The first week of May is a good benchmark for fantasy owners to make tough drop’em decisions. One of those decisions in 12-plus team mixed leagues is what to do with Hisashi Iwakuma.
He’s coming off a career-worst 4.12 ERA and 1.33 WHIP last season, and the results early this season have been similar. The Mariners starter has a 4.35 ERA and 1.26 WHIP through six starts, contributing almost no mixed league value to this point.
More worrisome is Iwakuma’s command. He has an awful 4.6 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9, both by far the worst of his career. The numbers continue to look dire, with seven homers allowed in 31 innings and a horrendous 6.30 FIP.
So what’s the problem? Iwakuma has experienced extreme velocity loss over the last two seasons, and his drop from last season (87.8 mph) to this season (85.0 mph) is one of the biggest decreases in baseball. This is a major red flag for a pitcher who has experienced past shoulder issues. Remember, his contract with the Dodgers last off season was canceled due to a failed physical, and the A’s also failed to sign him in 2011 due to physical issues.
It sounds cruel to say that a ballplayer is “finished” but the warning signs here are rampant.
-I’ve already expressed my undying love for Charlie Morton in this spot earlier this season, and he’s recently been paying dividends for fantasy owners. The peripherals show a legitimate ace, with a 10.3 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9, though Morton hasn’t been the extreme ground ball pitcher that he was earlier in his career. The tradeoff has been a strong velocity increase, even above what he showed in Philadelphia last season. Morton has averaged 95.4 mph on his fastball, compared to 92 mph in 2015. He should be owned in all leagues at this point.
-Mike Clevinger could be worth a look in AL-only leagues, and even deep mixed leagues. He struggled in 17 appearances with Cleveland last season, posting a 5.26 ERA, but as usual, he’s been dominant at Triple-A Columbus early this year. He has a 9.6 K/9 and 1.50 ERA in six starts, and is set to take over Corey Kluber’s (back) rotation spot. Clevinger’s career 8.7 K/9 and 3.28 ERA in the minors, along with plus stuff, make him intriguing.
 |
| Corey Kluber |
-It’s always a good week for hitting when the Rockies have seven
-Robbie Ray continues to be one of the most exciting pitchers in baseball, now leading the NL with a 12.1 K/9. Most importantly for fantasy owners, his ERA is back down this season through six starts (3.47), and his FIP (3.26) shows an even better performer. As usual, Ray is having some trouble with his control, but the early returns have been strong for a pitcher whose advanced metrics showed big upside last season.
The first week of May is a good benchmark for fantasy owners to make tough drop’em decisions. One of those decisions in 12-plus team mixed leagues is what to do with Hisashi Iwakuma.
He’s coming off a career-worst 4.12 ERA and 1.33 WHIP last season, and the results early this season have been similar. The Mariners starter has a 4.35 ERA and 1.26 WHIP through six starts, contributing almost no mixed league value to this point.
More worrisome is Iwakuma’s command. He has an awful 4.6 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9, both by far the worst of his career. The numbers continue to look dire, with seven homers allowed in 31 innings and a horrendous 6.30 FIP.
So what’s the problem? Iwakuma has experienced extreme velocity loss over the last two seasons, and his drop from last season (87.8 mph) to this season (85.0 mph) is one of the biggest decreases in baseball. This is a major red flag for a pitcher who has experienced past shoulder issues. Remember, his contract with the Dodgers last offseason was canceled due to a failed physical, and the A’s also failed to sign him in 2011 due to physical issues.
It sounds cruel to say that a ballplayer is “finished” but the warning signs here are rampant.
Editor’s Note: Introducing FanDuel Mixup, the newest way to play FanDuel Baseball. Smaller lineups, so you can draft your team on the go, plus fun themes every week! Play now.
-I’ve already expressed my undying love for Charlie Morton in this spot earlier this season, and he’s recently been paying dividends for fantasy owners. The peripherals show a legitimate ace, with a 10.3 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9, though Morton hasn’t been the extreme groundball pitcher that he was earlier in his career. The tradeoff has been a strong velocity increase, even above what he showed in Philadelphia last season. Morton has averaged 95.4 mph on his fastball, compared to 92 mph in 2015. He should be owned in all leagues at this point.
-Mike Clevinger could be worth a look in AL-only leagues, and even deep mixed leagues. He struggled in 17 appearances with Cleveland last season, posting a 5.26 ERA, but as usual, he’s been dominant at Triple-A Columbus early this year. He has a 9.6 K/9 and 1.50 ERA in six starts, and is set to take over Corey Kluber’s (back) rotation spot. Clevinger’s career 8.7 K/9 and 3.28 ERA in the minors, along with plus stuff, make him intriguing.
-It’s always a good week for hitting when the Rockies have seven
-Robbie Ray continues to be one of the most exciting pitchers in baseball, now leading the NL with a 12.1 K/9. Most importantly for fantasy owners, his ERA is back down this season through six starts (3.47), and his FIP (3.26) shows an even better performer. As usual, Ray is having some trouble with his control, but the early returns have been strong for a pitcher whose advanced metrics showed big upside last season.
-Steven Wright’s season-ending knee surgery holds significance for Drew Pomeranz, who will certainly keep his rotation spot when David Price returns. Pomeranz had elbow issues last season and flexor tendon problem this spring, but it appears he’s healthy now. He has a dominant 11.3 K/9 and 3.78 K/BB ratio through five starts, and his velocity has seen a slight rebound after decreasing as a starter last season.
 |
| Drew Pomernanz |
-Steven Wright’s season-ending knee surgery holds significance for Drew Pomeranz, who will certainly keep his rotation spot when David Price returns. Pomeranz had elbow issues last season and flexor tendon problem this spring, but it appears he’s healthy now. He has a dominant 11.3 K/9 and 3.78 K/BB ratio through five starts, and his velocity has seen a slight rebound after decreasing as a starter last season.
 |
| David Price |
No comments:
Post a Comment