If you’re unfamiliar with Baltimore Orioles left fielder Nolan Reimold, listen up.
In 2009, Baseball America ranked Reimold as Baltimore’s fifth best prospect, saying the Bowling Green State alum possesses “the raw power to compare with just about anyone in the minors, rating a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale.” They also acknowledged his potential to “be an average overall hitter if he continues to make adjustments.”
Closers are the most overrated players in fantasy baseball. The good ones deliver strong contributions to one category, but generally pitch less than five innings per week.
During drafts, I usually ignore the position until the late rounds. Despite this strategy, my teams are usually very strong in the saves category. In fact, my teams have finished first, first and second in saves over the last three seasons in my 10-team roto keeper league…
2009 was a remarkable year for the most elite pitchers in baseball, as four hurlers posted a sub-2.50 ERA. While this fact is incredible enough, so too is the reality that exactly zero pitchers accomplished this feat in the three years previous to ’09.
From 2000 to 2005, there were 11 instances of a pitcher posting an ERA under 2.50 with a minimum of 150 innings. This irregularity, when compared to the three-year drought from 2006 to 2008 is somewhat puzzling, though essentially meaningless to fantasy owners…
In 2008, Jay Bruce ranked among the top prospects in baseball. In fact, Baseball America claimed “every one of (his) tools is better than average”. Our friends at BA rated his power as high as a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale, acknowledged his ability to hit for average, and even proclaimed Bruce capable of stealing 15 to 20 bases a season.
Two years later, Bruce appears primed for stardom, though most fantasy managers don’t realize it.
After posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with a 34:11 K:BB ratio in 29 second-half innings last season, Chris Perez became a popular 2010 sleeper pick among fantasy baseball circles.
Now the secret is out.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Indians’ closer Kerry Wood “will miss six to eight weeks with a strained muscle below his right shoulder.” While Wood insists he’ll be back much sooner, his well-documented injury history makes his claim tough to believe…
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
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