San Francisco Giants Pitching: Hidden Value
It seems that ever since the Giants lost their big name slugger, Barry Bonds, there just hasn’t been a lot of reasons to watch this miserable squad play baseball.
Lost in the mediocrity of the Giants squad has been some of their stellar pitching. In fact, the Giants offer multiple pieces in their rotation and bullpen that are useful for fantasy owners.
Tim Lincecum: I liked this guy when he came out of the University of Washington, but I never would have expected him to have been this good. Many have claimed him to be the best pitcher in the National League this season, and I really can’t argue with that. I love his all-out throwing style, and he really fireballs his pitches for a small guy.
Casual baseball viewers love strikeouts, and he certainly has dominance (216K-72BB). One big contributor to his improved numbers has been his walks per 9 innings, where from 2007-2008 he has dropped almost a walk per inning. His 2.60 ERA and 1.18 WHIP are stellar. If only he had the supporting bullpen (15-3 record in 28 starts), Lincecum could have had one of the best years of any pitcher in history. As it stands though, Lincecum is still worthy of being selected among the top three pitchers next season in fantasy drafts.
Matt Cain: If anything, Lincecum overshadows one of the more dominant #2 starters in the league. Cain is a spectacular pitcher who is young and truly talented. His record can be deceiving to many onlookers (8-11 in 30 starts), but his solid 3.75 ERA and 166K-82BB rate make him a solid add in any league. Cain went in the middle rounds in April’s drafts, but being the young pitcher that he is, he may take a step up in 2009.
Jonathan Sanchez: On a scale from one to ten, how predictable has Jonathan Sanchez been this year for your team? He has a mediocre wins output (8 to date), as well as a higher ERA than you’d like to see (4.50 ERA). So how has Sanchez benefited fantasy owners this season? Take a look at his K-BB ratio, 139K-67BB. Who does that remind you of? (Hint hint…Matt Cain!)
Sanchez’s ERA is a bit high for that kind of dominance, and I expect a bit of an ERA drop next season if he can continue his strikeout skill growth. The key for him is limiting his walks: if he can do this, Sanchez could turn out to be one of the best pitchers in the league. Monitor closely.
Brian Wilson: Back in April, no one could have guessed that this guy would have 37 saves in 40 chances, but that is exactly what Wilson has done. Further proving that you don’t necessarily need to be on the best team to score saves, Wilson has been fairly league-average ERA-wise (4.04 ERA), but has a solid 60K-25BB ratio. These Giants have had a rough year, but a lot has to be said for a rock-solid closer these days. His numbers indicate that he will continue to have moderate to above-average success in the league, so roster him for next year and enjoy the saves boost he will provide to your team.
Check out Mike Podhorzer’s newest column to get the five fantasy stories of the year for the San Francisco Giants.
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