Hardy approaching 30 homers: Orioles SS J.J. Hardy took one step closer to the first 30-homer campaign of his career on Thursday night against the Tigers. He went 2 for 5 with a home run in the 6-5 win. He singled in his first at-bat before launching a solo shot off starter Jacob Turner in the third inning. It was his 29th long ball of the season. (Updated 09/22/2011)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 2/12/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Hardy continues to have a resurgent campaign in his first season with the O's as his .488 slugging percentage is over 50 points above his career mark. While his batting average and on-base percentage leave much to be desired, his power is outstanding for a player at the typically weak-hitting SS position. Keep Hardy active in all formats down the stretch and consider him a solid early-round pick on Draft Day in 2012. (Updated 09/22/2011).
01/06/2012 16:23 By the Numbers: Skill changers worth watching
Who improved in certain areas in 2011 and who might be able to sustain that improvement going forward? Al Melchior identifies a handful of players with positive skill indicators worth taking note of in his By the Numbers.
J.J. Hardy's first season in Baltimore appeared to be an unqualified success. After missing a month early in the year, Hardy went on a season-long power binge, hitting 30 home runs with 80 RBI in 129 games. It would be tempting to chalk up Hardy's increased power to his new homer-friendly digs, but there are several reasons to doubt that reasoning and to question his future power output. Hardy's first five seasons were with the Brewers, who also have a launching pad for a home park, and last year, Hardy hit equal numbers of homers on the road and at home. Also, several of Hardy's homers were short-distance jobs that just made it out of the park. In other words, we may have just seen Hardy's career year. Given that he doesn't walk, steal bases or hit for a high average, Hardy could be in for a serious fall in 2012. Despite last year's gaudy stats, owners can wait until the mid-to-late rounds to grab Hardy. (Updated 1/27/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
