Last week, I took a look at hitters who were driving in the highest percentage of base runners. This week, it seems natural to turn the tables and look at the two worst at bringing home runners.
 

There are a few of starters in line to take a two turns in the rotation who just might be available in your league to give you an edge in head-to-head action this week. This is one of the most wide open weeks of the season where there will be plenty of pitchers to think about as you set your lineup.

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At Baseball Reference, base runners scored is an outstanding way to discover who is coming through with men on base.  Noted as BRS%, it’s the percentage of runners scored, removing the times when a hitter drives himself home with a home run.  It also gives credit for a batter driving home a run in an instance where an RBI isn’t awarded, such as on a play where an error has been committed. 

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Memorial Day weekend represents a third of the way through the baseball season, and it’s a time when we can finally decide that some new trends are here to stay. Several starters who are catching our attention for their fantasy value are in action this week and will pick up a pair of starts. The best value looks to be in the National League, where a handful of newcomers and veterans returning from exile are racking up the fantasy points.

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With 7.2 innings of four-hit, two-run pitching against the Boston Red Sox on Monday night, the Indians Justin Masterson remains one of the surprise stories of the young season. Through 68 innings, he has allowed 21 walks, 51 strikeouts and just two home runs. His ERA sits at a spiffy 2.50 and his 1.17 WHIP ranks him 19th among qualified AL starters.

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There is some trickiness afoot as the Rockies and Diamondbacks play a doubleheader on Tuesday and the White Sox are still using a six man rotation as we enter the season’s eighth week. I’ve chosen to exclude the doubleheader starters, since we’re still so far out and both teams are in extended stretches of games, which will likely lead them to juggle their rotation in some manner. Meanwhile, in Chicago, the recently activated Jake Peavy will take the hill on Tuesday, but while the Sox have a full slate of games, he likely won’t have two starts this week—unless Ozzie Guillen does something to shake up the rotation. Never discount that happening.

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After a miserable 2009 season that saw Alex Rios set personal worsts in several offensive categories, he seemed to have rebounded in 2010. His final line of .284/.334/.457 with a .275 TAv wasn’t anything outstanding, but it was a huge improvement from the previous season. And it provided reason to hope.

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Interleague is coming! Interleague is coming!

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Last August I wrote about a potential breakout candidate for 2011: Bud Norris. I’m going to begin this article the same way I began last year’s, by listing the top five pitchers in the National League ranked by K/9:

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If you’re mining for two-start pitchers this week, the pickings on the waiver wire are slim. Aside from the obvious starters, there aren’t many “hidden” gems. As always, starters are tentative and subject to change. Those pitchers preceded by an * are owned in less than 50 percent of ESPN or Yahoo leagues. Those with a ^ are owned in less than 20 percent.

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It’s a two start bonanza this week as a total of 41 pitchers will take to the mound a pair of times. There are bound to be some quality starters available in your league. Sometimes, the quantity makes the decision making process a little more difficult. Hopefully, this article will help you separate the strong from the weak.

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A pair of American Leaguer hitters are scuffling at the plate in the early going, particularly when it comes to batting average in balls in play. Nothing sets off the alarm bells like an old catcher, shifting to a new role and struggling at the plate. In Jorge Posada’s case, this isn’t just any alarm: this is a five alarm inferno.

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