MARDI GRAS MADNESS: Texas Sooner

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
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 8^th 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 9^th 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.  

More fantasy baseball is available here. 

MAKING THE PITCH: Cincinnati Reds

Manager Dusty Baker is all smiles with an improved pitching staff.
The Reds were named the 2012 Organization of the Year by Baseball America.
(photo courtesy of Mike McCann's Field of Fotos)

Felipe M

We take a look at the projected starting rotations and closer situations of every MLB team.  Of course, this will come from a fantasy perspective.  All cited stats are based on 2013 projections. 

For our review of the Boston Red Sox, click here. 

Let's see what the Cincinnati Reds are offering this season.

PROBABLE STARTING ROTATION

1. Johnny Cueto
• Good: Cueto is knocking on the door of the game's elite.  His 2.32 BB/9 is similar to Justin Verlander's. Most impressively is the fact that he can post a .72 HR/9, despite the fact that he plays his home games at Great American Ballpark.
• Bad: WHIP is projected at 1.20, which prevents him from being considered elite, but Cueto makes more a high end #2 pitcher and a borderline #1.
2. Mat Latos
• Good: It's going to be an interesting year for the Reds; they have two, possible "Aces" in their rotation.  8.56 K/9 is a lot better than Cueto's.  HR/9 of 1.00 proved he can limit the long ball in Cincinnati.
• Bad: Just like Cueto, WHIP of 1.18 prevents him from being an elite starting pitcher, but he's an excellent option at the top of your rotation.
3. Bronson Arroyo
• Good: BB/9 of 1.92, along with a 2.88 K/BB makes him a serviceable pitcher.  
• Bad: K/9 is low at 5.53; H/9 of 9.23 is high and is the main culprit as to why his WHIP is projected at 1.24.  The reoccuring characteristic about Arroyo is his HR/9.  We all have grown to expect it and 2013 will be no different (HR/9 1.23).
4. Homer Bailey
• Good: K/BB of 3.06 shows great understanding of the strike zone--finally.  After teetering on the brink of "bust" status, Bailey is finally pitching the way he was expected to when he was a highly touted prospect.  He's only 26 so continuing improvement is expected.
• Bad: 9.00H/9 raises WHIP to 1.26.  1.11 HR/9 considering where he pitches his home game could be a concern.
5. Aroldis Chapman
• Good: Many publications, knowing very well that he will most likely be a starter this season, still believe that he can post a 10+ K/9.  HR/9 of 0.99 is impressive, considering the band box he plays his home games.
• Bad: Walks might be a bit of an issue: 3.87 BB/9 raising his WHIP to 1.30.

CLOSERS

1. Jonathan Broxton
• Good: With the Reds intention of keeping Chapman in the rotation, the job is Broxton's to lose.  Won't get burned with the long ball (HR/9 0.95) and can keep his BB/9 low (3.14).  By comparison, Craig Kimbrel's BB/9 projection is 3.04.  Brandon League and Chris Perez have similar BB/9.
• Bad: K/9 is pretty low for a closer (7.36).  League, Bobby Parnell, and Steve Cishek are expected to have similar K/9.  He also has a high H/9 which raises his WHIP to an alarming 1.29.  Again, these are similar numbers to Brandon League.

FANTASY ADVICE

The Reds have an impressive cast of pitchers in their rotation.  Outside of Arroyo, the rest of the four starters can rack up the K's in a hurry.  Even with Arroyo's unimpressive K-totals, he is still supposed to lead the team in BB/9.  

Each pitcher, however, has their own, unique flaws, but as far as filling out your rotation, this is certainly a team that boasts depth.  

Broxton is a concern, but with very little competition for that role, Broxton has a chance to rack up saves for a team that is expected to win lots of games.  

More MLB content is available here.