Around the Diamond

First Half Fantasy All Stars

by Howard Bender

     Since last week was all about venting frustration and calling out guys who have been nothing short of a disappointment, I thought it only fair to take this opportunity to give praise to those that have made us look like geniuses for drafting them.  But rather than just go with the guys who are at the tops of their respective positions, I also took into account things like pre-season rankings, average draft position and how far they've exceeded expectations.  It's real easy to call guys like Hanley Ramirez and Albert Pujols first half all stars, but those, to me, are the no brainers.  We dug a little deeper here, because, as you know, it's not so much who your top picks are, but how good your middle to late round picks turned out.  I've selected one from each league to make sure I've covered them all.  Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the 2009 First Half Fantasy Baseball All Stars!

Catcher

AL:  Brandon Inge, DET -- He may not play behind the dish too much anymore, but he still qualifies and has been producing some top notch numbers.  Sure, his .264 average could be better, but it's hard to argue with 19 HR and 54 RBI from a backstop you probably grabbed somewhere around the 18th round.

NL:  Pablo Sandoval, SF -- The one they call "Kung Fu Panda" also doesn't play behind the dish much at all this year, but his 11 games last season gave him the eligibility.  What can I say about a guy who's hitting .327 with 13 HR and looks like he swallowed the Molina brothers?  Actually, you can check this out...

1st Base

AL:  Russell Branyan, SEA -- He didn't walk into this year qualifying at the position, but he grabbed a hold of it pretty quickly.  Undrafted in almost every league, Branyan was a huge waiver pickup for those that now own him.  His .287 average with 21 HR and 46 RBI to date have been huge and those that acted fast with him are certainly reaping the benefits.

NL:  Adrian Gonzalez, SD -- I will say, that after Pujols, the dropoff in talent/production is enormous.  But from day 1, Gonzalez owners look great for picking up the breakout slugger despite playing for a horrible team and in a canyon of a home park.  His 24 HR and 67 walks (13 intentional) are second only to Prince Albert's.

2nd Base

AL:  Aaron Hill, TOR -- For a year or so, there's been plenty of talk about a breakout season, but I don't think anyone was expecting this.  20 HR with 59 RBI and a .298 average are ridiculous for a guy who probably wasn't drafted until after the 15th or 16th round in most leagues.  Those that waited on the second base position and snatched him up late shoul dbe getting guru status for that move.

NL:  Freddy Sanchez, PIT -- It's tough to list a former batting title winner (2 time if I'm not mistaken?), but it's just amazing how far this guy slips in drafts every year.  This year, he's continuing the trend and leading all second sackers with a .316 average to date.  His 6 HR, 33 RBI and 5 SBs are a nice bonus too.

Shortstop

AL:  Jason Bartlett/Ben Zobrist, TB -- I just couldn't decide here so I'm going with a tie.  Bartlett lost some time with an injury, but is still hitting a whopping .356 with 8 HR and an impressive 18 SBs, while Zobrist, who's earned full time duties all over the place (qualifies at second and OF too) is hitting .289 with a surprising 17 HR, 50 RBI.  He's also chucked in 9 SB to boot!  If you have to choose, then just flip a coin and go with either.

NL:  Miguel Tejada, HOU -- Another former great who's still making waves in the twilight of his career.  Miggy's dropped out of the top 10 at his position these days, but is still impressing with his .330 average this year.  His HR total (7) may not be the most impressive, but with an average like that and no health concerns, he's contributing all over the place and has earned the spot here.

3rd Base

AL:  Scott Rolen, TOR -- Well now it's looking like the geriatric all stars, isn't it?  Another resurgent career as Rolen is the hot corner's version of a Timex watch.  After all this time, he's still hitting .330 and has been pretty durable all year.  He's got a half dozen HR and 33 RBI, but is also giving you 45 runs scored and even a few steals.  Sure there are bigger names out there, but for the price he probably cost you, there's none better.

NL:  Mark Reynolds, ARI -- From strikeout king and average killer to home run king and...well his K's are still too damn high and his .262 average could be a little better.  But his 24 HR lead all third sackers and there's no way he cost you a bundle on draft day.  As a matter of fact, he was barely a top 20 pick atr his position this year.

Outfield

AL:  This was a tough one to choose from as there are plenty of outfielders throwing their weight around this season.  But going by my criteria and leaving out the big names (and you know who they are), I'm going with Cleveland's Shin Soo Choo (.301-51-13-54-13), Toronto's Adam Lind (.307-50-19-58-1), and Baltimore's finest, Adam Jones (.308-55-12-47-6).  All three have been super impressive this year and I don't think any of them were taken before the 15th round in most drafts.  Top notch production at a bargain price is what it's all about!

NL:  Strangely enough, the NL was a little easier for me to pick.  On this side, I went with Phillies' masher Raul Ibanez (.312-51-22-59-4), Arizona's Justin Upton (.291-51-15-41-11), and Houston's Michael Bourn (.286-51-2-21-28).  There were a few that could get honorable mentions, but each of these guys found themselves being drafted in the middle to late rounds and overcame some serious stigmas on draft day.  People dogged Ibanez for his age, Upton was getting labeled a bust with his average in the crapper, and Bourn was dogged with taunts like "you can't steal first base!"  But if you were smart like me, you brushed off what the naysayers were yapping about and went with the fact that they were serious talents that could be had for cheap.  I think we all know who's laughing now.

Starting Pitcher

AL:  Edwin Jackson, DET -- There are definitely other pitchers out there that have a more impressive recrod than the 6-4 that Jackson is flashing right now, but with the way he's pitched this season, some blame can fall on the Tigers' bullpen.  Jackson has been incredible this season notching 93 Ks in 114 2/3 innings with a 2.59 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP.  Long forgotten by most, he has been a huge sleeper for those that remembered his name and had faith.

NL:  Matt Cain, SF -- With names like Haren, Lincecum, Webb, Santana and Billingsley floating around it was very easy for Cain to get lost in the mix.  His 2008 totals were pretty unimpressive with a horrible wins total (no run support and a crappy bullpen), a decent ERA but a 1.37 WHIP.  This year, it's a complete 180 for him.  Now finally getting the support of his teammates, Cain is headed to his first All Star Game with a 10-2 record, a 2.42 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP.  He's also notched 93 Ks in just over 115 innings and looks like he could throw like this all season long.

Relief Pitcher

AL:  David Aardsma, SEA -- He may not have had the job to himself the whole season, but he's certainly run away with it now.  The Seattle pen was a disaster coming into the year, but with Aardsma locking in, they're definitely solid now.  He's got 17 saves on the season for a horrible Mariners squad, has a 2.11 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP (a bit high for me), and a very impressive 48 Ks in just over 38 innings.  His 8 saves in June without giving up a single run was definitely an attention grabber.

NL:  Heath Bell, SD -- I always laugh at people who refuse to look at a closer if he's on a bad team.  Are people still really that blind?  Bell was given the daunting task of replacing one of the premier closers in baseball history on what was expected to be one of the worst teams this year.  Well, the stout righty had zero hesitation in taking over and has been virtually lights out all year.  He's notched 23 saves for the Padres with a 1.49 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP and 40 Ks in just over 36 innings.  He's going to his first All Star Game this year and will be one of the most sought after fantasy closers for a good number of years to come.

     So that's it folks!  Those are my First Half Fantasy All Stars.  I know you'd have like to heard things about your favorites, but again, success at fantasy baseball isn't about drafting all the big names.  No one can do that for their whole team.  Success is found in the later rounds where your sleepers and potential breakouts are all hiding.

     Good luck in the second half and I'll see you all in the money this year!

     For more fantasy baseball advice, insights, second half rankings and updates, check out what's going on over at Rotobuzz.com.

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Howard Bender is a freelance fantasy sports writer and champion in both rotisserie and head to head leagues.  For questions, thoughts and comments, you can email him at Howard.Rotobuzz@yahoo.com.