How involved will Ball be as a receiver? (USAT)

There's a strong debate regarding which rookie runner should be taken first in 2013 fantasy leagues, with Montee Ball and Le'Veon Bell the leading candidates among a group that could prove highly productive right away. Dalton Del Don prefers Ball, who's in an ideal situation in Denver, whereas Brad Evans loves him some Bell, whose path to a featured role seems easier. Their cases are stated below.

Dalton opens: Montee Ball isn’t a sure thing to be Denver’s starter Week 1, but he should be viewed as the favorite, and even if not, it shouldn’t take long before he takes over the role. We’ll have a clearer picture come August, but that doesn’t mean we can’t prognosticate right now, and there’s a lot to like about Ball, specifically his situation.

The Broncos produced 21 carries inside the five-yard line last season, which tied for the seventh-most in the NFL (Pittsburgh produced just 11 such rushing attempts). With Peyton Manning another year removed from neck surgery and already showing more zip on his passes this summer combined with the addition of Wes Welker, Denver should produce even more scoring opportunities in 2013. This is an absolutely loaded offense, and Manning has never been shy to audible to a run play, especially in the red zone. Ball stands to benefit.

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Liriano has loved the Senior Circuit (USAT)

I really should know better than to write about (and recommend) Francisco Liriano, but I just can’t help myself. Since returning from injury (to his non-pitching arm), he has 47 strikeouts over 36.0 innings, having yet to allow a home run. His 3.50 BB/9 rate is shaky, but it’s also possible his career could be resurrected simply by moving to the National League. In fact, if you remove his one start against an AL team this year, Liriano would have a 0.87 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. That’s a small five-start sample, and he’s a candidate to break down with an injury or implode in performance at any time, but there’s also a lot to like here. Liriano’s average velocity on his slider (86.4 mph) is his highest since 2006, a year in which he posted a 144:32 K:BB ratio with a 2.16 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 121.0 innings as a rookie. If he qualified, Liriano’s 30.9 K% would be the fourth-highest in all of baseball, and the fact he’s combined that with a 2.00 GB/FB ratio is borderline astonishing. His SwStr% is 15.7. The next highest among starters is Yu Darvish at 14.5%. Liriano’s 2.49 xFIP is the second best among all starting pitchers (he actually led the American League in this category in 2010. Of course, he followed that up by posting a 5.23 ERA over the next two injury-riddled seasons). Liriano is going to start giving up homers, and he’s admittedly enticed many times before until ultimately disappointing, often in colossal fashion, but the switch to the NL combined with legitimately impressive underlying stats make him more than just someone back on the fantasy radar.

So basically, it’s every man, woman, child and invalid for themselves when it comes to retrieving this home run souvenir.

Here’s Mike Aviles getting thrown out of a game that was already over.

Here are two bad calls against both teams on one single play.

Get Heyward before it's too late (USAT)

For all the talk about how bad B.J. Upton has been, and believe me, it’s been warranted, Jason Heyward entered Monday sporting a .142/.283/.236 line. It’s come in a smaller sample thanks to an appendectomy, but Heyward also cost a higher pick at draft tables in March. He’s fast developing into one of the more confounding players in baseball, as after Heyward posted an .849 OPS (with a .393 OBP) as a 21-year-old rookie, he followed that with a .227/.319/.389 campaign. He bounced back last season, helping fantasy owners by hitting 27 homers, stealing 21 bases, recording 82 RBI and scoring 93 runs. With the sky seemingly the limit entering 2013, it appears he’s hell bent on continuing his every other season trend. Things have gotten so bad, he was even pinch hit for by Reed Johnson in a tie game in the ninth inning Saturday, although to be fair this was a platoon issue (Heyward has batted .218/.299/.348 during his career against left-handers). He’s even been caught on two of his three stolen base attempts. However, digging deeper, there are actually some encouraging signs. Heyward’s 12.5 BB% is above his career rate (11.6), and his K% (18.8) is below his career mark (21.4). Moreover, here are his GB/FB ratios over the first four seasons of his career, respectively: 2.03, 1.63, 1.20 and 0.91. That type of development suggests bigger power numbers will follow, especially when you consider his current HR/FB% is 5.7, which is well below his career rate (15.1%). Still just 23 years old, Heyward looks like a prime buy-low candidate. On a side note, it’s pretty remarkable the Braves have a 6.5-game lead in the NL East and look like one of the best teams in baseball with Heyward, B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla combining to hit .161.

Here’s a crazy good fake pick-off play.

Shane Victorino has always been one of the funnier interviews in baseball, and while unfortunately his infamous “No questions asked” interview has apparently been scraped from the Internet, here he is saying “you know” 72 times during one three-minute interview. And he’s a good sport about it!

Robert Coello currently possesses one of the sickest pitches I’ve ever seen.

Gonzalez is heating up (USAT)

Adrian Gonzalez has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball of late, raising his batting average 34 points over the past three games (adding two homers and seven RBI over that time as well). He’s scored just 17 runs on the year despite a .395 OBP, and that’s with him crossing the plate six times over the past three contests. But Gonzalez does have 37 RBI, and his counting stats should only improve once Matt Kemp starts playing better (one can only assume this will eventually happen). Even after his latest power barrage, Gonzalez’s six homers are pretty modest, especially for a first baseman, although it’s worth mentioning his 0.88 GB/FB ratio is the second lowest of his career. Still, it appears he’s not going to return to his 40-homer days any time soon, but his healthy 25.7 LD% combined with a career low 12.4 K% suggest he’ll remain a major asset in batting average. Over the last four seasons (including this one), Gonzo is hitting .331 against left-handed pitchers, although that’s come with just 17 homers over 706 at-bats. For someone who won’t help you in stolen bases or runs scored (he’s recorded 29 runs over 308 at-bats since joining the Dodgers), Gonzalez’s lack of power prevents him from returning to elite fantasy territory. Still, the batting average is a big help, especially since it’s down league wide this season (the average BA in the National League is .249), and Gonzalez’s value also gets a boost when you consider how many first basemen have been busts so far in 2013.

Here’s a crazy hurdle over a catcher.

Miguel Cabrera gets the Yu Darvish GIF treatment.

Paul Goldschmidt going deep (USAT)

I wasn’t necessarily down on Paul Goldschmidt entering the year, but he came nowhere near any of my teams, as he was being drafted aggressively, and he played in what I perceived as a loaded first base position. Not only has first base been a huge disappointment in general, but Goldschmidt has quickly developed into a true star I certainly didn’t expect, as he’s on pace to finish the season with this line: .329-43-108-130-14. That’s a monster no matter what position you play. While Chase Field is a huge advantage on his side, Goldschmidt has actually posted a 1.242 OPS on the road compared to .812 at home, so while the former is bound to drop, the latter is certain to rise as well. Goldschmidt’s 23.0 K% suggests his current batting average should drop a decent amount, but the power is for real, and he’s the favorite to lead first basemen in steals. Even if it’s obviously unsustainable, it’s worth pointing out just how terrific he’s been this year when batting with runners in scoring position, as he’s hitting .421/.457/.895 with five homers and 24 RBI over 38 at-bats. He also has 10 home runs over 81 at-bats with runners on base. One final Goldschmidt quirky small sample stat – he’s hit .529/.550/1.471 with five homers over 17 at-bats against Tim Lincecum in his career. That’s right, he has a 1.417 slugging percentage against the former two-time Cy Young award winner. I regret missing the boat with Goldschmidt in 2013, and come next year, he might very well be a unanimous first round fantasy pick.

This “home run” trot is among the best ever.

This Ian Kinsler slide wasn’t ideal.

How long will Albert Pujols look lost at the plate? (USAT)

We held a mid-season draft Monday, and I ended up taking Albert Pujols with the 19th pick. Judging by Yahoo’s updated rest of season rankings, I guess this could be considered something of a reach. I’m not necessarily going to argue against that, but it’s remarkable someone who was a unanimous top-three pick last year and was generally considered a top-10 pick this year is now a borderline top-25 pick after six more weeks of disappointment. Pujols’ first 10 seasons in the league were unprecedented, and he’s still just 33 years old (assuming his listed age is correct), but with a .234/.315/.393 line over 145 at-bats, it’s easy to see why he keeps falling down fantasy draft boards (or in most cases this time of year, it’s his sinking trade value). Picking arbitrary end points is cheating, but Pujols did hit .303 with 29 homers, 87 RBI, 66 runs scored and eight steals over 396 at-bats from May-September last season, a span in which he was the sixth most valuable fantasy player. I have no clue why Pujols batted .246 with just one home run over the other two months of the season (211 at-bats), and the ice cold start and finish to the year are equally as meaningful as the hot stretch in between, but at least there’s recent evidence Pujols is still capable of being an elite hitter.

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Obviously, Pujols’ start to 2013 has been highly discouraging and continues a disturbing trend, as his batting average and on-base percentage have decreased in each of the past five seasons (his SLG has dropped in each of the past four, highlighted by an anemic .393 this season). It’s clear Pujols is past his prime, but just how steep will his decline be in 2013? His current 21:18 K:BB rate is hardly abhorrent, and his 18.8 LD% is right in line with his career mark of 19.0% (although it may be worth noting his 1.31 GB/FB rate is a career high). Maybe this is simply a health issue, and Pujols is playing through injuries more serious than we realize, but that doesn’t exactly answer the question of whether or not he should currently be considered a top-20 fantasy player. Since I was willing to take him 19th, I’m of the belief he’ll bounce back (his current BABIP is .236), and hitting in between Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo (I could not have been more wrong about him so far) and Josh Hamilton (assuming the current version doesn't last forever) is certainly a nice spot to be, but I’m also willing to acknowledge a return to form is no sure thing at this point. The draft was a nice exercise to see the change in values over the first six weeks of the year. Before the season, it would have been a bit unexpected to see Chris Davis go just four picks after Pujols, that’s for sure.

This first pitch is one of the worst you’ll ever see, although still not as bad as this classic one by the Cincinnati mayor.

That’s just Manny Being Manny.

Big Game James (USAT)

Leaving a home park that ranked first, second and seventh when it comes to suppressing runs scored over the past three years respectively (according to Park Factors) and a defense that has the highest UZR over that span as well, I was down on James Shields entering 2013. After all, he was just two years removed from a season in which he posted a 5.18 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. But I’ve been dead wrong. Shields has been one of the best pitchers in baseball so far in 2013, as he’s currently sporting a 2.52 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with a 48:12 K:BB ratio over 50.0 innings. His average fastball velocity (92.4 mph) is a career high, but it’s been the increased use of his cutter that’s led to the early season success. Shields is not only becoming a better pitcher than I gave him credit for, but his change in environments might have been overblown as well. For one, leaving the AL East for the Central was a plus, and the Royals’ defense currently leads the American League in UZR by a wide margin, and while that’s an extremely small sample when it comes to defensive numbers, it’s also worth pointing out Kauffman Stadium has a HR Park Index for LHB of 81 over the past three years, which is the eighth lowest in MLB. Shields is legit, and while those who criticized the Wil Myers trade (myself included) may very well be right in the long term, the deal certainly looks good for Kansas City right now.

Matt Cain off to a slow start (USAT)

Matt Cain entered this season having allowed 129 homers over 1,536.2 innings (0.76 HR/9). This year, he’s already served up nine home runs over 34.2 innings. Put differently, he’s allowed the same amount of long balls this month as he did all of the 2011 season, which spanned 221.2 innings. Cain has never had a season in which his HR/FB% was higher than 8.4. That number currently sits at 19.1% in 2013. While some could view this as regression hitting hard, Cain’s previous sample was too big to be written off as a fluke, and it’s worth pointing out just two of his six starts this year have come at home. Cain’s fastball velocity is down slightly in the early going (about 0.5 mph less compared to last year), and thanks to two deep playoff runs, he’s averaged 238.2 innings pitched over the past three seasons, so it’s at least possible he’s wearing down. However, with a 32:10 K:BB ratio over 34.2 innings this year, Cain could just as easily be viewed as a prime buy-low candidate. A 6.49 ERA typically isn’t accompanied by a 1.30 WHIP. I’d try to take advantage of owners fed up with an extremely unlucky stretch of home runs allowed and throw out some trade offers. From 2009-2012, Cain’s ERA (2.93) and WHIP (1.10) were both the fourth-best among all starters in baseball (accompanied by a HR/FB% of 7.0), so don’t let one month change just how consistently good Cain has been. The home park, SF’s bullpen and strong defense are all in his favor as well.

Here’s a funny clip asking people at Coachella about fake bands.

Here’s a cop yanking a suicidal man off train tracks at the last possible second.