Fantasy Baseball News & Updates
Fantasy Baseball News & Updates
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Utley batted just .193 with two jacks after Sept. 1, leading some to wonder whether his surgically repaired hip was OK. Of course, the slugging second baseman then went on to channel Reggie Jackson in the World Series. Regardless of whether he was playing in pain at the end, the 30-year-old will benefit from a full offseason of rest after spending last winter recuperating from his hip operation. Look for Utley to be as good as ever in 2010.
Both homers marked the first time a left-handed hitter had gone deep off CC Sabathia at new Yankee Stadium. Perhaps even more remarkably, Utley's two home runs marked the first time a lefty has hit two homers off a lefty since Babe Ruth homered off Bill Sherdel of the Cardinals in Game 4 of the 1928 World Series. He also set a Major League record with by reaching base safely in his 26th consecutive postseason game.
Cairo filled in for Chase Utley, who was receiving a day off to rest up for the Phillies' playoff run. Cairo actually has a four-game hitting streak to end the year, but he's been nothing more than a utility man at second and third base and shortstop. He's not a viable fantasy option for next season.
Utley broke out of a .063 (1-for-16) slide over his past four contests. He boosted his batting back to .290 with the multi-hit performance, and he'll need a few more such outings to ensure he finishes the year with a .290-plus mark for the fifth straight year.
Having already surpassed his total number of stolen bases, Utley went one step further in topping
20 swipes for the first time in her career. Fantasy's top second baseman carries a .296 average, 31 homers and 90 RBIs.
After raking at a better-than-.300 clip from June-August, Utley entered the Phillies' latest clash with the Mets having submitted a .184 average with a microscopic .279 on-base percentage in September. But when you're a hitter the caliber of the game's most offensively prolific keystone, slumps don't have a tendency to linger that long, as Utley has ripped off a trio of two-hit games in his last three contests.
Having cracked the 30-homer plateau for the third time, the second baseman's next mission is to reach 20 steals. Throw in 96 runs scored and a .295 average, and it's plain to see why Utley remains the game's top all-around second baseman.
Utley, who fouled a ball off his foot in the third inning of Friday's game, missed Saturday's game with a bruised right foot. X-rays revealed no serious damage, though, which enabled the star second baseman to get back on the field Sunday.
No official word on why Utley missed the outing, although it could just be a day off to rest the second baseman for the stretch run. Don't expect much from Cairo going forward, as his value should be relegated to NL-only leagues even if he were to continue receiving an occasional start at second base.
Utley has been blazing through opposing pitching in his past 12 games, hitting .400 with five homers and eight RBIs. He ended August with a .301 batting average, six homers, 14 RBIs and 19 runs, so it was a typically successful month for the second baseman.
Utley went through a torrid eight-game streak from Aug. 18-26 in which he hit .433 and swatted three doubles and three homers. He's traditionally finished the season relatively strong, going .282 with an .868 OPS during September. He's all but certain to finish with his second straight 30-homer campaign and his fifth consecutive 100-RBI season.
Utley's anemic start to the current month -- he had a lone long ball and just six ribbies under his belt by Aug. 18 -- has been balanced out by his recent spate of hot-hitting, as the All-Star keystone has hit in eight straight contests including five multi-hit efforts and a trio of round-trippers during that stretch, proving that you can't keep a bat as potent as Utley's down for long.
Utley finds himself in another groove, riding a five-game hit streak in which time he's gone 8-for-17 with a pair of homers and five RBIs. The hot hitting lifts the second baseman's average above .300 for the first time since Aug. 2. Utley -- arguably the game's best second baseman -- heads into Sunday sporting a .301 clip with 88 runs, 81 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.
August has been Utley's toughest month yet (.241 AVG, .389 SLG), but Wednesday's performance indicates it may just be a matter of time before he rounds into MVP form. Utley heads into Thursday hitting .297 with 25 homers, 78 RBIs and 14 steals, all-around production that further proves why he's arguably the game's best-hitting second baseman.
A couple of bad weeks are likely little more than a blip on the radar for Utley, who boasts an overall average of .294 average, 24 homers, 76 RBIs, 82 runs scored and 13 steals. There's no reason to expect an extended slump from fantasy's top second baseman, so bank on a bounceback effort shortly.
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