When the weather gets warm some players really turn up the heat. That is definitely the case for second basemen Aaron Hill, who has now connected for home runs in three straight games and four out of the last six. Some may have forgotten, but Aaron Hill hit a total of 62 home runs in 2009 and 2010 when he was still a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, but hit a rough patch in 2011 which caused him to go unnoticed in most of standard mixed leagues this year.

Hill, who was traded to Arizona before the trade deadline in 2011, is adjusting nicely to his new home, hitting a whopping .368 at Chase Field with seven home runs and 20 RBIs. While his road splits are a bit suspect (.210 BA 3 HR/11 RBI/22K), there is no way his batting average stays that low for the remainder of the season. To prove that point if you research his last road trip in Texas and Los Angeles, Hill compiled three multi-hit games including a game in which he hit a three-run home run.

Since returning from the Diamondbacks last road trip Hill has been on fire, hitting for the cycle on Monday night and compiling eight hits over his last three games. As the heat continues to rise across the United States, there won’t be a ballpark that can contain Hill’s ability to hit the long ball.

When looking at the Diamondbacks upcoming schedule, they are at home against the Cubs for three games and then off to Atlanta for three games and Milwaukee for three games before heading home to start a seven-game home stand to end the first half of the season. All of these upcoming series are favorable matchups for Hill, so expect him to continue his hot streak up until the All-Star break the second week of July.

If Hill is already owned or he doesn’t fit the needs of your team, below are a few other pitchers to target on the waiver-wire:

Brandon Moss, 1B, OF (OAK)–Moss has been on fire since joining the Athletics on June 6 hitting seven home runs and driving in 12 RBIs in that span while sporting a .279 batting avearge. The one down fall to Moss is that he strikeouts a lot, which could hurt you in points league so in standard leagues he has more value. He has just one RBI since June 15, but with regular playing time he should be able to swing his way into everyday lineups in AL-Only and deep mixed leagues making him a solid pickup in those formats.

Cody Ross, OF (BOS)–Ross returned from the disabled list on Tuesday and immediately contributed to the Red Sox offense. He hit a home run in his first game back and flowed hit up with a three-RBI performance on Wednesday night against the Marlins. While he is more of a hitter that will only get you one hit a night, he usually finds a way to make the best out of it. Ross will continue to get regular playing time moving forward as long as he can stay healthy, and if he does expect he so be a solid asset to fantasy lineups.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, SP (BOS)–Despite taking losses in each of his first two starts this season Matsuzaka is a pitcher that should be targeted in AL-Only and deep mixed leagues. He has given up just seven hits and four walks total in his first two starts, which is below average for him, while averaging a strikeout per inning so far. The downside is that those seven hits turned into seven runs, but that luck will likely change as he continues to rack up innings over the rest of the season. While I don’t think he will ever become the pitcher he was thought to be when the Red Sox signed him, I think he is definitely serviceable in fantasy leagues.

Joaquin Benoit, RP (DET)–With the recent injury to Jose Valverde, which looks to be somewhat serious, Benoit will now step in and be the team’s primary closer until he is ready to return to action. Benoit has had little experience in the role so far in his career, but he has the weapons to be successful. Especially if you are a Valverde owner it would be a good idea to target Benoit on the waiver-wire for security. Valverde is expected to start throwing again on Sunday, but if it doesn’t go well Benoit could have an extended stay in the ninth inning role.

Prospect Watch

Anthony Rizzo, 1B (CHC)–Rizzo has been on an absolute tear all season long in Triple-A and the Cubs will not be able to hold him back much longer without promoting him to the big leagues. The Cubs have already started playing Bryan LaHair in the outfield, which can only mean the time for Rizzo will be soon. He has been hyped on fantasy site for the last few months so he may have already been stashed, but if he is still available in your league be sure to take a long look at adding him because his time will be soon.

Matthew Beck is a Fantasy Sports Columnist for Rotoinfo.com. If you have any questions or comments feel free to e-mail him at matthewbeck@rotoinfo.com.  Also follow him on Twitter @MatthewRBeck for up-to-date Q&A and fantasy information.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 22nd, 2012 at 12:11 pm and is filed under Fantasy Baseball. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.