Sometimes pitching just can't be explained. Like the Toronto Blue Jays for instance. Somehow they are getting production behind AL Cy Young front-runner Roy Halladay (8-1, 2.78).
Sure, Halladay is incredible with his 31-3, 268-inning and 225-strikeout pace. But please try and tell us you saw Scott Richmond (4-2, 2.78), Brian Tallet (2-2, 4.47), Robert Ray (1-1, 3.60) and Brett Cecil (2-0, 1.80) helping lead the Blue Jays to the top of the AL Beast.
Save for top prospect Cecil, you couldn't have possibly seen this coming.
Heck, even the Rays rotation of James Shields, Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson, Andy Sonnanstine made sense, leading the upstart AL East champions a year ago. Richmond-Tallet-Ray-Cecil just doesn't make sense.
Which means it will all come crashing down once the season hits the summer months. We consider the summer beginning after Memorial Day. That comes on Monday.
Richmond, a 29-year-old rookie, looks like a world-beater. He was never this good in the minors. Tallet, 31, was merely a decent middle reliever.
Ray, 25, is a decent prospect, while Cecil, 22, is an elite one, but he had an 8.31 ERA and a .301 batting-average against through three Triple-A starts before his call-up. Naturally, that would lead you to believe he was going to be this good in the majors (2-0, 1.80).
Stats lie in small sample sizes.
The Blue Jays have been great with the bats, and having that run support really takes the pressure off, but the formula of Halladay, three rookies and a lefty reliever is not one that will last -- nor will the struggles of the AL East aces CC Sabathia, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Kazmir.
You can ride these guys while they are hot, if you picked them up off waivers, but in the end we see a staff of .500 pitchers ... at best. Of course, if Halladay goes 31-3, the Blue Jays could finish 27 games over .500, win 94 and the AL wild card.
Don't count on that either.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Week 8 two-starter(s): Davis and Augenstein. A Monday rainout and
Wednesday doubleheader could change things, but these two figure to be
two-start pitchers next week at this point. They pitch Tuesday and
Wednesday this week and need a good outing to be anything more than a
questionable option best left for the deepest of leagues.
Starters
on the DL: Brandon Webb (shoulder)
and Yusmeiro Petit (shoulder). They are
not close to returning at this point, but Webb could be a factor by June.
Starters
to watch in the minors: Jarrod Parker.
They need a No. 6 starter, but it isn't likely to be Parker (3-2, 1.83
between high Class A and Double-A). It is more likely to be Juan Gutierrez out of the bullpen.
Atlanta Braves
- Derek Lowe
- Jair Jurrjens
- Javier Vazquez
- Kenshin Kawakami
- Kris Medlen
Week 8 two-starter(s): Vazquez and Medlen. They pitch Wednesday
and Thursday. Vazquez is likely a must-start, while Medlen has the
potential to be a sleeper for deeper leagues if he debuts well. His
second start could go to Glavine.
Starters on the DL: Tom Glavine (shoulder, elbow) and Tim Hudson
(elbow). Glavine is targeting a return at the end of Fantasy Week 8 (May
25-31). Hudson won't be ready before August, unless it is as a middle
reliever.
Starters to watch in the minors: Tommy Hanson. They chose Medlen for now, but Hanson could be a factor
come June 1, especially if Medlen struggles and/or Glavine has a serious
setback.
Baltimore Orioles
Week 8 two-starter(s): Guthrie and perhaps Eaton. They pitch
Wednesday and Thursday, although there is thought a prospect might be
brought up to replace Eaton. Regardless, the Orioles starters have to be
considered risky options even in AL-only leagues.
Starters on the
DL: Alfredo Simon (elbow, out for
the season).
Starters to watch in the minors: Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz, Troy Patton, Brandon Erbe and David Hernandez.
Reports are Hernandez and Patton could get the first calls, but Tillman,
Arrieta and Matusz are the prospects really worth anticipating still.
The others will be nothing more than risky AL-only Fantasy starters.
Boston Red Sox
- Josh Beckett
- Jon Lester
- Daisuke Matsuzaka, expected to return this weekend vs. the Mets.
- Tim Wakefield
- Brad Penny
Week 8 two-starter(s): Penny and Lester. They have had their
struggles, but they pitch Wednesday and Thursday and could be advisable
options with decent outings vs. the Blue Jays.
Starters on the DL: John Smoltz (shoulder). His timetable has pushed him back until late
June, but by real no fault of his own. The Red Sox just have depth right
now.
Starters to watch in the minors: Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Junichi Tazawa. Justin Masterson moves
back to the bullpen to accommodate Dice-K, so one of these red-hot
prospects will serve as the Red Sox's de facto No. 6 starter going
forward. Buchholz and Bowden are pitching well enough to start in the
major leagues right now. There just is no room for them.
Chicago Cubs
- Carlos Zambrano, expected to return May 22 at San Diego.
- Rich Harden
- Ted Lilly
- Ryan Dempster
- Sean Marshall
Week 8 two-starter(s): Dempster and likely Marshall. They pitch
Wednesday and Thursday, with Marshall pitching for his rotation spot
over Randy Wells. Dempster is advisable
with a decent outing at St. Louis, while Marshall is a nice sleeper if
he pitches well. A bad outing could make Wells an NL-only flier again.
Starters
on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jeff Samardzija and Mitch Atkins.
Wells gets the first look in the rotation, if they chose to move away
from Marshall in the No. 5 starter's spot.
Chicago White Sox
Week 8 two-starter(s): Danks. He pitches Wednesday vs. the Twins
amid a slump, but he could prove to be an advisable option if he does
well.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the
minors: Aaron Poreda and Jose A. Contreras. Poreda (3-3, 2.52 with 0 HRA in 39 1/3 Double-A
innings) gets time with the recent solid start by Richard, while the
White Sox have said they will give Contreras another chance before the
All-Star break. After a one-hit, complete-game shutout Monday in
Triple-A, it might not be long before Contreras returns. He hasn't
allowed a run in two starts (15 innings) thus far.
Cincinnati Reds
Week 8 two-starter(s): Harang. The rejuvenated ace is a
must-start if he does well Wednesday vs. the Phillies.
Starters on
the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Homer Bailey and Daryl Thompson.
Bailey (3-5, 4.57) has been very good after a slow start, but they don't
appear to need a starter right now.
Cleveland Indians
- Cliff Lee
- Fausto Carmona
- Carl Pavano
- Anthony Reyes
- David Huff
Week 8 two-starter(s): Carmona and Pavano. They are questionable
options unless they are lights out Wednesday and Thursday at Kansas City.
Starters
on the DL: Jake Westbrook (elbow) and Scott Lewis (elbow). They are not better than late June returnees at
this point.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jeremy Sowers and Charles Lofgren.
Sowers failed in his latest test, while Huff gets his shot right now.
Lofgren could be the next on call.
Colorado Rockies
Week 8 two-starter(s): De La Rosa. He has been surprisingly
effective, but he remains a questionable option even if he pitches well
Wednesday at Atlanta.
Starters on the DL: Franklin Morales (shoulder) and Jeff Francis
(shoulder, out for the season). Morales is working his way back for a
June return, but he won't be an option in Fantasy Week 8 (May 25-31).
Starters
to watch in the minors: Greg Smith, Jason Hirsh, Greg Reynolds, Jhoulys Chacin and Keith Weiser. Smith finally made his debut (1-0,
3.00 in Double-A) and could be a factor in deeper leagues come June.
Track his progess if you have a need for a stashee in deeper NL-only or
long-term keeper leagues.
Detroit Tigers
Week 8 two-starter(s): Verlander and Jackson. They will be
must-start options with decent starts Wednesday and Thursday vs. the
potent Rangers.
Starters on the DL: Jeremy Bonderman (shoulder). He is working on a rehab assignment, but
he apparently needs time to get his velocity over 90 mph again. Consider
him a potential mid-June sleeper.
Starters to watch in the minors: Scot
Drucker and Chris Lambert. Nate Robertson is on the DL and would get moved back into the
rotation if thhey have a need and Bonderman doesn't fill it. Their
prospects are not intriguing.
Florida Marlins
Week 8 two-starter(s): Volstad. He is an advisable option with a
decent start Wednesday vs. the D-Backs.
Starters on the DL: Anibal Sanchez (shoulder) and Rick VandenHurk
(elbow). The reports are Sanchez might be back before the All-Star break
now, while VandenHurk could be a factor come mid-June. They need the
help in the back end of the rotation right now.
Starters to watch
in the minors: Sean West, Ryan Tucker, Brett Sinkbeil and Aaron Thompson. Their struggles will force the Marlins to use
Badenhop and likely Penn out of the bullpen as starters this week. A
Wednesday doubleheader after the Monday rainout necessitates a six-man
rotation. Cristhian Martinez (4-2, 1.84 in Double-A) could be an
interesting sleeper for a call-up in the short term.
Houston Astros
- Roy Oswalt
- Wandy Rodriguez
- Mike Hampton
- Brian Moehler
- Felipe Paulino
Week 8 two-starter(s): Rodriguez. He is perhaps a must-start
option with another solid start Wednesday vs. the Brewers.
Starters
on the DL: Brandon Backe (side).
Backe can take the rotation spot of Paulino at the end of Fantasy Week 8
(May 25-31). Consider him a risky NL-only option. Paulino will head back
to the bullpen.
Starters to watch in the minors: Bud Norris. Norris, 24, has been solid in Triple-A (1-2, 2.61 with
a .232 batting-average against). He won't get a look before Backe at
this point, but he could be intriguing this summer.
Kansas City Royals
- Zack Greinke
- Gil Meche
- Kyle Davies
- Brian Bannister
- Luke Hochevar
Week 8 two-starter(s): Meche. He has been struggling, but he can
return to being an advisable two-starter with a rebound start vs. the
Indians on Wednesday.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters
to watch in the minors: Danny Cortes.
The Royals are more likely to consider Sidney Ponson or Horacio Ramirez if
Hochevar cannot right himself in the near future.
Los Angeles Angels
Week 8 two-starter(s): Santana. He is likely a must-start option
after he pitches Wednesday at Seattle.
Starters on the DL: Kelvim Escobar (shoulder) and Dustin Moseley
(elbow). Escobar could return in mid-June, but the Angels are trying to
make sure he can handle the high pitch counts of starting. Otherwise,
they appear willing to consider him as a reliever. Moseley is likely a
reliever once he returns, but that doesn't appear likely before late
June.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jordan Walden, Sean O'Sullivan, Anthony Ortega and Trevor Reckling. Shane Loux is the Angels' de facto No. 6 starter working in long
relief right now and the Angels have to cross their fingers they won't
need their organizational depth much more this season. If they do,
Walden is the most intriguing long term.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Week 8 two-starter(s): Stults and perhaps Milton. Billingsley
could be moved back from a Sunday start due to Stults' questionable
status for Wednesday that could affect the rotation. Stults and Milton
would be at best questionable options, regardless.
Starters on the
DL: Hiroki Kuroda (shoulder) and Jason Schmidt (shoulder). Schmidt is on a rehab assignment, while
Kuroda starts one Friday. They could be factors in June, but they likely
won't be ready in Fantasy Week 8 (May 25-31). Keep them stashed for now.
They are nice sleepers for NL-only formats and maybe even mixed leagues
if they can get their velocity over 90 mph consistently.
Starters
to watch in the minors: Joshua Lindblom
and James McDonald. The Dodgers like
Lindblom so much, they expect he will help the team at least out of the
bullpen later this year. He is a rare young strike-thrower. McDonald
struggled in his first Triple-A start and could use a couple solid
months back in the minors right now.
Milwaukee Brewers
- Yovani Gallardo
- Jeff Suppan
- Manny Parra
- Braden Looper
- Dave Bush
Week 8 two-starter(s): Gallardo. He is likely a must-start option
after he pitches Wednesday at Houston.
Starters on the DL:
None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jeremy Jeffress. He has struggled of late, but the Brewers have five
solid starters right now and haven't needed depth.
Minnesota Twins
- Scott Baker
- Francisco Liriano
- Kevin Slowey
- Nick Blackburn
- TBD, R.A. Dickey is an option out of long relief if they don't want to go to a prospect.
Week 8 two-starter(s): Liriano and Blackburn. They pitch
Wednesday and Thursday at the Chicago White Sox. Liriano figures to be a
must-start option, while Blackburn can be a sleeper to use in deeper
leagues if he pitches well.
Starters on the DL: Glen Perkins (elbow) and Boof Bonser
(shoulder, out for the season).
Starters to watch in the minors: Anthony Swarzak and Kevin Mulvey. One
of them could be on call for the No. 5 spot as soon as Saturday. Swarzak
is pitching better, but Mulvey was a key piece in the Johan Santana deal.
New York Mets
- Johan Santana
- Mike Pelfrey
- John Maine
- Livan Hernandez
- Tim Redding
Week 8 two-starter(s): Maine. He is an advisable option after
pitching Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
Starters on the DL: Oliver Perez (knee). He is working in extended spring and could start
a rehab assignment by June. That makes him no better than a mid-June
returnee at this point.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jonathon Niese, Bradley Holt and Tobi Stoner. Niese is the only one really expected to help at this
point, but Holt is a better long-term prospect.
New York Yankees
- CC Sabathia
- A.J. Burnett
- Andy Pettitte
- Joba Chamberlain
- Phil Hughes
Week 8 two-starter(s): Sabathia or Wang. If the Yankees chose to
slot Wang over the weekend, then Sabathia will move back to be a
two-start pitcher. Wang could be the two-start pitcher if they just
chose to slot him on Hughes' next turn. Hughes is pitching for his
rotation spot Wednesday vs. the Orioles, but frankly, he might get sent
down even after a no-hitter.
Starters on the DL: Chien-Ming Wang (hip). He is expected to return this weekend vs. the
Phillies or next Monday at Texas.
Starters to watch in the minors: Kei Igawa. There is no chance the Yankees go back to the well on
Igawa. Hughes is likely headed back to Triple-A to be the de facto No. 6
starter. The loss of Ian Kennedy,
perhaps for the season, really hurts their depth.
Oakland Athletics
Week 8 two-starter(s): Anderson. He is a high-risk option even
with a solid start at Tampa Bay on Wednesday. The rookie has been too
erratic. He is closer to a demotion to the minors than a promotion to
your Fantasy lineup.
Starters on the DL: Justin Duchscherer (elbow). He is not yet ready for a rehab
assignment, so he is still no better than a mid-June returnee. The A's
struggling rotation will need him, so forget the talk he might return in
the bullpen right now.
Starters to watch in the minors: Dana Eveland, Gio Gonzalez, Vin Mazzaro and James J. Simmons.
It is likely Tuesday call-up Edgar G. Gonzalez
gets the nod in the No. 5 rotation spot now that Gonzalez and Gallagher
have been sent back to the minors.
Philadelphia Phillies
- Cole Hamels
- Brett Myers
- Jamie Moyer
- Joe Blanton
- J.A. Happ, expected to join the rotation Saturday at the N.Y. Yankees.
Week 8 two-starter(s): Moyer. He is at best a questionable option
amid his troubling start to the season.
Starters on the DL:
None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Kyle Kendrick, Carlos Carrasco, Joe Savery, Antonio Bastardo and Kyle Drabek. They have finally made the move to Happ, so he will get
a month of starts. The hottest of these prospects -- Savery or Drabek
(3-0, 2.51 in Double-A) -- could be ready to contribute.
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Paul Maholm
- Zach Duke
- Ian Snell
- Ross Ohlendorf
- Jeff Karstens
Week 8 two-starter(s): Maholm. He is a questionable option, but
you might take the risk on him if he pitches well Wednesday at
Washington.
Starters on the DL: Phil Dumatrait (shoulder). He could start a rehab assignment in
June, but we doubt he proves useful this season.
Starters to watch
in the minors: Brad Lincoln, Bryan
Morris and Daniel McCutchen. Tom Gorzelanny was called up for long relief, but he is likely the
No. 6 starter if the Pirates need one this season.
San Diego Padres
Week 8 two-starter(s): Gaudin. He is not better than a
questionable option even with a solid outing vs. the Giants on Wednesday.
Starters
on the DL: Walter Silva (forearm), Shawn Hill (elbow) and Cha Seung Baek
(elbow). Silva could be ready in June, Hill hopes to be, while Baek had
a setback and might not return before the All-Star break at this point.
They are hardly worth stashing on DL spots even in NL-only formats.
Starters
to watch in the minors: Cesar Carrillo,
Nick Schmidt, Wade LeBlanc, William Inman and
perhaps Mark Prior. Inman (4-1, 3.05) is
pitching well in Double-A, so he could move up to Triple-A, but scouts
have never really been in love with his stuff. He does throw strikes,
though. Silva will be the first to get a rotation look at this point
still.
San Francisco Giants
Week 8 two-starter(s): Sanchez. He could be a sleeper for mixed
leagues if he pitches well Wednesday at San Diego.
Starters on the
DL: Noah Lowry (elbow, shoulder,
might be out for the season).
Starters to watch in the minors: Madison Bumgarner, Timothy Alderson
and Kevin Pucetas. Bumgarner (5-1, 1.24
ERA between high Class A and Double-A) and Alderson (2-1, 3.21) have
made successful leaps to Double-A at a very young ages (19 and 20,
respectively) and could be factors this summer. They are enormous
prospects in keeper leagues.
Seattle Mariners
- Felix Hernandez
- Erik Bedard
- Jarrod Washburn
- Chris Jakubauskas
- Jason M. Vargas
Week 8 two-starter(s): Maybe Jakubauskas. He starts Monday, but
the Mariners could skip him and/or slot Ryan Rowland-Smith off a rehab assignment at the end of the week. We
don't see Jakubauskas making two starts. You shouldn't trust him in any
league regardless.
Starters on the DL: Ryan Rowland-Smith (biceps), Carlos Silva
(shoulder) and Ryan Feierabend (elbow,
out for the season). Rowland-Smith is starting a rehab assignment
Saturday. He could return in Jakubauskas' spot after Monday's start.
Starters
to watch in the minors: None. With Phillipe Aumont moved to relief, their starting depth will come from the
bullpen or the DL. None of it is all that exciting, although Vargas has
been decent as a rotation fill-in.
St. Louis Cardinals
- Adam Wainwright
- Chris Carpenter, expected to return from the DL on Wednesday vs. the Chicago Cubs.
- Kyle Lohse
- Todd Wellemeyer
- Joel Pineiro
Week 8 two-starter(s): Carpenter. With a decent start off the DL
on Wednesday, even if it is an abbreviated one, Carpenter has to be
considered a must-start, two-starter.
Starters on the DL: Chris Carpenter (oblique) and Jaime Garcia
(elbow, out for the season). Carpenter is back Wednesday and for two
starts next week.
Starters to watch in the minors: Mitchell Boggs, P.J. Walters and Clayton Mortensen. Boggs was serviceable as a fill-in, but these guys
really aren't prospects worth stashing.
Tampa Bay Rays
- James Shields
- Scott Kazmir
- Matt Garza
- Andy Sonnanstine
- Jeff Niemann
Week 8 two-starter(s): Kazmir and Garza. They are advisable
options with solid starts Wednesday and Thursday vs. the A's. Kazmir has
struggled mightily, so watch him closely if you have been getting burned
by him to date.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to
watch in the minors: David Price
and Wade Davis. Price was magnificent
in his past start, but Niemann was also effective, so that June 1
call-up might require Price replacing another starter. Be patient Price
owners. the good news is they are limiting him to around five innings
per start. That means more innings for the major leagues once he does
arrive.
Texas Rangers
Week 8 two-starter(s): Harrison. With another solid outing
Wednesday at Detroit, he could prove to be an advisable two-start
pitcher. That is a real impressive claim for that young sleeper from how
he began the season.
Starters on the DL: Eric Hurley (shoulder, out for the season).
Starters to watch
in the minors: Neftali Feliz, Michael Main, Tommy Hunter, Thomas Diamond and Kasey Kiker. With
the exception of Kiker (3-2, 2.54 in Double-A), the organizational depth
guys are outpitching the prospects. Fortunately, the Rangers actually
haven't needed starters of late.
Toronto Blue Jays
- Roy Halladay
- Scott Richmond
- Brett Cecil
- Robert Ray
- Brian Tallet
Week 8 two-starter(s): Cecil. He has been dynamite, so he can
prove to be a nice sleeper if he pitches well again Wednesday at Boston.
Starters
on the DL: Jesse Litsch (forearm), Dustin McGowan (shoulder) and Shaun Marcum
(elbow). Litsch is not ready for a rehab assignment yet, so he is no
better than a mid-June returnee. McGowan and Marcum look like they are
no better than August returnees, if they pitch at all this year.
Starters
to watch in the minors: Ricky Romero,
David Purcey, Brad Mills, Casey Janssen and Marc Rzepczynski. Romero hasn't pitched as well in the minors as he
did in his three major league starts, but the Blue Jays have such good
mojo in the majors right now, they haven't needed these guys yet.
Washington Nationals
- John Lannan
- Shairon Martis
- Jordan Zimmermann
- Daniel Cabrera
- Ross Detwiler
Week 8 two-starter(s): Lannan. He will be a questionable option
even with a solid start vs. the Pirates on Wednesday.
Starters on
the DL: Scott Olsen (shoulder) and Matt Chico (elbow). Olsen just went on the DL and likely will be out
at least a month. Chico is no better than a second-half returnee.
Starters
to watch in the minors: Josh Smoker
and Colton Willems. Detwiler made a solid debut and could stick around
in the rotation right now. Stephen Strasburg
is still pitching for San Diego State, but many eyes will be on the
starts he makes in the collegiate postseason -- next up is the Mountain
West Tournament.
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