If you’re havin’ pitching problems I feel bad for you, son… I got 99 problems but pitching ain’t one…. Check the baseline out, uh-huh… Bounce wit it to my bro Ryan’s glove, uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh, yeah… Can’t leave the hitters alone, the Nats need me… There’s a new Jay-Z in town and his name is Jordan Zimmermann. Hey, it’s everyone’s favorite for the National League Rookie of the Year. Hey, how ya doing, National League’s favorite for Rookie of the Year? Can I get you some hundred dollar bills to use for toilet paper? Jordan Zimmermann went from no one’s cheddah to melting his Velveeta all over people’s draft sheets. So where’d Jordan Zimmermann come from and is he here to stay? Is he, dare I say, a 2009 fantasy sleeper?
In our Nats preview post, the owner of FireJimBowden (prescient!) was asked about Zimmermann and he said, “I would be careful. The Nationals defense is going to be terrible. He probably won’t open the season in the rotation. And I see him as more of a #2-3 eventually anyway.” And that’s me quoting him! Granted, that was before Zimmermann took it to spring trainingers. Through Monday of spring training, Jordan Zimmermann has struck out 16 in 12 1/3 scoreless innings. Now I understand the hype! /sarcasm With four pitches and Colin Balester in the rotation, there’s no reason to think Zimmermann can’t crack the Nats staff. It’s a matter of whether the Nats will give him the shot. With the team’s overall performance and the whole Bowden riding his Segway to the bank with overaged prospects thing, the Nats could use some good pub so I think they probably will let ‘mann open the season in the rotation. But what can we expect of him?
Since Jordan Zimmermann is unfortunately on the Nats, don’t count on Wins. As mentioned early, he has 4 pitches. He uses those 4 pitches to strikeout snitches. He K’d a little more than a guy an inning in the minors. Then couple that with good (enough) control. Since ya’ll know me better than I know myself (what did I have lunch? Wrong! Pastrami!), guess what I say to a youngster that can strikeout people? Sign me up! In the deep rounds of a draft, I’d definitely take a flier on Jordan Zimmermann. But remember, for every Volquez, there’s a Parra and Cueto.
