Tag: Francisco Liriano

Francisco Liriano gave up 4 earned runs in just 3.2 innings pitched in his last start. Liriano has a 4.54 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP this season.

Analysis: Regardless of his troubles on the mound Francisco Liriano remains a viable fantasy starter. His K/9 rate is still great at 8.84 and his HR/FB rate is above his career average but most likely will return to his norm. Liriano’s xFIP is still under 4.00 this season which leads one to believe that he can still put up legit fantasy numbers even if he is on the decline.

Yes, Liriano is not the same pitcher he was last year. His fastball velocity is down to 91.8 from 93.0 last year and his slider velocity is down to 84.5 from 86.9 last year. He is also struggling with his command- his walk rate is up to 4.06 BB/9(it was 3.52 BB/9 last year).

It really is a mixed bag with Liriano. His velocity is down and his command is off but his strikeout rate is 29th in the bigs and his xFIP is solid at 3.65. Liriano is available in 10-30% of fantasy leagues.

Francisco Liriano is two starts into his 2013 season and he has been impressive.

Analysis: Through two starts Lirano has posted a 1.64 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 11.0 innings pitched. Liriano’s fastball and slider velocity early on has been fine and he seems to be healthy and ready to make an impact. We all know that he has been inconsistent over the past few years but the high strikeout rate should give owners confidence. He has sported a K/9 rate over 9.4 two of his last three years so the strikeouts should be there especially in the National League. It is worth mentioning that Liriano pitched lights out in three Triple-A starts prior to his debut on May 11.

The twenty-nine year old lefty is available in 40-60% of fantasy leagues. His next scheduled start is against the Chicago Cubs on May 22.

Owners do have to be aware that Liriano has allowed 17 baserunners in his 11.0 innings pitched giving him a 1.55 WHIP. His strand rate is 18% above his career average thus far so expect a high strikeout, moderate ERA, high WHIP lower tier fantasy starter going forward.

Francisco Liriano struck out fifteen batters last night against the Oakland Athletics while only walking one batter.

Analysis: Liriano has now allowed three earned runs or less in five of his last six starts. He has also struck out at least six batters in eight of his last nine starts. It appears that the talented lefty has found his groove. His command issues are much improved as he will continue to lower his current 1.41 WHIP.

Liriano remains available in seventy percent of fantasy leagues nationwide. He may not have the run support to earn the wins but his 9.56K/9 ranks sixth best among all big league starters. Liriano is a free agent next year so look for the Twins to deal the lefty to a contender.

It’s the last call on Francisco Liriano before the hype machine gets to him. In a week or two he will be a hot commodity on the wire and as trade bait in the majors. He is showing the consistency and the command that he lacked earlier in the year and keep in mind that he is playing for a big contract next year.

Francisco Liriano has been one inconsistent starter this year but he still has some significant fantasy value.

Analysis: Liriano allowed four or more earned runs in his first six starts of the year but since May 7th he has lowered his ERA by three runs. Liriano’s velocity is fine even though he should be throwing his slider a bit more. He is actually striking out more than one batter per inning but the real problem is his location. He’s walking nearly six batters per nine innings pitched and his HR/FB rate of 14% this year is four percent higher than his career average of 10%.

Liriano still has plenty left in the tank. In fact, his xFIP is just 4.29 compared to his current ERA of 6.45. It does not help that Minnesota does not score much but Liriano isn’t a 1-7 type of pitcher anyway. He’s available in over seventy percent of leagues and his value will be increasing in the near future. Liriano is a free agent next year so a trade deadline move would not be out of the question. Put Liriano on a contender with run support and you have a waiver wire steal.