This Month in Baseball (TMIB) - May

Another month is coming to a close, and we now have a clear front-runner in NoJR with Gmonie16 surging to an impressive .719 win percentage and 13.5 game lead in the division. His team has depth across stat categories and doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon, especially with...

Kaboom.

• Jackie Bradley Jr. on the squad. He has played the past month at an elite level and has really continued growing after a strong finish to last season, much to the delight of me and Red Sox Nation. As of May 30, his month includes 18 runs, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 2 SB, 17 BB, and a .406 BA. Let's not forget that 29-game hit streak either.
• When my Reavers faced off against Gmonie16, Bradley supplied a preposterous 6 runs, 15 RBI and .469 BA. Somehow I still won RBI, but lost the other two categories by razor thin margins to finish the week with a 5-6 L. JBJ!
• Another surprise performer of the past month is a blast from the past: C.C. Sabathia. He went a modest 2-0, but with 21 K in 20 IP and 0.45 ERA and 0.75 WHIP.
• C.C. currently ranks 24th all-time in Ks, and will likely finish the year in 22nd place. I haven't heard a lot of buzz about him as a candidate for the Hall, but if he keeps pitching for a couple more years (he'll be 36 at the end of the year), he could be in elite company statistically (250 wins and around 3,000 Ks).
• Clayton Kershaw also had a pretty good month - 49.2 IP, 5 W, 65 K, 0.91 ERA, 0.52 WHIP.

• From the very old to the very young, let's talk Julio Urias. He made his MLB debut on May 27 at 19 years old, and many were hoping to see a glimpse of the special pitcher that he projects to be. As happens so often, however, the youngster had some trouble in the spotlight and couldn't locate his pitches. 
• That being said, he's going to be great. He projects as a #1 starter as few have dominated the minors like he has, and none at such a young age. The one knock on him is his height (5'11"), but it only makes Pedro Martinez an even more fitting comp in this FanGraphs article.
• Expect more call-ups as the calendar turns to June. Some prospects I expect to see in the bigs shortly: 
• Tyler Glasnow - Front of the rotation stuff, has 2.25 ERA and 2.44 FIP with 11.09 K/9 in AAA.
• Jameson Taillon - I like how he projects based on an elite K/BB ratio (54/5); currently has 1.79 ERA and 1.94 FIP in AAA.
• Trea Turner - Danny Espinosa is coasting at the Mendoza Line, while Turner is raking: .319/.385/.481 plus 16 SB.
• Orlando Arcia - If only Jonathan Villar could start playing bad, Arcia's path would be secure. Hitting .293/.326/.414 with 8 SB.
• J.P. Crawford - good patience at plate and was recently promoted to AAA, only a matter of time.

Walk off grand slam!

• Khris Davis led all players this month in home runs (11), and his teammate Danny Valencia is starting to look like a power hitter (7).
• Adam Duvall has basically turned into what GMs hoped they were getting from Jay Bruce.
• Tough luck for Mike Moustakas, Lucas Duda, Devin Mesoraco, Garrett Richards, and Kevin Kiermaier, who are all looking at extended DL time after injuries this month.
• We focus a lot on the offensive side of the ball in fantasy, but if you want a good read on Kiermaier's unbelievable 2015 "Platinum Glove" defense, read this.
• As far as the league standings, the Cubs are still tops in the league. The Yankees were able to scrape their way up to .500, while the Royals managed to take back 1st place in the AL Central. The NL West will be a battle all year between the Dodgers and Giants, but the Giants have a solid 4.5 game lead right now.