Fantasy Baseball - Hold 'Em or Fold 'Em - Pitchers - jmik58's Blog

jmik58's Blog

Fantasy Baseball - Hold 'Em or Fold 'Em - Pitchers

Posted on May 21, 2009 at 02:17 PM.

In Part 1 of our Hold �Em or Fold �Em feature on fantasy baseball players we examined some of the more established players in the game that have us scratching our heads. Like their respective clubs, we sit on a fence about whether we should finally cut ties and risk losing points to another member in our league, or hang on in hopes that the law of averages will swing in our favor.

After going half a season without one, David Ortiz finally broke through with a home run in last night�s contest. Much like I warned in Part 1, Ortiz is coming around. His mechanics are close to where they should be and all he needs is confidence. If you have a lot of power on your team, hold Ortiz for future trade bait as his stock rises. If you are in need of power, grab him up cheap and hold on to him.

With our final five players keep in perspective the gravity of dropping a player. The decision can have a two-fold negative effect. So, remember the bigger point to take extra time before deciding to drop a player.

Here is Part 2 of a feature showcasing ten players, this time pitchers, on the fantasy fence and whether you should hold �em or fold �em.

1.Randy Johnson, SF, SP
3 Wins, 4 Losses, 42 K, 6.86 ERA, 1.55 WHIP

- It�s nothing personal for me with Randy, but he really is riding the coattails of his past. He has absolutely no contribution for his pitches coming from the lower half of his body. His 40+ year old body is practically fused at every joint from hips to feet. If you were one of the guys who bought into the hype and snatched up the Big Unit, now is the time to put on the businessman hat and leave sentiment aside.

The Read: Fold �em!

2.Gil Meche, KC, SP
2 Wins, 4 Losses, 40 K, 4.42 ERA, 1.40 WHIP

- Meche is getting the same treatment that Angels middle infielder, Howie Kendrick, has received from fantasy owners. Gil is a guy that isn�t going to have amazing stuff but he�s a quality starter in many deeper leagues. The ERA and WHIP are very respectable and his last start shows he could very well be on the up.

The Read: Hold �em!

3.Scott Richmond, Tor, SP
4 Wins, 2 Losses, 38 K, 3.64 ERA, 1.30

- I�m absolutely baffled to see that Richmond is being dropped more than added in most leagues. Richmond is a great hurler on the best team in baseball right now, just pitched seven scoreless innings in a gem against the White Sox on Monday, and was mentioned in our previous article of fantasy players on the rise. The rise! This is beyond holding on to someone; snatch the kid up!

The Read: Hold �em!

4.Armando Galarraga, Det, SP
3 Wins, 3 Losses, 33 K, 5.62 ERA, 1.58 WHIP

- Galararaga got off to a torrid start in April but has been calling �May Day!� since. Funny thing is, this is nothing new for Armando who has a history of slipping in the month of May (see 2008). If he doesn�t get it together in June then drop him like a bad habit, but until then we trust history.

The Read: Hold �em!

5.Ricky Nolasco, Fla, SP
2 Wins, 4 Losses, 34 K, 7.78 ERA, 1.68 WHIP

- The young phenom is every bit of the youth that he has shown so far this season. He has a lot of promise for the future, but in the fantasy baseball world we need results now to go along with staying power (see Matt Wieters). Young pitching is always abundant as teams try to keep their rotations staffed with youth for the future, which means guys like Nolasco aren�t hard to come by. Maybe in a year Ricky.

The Read: Fold �em!