Fantasy Baseball: WHERE YOUR SWAG AT? Vol. VII

By BrooklynBums

As the All Star break approaches, the first half of the season has been very interesting. We have seen a few no-hitters, a perfect game, Josh Hamilton hit HR out of his mind, which included a 4 HR game and most surprising the Mets are above 500. This season has also been disappointing for some players who just cant put it together.

CHRIS YOUNG – OF – ARI

 Stats as of 7/2: .214 Average. 7 HR. 18 RBI. 2 SB. (44 Games)

The Arizona Diamondbacks have to take a good look at their team and whom they want to keep for the future and who they feel they can move to get some prospects. Chris Young has become one of the players the D-backs might have to take a long hard look at. Young has been considered one of Arizona’s best payers in recent years. Take out his injury year in 2009, Young has produced at least 20 HR a season. 2007 was his best year HR wise with 32. The closest he has come to that total was in 2010 when he hit 27 HR and drove in 91 RBI, which was a career best for RBI. 2010 was also his best year for SB with 28. Young’s BA has always been low but he made up for it with his power.

This season isn’t looking very good for Chris Young. Young has become a platoon player with Gerardo Parra since coming back from the DL, and is quickly loosing at bats. To this point of the season CY has only hit 7 HR and driven in 18 RBI which puts him on pace for 14 HR and 37 RBI. Being a platoon player is not fun for anyone especially if you have HR power like Young. If Chris Young can put it together and play better he will get the starting job back. I would say if you can bench him till he can prove he is worth starting.

YOUNG, WHERE YOUR SWAG AT?

JON AXFORD – RP – MIL

Stats as of 7/2: 5.04 ERA. (2-5, 13 Saves). 1.52 WHIP. 43 Ks in 30.1 INN.

Everybody loves the closers. The closers, in my opinion are one of the most exciting things about the game. Watching Rivera or Papelbon close out a game with all the emotion they have has always been my favorite part of the game. The thing about closers is they can be replaced. If your closer is struggling and another P in the bullpen is doing great, managers will make moves to allow new pitchers to close and possibly take over the closing role. Now I don’t think this is the case for the Brewers closer John Axford, but he has struggled all season.  Last season Axford put up stellar numbers. He had an ERA of 1.86 and saved 46 games for the Brewers. Axford was one of the best closers in the league last season.

This year Axford’s numbers are well below what he produced last season. We are almost half way through the season and he has 5 L and only 13 saves. Those numbers put him on pace for 10 L and only 27 saves. The best thing for P is rest and although he has pitched better as of late he will need to do a lot better to get his swag back. Axford also has an ERA over 5.00 and for any other closer the job would be taken away. Keep Axford in your line up if you can afford his high ERA and maybe in the second half of the season it will come down.

AXFORD, WHERE YOUR SWAG AT?