1.  Look to the AL for outfielders and the NL for infielders.  AL leaders in HR: Josh Hamilton, Grady Sizemore, Carlos Quentin, Jermaine Dye, Jason Giambi. AL leaders in RBI: Josh Hamilton, Justin Morneau, Jose Guillen, Carlos Quentin, Bobby Abreu. Four out of the five leaders in each categories are OFs, if you haven't noticed. Meanwhile, the NL leaders in HR: Chase Utley, Dan Uggla, Lance Berkman, Adrian Gonzalez, Adam Dunn. The NL leaders in RBI: Lance Berkman, Adrian Gonzalez, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, David Wright. Four out of the five HR leaders are IFs, while all five RBI leaders are IFs. These numbers do not actually mean a whole lot, but it is certainly interesting to note that, among the top three at each infield position, Alex Rodriguez and Ian Kinsler are really the only AL players in the discussion.

2.  Is Texas the new Colorado?  Most of us knew that Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is a good hitters' park, but this year might be taking things to extremes. Consider the home/away OPS splits of Texas' hitting stars: Ian Kinsler (.984/.843); Milton Bradley (1.278/.857); Josh Hamilton (1.106/.771); Michael Young (.823/.668); Marlon Byrd (.962/.535). Hamilton, Young, and Byrd have splits almost reminiscent of the Dante Bichette/Vinny Castilla/Andres Galarraga days, while Kinsler and Bradley have been pretty good on the road, but absolutely killer at home. While you should never bench Kinsler or Bradley, Young and Byrd are definite candidates to do the home/away platoon thing, and you might even consider Hamilton for such a platoon, or at least sit him when he faces a tough pitcher on the road.

3.  End of the road for a fantasy legend?  It is looking more and more like it is time for Randy Johnson to hang 'em up. One of the best, if not the best, fantasy pitchers ever, Johnson is currently 4-6 with a 4.94 ERA. Not terrible numbers, but his WHIP is way up there at 1.44, and he does not provide a lot of value even in the strikeout department anymore (76 in 82 innings). The Big Unit pitched in only 10 games last year, albeit an effective 10 games, and he missed time this year with injuries. It is also highly unlikely that he will reach the 300-win mark this season (he currently stands at 288). Arizona is a young team trying to find its identity, so one wonders how long Arizona will stick with the Big Unit if he keeps pitching like this, but for now, fantasy owners shouldn't even bother.

4.  Is the bloom off the rose for the surprise NL outfielders?  Some outfielders in the NL Central have really surprised people with their productivity. Two prime examples are Ryan Ludwick and Nate McLouth. Ludwick is a 30-year old journeyman who had already established career highs in HR and RBI despite not even reaching the halfway point of the season. McLouth, 26, had been a decent prospect for some time now, but never really branded a superstar-in-the-making. At the end of May, Ludwick was hitting .323 with a .402 OBP and .684 SLG, while McLouth was hitting .312 with a .399 OBP and .605 SLG. June was not friendly to either player, however. Ludwick hit only .228 with a .704 OPS, and was particularly bad at the end of the month, hitting .163 with a .484 OPS in the last 14 days. McLouth, meanwhile, hit only .214 with a .622 OPS in June, and only .188 with a .471 OPS in the last 14 days. Both of these players rocketed up the fantasy value charts, but with their prolonged slumps, one wonders if they will ever again be nearly as high as they were a month ago.

5.  The bloom is still on the rose for pitchers with Minnesota links.  Meanwhile, a few surprising pitchers with Minnesota links have continued to do very well. Matt Garza was traded away by Minnesota, and not much was expected of him coming into this season, but there was a reason why he was a good prospect as recently as last year. Garza is showing it now as part of Tampa Bay's surprisingly good roster, pitching to the tune of a 6-4 record, 3.76 ERA, and 1.21 WHIP. He has gotten even better of late, improving his strikeout rate drastically in June (7.5 K/9 IP, as compared to 5.9 for the season), and posting a 2.40 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, and 10.8 K/9 IP ratio in the last 14 days. Meanwhile, two of the pitchers who made Garza expendable, Kevin Slowey and Scott Baker, have continued to pitch strongly. Slowey, in particular, has been terrific, going 3-2 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.03 in June, and he has been unhittable in the last two weeks, to the tune of a 0.43 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in the last 14 days. Baker has not been as hot, but merely consistent, keeping his 3.57 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in check.