Welcome back to our exclusive weekly player hot and cold feature. I recommend you use the information in this column like I do to identify players who might be worth picking up this week, as well as ones to consider benching or moving.

 

Consider this the ultimate in short-term gratification. We’re not looking at histories of contact rates or command or anything other than what has occurred over the last week in the ten standard fantasy scoring categories, whether good or bad.

 

I will be calling out names that may have eluded your notice that either could still be available on your waiver wire in a mixed league or perhaps stashed on someone’s bench in an AL or NL-only league. Anyone is fair game to be called out on ice, as that information can help guide your line-up selection choices.

 

Fire

 

Catcher

Miguel Montero, Ari

.556 BA, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 4 R

Last week, Arizona’s starter Chris Snyder was featured here. What Montero accomplished this week is all the more impressive when you realize he did it in only seven at-bats. In limited action since the break, Montero is hitting .342. Isn’t that better for you than playing a starter with a ton of .220 at-bats?

 

First Base

Travis Ishikawa, SF

.211 BA, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 3 R

The average certainly needs help, but the power production looks good for the recent San Francisco call-up. With nothing to play for except the future, the Giants should be giving Ishikawa plenty of playing time through September.

 

Second Base

Ronnie Belliard, Was

.609 BA, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 4 R

Actually, Belliard has been seeing considerable time at first base, a position no one seems to want in DC. Nick (the Sick) Johnson and Dmitri Young are back at their home away from home, the DL, while Kory Casto failed to stick for the umpteenth time. In addition to second and first, Belliard qualifies at third base in many leagues, for those who care.

 

Shortstop

Nick Punto, Min

.400 BA, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 SB, 7 R

I admit that I don’t like having the career .250-hitting Twins utilityman on my rosters. Yet there can be no argument that Punto is having a quietly-solid season, much like his underrated club. He is currently working on a ten-game hit streak while playing three positions defensively, second, short and third, which add to his value.

 

Third Base

Ian Stewart, Col

.478 BA, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB, 5 R

My fantasy-playing son tells me that I hold onto slumping players too long, which keeps me from grabbing emerging ones. Sometimes he is right. In our common league, I have sat on disappointing Freddy Sanchez all season long when players like Stewart (also qualifies at second base) were available instead. Do as I say, not as I do!

 

Outfield

Adam Lind, Tor

.346 BA, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, 8 R

Having been on the Lind bandwagon in previous seasons, only to be disappointed, I took a pass in 2008. Bad move on my part, as Lind is still only 25 and is showing he finally belongs. He is hitting .323 with six home runs and 20 RBI just since the break and looks to be a fine low-price keeper.

 

Joe Inglett, Tor

.500 BA, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 6 R

Has there been a more quiet success story this season than the Jays’ utilityman? Playing at second, third and the outfield, Inglett is batting over .300 (.311) on the season, .364 in August, while currently working on a seven-game hit streak. 

 

Rajai Davis, Oak

.385 BA, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 SB, 1 R

The former San Francisco prospect is a reserve with the A’s. Though his playing time is unpredictable, Davis swiped three bases last week and has 21 on the season despite just 135 at-bats. With the A’s going absolutely nowhere, why shouldn’t they see a little more of what Rajai can do? 

 

Starters

Cha Seung Baek, SD

0 W, 13 IP, 4.15 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 13 K

Baek is another of those players about which I formed an initial negative impression during his Seattle days. The minor league numbers showed potential, but the results did not. While he has gone over six innings all four times out in August and fanned one batter per inning last week, Baek mixes good and bad outings with no discernable pattern and pitches for a lousy team on top of it.

 

Matt Harrison, Tex

1 W, 11.2 IP, 3.86 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 11 K

On the average, the nums look OK, but the rookie lefty is too inconsistent to be trusted. Here are his runs allowed in his last seven starts: 8, 3, 6, 2, 6, 0, 5. 

 

Mike Hampton, Atl

1 W, 12 IP, 3.75 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 6 K

Back to the ‘90’s days here. The perennially-rehabbing Hampton actually had a pair of quality starts last week, but those are just his second and third in six return outings this season. If you’re hard up, keep an eye on him, at least.

    

Reliever

Dan Wheeler, TB

3 SV, 0 BS, 0-0 W-L, 2.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 4 K

When Troy Percival went onto the disabled list with a knee injury, Manager Joe Maddon said he’d go with a committee of closers. Well, Wheeler is the chairman of the board with three perfect outings and counting.  

 

Ice

 

Catcher

Ivan Rodriguez, NYY

.182 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 1 R

I am not saying that the Yankees having added Pudge was a bad idea, as he may be contributing via his game management and counseling young pitchers. On the other hand, he has done absolutely nothing with the bat while in pinstripes. The future Hall of Famer has one home run and one RBI along with a .237 average in his first 38 at-bats.

 

First Base

Ryan Howard, Phi

.095 BA, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 2 R

The Philies’ big first baseman is currently well ahead of his MLB record strikeout pace of last season. While Howard has 34 home runs and 106 RBI on the season, his August totals of 4/11 are his lowest all year. Oddly, Howard has just 15 doubles in 2008, re-emphasizing his feast-or-famine nature.

 

Second Base

Howie Kendrick, LAA

.130 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 0 R

With barely 300 at-bats on the season due to injury, Kendrick should be making up lost time. Instead, he has been mired in a month-long slump, hitting just .211 with no home runs, one RBI and six runs scored. Look for a short-term replacement if you can until he re-heats up.

 

Shortstop

Jimmy Rollins, Phi

.083 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 SB, 1 R

The reigning MVP doesn’t like all the negativity in Philly, calling the fans there “front-runners”. I suggest the best way to shut them up is to play better. Rollins is batting .200 in August and just .223 since the break. He deserves to be booed, in my humble opinion. I know that every one of my teams that has the under-achiever on the roster are doing poorly this season.

 

Third Base

Garrett Atkins, Col

.120 BA, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 4 R

Listen, I am not telling you that Atkins isn’t one of the best fantasy third basemen (and now first basemen) around. What I am suggesting however, is to look at his numbers away from Coors and manage your lineup accordingly. On the road, he hits like a shortstop with a .233 batting average, .277 OBP and .366 SLG on the season.

 

Outfield

Hunter Pence, Hou

.130 BA, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, 1 R

It was only a year ago when Pence was the talk of baseball, with his strong debut campaign. Here in 2008, his power numbers and runs scored are comparable to last, but his average is down 62 points year-to-year. A .322 hitter is interesting; a .260 hitter, much, much less so.

 

Torii Hunter, LAA

.185 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 1 R

Back here for a second consecutive week is not a good thing. Hunter seemed to finally turn his season around with a strong July, but returned to the dumpster here in August with a .227 average and just one home run. Hopefully, down the road, Hunter won’t end up sitting on the bench alongside also well-paid Gary Matthews, Jr.

 

Kosuke Fukudome, ChC

.118 BA, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 0 R

No wonder some (myself included) think that fans have no business selecting the All-Star Game starters. Is there a more overrated player in the majors than the Cubs’ right fielder? His average has dropped every month all year long, sitting at .217 since the break and .153 this month. Fukudome hasn’t homered in August and has just eight on the season and he is consistently being outplayed by the likes of Mark DeRosa.

 

Starters

John Lannan, Was

1 W, 10.1 IP, 11.32 ERA, 2.03 WHIP, 5 K

The Nats’ rookie lefty actually managed to eke out a win last week despite yielding 13 runs in two outings. That represented his only victory in his last six starts. Despite pitching OK this season, such is life with the Nationals. He can only imagine if he played for a decent club.

 

Livan Hernandez, Col

1 W, 9.1 IP, 11.17 ERA, 1.97 WHIP, 4 K

Livan can’t like his results, though he certainly likes his money. Only because the Rockies faced the Nationals, did he get one gift win. With Colorado, Hernandez has a 15.32 ERA and opposing hitters all look like Rogers Hornsby, teeing off on him at a .424 rate.

 

Brian Bannister, KC

0 W, 9 IP, 14.00 ERA, 2.33 WHIP, 2 K

Just stay away. Only because the Royals are so bad can they afford to still run a guy out there who since the beginning of July has allowed 41 runs in 45 innings pitched and can’t strike out anyone.

 

Reliever 

Brian Wilson, SF

1 SV, 1 BS, 2-0, 3.1 IP, 8.10 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 6 K

This past week was a microcosm of Wilson’s season. Ugly peripherals, a save, a blown save turned into a win with a clean win the next evening. By now, you’ve decided whether or not you can deal with his ups and downs.

 

Brian Walton’s work can also be found daily at stlcardinals.scout.com.