Designated Hitters Outlook

August 24, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Richard Garcia and Nicholas Minnix
Edited by Ryan Dodson

DESIGNATED HITTERS

Table: Do not bench list

Player	Team
Gary Sheffield	DET
David Ortiz	BOS
Travis Hafner	CLE
Jim Thome	CHW

UPPER ECHELON

Frank Thomas, Toronto Blue Jays

Schedule: 6 Games - @OAK (3), @SEA (3)

Analysis: Thomas is in the midst of his most productive month of the season. He is batting .310 with five home runs, seven doubles and 22 RBI in August. The difference for Thomas this month is that he has been consistent. This season has shown that consistency is a rare thing for Thomas. Thomas struggles on the road, hitting .255 with only six home runs. He has fared well against the Oakland Athletics while struggling against the Seattle Mariners. Thomas is 5-for-16 (.313) against the Athletics and 4-for-20 against the Mariners with one home run. If you have a better option to platoon with Thomas, that might be your play. He struggles against righties (.239, 14 home runs in 318 at-bats) but has raked against lefties (.333, seven homers in 93 at-bats).

Mike Piazza, Oakland Athletics

Schedule: 6 Games - TOR (3), DET (3)

Analysis: It's safe to say that Piazza has not delivered much for his fans in Oakland this season. Injuries have plagued the best hitting catcher of all time. He has just a .266 average with four home runs and only 28 RBI. The four home runs are his lowest career total since he broke in with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1992, hitting one home run in 21 games. Piazza has been getting his most at-bats since April and is batting .197 in August to show for it. Despite getting the majority of playing time as the club's DH over Jack Cust, he remains a poor fantasy option. Tommy Lasorda isn't his manager anymore and fantasy owners need to let him go.

Jason Giambi, New York Yankees

Schedule: 7 Games - @DET (1), BOS (3), TB (3)

Analysis: Of the three upper-echelon designated hitters, Giambi has the most potential to turn it up a notch. Injuries have had a substantial effect on his season, along with George Mitchell, who is investigating steroid use in Major League Baseball. Giambi is hitting .273 with four home runs since being recalled from the DL Aug. 8 after missing two months with plantar fasciitis. If, and it's a big if, Giambi can stay healthy, he should have a productive week at Yankee Stadium. Giambi has been solid against the rival Boston Red Sox, going 10-for-29 (.345) with a home run and six RBI. He has had similar success against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, going 5-for-16 (.313) with four RBI.

MIDRANGE

Garret Anderson, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Schedule: 6 Games - @SEA (3), TEX (3)

Analysis: If it weren't for Anderson driving in an Angels' record 10 RBI Tuesday, Aug. 21, against the Yankees, there wouldn't be anything else to talk about. The 35-year-old has struggled with injuries, and with that, is putting up career lows. His .305 OBP is due to his lack of walks. Anderson has walked only four times in 84 at-bats through August, while his strikeout-to-walk ratio is over 3-to-1 for the season. In 27 at-bats against the Seattle Mariners Anderson is hitting .222, while going 10-for-35 (.286) versus the Texas Rangers. Anderson is currently getting chances in the middle of the order, but we don't believe he will hold on to that role for long. He's at best a platoon play.

Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals

Schedule: 7 Games - DET (3), @MIN (4)

Analysis: Butler has all but solidified a roster spot for next season. Butler should continue to play more games at first base, too. He didn't seem to have a chance with the club prior to July, totaling only 60 at-bats. Since then he has recorded 158 at-bats, including four home runs and 34 RBI, and hasn't looked back. Butler is a solid option this week, getting the majority of his at-bats in the middle of the lineup. He is 10-for-25 (.400) with six RBI against the Detroit Tiger this season; he is hitting .323 on the road.

OTHERS FOR CONSIDERATION

Jonny Gomes, Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Schedule: 7 Games - @CHW (1), @BAL (3), @NYY (3)

Analysis: Gomes has returned to fantasy relevance since a call-up in late June. He's not always relevant, though. This week he could be, though, because he has batted roughly 100 points higher on the road (.297) with six home runs and 24 of his 34 RBI. Gomes also excels in matchups against left-handers (.329, four home runs in 79 at-bats), so against righties, particularly hard-throwing ones, he's a huge risk. He has one hit in 16 at-bats against the Baltimore Orioles this year, but he has answered the bell against the Yanks, against whom he is 9-for-30. Fantasy owners could consider platooning him this week, but remember that he has only put up hits in spots recently.

Jack Cust, Oakland Athletics

Schedule: 6 Games - TOR (3), DET (3)

Analysis: Cust went on a slight tear in early August, so his numbers for this month (.333, four home runs, 15 RBI) seem inflated. All week he's at home, though, where he has batted .306 with 12 of his 21 homers this season. He has also batted .285 with 15 home runs in 193 at-bats against right-handers. Toronto's staff is on the rise: They now reside in the top five in the AL in ERA. The Detroit Tigers' staff ERA has plummeted since early this season; they're now in the bottom third of the league. Cust is only a spot play at best, but he's playing more thanks to injuries in the outfield. You know he's always swinging for the fences, so if you need an instant boost in power, you could do worse.

Jason Kubel, Minnesota Twins

Schedule: 7 Games - @CLE (3), KC (4)

Analysis: Kubel's overall numbers (.255, nine homers, 45 RBI) don't dazzle at all, but he is hitting .375 in August. Unfortunately, it's in only 32 at-bats. He doesn't play often enough to have much of a fantasy impact, so don't bother.

Jason Botts, Texas Rangers

Schedule: 6 Games - CHW (3), @LAA (3)

Analysis: Since his call-up at the beginning of the month, Botts has rarely impressed. In the record-setting win against the Baltimore Orioles (Texas won 30-3), he collected three hits in seven at-bats and drove in two. A breakout performance? It's possible, but he went 0-for-3 in the nightcap of that doubleheader, and he has struck out 13 times in his last 24 at-bats. The .224 average with one homer is an indication that the Rangers and fantasy owners will have to wait a little longer for the 27-year-old to demonstrate his worth.

Jose Vidro, Seattle Mariners

Schedule: 7 Games - LAA (3), @CLE (1), @TOR (3)

Analysis: Vidro is hitting .320 this season, but it has come with a boring 49 RBI. The 63 runs scored are acceptable, and he's batting .403 with a homer and 14 RBI in August 62 at-bats. He has hit well against all three of this week's opponents. He's a bit better at home (.326, 26 RBI) than on the road (.313, 23 RBI), too, but it's negligible. He's probably eligible at second base in your league, which could make him worth consideration, but you have to know when he's going to play. Vidro is not worth a look for weekly lineup folks, and the daily lineup people have to watch their lineups closely to even be able to take advantage. It's probably not worth the headache.

KEY PLAYERS ON DL

Mike Sweeney, Kansas City Royals - Out until late August

KFFLians are saying....

Comment

 

---

What do you think? We want to hear from you!

Name: E-mail: Please, enter the number that you see

Comment Guidelines

Richard Garcia
Garcia served as a managing editor for KFFL. Prior to his time with KFFL, Richard worked in managerial roles with both Frito-Lay Inc. and UPS. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in public relations from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona and fulfilled his internship requirements with the Los Angeles Kings Hockey organization in 2001.

Nicholas Minnix

KFFL's baseball editor plays in LABR and Tout Wars and won the FSWA Baseball Industry Insiders League in 2010.

The University of Delaware alum is a regular guest on Sirius/XM Fantasy Sports Radio and Baltimore's WNST AM 1570. Follow him on Twitter.

Talk Sports 24/7!
KFFL Sports Forums: Over 24,000 strong and growing!

Fantasy Baseball: Hitters Outlook - Japan (03/21)
Fantasy Baseball: Pitchers Outlook - Japan (03/21)
Catchers Outlook (09/20)
First Basemen Outlook (09/20)
Second Basemen Outlook (09/20)
Third Basemen Outlook (09/20)
Shortstops Outlook (09/20)
Outfielders Outlook (09/20)
Designated Hitters Outlook (09/20)
Starting Pitchers Outlook (09/20)