Kosuke Fukudome - Fantasy News & Updates
Kosuke Fukudome - Fantasy News & Updates
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Fukudome’s sophomore season was a virtual mirror image of his rookie campaign in every major offensive category. Another common thread was his cooling off down the stretch -- he’s batted a combined .193 over the last two Septembers -- something directly attributable to the grind of a longer season than he was accustomed to in the Japanese leagues. Considering his keen batting eye (career .367 on-base percentage) and the fact that he should begin to better adjust to the 162-game slate now that he’s had a few years under his belt, the 32-year-old outfielder should make for a solid pick late in drafts next spring.
That’s back-to-back multi-hit efforts for Fukudome after enduring a miserable 2-for-34 slump over the previous 10 games. The sophomore outfielder from Osaki has struggled down the stretch for the second straight season, batting .167 to drop his average nearly 20 points to .256. It’s clear that Fukudome still hasn’t fully adjusted from the shorter season in Japan to the 162-game marathon in the Majors.
Fukudome's rough start to September (.137 AVG) should be of some concern considering his stark second half-fade last season, but it's worth sticking with the center fielder in NL-only play.
Fukudome has been a solid everyday play for most of August. Since Aug. 4, the outfielder has a .306 batting average with 10 extra-base hits, 12 RBIs and 16 runs in his past 21 contests. After last year's rocky end to the year, Fukudome has definitely stepped up his game after the All-Star break.
In what has been a welcome role reversal from his second-half fade of last season (.217/.314/.326), Fukudome has dialed it up since this year's midseason intermission, hitting .324 ( 35-for-102) with more home runs (4) and nearly as many runs scored (19) and RBIs (18) then he had during the entire second half of '08. If you ditched the 32-year-old in anticipation of another season-ending funk, you might want to check on his availability before it's too late.
Fukudome has alleviated a lot of the anxiety surrounding his second-half collapse of 2008 (.217 AVG, .639 OPS) by ripping three long balls and raising his slugging percentage to a robust .459 since returning from the break. The veteran outfielder can definitely be streaky at times, but when he's hot -- as he is now -- he's worth grabbing in all formats.
Fukudome, who ended a 21-game power outage, has come out of the break swinging a hot bat, hitting .367 with nine extra-base hits and 10 runs in 18 contests. The second-year outfielder out of Osaki has been running on hot and cold all season, so owners in any format looking for a boost should give him a look if he happens to be on the waiver wire.
Fukudome is batting .327 in July with 12 runs and 12 RBIs. Though he hasn’t stolen a base since June 26 and has just two home runs since then, his ability to contribute in multiple categories makes him an intriguing mixed-league option.
Fukudome has now hit in seven straight games, batting .423 with four runs and two RBIs in that span. Even with Lou Pinella shifting him around the lineup, the outfielder could reach 15 home runs and steals with a big second half.
The Cubs' new leadoff hitter enjoyed just his fourth multi-hit game in his last 20 starts. It's been disconcerting enough that Fukudome is hitting just .197 since May 19. To think he'll begin hitting consistently at the top spot is a gamble which owners should re-think.
A much-needed big day for Fukudome, who's still batting just .174 this month. He's shown occasional flashes of breaking out, but he'll need to deliver consistent contributions on the offensive end before warranting much consideration in shallower formats again.
There are slump busters and then there are Slump Busters. This one certainly deserves the caps, if only because Fukudome was struggling so much coming in -- he entered the game on a 5-for-45 (.111) anti-tear for the month of June. He snapped out of his swoon with a vintage do-it-all Fukudome-ian effort, though.
This time, Pinella swapped center fielder Kosuke Fukudome, who had hit sixth in the team's previous two games, and third baseman Mike Fontenot, who had hit in the two-hole. Fukudome's .402 on-base percentage makes him a strong candidate to bat higher in the lineup, where he should rack up more runs but fewer RBIs. He hit third regularly earlier in the season, so this change won't drastically affect his value unless he becomes more aggressive on the basepaths (4 SB in 8 attempts).
Fukudome had been stuck in a 1-for-14 skid before Tuesday's multi-hit effort. Overall, his 2009 season is taking the form of his inaugural campaign, in that he's experienced difficulties finding consistency at the plate as the games have piled up. For the second consecutive year, he's seen his average peak in mid-May, only to start a steady descent. After batting .340 over the first 30 games, Fukudome has slipped to .208 in the last 18 games.
Fukudome's average has been on a steady decline since mid-May, when it peaked at .340. Owners should be slightly concerned, considering the outfielder from Osaki began to struggle mightily at this juncture of his rookie season in 2008. As of now though, he's still a legitimate mixed-league contributor, with 28 runs and four steals to go along with an exemplary .428 on-base percentage.
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