MARDI GRAS MADNESS: Bourbon St Red Sox

Felipe M

As explained in the last article, I'll be posting my fantasy baseball keeper league predictions on this website.  

To view my team, click here. 

I posted predictions for the Co-Commissioner's team, the Castroville Crushers.  No we take a look at the other Co-Commissioner's team.

WEST DIVISION—BOURBON ST RED SOX (out of New Orleans, LA)

BATTING LINEUP

Like: Prince Fielder proved that there was no ballpark big enough to deny his power.  Looking for a bounce-back season from Jacoby Ellsbury as well.  The future of this team is Bryce Harper whom is still improving on his skills and still young enough to post bigger numbers—this after coming off an All-Star season in 2012.  I also like Norichika Aoki: what he lacks in power, he makes up in a very patient approach at the plate and is a speedy baserunner with 30+ steals appeal.

2013 Hitting Projections
Player	Team	BB/K	AB/K	AB/HR	OBP	SLG	OPS	SB
Jacoby Ellsbury	Boston	0.50	7.00	33.39	0.343	0.454	0.798	27
Prince Fielder	Detroit	0.97	5.73	17.55	0.417	0.533	0.950	1

 

Dislike: Big-cut swingers Rickie Weeks, Mike Moustakas, and J.J. Hardy; projected to combine for 353 strikeouts (118 a piece).  And that’s not mentioning Adam Dunn’s strikeout totals as his career is dipping rapidly.  Obviously, his appeal is in his power, but should not belong on any fantasy team, at least not this early in the season.

Look Out For: Jesus Montero as the Mariners have given him the opportunity to take over the catching position.  Montero’s stats as a catcher were a lot better than as a DH in 2012. 

BENCH: It will be interesting to see if Yonder Alonso can benefit from the fences being moved in at San Diego.  He had a good, late-season run in 2012.  As long as Michael Cuddyer plays in Colorado, he will continue to find a place on a fantasy team.  I don’t see Denard Span being utilize too often on this team.

PITCHING

Like: Madison Bumgarner (see 2013 projections below) might be the best pitcher on the Giants.  He won’t be doing it by himself either as the Red Sox are loaded with pitchers: Edwin Jackson, Jon Lester, Kris Medlen, Ian Kennedy, Hisashi Iwakuma.

Player	Team	K/BB	K/9	BB/9	H/9	WHIP	HR/A
Madison Bumgarner	San Francisco	4.04	8.35	2.07	8.18	1.14	0.82

Dislike: Not a fan of Clay Buchholz as he’s been a disappointment since the BoSox have given him a regular spot in the rotation after many years of being hyped as a highly-touted prospect. 

Look Out For: There’s a few candidates at this spot: Matt Garza, when he comes back from injury, gives the Bourbons incredible depth in the rotation.  Minor Leaguers Danny Hultzen and Kevin Gausman are very likely to be called up later in 2013, but Hultzen is more likely to step into his team’s starting rotation and flourish than Gausman.

BULLPEN: As opposed to years past, the Bourbons didn’t go after a lot of relievers.  They did pick up Jonathan Papelbon who is a top-tier closer.

PREDICTION: The pitching is incredibly loaded and might be good enough to carry the club to another championship.  What’s stopping this team from a sure spot in the playoffs in their infield, sans Fielder.  Nevertheless, they have an OF that should prove to be consistent throughout the year.  Whether they can make up for the short falls from their impatient teammates is yet to be seen.  

More fantasy baseball content is available here. 

MAKING THE PITCH: Atlanta Braves

#Braves Hudson on first outing of spring:: "Didn’t blow anything out, didn’t limp off the mound. So that’s always a good day.”
— David O'Brien (@ajcbraves) February 22, 2013

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 Arizona Diamondbacks, click here. 

We'll take a look at the Atlanta Braves today.

PROBABLE STARTING ROTATION

1. Kris Medlen
• Good: Has been compared to Greg Maddux. Impressive down the stretch in 2012.  His projected numbers scream "ELITE!"
• Bad: Very small sample size to go with.  Medlen is 28, so he's not a young phenom.  Questions loom regarding projected numbers being fact or fiction.
2. Tim Hudson
• Good: You know exactly what you're getting from Hudson at this point of his career.  He pitches to contact, and highly depends on defense to get him through his starts, but will not hurt himself by allowing too many hits or homers.  His BB/9 is a low 2.68.  
• Bad: Very low K/9 of 5.86.  He will turn 38 in July.
3. Mike Minor
• Good: K/9 of 8.31. Keeps walks and hits to a minimum.  Pitched great in the 2nd half of 2012.
• Bad: Homerun rate is a bit high (1.19), but as mentioned, hard to tell if this is a pattern with Minor, or if he can streamline late success from last season into 2013.
4. Paul Maholm
• Good: Might be a better pitcher than Hudson with a little bit of luck.  He has a slightly, higher H/9 (8.81) and HR/9 (.79) than the veteran Hudson.  6.20 K/9 is not too shabby.
• Bad: WHIP of 1.26 might hurt Roto-leaguers, but it might drop if he can somehow limit the base-hits he gives up.
5. Julio Teheran
• Good: Has been described as the next Pedro Martinez. Will be given every chance to break camp as the 5th starter.  So far, has pitched better this spring than in 2012.  Solid K/9 of 6.45.  
• Bad: Projections show a K/BB of 1.65 and a H/9 of 8.83, which inflates his WHIP to 1.42.  He's still worth a flier to fill out the rest of your rotation on potential alone.

CLOSER

1. Craig Kimbrel
• Good: Might be the best closer in baseball.  He's near unhittable, especially when it comes to home runs.  K/BB of 5.22 and a K/9 of 15.88 (incredibly high!).   He's expected to have a WHIP of 1.06. 
• Bad: Very tough to figure out any weakness for this guy.  Perhaps the fact that hard-throwing teammate, Jonny Venters, can supplant him if Kimbrel stumbles.  However, the Braves are "listening" to offers from other teams for Venters.  

FANTASY ADVICE

The Braves have themselves a solid pitching staff.  They won't hurt themselves with too many mistakes and can keep their walks in checks.  Even the young, unproven Teheran is an intriguing option if he continues to impress in spring training.  

Oh yes; this list isn't even mentioning Brandon Beachy who should be back by late June or sooner.  Just be careful in overvaluing these guys.  Minor, Teheran, and Medlen are young and still unproven and may fall short of their projections.  Conversely, however, the opposite also holds true; they may super-exceed their projections this season as well.  

More MLB content is available here.