Roto Files was hoping LeBron James would retire from basketball, rather than go back to Cleveland, and give baseball a try, a la Michael Jordan.
It would have been a fun experiment, and another way to measure James’ legacy against Jordan — though, it probably wouldn’t have been hard for James (or anyone with average skill on the diamond) to best Jordan’s .202 minor league batting average with Double-A Birmingham in 1994, where he was far from an All-Star.
Speaking of All-Stars, the Midsummer Classic is Tuesday, which means it’s time to take a look at the best and worst fantasy players in the American League from the first half of the season:
MVP: Mike Trout (the first overall pick in pretty much every fantasy draft this year) is an obvious choice for MVP with his 21 homers, 68 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, .301 batting average and 1.003 OPS.
Roto Files, however, is going with Nelson Cruz. Heading into Friday night, the Orioles outfielder led the league in RBIs (74), was tied for the league lead in homers (28), tied for 14th in hits (101), and had a .291 batting average (he’s a career .270 hitter) and a .939 OPS.
Cruz has always been a solid fantasy contributor, but this is a new level. And because his average draft position (128.6) was so much lower than Trout’s and this was never expected, it makes him that much more valuable to owners.
LVP: At this time last year, Roto Files was tossing and turning whether to award the first-half MVP to Miguel Cabrera or Chris Davis, who had a breakout campaign in 2013 with 53 homers, 138 RBIs while hitting .286. Unfortunately for Davis’ owners, those who may have drafted him high or kept him, he hasn’t been as reliable this year with 14 homers, 45 RBIs, a .202 batting average, a .706 OPS and 100 strikeouts.
Best Pitcher: When it comes to fantasy pitchers, few are as reliable as Felix Hernandez, who is in the top three in every major pitching category.
His 10 wins, 2.11 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 145 strikeouts and .201 opponents batting average set him apart from everyone as the “King” of the mound.
Also in contention, Chris Sale (8-1, 2.08 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, .190 opponents batting average) and the Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka (12-4, 2.51 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 135 strikeouts), who is now, unfortunately, on the shelf with a partially torn UCL.
Son of a Pitch! Drafting Justin Verlander seemed like a no-brainer, right? Wrong! While he has managed to win eight games (he’s on a good team), he has a disastrous 4.84 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and just 93 strikeouts in a very inconsistent first half.
Top Rookie: While Tanaka had been impressive until his last four starts — 1-3, 4.25 ERA over that span — and subsequent injury, it is clear the top rookie is Jose Abreu.
Before Friday’s games, the Cuban was tied for the league lead in homers (28), tied for second in RBIs (70) and had a stellar .284 batting average and .961 OPS. Roto Files said Abreu “will be the next big Cuban import in 2014,” and he has proven his worth.
Biggest Surprise: While Roto Files told you not to be afraid to draft Cruz, no one could have predicted the MVP-caliber season he’s been having. He has put the PED thing behind him in a big, big way.
Big Relief: Dellin Betances has come out of nowhere to become a mainstay in fantasy owners’ RP spot with his 81 strikeouts (in just 53 ¹/₃ innings), 1.52 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and unreal .128 opponents batting average.
Little Relief: The A’s signed Jim Johnson to be their closer. Now he gets occasional mop-up duty, but really should be using a mop to clean the…nevermind.
Back to the Future: Roto Files touted Scott Kazmir as one of the best sleeper picks this season, and the veteran lefty has not disappointed. He has enjoyed his best season since 2008, going 11-3 with a 2.38 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 108 strikeouts.
Strike it Rich: Anyone can draft David Price, Yu Darvish or Felix Hernandez and expect 200-plus striekouts. But, were you one of the lucky ones to grab Corey Kluber (8-6, 2.86 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) and his 137 strikeouts in his first 19 starts? By the way, he struck out 136 in 26 appearances last year.
Adam Dunn: George Springer and Josh Donaldson have been great sources of power (19 homers each), but their batting averages (.237 for Springer, .238 for Donaldson) have not been as helpful. Other candidates: Brian Dozier (16 HR, .235) and Adam Dunn (13 HR, .226).
Bargain Bin: While Melky Cabrera (.301, 11 homers, 44 RBIs) has been great after receiving little attention at the draft, Detroit’s J.D. Martinez has been one of the best pickups of the season. In just 52 games, the former Astro is hitting .335 with 12 homers, 41 RBIs and a 1.02 OPS.
Need for Speed: Not only is Jose Altuve second the AL in batting average (.339), he is second in all of baseball in steals (41).
Fantasy Team Name of the Week: Separated at Werth.