What happened to Cole Hamels?

Has there been a bigger pitching disappointment than Cole Hamels this season? I don't think so. I guess you could factor Brandon Webb into this conversation as well, but I think it's totally different when you're basically injured the entire season versus being ineffective at your craft. Coming of a World Series championship, the Philadelphia Phillies were counting on Hamels to be the ace of their staff just like he was last year when he won 14 games and posted a 3.09 ERA with 196 K's.

Unfortunately, he's been anything but an ace and has lacked the consistent dominant "stuff" that we've come to expect from him the last couple of years. After being in the Cy Young conversation the last 2 seasons, his statine this year looks more like a middle-of-the-rotation starter (7-8, 4.78 ERA, 119 K) who's struggled with consistency all season. One start he'll be in total control like his win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 28 (8 IP, 1 ER, 9 K), but then the very next start against the San Francisco Giants he'll seem completely out of sorts (5 IP, 6 ER, 2 K).

With a little over a month left in the season and the Phillies likely headed back to the playoffs, there's still time for Hamels to turn it around and pitch like the front-of-the-rotation stud that he is. You can bet that some dominant September and October starts will make the people of Philadelphia forget about the long season of mediocrity.

Fantasy Impact: Likewise, a strong finish to the season will help heal some of the wounds of an utterly disappointing first 5 months of the season. If you've stuck with Hamels to this point, then you're really hoping for the payoff come September to justify that 1st or 2nd round draft pick. If you've acquired Hamels via trade or somehow picked him up off of free agency, then there's really nothing to lose in this situation. With only a couple weeks left in the regular fantasy season, a strong finish by Hamels could be just the ticket to securing that Fantasy title.

Who's the best base-stealer in the game?

In my opinion, there are really only 2 players in this discussion: Carl Crawford or Jacoby Ellsbury. Both guys are tremendous athletes with great speed, superb base-running instincts, and a fearlessness to lay it all on the line. More has been said about Crawford after his amazing start this season (20 SB in his first 29 games including 6 in one game), but Ellsbury's no slouch and he's coming off a 50 SB season of his own last year.

Ellsbury's been extremely consistent so far and has pulled within 1 SB of Crawford and the league lead. With both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox fighting for the Wild Card playoff spot, there should be ample opportunities for both players to showcase their skills. When every run counts, you can bet that both of them will be running every chance they get.

Now, when evaluating which guy is the better base-stealer, it's very easy to let the other stat categories sneak in to your thought process. If we were trying to determine which player is the better "overall" player, then it would have to be Crawford at least this season. The stats definitely back it up:

Crawford: 73 R, 12 HR, 55 RBI, 53 SB, .312 BA
Ellsbury: 63 R, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 52 SB, .297 BA

In every stat category, Crawford is ahead. But we're not deciding which player is the better "overall" player. We're trying to determine which player is the better pure base-stealer, and that I would say is Ellsbury. Out of 60 attempts he's only been caught 8 times, which is the lowest total of anyone in the Top 10 (Crawford has been caught 10 times), and he's only in his 2nd season at the Major League level. Stealing bases is about more than just being fast. You have to be smart and it shows in how few times he's been caught stealing.

Both players are great base-stealers, but I think the edge has to go to Ellsbury.

Fantasy Impact: In a stat category like SB's, even having a single guy like Crawford or Ellsbury is often enough to win the category any given week, and the best part is that neither guy is a slouch with the bat. Both of them can do damage, and they're major reasons why their respective teams are in the Wild Card race. Having a guy who can steal upwards of 60-70 bases in a season is one of the best investments you can make on the road to creating a championship-caliber fantasy team.

Is Mark Reynolds the hottest hitter in baseball?

I'd say so. Looking at Mark Reynolds' statline the last 10 games, You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone close (8 R, 8 HR, 13 RBI, 2 SB, .381 BA). He's completely on fire right now and overall he's been one of the biggest surprises this season. While maturing into a more disciplined hitter, he's also become a 5-category stud for the Arizona Diamondbacks, adding 20 SB so far this season.

The power was certainly there last season (28 HR, 97 RBI), but the batting average was crippling (.239 BA) and left most fantasy managers wondering if the trade-off was worth it. Well, what a difference a year makes. He's already surpassed last years HR total with 36 HR so far and still has 50 games remaining in the season. Not only that, but the batting average has come way up from last year and is now a very respectable (.290 BA). With that kind of power production, the 20 SB's are really just icing on the cake.

Having just turned 26-years-old, it's hard to bet against him carrying this success into next season and beyond, but nothing's ever that simple. For now, all we can do is sit back and watch what happens.

Fantasy Impact: Another young hitter with a lot of potential. With a current Yahoo fantasy ranking of 4, there's just about a zero chance of him being available in your league, other than via trade. In keepers leagues he's an intriguing option, but would probably come at a steep price. It's hard to argue with the production so far this season, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see the BA dip back down to mid-200's next season and the SB's go away as he becomes more entrenched in the middle of the D-Backs lineup.

Can Ichiro reach 3,000 hits?

Wouldn't that be amazing? Ichiro Suzuki, a Japanese-born player who came over to the Major Leagues when he was 28-years-old, reaching one of baseball's most celebrated milestones. A plateau that many of the greatest players in history never reach. The crazy thing is that if you look at the numbers, it's really not that inconceivable. With another 40 hits this season, he'll finish with 200 hits for the 9th consecutive year and have 2,000 hits for his career. 2,000 hits in 9 seasons! That's amazing!

At that pace he could reach 3,000 hits in just 5 more seasons. Now, it should be pointed out that in 5 years he'll be 41-years-old so nothing is etched in stone, but there really aren't any signs that he's slowing down. Just look at his statline so far this season (161 H, 23 SB, .365 BA). That sure doesn't look like your typical 36-year-old player at the back end of their career. Plus he's never played less than 157 games in a season, so you know the physical conditioning is there.

Another factor working in his favor is that he plays in the American League for the Seattle Mariners, which means the DH position is always a possibility. Personally, I can't see Ichiro ever manning the DH spot, but it's there just in case. There's also something to be said about playing the game where you're comfortable and it's pretty clear he's comfortable up in Seattle. Having 3 full years left on the 5-year deal he signed back in 2007, he should be able to get to at least 2,500 hits before he's scheduled to become a unrestricted free agent. Personally, I don't think there's any way he leaves Seattle, especially if he has a chance to reach 3,000 hits.

There's no doubt that Ichiro's one of the best hitters of our generation, and with a few more great seasons it'll be time to start talking about him as one of the great hitters in baseball history.

Fantasy Impact: Although being one of the most dynamic players on the real diamond, sometimes that doesn't always translate well to the fantasy world. In Ichiro's case, he's really a 3 category guy (R, SB, BA), which means you're not going to get much more than 10 HR and 60 RBI. However, on a team full of power hitters with mid-.200 BA, Ichiro can be just what the doctor ordered. Almost surely owned in your league, he'd only available via trade.