Atomic RoadRunners | Andrew Flynn’s High-Energy Fantasy Baseball

The website Crooked Pitch asked their readers if There’s Room on Your Roster for Pablo Sandoval? Some excerpts:

It’s been 81 at-bats and almost four entire weeks since the Giants called up 22-year-old prospect Pablo Sandoval. In that span Sandoval has played nine games at catcher, 11 games at first base, and five games at third base. He’s also batted anywhere from third to seventh in the lineup, with most of his time spent in the five hole (29 at-bats) or the three slot (22 at-bats). His stat line so far is .358/.375/.519 with 14 runs scored, two home runs, and 14 RBI.

Sandoval made the jump from Double-A Connecticut to San Francisco after spending 44 games there and 68 games in Advanced Single-A San Jose. His combined 2008 minor league stat line in 448 at-bats is .350/.394/.578 with 20 home runs and 96 RBI. This switch hitting multi-position player is proving that he can hit at every level.

With enough games played to qualify at catcher and first base in just about every fantasy platform. And with enough third base games to qualify in a few others, it’s hard for me to see a fantasy team right now who couldn’t use the kind of numbers Sandoval is putting out.

• Over the last month Sandoval is the third ranked catcher behind Joe Mauer and Geovany Soto.
• He’s the 13th ranked third baseman over that same period of time.
• He’s the 19th ranked first baseman over the last month.
• If you compare him to the rest of the fantasy league over the last week he’s the top ranked catcher, the #3 third baseman, and the #5 first baseman.

John Sickels Minor League Ball chimes in with his “Thinking About Pablo Sandoval” post:

Pablo Sandoval was signed by the Giants out of Venezuela in 2002. He spent 2003 in the Dominican Summer League, then moved to the Arizona Rookie League in 2004 and hit .266/.287/.373 in 46 games. Not great offensive production. Indeed, at this point Sandoval’s defense was the thing that drew good reviews. I put him in the 2005 book and gave him a Grade C, noting the strong defensive reports but wondering about the bat.

Sandoval hit .330/.383/.425 for Salem-Keizer in the Northwest League in 2005. The Giants moved him to third base, where he showed a strong arm but needed a lot of polish charging balls and such. Scouts were impressed with the bat, and I liked his low strikeout rate (33 Ks in 294 at-bats), liking the bat enough that I gave him an aggressive B- in the 2006 book.

2006 was an odd year. He hit jjust .265/.309/.322 for Augusta in the Sally League, with significant slippage in his plate discipline and no power. He played first base and third base, but without showing enough offense for either position. I left him out of the 2007 book, but would rate him a Grade C prospect, looking like he might get lost in the shuffle, though he was still just 19.

He recovered some stock value in 2007, hitting .287/.312/.476 for San Jose in the Cal League and moving back to catcher. Arm strength remained an asset, but problems with footwork and polish were present, granted moving positions didn’t help him gain consistency. His walk rate was quite low, just 16 walks in 401 at-bats, but the strikeouts weren’t out of bounds at 52 and the better power production was notable. I gave him a Grade C in the book this year, writing that the bat was intriguing but that I wasn’t sure where he would fit defensively.

Sandoval has been terrific this year: .359/.412/.597 in the California League, .337/.364/.549 in the Eastern League, .349/.366/.500 for the Giants. Given his age, I think this improvement is mostly for real, although I don’t think the .349 average will be sustainable over a full season. But I think he can hit .280-.300, with at least moderate power. Defensively, he’s spent time at first base, catcher, and third base for the Giants. The sample sizes are too small at each position for the defensive numbers to mean much, so I’m still unsure where he fits best in the long run. Obviously having a catcher who can hit like that is harder to find than a first baseman.

Question for you Giants fans or anyone who has seen Sandoval a lot: would it be better if he settled on one position, or is he best-used the way they are using him now? And if he did settle on one position, which should it be?

Additionally, the McCovey Chronicles asks if Sandoval could be the next Babe Ruth:

After watching Pablo Sandoval spray the ball all over Mays Field on Sunday, I have the perfect new comparison: a switch-hitting Vladimir Guerrero who can play catcher. Wait, let me qualify that. Sandoval’s worst-case scenario is a switch-hitting Vladimir Guerrero who can play catcher. His best-case comparison is a switch-pitching, multi-position Babe Ruth.

Brandon Phillips suffered a broken right index finger in the same at-bat in which he delivered a go-ahead single in the top of the 11th inning Tuesday and is likely to miss the rest of the season. Phillips apparently injured the finger on a bunt attempt before later driving in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning. A season-ending injury for Phillips isn’t the worst thing for the Reds. He was hitting a pedestrian .261/.312/.442 in a pretty disappointing season, and now the team can take a look at Danny Richar and try to figure out if he should fit into their 2009 plans somehow. Richar could be worth adding in NL-only leagues. The 27-year-old Phillips couldn’t match his breakthrough 2007 campaign, but his speed-and-power mix is still rare and elite at his position. He is easily a top five second baseman in spring 2009 and a pretty good bet to improve on his 2008 numbers. (Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

Mike Gonzalez blew his first save in 40 chances since June 25, 2004 by giving up a tying homer in the ninth inning Tuesday to Colorado’s Garrett Atkins. Gonzalez had gone 183 appearances, most of them as a closer or a top setup man, without blowing a lead. In some ways, the streak was more impressive than Eric Gagne’s. It never got any attention because he only has had one year of more than 10 saves and he missed a full season due to Tommy John surgery. Still, 183 appearances without blowing a lead is flat out incredible. Gonzalez is a low-end closer option down the stretch, because the sinking Braves don’t figure to get him a consistent amount of save chances. The good new is he is at least proving healthy enough to close again and should enter spring 2009 in that role. The injury-risk sleeper is a solid option beyond the top 10-15 closers in baseball. (Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

Giants closer Brian Wilson has been lights out all year long. On Tuesday, against the Diamondbacks, he turned the lights on — for just a second. Wilson blew his fourth save of the season as he allowed two runs on two hits in an inning. Still, the Giants regrouped and won the game, giving Wilson (3-2) his third win of the year. When you’re going good, you are going good and good things happen. That was the case for Wilson on Tuesday. He blew a save and still earned a win. He’s been one of the brightest spots on a dark team and remains a viable Fantasy closer down the stretch. (CBS Sports)

Florida RP Matt Lindstrom, the Marlins’ eighth pitcher, got the final out for his second save on Tuesday night against the Phillies. This is two saves in the last few days for a possible closer of the future for the Marlins. Lindstrom could see a few more save chances down the stretch, but remains a low-end Fantasy RP at this time. (CBS sports)

Ryan Theriot saw a doctor Tuesday in St. Louis after complaining of dizziness and dehydration during Sunday’s game, the Chicago Tribune reports. Piniella said Theriot was suffering “lingering effects.” While Theriot was a last minute addition to Tuesday’s starting lineup, look for the team to be cautious with him until he returns to full strength. It was a good time to come back as Theriot raked a triple and a single and crossed the plate twice for the Cubs.(Rotowire, CBS Sports)

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Chris Dickerson (ankle) “probably won’t start again until Friday.” Dickerson missed his third straight start Tuesday. Dickerson’s ankle is improving, but with expanded rosters, the Reds can afford to be patient. “He’s still sore, and I didn’t want to take a chance on him rushing that,” Baker said. “Plus with CC (Sabathia, who starts against the Reds on Wednesday), he won’t play [Wednesday] and then we have an off-day. So that gives him a good three or four days to get this thing better. We’ll need him for Arizona and [Brandon] Webb on Friday. I’ll need all the left-handed hitters I can get.” (Rotoworld, Rotowire)

Mets RP Luis Ayala pitched a perfect ninth for his first save since the Mets learned Monday that Billy Wagner will have elbow ligament replacement surgery and miss the rest of the season and likely all of next year, too. It was Ayala’s sixth save in seven chances since coming to the Mets last month in a trade with Washington. Ayala figures to get a bulk of the saves down the stretch for a contending team that will get him ample save chances. (CBS Sports)

Overall Standings

Rank Team                Batting Pitching Total Dif  Behind
---- ------------------- ------- -------- ----- ---- ------
 1   Atomic Roadrunners  42.0    38.0     80.0  0.5  0.0
 2   X-Men               30.0    39.0     69.0  -0.5 11.0
 3   Shoeless Jews       33.0    33.0     66.0  0.5  14.0
 4   Goodfellas          41.0    21.0     62.0  2.5  18.0
 5   Stanimals           22.0    37.0     59.0  1.0  21.0
 6   The Pi Train        25.0    27.0     52.0  -0.5 28.0
 7   Uncle Lester        12.0    39.0     51.0  0.0  29.0
 8   Cover Zero          26.0    15.0     41.0  -1.0 39.0
 9   Get Off Kong!       23.0    13.0     36.0  -2.0 44.0
 10  Misogynistic Padres 21.0    13.0     34.0  -0.5 46.0

Yesterday's Stats

Atomic Roadrunners Players Yesterday (9/9/08) F
Player                        BA HR R RBI   SB
------------------------- ------ -- - --- ----
Blake, Casey 3B LA        0.2500  0 0   0    0
DeWitt, Blake 3B LA       0.5000  0 1   0    0
Fielder, Prince 1B MIL    0.5000  0 0   1    0
Hart, Corey C. RF MIL     0.0000  0 0   0    1
Headley, Chase 3B SD      0.2500  0 0   1    0
Iannetta, Chris C COL     0.2500  1 1   1    0
Jones, Chipper 3B ATL     0.5000  0 0   0    1
Milledge, Lastings LF WAS 0.2000  0 0   1    0
Moss, Brandon OF PIT      0.0000  0 0   0    0
Phillips, Brandon 2B CIN  0.2000  0 1   1    0
Reyes, Jose B. SS NYM     0.4000  0 1   0    0
Sandoval, Pablo C SF      0.2000  0 1   0    0
Teixeira, Mark 1B ANA     0.5000  0 0   0    0
Victorino, Shane CF PHI   0.2500  0 1   2    1

Atomic Roadrunners Players Yesterday (9/9/08) F
Player                       ERA  K S   W WHIP
------------------------- ------ -- - --- ----
Ayala, Luis RP NYM          0.00  1 1   0 0.00
Lindstrom, Matt RP FLA      0.00  0 1   0 0.00
Wilson, Brian RP SF        18.00  0 0   1 2.00