OAKLAND ATHLETICS

Week: 4-2           L10: 5-5           Overall: 28-23, 2nd AL WEST

The addition of Frank Thomas added a whopping $12.5 million to Oakland’s miniscule payroll, and they’re certainly getting a return on their investment. Since rejoining the team he hit 39 HR and 114 RBI for in 2006, the Big Hurt’s put together a .315/.415/.506 line with 4 HR and 16 RBI in 27 games as the team’s primary DH. He’s heating up too, hitting .394 with 4 HR and 6 RBI over his last ten. One player that has the A’s feeling extremely optimistic is Rich Harden. Harden got knocked around in his first start after spending over a month on the DL (3.2 IP, 5 ER), but has been nothing short of stellar in his last two outings (2-0, 13 IP, 3 ER, 16 K,). The A’s lead the major leagues with a 3.27 team ERA and much of that can be attributed to the hot start of Justin Duchscherer. After flirting with a no-hitter against the Red Sox this past week, he’s now 3-2 with a 1.99 ERA and .92 WHIP in 5 May starts. OF Ryan Sweeney has also played well lately. With only 80 major league at-bats under his belt, the former White Sox prospect is making the most of his opportunity as a full-timer with Oakland, hitting .293 with 2 HR, and 22 RBI. The self-proclaimed "biggest slap hitter in the league" hasn’t shown much power, but at 6’5", 220 lbs, it’s sure to come around. With rookie success come rookie struggles, and no one’s been struggling more than Daric Barton. After a respectable .278/.372/.402 line in April, he’s just 7 for 59 (.119) in the month of May. Conversely, after a .188, 1 HR, 7 RBI month of April, Jack Cust is leading the A’s offensive charge (4 HR over their last 8 games). In May, Cust is hitting .324 with 7 HR and 13 RBI. In OBP leagues, he’s especially valuable, posting a .422 mark so far this season.

In injury news, Santiago Casilla’s elbow injury isn’t as bad as the team originally thought. He’s set to begin a light throwing program and should return to the team in a few weeks. 3B Eric Chavez was eligible to come off the DL this Tuesday, but the team won’t activate him until he can play a full 9-inning game with Triple-A Sacramento.

UPCOMING SERIES: TOR (5/27-5/29), @TEX (5/30-6/1)

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Week: 2-4           L10: 4-6           Overall: 30-21, 1st NL WEST

The D'backs have struggled over the last week, but thanks to a blazing start, they remain the crème de la crème of the NL West. Sure, they’ve scored a bunch of runs (2nd in the NL to the Chicago Cubs) but the real reason they’ve been able to stay atop the division is their pitching. Brandon Webb (9-2, 3.01 ERA, 64 K), Dan Haren (5-3, 3.39 ERA, 53 K’s), Micah Owings (6-2, 3.73, 55 K’s), and Randy Johnson (4-1, 4.03 ERA, 47 K’s) have the D’backs pitching staff ranked 2nd in the NL in ERA (3.54) behind the Atlanta Braves. Throw in Brandon Lyon (18 straight scoreless innings), and the new kid on the block, Max Scherzer (2.21 ERA, 24 K’s in 20.1 IP), and there’s been fantasy goodness all around. As if things couldn’t get any better, Doug Davis returned from cancer this week to beat the Atlanta Braves, throwing 7 innings of 1 run ball. To make room for him in the rotation, Scherzer was moved to the bullpen. With Tony Pena and Chad Qualls already locked in as the D’backs two setup men, it’s too early to tell how Scherzer will be used. That said, he’s still first in line should one of Arizona’s starters go down, and he’s one of the few dominating arms in fantasy baseball to have SP/RP eligibility. In other words, hold onto him if you can.

From pitchers to catchers, Chris Snyder has been an integral part of the offense over the past few weeks. He’s picked up right where he left off after the all-star break last season (.292/.386/.503 post-break in 2007), hitting .351 with 3 HR, and 13 RBI in 57 May at-bats. Stolen base threats Chris Young and Justin Upton haven’t exactly been churning up the base paths. With a combined 4 steals between them (and only 4 attempts so far in May), they’re making Conor Jackson look like a speedster (3 SB). As for Upton, don’t let his season totals fool you (.281, 6 HR, 22 RBI). He’s been in a funk all month long, hitting only .214 with 1 HR, and 7 RBI since May 1st, including a dreadful 0 for 20 in the last week. Speaking of funks, for the Mark Reynolds owners out there who didn’t sell high when you had the chance? My condolences. He’s hitting a Mario Mendoza-like .200/.277/.253 in the month of May and now has 61 strikeouts in 47 games this season (190 strikeouts in 158 career games). For Reynolds owners, the bad news doesn’t stop there - Chad Tracy returned on Monday.

UPCOMING SERIES: SF (5/27-5/29), WAS (5/30-6/1)

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Week: 3-3           L10: 5-5           Overall: 24-26, 4th NL CENTRAL

Unlike the D’backs, the Pirates’ starting pitching has been their weakest link. With an NL-worst 4.95 team ERA, it’s almost a miracle they’re still sniffing .500 (24-26). The entire pitching staff shares the blame, but the player feeling the most heat is Ian Snell. After a 4.71, 20/12 K/BB in 28 April innings, things haven't gotten any better in May (0-2 with a 4.70 ERA and 15/10 K/BB in 23 IP). He looked better in his last start against the Brewers (6 IP, 2 ER, 6 K’s) but still took the loss after Ben Sheets threw a complete game gem. Paul Maholm (2-5, 5.11 ERA) Zach Duke (2-3, 4.55), and Tom Gorzelanny (4-4, 6.31 ERA) have looked equally poor, with WHIPs of 1.52, 1.65, and 1.80 respectively. Pittsburgh’s bullpen, on the other hand, has done a fine job. Matt Capps (2.28 ERA, 10 saves) and John Grabow (1.48 ERA, 3 holds) have been excellent thus far, and if you’re in the market for holds, go out and grab yourself Damaso Marte. Throw out his 4.01 ERA, the 27/5 K/BB, 1.09 WHIP, and 8 holds are well worth it.

Offensively speaking, Xavier Nady got off to a ridiculous start in 2008, so a natural correction was due. Although he’s still showing power (3 HR and 5 RBI over his last ten games), Nady is hitting only .257 over the same span. Adam LaRoche’s slow starts have been well documented, but he’s finally starting to heat up (9 for 25 with 5 doubles over the last week). Jason Bay is back. After an extremely disappointing 2007 season, Bay is hitting .290 with 12 HR, 26 RBI and 5 SB in 2008. Over the last week, he’s entered a new stratosphere, hitting .480 with 3 HR and 8 RBI. Ryan Doumit could be back when he's eligible to come off the DL this Thursday. That timeframe seems a little optimistic, but if he’s available and your team is in need of an upgrade at catcher, his .350/.382/.573 line is too good to ignore. He won’t hit .350 all year but if he can stay healthy, Doumit could hit .300 with solid power/run production over the balance of the season. Luis Rivas (2 HR on Sunday), we hardly knew ya. SS Jack Wilson is due back with the club this Tuesday, after a brief rehab stint with the Altoona Curve, the Pirates AA affiliate. He’s worth a flier in deep leagues, especially if he can regain the form he displayed in 2007 (.296, 12 HR, 56 RBI).

UPCOMING SERIES: @CIN (5/27-5/29), @STL (5/30-6/2)

FLORIDA MARLINS

Week: 5-1           L10: 7-3           Overall: 30-20, 1st NL EAST

$22 million is apparently all it takes to lead the NL East these days. And no, I’m not talking about the combined salaries of Johan Santana and Brian Schneider. I’m talking about the entire payroll of the first place Florida Marlins. Leading the charge, of course, is the perennial fantasy force that is Hanley Ramirez. Han-Ram is having a fine season once again, but has struggled since a move to the 3-hole (.268/.386/.357) on May 2nd. It took almost a 20-point drop in Hanley’s batting average for Fredi Gonzalez to finally take notice, but Ramirez was back hitting leadoff this past Friday. Another significant change to the lineup is the addition of Jacque Jones. Jones won’t play against lefties, but should be the everyday starting CF in Miami, rendering Alfredo Amezaga virtually useless. As for Jones’ fantasy potential, I’d take a wait-and-see approach. He disappointed in Chicago last season, with only 5 HR in 453 AB’s, and the move to the cavernous Dolphins Stadium is hardly a remedy for a power outage. Speaking of power, 2B Dan Uggla’s been eating his spinach lately, posting an obscene .403, 12 HR, 25 RBI since the beginning of May. With 16 HR on the season, he’s currently tied with Lance Berkman for the major league lead.

The off season blockbuster that sent Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit is starting to pay dividends in the form of one Andrew Miller. After a rocky start to the season (1-2, 9.12 ERA, 18/13 K/BB in 25.2 IP in April), Miller’s posted a 3-1, 1.44 ERA, 26/7 K/BB in 25 IP since May 1st. Remember, Miller was the 6th overall pick in the 2006 draft, so it’s not like this wasn’t expected. Miller’s season ERA of 5.33 still has him available in a number of leagues, but it won’t be long before people start to take notice (it might actually be too late after his 7 IP, 9 K performance vs. Arizona this past Thursday).

UPCOMING SERIES: @NYM (5/26-5/28), @PHI (5/30-5/31)

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Week: 3-3           L10: 4-6           Overall: 22-30, 5th NL EAST

While politicians continue to grab the headlines in the nation’s capital, Ryan Zimmerman is flying under the radar with a solid May. On May 1st, Zimmerman was hitting .225 with 3 HR and 13 RBI. Since then, Zimmerman's hit .302 with 5 HR and 14 RBI. He’s currently riding a 9-game hitting streak, including a .364 average over the last week. He sat out Monday’s game with a sore shoulder, but it’s nothing to be concerned about. I can't talk about production in Washington without mentioning the excellent play of SP Tim Redding. Yes, he gave up 5 ER in 5.2 innings against the Brewers on Sunday, but most of the damage occurred after RP Saul Rivera entered the game. Including Sunday’s outing, he’s still a solid 6-3, with a 3.59 ERA on the year. Newly anointed closer Jon Rauch has been equally impressive, converting all five save chances with a microscopic .73 ERA since Chad Cordero went on the DL.

With the potential to hit 30+ HR every season, it's a shocker that it took Wily Mo Pena 31 games and 91 at-bats before launching his first. If your team is in need of HR, Wily Mo is probably one of the cheaper sources of power available at this point. He, along with Elijah Dukes, looks to get more playing time with Austin Kearns on the DL. Kearns is having surgery to remove bone fragments from his elbow and will be shelved for the next four weeks. SP Shawn Hill's been experiencing elbow problems as well, but for now, Manny Acta is having him skip a start. With catchers Paul LoDuca and Johnny Estrada out for an extended period of time, Will Nieves and Jesus Flores have gotten the opportunity to play everyday. And they've responded, hitting a combined 34 for 102 (.333) with 2 HR and 19 RBI. If your desperate for a catcher and the pickings are slim, you'd be better off grabbing Flores, as Nieves has been getting the short end of the platoon of late (only 3 AB in the last week).

UPCOMING SERIES: @SD (5/27-5/29), @ARI (5/30-6/1)

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Week: 4-1          L10: 4-6           Overall: 25-25, 4th AL EAST

Just when it looked like Daniel Cabrera had turned the corner, he turns down the path of self-destruction. Okay, perhaps that’s a little harsh, but after 8 straight quality starts, walking only 3 in his previous 30.1 innings, and holding the Yankees and Red Sox to only 5 ER in 14 innings in his last two outings, Cabrera went up against Tampa Bay and walked 6 in 5.1 innings. There’s no question that Cabrera's got the talent (as evidenced by the numbers above), but his control issues are clearly something that still haunt him. In other pitching news, it looks like Steve Trachsel may have started his last game for the Orioles (and no, it’s got nothing to do with the newly reinforced rule about time between pitches). Trachsel gave up 9 ER in 1.2 innings against Tampa on Saturday, leaving manager Dave Trembley with a decision to make. Should a change be made, Matt Albers (2-1, 2.12 ERA) would probably be the first candidate to join the rotation. On the bright side, Garrett Olson looked sharp on Monday, blanking the Yanks for 7 innings, striking out 7 for the win.

Offensively, the Orioles continue to struggle, and those struggles begin and end with Baltimore's two best hitters, Brian Roberts (.227/.314/.347 with only 3 SB in May) and Nick Markakis (.226/.312/.440 in May). Markakis did go 3 for 4 with a HR and 2 RBI against the Yanks Monday, so perhaps he’s about to break out. Aubrey Huff (.233), Melvin Mora (.240), and Ramon Hernandez (.236) have also hit poorly in May, although rookie Adam Jones is heating up, hitting .324 over his last ten.

In minor league action, 2007 1st round pick Matt Weiters is on fire at Single-A Frederick, hitting .348 with 11 HR and 30 RBI in his first 42 games. He recently missed a couple of games with a jammed left thumb, but if he continues to hit this well, the #1 catcher prospect in all the land could find himself with the big league club by the end of the season.

UPCOMING SERIES: NYY (5/26-5/28), BOS (5/30-6/2)

TEXAS RANGERS

Week: 4-3           L10:5-5         Overall: 26-27, 3rd AL WEST

While roughnecks in West Texas continue to strike oil, Rangers brass in Arlington continue to strike gold with off season acquisitions Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley. While Hamilton is an early season favorite to win the Triple Crown (.333, 12 HR, 53 RBI), Bradley's been scorching at the plate too (.333, 8 HR, 28 RBI). Amazingly, the Texas two-some have taken their offensive prowess to even higher levels. Over their last ten games, Hamilton is hitting .488, with 4 HR, and 9 RBI, while Bradley is hitting .405, with 2 HR and 7 runs driven in. Of course, both these players carry a great deal of risk, but since few owners paid a high price to acquire them, I say sit back and enjoy the ride.

While many scouts project him to be a 4th outfielder, David Murphy is doing his best to prove he's a major league starter. Over his last ten, Murphy's hitting .333 with 2 HR and 12 RBI, giving him a fine line of .291/.336/.483 for the season. Jarrod Saltamacchia hit his first career grand slam on Friday night but until Ron Washington can find a way to get both Salty and Gerald Laird in the lineup at the same time, he won’t get enough playing time to be relevant. To be fair, Laird has deserved his share of at-bats, hitting .273 with 4 HR, and 18 RBI on the season. Hank Blalock's debut at 1B has been delayed by a few days, as he deals with carpal tunnel syndrome. Meanwhile, his replacement at 3rd base, Ramon Vazquez, has a .961 OPS in 90 at-bats this season. The 31-year-old infielder hasn't posted an OPS higher than .706 in his 8-year career, so his hot start hardly seems sustainable. In pitching news, Kevin Millwood has been cleared to return to the Rangers rotation, and should take the mound this Friday. Doug Mathis will be the odd man out. Lastly, for those of you holding out hope for SP John Patterson, the team released him on Saturday.

UPCOMING SERIES: @TB (5/26-5/28), OAK (5/30-6/1)

TAMPA BAY RAYS

Week: 5-1          L10: 7-3          Overall: 31-20, 1st AL EAST

Gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated used to be a curse, but for Joe Maddon and the Rays, "it’s an honor." And in the midst of a ten-game home stand, the Rays are proving their hot start isn’t a fluke. Their starting pitching has been stellar, anchored by staff ace Scott Kazmir, who’s given up only 1 ER in his last 19 innings, striking out 17 on his way to a 3-0 record. Edwin Jackson’s been great as well, giving up only 4 ER in his last 25.1 innings. If you take away Matt Garza’s brutal start versus St. Louis on May 17th (6 ER in 4.1 IP), he’s 3-1 with a 1.00 ERA since May 1st. Troy Percival had been dealing with some hamstring soreness, but is a perfect 2 for 2 in saves since returning to the mound on Friday.

As for the offense, Akinori Iwamura’s had a fine month (.320/.356/.465), but has all of a sudden gone cold, going only 3 for 21 (.143) over the last week. At the other end of the lineup, Dioner Navarro’s picked up the slack, going 13 for 38 (.342) with 5 RBI over his last ten. Rookie 3B Evan Longoria has struggled against big league pitching in May (.230/.271/.437) but is hitting .320, 3 HR, 10 RBI line over the past week, and could be turning things around. Speaking of young talent, the 2007 1st round pick David Price pitched 5 shutout innings, striking out four in his pro debut with Single-A Vero Beach this past Thursday.

UPCOMING SERIES: TEX (5/26-5/28), CHI (5/29-6/1)

COLORADO ROCKIES

Week: 3-3          L10: 5-5           Overall: 20-30, 3rd NL WEST

The injury bug spares no one, even if you’re 5,280 feet above sea level. After racking up frequent flier miles over the past month and a half, the Rockies returned to Colorado last week for one of their longest home stands of the season. That was supposed to be good news, until Matt Holliday (hamstring), Brad Hawpe (hamstring), and Clint Barmes (knee sprain) all went on the DL this past week. It’s especially a shame for Barmes, who had been hitting .391/.425/.652 in May. Ian Stewart was called up from Triple-A to take his place on the roster, but look for Omar Quintanilla to get the bulk of the playing time at short. In the outfield, Ryan Spilborghs should now play everyday, with recently recalled OF Seth Smith seeing an increase in playing time as well. Spilborghs might be worth a pickup in deeper leagues, but none of the other replacements are solid enough to warrant a look at this time. In other injury news, both Garrett Atkins (neck) and Wily Taveras (knee) are day-to-day dealing with minor injuries. There is some good news on the injury front, as Troy Tulowitzki says he's ahead of schedule in his return from a quad tear. Barring any setbacks, he could be on the field before the all-star break. As for those of you still waiting for Jeff Francis to arrive on the scene? Well, you might have to wait a little longer. After giving up 6 ER in 6 innings against the Mets on Saturday, he's in line to face the Phillies on the road his next time out. The Rockies starting pitcher you want to own is Aaron Cook. He’s not a strikeout pitcher by any means, but with a 7-3, 2.83 line this season, he has shown flashes of dominance. In his last start against the Mets, he gave up 1 ER in complete game victory. Meanwhile, Taylor Bucholz continues to dominate in relief, with a 1.27 ERA and a 22-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season.

UPCOMING SERIES: @PHI (5/26-5/28), @CHI (5/29-6/1)

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Week: 0-7          L10: 1-9         Overall: 21-30, 5th AL CENTRAL

Thanks to an 8-game losing streak, the Royals now find themselves on the bottom of a relatively weak AL Central division. And there’s plenty of blame to go around. On offense, the Royals haven't gotten much production out of Billy Butler and Mark Teahen, two guys who were expected to produce runs from the middle of the order. Butler is hitting only .261 with 1 HR, and 18 RBI on the season, including a dismal 7 for 36 (.194) with only 3 RBI over his last ten. Mark Teahen's been just as anemic, going 4 for 33 (.121) with 1 HR, and 5 RBI over his last ten (proving for yet another season, that his 18 HR in 2006 were a complete fluke). The opening day starter at 1B, Ross Gload, has hit only .243/.289/.280 through the end of May and has lost his everyday job as a result. His struggles should lead to more playing time for Joey Gathright, who could provide owners with cheap speed (13 for 15 in SB this year). Alex Gordon is having a solid season, but is hitting a mediocre .271 with 2 HR and 10 RBI in the month of May. If you’re looking for hot bats in the KC lineup, OF Jose Guillen and C Miguel Olivo are probably your best bets. After a ridiculously slow start, Guillen's been mashing lately, hitting .329 with 3 HR and 20 RBI in May. Miguel Olivo's been putting in his bid for more playing time, slugging .594 with 6 HR and 20 RBI in only 27 games this season. He's started 8 of the Royals last 10 games, hitting 11 for 30 (.367) with 2 HR and 10 RBI over that span.

After a spectacular start to the season, Brian Bannister's come crashing back down to earth. Since April 30th, Bannister has gone 1-4 with a 7.67 ERA. Gil Meche has actually fared well in his last three starts (7 ER in 20 innings), but still sports a 3-7 record with a less than impressive 5.35 ERA. Zach Greinke, meanwhile, has been stellar all year, minus the 6 ER in 5 innings he gave up against Toronto on Saturday. 2006 first round pick Luke Hochevar has had his moments but can't be relied upon for consistent production in his rookie season (3-4, 4.54 ERA). Joakim Soria continues to pitch like an elite closer, although he hasn't had a save opportunity since May 16th.

UPCOMING SERIES: MIN (5/27-5/29), CLE (5/30-6/1)

MINNESOTA TWINS

Week: 4-3         L10: 5-5           Overall: 25-25, TIED 2nd AL CENTRAL

Minnesota's starting pitchers seem to be fighting for their jobs every time they take the mound, at least that's how one local announcer sees it. Boof Bonser (2-6, 6.16) may be the latest casualty. He gave up 8 ER in only 3 innings against Detroit on Saturday night, raising his May ERA to 9.59. With the rest of the rotation out-pitching him, and Scott Baker set to return soon, a move to the bullpen could be in the cards. That "rest of the rotation" includes SP Glen Perkins, who beat the Tigers on Sunday, allowing only 1 ER in 7 2/3 innings. If you’re looking for starting pitching, he might be worth a shot. Since being called up on May 10th, he’s pitched no less than 6 innings and given up no more than 3 ER in any start.

There must be something in the Minnesota water, what else could explain the severe lack of power in the Twins lineup? After signing Mike Lamb to be their everyday 3B this off-season, it’s safe to say the Twins didn’t expect a .242 average with only one home run in his first 138 at-bats. Similarly, the Twins didn’t trade for Delmon Young to see him turn into a singles hitter. Through 189 at-bats, Young has zero home runs and only 6 doubles. Another player who hasn't lived up to expectations this season is Michael Cuddyer. After hitting .284 with 24 HR and 109 RBI in 2006, he's hit only 17 HR since. He's been especially horrid in 2008, hitting only .225 with 1 HR and 16 RBI in 33 games, including 6 for 41 (.146) over his last ten. On the flip side, SS Alexi Casilla has gone 8 for 27 (.296) with 2 HR and 10 RBI since taking over for Adam Everett (15-day DL) on May 19th. After hitting zero HR in 193 major league at-bats and only 7 HR in nearly 1500 at-bats in the minors, Casilla's recent power surge is clearly an aberration.

Down in the minors, Francisco Liriano continues to improve. In 6 starts with Triple-A Rochester, he's got a 3.93 ERA and 22/16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. More importantly, he's only walked 2 batters over his last two starts (15 IP). If he continues to pitch well and exhibit control, he could be back with the Twins by the end of June.

UPCOMING SERIES: @KC (5/27-5/29), NYY(5/30-6/2)