George Springer’s red hot bat has him atop the top fantasy hitters over the past seven days. Springer is just one of many hitters around the game that has been swinging a hot bat for fantasy owners. The list includes Edwin Encarnacion with five home runs in seven games and Pablo Sandoval with 12 runs batted in.

As summer approaches around the country the warmer weather favors hitters in most of the ballparks and allows for the ball to jump off the bat. That has been the case this season as we saw multiple pitchers put together terrific starts, but have seen a spike in runs allowed over their past few starts including Johnny Cueto.

Here are 7 MLB fantasy players that have put together a great seven game stretch.

George Springer, Houston Astros: Springer homered in four consecutive games including a multi home run game. The hot stretch continued today as he hit his sixth home run in six games and has now added 13 runs batted in.

George Springer

Nelson Cruz, Baltimore Orioles: Cruz is hitting .480 over the past seven games including four home runs and eight driven in for the Orioles. The hot streak could continue for the outfielder/DH as the ball starts to jump out of the ball park at Camden Yards. Camden Yards were one of two stadiums that had more than 200 home runs hit last season.

Nelson Cruz

Alex Rios, Texas Rangers: Rios has stepped up for the Rangers in the absence of Prince Fielder hitting .516 over his past seven games. In that stretch Rios has 16 hits with four doubles, two triples and five runs batted in. Rios has also added two steals and scored eight runs.

Alex Rios

Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants: The Giants have the best record in baseball and a lot of the success has come from Sandoval. Over his last seven games Sandoval has 10 hits with one double and four home runs and 12 runs driven in.

Pablo Sandoval

Jose Reyes, Toronto Blue Jays: The extra bases and home runs aren’t coming for Reyes but he has picked up 10 hits over his last 29 at bats. The more he gets on base the more likely he can steal bases and that has been the case for him as he stole six bases.

Jose Reyes

Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee Brewers: Gomez has six extra base hits, including two home runs and four doubles in his last 26 at bats. Over that time frame Gomez has hit .500 for the Brewers and has helped his fantasy owners.

Carlos Gomez

Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays: After a horrible start the Blue Jays first baseman has been red hot and currently only trails Nelson Cruz for the league lead in home runs. Encarnacion has hit five home runs in his last seven games the bad news is he only has seven runs batted in to show for it.

Edwin Encarnacion

The key to winning in fantasy is finding that one player who might be ready to take that corner. Luckily for MLB fantasy owners is they have a large selection of players to choose from in both the American and National League. Despite slow starts for many named stars around the league many still have at last 100 plus games to rebound.

If you look around the game a few key names jump out at us with JJ Hardy in Baltimore being one of the first names. Hardy has yet to hit a home run, but has put together a solid season batting.296 for the Orioles. Hardy has led American League shortstops the past three years in home runs.

5 Players To Monitor In Fantasy Baseball:

JJ Hardy, Baltimore Orioles: Fantasy MLB Players on the Radar Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles continue to get hits from one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball but the long ball has yet to come. Over the past three seasons Hardy hit 77 combined home runs and averaged a home run every 5.8 games.

JJ Hardy

Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians: Santana has shown he can hit the long ball with six home runs this season but his batting average has dropped to just .159 on the season. Some of the problems could be with the position changes as he has played first base, third base and catcher for the Indians this season. If Santana continues with this pace he would finish with 20 fewer hits and 20 fewer runs batted in.

Carlos Santana

Ubaldo Jimenez, Baltimore Orioles: Jimenez hasn’t been as dominate as he was down the stretch for the Cleveland Indians last year, but has shown flashes here and there for the Orioles. Despite his struggles he has struck out 51 hitters over his 56 innings of work. The Orioles have also struggled to score runs in his outings scoring fewer than three runs in eight of his 10 starts.

Ubaldo Jimenez

Jedd Gyorko, San Diego Padres: Coming off a solid rookie season the Padres second base man hasn’t helped his fantasy owners out this year with the hits. In 186 at bats this season Gyorko has only 13 hits with 11 of them as extra base hits. The good news for fantasy owners is his does have five home runs and have driven in 23 runs, but the bad news is he is hitting just .167 on the season. This success could be due to opposing pitches figuring out his trends now it is his time to study them.

Jedd Gyorko

Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds: The 2014 season hasn’t been kind to Bailey as his he has seen his whip rise from 1.12 last season to 1.59 and his earned run average jump from 3.49 to 5.34 in his 10 starts. Fantasy owners were looking for a big season out of Bailey this season after he struck out 199 batters last season in 209 innings. If he can get back into a groove he could be a player to help rebound a struggling fantasy team.

Homer Bailey

FIRST BASE: Albert Pujols (AL), Paul Goldschmidt (NL)

Pujols is an easy choice who is in play for comeback player of the year. Miguel Cabrera and rookie Jose Abreu are names in play but they do not possess the overall package of Pujols. On the National League side it’s more difficult with breakout start of Brandon Belt and the reliable Freddie Freeman. But, Paul Goldschmidt just isn’t letting up after last year’s impressive campaign. He will definitely earn many votes.

SECOND BASE: Robinson Cano (AL), Neil Walker (NL)

At the plate, Cano has been consistent and his defensive play is always top class. Kipnis and Pedroia are candidates but Cano is the best choice regardless of his power numbers.

Brandon Phillips has been slow offensively this season, but has been great with his glove. Walker is off to a great start this season, and if Phillips doesn’t pick it up offensively the vote would still go to Walker.

SHORTSTOP: Derek Jeter (AL), Troy Tulowitzki (NL)

When looking at statistics Alexei Ramirez probably deserves the start due to the great start in his career. But, Jeter is in his final season he will most likely get the start.

Tulowitzki has always had potential but injuries have hampered his progress. So far, the healthy Tulowitzki has been fantastic for the Rockies even though Andrelton Simmons and Hanley Ramiez would be great picks.

THIRD BASE: Evan Longoria (AL), David Wright (NL)

Longoria edges out Donaldson even though Donaldson has had a better start to the season. Longoria’s consistency is honourable and may be enough to stave off the competition from Donaldson.

Wright’s track record and bright start should see him start in the All-Star game. Honourable mentions are Pedro Alvarez and Nolan Arenado.

CATCHER: Matt Wieters (AL), Yadier Molina (NL)

Wieters has had a career season and could overtake McCann in voting. It’s a difficult decision in the National League with past All-Stars all playing well, but Yadier Molina gets the nod in this category.

DESIGNATED HITTER: Nelson Cruz

This one was between David Ortiz and Nelson Cruz. Ortiz is usually the obvious choice, but Cruz has been great this season and will get many votes if he can keep up his hot start. But, you can never discount Ortiz especially if he heats up before the voting closes.

The Red Sox do not look like last year’s team at all. They got swept by a Jays team that outhit, outpitched, and out-defended them. Last year, the Red Sox led the AL in runs scored, scoring 57 more runs than the second place Detroit Tigers. Their starting rotation was also ranked fourth in the league. This year their bullpen is outperforming their starting rotation and that is the only reason why they sit sixth in the league in pitching. Often, their starters give up runs early on leaving the team chasing almost the entire game. The starters have a combined 4.50ERA and puts pressure on the hitters to produce. In terms of offence, last year the Sox averaged 5.26 runs per game last year compared to this year’s 4.04. They won 97 games last season because they could hurt any team in any way. Their speed and power were among the best in the majors.

So far this season they have struggled against right-handed pitching with a record of 10-20. The loss of Jacoby Ellsbury has been detrimental. Last season Ellsbury was .328/.374/.489 against right-handed pitching and he stole 39 bases in those games. The Red Sox are barely on pace to steal that many bases as a team this season. Grady Sizemore and Jackie Bradley Jr. who were brought in to replace Ellsbury have done little to fill the void. Even Ortiz has been affected by the departure of Ellsbury. Without Jacoby batting ahead Ortiz sees different pitches to hit. Ortiz needs to step up, and the pitching and offense need to get going if the Red Sox are to make the playoffs.

Rumours are swirling in Toronto about the potential availability of Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija. It has been suggested that if the Jays are still in the hunt at the end of July, Anthopoulos would make a move that would see Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez go the other way.

At this moment in time the Jays are in first place in the AL East and have won six games in a row. It seems as though that division will be won by the general manager who will make the best moves. For the first time in a long time the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays, all look vulnerable. This season could very well be the best chance the Jays have had over the past twenty years to win the division and make the playoffs. It’s time for Alex Anthopoulos to define his era as general manager and go for it. This is the year to take all the risks necessary to make the playoffs. Samardzija is an excellent pitcher with a great arm and big frame. He’s versatile and a great athlete. Countless times we have seen top prospects fizzle out and many general managers get fired based on their dealings involving the clubs prospects. But, Samardzija is still young and can start many games. Not only would this be a positive move on the baseball side, but it would be a wise business move. The Jays can control his contract next season, and for this reason they should not wait until the trade deadline to make a move. They want to be the team that others are trying to catch.

Jeff Samardzija
When Gibbons was a manager in the Mets farm system he once said, “You gotta go for it. You don’t know how long these jobs last or how many opportunities you will get to win, So Go For It!” This is the mind-set Anthopoulos needs to have.

In other Jays news, Stroman was sent back down to AAA. This is the best decision for the young pitcher so that he gets more starts and is of more value getting more experience as a starter in the minors. He may also be in play for the potential Samardzija trade, so for marketing purposes it is better for him to pitch successfully in AAA. It’s only matter of time Stroman pitches in the big leagues. The question is when and with which club.

Josh Donaldson and Brandon Moss team up to headline the list of hot fantasy players around the game of baseball. Donaldson’s and Moss’s hot bats have not only helped the Oakland A’s to the best record in baseball, but has also helped their fantasy owners win ball games this season.

Donaldson currently sits tied for seventh in home runs with 10 and fifth in runs batted in with 35 in the American League. Over his last five games Donaldson is riding a five game hitting streak with eight hits in 17 at bats including one triple and three home runs. He has also scored nine runs, drove in 10 runs and walked four times. In the team’s next three games Donaldson will face Jake Odorizzi, Erik Bedard, and Chris Archer with only seven career at bats against Bedard with one hit.
 
Brandon Moss

 
Moss has been on fire as well for the A’s has picked up 10 hits in his last 22 at bats, including five doubles, one triple and three home runs. Moss has also added eight runs, drove in 11 runs and walked five times over that stretch. Moss currently sits tied for ninth with nine home runs, second with 39 runs batted in and twelth with a.302 average in the American League. Like Donaldson, Moss’s only at bats have come against Bedard, but has three hits in five career at bats including a walk.

Here is a list of some other hot hitters for fantasy lineups:

Brett Gardner, New York Yankees: Four hits in his last 10 at bats including one double, one triple, one home run and three walks. Gardner will face Jason Hammel (1 for 10), Jeff Samardzija (0 for 1) and Hector Noesi (0 for 2) over the teams next three games.

Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles: 11 hits in his last 30 at bat including two home runs and runs driven in. Jones will face off against Francisco Liriano (4 for 15 with 3 home runs), Wandy Rodriguez (0 at bats) and Josh Tomlin (7 for 14 with four doubles and a home run).

Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers: Nine hits in his last 25 at bats  including two doubles, two home runs and three runs driven in. Martinez will face off against Corey Kluber (6 for 12), Trevor Bauer (0 career at bats) and Zach McAllister (6 for 12 with 5 runs batted in).

Chris Carter, Houston Astros: Eight for his last 23 with three doubles, one home run and two runs batted in. Carter will face off against Garrett Richards (5 for 11 with one home run), Tyler Skaggs (0 for 3) and Jered Weaver (0 for 4).

Miguel Cabrera continues to swing a hot bat while producing big for fantasy owners. Since his slow start in which we saw Cabrera pick up only 25 hits in his first 91 at bats the power hitting first baseman might be the hottest hitter in the league.

Cabrera is coming off back to back tremendous seasons, including a Triple Crown  in 2012 along with back to back MVP awards. That type of success didn’t roll over in the first month of 2014 in which we saw Cabrera finish with only two home runs to go with 15 runs batted in. The other alarming stat for fantasy owners was Cabrera’s five walks compared to his 18 strikeouts.

Luckily for fantasy owners is the fact that good hitters find a way to get it going and that has been the case for Cabrera since the start of May. In eight fewer games, Cabrera has picked up 24 hits, five home runs, 24 runs batted in and four walks in just 64 at bats. In the time frame Cabrera has been able to raise his batting average from .273 too .316 on the season. We have also seen his on base percentage rise from .313 too 408 and his slugging percentage from .407 too .703 over that stretch.

While it is hard to figure out what has changed for Cabrera at the plate it is easy to see how the reigning MVP has bounced back in the fantasy department. The key to his success in May compared to April is the amount of hit less games he has put up. In April Cabrera had seven games without a hit with only six multi hit games. In May Cabrera has only two games without a hit and six multi hit games. That has been the biggest difference.

Cabrera will enter tonight’s matchup against the Cleveland Indians on a nine game hitting streak and back to back games with three hits. Cabrera gets a chance to continue his hitting streak against Corey Kluber. In 17 career at bats verse Kluber Cabrera has eight hits with three home runs and seven runs driven in.

Here are the next five pitchers Cabrera will face after Kluber:

–        Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians: Zero career at bats against him.

–        Zach McAllister, Cleveland Indians: Four hits in 16 at bats with two runs batted in.

–        Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers:Three hits in 14 at bats with two doubles and two runs batted in.

–        Robbie Ross, Texas Rangers: One hit in one career at bat.

–        Nick Martinez, Texas Rangers: Zero career at bats against him.

Despite his struggles against McAllister and Darvish in his career Cabrera is still a must start player in any fantasy league.

 
The Los Angeles Dodgers no longer have any excuses. Both Uribe and Hyun-Jin Ryu have returned from injury meaning all their hitters and pitchers are healthy. This is a healthy team with the highest payroll in the major leagues, yet they remain inconsistent and have yet to hit top gear. After losing the series to the Diamondbacks it is clear that the club lacks a bit of urgency that often defines championship teams. They are 5-9 since May 3 even though they have been getting some production from a lacklustre outfield. Even manager Don Mattingly has admitted that his team are ‘waiting’ to go on a run rather than taking the bull by the horns and playing like they need to win every game.

It is wrong to have the sort of attitude that with time everything will fall into place and their talent will take over. Eleven months ago they went on a crazy 42-8 run that pushed them past the Diamondbacks and into the playoffs. This year’s team is more talented and has a better record thus far compared to last season. But, it’s one thing to rely on your talent and another to think that talent alone can win games. Dodgers pitcher, Dan Haren played with the Nationals last year, who were expected to win the NL East and make a run at the Championship. Unfortunately they began to win too late. This is a prime example of what can happen to the Dodgers this season if they don’t pick it up.

They are far from finished, as they sit just five games back of the Giants, but have yet to suggest that they will hit their stride. Often times their bullpen and defensive play get them in trouble. Sunday the Dodgers misplayed two balls causing an unearned run in the second inning against the Diamondbacks. Hanley Ramirez has made seven errors this season, and only two shortstops have committed more errors this season. Perhaps they will turn things around later in the season when the situation is urgent, but right now they don’t look like they’re playing as if the pennant is at stake.
 

What an unbelievable season Masahiro Tanaka is having thus far. The question remains whether he will be able to continue his dominance in the second-half of the season when teams start making adjustments to his style. He simply had ridiculous numbers in the Japanese Professional Title going 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last year. He led the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles to the title going 6-0 in the playoffs. This season he is 6-0 with a 2.17 ERA and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is 66:7 in 58 innings pitched. He is simply a winning machine. Can he actually maintain this form? He has not lost in two years.

Tanaka’s command is impeccable and his poise on the mound is second to none. It’s not the speed of his pitches but his ability to control where it goes that makes him a unique breed. His go-to pitch is his split-finger fastball which often puts away hitters. Many pitchers try to use different pitches to expand the strike zone or try and get hitters to chase bad pitches. Tanaka has the ability to get outs by pitching in the strike zone. He can put away hitters with his location in the strike zone. His movement, deception, speed change, and ability to throw any pitch when he wants has allowed him to be successful.

In Japan, pitchers generally make one start a week. Fatigue may catch up to him and will probably lose a game or two before the season ends. Batters will make adjustments to the way he pitches, but his consistency is remarkable and will play a key role if the Yankees want to make the playoffs.