Category: MLB

Halladay Solid In Return

Roy Halladay made his first start in over three months Sunday as he returned from a shoulder injury.

Analysis: Halladay pitched 6.0 innings and allowed two earned runs against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He only K’d two batters which is cause for concern considering he was striking out nine batters per nine innings prior to his stint on the disabled list. Overall it was a solid performance but can he be trusted in roto leagues not to blow up your ratios?

Who knows what the rest of the season will hold for Doc Halladay but we do know he is playing for a new contract since the Phillies will not pick up his $20 million 2014 option. It is unclear if Halladay can be trusted considering his velocity is still down and it’s unlikely that he will go deep into games going forward. Perhaps the best move is to use the “wait and see” approach. If you can pick him up and stash him… that isn’t a bad option either.

Halladay is available in 35-80% of fantasy leagues.

Under The Radar- Quintana

Jose Quintana is quietly having a solid fantasy season in his second year in the majors after a sub 4.00 ERA rookie season.

Analysis: Quintana is only twenty-four years old but he’s the 58th best fantasy starter thus far this year. The future is bright for the lefty as he continues to be a model of consistency on the mound. Quintana has allowed more than three earned runs just once over his last ten starts. He’s struck out at least five batters in nine of his last ten starts and has four wins in that span. His 3.67 ERA is 45th in baseball, his 1.22 WHIP is 36th. He produces and is consistent, so why is he available in 40-85% of fantasy leagues?

We will know the answer to that question when someone can explain why Bruce Chen is owned in more fantasy leagues than Jose Quintana. People seem to love Chen’s 2.20 ERA through seven starts and some relief work but his xFIP this year is 4.84. Chen has had an xFIP north of 4.40 in each of his last ten seasons. Quintana’s first two years in terms of xFIP is better than Bruce Chen’s best year.

 

Here Comes Ivan Nova

Ivan Nova notched his seventh win of the season Tuesday against the Blue Jays and now has three wins in his last four starts.

Analysis: The New York Yankees may have a lot of drama but Ivan Nova is quietly getting the job done and keeping the Yanks alive for a playoff berth. Nova is sporting a 3.17 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP this year. He now has an 8.55 K/9 rate which is 28th in baseball among pitchers with eighty plus innings pitched. Nova has allowed more than three earned runs just once over his past ten starts and he’s lasted more than 6.0 innings in each of his last eight starts. To put it simply… he is producing in every facet of the game.

Despite his consistency and playing in the New York market, Ivan Nova is still available in 20-40% of fantasy leagues. Keep in mind that over the last month of the season Ivan Nova is the 40th best fantasy starter. In that month long span he has outperformed Justin Verlander, Jered Weaver and Madison Bumgarner. It’s only a matter of time before he is universally owned.

Stock Rising- Neil Walker

Neil Walker has hit either second or fifth over the last six games for the Pirates.

Analysis: Walker is in a great position at the moment. He’s either hitting in front of Andrew McCutchen or behind Pedro Alvarez… not bad at all. Walker also has at least one hit in eleven of his last twelve games. He has his batting average up to .258 which is still about twenty points below his career average and all this makes sense because his BABIP this year is about twenty points lower than his career mark.

Walker only has 7 home runs this season which is disappointing considering he has hit at least 12 bombs each year over the past three years. Although his home run tally is down his isolated power is 9th among qualified second baseman. He’s 10th among second baseman in doubles, 6th in triples and 7th in OBP. If he continues hitting second or fifth his run and RBI totals will start to rise which means top 15 fantasy second baseman numbers.

Neil Walker is available in 30-40% of fantasy leagues.

Dan Haren Is Surging

Dan Haren has put together three great starts and has looked impressive since returning from the disabled list over a month ago. He’s surging at the right time and it won’t be long until he is universally owned.

Analysis: Haren has allowed just 3 earned runs over his last three starts and has struck out 19 batters in that 21.0 inning span. He’s looked solid since returning from the disabled list in early July but his competition has been less than pedestrian- Phillies twice, Marlins, Mets, Brewers. His competition may be lacking but he now has his xFIP under 3.90 for the year. His strikeout rate is north of 8/9 IP and his velocity has improved from last year.

Currently, the thirty-two year old righty is available in 35-50% of fantasy leagues. His ERA may be 4.99 but his 1.28 WHIP is 54th in all of baseball and better than some of the bigger names out there. Yes, he has been dominant recently but expect a solid ERA/WHIP fantasy starter with a high K rate going forward.