AmateurGm.com

In a move that has caught the eyes of American League playoff contenders, the surprising Baltimore Orioles have called up their 19 year old pitching phenom Dylan Bundy just in time for their matchup with the Seattle Mariners this evening. Bundy was selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 draft and has showed flashes of dominance in the minor leagues since his arrival in the Orioles system. MLB.com recently re-ranked their list of top 100 prospects and Bundy found his name as the top pitching prospect in all of baseball and No. 2 overall. This exciting season for the 2012 Orioles has been led by 14 extra inning victories, timely hitting, and a dominant bullpen. The Orioles [...]

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• Category: Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays
• Tagged as David Price, Dylan Bundy, Manny Machado, Tom Verducci

Major League Baseball has expanded the playoffs to 10 teams by adding wild card games for each league. This extra level in the bracket was agreed upon by the owners and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) in the new collective bargaining agreement established back in November of 2011. This means that one-third of the 30 major league teams will now make the postseason.  This is the first time MLB has expanded the playoffs since 1995 when the new division series went into place. Let’s take a look at how the new system will work this year and how it will affect your favorite team’s chances of bringing home a pennant and World Series Ring in the years to [...]

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• Category: Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, Teams
• Tagged as Michael Weiner, players union, playoffs

The 2013 free agent outfielders’ class is more robust then many of the other positions this coming offseason. With stars like Josh Hamilton, Curtis Granderson and Michael Bourn potentially becoming available there will be a plethora of options and skill sets to choose from as general manager. Josh Hamilton is the cream of the crop. When healthy Hamilton’s offensive production is second to none. He has hit .292 with 35 home runs and 111 RBI in just 120 games so far this season. The biggest knock against Hamilton is that he cannot stay healthy. At 120 games played he is getting close to his career average of games played per season. He is currently making $13.75 million in 2012 and [...]

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• Category: Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Free Agents, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers
• Tagged as Angel Pagan, B.J. Upton, Carlos Lee, Curtis Granderson, Delmon Young, Ichiro Suzuki, Josh Hamilton, Luke Scott, Marlon Byrd, Matt Diaz, Melky Cabrera, Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, Reggie Willits, Ryan Spilborghs, Shane Victorino, Torii Hunter

The second base position is a mixed bag. You have a select few players like Robinson Cano, Ian Kinsler, Chase Utley who are at the top of the class and then there is the rest of the pack. Second base has taken a hit in the last few seasons. The demand for high production is either not there or the supply is severly lacking. I believe that the supply is severly lacking as evidence by this coming free agent class. The list of free agent second basemen below have contracts that expire and/or have six years of major league baseball service required to become free agents prior to the 2013 season. * – player whose currently has an option for [...]

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• Category: Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays
• Tagged as Chase Utley, Freddy Sanchez, Ian Kinsler, Jeff Baker, Jeff Keppinger, Orlando Hudson, Robinson Cano, Skip Schumaker

It looks as though Cliff Lee may be on the move again this season. With the Seattle Mariners underperforming according to expectations, Jack Zduriencik, may be in the market for fresh young talent. Lee is possibly the most coveted arm that is available this season.

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• Category: Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Rumors, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays
• Tagged as Aaron Hicks, B.J. Upton, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Ted Lilly, Wilson Ramos, Yonder Alonso

Previously, I took a look at the top 25 position players under the age of 25 currently in the major leagues. Since I compiled that list, the highly-rated Justin Smoak of the Texas Rangers has received the call to the big leagues, where he joins Jason Heyward and Ike Davis as the next wave of sluggers in the game. Today, I want to take a look at the top 25 pitchers under 25 that are currently in the big leagues. Currently, their is an exciting crop of young pitchers in the game with the list to soon see the likes of Stephen Strasburg, Drew Storen, and Aroldis Chapman. With apologies to those pitchers, let’s take a look at the list [...]

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• Category: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Fantasy, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Teams, Texas Rangers
• Tagged as Aroldis Chapman, Brett Anderson, Brian Matusz, Chris Perez, Chris Volstad, Clayton Kershaw, Dan Haren, Daniel Bard, David Price, Drew Storen, Felix Hernandez, Franklin Morales, Homer Bailey, Ike Davis, Jaime Garcia, Jair Jurrjens, Jason Heyward, Jenrry Mejia, Jhoulys Chacin, Joba Chamberlain, Johnny Cueto, Josh Johnson, Justin Smoak, Kerry Wood, Mark DeRosa, Mat Latos, Mike Leake, Neftali Feliz, Phil Hughes, Rick Porcello, roy halladay, Ryan Perry, Stephen Strasburg, Tommy Hanson, Wade Davis, Xavier Nady, Yovani Gallardo

Baseball is like no other sport in terms of its fans embracing their favorite teams young talent making an impact in the big leagues. Already in this brief season, Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves and Ike Davis of the New York Mets have sent their teams fans into a frenzy over their successful debuts. Later this year, we should see even more highly anticipated debuts as such names as Stephen Strasburg, Aroldis Chapman, Justin Smoak, and Starlin Castro are expected to make the jump to the big leagues. I am just like most baseball fans and love to see young talent succeed in the big leagues and with that I decided to compile a list of the top 25 [...]

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• Category: Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Fantasy, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Teams, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals
• Tagged as Adam Jones, Alcides Escobar, Andrew McCutchen, Aroldis Chapman, Asdrubal Cabrera, Austin Jackson, Billy Butler, Cameron Maybin, Carlos Gonzalez, Chris Coghlan, Chris Davis, Colby Rasmus, Cristian Guzman, Curtis Granderson, Delmon Young, Dexter Fowler, Elvis Andrus, Evan Longoria, Everth Cabrera, Gordon Beckham, Ian Desmond, Ike Davis, Jason Heyward, Jay Bruce, Julio Borbon, Justin Smoak, Justin Upton, Kyle Blanks, Matt Wieters, Pablo Sandoval, Reid Brignac, Sean Rodriguez, Starlin Castro, Stephen Strasburg, Tyler Colvin

If Ryan Braun is off your fantasy league draft board there is no need to be confused.  The analysts at amateurgm.com are here to help you decide who to anchor your fantasy outfield with. Alex Childers (Carl Crawford) – Four years $66 million; Seven years $120 million.  No, that’s not the Saudi Prince’s inheritance; those are the respective pay days that Jason Bay and Matt Holliday earned this year. Carl Crawford has the potential to earn an equivalent payday if he can perform like he has in the past.  With the Yankees showing interest, Crawford is prepared for a career year and a huge pay day. Last season Crawford produced his typical stat line .305/.364/.452 (BA/OBP/SLG) 60 SB, 15 HR, 68 [...]

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• Category: Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Fantasy, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Teams
• Tagged as Carl Crawford, Grady Sizemore, Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun

Whether you like him or hate him, I think we can all agree that the Yankee’s Alex Rodriguez is the best third basemen in baseball. I think we can also agree that Rodriguez is going in the top 5 picks in most fantasy drafts. If you are planning on drafting a third basemen in the first several rounds of the draft, you do have some options (and I recommend that you do, as it is a fairly weak position this year). Four amateurgm.com analysts break down who they feel is the 2nd best fantasy option below. Andrew Swanson (Evan Longoria) – Evan Longoria is one of the best third basemen around. In just two major league seasons Longoria has averaged 30 HR, [...]

• 6 Comments
• Category: Arizona Diamondbacks, Fantasy, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Teams, Washington Nationals
• Tagged as Alex Rodriguez, Aramis Ramirez, ARod, Ben Zobrist, Carl Crawford, David Wright, Derek Jeter, Erin Andrews, Evan Longoria, Mark Reynolds, Pablo Sandoval, Ryan Zimmerman

After a brief hiatus, it is time to take a look at the next part of our fantasy preview series and focus on some potential sleepers for the upcoming season. Every year fantasy owners are on the lookout for players that have the element of surprise and often times those players are found in the late rounds of your draft. This year there is no shortage of players from each league that have the potential to surprise and reward fantasy owners for drafting them. Here is a look at some sleeper candidates in the American League for 2010. Brandon Wood (3B) Los Angeles Angels – The former first round pick of the Angels in 2003, is finally ready to receive [...]

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• Category: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Fantasy, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Teams, Texas Rangers
• Tagged as Austin Jackson, Brandon Wood, Brian Matusz, Chone Figgins, Clay Buchholz, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Curtis Granderson, David Price, Francisco Liriano, Johnny Damon, Julio Borbon, Kendry Morales, Rajai Davis