18-month old CC sure knows her Yankees...

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Undervalued – SP CC Sabathia: With the emphasis in most fantasy leagues focusing on securing premium hitters early, it comes as no surprise that Sabathia is falling into the early mid-rounds of fantasy drafts. However, his current overall ADP of 60 (15th amongst starting pitchers) still is alarming. The veteran has lost a couple of MPH off his fastball, but still managed to post a stellar 1.12 WHIP and win 15 games a year ago. Concerns over elbow issues that cost him time a year ago are justified as is the fact he’s had 12 seasons of 180+ innings. If he winds up being your #2 fantasy starter you’re in great shape. He’s still a top 10 option on our board.

Overvalued – RP Mariano Rivera: There’s no question that the Yankees’ longtime closer is sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famer.  A major knee injury cost him a good part of his 2012 season and many were surprised to see the 43-year old come back.  Like most of his teammates on the 2013 edition of the Yankees, Rivera is far past his prime. With great value always available in the later rounds and even off waivers with relief pitchers there’s no way we can endorse making him a top 100 pick and 7th overall player at  the position to go off the board, which is where his current ADP suggests he’ll be going.

Sleeper – OF Brett Gardner: After missing nearly his entire 2012 campaign with lingering elbow issues, Garnder has slipped the minds of many owners entering this year’s drafts/auctions. He was on the radar as a nice sleeper pick before Curtis Granderson went down and now his value rises even further. Don’t forget he averaged 45 steal per 150 games in the previous four seasons before last year’s misfortunes. His contact rate (90%) suggests a good chance he’ll improve his average (career .265 hitter) and produce a solid OBP which will lead to 80-90 runs atop the Yankees lineup.

Bust – 3B Alex Rodriguez: Limited to just 221 games over the past two years, the 37-year old’s status for a return this season is still up in the air. Add to it the fact his name continuously keeps popping up in the performance-enhancing drug scandals and it is becoming more evident we will never see the player we remember as A-Rod again. His .274 average and .444 slugging percentage over the past two years suggest even bigger disappointment ahead. Let some other owner in your league waste their time and roster resources with this fading star.

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1. Yankees – Riding a 10-game winning streak and own an 18-4 mark in last 22 games
2. Dodgers – Have maintained lead in NL West despite playing weeks without star OF Matt Kemp
3. Rangers – Lead the AL in hitting and runs scored while still boasting the league’s third-best team ERA
4. Nationals – Team has gone NL-best seven games over .500 on the road; bats starting to get healthy
5. Reds – Joey Votto has carried the team to the top of the NL Central and emerged the NL MVP favorite
6. Orioles – Easily one of baseball’s best first-half surprises; They need to carry it to the second half
7. Rays – Despite struggling to put runs on the scoreboard at times, the pitching has been rock solid
8. Giants – Quietly playing good baseball on the West Coast and poised for a second-half push
9. White Sox – Veteran Paul Konerko leading AL Batting Title race by 28 points with .358 BA
10. Mets – R.A Dickey and Johan Santana have been two of best pitchers over past month of baseball
11. Angels – After a slow start to the season (18-25 on May 21), they’ve won 18 of their last 25 games
12. Braves – The young arms have not provided the lift the team was hoping for to this point
13. Pirates – Pulled into a first-place tie a week ago, but quickly fell 3.5 games back after sweep
14. Indians – Consistency has been a huge problem for Tribe; Still in thick of AL Central
15. Cardinals – Injuries continue to mount of the defending champs; too many hurdles to overcome

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16. Blue Jays – Rotation is in shambles with 3 of 5 starters disabled; Offense still makes them factor
17. Red Sox – Long road ahead for Boston, who needs to get healthy if they are going to make a run
18. Marlins – When you’re hitting .237 as a team and its mid-June it’s not good news
19. Tigers – Have been easily one of the biggest disappointments, but AL Central still up for grabs
20. Diamondbacks – On the verge of getting back to .500, but already 9 games back of Dodgers
21. A’s – The young arms have reasons for hope into future, bat the lineup still needs plenty of work
22. Brewers – Ryan Braun (.314 BA, 19 HR, 49 RBI) has been one of the few bright spots
23. Phillies – Hard to believe that the Phillies are sitting in dead last in NL East and likely to stay there
24. Royals – Young talent starting to hit; still struggling to score & keeping opponents off scoreboard
25. Mariners – It’s hard to take a step forward when you are just 12-19 at home, but future is bright
26. Astros – The team is showing more grit than we gave it credit for, but another fire sale likely ahead
27. Twins – Minnesota used to have a formula to compete in small market, but that seems like long ago
28. Rockies – Not even the late-season charging Rockies will be overcome 16-game deficit in division
29. Padres – There are Triple A teams that field as competitive of a lineup on some nights
30. Cubs – Theo Epstein is willing to trade anybody on the roster as the multi-year rebuild project begins

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1. Tigers – Adding Prince Fielder is enough to put them over the top; their pitching as good as their bats
2. Yankees – There are still questions about its pitching, but from top to bottom there’s just too much talent
3. Rangers – After back-to-back World Series appearances you can’t discount Texas as a legitimate contender again
4. Rays – Despite annual free agent departures this organization continues to reload its talent and remain competitive
5. Phillies – With injuries are troublesome, the addition Pablebon to go with its stud starters more than makes up for it
6. Angels – The team signed Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson within 24 hours of each other and became an immediate threat
7. Giants – The window is closing on its young arms and a year removed from a title this team is poised for another run
8. Red Sox – The backend of the rotation and bullpen questions will make Boston glad they’ve added another wildcard
9. Reds – Madson going down hurts, but the team’s win-now approach this offseason will translate to on-the-field results
10. Diamondbacks – Kirk Gibson is the perfect fit atop this young club; last year’s turnaround will carry over into 2012
11. Cardinals – No Pujols, LaRussa and Duncan will prove to be too much for the defending champs to overcome
12. Braves – Atlanta continues to struggle to get over the hump, but they are a very well balanced and dangerous team
13. Marlins – The team has bought a title before; the new acquisitions to go along with a new stadium has created buzz
14. Brewers – Ryan Braun winning the appeal of a 50-game suspension saved their season, but they still lost Fielder
15. Blue Jays – Buried in the AL East will keep them out of the postseason again, but finishing above .500 is in the mix
16. Nationals – DC baseball fans finally have something to root for, but it may be another 1-2 years before they contend
17. Rockies – There are some positives with Colorado, but there are too many questions that will need to be answered
18. Indians – If Ubaldo Jimenez can relocate his velocity and 2010 form the Tribe will be in the mix the postseason
19. Dodgers – With the public divorce of its owners behind them the Dodgers can get back to the business of baseball
20. Royals – Another young team on the rise, but they still need a year or two before they’re ready to compete
21. Mariners – The team continues to rebuild and will prove to be more competitive, but a losing season is ahead
22. Mets – The Mets are headed in the wrong direction; the lingering injuries will make for a long summer in Queens
23. White Sox – There are far too many what if’s surrounding this team and that never leads to good things
24. Pirates – Lost in the Red Sox and Braves collapse of 2011 was the second-half nose dive of the Bucs
25. Twins – If Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau can both stay healthy they might finish .500; don’t hold your breath
26. Padres – Project reset begins in 2012 for the Padres their lineup is anemic and strikes no fear in opposing pitchers
27. Cubs – Theo Epstein’s arrival brings hope to Waveland Avenue, but it is going to take some time to fix this 
28. A’s – Money Ball may have been nominated for an Oscar in 2012, but it is going to fare very well in the standings
29. Orioles – Baltimore possesses the AL’s worst pitching staff and its offense isn’t much better
30. Astros – NL foes are going to miss them when they move to the AL; they won’t contend there either

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1. Phillies (57-34) – If they were in NL Central they would be up 8.5 games in the division
2. Red Sox (55-35) – Starts second half on a 6-game win streak and having won 11 of 13
3. Yankees (53-35) – The A-Rod injury leaves a void in the lineup that will need to be filled
4. Braves (54-38) – Enjoying an unprecedented 5-game lead for NL Wildcard at break
5. Giants (52-40) – Cleaning up against division foes with 22-13 mark vs. NL West
6. Rangers (51-41) – They rank second in AL in batting average, homers, and total runs
7. Brewers (49-43) – Wasted no time in upgrading bullpen by trading for K-Rod
8. Rays (49-41) – The fact they’ve gone 6-9 against weak AL West has haunted them
9. Cardinals (49-43) – Pujols returned much sooner than expected to give Cards boost
10. Diamondbacks (49-43) – Only Boston has won more games since May 13
11. Angels (50-42) – The Halos have gone 11-2 since our last rankings; back in mix
12. Indians (47-42) – Despite squandering divisional lead Tribe still my pick in division
13. Tigers (49-43) – Rotation is too top-heavy and inconsistent for them to contend
14. Pirates (47-43) – Bucs are feel good story of year, but may have hit their ceiling
15. Blue Jays (45-47) – It is getting ready to be time for the annual Blue Jays’ fire sale
16. Mets (46-45) – New York dealt K-Rod. Is Carlos Beltran next?
17. Reds (45-47) – Have not won on two straight days since June 14-15
18. Rockies (43-48) – Playing .500 ball at home has taken Colorado out of race
19. Nationals (46-46) – Davey Johnson keeping Nats playing competitively
20. White Sox (44-48) – An 8-16 mark against AL West (1-7 vs. MIN) tells the story
21. Marlins (43-48) - They are 11-8 since Jack McKeon took over on June 20
22. Mariners (43-48) – Dropping 5 straight games was a sour end to first half
23. Twins (41-48) – Slowly getting healthy, but have a long way to go in AL Central
24. Dodgers (41-51) – It is going to be a long couple months ahead for Dodgers fans
25. Padres (40-52) – Hopefully Heath Bell brings some rewards as the cupboard is bare
26. A’s (39-53) – Has the AL's second-lowest average, slugging and on-base percentage
27. Orioles (36-52) – The Showalter magic is wearing off; a 14th straight losing season ahead
28. Royals (37-54) – Dropping 20 of last 29 has led to having AL’s worst record at break
29. Cubs (37-55) – The team is hoping to dump as much salary as possible before deadline
30. Astros (30-62) – The fact they are seven games behind the Cubs says it all

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1. Phillies (49-20) – Phillies are 17 games over .500 in friendly confines of Citizen Bank Park
2. Yankees (45-31) – Bronx Bombers are 22-4 in day games this season; lead MLB in HR’s
3. Red Sox (45-32) – No team in AL has better batting average or has scored more runs
4. Brewers (44-35) – Rising to top in wide open NL Central race and could run away with it
5. Rays (44-34) – Their 1-8 start to the season has long been forgotten; just .500 at home
6. Braves (44-35) – Staff is boasting a 3.08 team ERA while holding opponents to .231 BA
7. Giants (44-34) – Pulling away in NL West despite ranking dead last in NL in hitting
8. Tigers (42-36) – Taking advantage of weak division by going 15-7 vs. AL Central
9. Rangers (41-38) – Mistakes haunting Texas as they’ve already allowed 42 unearned runs
10. Diamonbacks (43-36) – Have held their own in Interleague play with 8-4 mark thus far
11. Indians (40-36) – The Tribe can’t wait for June to end as they are 8-15 to this point
12. Cardinals (41-38) – Going to be hard for Cards to compete with Pujols down until August
13. Blue Jays (39-39) – Jays are 13-18 vs. AL East; 26-21 against rest of baseball
14. Reds (40-39) – Lack of consistency at the plate will prevent Reds from playing in October
15. Rockies (38-39) – No team is underperforming more than Colorado at midway point
16. Pirates (39-38) – Though the playoffs are unlikely, a winning season is within reach
17. Nationals (40-38) – Despite Jim Riggleman’s ignorance, there is no quit in this team
18. Mets (39-39) – Few teams will be talked about more than Mets as trade deadline looms
19. Mariners (39-39) – M’s making remarkable improvement, but still have a way to go
20. Angels (39-40) – It’s hard to stay in playoff hunt when you are 15-20 at home
21. White Sox (38-41) – Making up ground in division, but mediocre at best
22. Orioles (35-40) – Scoring runs isn’t problem; keeping opponents off scoreboard is
23. A's (35-44) – Their 10-27 record in one-run games is the worst in baseball
24. Marlins (34-44) – The wheels have fallen off in June as Marlins have lost 21 of 24
25. Dodgers (35-44) – Ranking 12th in NL in ERA and runs scored not a good combo
26. Royals (33-45) – KC is once again out of playoff hunt before 4th of July
27. Twins (32-44) – Mounting injuries mean long season ahead for Twins fans
28. Padres (34-45) – Easily the most boring team in baseball to watch
29. Cubs (31-46) – On pace for a 100-loss season in the Windy City
30. Astros (28-51) – Fans in Houston hoping NFL lockout ends soon

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The Cincinnati Reds host the New York Yankees as Interleague play continues on Monday. The Yankees have not been to the Queen City since 2003, when they dropped two of a three-game Interleague series. The Bombers have had better success in Cincinnati at World Series time, going 5-0 there while winning Fall Classics in 1939 and 1961. But the Reds got their payback in 1976, when they took both games in Cincinnati en route to a four-game sweep -- the last time the Yankees have been swept in a World Series.

With all of that in mind, I decided to simulate between the two best single-year teams in the history of the storied franchises, if not the entire Major Leagues. Here's how the SimMatchup from WhatIfSports.com calculated the series:

GAME 1 (at Cincinnati) - YANKEES 21, REDS 7
New York opened up the game with a seven-run first inning highlighted by a three-run homer by catcher Pat Collins, who led all batters with 7 RBI. Reds’ starter Jack Billingham retired just one batter and allowed five runs on five hits before exiting the contest. Yankees’ ace Waite Hoyt went seven strong, limiting the Reds to just one run before running into trouble in the eighth inning. Joe Morgan went 2-for-4 with a HR, 2 RBI, and three runs scored in the loss…COMPLETE BOX SCORE

GAME 2 (at Cincinnati) - YANKEES 8, REDS 3
The Yankees took a 2-0 lead in the series and once again in dominating fashion. The home team got on the scoreboard first when Ken Griffey Sr. smacked a solo homerun in the bottom of the second inning as the Reds opened up a 3-1 lead after five innings. However, the Yankees put up a three-run sixth to take the lead and used a four-run eighth inning to seal the deal. Urban Shocker pitched seven innings of three-run baseball to pick up the win as Gary Nolan was hung with the loss for the Reds. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig combined to go 5-for-10 with a pair of RBI in a balanced effort by the Bronx Bombers…COMPLETE BOX SCORE

GAME 3 (at New York) - YANKEES 9, REDS 6
The series headed to Yankee Stadium and despite falling behind early the Yankees rallied to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Reds opened up a 6-3 lead behind a two-run HR by Joe Morgan, but New York once again used a big inning to swing their fate as they scored five runs in the seventh inning to take the lead for good. Wilcy Moore, who was one of three Yankee relievers to pitch a shutout inning, picked up the win in relief. Catcher Pat Collins homered for the second time in the series and led the Yankees with 3 RBI in the win…COMPLETE BOX SCORE

GAME 4 (at New York) – REDS 4, YANKEES 3
Facing elimination the Reds came up with a series-saving win behind strong pitching from its bullpen. Starter Jack Billingham got roughed up for the second straight time, lasting just 4.1 innings but he limited his damage by yielding just three runs.  Cincinnati relievers combined to throw 4 2/3 innings of two-hit, shutout baseball, led by Pedro Borbon, who picked up the win. Johnny Bench went 2-for-4 with two runs and Tony Perez hit a two-run HR in the win. Babe Ruth accounted for all of the Yankees’ runs with a three-run bomb in the loss…COMPLETE BOX SCORE

GAME 5 (at New York) – REDS 12, YANKEES 4
The momentum of the series swung in favor of the Reds as they scored 12 times in the last two innings of the game, including a 9-run ninth inning. Yankees’ starter Waite Hoyte cruised through seven shutout innings before having the wheels fall of in eighth inning as he picked up the loss. Five different reds, including Johnny Bench, George Foster, and Dave Concepcion drove in a pair of runs in the win. Starter Gary Nolan scattered three hits and a run over seven innings to pick up the win. Second baseman Tony Lazzeri accounted for all three of the Yankees’ RBI in the loss…COMPLETE BOX SCORE

GAME 6 (at Cincinnati) – REDS 6, YANKEES 4
After trailing the series 3-0 the Reds evened things up in their return to the Queen City by holding off the Yankees for a 6-4 win. Cesar Geronimo plated a pair of runs with a second inning double to give Cincinnati an early lead. Lou Gehrig evened things up with a two-run homer in the fourth. Dave Concepcion’s added a solo shot and the Reds tacked on three runs late to seal the deal. Clay Carroll pitched two innings of scoreless relief to grab the win while reliever Bob Shawkey earned the loss for New York…COMPLETE BOX SCORE

GAME 7 (at Cincinnati) – REDS 11, YANKEES 7
The Reds won their fourth straight game to win the series. Neither starter was effective both factor in the decision. The Reds’ Don Gullett gave up nine hits and walked five while allowing five earned runs through six innings. He struck out seven batters. Yankees’ starter Herb Pennock couldn’t get out of the fourth, ceding seven hits and six runs in the loss. Rawley Eastwick got the final out and picked up his fourth straight save. Pete Rose and Ken Griffey each had three hits to lead a balanced Reds attack. Earle Combes went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI in the defeat…COMPLETE BOX SCORE

REDS WIN SERIES 4-3

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2010 Rewind: The Yankees won 95 games last season and no team in baseball scored more runs, but the effort was not good enough to capture to highly-coveted AL East crown as the Tampa Rays won the division by one game. With many of its top stars pass their prime several new faces were counted on.

The Good: Second baseman Robinson Cano earned All-Star honors and his first Gold Glove while finishing third in AL voting after hitting a career-high .319 with 29 HR and 109 RBI. Mariano Rivera remains one of the best closers in baseball. The 41-year old finished 2010 with a 1.80 ERA and a team-low 0.833 WHIP while converting 33 of his 38 save opportunities a year ago.

The Bad: Starter A.J. Burnett had one of the worst seasons in the franchise’s storied history as he finished with a 10-15 record and a 5.26 ERA.  After a stellar start to the 2010 campaign, starter Phillip Hughes struggled down the stretch, posting a 5.14 ERA from the All-Star break through the playoffs. Aging shortstop Derek Jeter hit .270 a year ago, more than 40 points below his career average.

Biggest Loss: New York’s biggest loss this offseason was losing out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes as the former Cy Young winner took less money to resign with the Phillies. The team let starter Javier Vazquez walk after his second stint as a Yankee proved to be as disappointing as his first.  Rent-a-players Lance Berkman, Austin Kearns and Kerry Wood were not retained.

Best Addition: The team lured Rafael Soriano away from the Rays a season after the right-hander converted 45 of 48 saves. He will serve as the primary right-handed setup man in the Yankees’ pen. Longtime Dodgers’ catcher Russell Martin was added to help to keep veteran Jorge Posada fresh and in the lineup. Expect Posada to get most of his playing time as the team’s DH as Martin shoulders the load behind the plate. Freddy Garcia, who signed a minor league contract, should find a spot in the back end of the rotation.  Veteran Andruw Jones will get some work at DH and in the outfield on occasion.

Fantasy Slant: After finishing with the second-best ERA of his career, staff ace C.C. Sabathia is one of fantasy’s best pitchers. He’s a lock for 190 strikeouts and has now pitched 230 innings in fourth straight seasons. Mark Teixeira remains a first-round pick and elite fantasy first basemen despite batting a career-low .256 a year ago. The slugger averages 34 homers and 113 RBI per season.  Alex Rodriguez may no longer be amongst the elite players in the game, but his numbers (286-32-109 with 12 steals and .914 OPS during the past three seasons) are still good enough to make him one of the best fantasy third basemen. Value can be founded throughout the Yankees’ outfield with Curtis Granderson, Brett Gardner, and Nick Swisher providing help in multiple statistical categories.

Final Take: The Yankees lineup is as potent as ever, but their rotation is shaky at best. While the Rays took a step back, the Red Sox made the most strides inside the division this offseason and enter the 2011 season as the favorites to win the division. It won’t come easy though as New York will battle for the title and a post-season spot for the 17th time in 18 years…2011 Record: 93-69, second place AL East (AL Wildcard)

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In one of the most surprising moves in this MLB offseason free agent left hander Cliff Lee has opted to sign a five-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies rather than the Yankees and Rangers, who believed to be the two favorites to land the highly-touted ace.

The deal is worth $120 million and nearly $50 million on the table with Yankees.

Lee posted a 3.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 28 starts this past year for the Mariners and Rangers, striking out 185 batters while issuing only 18 walks.

The Phillies traded him last season in a three-team deal that brought this year’s NL Cy Young winner Roy Halladay to Philadelphia. Lee now joins Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels to give Philly a Fab Four in the rotation that could go down as one of the best in league history.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR…

Phillies – They have the tools in place to continue to build a dynasty. Look for them to shop Joe Blanton, who is owned $17 million over the next two years, in an attempt to cushion payroll concerns. The offense has more questions in it, but is more than capable of producing runs.

Rest of NL East – Nice season. The Phillies were already favorites in the division and now that multiplies immensley. No other team has the arms to compete with them in series after series. No team is likely to stand a bigger hit than the rebuilding New York Mets.

Yankees – Big losers. Rarely is the Evil Empire's money turned down, but in this case Lee opted to go where he wanted to. After watching the rival Red Sox acquire Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford in the past week and facing a future with Andy Pettitte as the team's No. 2 pitcher it may be time to panic in the Bronx.

Rangers – Clearly they would have loved to have Lee, but in the long run it may be best that the franchise didn't handcuff its future on one arm. They will likely add pitching elsewhere and still have a great, young nucleus to compete in a much weaker AL West.

Fantasy Owners – Lee has always been fantasy gold, but a return to the Senior Circuit can only help his numbers. In addition, he will get plenty of great run support playing for the Phillies a place where he has already excelled.

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Just a few of the stat bits from MLB’s recently completed League Championship Series…

GIANTS-PHILLIES
--The Giants in Game 6 victory was their sixth, one-run win this postseason as they become just the third team in MLB history with that many one-run wins in a postseason.

-- Closer Brian Wilson sealed the deal by getting five outs to earn his third save of the series. Wilson posted a win and three saves in this year’s NLCS. According to the Elias Sport Bureau he became the fourth pitcher to win or save four games in one postseason series since saves became an official major-league statistic (in 1969).

-- Outfielder Cody Ross was named NLCS MVP after batting .350 with three HR and five RBI. Ross became the fifth player in MLB history to start the season with a different team and win the LCS or World Series MVP award.

-- Looking ahead, the Giants and Rangers have gone a combined 104 seasons worth of baseball without a World Series win. The Giants have not won a title in 55 seasons while the Rangers have never won a title in their 49 seasons as a franchise.

RANGERS-YANKEES
--The Rangers advance to their first World Series, ending a drought of 49 seasons dating back to their inaugural season in 1961. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no other franchise among the four major pro sports had played as many seasons as the Rangers before reaching their first championship round.

--There are now two current MLB franchises that have never reached a World Series – the Mariners and the Nationals.

-- New York allowed 38 runs in this series, the second-most allowed by the team in a single postseason series. The only time they allowed more was in 2004 when they gave up 41 during their seven-game loss to the Red Sox.

-- Josh Hamilton, who tied the record for home runs in a LCS with four, was named series MVP. He is the first outfielder to win ALCS MVP since David Justice for the 2000 Yankees.

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