Pitchers and Catchers (Part 2)
Welcome to the second edition of Pitchers and Catchers. In our first segment, we discussed last year’s best catchers, and which catchers we believe will play well this upcoming season. In the second half of Pitchers and Catchers, we will delve into the game’s best, as well as some underrated pitchers. Before I do, I’m just going to save everyone some time and get this out of the way: Clayton Kershaw is a god amongst pitchers, and if he stays healthy this season, expect a fourth Cy Young for the 28 year old. If not Kershaw, Max Scherzer and his funky eyes most certainly take the award. Chris Sale’s dominance will only surge with the extraordinary hitting of the Boston Red Sox.
Okay, phew, we got that out of the way.
In this article, we are going to discuss the other great pitchers, the ones not named Clayton, Max, or Chris. The ones who don’t receive enough recognition due to their teams’ poor offenses, their small markets, being overshadowed by future Hall of Famers, you fill in the blank. Consider this your (Fantasy) Baseball Spring Training.
Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves
Teheran did everything he could for the Atlanta Braves, except score runs. The 26 year old right hander was selected to his second All Star Game this season, and rightfully so. His 3.21 ERA ranked 18th amongst MLB pitchers, and while his Win-Loss record was rather pedestrian (7–10), true baseball fans understood that was a poor representation of Teheran’s value. What else could he have done? Teheran commanded the pitcher’s mound throughout the season. He led the league in Complete Games and Shutouts (8 and 3, respectively). However, that proved to not be enough. Six of his ten loses resulted from games in which Teheran surrendered only 3 runs or less. Teheran’s breaking point may have been on June 25th, when he pitched 8 scoreless innings against the Mets, surrendering 5 hits and striking out 7…only for the Braves to lose the game.
Really, what more can he do?
With the same dismal offense in Atlanta, expect a mediocre win-loss record, with impressive individual stats. 10–9, 3.15 ERA.
Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays
Well I guess we are discussing a pitcher named “Chris”.
Chris Archer joined Julio Teheran in the “What the F do you want from me?” club. His ace-like value took a sharp decline in 2016. Despite his whopping 233 strikeouts (ranked 2nd amongst MLB pitchers) and 201.3 innings pitched (8th), Archer didn’t receive any offensive support. Six times Archer yielded two runs or less, and all six times the Rays still lost the game. The lack of offense led to a dismal 9–19 record. Baseball fans cringe at Archer’s name, knowing full well that the 2015 All Star just needed SOME offense. In 2015 (Archer’s All Star season), the Rays only offense ranked 25th. Let’s pray for the 28 year old who’s stuck in Tampa Bay until 2019. For now, you can expect stats similar to last year. Predictions: 15–10, 230 strikeouts.
Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
If, if, if, if.
Fantasy players all understand the mammoth gamble there is in selecting the 28 year old. The two time All Star has the potential to be a future Cy Young Award winner, if he stays healthy. Just a few months into his rookie season, Strasburg tore a ligament in his pitching elbow that required Tommy John surgery. After sitting out the entire 2011 season, Strasburg returned in 2012 with a strong 15–6 record and an All Star appearance. However, injuries have been nagging him ever since. The constant trips to the DL have precluded him from eclipsing 200 innings, with the exception of one season. This past season, Strasburg pitched exceptionally well, going 15–4 with a 3.60 ERA, and striking out 183 batters in only 147.2 innings. Despite his dominance, Strasburg visited the Disabled List a startling four times during the 2016 campaign. So, does Strasburg have the potential to be one of the best pitchers in the game? Yes.
You can expect Strasburg to put up relatively good stats, but until he proves he can stay healthy I’m not expecting anything great out of him. Predictions: 16–7, 3.50 ERA, 190 strikeouts.
Then again, IF he stays healthy…
Jose Quintana, Chicago White Sox
Now that Chris Sale fled Chicago, the White Sox will have to rely on a new ace: Jose Quintana. The 28 year old Columbian posted a 3.20 ERA last season, striking out 181 batters in 208 innings. Just like Teheran and Archer, Quintana’s average record is a poor representation of the pitcher, and more of a portrayal of the offense’s substandard season. Though he only went 13–12, five of those loses came from games in which Quintana allowed 2 or less runs. While the White Sox are trying to find their offensive groove, Quintana is looking to continue his All Star-caliber performance this upcoming season.
Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals
If you aren’t familiar with the 28 year old southpaw from Kansas City, don’t worry. Duffy spent the first month and a half dominating from the bullpen, yielding a mere six runs and striking out 21 batters in only 18 innings. On May 15th, manager Ned Yost rewarded Duffy by placing him in the starting rotation. Duffy remained there throughout the season, eventually earning the Ace role. Duffy started in his next 26 games, ending off the 2016 season with an impressive 12–3 record and 3.51 ERA. He finished Top 10 in the AL for Strikeouts (188), Strikeouts Per Nine Innings (9.4), Base On Balls Per Nine Innings (2.1) and WHIP (1.1). Duffy will start the season off as the leader of this rotation which means more starts and more opportunities. Look out for a 17–20 win season for the southpaw.
Steven Matz, New York Mets
Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz.
Did you notice Steven Matz’s name? Makes sense if you missed it because by the time I got up to him you were already daydreaming beautiful trio the Mets have compiled in Syndergaard, deGrom and Harvey. However, the young 25 year old Southpaw shouldn’t be overlooked. In just his second season in the big leagues, Matz only started 22 games. In those few starts, however, Matz went 9–8 with a not-too-shabby 3.40 ERA. Scouts are expecting Matz to take the big leap and turn the “Big 3” into the “Core 4”, which will give the Mets one of the scariest rotations in the MLB. Just like Duffy, expect more starts for Matz, which will inevitably lead to more experience and better stats. He hasn’t fully developed yet, but he’s already one hell of a pitcher. Predictions: 12–7, 3.30 ERA.
Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs
Similar to Matz, Kyle Hendricks is stuck playing the “hey! what about me?” kid in the school play. Hendricks had an outstanding season. Unfortunately for him, his teammates had even better seasons. Hendricks posted a 16–8 record, but Jon Lester went 19–5 and Jake Arieta went 18–8. Hmmm…well, Hendricks struck out 170 batters! Lester punched out 197, Arieta 190. Next. Well, Hendricks finished 3rd in the NL Cy Young voting. Beat that!
Lester finished second.
Do you see what Hendricks is dealing with?
Hendricks did get the best of his teammates, and the league, in the ERA department. With his microscopic 2.13 ERA, Hendricks won the NL Pitching Title. This season he made the jump from mediocre pitcher to big time future All Star and potential Cy Young flamethrower. With the help of one of the best offenses in the league, Hendricks will continue to flourish in the Bigs. Look out for a 17–19 win season for Hendricks.
Honorable Mentions:
Masahiro Tanaka, New York Yankees. 2016 stats: 14–4, 3.07 ERA.
Johnny Cueto, San Fransisco Giants. 2016 stats: 18–5, 2.79 ERA.
Aaron Sanchez, Toronto Blue Jays. 2016 stats: 15–2, 3.00 ERA.
Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals: 2016 stats: 16–9, 3.04 ERA.
PS:
You think Teheran and Archer had it bad? On July 18th, against the Seattle Mariners, Chris Sale pitched a beautiful gem. 8 shutout innings. One hit. Six strikeouts. And the White Sox still lost the game.
