Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Marlins getting ugly

Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez got into it in the Marlins clubhouse Wednesday night. Uggla was apparently upset with Ramirez's lack of effort due to injuries that have been slowing him of late. Uggla also slugged his 25th homer, making him the first NL second baseman to hit at least 25 home runs in each of his first four seasons.

Fantasy Impact: Both players are fantasy assets, but both probably have underachieved a bit in 2009. Ramirez's .355 average can win him a batting title, but his 19 home runs are a touch below what fantasy owners were looking for. He's on pace for 100 RBI, but middle-of-the-order guys usually knock in more.

Uggla's sub .250 average is nothing special, but it wasn't exactly unexpected. He's a relatively early draft pick or keeper due to his pop at second, but a number of players broke out in 2009, including the Blue Jays' Aaron Hill and Rays' Ben Zobrist. Second base is no longer a position of offensive scarcity, meaning Uggla's value declines.