Author: TJ Streett

Under The Radar- Gyorko

Jedd Gyorko is five games into his career as a San Diego Padre and his play is as advertised.

Analysis: Gyorko hit 30 home runs last year between Triple-A and Double-A with a slugging percentage north of .500. He’s now twenty-four years old playing on a team that needs all the power bats it can get. Through his first five games Gyorko has three doubles, five hits, three RBI and two runs. He’s played two games at second base and three at third so he is on his way to multiple position eligibility. Chase Headley will eventually be back at third base and Gyorko should be the full time second baseman for the Padres.

Gyorko will have the month of April and possibly May to prove his bat is big league ready which should not be much of a problem. He’s available in over sixty percent of fantasy leagues but his stock is rising. Gyorko is a fine alternative for those counting on other low profile second basemen like a Brian Roberts. Roberts could only make it two full games and change this season without an injury… shattering his previous records.

Good Start For Nicasio

Juan Nicasio tallied his first win of the season Wednesday against the Brewers.

Analysis: Nicasio lasted 6.0 innings, giving up two earned runs and seven hits. Nicasio only struck out two batters Wednesday but expect more going forward. In his two previous big league seasons Nicasio has put up a 7.77 K/9 rate with a solid mid-90s fastball and a decent slider. Although his ERA has not been good in his two major league seasons his xFIP has been under 4.00 each year.

Obviously the biggest fantasy drawback is that he pitches at Coors Field for a living although it is interesting that his career ERA at home is significantly lower than it is on the road. The main focus for fantasy owners should be Nicasio’s walk rate. If he can limit his baserunners this year he will be more than a NL-only fantasy option.

He’s available in 99.9% of fantasy leagues but if the Rockies keep scoring in bunches it might not matter what kind of WHIP he posts this year. If he keeps pitching well he’ll be a steal or a good sell high option down the road.

Under The Radar- Roberts

Brian Roberts isn’t expected to do much this year but if he stays healthy he should put up solid numbers.

Analysis: Brian Roberts hit over .300 this spring and is hitting ninth in the Baltimore batting order. Hitting ninth isn’t that bad of a spot for Roberts. Nick Markakis, Manny Machado and Adam Jones are hitting “behind” him which means his run total could be more than respectable. Roberts is thirty-five years old but over his last 115 games he has stolen 19 bags and was only caught 4 times. Unfortunately those 115 games have taken place over the past three years due to various injuries. Roberts is a career .280 hitter so the only negatives will be his power numbers.

Roberts was 2 for 4 in the opener in Tampa which is always a good sign. He could be leading off and bump Markakis to the two spot if Manny Machado’s walk rate isn’t remotely decent. Either way, Brian Roberts should put up good numbers this year if he stays healthy. He’s available in well over ninety percent of fantasy leagues which is understandable. Monitor his health and especially his batting average/BABIP going forward because he may be a valuable asset at second base in the near future.

Deep League Help- Alonso

Yonder Alonso opened his 2013 campaign with a home run in the sixth inning Monday afternoon against the New York Mets.

Analysis: His home run doesn’t have much to do with how valuable of a fantasy player Alonso is right now. The biggest plus out of the opener is his position in the San Diego batting order. As of now he’s hitting third in front of Carlos Quentin. Quentin is one of the most underrated bats in the game today. Carlos hit 16 homers last year in just 86 games played and has a career isolated power of .239. To put his power into perspective Adrian Beltre’s career isolated power is just .196 while Matt Holliday has a career ISO of .223.

Yonder Alonso is now twenty-five years old and has over 200 games under his belt with a respectable career batting average of .278. As of opening day he is available in well over ninety percent of leagues and if he continues to hit third in the San Diego batting order he will put up fantasy relevant numbers and see plenty of hittable pitches in front of Carlos Quentin.

Overvalued- Jordan Zimmermann

Jordan Zimmermann is being drafted as a solid SP2 this year but the sabermetrics say otherwise.

Analysis: Jordan Zimmermann is the 20th starting pitcher being taken in drafts. The twenty-six year old has put together two solid seasons in a row but there are causes for concern. Zimmermann’s stand rate in 2012 was 79.3% which was the fifth best in baseball last year. His career average sits at 74.7%. Zimmermann did post a 2.94 ERA last year but if we take a look at his xFIP of 3.78 we clearly see there should be a regression this year.

Jordan Zimmermann will put up good numbers in 2013 but wasting such a high pick on him doesn’t make sense. He’s not a high strikeout guy and his ERA should not be below 3.50. He is primarily a two pitch pitcher and if he struggles to locate his fastball or slider he gets roughed up. There are plenty of better options later in the draft for you but if you have already drafted it may be time to sell before the fantasy world realizes that you have a SP3 on your hands.