Platoon Battles

May 13, 2009 1:54pm CDT

Throughout the fantasy baseball season, some of the most aggravating players can be those stuck in position battles with teammates. How each owner navigates these situations can determine just how successful their fantasy team will be, especially in deeper leagues. Here, the goal will be to dissect a handful of fantasy-relevant position battles each week as an aid. While this article may be geared more towards deeper leagues there should be something here that leagues of all shapes and sizes can take away.

Florida Marlins - Catcher

The Candidates

Player	AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
John Baker	84	21	3	14	0	.286	.375	.488	.863
Ronny Paulino	43	5	1	5	1	.256	.360	.419	.779

When it comes to catchers, John Baker has quietly put together a solid campaign. Despite being slotted all over the Marlins' batting order, Baker has managed to perform admirably at each spot throughout the season. In fact, the only spots he has yet to bat are leadoff, seventh, and ninth. He's been most often seen at second in the lineup, which is where he has produced his best numbers (.311-2-10). Among catchers in both leagues, Baker is currently tied for 11th with three home runs and tied for ninth with 14 RBI. This type of production in split time isn't bad from a weak position.

Ronny Paulino was brought in from Pittsburgh to be the other half of the Marlins' catcher platoon. He primarily sees action against left-handed pitchers, and he has been fantastic in that role throughout his career. Against lefties, Paulino has batted .353 and launched a home run every for 32.4 at-bats (compared to .249 and 70.2 against righties).

The Forecast

Baker and Paulino form one of the clearest platoons in baseball. Paulino gets the lefties while Baker gets the righties. It's as simple as that. Baker will hold value in most all leagues since he will get the brunt of the action. Baker also has the most value when he is batting second in the order, but he has been floating all over the order this week. Keep an eye on where he finds a home. Paulino has value in deeper leagues or daily leagues that can afford to keep him on the bench. If you can keep up with the Marlins' opposing pitcher and put Paulino in the lineup accordingly, he could help post some strong numbers for your fantasy team.

Chicago White Sox - Shortstop

The Candidates

Player	AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Alexei Ramirez	100	7	1	13	6	.200	.241	.260	.501
Jayson Nix	16	2	2	3	0	.313	.400	.750	1.150

There is no reason for Alexei Ramirez to be losing playing time. He has the potential to rank among the top shortstops in fantasy baseball, but his slow start this year has forced the White Sox to start looking for answers elsewhere. Touted with 30-30 potential by many fantasy sources, Ramirez has started to look more like a one trick pony. The power just isn't there yet.

Jayson Nix has been kicked around Colorado last season as a reserve middle infielder before coming over to Chicago. Right now he is stealing games from Ramirez and is continuing to produce in each of his opportunities. He has currently reached base in every game he has played and last night put himself ahead of Ramirez in the power column when he crushed a home run off of Cleveland's Jeremy Sowers. If Ramirez can get into a groove, Nix will lose almost all of his value, but the longer Alexei stays in his funk, the longer Nix maintains middle infielder value in AL-only leagues.

The Forecast

The forecast all depends on how fast Ramirez can turn his season around. Typically, you will see fantasy sites promote patience in the early months of the season, but it's getting increasingly harder to do that with Ramirez. You can't trade him or drop him at this point, but you have to find a replacement. Clear some short term bench space and find a better option for the next week or so. Those of you in deeper leagues can look in Nix's direction to fill that void.

New York Mets - Right Field

The Candidates

Player	AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Ryan Church	93	8	1	8	1	.269	.343	.366	.708
Gary Sheffield	45	7	1	5	0	.178	.351	.333	.684
Jeremy Reed	20	1	0	2	0	.350	.409	.500	.909

The Mets have one of the best offenses in the game today, which creates residual value for whoever can grab the most at-bats in right field. Right now, as you can see, it appears as if the value would be trickle down in the following order based on playing time alone: Ryan Church, then Gary Sheffield, then Jeremy Reed. The Mets have split time as evenly as possible over the last seven games, giving each of these players at least two starts (numbers over this seven game stretch, not including today's action, in parentheses below).

Church - .250 batting average, two runs scored
Church has had the most playing time to date but has failed to do much with it. In fact, this platoon has almost been formed due to his inability to perform consistently. Church has typically been a .270's hitter over the course of his career, but if he could ever get enough time in this lineup he would see his runs and RBI spike.

Sheffield - .200 batting average, two runs scored, one RBI
Sheffield is by far the biggest name in the bunch, but he's obviously not the hitter he used to be. That said, if you are playing in a daily league and are desperate for power, Sheffield is an enticing name to pick up, but as enticing as the name may seem, don't be fooled. Sheffield has hit only one home run this season and if you are going to play matchups, there are better places to look. If he earns consistent playing time we will revisit this, but Sheffield is merely a shell of his former self.

Reed - .444 batting average, one run, one RBI
Reed had a lot of promise at one point but never seemed to capture it. Whether it was injuries or inconsistent playing time, he has yet to produce like some thought he would. It would take a long string of success to add him to a fantasy team at this point, but he is worth keeping an eye on since Church is losing favor quickly and Reed seems to be gaining momentum.

The Forecast

The safe play is Church, but Reed will be the one to watch. If Church continues to lose playing time, Reed is the best option to pick it up, as Sheffield will be best utilized as a pinch hitter. With Carlos Delgado out for a little while, Fernando Tatis will move from the outfield to first base, thinning out the Mets options even further.