MAKING THE PITCH: Pittsburgh Pirates

Felipe M

Even though the season has started, it's still early enough to take a quick look at the rest of the pitching staffs.

Take a quick look at the Seattle Mariners. 

Want to start off with the #4 and #5 starters on the team as they were named very late in spring training.  

Jonathan Sanchez is the left-handed pitcher that struggled mightily with the San Francisco Giants because he just couldn't keep his walks in checks.  He is now 30 years-old and the bright future that he possessed with the Giants is a thing of the past.  So what is the reason he made this club when it looked like he was lucky to make the team as relief pitcher in the offseason?  "Mental adjustments," according to manager Clint Hurdle--whatever, I'm just glad he's no longer in front of my TV.  

Well, this spring, Sanchez still pitched the only way he knows how: with a high ERA and plenty of free passes to opposing batters.  He did strikeout almost as many hitters as innings pitched, but the walks have and will always be his downfall.  Steer clear.  

Jeff Locke, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of Sanchez as he had a solid spring and displayed the control that made him an intriguing option in the Minors.  Unfortunately, unlike Sanchez, Locke struggled to tally up the K's.  However, I would keep an eye on him as he posted a strikeout per innings pitched in 2012.  Just know that control and finesse is the game that Locke likes to play.  

2013 Pitching Projections
Player	Team	K/BB	K/9	BB/9	H/9	WHIP	HR/9
A.J. Burnett	Pittsburgh	2.61	8.12	3.11	8.68	1.31	1.02
Wandy Rodriguez	Pittsburgh	2.47	6.99	2.83	9.64	1.39	0.87
James McDonald	Pittsburgh	2.41	8.36	3.47	8.46	1.33	1.08

I've always liked the three pitchers listed, but for some reason or another, their stock have taken a hit.  For some reason, I feel that many "experts" are more optimistic about these guys than ever before.  Let's take a closer look:

James McDonald has been given plenty of chances throughout his career as a Pirate to develop into the pitcher that they thought he could be when they acquired him from the Dodgers.  Unfortunately, he's always struggled to keep the walks in check as he's never had a BB/9 below 3.5 since he was turned into a starter in 2010.  The hope for this year comes by his hot start in 2012, but he still finished the season with only a serviceable K/BB of 2.2.  McDonald can still earn a healthy amount of strikeouts, but the walks' issue will always be lurking with him.  Put it another way: if McDonald breaks out, the projected numbers might be the best he can do in 2013.  Keep an eye on him (still available in 43% of CBS leagues), but don't be too hopeful of him.  

Wandy Rodriguez had himself a very impressive run with the Dominican team in this year's WBC.  He did struggle in the 1st half of 2012, but was able to bounce back once the Pirates acquired him.  The only concern with Rodriguez is his age (34) and his slow start to 2012, but based on his spring performance, the projections, and his body of work in the last 3 seasons, Rodriguez has a chance to rebound and be a good fantasy pitcher.  Yes, his projected WHIP of 1.39 is really high, but the data collected probably had more to do with his age than ability as he's never had a WHIP higher than 1.32.  He's still available in 33% of CBS leagues.

A.J. Burnett is 36 this season.  It seemed like only yesterday that he was being heralded as the Marlins' ace of the future.  He's also was nearly irrelevant in fantasy circles, but out of nowhere, Burnett was able to have a great year in 2012 because he posted a BB/9 of 2.76 after averaging a BB/9 of 3.8 the two seasons prior.  He also posted his lowest WHIP since 2007.  So he might be old, but maybe he's finally learning how to pitch and not solely depend on overpowering hitters.  

Finally, Jason Grilli will be closing games for this club.  In terms of K/BB, he ranks in the middle of the pack, but only 4 slots away from him is Joel Hanrahan.  Both pitchers have similar projections as well with Hanrahan expected to have more strikeouts and give up less homeruns.  The Pirates style of winning ugly turned Hanrahan into a household age so Grilli has an opportunity to shine this season.  

More MLB content is available here. 

MARDI GRAS MADNESS: Castroville Crushers

Felipe M

I've been hyping up my fantasy keeper baseball league throughout this spring.  I'm usually in charge of posting the "league predictions," but I did not get a chance to do so last season.  So to make up for lost time, I decided to post predictions here and not only give some individual props to my fellow, league owners, but to use it as an educational tool for all fantasy baseball owners out there. 

To view my team, click here. 

We will start with the Co-Commissioner's team:

WEST DIVISION—CASTROVILLE CRUSHERS (out of Texas)

BATTING LINEUP

Like: I’ve mentioned how much I like Adrian Beltre at 3B despite his age and he definitely will be the anchor in this lineup.  Also, when Josh Willingham is healthy, he can rack up points in our league with his power and run-production.  Age and injuries are a concern, but consistency is what you get. Shane Victorino is looking for a bounce-back year and Asdrubal Cabrera is a solid choice at SS.

Dislike: A.J. Pierzynski was picked late as a catcher, but he might be a bust after his career year in 2012.  Plus he might be in some sort of quasi-platoon system in Texas. Not a fan of Jose Altuve, Alex Rios, or Chris Davis either.

2013 HITTING PROJECTIONS
Player	Team	POS	BB/K	AB/K	AB/HR	OBP	SLG	OPS	SB
Chris Davis	Baltimore	1B/RF	0.22	3.09	18.38	0.315	0.471	0.786	3
Jose Altuve	Houston	2B	0.48	7.86	77.26	0.338	0.401	0.739	32
Alex Rios	White Sox	RF	0.33	6.78	30.02	0.316	0.449	0.765	19

Look Out For: Anthony Rizzo is going to be great this year.  What you saw in 2012 was just a warm up.  He played very well for Team Italy in the WBC.

BENCH: Full of inconsistent players: Ike Davis, Pedro Alvarez, and Alfonso Soriano. At least they have the steady Angel Pagan on the squad. 

PITCHING

Like: Chris Sale is a beast!  This is the same franchise that was carried by Randy Johnson until the day he retired.  Sale may not be like Johnson, but the Crushers have another power-lefty to carry them throughout this decade. Jason Hammel still does not get the respect he deserves and looks to be healthy entering the 2013 season. Hiroki Kuroda is a very underrated pitcher as well. 

Dislike: Ryan Dempster as he proved to be disastrous once entering the AL last season.  He’s in a good situation in Boston, but at his age and a projected WHIP of 1.31, I’m just not buying the hype.  Wade Miley might not be healthy in time for the opener.

Look Out For: Max Scherzer has been improving over the last 3 seasons.  If he can continue to improve, he will be the #2 pitcher that Castroville has been looking for. 

BULLPEN: Two questionable, 2^nd-tier closers in Joel Hanrahan and Jim Johnson.  Hanrahan has issues with walks while Johnson fails to dominate hitters. Jose Valverde is hogging up a roster spot for some, insane reason.

PREDICTION: Solid, but unspectacular players are everywhere you look on this roster.  Pitching isn’t as strong as in years past and the offense is full of your typical, traditional, Castroville players.  Unlike in years past, the team's pitching isn't strong enough to carry mediocre bats for a full season.  Other than Sale, this team lacks a lot of punching power.  It’s asking a lot to depend on career years from players who don’t have that kind of upside.  Playoff team?  Absolutely not!

More MLB content is available here. 

MAKING THE PITCH: Boston Red Sox

Jon Lester's 2013 projections suggest that he's no longer an elite starting pitcher.
(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 Baltimore Orioles, click here. 

Let's take a look at the Boston Red Sox.

PROBABLE STARTING ROTATION

1. Jon Lester
• Good: K/9 OF 8.12 makes him an intriguing option to be a potential #1 or #2 starter on your rotation.  1.01 HR/9 shows he can limit the long ball.
• Bad: WHIP of 1.34 is affected by a high 8.87 H/9.  BB/9 of 3.20 is similar to Chris Tillman's. In terms of having a similar walk rate and K/9, Lester is close to emulating Bud Norris.
2. Ryan Dempster 
• Good: 8.39 K/9 is still good, no matter how old a pitcher might be.  1.04 HR/9 is still a pretty good indicator--along with a 3-year average Groundout/Flyball ratio of 1.2-- that he might still be good enough to keep the ball low in the strike zone.
• Bad: WHIP of 1.31 makes him less desirable.  3.25 BB/9 is manageable, but H/9 has to be lower.  Currently, he's projected to be over 8.5 in that category.
3. Clay Buchholz
• Good: 6.46 K/9 still makes him a somewhat serviceable pitcher.  HR/9 of 1.01, just like the previous two pitchers mentioned, show that he has the skill set to keep the ball low in the strike zone.
• Bad: Unfortunately, he might be locating the ball too low in the zone.  1.96 K/BB is close unusable in fantasy baseball.  1.35 WHIP makes him irrelevant.
4. Felix Doubront
• Good: 8.16 K/9 makes Doubront a sleeper for 2013.  
• Bad: 3.68 BB/9 raises his WHIP to 1.36.  Just like Buchholz, Doubront is teetering on the brink of irrelevance in fantasy circles.

CLOSERS

1. Joel Hanrahan
• Good: Hanrahan is expected to have a K/9 of 10.57.  Adequate K/BB of 2.96, H/9 of 7.0, and WHIP of 1.17 are similar to fellow closer, Chris Perez. HR/9 is a minute .71.
• Bad: 3.57 BB/9 is a tad high.  Other closers with similar BB/9: Chris Perez, Steve Cishek, and Greg Holland.

FANTASY ADVICE

The common theme with all the starting pitchers is that they are projected to have high WHIPs and BB/9 of 3.20+.  But what makes them intriguing options is that they can rack up the K's--even Buchholz. If you draft smart and not depend on the big names that these pitchers carry, they can prove to be very useful on your staff.  This cannot be reiterated enough: DON'T DRAFT THE NAME; draft the numbers.

More MLB content is available here. 

2012 MLB PROSPECT REVIEW: #35-31

Felipe M

The following is a review of a list that was compiled way back in March of 2012.  "2012 Outlooks" are based on a summation of scouting reports (entering the 2012 MLB season) of each player condensed into a sentence or two for easier reading.

35. Joe Benson--OF--Minnesota Twins

• 2012 Outlook: "Future 20-20 player, but needs to raise contact rate and lower strikeouts."
• 2012 Achievements: N/A
• Conclusion: Benson struggled in 2012, but they can be attributed to hand and knee surgeries. Despite a down 2012, GM Terry Ryan is expecting Benson to compete for CF spot in 2013. Benson, however, is far away from ready. He has posted a career BB:K of .43 in the Minors justifying the concern over his patience. Also, Benson needs to show more efficiency when attempint to steal bases. As much as the Twins are high on Benson, his Slash Line seems to be that of a solid, but unspectacular player: .258/.351/.430/.782.

34. Jerry Sands--OF--Pittsburgh Pirates

• 2012 Outlook: "Strong finish to the 2011 MLB season, but might be heading back to Triple-A in 2012. However, as soon as a spot in the OF opens, he'll be the first one up for the Dodgers."
• 2012 Achievements: N/A
• Conclusion: After being traded to the Red Sox in the big Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Adrian Gonzalez deal, the Red Sox traded him to the Pirates in the trade for Joel Hanrahan. Sands did manage to garner 23 at bats for the Dodgers last season (struck out 9 times). He has also proven to be a versatile defender, capable of playing anywhere in the OF and has even played at 1B, and a couple of games at 3B. His Minor League Slash Line is as follows: .289/.376/.562/.938 along with a BB:K of .56. He is currently listed as the 3rd RF in the Pirates' depth chart. 

33. Matt Adams--1B--St. Louis Cardinals

• 2012 Outlook: "Starting 1B for the Cardinals by 2013." 
• 2012 Achievements: #19 Prospect in Pacific Coast League
• Conclusion: Adams is a big guy with legit power. He garnered 86 at bats with the Cardinals last season and struck out 24 times. And then he was forced to have surgery to remove bone spur from his right elbow in August, but should be ready by spring training. Unfortunately, with Allen Craig and Matt Carpenter at the top of the Cards' depth chart, Adams' chance at the Big Leagues will continue to be delayed. Baseball experts and fans alike have been waiting in anticipation to see if Adams is the real deal. Power and production has been improving in the Minors since 2010 (from A-ball to Triple-A) and has show adequate patience, posting a BB:K of .60. Adams just needs an opportunity in the Majors to see if skills and abilities can streamline to the Big Leagues. 

32. Jonathan Singleton--1B--Houston Astros

Singleton showing off his big bat.

• 2012 Outlook: "20 year-old can hit for high average and high power."
• 2012 Achievements: Played in Arizona Fall League; #5 Prospect in Texas League; #2 Prospect in Astros' organization as well as the system's Best Hitter for Average.
• Conclusion: Singleton will have to be called up sometime in 2013, but the Astros have pretty much tried to defer having to call-up the young power hitter by signing Carlos Pena and even flirting with the idea of reuniting with Lance Berkman. In the Minors, Singleton has shown discipline (BB:K .70) and production (Slash Line: .291/.394/.470/.864). Reports have shown Singleton to compete for a spot in the Astros' roster in spring training, to projecting his call-up for September.  Singleton will be worth monitoring even in the Minors.

31. Adam C. Eaton--OF--Arizona Diamondbacks

• 2012 Outlook: "Shane Victorino-like. Might step in 2012 if somebody gets hurt." 
• 2012 Achievements: #12 Prospect in Pacific Coast League as well as the League's Fastest Baserunner and Most Exciting Player.
• Conclusion: Eaton did indeed get called up and filled in for a hurt D'backs' OF. He held his own in 85 Big League at bats posting a BB:K of .93(!), .259 batting average, and a .382 on-base%. He has a career .456 OBP%, .966 OPS, and a BB:K of .85 in the Minors. Despite all of the impressive numbers, Eaton is expected to compete for CF spot in 2013 and will most likely be on a short leash as he will be shipped back to the Minors at the fist sign of struggle. However, Eaton has shown flashes of his potential and despite the lack of size, he has show, thus far, that he can be a prototypical baseball player. 

Prospects #40-36 are available here.

Prospects #30-26 are available here.