Sep 04 2008
September Baseball Fliers
With fantasy baseball playoffs either underway or coming around the corner and the fantasy football season about to begin tonight, it’s a special time of the year for fantasy sports. First off, I’ll detail some guys who I think might be able to put you over the top in postseason baseball (and get that money!).
C Victor Martinez
I told you about him a few weeks ago when I picked him up myself for the stretch run. Now the move appears like it will pay dividends, as V-Mart homered last night and finally looks to be healthy. Martinez has 7 games next week against the Orioles and Royals, so this should be a no-brainer if your catcher isn’t named Mauer, McCann, or Martin.
RP Frank Francisco
Officially named the closer for the Rangers on Monday, Francisco has done nothing but run away with the job so far, throwing 7 K’s in 3 1/3 IP while just yielding 1 hit (3 for 3 in save opportunities). The guy throws absolute fire; posting 72 K’s in 55 2/3 IP this year. Despite the injuries to Kinsler and Murphy, the Rangers are still a pretty good offensive team, and could get Francisco some more save opportunities the rest of the year.
SP Anthony Reyes
My friend Darrell gave me the heads up on this one, as he noticed that Reyes is 4-2 with a 2.93 ERA/1.30 WHIP for the Indians since coming over from the Cardinals in a mid-season trade. Reyes doesn’t have much a track record, but the Cleveland offense has been pumping out runs as of late and Reyes has been making it stand up with 4 quality starts out of his last 5 games. If you’re desperate for a 5th starter, he might be your guy.
SP Yusmeiro Petit
This guy is probably the diciest of the bunch that I’ll talk about, but he’s intriguing, nonetheless. One bad outing last night dropped his numbers to 3-4 with a 3.44 ERA/0.86 WHIP. The guy hasn’t beat himself, which is more than what most 4th and 5th starters in MLB can say. 41 K’s and only 10 BBs in 52 1/3 IP tells me this guy has good control. I’ve already added him to my roster, but beware if you start him for next week, as he faces both Tim Lincecum and Edison Volquez in his two starts.
SP Brandon Morrow
Probably the one guy I’m the most excited about. He’s slated to start twice in Week 25 (when most championships are being decided) against the Royals and A’s, so this could certainly be the guy that puts you over the top. The K’s are ridiculous (47 in only 36 2/3 IP, and with a 1.47 ERA/0.90 WHIP, he was virtually unhittable out of the pen. Joba Chamberlain has been a constant comparison for Morrow, and I think it’s fitting. If he puts up Joba-like numbers in September, your team will be in much better shape. I promise you.
