You know what’s a very considerate thing to do? To tell you about some concerns I have for the upcoming season after you’ve already drafted. Due to posting my rankings in January and not tweaking things outside of injuries and playing time updates, there’s some things that I look at now and I wonder what the hell I was thinking. I could update some rankings due to spring training performances, but then I’m throwing out the countless hours (1 1/2 hours) of research I put in to do my rankings. I don’t believe in doing that. There was a reason I ranked how I ranked originally and to move a guy now because he hit a few homers in March doesn’t make any sense. I’m also not completely immune to what was going on for the last month performance-wise with players, so I’m giving you some players that I might’ve ranked slightly different if I let spring training performances come into play. If you want to bump up or down some of these guys, I could understand it. Anyway, here’s some players that have me second-guessing myself for 2015 fantasy baseball:
THE GOOD
Trevor Bauer – Has an 18:1 K:BB ratio this spring. From a guy who couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn with a fastball from the back of a wagon that was facing the barn. Wagon throwing is an art, though.
Taijuan Walker – He’s winning the spring training Cy Young, which is good for a soup or salad side order at Panera Bread, so, ya know, it means something. But fo’reallies, I loved him last year, drafted him on multiple teams and now I don’t have him and he’s about to breakout. Eff me in the coolie.
Matt Harvey – Tommy John surgery looks much closer in the rear view mirror than it actually is. If I were ranking today, I’d prolly put him in my top 15. I will not move him because it’s just the spring and he’ll be limited during the last ten days of the season. God, that’s an awful reason.
Alex Rodriguez – Actually looks like he could return some value and not just unintentional comedic value when seeing him date overly muscular women.
Joc Pederson – How do I not have this guy on a team yet? This spring, he has 6 homers, hitting .368 and a 1.154 OPS. I didn’t even know OPS went that high (I did, stop your yapping; I’m not an idiot (I am an idiot; crap, how many parentheticals to get out of this sentence? A little help, please.)).
C.J. Cron – I loved Cron this year with my Cron sleeper thingie-ma-clickie. He’s pounding the ball this spring. Hamilton’s gonna be out a while so Cron will have a place to play. Yet, I only own Cron on one team. He’s been going for Fifty Cent on the dollar, and I need more Curtis Jackson Cron!
Billy Burns – Hitting over .400 this spring, Crisp can’t stay on the field and I don’t own Burns on one team. Sky dropped a Billy Burns sleeper on you, and I haven’t even ranked him. That Burns me up!
Mike Zunino – I kinda want to move Zunino up in my catcher rankings because he’s 2nd in the spring in homers and he’s hitting .354. Yes, it’s the spring, but Zunino was always a well regarded prospect, and catchers tend to take a little longer to ma-toor. I’m thinking we’re about to see a breakout, then again I’ve drafted him on multiple teams so I’m bias as all get-out.
THE BAD
Greg Holland – Top pitchers with decreased fastball velocity this spring: Jim Henderson (-4.4 MPH), Justin Miller (-3.8 MPH) and Greg Holland (3.7 MPH). Um, yikes? Last time, Holland saw that kind of decrease in speed, the Dutch legalized marijuana. “Doode, what gives with all the tulips?” “I don’t know, let’s sell them!” That’s two Dutch stoners. Velocity being down is bad, velocity being down from a closer that relies on velocity? Well, there could be an injury or just good old fashioned trouble ahead. I’m not moving Holland in my rankings, but I’m also not drafting him either.
Dellin Betances – See what I said about Holland but replace actual velocity loss with “unknown velocity loss.” In other words, I couldn’t find the actual miles per hour that Betances has lost, but I’ve seen it written multiple times that Betances is struggling. On one hand, Andrew Miller drafted as a handcuff is mandatory. On the other hand, Betances says he had velocity problems last spring too. On a third hand that is actually twelve rabbits’ feet shoved into a mitten, I haven’t drafted Betances and won’t.
Mat Latos – I haven’t drafted him after Rudy’s article about what pitchers to avoid. (Actually, I haven’t drafted any of them.) I would’ve moved them down in my rankings after Rudy’s article, but I think they’re going to be all right. They pitch in good parks, they’re young and they face some weak offenses. They’re going to be totally all right (do I sound at all convincing?). Rudy’s article did give me enough pause that every time I saw one of those pitchers, I simply drafted another pitcher from their same tier. Out of the three starters from his article, Latos has me the most nervous due to his velocity drop, declining K-rate and downright icky spring ERA. Hopefully his last spring start where he only gave one solo homer (to Hank Conger!) in 5 1/3 IP is a step in the right direction. I mean, how bad could he be in Crayola Canyon? Not to answer, but to ruminate.
Steven Souza – He’s currently last for qualified hitters in batting average this spring at .122, striking out 14 times in 15 games. The good news is he thinks he knows what’s wrong. The bad news is I’ve drafted him on every team. Please don’t let the sound of a Souza be a raspberry with extra spittle. I’m not moving him in my rankings, but I’m not drafting him again either.
Paul Goldschmidt – Has one homer and a .217 average as he returns from a broken wrist. That sounds like Goldshit.
Anthony Rendon – I’m concerned it’s going to be mid-July and Rendon’s going to be headed for his 112th opinion on his knee.
Kolten Wong – I want Wong to breakout so bad I can taste it. Does that mean I’m really thinking about Marcus Semien? Hmm, good question, Left Side of the Brain! As of yesterday, Wong’s hitting .139 and looks destined to hit 8th until at least May. But me love you Wong time!
Kris Bryant – I’m concerned because I didn’t rank Bryant in the top 10 overall and project him for 80 homers.
THE UGLY
Devin Mesoraco – Have you seen his picture?
