Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 5

Every Monday, I will be running down some of the notable performances from around the Minor Leagues, or anything that might have caught my eye in general. Here is the 2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 5:

Byron Buxton MIN, OF – Turned it on for real this week, hitting his first three homers of the season. He’s now slashing .276/.344/.534 at Triple-A, and it looks like whatever had to be corrected with his swing has been corrected. If I were a betting man (I am), I would bet a lot of money that he will not hit like a little leaguer when he gets called back up.

Chris Shaw SF, 1B – In the comments section of my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article, “The Baltimoron” mentioned Chris Shaw could be an underrated breakout candidate as well. And boy was he right, as Shaw is crushing it at High-A, slashing .337/.402/.615 with 6 homers. You modest bastard you, “The Baltimoron,” more like “The Baltigenius.”

Yoan Moncada BOS, 2B – The power is starting to come around, as Moncada launched his first three homers of the season this week, and is slashing .317/.450/.510 with 19 steals in 28 games at High-A. With Corey Seager and Buxton officially losing their prospect eligibility, Moncada is probably in a battle with Julio Urias to be the #1 fantasy prospect in the game right now.

Julio Urias LAD, LHP – Speaking of which, there have been rumors the Dodgers may call up Urias to pitch out of the pen this season, because when has rushing a 19-year-old pitching prodigy, with less than 100 IP above A-ball, to pitch out of the bullpen ever backfired on a team?

Brendan Rodgers COL, SS – A legitimate argument can be made that Rodgers is the top fantasy prospect right now too. He is treating Single-A pitchers like cable companies treat their customers, completely bulldozing them to the tune of .358/.421/.642, with 7 homers, and 2 steals in 27 games. I doubt High-A will cause him many problems, either.

Jose De Leon LAD, RHP – Didn’t take long for De Leon to remind me of why I ranked him the 14th overall fantasy prospect coming into this season, as he went 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BB, and 9 K’s in his first of the year. His K upside is as good or better as any pitcher in the minors.

Carson Fulmer CHW, RHP – Fulmer has looked a lot better after his terrible first two starts, and he further solidified himself this week with a 6 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BB, 7 K performance. His fastball command was giving him trouble in the early going, which he blamed on being too amped up. If you have ever watched Fulmer pitch, you know his intensity is always dialed up to 11, so that is quite believable. If he keeps pitching well, it is not out of the question for him to force his way into Chicago’s rotation later this season. I would have him on my radar as a deeper league redraft stash.

Lucas Giolito WASH, RHP – Fulmer’s command issues have now been passed on to Giolito, and we unfortunately have to add Giolito to the slow start watch list. After four very mediocre starts to begin the season, he threw up an absolute disaster this week, going 3 IP, 6 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BB, 4 K. It has only been 18.2 IP, and I’m sure he will eventually find his rhythm and turn it around.

Blake Snell TB, LHP – Well, this will teach teams to call up their stud prospects for spot starts with no intention of keeping them up, and at Yankee Stadium to boot. Snell has lost all control and command since being sent back down, and I have to believe it is a just an issue of losing focus after getting back on that minor league bus and $25 per diem grind. He’ll be fine.

Tyler Glasnow PIT, RHP/Jameson Taillon PIT, RHP – Glasnow: 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BB, 11 K – Taillon: 7 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BB, 3 K. It is literally a full blown arms race to see who gets the call first.

Dansby Swanson ATL, SS – Promotion to Double-A hasn’t slowed Swanson down at all, as he is slashing .310/.444/.517 in his first 8 games at the level. He still has only 3 homers in 51 career minor leagues games, and he is not considered a burner, so I’m not sure the hot start moves the needle much in either direction. I ranked him 25th overall in the off season, and he is a good fantasy prospect, but he may never develop that big power or speed. Considering he is also contending with Ozzie Albies to be Atlanta’s SS of the future, I would be sniffing out some sell high opportunities right now.

Trea Turner WASH, SS, – Who needs a stud 22-year-old SS slashing .321/.391/.455, with 2 homers, and 12 steals at Triple-A, when you have a .200 hitting Danny Espinosa and .143 hitting Stephen Drew tearing it up in the majors? 2022 is probably much more important. To be fair to Washington, Turner does have 5 errors in only 26 games, and there have been more than a few scouts who have suggested he is better off at 2B long term. For now, I would still assume we see Turner in the big leagues by July at the latest.

J.P. Crawford PHI, SS – The only thing to note about Crawford’s start to the season is how there is remarkably little to note about it. He is just doing what he does best, controlling the strike zone, and displaying his moderate power/speed combo.

Austin Meadows PIT, OF – Triple-slashing .177/.255/.195 in his first 11 games at Double-A. It’s almost like fracturing the orbital bone in his right eye has negatively affected his hitting.

Harrison Bader STL, OF – I’m seriously not trying to write about Bader in every rundown, but he keeps topping his performance from the previous week and it makes it hard not to. He put up a .407 batting average this week, struck out only 14% of the time, and is 2/2 in stolen base attempts since May 1. The K% and steals were both areas of concern even with his scorching start. The arrow continues to point up.

Paul DeJong STL, 3B – Went on a homer binge this week like I binge on Netflix and Chinese food. He has hit 5 homers in May, bringing his season total up to, um, 5. He hit 9 dingers last year splitting time between Rookie ball and Single-A, and ho hum, St. Louis has another underrated hitting prospect who they scooped in the 4th round of last year’s draft.

Tom Murphy COL, C – Murphy finally got his season underway after being out with the dreaded, lingering oblique injury, and he wasted no time in showing why I loved him so much, smashing a homer in his second game back. Nick Hundley is currently dealing with an oblique injury of his own, and it may open a door for Murphy to make an impact this season if he keeps playing well. The oblique giveth and taketh away.

Willson Contreras CHC, C – Contreras has already been displaying his elite plate approach and contact skills in the early going at Triple-A, and now he has added some power as well. He hit his first two homers of the year this week, and he remains one of the very best fantasy catcher prospects in the game.

Brad Zimmer CLE, OF – Power, speed, and K’s galore. The 6 homers and 11 steals in 27 games is drool worthy, but striking out 31% of the time as 23-year-old in Double-A is concerning. I’m starting to think his batting average will be closer to .250 than .270.

Aaron Judge NYY, OF – After treading water for most of the season, Judge Dredd lived up to his nickname by crushing 3 homers this week, bringing his season total up to 6. He also still has a 27% K%. I think we are definitively starting to see the player Judge is/will become, a low average, high K power hitter with very good, but not elite power.

Gary Sanchez NYY, C – The Sanchize (Mark Sanchez has really ruined that nickname forever, huh) has also started to mash this week, going deep 3 times. He is slashing .283/.336/.566, with 5 homers, and 2 steals in 24 games at Triple-A. Considering he plays in an extreme pitcher’s park, the line looks even more impressive.

Brett Phillips MIL, OF – Phillips must have heard me when I was talking shit about his power potential in last week’s rundown, as he cranked 4 homers this week, and hit 3 in one game! Needless to say, the power is looking better now.

Raimel Tapia COL, OF – Finally got it going this week, slashing .304/.360/.652, with 2 homers, and 1 steal at Double-A. Time to take him off the slow start watch list.

Raul Mondesi Jr. KC, SS – Remember when I said it might be time to start getting excited about Mondesi? Well, it wasn’t time, as his season line has now fallen to .230/.280/.440, with 5 homers, and 11 steals in 24 games at Double-A. He is still flashing that tantalizing power and speed, so we just have to stay patient.

Tyler Jay MIN, LHP – Got back on track this week (6.1 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BB, 7 K) after getting hammered by the Hammerheads last week. It’s a good sign to see him bouncing back after rough starts.

Brent Honeywell TB, RHP – Just keeps dominating High-A hitters. I was questioning whether I should have even included him in the rundown because his dominance is getting kinda mundane at this point.

Jose Pujols PHI, OF – The 20-year-old Pujols has always had huge raw power and plus bat speed, but it is just now starting to show up in games. He hit 3 homers this week, and that gives him 7 homers on the season in 27 games at Single-A. He is striking out 33% of the time, but he is still an intriguing deep league power prospect.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@ImaginaryBrickW)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Top 5 Stand-Up Comedians

When writing about the very best stand-up comedians in the world, it can be a daunting task to come up with a funny opener. So please forgive me for straight passing. Without further ado, here are the top 5 stand-up comedians in the world right now:

1) Chris Rock – Chris Rock is nothing short of a living legend, the King. Hell, he’s also the Queen, the Prince, and the Princess. He’s the entire royal family of comedy. He absolutely killed it hosting the Oscars in primetime with millions watching around the world, and the last time I was at the Comedy Cellar, he showed up out of nowhere and did an hour of brand new material that had the entire room buzzing. There is no question that Rock deserves the #1 spot.

2) Louis C.K. – Louis C.K. has been a major catalyst for the stand-up comedy explosion in recent years. He is an inspiration and trailblazer for creative people in every field. It doesn’t matter what venue he is performing at; he can take down any room. I have seen him at the Comedy Cellar multiple times, as the headliner at Irving Plaza, and at a Wounded Warriors Project charity event, and he had the audience in stitches each time. He has also conquered television, starting with his underrated 2006 HBO show, Lucky Louie, through his hit show on FX, Louie, and now as a co-creator of the show Baskets. That is a resume only Chris Rock can top right now.

3) Bill Burr – Here is what I wrote about Bill Burr in my F is for Family Review, “Burr is a mastermind at finding comedy in how men think, and why we act like we do. While being funny is surely his number one goal, what makes him great are that his insights cut on a much deeper level. Some try to pigeonhole Burr as the typical Neanderthal man, but it is that exact stereotype that Burr loves to play on, and ultimately rejects using ‘hilarious wisdom.’” Hey, if comedians can repeat their material every now and then, so can I.

4) Jim Gaffigan – Jim Gaffigan performed at the same Wounded Warriors Project charity event that I mentioned earlier, and being completely objective, he might have actually outdone Louis C.K. on that night. The entire theater was putty in his hands. He is the undisputed champ of “food comedy,” and if you haven’t seen his famous 5-minute bit on Hot Pockets, just stop reading this article right now and watch it. Gaffigan has been doing his thing for years now, and he is slowly but surely climbing his way up the stand-up comedy ranks.

5) Gary Gulman – Gary Gulman is the underdog of the group, an up and comer who is destined for a big breakout in the near future. He is a tall, handsome man with an athletic build, whose stand-up comedy style is that of an awkward, overweight kid who got no ass growing up. Just watch his hilarious bit about Donald Trump, Bill Gates, and Billionaires from his 2012 comedy special, In this Economy, and then go on Netflix and watch the rest of that special, along with his 2016 special, It’s About Time. I guarantee you become an instant fan.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@ImaginaryBrickW)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Top 3 Buy Low Dynasty League Prospects

It is that time of year when the vultures begin to circle. They act like they are your best friend, just out for your team’s best interest, but all the while, they are plotting and planning on how to pry your most valuable assets away from you. I am not here to judge, though. I am here to help both vulture and prey, alike. For the vultures, here are the top 3 buy low Dynasty League prospects that you should be zeroing in on, and for the prey, these are the guys that you should be holding close to your vest:

Lewis Brinson TEX, OF – Brinson is off to a good, but not great start in his first 20 games at Double-A this season, slashing .284/.325/.486, with 2 homers, and 4 steals. These numbers don’t present your typical buy low scenario, but he is coming off a season where he put up a 1.004 OPS, and finished the year in Triple-A slashing .433/.541/.567 in 37 PA. Nomar Mazara is also getting all the hype right now. Point being, Brinson owners might be getting an itchy trigger finger, ready to cash this trade chip in at a reasonable price. He got off to a “slow” start last April, as well, slashing .275/.359/.435, with 2 homers, and 4 steals. Plus, his K% is all the way down to 12.5% this season, which has been a weakness of his in the past. And he is still just 21 years old. There is almost no doubt Brinson is about to turn it up another notch any moment now.

Derek Fisher HOU, OF – Many people were not all that high on Fisher to begin with, so now that he is off to a slow start at Double-A, slashing .200/.340/.388, with 3 homers, and 2 steals, you might be able steal Fisher away from his owner for a song. Although, I wouldn’t literally offer a song, because you likely suck at singing. His K% has improved slightly, his BB% is way up, and his ISO is about the same as last season. The biggest difference is his BABIP, which has dropped all the way down to .237 this season. In other words, he has simply been unlucky so far, and luck has a way of evening out.

Tim Anderson CHW, SS – I’m not going to sugarcoat it, Anderson has been awful to start the year, and there isn’t anything to point to in his underlying stats to say he is bound to turn it around. This is just a gut call based on anecdotal evidence and belief in his raw talent. Anderson missed about a week earlier this season with a sprained wrist, and he was ice cold upon his return. He has recently shown signs of life, though, putting up a .292 batting average in the last seven days. Considering the natural hitting ability he displayed in the past, my bet is that the further away he gets from that wrist injury, the better he will hit. And with Jimmy Rollins not doing much of anything at the Major League level, we might see Anderson take over the White Sox SS job sooner rather than later.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@ImaginaryBrickW)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 4

Every Monday, I will be running down some of the notable performances from around the Minor Leagues, or anything that might have caught my eye in general. Here is the 2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 4:

Byron Buxton MIN, OF – Turned it on since getting demoted to Triple-A, seeing his OPS jump .111 points … from .497 to .608. Oof. I oddly see this as a positive, though. He wasn’t simply overmatched by MLB pitching. There is something fundamentally wrong with his swing right now, and it should be correctable.

Ozzie Albies/Dansby Swanson ATL, SS – Both of Atlanta’s shortstops of the future are moving on up, Albies to Triple-A and Swanson to Double-A. Because I’m good at pattern recognition, it looks like Albies will get the first shot to win the SS job at the Major League level.

Harrison Bader STL, OF – Went deep in back-to-back-to-back games this week. It inspired me to write a Harrison Bader, 2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakout post last Friday after the first 2 homers, and Bader and his former coach both liked the article on Twitter! He is now slashing .345/.402/.560, with 5 homers, and 3 steals in 21 games at Double-A. He might want to think about changing his name to Harrison Gooder, because you know, branding and everything.

Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B – Starting to really heat up, and after launching 3 dingers this week, his season line stands at .253/.340/.529, with 6 homers, and a 36/11 K/BB. Expect more homers, strikeouts, and walks for about the next, say, 15 years or so.

Tyler Glasnow PIT, RHP – Struck out 18 batters and gave up no earned runs over 11 IP in his two starts this week. He walked only 1 in his first start, and then 5 in his second start, so the control is still spotty.

Josh Hader MIL, LHP – Somebody get this man some more hype! I tried to all off season, but it seems like it has barely taken. He has only thrown up a pitching line of 0.78/1.09/32 in 23 IP at Double-A so far, and he hasn’t given up more than a single earned run in any of his 5 starts. I’m not sure if Milwaukee will want to call him up this season, but in Dynasty Leagues, he is a must own.

Phil Bickford SF, RHP – The 18th overall pick of the 2015 draft, Bickford has been nothing short of a strikeout machine these last two years. He had an insane 17.24 K/9 in 86.2 IP in JuCo in 2015, and has now struck out 33 batters in 20.2 IP this year at Single-A. He has excellent control, is still only 20 years old, and has prototypical starter size at 6’4’’, 200 pounds. He doesn’t have the huge fastball, but color me intrigued.

Lucas Sims ATL, RHP – 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BB and 11 K in his start this week at Triple-A. He leads all of MiLB with 42 K’s, and is starting to regain some of that prospect shine. He is an underrated stash option in redraft leagues too.

Cody Reed CIN, LHP – 12 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BB and 11 K at Triple-A in his first two starts since returning from a cut finger. With Cincinnati’s shaky rotation, he is another underrated stash option in redraft leagues.

Orlando Arcia MIL, SS – Got his legs going this week, stealing his first 4 bags of the season, and also tacked on his 2nd and 3rd homer. He is triple-slashing .308/.341/.462 at Triple-A, and his 2015 breakout was clearly for real.

Jorge Mateo NYY, SS – Has been quietly putting up a very strong season at High-A, slashing .326/.392/.500, with 2 homers, and 7 steals in 22 games. His K% is up, and he has been caught stealing 5 times, so there are a few things to keep an eye on, as well.

Jesse Winker CIN, OF – Triple-A hasn’t slowed Winker down at all, and he continues to have one of the most advanced plate approaches of anyone in the minors. He smacked his first 2 homers of the season this week, and is now slashing .316/.404/.434 with a 11/12 K/BB in 20 games.

Jose Peraza CIN, 2B/SS/OF – Feet don’t fail me now. Peraza has only 2 steals and has been caught 4 times in his first 21 games at Triple-A this season. Considering basically all of his value comes from his speed, this is not exactly a great sign.

David Dahl COL, OF – Just keeps smoking the ball, hitting 2 more homers this week. He now has 8 homers, 8 steals, and a 1.026 OPS on the season. If he keeps hitting bombs, we might have to start calling him Double D.

Ryan McMahon COL, 3B – Has gone ice cold this week, and is now slashing .192/.271/.274, with no homers, and a 28/8 K/BB in 21 games at Double-A. Sorry Colorado, you can’t have all the breakouts.

Brett Phillips MIL, OF – I think it is time to slap Phillips with the slow starter label. He seemed like a hot starter early on, but his K’s were way up and there wasn’t much power, so I held off on tooting his horn. The singles have started to dry up now, and his season line now stands at .257/.360/.365, with only 1 homer, and 1 steal. He is still walking, but I’m starting to think the power/speed combo may be more of the moderate variety.

Dominic Smith NYM, 1B/Franklin Barreto OAK, SS/Nick Williams PHI, OF – Three really slow starters who have picked it up this week. None of their season lines are anything to write home about, but we can take them off the slow start watch list.

Matt Chapman OAK, 3B – The power is real. Crushed 3 more dingers this week (7 total), which brings his OPS up to .987 in a pitcher’s park at Double-A.

Tyler O’Neill SEA, OF – Another Cal League slugger whose power is translating to Double-A, as O’Neill hit 2 more homers in back-to-back games this week. That brings his total up to 6, and he has a .961 OPS on the season. I’ve been hyping him to death for months now, so you know the deal.

Travis Demeritte TEX, 2B – .294/.378/.718, with 8 homers, and 4 steals in 21 games at High-A. Since I hyped him in my week 1 rundown, he has just kept hitting.

Mike Soroka ATL, RHP – The 18-year-old Soroka has been brilliant in his full season pro debut at Single-A, dominating hitters to the tune of 1.33/0.89/29 in 27 IP. He has a first round pedigree and is very young for his level. There is not a negative to be found here.

Tyler Jay MIN, LHP – Was looking good to start the year until he ran into the Jupiter Hammerheads this week, and the Jupiter Hammerheads lived up to their awesome team name by touching Jay up for 10 hits, 5 earned runs, and no strikeouts in 4.1 IP. Looks like he still has some kinks to work out with his conversion from reliever to starter. Jupiter Hammerheads … I just wanted to say it one more time.

Domingo Acevedo NYY, RHP – The 22-year-old Acevedo has just been destroying Single-A, with a line of 1.91/0.81/32 in 28.1 IP. He relies heavily on his big fastball, so it is tough to get too excited until we see him against tougher competition, as much as I would like to as a Yankees fan.

Hunter Dozier KC, 3B/OF – Put another 2 homers on the board for the hot hitting, former 8th overall pick in the draft. He is slashing .307/.409/.640, with 6 homers, and 4 steals in 21 games at Double-A. At 24, he is old for the level, but the talent is still there and maybe he is just a late bloomer.

Christin Stewart DET, OF – The 34th overall pick of the 2015 draft, Stewart is powering up at High-A this year, hitting 8 homers in 24 games. He jacked 15 homers in the SEC last year, and then 10 more once reaching pro ball. He is striking out too much, and the batting average is low, but the power is too much to ignore at this point.

Ryan Cordell TEX, OF/Jordan Patterson COL, OF/Peter O’Brien ARI, 1B/OF – Three older prospects that I liked very early on in the off season, but convinced myself they were destined to be bench players. They are killing it in the early going, though, and who the fuck am I to say they are destined to the bench? If you like rooting for the underdog, pick these guys up and give em a shot.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@ImaginaryBrickW)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Harrison Bader, 2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakout

Harrison Bader first caught my eye when I went searching for the next A.J. Reed way back in January. Then, I ranked him 51st overall in my Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospects post in February. Finally, I smacked the “sleeper” label on him, ranking him 7th in my Dynasty League Prospect Sleepers article in early April. But now, he has graduated to an entirely new level. He is officially being promoted to a full blown breakout. And with that, comes even more hype.

The St. Louis Cardinals pushed the 21-year-old Bader, OF, all the way to Double-A to start the 2016 season. They likely saw what I saw, that Bader can flat out hit. He raked at the University of Florida last year, slashing .297/.393/.566, with 17 homers, and 8 steals in 67 games, and then raked immediately upon reaching pro ball, slashing .311/.368/.523, with 11 homers, and 17 steals in 61 games splitting time between Low-A and Single-A. Even with those eye popping numbers, it would have been reasonable to think he would struggle a bit in his first taste of Double-A. He hasn’t. After blasting homers in back-to-back games, Bader’s season line stands at .342/.398/.539, with 4 homers, and 2 steals in 19 games. While his highly drafted contemporaries from the 2015 draft, Andrew Benintendi (7th overall) and Ian Happ (9th overall), have been putting up cute numbers in High-A, Bader (100th overall) is doing the same thing in a grown man’s league.

Bader’s excellent start is not without a red flag or two. He has struck out 22 times and walked only 4 times. While he has hit 4 homers, he has only 3 other extra base hits. His BABIP sits at .440.  In other words, his batting average is due to drop precipitously. He has also been caught stealing 5 times. For a guy who is not known as a burner, and more of an opportunistic base stealer, his poor stolen base percentage exposes his lack of true stolen base upside once he reaches the majors.

The positives still far outweigh the negatives. Leave it to St. Louis to unearth another underrated gem. It is obvious they value bat speed and exit velocity to the utmost degree, and Bader possesses both in spades. Maybe the rest of the league will catch up one day. If you were waiting to see more from Bader before picking him up, consider his dominance at Double-A your more. He is a future 5-category producer with more power than speed, and should break into the majors sometime in 2017.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@ImaginaryBrickW)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Top 5 Underrated TV Comedies

It seems like all of the very best comedies on television are underrated these days. They are on these obscure channels, that are the sister channel, of the sister channel of a major network. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the best comedy on TV, is on FXX. Even FX was too mainstream for them! Fox had to create an entirely new channel with an extra “X” on it just for them! All of the comedies in my Top 5 TV Comedies article that I wrote last December can be included on this list too, and in fact, I could have easily titled that article, “Top 5 Underrated TV Comedies,” as well. So, for this article, I had to dig even deeper. Here are the Top 5 Even More Underrated TV Comedies:

1) Maron – Bet you don’t know what channel number IFC is on without looking? But that is where you will find Marc Maron’s brilliant show, Maron. The show takes all of Maron’s signature neuroticism, anger, and insecurities, and packages it in a style similar to Curb Your Enthusiasm. There are even a few wisdom bombs dropped in here and there. Season 4 premieres on May 4, and I highly recommend giving this show a shot.

2) Grace and Frankie – Netflix might be easy to find, but you will have to pay an extra $9.99/month to get it. It is worth it, as they are starting to cultivate some of the very best comedies on TV, and Grace and Frankie might be the best of them all. And the most underrated. You wouldn’t think a show about four senior citizens would be in my wheelhouse, but funny is funny, and this show is funny. The material is all very new and fresh, and the acting is nothing short of outstanding. Season 2 premieres on May 6.

3) Episodes – Another underrated show on a premium channel, Showtime. Episodes is a hybrid British/American comedy that satirizes Hollywood. The show stars Matt LeBlanc, who is surprisingly very funny in it, but it is really more of an ensemble cast, and all of them play their roles perfectly. It is a very understated and witty show that deserves more attention. Season 5 is currently in production, and a release date has not been announced.

4) Review – You can find Review on Comedy Central, which is as close to mainstream as it gets for this list. Review is a show within a show, where one man attempts to review all of life’s experiences, both the good and the bad. It is truly very unique and there is nothing to really compare it to, other than the Australian TV show that is was adapted from, but you get my point. Season 3 will be their final season, and a release date has not been announced.

5) The Carbonaro Effect – truTV is the most underrated TV channel, period. This spot could have easily gone to Those Who Can’t, Billy on the Street, or Fameless, but the new season of The Carbonaro Effect is on right now, and they are absolutely killing it. It is a prank show, where a magician goes undercover and creates hilarious illusions to fool unsuspecting marks. The show makes you realize how easily people’s minds can be blown when they see a great illusion that they were not expecting to see. Like I mentioned earlier, Season 2 is airing now, and truTV is constantly marathoning all of their shows, which is awesome.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@ImaginaryBrickW)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Man vs. Crane (a huge bird)

“I’m telling you, Mike, golf sucks,” my dad says, as he quietly laughs under his breath. “Just come with me to play basketball like you usually do.”

“Don’t listen to that,” my brother-in-law, Jay, quickly fires back. “It’s going to be a beautiful day. We’ll bring some brews, ride around in a golf cart … you’ll love it.”

I never played a single hole of golf in my life. I have been to miniature golf courses and driving ranges, of course, but never played a round of golf. People seemed to absolutely love it, though, abandoning their families for entire weekends to play. I’m in Florida for Christmas break, and will probably never get a better opportunity to give it a shot than now. So against my father’s advice, I decide to hit the links.

“Alright, what the heck. Let’s golf,” I announce to the room. “Worst case scenario, I don’t like it and never play again, right?”

“Awesome. See you at 6 AM tomorrow morning,” Jay flippantly remarks.

Right from the start, I feel completely out of place. I am dressed in my Jordan basketball sneakers, Jordan basketball shorts, and a collared t-shirt (what, I’m not an animal), while my appropriately dressed brother-in-law is decked out in full golf gear. My sister and our friend, Ally, tag along as well, probably sensing they do not want to miss this impending disaster.

The first nine holes go about as well as you would expect it to go for a first-timer. Swings and misses, chunks of grass flying everywhere, shanks, etc … I start to just throw the ball from the tee. By the 10th hole, I call it quits to just hang out in the golf cart and sip some beer. That is until we reach the fateful 18th hole.

“You gonna play the 18th hole?” my sister taunts me from her golf cart.

“I guess so. Maybe I can finish this outing on a strong note,” I optimistically call back.

With a determined look on my face, I grab my driver, and step up to the tee. I clear my mind, pull the club back, and … shank. I smack the ball way off to the right side. It lands at the foot of a tree, right in the middle of this mini garden.

“Just take a mulligan,” Jay calls out.

“No can do. Gotta play the ball where it lies,” I respond. I am a man of principles, if nothing else.

I walk over to my ball, in the middle of this garden, and prepare to hit my way out of this conundrum. Jay, Ally, and my sister all gather around me to watch from a safe distance, with mocking looks on their faces.

This feeling of dread comes over me all of a sudden. I notice this small Crane (bird) about five feet away, just staring at me. And then I hear it.

“Cuh Caw! Cuh Caw! Cuh Caw!” comes a screeching battle cry from somewhere behind me.

I quickly turn around to see a giant, four-foot Crane swooping down from the sky, unmistakably aiming right for me. Her face adorns a blood red crown, as if she is wearing war paint.

I completely freeze, but mentally I am preparing to fight. The golf club being my only hope, I get ready to knock this thing back to where it came from when it gets in my wheelhouse (I’m much better at baseball than golf, thankfully). The last thing I want to do is hurt an animal, though, so I plan to hold off for as long as possible. The giant Crane lands just a few inches in front of me. She expands her enormous, five-foot wingspan in an extremely threatening manner, clearly letting me know it is time to leave. I very cautiously turn my back to the enormous bird, and slowly start to walk back toward the safety of my family and friends.

“It’s going to start pecking at your legs!” Ally cries out in terror, as they all run as far away from me as possible.

I fearfully peak behind me to see what is going on. The Crane, right on my heels, immediately unfurls her wings again, and starts to launch herself in flight right at me. Fuck the cautious approach! I put the jets on and sprint the hell out of there. After reaching the open fairway, I get the courage to turn back around. The Crane is holding her ground at the very edge of the garden, wings fully spread in a final warning. I drop to my knees in relief. Jay, Ally, and my sister fall to the ground as well, cackling uncontrollably in hysterical laughter.

“Get me out of this hell hole!” I yell to nobody in particular.

When we finally get back to the house, my dad is standing right by the door with a small smile on his face. “How’d it go?”

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 3

Every Monday, I will be running down some of the notable performances from around the Minor Leagues, or anything that might have caught my eye in general. Here is the 2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 3:

Brendan Rodgers COL, SS – And so it begins. Rodgers is dominating Single-A, triple-slashing .313/.380/.594, with 5 homers, and 2 steals in 16 games. The bandwagon is not going to be big enough to hold everyone if he keeps this up.

Tyler O’Neill SEA, OF – I gave you a Tyler O’Neill Sleeper post in February, and he has checked every box and then some at Double-A this season. He is triple-slashing .311/.386/.557 with 4 homers in 16 games. His K% is down a bit and his BB% is way up. I’d be thinking about buying right about now.

Yoan Moncada BOS, 2B – Triple-slashing .350/.474/.483, with 13 steals, and no homers in 17 games at High-A. I mean, for $63 million you would think the guy can hit at least one homer already 🙂

Andrew Benintendi BOS, OF – .333/.390/.623, with 4 steals, and no homers in 17 games at High-A. What are with these Red Sox prospects destroying High-A but not hitting a single homer? More power, please.

Victor Robles WASH, OF – Just keeps raking. Assuming he is owned in all dynasty leagues, don’t sell unless you are getting a premium return. And if he is not owned, pick him up already!

Ian Happ CHC, 2B/OF – The Cubs seriously don’t need any more stud prospects, but Gee Wilikers, they have one. Happ is crushing High-A with a slash line of .313/.450/.547, to go along with 3 homers and 3 steals in 18 games. Who the fuck knows where he is going to fit in on Chicago’s overstuffed roster? That’s right, I just dropped a “Gee Wilikers” and “fuck” in the same paragraph. I’m crazy like that!

Lucas Giolito WASH, RHP ­– Control has been choppy in the early going as he builds his pitch count up (8 BB in 11.2 IP). I would expect to see Giolito in the majors at some point this season, but the Nats are going to treat him with kid gloves all year.

Julio Urias LAD, LHP – Bounced back from his shaky 2nd start by going 5 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BB, and 8 K in his start this week. He is destroying the PCL as a 19-year-old. It doesn’t get much more impressive than this.

Jose Berrios MIN, RHP ­– It took him a couple of starts to get that signature command and control going, but it’s back, as he went 7 shutout innings, striking out 7, and walking only 1 in his last start. Expect continued dominance until he gets called up.

Blake Snell TB, LHP – If you needed any more reassurance that Snell is a stud, he delivered a gem in his Major League debut at Yankee Stadium (5 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BB, 6 K). He has a 13.2 K/9 in Triple-A this season as well.

Aaron Blair ATL, RHP – If you needed any more reassurance that Blair is an uninspiring fantasy prospect, he delivered a dud in his Major League debut at Turner Field (5.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BB, 1 K). To his credit, he was dominating Triple-A before the spot start (19 IP, 3 ER, 10 Hits, 5 BB, 22K).

John Lamb CIN, LHP – Has a 19.06 ERA in his first two rehab starts coming back from off-season back surgery. Yes, you read that right. 19.06 ERA! He will have to pitch much better than this before Cincinnati gives him his rotation spot back.

Josh Bell PIT, 1B – Hello there, power stroke. Nice of you to show up. Bell’s 3 homers this year is already almost halfway to the total number of homers he hit all of last season. Combine that with his already strong contact skills, and the arrow is pointing up.

Hunter Renfroe SD, OF – Finally got it going in a big way this week, hitting his first four homers and stealing his first bag of the season. He is knocking on the door of the majors, and is about as exciting as a Padres hitting prospect gets these days.

Javier Guerra SD, SS – I didn’t fully believe in the power he displayed last season, but smashing 3 homers in his first 16 games at High-A is proving it might be for real. It has come with an increase in strikeouts, though, and he still does not have much speed. Guerra isn’t my favorite prospect, but the guy has talent.

Orlando Arcia MIL, SS – The 21-year-old Arcia is holding his own in Triple-A to begin the year, hitting .295, with one homer, and an 8/5 K/BB in 16 games. He hasn’t stolen a base yet, but the hit tool is more important at this point anyway.

Alen Hanson PIT, 2B – Hitting .327 and has swiped five bags in his first 11 games of the season at Triple-A. The speed looks great, but he has struck out 16 times and walked only twice, so I’m expecting that average to come down pretty quickly.

Francis Martes HOU, RHP – Has been struggling in the early going at Double-A (10.2 IP, 8 ER, 8 Hits, 8 BB, 9K). It seems his meteoric rise through the minors might be hitting a temporary roadblock.

Edwin Diaz SEA, RHP – Since I told you to pick up Diaz in my week 1 rundown, he has continued his assault on Double-A, and his season line now stands at 2.45/0.86/32 with only 3 walks in 22 IP.

Justus Sheffield CLE, LHP – The 19-year-old Sheffield has been excellent in his first 4 starts at High-A, putting up a pitching of 2.45/1.09/18 in 18.1 IP. The control hasn’t been great, but he walked only one batter in his last start.

Jameson Taillon PIT, RHP – Continues to mow down Triple-A hitters (16 IP, 3 ER, 13 Hits, 0 BB, 16 K) and is proving his arm injuries are behind him.

James Kaprielian NYY, RHP – Another start, another gem. Struck out 9 batters in 6 IP.

Kohl Stewart MIN, RHP – The 4th overall pick of the 2013 draft, Stewart might finally be adding some strikeouts to his profile. His K/9 is way up this year to 10.9, and his pitching line stands at 2.60/0.81/21 in 17.1 IP at High-A.

Lucas Sims ATL, RHP – Sporting a ridiculous 14.2 K/9 in 19.2 IP. Problem is, the walk rate is just as ridiculous (6.4 BB/9), and if he can’t get his control, um, under control, he might be destined for the bullpen.

Yusniel Diaz LAD, OF – The Dodgers paid $31 million to get Diaz this off season, and he is starting to show why. The 19-year-old has gone nuclear this week at High-A, and his season line now stands at .267/.314/.600, with 3 homers, and 2 steals in 12 games. He wasn’t known as a big power hitter in Cuba, but if the power is developing, he can be one exciting fantasy prospect.

Ryan O’Hearn KC, 1B/OF – An 8th round pick in the 2014 draft, O’Hearn has done nothing but rake in the minors. He jacked 27 homers last season between Single-A and High-A, and is off to a blazing start this season, slashing .380/.430/.718 with 6 homers in 18 games at High-A. He has a sweet lefty swing with power to all fields. He strikes out too much, and he doesn’t really have a position, but if you are looking for a dirt cheap power prospect to take a shot on, O’Hearn should certainly have your attention.

Josh Ockimey BOS, 1B – Ockimey is another dirt cheap power hitting 1B you should have your eye on. A 5th round pick in the 2014 draft, the 20-year-old Ockimey has already blasted 5 homers in his first 16 games at Single-A. He is your prototypical power/strikeouts/walks 1st baseman.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@ImaginaryBrickW)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Slow Starters

We all want our prospects to put up video game numbers (unless you suck at video games), as they rip through the minors en route to Trevor Storying the big leagues. That is the dream. The reality is many times much different. It brings me no pleasure to write this, but here are the 2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Slow Starters:

Derek Fisher HOU, OF – First, he gets fired as the New York Knicks head coach, and now, he is off to a slow start in his first taste of Double-A (.213/.302/.383). Derek Fisher can’t catch a break. The good news is that he has a 9/6 K/BB in 12 games, and jacked his 2nd homer of the season last night. He struck out 132 times in 123 games between Single-A and High-A last season, so I’m actually more encouraged by this “slow” start than I am discouraged. I would hold in all leagues, or try to buy low.

Tim Anderson CHW, SS – Triple-slashing .182/.182/.227 with a 13/0 K/BB in his first 10 games at Triple-A. He was coming off a wrist injury to start the season, so we are a long way off from panicking.

Carson Fulmer CHW, RHP ­– I covered Fulmer’s slow start in my week 1 and 2 prospect rundowns because it was so spectacularly bad. His 3rd start was a step in the right direction (5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BB, 5 K), but his season line still stands at 8.53/1.74/8 in 12.2 IP. Not pretty.

Gary Sanchez NYY, C – After dominating the Arizona Fall League, Sanchez is off to a slow start at Triple-A, slashing .175/.250/.450 with 2 homers in 10 games. The power numbers are there, and his 8/3 K/BB is more or less in line with his career numbers, so I would expect the singles to start dropping at a normal rate too.

Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B – Williiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! You were supposed to be the next A.J. Reed! But even A.J. Reed didn’t start his first full minor league season in Double-A. The Dodgers were aggressive with the 21-year-old Calhoun, and he has not responded to the tune of .216/.245/.255 with no homers in 13 games. His BABIP sits at .268, so there is probably some bad luck at play, but his .043 ISO is not exactly encouraging either. The sample still isn’t large enough to make any determinations, but it would be nice to see him get it going a little bit.

Raimel Tapia COL, OF – It seems like all of Colorado’s prospects have gotten off to hot starts (Story, Dahl, Wall), but now we get to one who hasn’t. Tapia is slashing .212/.311/.250 with an 8/8 K/BB in 13 games at Double-A. Tapia is a streaky hitter, and considering the excellent K/BB, I’m expecting a hot streak any minute now.

Franklin Barreto OAK, SS – Like a few others on this list, Barreto has hit the Double-A roadblock. The 20-year-old Barreto is slashing a dismal .152/.188/.239 with a 15/2 K/BB in 12 games. He does have 1 homer and 3 steals, but he has looked seriously overmatched so far.

Nick Williams PHI, OF – Now we come to a few players that I was down on in the preseason. Williams has slashed .214/.250/.286 with no homers in 12 games in his first taste of Triple-A. If you liked him before the season, this shouldn’t change your opinion too much, but if you didn’t, well, you are still down on him.

Rafael Devers BOS, 3B – I was lower on Devers than most due to his distance from the majors and the considerable development he still had left to fully tap into that raw potential. The 19-year-old Devers has triple-slashed .135/.250/.250 with 1 homer in 14 games at High-A so far. This changes nothing about his future MLB potential, but it just highlights that he still has a long way to go.

Gleybor Torres CHC, SS – Triple-slashing .113/.266/.226, with 1 homer, and 1 steal in 14 games at High-A. Even with the massive hype he was getting this offseason, I was still down on him because of the lack of big power or speed.

Jack Flaherty STL, RHP – 7.84/2.03/8 in 10.1 IP at High-A. It is really just one bad start that has demolished his season line, so I wouldn’t worry at all.

Jacob Nottingham MIL, C – .150/.227/.325 with 2 homers in 12 games at Double-A. The power looks good (.189 ISO) and the K and BB rates are in line with his career numbers, so once his .115 BABIP regresses, he should be fine.

Matt Olson OAK, 1B – Olson’s power numbers took a hit last season at Double-A after leaving the comfy confines of the Cal League, so it would have been nice to see the power fully return in the hitter friendly PCL, but it was not to be to start the year. He has slashed .143/.311/.286 with 1 homer in his first 12 games at Triple-A. Considering the large dimensions of Oakland’s home ballpark, and that he plays a deep position, I’m starting to wonder how high his fantasy potential really is.

Dominic Smith NYM, 1B – Smith wasn’t hitting homers these past few seasons, but his elite contact skills made him an intriguing fantasy prospect. Well, now he isn’t hitting homers or making contact. The 20-year-old Smith is slashing .196/.226/.353, with 1 homer, and a 13/2 K/BB in 12 games at Double-A. He is much younger than his competition, and the raw talent is still huge, so patience is the name of the game here.

Jake Thompson PHI, RHP – 5.14/1.57/12 in 14 IP at Triple-A. I wasn’t a huge fan to begin the year, and I’m still not a fan.

Braden Shipley ARI, RHP – The PCL has done Shipley no favors to start the year, as his pitching line stands at 5.71/1.44/7 in 17.1 IP. This coming off a season where he struck out only 118 batters in 156.2 IP at Double-A. In fantasy, where K’s mean almost everything, I would be jumping off this bandwagon if you didn’t already last season.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@ImaginaryBrickW)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

SyFy, 12 Monkeys Review

In theory, I should be a huge fan of the SyFy channel. I love reading Sci-Fi novels (two personal favorites are Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart and 2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America by Albert Brooks) and I love watching Sci-Fi movies (too many to even begin to start naming them), but every time I have attempted to get into a show on the SyFy channel, I was left seriously unimpressed. So, it was with great trepidation that I once again went down the SyFy rabbit hole, and tested my luck on a show titled 12 Monkeys. This time, I was not disappointed.

12 Monkeys is the television adaptation of the 1995 movie starring Bruce Willis. It is a fast paced, time traveling roller coaster ride.  Long story short, a deadly virus wipes out humanity in the future, and a small group of survivors build a time machine in order to send someone back in time to save the world. The story, special effects, and direction are all on point, but what really makes 12 Monkeys special, is the excellent acting. Aaron Stanford plays the man responsible for saving the world, Amanda Schull plays a doctor from the present who reluctantly becomes Stanford’s ally, Kirk Acevedo plays Stanford’s partner and best friend, Emily Hampshire plays a mental patient who is the catalyst to spread the virus, and Barbara Sukowa plays the scientist who built the time machine. I would love to highlight a few of them for outstanding performances, but all of them absolutely kill it in their roles. It is movie quality acting all around.

If the action-packed plot and brilliant acting aren’t enough, the season 2 premiere includes a fun surprise for fans of the show Impractical Jokers. Brian “Q” Quinn makes his acting debut by playing a very eligible bachelor at a speed dating event, and wouldn’t you know it, he unsuspectingly helps to save the world! If you read my Who is the Best Impractical Joker? article, you know I am a big fan of the show, so it was pretty cool to see Q pop up out of nowhere.

SyFy finally got one right with 12 Monkeys. There might be a few plot holes here and there, and maybe they cheated a little bit by adapting an already successful movie, but I’ll still count it. It is an extremely entertaining show that you will not want to turn off. Season 1 is currently not available anywhere for free, but you can watch the season 2 premiere here.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@ImaginaryBrickW)