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Raven Maniac
Flying High!
... picking the waiver wire clean, one pitcher
at a time.
The season is underway and already the savvy Raven is soaring above the crowd in hopes of swooping down on a free meal J The waiver wire normally has at least a few potentially delicious arms to offer and knowing which ones will be gourmet meals and which ones are simply road kill can make all the difference in your fantasy year.
This is the first edition of what we hope to offer as a regular feature here on www.fantasybaseballgeeks.com ... Flying High! Every couple of weeks this crazy Raven will recap a few pitchers who *might* be available on your league's waiver wire and give you a bird's eye view of what to expect if you add them to your roster.
Hopefully, as the season progresses, we'll come across a few pitchers who have the potential to move you up a couple of places in the standings either this year or, maybe, in the future if you are playing in a keeper/dynasty league.
Each day I generally prepare a list of pitchers I want to look at or evaluate - this could be a televised MLB game (Extra Innings package I love you) or a trip to a nearby minor league game where a pitcher on the patent pending RavenRadar is scheduled to pitch. Every couple of weeks I will select a few of these pitchers and give you my insights and recommendations right here ... consider it one click scouting!!!
Let's get started ...
Hiroki Kuroda (Los Angeles - NL) - Daisuke
Matsuzaka came over from Japan and was a highly hyped "rookie" when he made
his major league debut with Boston. At his age and with his ability, there
is every reason to believe he will at least come close to justifying that
hype. However, this year, another Japanese pitcher is somewhat more quietly
beginning to make his presence known here in the United States. Hiroki Kuroda is
in his early 30s, and in 2006 posted a sub 2.00 ERA with only 21 walks allowed
and 12 HRs allowed in 189 innings - that is less than a walk and a HR per 9
innings! In his major league debut, he showed that he could fit in nicely here.
With his experience and command of a nice assortment of pitches that includes
a 4-seam fastball that he basically "shows" to hitters at about 95 mph, a slider,
and a "shuuto" which basically acts like a screwball with more velocity and
less break - a backwards slider if you will. He keeps everything down and everything
moves which will lead to many groundballs. Pitching in a friendly ballpark
like Dodger Stadium, he is one to grab now if he is available, and get him
into your rotation while hitters are still trying to figure him out.
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Recommendation: Get him now and give him the ball every five days!
Edinson Volquez (Cincinnati) - Homer Bailey has had far more press and Johnny Cueto may be the worst kept secret in the fantasy baseball world, but the list of high ceiling starters in Cincinnati definitely does not stop there. After some sparkling minor league seasons and some equally ugly auditions at the major league level, Edinson Volquez appears to be maturing into the pitcher his stuff says he can be. He can get up near 100 mph with his fastball, and that is not his best pitch. His change is extremely difficult to pick up if you are trying to dial it up for that heat, and when he locks in it simply freezes hitters. In the past he struggled to stay focused when things got shaky - miscues in the field, questionable calls on balls and strikes, his own lack of command, and baserunners all tended to distract Volquez. The command, although still inconsistent, is improving steadily and he appears much more composed on the mound. If he can keep the ball down in the zone in hitter-friendly Cincinnati he could post a nice ERA and WHIP with impressive strikeout totals. He will likely have bad outings from time to time, but his overall production should be a plus.
Recommendation: His command can still mean high pitch counts, but pick him up and pick your spots if you have a bench spot available, especially in keeper leagues.
Adam Loewen (Baltimore) - He once generated favorable comparisons to another Canadian lefty in Baltimore, Erik Bedard. Bedard is now in Seattle, and Adam Loewen is coming back from elbow surgery, which was performed in June of last year when he was diagnosed with a stress fracture. When healthy, he arguably has better stuff than Bedard with a fastball that can easily creep into the mid 90s to go along with a decent slider and a truly knee-buckling curve. Unfortunately, this spring and his first 2008 start would suggest that he is not fully recovered. He generally worked in the low 90s and his command, his biggest drawback before the injury, was very inconsistent. His breaking pitches did not have their usual snap, and he was up in the zone most of the time.
Recommendation: Monitor closely or pick him up and stash him on your bench. He is too dangerous to put out there right now, but he could quietly get his act together and be a late season steal.
Kason Gabbard (Texas) - The lefty came over to Texas from Boston late in 2007 in the Eric Gagne deal. Based on a few credible starts in Boston it appeared the Rangers might be receiving a competent young starting pitcher. However, Kason Gabbard had trouble keeping men off base, and his tendency to serve up long balls in critical situations resulted in a high ERA - even for Texas. His first start this year (a very nice 7-inning win against the Angels) could have people jumping onto the waiver wire to pick him up but he still has just average velocity and will need excellent command to be effective with his bread and butter off speed pitches. His command does not seem refined enough to guarantee that pinpoint command, he won't ever be a big strikeout pitcher, and Texas can be very unforgiving when you leave pitches up in the strike zone.
Recommendation: He is probably not worth a roster spot in any but the deepest leagues and even then he should only be spot started to avoid the more potent offenses whenever possible.
Please email me with questions, comments, or just to talk pitching: raven@fantasybaseballgeeks.com
