Who's Hot and Who's Not in MLB

by Bodog Sportsbook | May 9 2008

Major League Baseball is now in full swing after wrapping up the first month of the season. Bodog Sportsbook takes a look at some of the marquee players who have been either studs or duds.



Who’s Hot

Chase Utley
There isn’t a hotter hitter right now in the show than the Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley. Utley has been tearing the cover off the ball and currently leads the major league long ball race with 13 bombs, while batting .351. One of the things that has been so impressive about Utley as a natural lefty and a straight pull hitter is how effectively he has batted against southpaw pitching. Utley is batting a shade under .300 with six of his 13 home runs coming against lefties. Utley has been seeing the ball extremely well, especially at home where he has already provided nine souvenirs for the fans behind the right field wall at Citizens Bank Park. Utley is quickly becoming a legend in Philadelphia and the new Mets killer; Utley has already hit four of his 13 homers against the rival Mets. Barring injury, Utley will be the National League starting second baseman for the Midsummer Classic.  

Johan Santana
It was a happy day for Mets fans when Johan Santana signed with the Mets in the offseason. Coming into a pressure-packed situation and a bigger market with high expectations, Santana has been every bit as good as advertised. Santana is tied for the lead in the majors in strikeouts with 47. The other thing you have to like about him is that he is a workhorse. Ranking in the top 15 in innings pitched, Santana takes a lot of pressure off the Mets bullpen. Already at 3-2 on the year Santana has looked sharp for the most part with an ERA of 2.91, which you have to expect to drop even further once he gets used to pitching in the National League and familiarizes himself with hitters.

Chipper Jones
If you had to close your eyes and picture the ideal third baseman, he might look exactly like Chipper Jones. Better yet, it might look like a young Chipper Jones, with the high socks and the eye black. Chipper has gotten off to a great start and currently leads the majors in batting average at a ridiculous .426. The Gold Glove, power switch hitter has been carrying the Braves with timely hitting and has already driven in 29 big RBIs. The ball must look like a beach ball to Chipper right now: In 115 at-bats he has only struck out 10 times. Chipper has been absolutely amazing to watch. His preparation and poise at the plate has been phenomenal. In 16 at-bats against right-handed pitchers, after being behind in the count, Chipper is batting a mind blowing .438; basically, he’s been almost impossible to get out from the left side of the plate.

Cliff Lee
Cleveland Indians pitcher Cliff Lee has been almost unhittable in his last five starts. Currently undefeated, Lee has a spotless ERA of 0.96 and has given up only four earned runs on the year. Lee has struck out 32 and has been one of the major bright spots in a rotation that hasn’t looked as sharp as it did a year ago.



Who’s Not

Barry Zito
Barry Zito has had just an ugly start to the season. The Giants have to be wondering whether they got rid of the wrong Barry as Zito is winless with a record of 0-6. Granted, there’s not much offensive production coming from the Giants lineup; but at an ERA of 7.53, to say Zito hasn’t looked sharp would be the understatement of the year.  



Troy Tulowitzki
Now on the disabled list, last year’s Rookie of the Year is suffering a severe case of the sophomore slump. After batting .291 with 24 homers in his rookie debut, Tulowitzki has had a forgettable start, currently batting .152 with only one home run. Those type of power numbers are bad anywhere and any way you look at it, but when you’re playing in the thin air, hitter-friendly confines of Colorado, that’s one heck of a funk the young shortstop is in. No doubt he’ll bounce back once he comes off the DL - he’s just better than that.

C.C. Sabathia
After winning the Cy Young award last year, Sabathia has struggled mightily thus far this season. Known as a slow starter, Sabathia has looked anything but the ace on the Indians’ pitching staff. His ERA is a whopping 7.51 and he has given up 32 earned runs in just seven appearances. If you have Sabathia on your fantasy team you’re not a happy camper. Sabathia has been pitching better as of late and is showing signs of returning back to at least a respectable form.   

Ryan Howard
If he’s not hitting home runs, he’s striking out or getting out. Howard leads the entire major league in whiffs with 47 in 34 games. Worse yet, he’s only batting .168 with 16 RBIs so it’s not like he’s making contact often or putting the ball in play to move runners over. He does have six home runs, but those numbers just aren’t good enough for a hitter of his caliber.

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