 | June 3, 2007 Coach Danko |  |
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Brad Hawpe, Col OFWe've been down this road before. Last season Colorado Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe exploded onto the scene with a monster April that included 7 homeruns, 18 runs batted in, and a .362 batting average. Hawpe wasn't quite able to sustain his early season success, but still managed 22 bombs, 84 RBIs, and a .293 batting average in his first full season as a starter in the big leagues. The potential for improvement in 2007 led to Hawpe being drafted in nearly all league formats, usually as a 3rd outfielder. Unfortunately, fantasy owners soon realized that April 2007 was a huge disappointment with his first homerun not coming until the last day of the month. Times were so bad that most fantasy owners gave up on Hawpe and in mid-May he was easily attainable.
What's a fantasy owner to do? Go see if you can find this guy on your free agent wire. He proved last year that he has talent and this year he was a preseason sleeper that overslept by about 6 weeks. Brad Hawpe is the #6 hitter in the Rockies lineup and the first five spots in the order are pretty much set, so you can expect him to remain here for the duration of the season. With the Denver altitude for half of his games, he could end up as a solid run producer for the remainder of the season, especially if third baseman Garrett Atkins (who bats 5th) can find his long-lost stroke. If you're in a competitive league, Hawpe's probably gone, but if he's still available he's definitely worth a waiver claim. |
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Luckily for Hawpe, the winds of change have blown through the Rocky Mountain air and have filled his lungs with a renewed hitting stroke. Since May 16th, he has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball. He has compiled 20 hits in his last 51 at-bats (.392 BA) with 7 bombs and 17 runs batted in. His batting average is now above .300 for the first time since the third week of the season and his confidence is sky high.