I try to avoid most rookie pitchers as they have struggles adjusting to the majors. Even pitchers like David Price and Tommy Hanson could have struggles with BB/9 in their first few times into the majors. I am not suggesting you shouldn't take a shot on them, but many rookies have jumps of 1-2 in their BB/9 and this makes them a poor option.
This time I am looking at Kris Medlen who will be making his first start today as a replacement for Jo-Jo Reyes. This was a surprise as many expected Tommy Hanson to be the first called up. Medlen was originally a SS, but was drafted and projected as a pitcher. After several attempts as a reliever he began to start in 2008 and made a great impression on the Braves. His numbers are significant and he held a 8.98 K/9 and a BB/9 of 2.02. This is down slightly for the jump to AA and move to starting.
He has improved so far this year as his K/9 has returned to levels above 10 and still holding a BB/9 around 2. This all leads to a consistent rate of greater than 4 for his K/BB at all levels. Most younger pitchers often have a jump in their walk rate and that could be expected for Medlen, but if he can maintain a BB/9 at or below 3 and a K/9 at 9 or greater he would still be a surprising pickup for fantasy owners.
I saw him compared to Luke Hochevar the other day, but people failed to notice that Hochevar has had difficulty showing consistent K/BB levels and often his K/9 is around 6, which will take a significant improvement in his BB/9. He is throwing 3 or more walks every 9 innings in AAA and that will not be successful in the majors.
I have picked up Medlen in my personal daily league and with Broxton on a day off I can slide him in at reliever. That is a limitation he does hold in CBS leagues as he is listed as reliever, but that shouldn't be to much of a problem.
The return of Tom Glavine could be a problem and any bad luck at the start could have him back in the minors, but he has early signs he would be a solid option, but we'll keep an eye on his K/BB early and look for signs of what he could do this year.
0 comments:
Post a Comment