Pitching woes in April often cause panic among the fantasy baseball community. Unseasoned owners of proven pitchers that aren’t performing well will auction off their prized arms for a bag of peanuts and a washing machine if you’re clever in your negotiations. For those who aren’t able to make these kinds of deals, here’s a list of pitchers widely available that may bolster your rotation when the aces are down. Percentage of players available taken from Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball leagues
Ricky Romero (TOR- LHP)- 55% owned
With former ace Roy Halladay traded to the defending NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies, the Jays needed their pitching to step up and Romero has gotten off to a blazing start. Romero flirted with a no-no on Tuesday against the White Sox by throwing 8 masterful innings of 1-hit ball while punching out 12 White Sox hitters. Before his gem against the Sox, Romero tossed 7 innings of 1-hit ball in the power-happy Ballpark at Arlington against the Texas Rangers. While fantasy owners should take early season starts with a grain of salt, perhaps the most encouraging sign from Romero is his 4 walks in 15 innings of work thus far. His 1.52 WHIP from last season got the young lefty into a heap of trouble in his rookie year and if he is able to limit his walks, Romero could be a solid third or fourth starter for your team.
Brad Penny (STL-RHP)- 23% owned
St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan is an absolute genius. If Dave Duncan were available in a fantasy draft for coaches, he’d be selected first among pitching coaches. If you don’t believe me, check out Joel Pineiro’s career before and after his three-year stay in St. Louis. Penny is in a perfect situation in St. Louis and the early reports on the hard-throwing righty have been positive. In 14 innings, Penny has only let up 1 run on 9 hits with 8 k’s against the cellar-dwelling Houston Astros and NL Central rival, Cincinnati Reds. He’s widely available in Yahoo! Leagues and is worth picking up for the back end of your rotation.
Jonathan Sanchez (SF-LHP) 69% owned
The low ownership indicates that he might be available in shallow leagues yet still not high enough to justify not taking a look for Sanchez’s name on the wire. If he’s there, grab him, sit back and watch the K’s roll in. While his first start was forgettable against Atlanta, Sanchez fanned 11 while only walking three Pirates for his first victory of the season. If the control issues can be hemmed down a bit (only 5 walks in 12 innings so far this year), Sanchez has the ability to shut a team down with his raw stuff. Sanchez features an upper 90’s fastball to compliment a wicked slider, all of which he utilized to throw his no-hitter last season. Did I mention he’s a lefty? Go get him.
Brian Matusz (BAL- LHP)- 48% owned
While Aroldis Chapman and Stephen Strasburg will command most of the attention among rookie pitchers this year, Baltimore’s 1st rounder Brian Matusz is flying under the radar and you could be reaping the benefits. In two starts against the always-tough Tampa Bay Rays, Matusz has fanned 15 in the first 12 innings of his professional career. Matusz is a lefty with stuff and command. He’s hit up to 94 on the gun and features two outstanding breaking pitchers, a mean curve and a hard slider. Although the rookie will have to make tough starts in the future against AL East menaces, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, this rookie is well on his way to becoming a top of the rotation ace Baltimore so sorely needs.
Closing Thoughts:
Jim Johnson (14% owned) of the Baltimore Orioles, will step in as the closer after the O’s sent their newly minted closer, Mike Gonzalez, to the DL. Owners scraping for saves can also look at Anaheim’s Fernando Rodney (39% owned) after Brian Fuentes hit the DL with back stiffness and won’t be available until April 21st. Rodney would be the better option here because naturally, he’s playing for a better team and has experience closing before. Both closers are worth adding if an upgrade at the postion calls for it.