Fantasy Baseball Beast or Bust:

A Loney Brown Eyed Slugger (Week 10)

 

By Muntradamus

 

BEAST DOME NATION.

To get ready for upcoming Fantasy Football season, let us indulge in one of the most popular Monday Morning articles BEAST DOME has to offer.  This is all in preparation for the FEED THE BEAST marathon that is coming to fuel BEAST DOME to bring home your championships.

 

HITTER

DOMINIC BROWN – OF – PHI

Last 7 Games: .444 Average/7 HR/13 RBI/2 SB

What is there not to like about Dominic Brown.  He is a power hitting left handed hitter that is crushing the ball like he is Barry Bonds.

The first question you have to ask is.  Will this last?

The answer is obviously no.  Every player goes through hot streaks, and even though Dom Brown was a Top 10 in my OF player rating system heading into this week, he is still nothing more than a VERY HOT hitter.  Dom is currently at 16 HRs.  Which already broke his career high of 5 in 2011 and 2012.

If Brown can end up with 30 HRs, call this an amazing season.  While 30 is possible, I would aim for 25 HRs as a more realistic number.  Brown has been consistent all season long, but the better a hitter gets, the better the scouting report gets on that hitter.  While Brown has talent, teams will figure out how to pitch to him.

VERDICT:  I would trade him for Josh Hamilton or Mark Trumbo straight-up while you still can.  He is not quite a BEAST. Maybe in 2014, now is the time to get a proven BEAST.

JAMES LONEY – 1B – TB

Last 8 Games: .241 Average/4 HR/8 RBI 

7 HRs through the first two months of the season!

Dodger Fans are screaming and shouting asking where this power was his entire career.  While it is nice to see the current version of Mark Grace flash a nice week+ of power, we all know this is just a phase.  If James Loney is on your waiver wire, and you are tempted to grab his bat.  Go for it.  But I promise he will end up back on the waiver wire by the end of June.

Verdict: BUST.  If James Loney breaks 20 HRs in a season I think we would all be speechless.  He has a good contact rate, but a power rate that leaves you very dry at 1B.  Do not expect this to keep going much longer, if another week.

RYAN DOUMIT – C/OF – MIN

Last 7 Games: .267 Average/3 HR/11 RBI

It took a while, but Ryan Doumit has finally found his stroke.

Doumit is one of my favorite most underrated catchers in the game.  Always a player that has shown 20+ HR potential, Doumit finally got the full-time PT he deserved in 2012.  In a season where Joe Mauer failed to hit more than 10 HRs.  Doumit was able to smash 18 bombs in 2012.

This season Doumit has started the season slower than David Ortiz stealing a base, which has happened twice already.  Now with Doumit getting game winning hits and flashing his power nearly every game last week.  It is time to go all-in on Doumit and trust him to be more than a good enough #2 Catcher with #1 potential.

VERDICT: Doumit is not a BEAST.  He is not a BUST either.  Doumit has 20+ HR potential and now is a good time to grab him off the waiver wire or put together a trade where Doumit is not the center piece, but he is thrown in to sweeten the pot.

PITCHER

 

JARROD PARKER – SP – OAK

Last 4 Starts: 1.99 ERA/21 Ks in 27.1 INN

Parker was nothing more than Horrible to start out 2013.

No matter who Parker faced, he was getting clobbered left and right.  Finally on May 17th Parker faced a Royals team that has had trouble hitting just about all season.  Parker was able to notch a 7 INN/1 ER/5 K performance, and it has been downhill from there.  While that season high 4.90 ERA still lurks, look for that to drop to 3.70 by the time the All-Star Break hits.  Jarrod Parker has great stuff and last season was easily a candidate for Rookie of the year before falling apart in August where his ERA went from 2.46 in July to 3.47 End of Year.

VERDICT: BEAST. Jarrod Parker is a great pitcher and finally he found his stride.  The A’s offense can score runs like a top tier offense, Parker should benefit from that in the Win Category.

Muntradamus is a Fantasy Sports Expert who specializes in Fantasy Football/Baseball/Basketball. He is currently in his second season as a Pro on FantasyPros coming off of an impressive Rookie Campaign where he landed the #8 Overall In-Season Fantasy Football Rankings Expert.  Which also included #1 WR of all Expert Sites.  He is also one of two people to qualify for all DRAFTSTREET CHAMPIONSHIPS (MLB/NFL/NBA) in 2012. Most Historically, Muntradamus was the #1 Fantasy Football Expert of IDP & Overall Rankings in One Week, first and only time in Fantasy Sports History.