Josh Hamilton. ‘Nuff said.
August 8, 2010 by Tony Andracki
Filed under Baseball
Josh Hamilton.
What can you say about him? If you took a flyer on him in the middle rounds, I bet you’re happy, huh? Currently, Josh Hamilton is hitting .354 with an OBP of .405, 23 homers, 75 RBIs and 70 runs scored. Oh yeah, let’s not forget his 7 SBs.
Obviously, Josh Hamilton is having a beast season when you’re talking about the 6 main fantasy categories in most leagues. Why is he so important to the owners that have him? Simple–not many drafted him prior to the 84th pick, resting between the 6th-9th rounds. So these owners are getting first round numbers…in the middle rounds? Are you kidding me?
That’s the main reason why I’m choosing Josh Hamilton as the fantasy player of the year. Miguel Cabrera is right up there, but based on draft selection, Josh Hamilton is the main man here. Think about a potential offense if someone was picking 6th-10th overall…which is where Cabrera was falling, and you have the top 2 fantasy players this year…on the same team. If the owner drafted even a decent pitching staff with some guys that steal bases, you’re looking at a championship.
The best thing is, barring injury, Hamilton doesn’t look like he’s going to be slowing down anytime soon. He hits in the middle of a packed lineup, so his RBI opportunities are going to be there. He’s always in scoring position, so he’ll score more runs, he can hit the homers, thus driving himself in, and he’ll steal you an occasional bag, which comes in handy during the playoffs. He also plays in a hitters park, which should help inflate those numbers as the ball flat out flies out of Arlington.
For you owners thinking about selling high on Hamilton? You better be getting a top notch pitcher and a couple quality bats in return–basically an offer that would be impossible to turn down. If you’re not getting that offer, don’t even bother for every reason I stated in the above paragraph. Josh Hamilton is going to continue to mash. I would imagine he’ll lose some average, but his power numbers are going to be consistent from here until the end of the season. And since you owners were so intelligent by selecting him when you did, your team should be the favorite to win your league.
So, congratulations Josh Hamilton on being my first ever fantasy MVP selection in 2010.
