Felipe M
We continue on our reviews for our fantasy baseball league, Mardi Gras Madness. Please take some time to read about The Evil Empire.
Up next is yet another team out of Lone Star State. And apparently, they like to drink--a lot:
EAST DIVISION--Texas Power Drinkers
We continue on our reviews for our fantasy baseball league, Mardi Gras Madness. Please take some time to read about The Evil Empire.
Up next is yet another team out of Lone Star State. And apparently, they like to drink--a lot:
EAST DIVISION--Texas Power Drinkers
BATTING LINEUP
Like: Matt Kemp
has turned into a beast since 2010 in terms of counting stats. He strikes out too much, but does enough to
get on base and his power and speed makes him a legit player in both Roto and
Points leagues. Coming in for support
are Billy Butler, Yadier Molina, Aaron
Hill and Jason Heyward.
Dislike: Admittedly,
out of desperation, I was thinking of picking up Erick Aybar as my SS options were disappearing at my draft. Luckily, I didn’t have to. Aybar is a pesky hitter, but comes equipped
with a low on-base%.
Nick Markakis will need to prove that he is still a relevant player in fantasy baseball (photo courtesy of Mike McCann) |
Look Out For: Carl
Crawford if it turns out that his stint as a Red Sox was just an aberration.
Many in the SABR community
think that Crawford is declining at a dangerous pace, but for once I’m
optimistic about a player. New league,
new scene, and a clean bill of health might return Crawford into a top hitter
again. Also, Kendry Morales in Seattle
as they move the fences in. He should be
able to produce if he’s able to stay healthy for a full year. And finally, Jeff Keppinger is a sneaky player to keep track of. He qualifies everywhere on the infield except
for SS. He had a surprising year in 2012
and has been hitting the ball all spring long (at one point he was hitting well
above .500--batting average).
Bench: Keppinger
will hold down 3B for the injured David
Freese. Hanley Ramirez is on the mend, but will surely replace either Aybar
or Keppinger, depending on who’s struggling upon his return. Currently, Nick Markakis is slotted as the DH, but if he can’t hit for a bit
more power, I can see a scenario where both will share duties at that spot.
2013
Hitting Projections
|
|||||||||
Player
|
Team
|
Pos
|
BB/K
|
AB/K
|
AB/HR
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
SB
|
Matt Kemp
|
Los Angeles
|
CF
|
0.41
|
3.83
|
17.20
|
0.366
|
0.533
|
0.899
|
19
|
Billy Butler
|
Kansas City
|
1B
|
0.61
|
5.98
|
23.99
|
0.374
|
0.495
|
0.869
|
2
|
Kendry Morales
|
Seattle
|
1B
|
0.30
|
4.38
|
22.03
|
0.326
|
0.464
|
0.790
|
0
|
Nick Markakis
|
Baltimore
|
RF
|
0.80
|
7.86
|
38.74
|
0.362
|
0.441
|
0.803
|
5
|
Aaron Hill
|
Arizona
|
2B
|
0.55
|
7.07
|
27.68
|
0.335
|
0.460
|
0.795
|
12
|
PITCHING
Like: King Felix Hernandez
is the ace of this staff. He will be
supported by Doug Fister who has
been great since being traded to Detroit. I also like Mat Latos. Even when he was
traded to the Reds, I was still trying
to draft him in all of my leagues last season because I believe in his
abilities. Then there’s Matt Moore who will look to take
another step forward in his progression to become a legit, 1st Tier
SP.
Dislike: This
team makes it too easy for me: UbaldoJimenez and Jason Vargas were
good enough to make this squad.
Wow! Luckily, this team has
plenty of pitching depth where they’re not in desperate need for these two,
mediocre, pitchers’ services.
Look Out For: There
are a few candidates here. Brett Anderson was struggling during
the spring as he tried to overcome a neck injury. When he’s on, he is a legit, 2nd
Tier pitcher. Lance Lynn, if he is able to pitch like he did early in 2012, this
team will have a pitching staff that will overwhelm opponents.
2013 Pitching Projections
|
|||||||
Player
|
Team
|
K/BB
|
K/9
|
BB/9
|
H/9
|
WHIP
|
HR/9
|
Doug Fister
|
Detroit
|
3.63
|
6.65
|
1.83
|
9.21
|
1.23
|
0.81
|
Brett Anderson
|
Oakland
|
3.28
|
6.78
|
2.07
|
8.79
|
1.21
|
0.72
|
Lance Lynn
|
St. Louis
|
2.92
|
8.75
|
3.00
|
8.16
|
1.24
|
0.89
|
Drew Smyly was an
interesting selection by this club. Even
though he was relegated to the bullpen, he is still pitching deep into spring
games. I was shocked to see that the Tigers did not send him down the Minors
as it was reported early in the spring that Smyly would be starting in 2013,
either in the Majors or Minors. I can’t
envision him as a SP in a Tigers’ uniform because the rotation is full of
pitchers that can rack up the innings, but it’s clear that the Tigers are up to
something.
Finally, lurking in the Minors is Zach Wheeler who might be brought up sometime in 2013. Selfishly, I would prefer sooner rather than
later as I anxiously wait to see what this kid can do in the Majors. As I mentioned before, I wouldn’t be
surprised if the Mets wait until September
like they did with Matt Harvey.
Bullpen: As much
as I’m shaken by last year’s roller-coaster ride that was Addison Reed, I think he will be a bit more stable in 2013. After battling an infected tooth, Rafael Soriano seems to be ready to go
for 2013. In terms of K/BB, he rated
middle of the pack among qualified closers in that category so there’s a slight
concern there. Put it another way, Glen Perkins ranks ahead of Soriano in
that category.
PREDICTION: This
club has themselves a good collection of players. As always with this franchise, I’m highly
impressed with the balance they are able to achieve in their lineup after every
single draft. This year, however, I have
to caution my expectations of this team due to the fact that there are way too
many “ifs” on this club. “If this guy
comes back healthy,” “if this guy can pitch like he’s supposed to,” “if this
guy can bounce back,” “etc.” It’s ok to
gamble on one or two players whose stock fell for whatever reason, but when it
becomes the basis on building your franchise for any upcoming season, it tends
to hurt more than help you in the end.
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