Early candidates for fantasy awards
Once the season hits it's midway point, I am going to give out some awards for top fantasy performers. I'm sure a lot of players will be very upset if they don't win these prestigious awards, and I can't blame them. But I'm not in the business of making friends, so they will just have to deal with it.
There have been some surprises, both good and bad. There have also been some players who are who we thought they were. Either way, baseball is all about numbers, and people are always wondering who the best, and worst, players are. What better way to give the people what they want than by handing out some awards.
Since the midway point is less than a month away, I figured now was a good time to throw out some nominations:
Fantasy MVP
Jose Bautista (TOR) - 20 HR, 47 R, 40 RBI, 5 SB, .498 OBP
I'm just going to step aside and let you take another look at those numbers...
Curtis Granderson (NYY) - 17 HR, 46 R, 41 RBI, 9 SB, .347 OBP
I was skeptical earlier in the season that this was just a hot start, but the fact that Granderson has been keeping it up has really impressed me. If he can get his OBP up, and continue to take advantage of the short porch in right field at Yankees Stadium, I don't see why Granderson can't win this. Except for maybe Jose Bautista...
Matt Kemp (LAD) - 16 HR, 38 R, 48 RBI, 14 SB, .406 OBP
Kemp is another player whose start was so hot that it was a little hard to believe. A rare combination of power and speed, Kemp has the ability to be a 30-30 guy who drives in 120 runs. That sounds like a fantasy MVP to me...
Roy Halladay (PHI) - 8-3, 2.56 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 97 K
Roy Halladay, blah blah blah. He's good, blah blah. There is nothing surprising here, as he leads the league in innings pitched, strikeouts and wins.
Jared Weaver (LAA) - 7-4, 2.14 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 85 K
It's been an up and down season for Weaver to say the least. After starting 6-0, Weaver failed to pick up a win in the month of May, going 0-4. He seems to have gotten back on track, however, winning his first start in June.
Other candidates
Cole Hamels (PHI) - 7-2, 3.01 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 78 K
Dan Haren (LAA) - 5-3, 2.29 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 74 K
Jair Jurrjens (ATL) - 7-2, 1.75 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 44 K
Danny Espinosa (WAS) - 10 HR, 29 R, 33 RBI, 5 SB, .325 OBP
Mitch Moreland (TEX) - 8 HR, 29 R, 19 RBI, 2 SB, .384 OBP
Mark Trumbo (LAA) - 11 HR, 22 R, 29 RBI, 6 SB, .311 OBP
*Played in less than 50 games before this season
Fielder - Matt Joyce (TB), Lance Berkman (STL), Gaby Sanchez (FLA)
Pitcher - Alexi Ogando (TEX), Kyle Lohse (STL), Jair Jurrjens (ATL)
Fielder - Evan Longoria (TB), Adam Dunn (CWS), Dan Uggla (ATL)
Pitcher - Ubaldo Jiménez (COL), Joakin Soria (KC), Chris Carpenter (STL)
Matt Mullin is a sports producer at philly.com. You can reach him by e-mail at mmullin@philly.com. Follow Matt on Twitter: @matt_mullin