

Greg Zaun, TOR – Zaun is hitting .300 so far but the most impressive thing is the 10 RBI he has already.  Last year he batted in a run once every 9.39 at bats.  So far this season he is knocking in a run once every 3 at bats.  He is responsible for driving in over 17% of the Blue Jays runs so far, a rate that cannot possibly continue.  Here is another catcher who is hitting way over his head right now.

First Basemen

Dmitri Young, DET – Yes he did hit all three of his homeruns in the first game of the season, but he has driven in a run in each of his last 4 games.  He cannot continue at his current pace but we do like him to post a .850 - .900 OPS this season.  Hold onto him unless you get a really sweet offer.

Second Basemen

Brian Roberts, BAL – Amazingly Brian Roberts is the top rated hitter in all of baseball at the moment.  While you could expect the 4 stolen bases, the 4 homeruns are definitely an unexpected treat.  Look for this power to disappear as he moves his G/F ratio back over 1.0.  While the homeruns are nice, a leadoff hitter can’t be hitting with a G/F ratio of .5 as it currently stands.

Jorge Cantu, TB – At the start of spring training he was not even expected to be a starter, but Roberto Alomar’s retirement changed all that.  Cantu had a very strong winter league, giving a hint to the power he might show in the majors.  So far he has 3 homeruns, but he is unlikely to maintain anywhere near this pace.  Look for some of those HR strokes to end up doubles instead.  He will likely continue to be a solid producer at this weak position so go ahead and hang on to him.

Third Basemen

Eric Hinske, TOR – Hinske is at a pivotal point in his career.  After posting ROY numbers in 2002, he suffered a wrist injury that drained his power and his confidence.  He looks to be fully healthy and eager to prove he belongs in the starting lineup.  He has 3 HR, 13 RBI and a .353 average in the early going.  While he obviously cannot maintain this pace, he could be a bounce back player of the year candidate.  If you want to trade for him do it soon before his current owner starts to believe.

Joe Randa, CIN – Before we get carried away with the Randa for MVP chants lets get a little perspective.  Of course the homerun pace is a joke but it is understandable how it happened.  Two homeruns were hit at Cincinnati and one was hit at Houston, both heavily favored hitters parks.  The encouraging thing is that Randa also has 3 doubles, a sign that he is driving the ball well in general.  He will not continue the .5 G/F ratio but he could continue hitting for a high average and a large amount of doubles.

Shortstops

Julio Lugo, TB –

Omar Vizquel, SF -  Ok, raise your hand if you predicted Julio Lugo and Omar Vizquel would be the first hitters to reach 5 stolen bases.  Both of these players intend to continue running as both their teams need to rely on putting the game in motion to score.  If you need some steals either of these players could probably be had cheaply.

Outfielders

Pat Burrell, PHI – Pat the Bat is back and healthy and driving in runs by the truckload.  Many people have given up on Burrell becoming a top fantasy OF, but he is at the magic age of 28 and healthy.  He could be returning to his 2002 level with a .900+ OPS.

Xavier Nady, SD – The Padres have been looking for a way to get Nady’s bat into the lineup for a year and now they got their chance.  Nady has been more than impressive while filling in for Dave Roberts.  Nearly half his hits have been for extra bases.  If he can continue knocking the cover off the ball he could find himself starting at 3B when Roberts comes off the DL.

Brady Clark, MIL – Clark is off to a great start as the team’s new leadoff hitter.  He has managed a .450 OBP which has led to 10 runs scored and 2 stolen bases.  The steal opportunities could dry up if his success rate does not improve.  He is currently only at 50% and he may not get a lot better.