Let me toot my own horn a bit. I really hope you listened to my annoying rhetorical rant about picking up Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds, because as I type this precious piece of fantasy insight, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound slugger leads Major League Baseball with five home runs and 13 RBIs. He currently possesses an eye-popping 1.109 OPS and has cranked .385 off of left-handed hurlers, which is 107 points higher than his 2007 mark (.278) against southpaws. I saw this coming, the MLB Extra Innings package works wonders for a man’s fantasy insight, so as I witnessed this guy culminate 2007 with a .319 average, nine dingers and 31 RBIs in 166 combined August and September at-bats last season, I knew a star was rising right in front of my almost green eyes. Go out and get him if it’s not too late. Hurry! Oh and don’t worry, Arizona’s other third baseman Chad Tracy (knee) won’t see the light of Arizona’s Chase Field if Reynolds maintains his torrid pace.

I didn’t believe in what Los Angeles Angels outfielder Torii Hunter did last year in Minnesota. I thought that the .287 average with 28 dingers, 107 RBIs, 94 runs scored, 18 stolen bases and a .839 OPS were a total farce, an oasis in the middle of Minneapolis. But hey, the guy is raking the ball this year. In 39 at-bats with the Angels, Hunter has hit .308 with four dingers, eight RBIs, seven runs scored, one stolen base and a devastating .998 OPS. Don’t tell anyone, but I almost traded him for a bag of balls and a six-pack of Sam Adams. I’m glad I kept him, at least for now.

As a lot of you probably know, I put a lot of emphasis on a player’s OPS from previous years to measure his future success, that’s why I love Mark Reynolds so much. But another guy that you should pay close attention to from now on is Florida Marlins outfielder Jeremy Hermida. He just returned from his little hamstring problem, so his health should finally be on your side. In 2007, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound soon-to-be stud hit .296 with 18 dingers, 63 RBIs, 54 runs scored and a .870 OPS in 429 at-bats. He combined to hit .338 with 12 dingers, 41 RBIs and 40 runs scored in 281 at-bats during July, August and September last season. His dominance is beginning to boil in the Florida heat, so make sure you grab some sunblock if you plan on grabbing him. His 2007 OPS (.870) was 170 points higher than the .700 mark he registered during the 2006 season in 122 less at-bats (307) than the 429 opportunities to crack the ball he had during the 2007 campaign. I smell a true breakout. Enjoy!

Unless you live in a cave covered by granite rock that is thicker than the earth’s core, you know that 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto is disgusting and absolutely filthy. I’m sure he showers though, so don’t be scared to grab him if he’s available. But I want to talk about the guy that people seem to peruse right over when talking about the young and immensely talented pitching staff that calls Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park home. His name is Edinson Volquez. During all the hoopla over the past month about Cueto, Volquez, who was acquired in the mindless trade of outfielder Josh Hamilton to the Texas Rangers, has quietly succeeded in his quest to grasp a permanent role with the Reds. Thus far, the 24-year-old has notched a 1-0 record with eight strikeouts, two walks, a 1.69 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in 5 1/3 innings. Last season with the Rangers, he went 2-1 with 29 whiffs and 15 walks in 34 innings. He has nasty stuff and a mid-90s fastball that has the ability to make hitters routinely swing and miss, which I know makes everybody happy. If you’re hurting for pitching, you could do much worse than a guy that struck out eight batters in his first start of the year. Oh, just so you know, he posted a 2.70 ERA with 26 strikeouts and four walks during Spring Training. Make sure you own this super sleeper when he truly awakens.

I figured I would save the best for last. This is Boston, I know how it is and you know how it is. We all know how people react to certain individuals and newsworthy incidents. For instance, a ton of people in this town hated what starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka did for us last year. I for one was adamantly not one of those nauseating individuals. Personally, I don’t know how you discredit a guy that struck out 201 hitters during his first campaign pitching in America, or how you find something wrong with a 15-12 record? How do you manifest an argument against a guy that is durable enough to start 32 games and pitch 204 2/3 innings? You can’t! Now as Matsuzaka’s adjustment to the American game nears completion, the consistent thud of people jumping back on the “Dice-K” bandwagon is grinding at my brain. Everyone loves his 2-0 start and his league leading 22 strikeouts. Plus, he looks unhittable with a 1.47 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP tucked discretely in his back pocket. This is the Dice-K I saw during the 2006 World Baseball Classic, this is the guy I saw mowing down dazed Japanese hitters on YouTube. His stuff is dominant and yes, sometimes erratic. But his undeniable elite repertoire is blazing hitters away in 2008. However, I’m sure there are some owners that still feel uncomfortable starting the 27-year-old import on a regular basis. My advice to you is to find that owner and get Matsuzaka on the cheap, at least before he contends for the American League Cy Young Award. Mark my words. I think he’ll win 18 games, whiff 220 hitters, record a 3.10 ERA and notch a nasty 1.25 WHIP this year. Get him, you won’t be sorry.

Rob McCarthy has played fantasy sports since the days of tediously transferring his daily points from the Boston Herald to a tattered notepad every morning.  He has been featured on Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports and currently scribes for KFFL.com.  In addition, Rob is an avid fan of all Boston sports.

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