Winn and Molina

Randy Winn and Bengie Molina of the Giants are both swinging the hot bat.

Winn, since May 2, has hit safely in every game but 5 and has raised his average from .261 to .301 over that span. In his past 10 games he has 6 multi-hit games. Winn is a streaky hitter and with his ability to sprinkle a few SB's and HR's give owners a nice option for the immediate future. Winn should be owned in all leagues.

Molina, since May 2, has raised his average from .283 to .332 and has been a huge surprise in the fantasy world so far this year. With the top five catchers (Posada, Martin, V-mart, Mauer, and McCann) not all producing in fantasy land, Molina was an absolute steal in drafts--so far. I would tell you to grab Molina but he's gone in all league formats. For owners, keep him and don't trade him unless you get a big return because he should get all the opportunities in the world batting 4th in the Giants lineup to pick up RBI's, as long as he continue to hits.

Jonathan Sanchez

Jonathan Sanchez of the Giants just threw 7 innings of shut out ball against the Nationals and yes I know how bad the Nationals are. But taking a looking at Sanzhez's stats show he's doing it against all teams. Over his last 4 starts, not including the one against the Nationals, he has pitched at least 6 innings and has allowed only 2ER's in each of those games. Sprinkling in 25K's, 12BB's, 1HR, and all of this in 26 innings.

Owners, this is a pitcher you should consider picking up and using because he seems to have found a groove. With Lincecum doing his thing and Matt Cain slowly turning things around, Sanchez is quietly becoming a fantasy option.

Barry Zito

In a previous post, I said I would never mention Zito until he did something productive. Well, after 8 pathetic losses Mr. Zito has produced a win. He pitched 6.1 innings while allowing only 3 hits and 1ER. Finally, he earned himself a win. I was starting to feel bad for that guy, well not too bad bad since he makes more in an hour than I do in a year.

Looking at his numbers he's actually starting to turn things around. Over his past 3 games, prior to his first win, he has allowed 7ER's in 15 innings of work. Not bad compared to what he was doing at the start of the year.

He doesn't deserve a spot on any fantasy roster but of course, all owners should keep an eye out just in case he does turn things around.

Under the Radar

Fantasy owners are always looking for the diamond in the rough and here are two players who might be a shiny diamond.

Sidney Ponson SP Rangers. With some legal problems and a tendency to allow 2-3 hits per inning, Ponson has started out very strong this year. In 13.1 innings he's allowed 2ER's with 9K's but the bad part is he's allowed 13 hits. Ponson has the potential and showed it by going 14-6 in 2003 but since then has bounced around the major leagues. If you are in need of a pitcher pick Ponson up and see if he continues his strong start. If not, just cut him.

Jonathan Sanchez SP Giants. I know the Giants are a terrible team but there is a bright spot in their lineup and that bright spot is Sanchez. This lefty has impressed so far in 2008 throwing 33.2 innings, 13ER's, and striking out 44 batters! He's currently 2-1 but with a team like the Giants hitting behind him that's no surprise. The K/BB of 44/16 is to drool over. Add Sanchez and enjoy his early success. Don't get attached because he hasn't sustained this greatness over a long period of time.

Fuentes

Brian Fuentes recorded his second save of the season against the San Francisco Giants last night. Corpas owners who didn't grab Fuentes should be kicking themselves. Saves in any fantasy league is absolutely cutthroat. Expect Fuentes to continue as the closer unless he has problems, like his 2 week stretch in 2007 which cost him his closer role.

Fantasy Advice...saves and SB's are always the hardest to find in all fantasy leagues so make sure to draft SB's and saves plus watch the wire for injuries and the performance of current closers. Adding someone like Fuentes to your team from the waiver wire can make or break a fantasy championship.