I have had Tampa Bay Rays, Ben Zobrist, on my fantasy baseball team for the past 3 years. In general, I have not been disappointed.

I am not sure how I end up with him each year, but it has turned out that way lately. As with every player, there has been times where he is not performing well. But he has helped my team so I cannot complain too much.

I like Zobrist for his versatility. He can be used in the outfield and both of the middle infield positions, which certainly helps when injuries take out other players and guys need to be moved around to accommodate those deemed day-to-day. This season, in 48 plate appearances the switch hitter has a .292 average and 10 RBIs. And judging by the past couple years, he should be swiping some bags pretty soon. He has one stolen base so far this season, and a career total of 82.

He has been known to start off a little shaky in the spring. Last April and May, his average hovered around .200, but he was still driving in runs. He did, however, end the season strong. From August to September of that same year, the number of runs he raked in significantly improved. He had 11 RBIs in August and increased that to 20 for the month of September. He has been consistent with the amount of home runs per month for the entire season, and ended his year with a total of 20. So, the power is there and with crossing the plate 88 times himself in 2012, Zobrist is a worthy overall player to keep on your fantasy team.

Sometimes I wish fantasy baseball gave points for defensive plays too. In case you missed it, Phillies Ben Revere had a spectacular catch in the outfield on Monday. With incredible speed, he went horizontal for a diving over-the-shoulder gem to catch a deep drive off the bat of Reds, Todd Frazier. And if that athleticism he demonstrated was not amazing enough, he jumped to his feet and gunned it to Freddy Galvis, who then tossed it to Ryan Howard to complete the double play. That was some beautiful baseball. He did it all as if it was nothing, simply just another day at the diamond. But those in the Phillies dugout recognized Revere’s super-human performance and applauded. And starting pitcher, Cliff Lee, was left with a stunned expression.

Revere was traded to the Phillies over the off-season, and has settled there nicely in center field. But he has never been much of a power hitter. Last season with the Twins, he had 32 RBIs and never once hit out of the park, but his average was note-worthy at .294. Right now he is only batting .194 with 2 RBIs, but sit back and enjoy his skills in the outfield and brilliant base running hustle. Just be careful with him on your fantasy team if you are looking for power. But if you need stolen bases, he is your guy. He snagged a total of 40 bases last season, and already has 5 this year so far. The speedy 24 year-old is exciting to watch, and will quickly become a fan favorite in Philadelphia. He is also known to be a genuine down-to-earth guy, which of course does not do anything for fantasy stats, but it is always nice to hear.

The one thing that Full Spectrum Baseball will always bring you is baseball.

Not always Major League Baseball.  Not always American Baseball.  Not always Professional Baseball.  But we will always strive to bring you baseball in every way possible.

Today, I stumbled onto a video of an amazing catch by NC State center fielder Brett Williams.  The video is below:

Video courtesy of the ACC Digital Network on YouTube

Now that’s baseball.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at Full Spectrum Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

The Yankees disabled list added another big name over the weekend when superstar Curtis Granderson was hit by a pitch that fractured his forearm.

Reports have Granderson hitting the shelf for at least 10 weeks and many experts will tell you that it is hard to estimate when he will be back up to full speed and strength when coming back from this type of injury.  It appears that the fracture is not one to be overly concerned about and that Granderson should be back in the lineup, and near his All Star form, around the first of May.  If you missed the highlight from over the weekend, here it is, courtesy of MLB.com:

That leaves the world speculating on just who might take over the center field job in Granderson’s absence.  The key component in replacing Granderson is that he is not lost for the season and, ultimately, only lost for the first month or so of it.  Finding a veteran outfielder that is willing to sign a minor league deal with a chance to make the trip north and catch on as an extra oufielder might be the answer.  With very little available in house and an already offense deprived starting lineup, the Yankees may find a familiar name out there in free agency.

Johnny Damon and his 18 year career are trying to find a home this spring, not quite ready to retire yet.  He spent four of those years with the Yankees from 2006-2009 and reports say that he would be open to a reunion to provide the team with some depth until Granderson returned.

It is important to note that this Damon is not the same one that left the Bronx for Detroit a few years ago, he is far less productive at 39 years old.  He played last year, briefly, for the Cleveland Indians before being released on August 9.  In addition, it has been two full seasons since Damon patrolled the center of the diamond, playing left field as well as designated hitter primarily over the last few years.

He is still an option, still has some speed, and may have a little pop left in his bat from time to time.

Are the Yankees willing to get even older than they are with a low risk deal for Damon to prove himself.

It’s your move, Brian Cashman.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at Full Spectrum Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

Careful. Do not look directly in Mike Trout’s eyes for too long or risk being sucked into his vortex.

How can you not be mesmerized by Mike Trout? He dazzled the crowd last season with superhuman leaps at the wall to rob home runs, acrobatic diving plays, and fierce strength at the plate. He does it all with a sparkle in his eye that is simply hypnotic. The kid has charisma and he has set the standards high for this year. The Los Angeles Angels are expecting nothing but the best from their starting outfielder, but can he do it again?

Last season the rookie was explosive hitting 30 home runs and 83 RBIs with a slash line of .326/.399/.564. The All-Star was not just known for his skill in the outfield or his hitting power, he also had incredible speed, leading the majors with 49 stolen bases in 2012. Yes 49. I even triple checked that number before writing this post. These numbers are more impressive knowing he did not even put on a major league uniform in 2012, until April 28th.

He sealed the 2012 season with the American League Rookie of the Year Award and a Silver Slugger Award. He also lead the AL in WAR with 10.7 and runs with 129. He was the whole package and undoubtably deserved the titles he earned.

The 21 year old must have enormous pressure entering the 2013 season. To be even remotely close to his rookie year he will have some serious work to do. No one wants to be a one-hit wonder. However, break out years are usually just that. Break outs. Then the player cools off and someone else takes the spotlight. Many are already concerned about his apparent weight gain over the off season. Rest assured, Trout will most likely leave his heavier self behind in Spring Training and will be ready to go Opening Day.

The outfielder may have a lot to live up to, but he is still growing as a player, and as long as something does not shake his momentum he can have another great season. One thing is for sure, every one is waiting to see what he will do next and I think he has more surprises up his sleeve.

With Trout and his outstanding year, Mark Trumbo shifted out of the media attention, but that might not have been the fault of his teammate. Trumbo was hot the first half of the season with 42 runs and 22 home runs in 288 at bats. He was .306/.358/.608 and was even invited to the All-Star game. The power hitter competed in the Home Run Derby which resulted in a tie breaker against Blue Jay’s slugger Jose Bautista. Bautista then went on to the final round and lost to Tiger’s Prince Fielder.

Right after the All-Star Game, Trumbo cooled off while still being pretty dangerous at the plate. Then, in July he had a minor injury with his back. The pain did not bench him for long, but after that he seemed to fall into a slump. He had only 24 Runs and 10 home runs in 256 at bats. His slash line fell to .227/.271/.359. He had 88 strikeouts the second half of the season compared to only 65 during the first half, emphasizing his struggle at the plate. The numbers speak for themselves. Was it the injury, or is this the Trumbo we should expect to see from now on-a clear power hitter who may or may not make contact with the ball?

My thoughts on what Trumbo will be like in 2013 is this: Still dangerous. Still powerful. Maybe not quite as dominant as he was in the beginning of last year. As long as his foot injury that occurred last fall heals properly, he should be ready to do some damage this season. With his consistency in 2011, it is safe to say he will be productive and prove to be valuable to the Angels this year.

When the Angels signed superstar Josh Hamilton many were left wondering what would happen to Trumbo. After the initial gossip and frantic worry, it looks as though they will still find room for him. He might become their main designated hitter. The addition of veteran Hamilton may be a good presence in the clubhouse for both Trout and Trumbo. The new Angel might give that extra push to keep them going strong all season long.

Will Trout be as amazing as last season; will Trumbo come out of his slump? If they both can stay consistent and healthy throughout the season, the two of them will end up taking over the AL West, wowing the fans with more fancy plays and launching baseballs even further into the seats. Prepare yourselves. They have a lot more to offer in their bag of tricks.

We all have them, players we despise, that we wish to see fail, and 99% of the time for no apparent rhyme and or reason. That’s what this post is all about today. From a fantasy baseball perspective I’m placing this target on the back of three unsuspecting American League players. As I write this I have no idea who they will end up being, or what reasons I will come up with, but I guarantee that you’ll be with me by the end. Pitchers and batters alike, I’m playing no favorites.

Michael Bourn, Cleveland Indians, OF

Face it, no one outside of Greater Cleveland wants to see this team do well. Their outfield no consists of three newcomers who were castoffs from their previous teams due to better acquisitions, continually failed expectations or just ugly mugs. Statistically speaking, Bourn sees his greatest success derive from his fleeted feet. He is a motor on the bases, stealing 40+ bases the past 5 years but that’s about it. Michael hits the ball into the ground over 50% of the time and will drive you bananas hoping for some stroke of power to emerge, it never will though. The main reason I’m hating him this year is because he reminds me of an outfielder that Cleveland had in their run in the 1990s, Kenny Lofton.

Jarrod Parker, Oakland Athletics, SP

For starters, the spelling of his name, although unique, provides a solid foundation to build your dislike on. Jarrod is coming off a season in which he was a major contributor to an A’s team that overachieved greatly.  Although he spotted an appealing 3.47 ERA, his BB/9 ratio of 3.13 and is preventing him from reaching another tier of success. He strikes out a decent-ish 6.95 per 9, but face it, his whole repertoire is boring. He and the A’s will lull you to sleep when they play at home and do nothing to add excitement when they are visiting your home ballpark. It’s time for Parker and the A’s to step out of the spotlight and let the Rangers and Angels be the teams that tickle our fancy during the late Autumn Pennant Races this year.

Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees, 1B

Picking Mark was a bit of a surprise for me too. On the surface there isn’t too much to hate. He doesn’t cause a ruckus in the clubhouse, he stays out of the media frenzy in the Big Apple and comes off as a “good guy”. However, on the fantasy front, you won’t get anything out of him that resembles his production from a few years ago. His batting average has been a sliver of what it was in 2009 when he hit 39 HRs and batted in 122, hovering below .260 the past three years. Perhaps the short porch in right has become a distraction? Or is it his smug face that just beckons to have you shaking your fist at him? Either way, playing on “America’s Team” provides the deciding factor as to why I’m hating on him this year. This year he will be the second best first baseman playing in New York, Ike Davis, your time is now.

What say you? Do you agree or disagree? Stay tuned for my National League version later this week.

Follow me on twitter: @pf_hayes