We are officially one month into the fantasy baseball season and many owners are left scratching their heads and wondering what went wrong, something I took a look at yesterday with my All-April bust team.
However for every bust you may have drafted in the first month, there are plenty of other guys performing like rock stars.
Apr 23, 2014; New York, NY, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (4) reacts on second base after hitting a double against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Fantasy baseball is a marathon, not a sprint, but it is very encouraging if you have some of the following guys on your teams.
With that being said, let’s take a look at a bunch of guys who are off to fantastic April starts.
With that being said, let’s look at fantasy baseball’s biggest stars after the first month of the season as I unveil my All-April MVP team.
C- Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals, .350/.377/.540, 4 HR, 15 RBI
Molina just keeps getting it done and looks more impressive by the year doing so.
He has hit safely in 18 of his last 19 games and leads all MLB catchers with a .350 batting average. In addition he ranks in the top five among backstops in OBP, SLG and OPS.
They don’t make them much better than Molina.
1B- Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox, .270/.336/.617, 10 HR, 32 RBI
With all due respect to the season Albert Pujols is having, Abreu is an easy choice here.
The rookie leads all of baseball in homers and RBI and his .617 slugging percentage ranks him among the top four in the game through his first 26 games (103 at-bats).
Abreu’s start has been insane and something I think can continue as I currently have him as my top ranked 1B in the game.
2B- Dee Gordon, Los Angeles Dodgers, .317/.352/.436, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 15 SB
Apr 13, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Dee Gordon against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
With all apologies to Chase Utley, it is hard not to give the spot to Gordon.
While many were salivating over grabbing a guy like Billy Hamilton early on in drafts for steals, I swooped up Gordon very late in a couple of drafts.
All the talk coming into the season centered around Alex Guerrero, but Gordon not only held him off in spring training but has done his best to keep Guerrero in the minors for a while.
Who knows if Gordon’s hot start can continue, but an MLB leading 15 steals in April sure looks nice.
3B- Josh Donaldson, Oakland A’s, .279/.338/.533, 7 HR, 23 RBI
I actually had Donaldson ticketed for a regression coming into the season and stayed away from him in most drafts. Looking at his numbers, he is making me pay.
Donaldson leads all MLB third basemen in homers and RBI and has posted the second best OPS among the bunch.
No regression in sight for this Oakland slugger.
SS- Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies, .370/.478/.728, 7 HR, 22 RBI
Perhaps the fantasy MVP at this point in the season, Tulo is off to an insane start to the season.
He leads all MLB players in AVG, OBP and SLG, leading to an incredible 1.207 OPS during the month of April.
Tulo also is near the top of all MLB players in homers and RBI.
If he can just stay healthy for an entire season, this could be a special season.
OF- Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies, .369/.412/.602, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 7 SB
Apr 30, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Talk about a player earning far more than his draft value, Blackmon has out earned his draft position more than any other player in the game.
His numbers are outstanding and is one of only six MLB players that can boast a 1.000 OPS or better at this point.
While he is a guy that is likely to experience a regression the rest of the season, you can’t ignore Blackmon’s spectacular start.
OF- Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins, .268/.339/.554, 8 HR, 32 RBI
Stanton’s been in a bit of a slump as of late and isn’t hitting for average, but is mashing the ball when he hits it.
The power numbers are there and if he keeps driving runs in at this rate and stays healthy, Mr. Stanton is in for a big year.
OF- Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels, .321/.403/.596, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 4 SB
Trout, the likely No. 1 pick in your draft has rewarded owners with value worthy of a first-round pick.
The RBI and SB’s are down a bit, but Trout is currently ranked in the top 10 among all MLB outfielders in every major offensive category.
You have to think going forward that all the numbers will continue to increase.
P- Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins, 4-1, 1.59 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 55 K
Apr 16, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez (16) throws against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Lights out.
That about sums up Fernandez on the hill.
He leads all MLB pitchers in strike outs and is among the league leaders in wins.
You can make a case that Fernandez is the most dominant pitcher in the game right now.
P- Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals, 5-1, 1.20 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 42 K
While many people were content using a first-round pick on Clayton Kershaw, I was busy smiling when Wainwright fell to me in every draft I was in.
He’s as solid as they come and leads the majors in wins, along with outstanding numbers across the board.
You know what you are going to get with a guy like Wainwright and usually it is something very good.
P- Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds, 2-2, 1.15 ERA, 0.76 ERA, 50 K
Only two wins on the season but Cueto otherwise has been nothing short of outstanding.
His ERA is tops in the league and is allowing only 4.2 hits per nine innings. That’s nothing short of insane.
Of all the pitchers I have seen close up this season, Cueto is the one that has looked absolutely unhittable.
P- Tim Hudson, San Francisco Giants, 4-1, 2.17 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 31 K
You have to hand it to the veteran Hudson. The guy just keeps getting the job done.
Hudson is now 4-1 through his first six starts, and he lowered his ERA for the second start in a row, to 2.17. He will try to keep the good times rolling in his next outing, Tuesday in Pittsburgh, which is a good bet against the Pirates struggling offense.
P- Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-0, 2.04 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 46 K
Kershaw gets all the press, but Greinke has produced Kershaw-esque results so far this season.
Greinke (5-0) continued his remarkable run of great pitching, with his last start of more than two earned runs coming all the way back on July 25 last season.
Including playoffs, the streak now spans 21 games. He owns a 2.04 ERA and 46:6 K: BB ratio in 35.1 innings over six starts this season and has been as good as any pitcher in the game.