Felipe M
I continue to preview my head-2-head fantasy points' baseball keeper league. The last team reviewed was team Halladay Holiday.
Up next is a strong contender for the 2013 league championship.
CENTRAL DIVISION—TEXAS
SOONER (out of Texas)
BATTING LINEUP
Like: I make no
secret as to how much I like Ben Zobrist’s
game: patience, pop, and versatility made him a much, sought-after commodity in
drafts this season. Aramis Ramirez, despite concerns with age and boom-and-bust
tendencies, still makes him a legit option at the hot corner. I also like Freddie Freeman’s game and I expect big things from him in
2013. Shin-Soo Choo also came
in this year with many concerns, but a new environment in a new league should
be the remedy to make Choo a relevant name in fantasy.
2013 Hitting Projections
|
|||||||||
Player
|
Team
|
Pos
|
BB/K
|
AB/K
|
AB/HR
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
SB
|
Ben Zobrist
|
Tampa
|
2B/SS/RF
|
0.81
|
5.07
|
29.45
|
0.373
|
0.462
|
0.835
|
16
|
Aramis Ramirez
|
Milwaukee
|
3B
|
0.56
|
7.08
|
21.24
|
0.346
|
0.506
|
0.852
|
4
|
Freddie Freeman
|
Atlanta
|
1B
|
0.49
|
4.35
|
21.65
|
0.359
|
0.484
|
0.843
|
3
|
Dislike: Ichiro
Suzuki and Austin Jackson in the
starting OF might prove to be an Achilles’ heel. I’m also not a fan of starting two SS’s. Bad enough that the enigmatic Starlin Castro is slotted at that
position, but Elvis Andrus was not
born to be a fantasy, DH hitter.
Look Out For: There’s
a few names to mention here: Currently, Mike
Napoli is starting at Catcher, but Mariners’
prospect, Mike Zunino might get
called up sooner than many of us think as he begins his baseball career at
Triple-A. Jackie Bradley has been highly hyped this spring and is on the
verge of making the Red Sox opening
day squad. Finally, Pablo Sandoval has elbow issues, but if he overcomes the injury, he
can provide much needed offensive power that the Sooner is currently lacking at
the moment.
BENCH: The only
other player to mention is Carlos Correa,
the #1 pick in the 2012 draft. He will
start his career in Class-A. Might be a
while.
PITCHING
Like: Justin
Verlander and Stephen Strasburg:
what more can I say? Check out their
stats below.
2013 Pitching
Projections
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|||||||
Player
|
Team
|
K/BB
|
K/9
|
BB/9
|
H/9
|
WHIP
|
HR/A
|
Justin Verlander
|
Detroit
|
3.93
|
9.23
|
2.35
|
7.31
|
1.07
|
0.77
|
Stephen Strasburg
|
Washington
|
4.42
|
10.91
|
2.47
|
7.27
|
1.08
|
0.79
|
Other pitchers worth noting: Homer Bailey as he seems to finally be refined enough to be an
adequate pitcher in fantasy leagues. Not
a stud like he was expected to be, but he’s legit enough to warrant a spot; Anibal Sanchez and Mike Minor are excellent in support of Verlander and
Strasburg. Even C.J. Wilson will bring something to the table despite the low
BB/9. And having A.J. Burnett and Matt
Harrison at the backend of the rotation is insane. Not really a fan of Harrison, but as a spot
starter in a points’ league, he is definitely a luxury. This could possibly be the best starting
staff in the league.
Dislike: Not a
fan of Glen Perkins. His low K/9 makes him an underwhelming choice
for a closer. Also, of all the closers
out there, he has the 8th worst, HR/9 rate. Wei-Yin
Chen—I’ve been preaching all spring: beware of this guy! He is prone to give up plenty of long balls
and a high 1.28 WHIP makes him not worth the headache that he will provide
you. But on a deep rotation like this,
he may be worth the gamble, but considering the issues on offense that this
team has, I would highly consider dropping Chen for a hitter.
Bullpen: Not only
does this team have the two best right-handed pitchers in the game, but they
also have the best closer in Craig
Kimbrel. He’s near automatic in the
9th inning and almost unhittable.
PREDICTION: The
pitching staff is loaded and enough to carry the team to a championship. The offense is lacking a consistent source of
power and it might cost them late in the season, but it might be steady enough
to prove to be adequate for much of the season.
They definitely need to find an upgrade for LF and CF and it might cost
them in a title run, but a strong pitching staff has proven to be just enough
to win a league title. A better offense
would increase their chances.
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