A.L. TWO-START STUDS
Josh Beckett (@Hou,
@NYY) – Still has some of the best ratios in the game.
Joba Chamberlain (Tex, Box) – I wondered how good Joba would have to be to become the
best pitcher ever born in Nebraska, and it turns out the answer is “very”; both
Bob Gibson and Pete Alexander were born in the Cornhusker State. Next year,
though, assuming 34 starts, he has a shot at Gibson’s single-season Cornhusker
record of 274 strikeouts, a mark which would require him to strike out just
over eight men a game.
Zack Greinke (@Bal,
@TB) – Forget C.C. Sabathia, this is the guy I really want the Brewers
to get. His emotional problems don’t really concern me (more correctly, the
emotional problems I’ll have if the Brewers barely lose to the Cubs again
concern me much more).
John Lackey
(@LAD, Tor) – Lackey’s not 1.65 ERA-good, but he’s plenty good even after the
inevitable regression to the mean.
A.L. TWO-START SCRUBS
Brian Burress (KC,
Tex) – Still not very good.
Kenny Rogers (Col,
@Sea) – Kenny Rogers: Roasted.
Andy Sonnanstine (@Pit, KC) – Sonnanstine would stand a chance if he didn’t give up so
many hits, since he has such good control, but his stuff is just too fringy.
A.L. TWO-START WILDCARD
A.J. Burnett (Atl,
@LAA) – It is apparently a foregone conclusion that Burnett will opt out of the
final year of his contract, which calls for him to be paid $12M. This seems
strange on the surface, as Burnett is currently sporting an ERA over 5, but his xFIP is right in line with his previous two seasons in Toronto. That doesn’t
necessarily mean he’ll pitch better this year, because he’ll still be in front
of the same defense, but it does mean he’s a good bet to be better next year.
N.L. TWO-START STUDS
Dan Haren (@Flo,
SD) – Haren has been legitimately excellent for the Diamondbacks, but given how
well Greg Smith and Dana Eveland have pitched for the A’s, it’s not going to
take much of a contribution from Carlos Gonzalez, Brett Anderson, Chris Carter,
or Aaron Cunningham in the future to tip the trade in favor of Oakland—and that’s
before salary is taken into account.
Jake Peavy (Sea,
@Ari) – Every draft produces great players not taken in the first couple
rounds, but the 1999 draft must be pretty up there with Albert Pujols going in the 13th round and Peavy in the
15th.
Jonathan Sanchez (@Oak,
LAD) –Giants starters have three of the top seven K/9 numbers in the league,
and Sanchez is leading the team, ahead of both Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.
Who saw that coming? He’s gone 7+ innings in four of his last five starts,
after hitting that mark only once in his first eleven.
Ben Sheets (@Min,
Pit) – Is it a coincidence that Sheets has yet to come down with any strange
injuries in this, his contract year? I don’t know, but I’m happy to go along
for the ride. Stolen bikes ride fastest, but rented ones aren’t bad.
N.L. TWO-START SCRUBS
Shawn Hill
(@Flo, @Cin) – A pitcher just has no chance allowing as many baserunners as
Hill does when backed by the Nats’ “offense”.
Oliver Perez (NYY,
@Phi) – I don’t trust him. He looks sneaky.
Barry Zito (ChC,
LAD) – Zito’s 4/0 K/BB performance last time out halved the lead his walks had
on his strikeouts, but I’m confident the free passes can still pull out the
victory.
N.L. TWO-START WILDCARD
Ted Lilly
(@SF, @StL) – Lilly’s posting the best strikeout rate of his career, but he’s
also walking too many guys and has already allowed 18 home runs—it’s like he’s
developing in reverse.
QUICK HITS
Own David Ortiz?
Me too. See if you can pick up recently-promoted Rangers’ first baseman Chris
Davis, who’s relatively quietly put up some sick minor league numbers
over the past couple of years.
Have you heard the
song “Handlebars” by the Flobots? It’s a great tune about the hubris of
youth, building from a boast about being able to ride a bike with no handlebars
to frightening gasconade about history-altering power wielded with the whimsy
of an angry adolescent. It reminds me very much of the classic punk song “Sonic
Reducer” by Rocket From the Tombs (you might know it by the Dead Boys),
in particular singer David Thomas’ unhinged pleas of “Listen to me!” and
his anguished assertion that “I’ll be a pharaoh soon/Rule from some golden
tomb/Things will be different then/The sun will rise from me/Then I’ll be ten
feet tall/You’ll be nothing at all!” Yeah. Check it out.