CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Tadahito Iguchi is having a fine season, batting .291 with 9 home runs, 38 RBIs and 5 SB.  Beware that a batting average correction could be coming.  His weak contact rate of 78% and low batting eye of 0.34 are the warning signs.  He is also running with less success than last season, when he was 15 for 20 in SB.  This season he has been caught 3 times in 8 attempts.

Over the last three seasons, Paul Konerko has developed into one of the more reliable sluggers in baseball.  It looks like he is on his way to a career year.  The 21 home runs puts him on pace to equal the 41 and 40 he hit in the previous two seasons.  But he could top those numbers as he generating more power. His G/F ratio has gone down steadily since 2004 from 1.00 to 0.71 and his 16 doubles are 5 more than he had in the first half of last year.

Jose Contreras keeps rolling along with a 9-0 record and a 3.33 ERA.  Besides leaving New York, it looks like his success began when he stopped trying to blow away every hitter.  His K/9 is down from a high in 2003 of 9.13 to its current 6.33.  It’s the improvement in his BB/9 from a high in 2004 of 4.4 to this year’s 2.5 mark, along with his G/F ratio rising from a low of 1.07 to this year’s 1.31 mark, that is fueling his success.

CLEVELAND INDIANS

Jason Michaels was activated from the 15 day DL and immediately returned to his starting left field position.

Casey Blake could begin a rehab assignment during the All-Star break and be ready to return after the break.  Until then, Todd Hollandsworth will see time in right field.

The Indians traded the right-handed half of their first base platoon, Eduardo Perez, to the Mariners.  What the Indians almost certainly will not do is make Ben Broussard the full-time first basemen because of defensive issues.  What they may do is play Victor Martinez at first base against left-handers and have Kelly Shoppach catch.  Shoppach has nice power skills but makes poor contact and does not exercise plate patience.  For AL-only leaguers in need of power, he makes a decent pickup if you can stand a hit to your batting average.

For those desperate for wins, Paul Byrd and Jake Westbrook could be decent pickups. The Indians have the fourth best offense in the major leagues.  Byrd has just six wins despite pitching at least 5 innings in 15 of his 17 starts and Westbrook has seven wins while going at least 5 innings in 16 of his 17 outings.  Neither will help in K’s, ERA or WHIP, but they probably will not kill you.  Though not spectacular, they avoid disaster starts and with a good offense behind them, they can see an increase in wins.

DETROIT TIGERS

After hitting 9 home runs in his first 13 games, Chris Shelton has hit just 7 home runs in the next 69 games.  During that 13 games run 5 of the homers were in the hitter friendly parks of Ameriquest and Cellular Field, but four were hit in the tougher hitting venue of his home park, Coamerica.  So it wasn’t fully the case of taking advantage of the surroundings.  His G/F ratio has gone down from 0.95 last year to 0.73 so far this season.  He has some strength and the fly balls will begin leaving the park at a greater pace.  His .279 batting average is not supported by a weak 70% contact rate.  So, while he is a good bet to hit some home runs in the second-half of the season, expect his average to drop.

If you are a Todd Jones owner, talk up his 22 saves and the last two weeks performance of a 1.80 ERA, then deal him.  His K/9 of 3.0 is not even close to being closer-worthy.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Catcher John Buck has hit 4 home runs in his last 11 games, after hitting just 3 in his first 49 games.  Buck flashed power skills in the minors and the 12 home runs hit last year hinted that it could transfer to the majors.  Keep an eye on him to see if this is the beginning of some real growth.

After struggling in his earlier minor-league starts, Zach Greinke threw a gem in Double-A.  He allowed just 2 hits, 1 ER and 1BB, while fanning 12 hitters.  With that performance and the Royals going nowhere, he should be back in the rotation right after the All-Star break.  Remember he is just 22 years old, so there will be some bumps on the road.  Those playing for this year should avoid him.

At the latest, Mike MacDougal should be back right after the All-Star break.  With Ambiorix Burgos blowing 8 save opportunities in 21 tries, MacDougal will step right back into the closing role.

Jimmy Gobble replaces the ineffective Bobby Keppel in the starting rotation.  Gobble has looked very good in relief this year with a K/9 of 8.5.  He is just 24 year old but has not impressed as a starter in past seasons.  This is a good chance to find out if the past struggles were growing pains or if he is better suited for relief.  His first start against the red-hot Twins was a mixed bag.  2 earned runs in 5 innings was fine.  However, he will have to improve on the 2 strikeouts and 3 walks.

With Mike Wood going on the 15 day DL, Luke Hudson becomes the latest pitcher to get a start.  At 29 years of age, Hudson is well past the prospect stage.  He has struggled with injuries and command problems in the past.  There is no reason to expect a change.

MINNESOTA TWINS

The Twins 11 game winning streak can partially be attributed to the emergence of three very talented young players, Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer and Francisco Liriano.

Morneau teased us in 2004 by smacking 19 home runs in a half-season.  His first full season in 2005 was an injury riddled one, which saw him regress offensively.  The power has returned this season with 22 home runs in 77 games.  The power growth is supported by his G/F ratio improving from 1.03 last year to .68 this season.  At 25 years of age, he is at the right age to take this step up.  He is definitely a keeper.

At just 23 years of age, Mauer is hitting an off-the-charts .391.  He has only 6 home runs, but the 22 doubles show the potential for power in the future.  His average obviously will not stay this high, but an 89% contact rate and 1.21 batting eye paint the picture of a legitimate .300 plus hitter.

Francisco Liriano might be the most impressive of the three, with an 8-1 record and a stingy 2.21 ERA.  He is the perfect combination of a strikeout/groundball pitcher.  What is really scary is that at 22 years of age his K/9 of 10.2, command ratio of 4.3 and G/F ratio of 2.06 are the numbers of superstars in their prime.