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Yuniesky Betancourt halts skid with 1-for-3 game

Betancourt had actually went hitless in six of his seven games heading into Thursday. The solid performance gives him a .239/.268/.455 line with eight home runs in 142 plate appearances. He'll attempt to build upon Thursday's game when the team faces the Cardinals this weekend.

Why not believe in Yuniesky Betancourt?

Betancourt is obviously playing above his head, and he will probably turn back into a pumpkin before long. But that does not mean he cannot provide value to Fantasy owners right now.

The truth is Betancourt is the type of player who is much more respectable in Fantasy circles than in real life. He has never been more than a 1.6 WAR player and his on-base percentage is consistently horrendous, so if I was a Brewers fan I would be pretty peeved that my team could not find a better option at first base. But for Fantasy purposes, we have a player who never strikes out and is dialed in. What's not to like, at least in the short term?

Betancourt is not going to keep hitting the ball over the fence one out of every five times he hits a flyball, but he is clearly locked in at the plate right now with four home runs in the last eight games. Nobody wasted a high draft pick on Betancourt, so the temptation to hang on to him when things turn south shouldn't be too great. That's the way it should be.

For now, I saw why not enjoy Mr. Yuni's wild ride? It's not like second base as a position is stacked with useful options, and the veteran is eligible there after playing most of his games there a year ago. Things will change before long, but wouldn't you rather have him on your roster than Brian Roberts or Gordon Beckham, both of whom are ranked above Betancourt in all three of our expert rankings for second base. When Betancourt starts to stink -- and I do think "when" is the appropriate word to use there -- Fantasy owners should waste no time letting him hit the scrap heap. 

The end is near for Yuniesky Betancourt

The Brewers are one of six teams playing only five games. If he sits just one of those games, which seems likely with Aramis Ramirez returning from the DL, he's down to four -- or what would be about half of a normal week. Two of the five pitchers on tap for the Brewers are Tony Cingrani and Mat Latos, so you can't expect much from him in those games. And really, if he's not homering, you can't expect much from him anyway. As hot as he's been so far this year, he has only a .302 on-base percentage.

Understandably, he's my "approach with caution" choice at second base in this week's Hit Parade. For more start-sit advice for the week ahead, be sure to check it out.

It's deja vu all over again for Yuniesky Betancourt

Betancourt is a streaky hitter, and there's a precedent for this sort of power burst from him. In 2010, Betancourt hit seven home runs in August, and he posted a .295/..319/.557 slash line for the month. The season, which he spent with the Royals, as a whole was much like his other seasons, featuring a .259/..288/.405 line.

We've seen this act from Betancourt before, but after eight seasons of steady but unimpressive skill and Fantasy stats, Fantasy owners shouldn't be rushing to add him to their rosters.

Yuniesky Betancourt at first upon Aramis Ramirez's return

Betancourt, hitting .280/.299/.549 in 82 at-bats, will likely move to a utility role once Corey Hart returns from the disabled list May 30. Until then, the Brewers will keep his hot bat in the lineup. Martin Maldonado will likely be the backup first baseman, with Alex Gonzalez taking on a utility role.

Yuniesky Betancourt continues slugging ways

Betancourt went 2 for 4 to raise his batting line to .286/.305/.532. In many ways, he's still the same frustrating hitter he was in his first tour in Milwaukee -- he doesn't take walks and his aggressive approach often leads to him putting bad pitches in play -- but his power is showing up like never before. His career high in home runs is 16 in 556 at-bats for Kansas City in 2010. He has five in 77 at-bats through Monday's game. 

Yuniesky Betancourt moved to cleanup spot

Yuniesky Betancourt continues strong start

Betancourt went 2 for 4 with an RBI. He's hitting .279/.303/.492 in 61 at-bats. Once Aramis Ramirez returns, it's unclear how much playing time Betancourt will receive. Given his strong start, he could see more time than initially anticipated. 

Don't let Yuniesky Betancourt's RBI fool you

Betancourt has three homers, which in itself is unsustainable given his career .393 slugging percentage, but because one was a three-run shot and another a grand slam, he has 12 RBI, as many as Carlos Gonzalez, Andrew McCutchen and Billy Butler.

Even if he continues to play every day, which won't be the case when Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart return from the DL, Betancourt won't continue to drive in runs at that pace, and without those RBI, he's the same bottom-feeder as always.

Yuniesky Betancourt slugs another home run

Betancourt added to Jason Marquis' woes in the first inning, hitting a three-run homer on the first pitch he saw. Betancourt's long ball came after Ryan Braun had already homered in the inning. Betancourt went 1 for 4, driving in three runs.

Is Yuniesky Betancourt the real deal?

I understand why Betancourt is high up on the most-viewed list. He has a boatlaod of Fantasy eligiblibe positions, so the roster flexibility makes him an intriguing add. But Fantasy owners are still faced with the question whether or not to roster the veteran infielder?

Betancourt claims to be a more patient hitter after reworking his plate approach in the offseason, but nothing really in his numbers indicate this is nothing more than a nice hot streak. One of the numbers that concerns me the most is Betancourt's 14.3 percent home run to fly ball ratio. It's way above his 5.1 percent career average, per FanGraphs.com.

If it doesn't cost you much to add Betancourt and keep him active while he's on a roll, then I endorse the move. But if you have to give up a slumping hitter or pitcher with more upside, then I vote against adding Betancourt.

Yuniesky Betancourt develops into 'patient' hitter

"He's more patient than he was before," Roenicke said to MLB.com. "He sees the offspeed stuff better. Really, he looks like a good offensive player."

Roenicke isn't lying. Betancourt was slugging a career-high .500 heading into Thursday's game against the Giants. He has two doubles, two home runs and eight RBI in 12 games.

Betancourt said his new approach was mastered while playing winter ball in Mexico.

"Mexico helped me a lot. That was the main thing, go there to be more patient and get better pitches to hit," Betancourt said, via catcher/translator Martin Maldonado. "I was working hard down there."

Yuniesky Betancourt providing pop for Brewers

Betancourt is tied for the team lead in RBI (eight) with slugger Ryan Braun.

Yuniesky Betancourt clubs grand slam

With a pair of extra-base hits over his last two games -- he doubled Sunday against St. Louis -- Betancourt's power is starting to show through. He's now hitting .265/.297/.412, which is right around his .266/.290/.392 career slash line.

Yuniesky Betancourt showing off versatility

Betancourt spent much of the spring with the Phillies but was scooped up by the Brewers in the last week of March. He's hitting .250/.304/.250 in 23 plate appearances this season

Yuniesky Betancourt homers, doubles in Brewers debut

Yuniesky Betancourt returns to Brewers

"(He) can come in and back up the three infield positions, give us a bat off the bench," general manager Doug Melvin said. "He's got more experience than Donnie and we thought that's important."

Phillies drop Yuniesky Betancourt

Phillies bring in Betancourt