Fantasy Busts
Written by B-Dub, Wednesday June 09 2010
Sorry, if you were looking for pictures of Pamela Anderson's famous "assets" you will be greatly disappointed by this article. If you want insightful commentary about the players that are killing your fantasy baseball team this year, then you have come to the right place. These are the guys you drafted early, expecting so much from, but getting so little actually production in return.
Pitchers
Josh Beckett (BOS)
I know he's been out since May 17th with a back injury, but he was horrible before then as well. He's only won one game after winning 17 last season. His ERA is 7.29 and his WHIP (Walks + Hits / IP) is 1.66. And only 3 of his 8 starts in 2010 have been quality starts. This is not what you expected when you drafted him to be your #1 or #2 SP. To make matters worse, his back still hurts and he probably won't be back until after the All-Star break. All you can do is stash him on the DL and pray.
Joba Chamberlain (NY)
Obviously nobody spent a high pick on Joba, but whatever you spent was a waste of a pick. If this guy didn't pitch for the Yankees you wouldn't even know who he is. He's 1-3 with 2 saves, 5.26 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. Those numbers suck. Unless Mariano Rivera gets hurt, which he never does, Joba has absolutely no value. You bought into the hype if you drafted him and you ended up with a lump of coal.
Mark Buehrle (CHW)
Again, he wasn't drafted very early in drafts, but you had to expect more than a 3-6 record with a 5.40 ERA and 1.485 WHIP. In 12 starts he has only managed 4 quality starts. He is 1-6 with a 6.22 ERA in his last 10 starts. And since his perfect game on July 23, 2009, he is 5-13 with a 4.95 ERA in 25 starts. Try to sell him to some sucker in your league on his name value and that perfect game.
Johan Santana (NYM)
I know Santana's stats look OK, but he is clearly a pitcher in decline over the last few seasons. He is 4-2 with a 2.75 ERA and 1.148 WHIP in 12 starts. That's fine, but some of you drafted him early expecting much more than that. His fastball velocity is averaging around 89 MPH, which is the third straight year of decline. That has led to fewer strikeouts and more balls hit into play against him. If it weren't for extremely pitcher-friendly Citi Field, Santana's stats wouldn't bee so smooth this season. I would sell high if I were you.
Tim Lincecum (SF)
No, I am not on drugs. Think about it. Lincecum was the first pitcher, if not the first player taken in every single fantasy draft on the planet. He won the last two NL CY Young awards and you expect near perfection from him every time he takes the mound. Unfortunately that act is in Colorado this year with Jimenez on the back of his jersey. Lincecum is 5-2 with a 3.20 ERA (almost a full run higher than 2009) and 1.18 WHIP. Those are good numbers after 12 starts for most pitchers, but not for this guy. The heavy workload over the last few years may finally be catching up with him. His velocity is down a few MPH and he has walked at least 5 batters in 4 of his last 5 starts. The strikeouts are still there, as he leads the NL with 89, but he isn't the same dominating pitcher he was the last two years. That said, he's a legit #1 SP and he should never leave your lineup.
Javier Vazquez (NYY)
Coming off a 15-win 2009 season with Atlanta and a 2.87 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, Vazquez was completely overrated going into this season. I guess people thought the move to the AL with the DH would be offset by the extra wins he would get pitching for the Yankees. Well in 10 starts he is 5-5, with a 5.62 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. I stayed far away, but I'm betting some of you regret taking this guy.
Dan Haren (ARI)
Haren usually waits until after the All-Star break to completely fall apart. His second half ERAs the last four years are 4.62, 4.18, 4.15 and 4.91, even though his overall ERA during that four-year span is 3.41. This year he's started out bad (4.82 ERA, 1.35 WHIP), so I shudder to think what his annual second half swoon will look like. The problem is that he has given up 16 HRs in just 87 innings already this season. The strikeouts are still there, so he does have some value. Just not as much as what you most likely paid for him at your draft.
Zach Greinke (KC)
Greinke is easily the biggest pitching bust of the 2010 fantasy season. His 1-8 record is bad enough, but the 4.04 ERA and 1.30 WHIP are inexcusable. Especially after you drafted the reigning AL CY Young Award winner, who led MLB with a 2.16 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP to go along with 16 wins for the lowly Royals. I guess he had nowhere to go but down, but you never would have imagined he could be this bad after you drafted him as your #1 SP. He has already given up 10 HRs this season after giving up only 11 all season in 2009. His K/9 rate has fallen from 9.5 last season to 7.2 this season. All of that leaves at least one owner in every league cursing himself for taking Greinke when he could have taken Ubaldo Jimenez like I did.
Hitters
Derrek Lee (CHC)
This one hurts because I drafted Lee in the middle rounds in every one of my leagues. He's a backup, but I expected a little more than a .234 average with 6 HRs and 24 RBIs. The only glimmer of hope is that Lee started off slow last season before having a great season by hitting .325, with 24 HRs and 76 RBIs in the second half. But to quote the great Yogi Bera, "It's getting late early out here."
Matt Holliday (STL)
Maybe it really was all about the rarefied air of Denver for Holliday, because he isn't the same hitter he once was. He only has 6 HRs and 25 RBIs in 217 ABs this season. And he hit only one HR in the entire month of May for the Cardinals. With some guy named Pujols hitting in front of him every game you would think he'd have a few more RBIs too. He's still hitting almost .300, but you expected so much more from a guy you drafted in the 1st or 2nd round didn't you?
Pablo Sandoval (SF)
What in the name of Mr. Miyagi is going on with "Kung Fu Panda"? This guy hit .330, with 25 HRs and 90 RBIs last season. So far this season it's only .285, with 4 HRs and 23 RBIs. That may improve with the return of Freddy Sanchez getting on base in front of him, but I think he just needs more practice "Wax on. Wax off."
Prince Fielder (MIL)
He's playing more like the Court Jester than a Prince so far this season. Fielder has only 9 HRs and 21 RBIs this season. That's a far cry from the guy who had 46 HRs and tied Ryan Howard for the NL RBI crown last year, with 141. The 52 strikeouts are a bit worrisome as well; since he only whiffed 138 times all last season. Manager Ken Macha is talking about switching Fielder and Ryan Braun in the lineup. That would be good for you Fielder owners since hitting in front of a beast like Braun could only help Fielder's stats.
Alex Rodriguez (NYY)
No more steroids, no more best player in baseball. A-Rod is having a good year, but only .287, 8 HRs, 43 RBI and 33 Runs scored in that lineup is not what you expected from your first round pick is it? Amazingly he won't even be starting the All-Star game this year, as he trails Evan Longoria by about 300,000 votes. Seems that people are finally realizing that he isn't the same player anymore now that he has to play clean. I don't feel sorry for you if you drafted him.
Joe Mauer (MIN)
He was the #1 catcher picked in every draft and I'm sure he was taken way too early. I even saw him go in the second round. For that his owners have gotten 2 HRs, 24 RBIs and 31 Runs scored. That's a far cry from the MVP numbers he put up last season (28-96-94). The average is nice, but the power numbers may never return in the new outdoor ballpark in cold Minnesota. He's still the best catcher in baseball, but he's not giving you enough return on your draft day investment.
Mark Teixeira (NYY)
I know Tex is a notoriously slow starter, but it's June already and he's still hitting .220, with only 9 HRs, 36 RBIs and 37 Runs scored. That would be fine in some lineups, but you expect more from a guy in the middle of the Yankees lineup. Especially since he was a late 1st or early 2nd round pick in most drafts. I have him in the Playerpress Fantasy Baseball League (Which I'm dominating, by the way) and I'm just leaving him in my starting lineup all year no matter what. My backup is friggin Derrek Lee remember?
Chase Utley (PHI)
This one hurts on a personal level as a Phillies fan who predicted that Utley would be winning an MVP award in the very near future. Unless Utley is hiding another injury (which is what he does), I have no idea what the hell has happened to the unquestioned best second baseman in baseball going into this year. He was a 1st round pick in every draft and he's hitting .266, with only 10 HRs, 26 RBIs and 40 Runs scored. This is a guy who has averaged 30 HRs, 100 RBIs and 110 Runs scored with a .301 batting average over the last three years. He also isn't stealing any bases, with 2 steals and 1 caught stealing after being a perfect 23 for 23 in stolen base attempts last season. Something has to be wrong, but until he goes on the DL you simply have to assume that he'll heat up sooner or later. It also doesn't help that the entire Phillies lineup has been in a hitting funk for the last three weeks and Ryan Howard is always a slow starter. Maybe once Howard starts heating up in the hot summer months, pitchers will be forced to challenge Utley more and he'll pay you off come fantasy playoff time for that high pick you spent on him.
Well, that's more than enough bad news for one article. I'm sure I'll revisit this topic at the end of the fantasy baseball season and hopefully some of these guys won't be on the list again. I'm looking at you Chase.
Tags:
Leave a comment
Not So Fast! To publish your comment, you have to login
Not Registered? Register now as it only take 20 seconds!
Click here to browse
11 comments
Please sign in to rate!
Alright B-Dub... I'll give credit where credit is due. You're article is real solid and I actually enjoyed reading it... Not too mention the fact that I think we can all agree that the MLB looked the other way about steroids for 90's and hell they may have even encouraged the use. Baseball was a dying sport people were losing interest at an erratic rate and MLB officials new homerun's were going to be necessary to keep fans around
Please sign in to rate!
always knew i could count on you b-dub
Please sign in to rate!
By the way, how did all of my incredibly insightful fantasy baseball analysis get reduced to a referendum on PEDs? It was just a throw-away line I put in just to tick off the Yankee fans and make my buddy Chriso happy. Oh wait, I guess it worked. (Memo to self: Always insult Yankees to get people to comment on articles)
Please sign in to rate!
James, I was just kidding, but apparently you New Yorkers just aren't bright enough to get that. I didn't say anything about the termination of your offspring, only that the steroids that you obviously inject into your ass would make you sterile so that more dopes like yourself won't populate the planet. And if you don't hink that the PED folks are WAY ahead of the testing programs then maybe I shouldn't just be kidding about all the previous stuff I've said. (Just kidding....maybe) The only reason they were able to test for "the Cream & the Clear" is because someone from Balco gave it the MLB. Otherwise they still wouldn't have been caught using tht stuff. So now the chemists have found a new undetectable drug and players like A-Roid and the rest of the NY Steroidees just keep on cheating. That's sad.
Please sign in to rate!
I never said it was right and I agree with you, Chriso, on all fronts. My only issue with anything was the suggestion that he is still doing it. I have studied a good deal about PEDs and the advances on testing, and it's clear that to get away with it now, especially after already being an offender, is practically impossible. Apparently, though, this opinion which seems sound on my part is enough to wish the termination of my offspring. Who is the rational one?
Please sign in to rate!
Even if 80% were doing it, does not make it right, A-Roid was supposed to be the best, so more is expected. The hating for A-Roid goes beyond this one issue, it continues with the slapping at Bronson Arroyo, when he yelled at the third baseman to drop the ball, or running over the mound in Oakland. There are plenty of hitting stars with class like Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols...
Please sign in to rate!
B-Dub going to have to disagree with you here. James has got it spot on, guys who previously tested positive/admitted to PED use are tested far more often than guys who have never tested positive. It would have been nearly impossible for A Rod to have been taking steroids over the past three seasons or so, since admiting PED use, due to these testing measures. Furthermore, I cannot understand why people hate on A Rod for PED use, when he was using PEDs so was about 80% of the MLB.
Please sign in to rate!
haha. Baseball testing is top-notch now- what do you know about steroid testing B-Dub? If you're taking something, you'll get caught. This is especially true if you have already tested positive (previous offenders are tested more often and consistently). To your other point...calling me stupid is what it is. That said, wishing that my future wife and I do not reproduce is crossing the line, no? Then again, you are part of the fan base that cheered when an opposing player AND future hall-of-famer may have broken his neck, so what else can I expect?
Please sign in to rate!
James I wouldn't expect such ridiculous comments about A-Roid from any reasonable sports fan, but since you're apparently a New Yorker you aren't a reasonable (or even mildly intelligent) sports fan are you? A-Rod got caught taking steroids. He admitted it. And if you are so damn stupid that you don't think he is still taking something then I hope that you are unable to reproduce. The world doesn't need any more people as dumb as you are.
Please sign in to rate!
thought there might be the entire Beach Bums team, not just two.... B-Dub, tell it like it is with A-Roid....
Please sign in to rate!
Alex Rodriguez (NYY) No more steroids, no more best player in baseball. ....That's a little ignorant. Did you see what he did last year? Or the year before that? How about his MVP season with the Yanks? All these were, with proof, seasons that he was clean of all PED's. That's an insulting way to speak of one of the greatest players of this generation. Wouldn't expect much more from a Phillies fan though.