Stephen Strasburg, 2010 Fantasy Outlook
November 10, 2009
Category: 2010 Fantasy Baseball Rookies
This is what I’m hoping for… You know how in different cities — really just Philly, but I want it in different cities — there’s a core group of fans for a certain player and they personalize it with their own touch? For instance, there was Padilla’s Flotilla, which saw fans paddling around in sombreros… Or The Wolf Pack, complete with werewolf masks… Or Moyer’s Lawyers; I hear they represented Mrs. Myers… So at Nats home games, I want a group of fans dressed up in early-1900s, Austrian officer uniforms. They can be the House of Strasburgs. Every time Stephen Strasburg strikes someone out, they do the call and answer chant of, “Who’s house?” “Strasburg’s house!” Then Mike Aubrey, the DC realtor with a Hitler ’stache, goose-steps through the bleachers and they all run for the hills, singing the title song from “The Sound of Music.” Or not. So much has already been written about Stephen Strasburg and he’s yet to throw a pitch for the Nats, but can he help you for 2010 fantasy baseball?
Maybe. Best case scenario is a 3.50 ERA and 120 Ks in 100 innings after a June call-up. Terrific, ownable, not draftable for where he’ll be taken. (This doesn’t count for keepers. There I can see going after him.) Rookies are already risky endeavors. Rookie pitchers, more so. The last seven number one draft picks were Delmon Young, Matt Bush, Justin Upton, Luke Hochevar, David Price, Tim Beckham and Strasburg. One guy in those seven helped you in 2009. Two and a half guys are draftable for 2010. Yes, for the first time in his life, Delmon Young is being considered a half of a man…. Like he’s any smaller than the 1/2 on that Charlie Sheen/Jon Cryer sitcom. Right now, Strasburg is pitching just over a 5 ERA in 4 starts in the Arizona Fall League. Doesn’t matter, he’ll probably still be hyped in 2010. Wait to see how Strasburg pitches in the spring. If he pitches well, cool, let someone else waste a higher than warranted draft pick on him, then watch Strasburg sit in the minors for a few months. Strasburg should be a great one, but let some other poor schmuck get the ill-advised chest tattoo that reads, “Strasburg for Prez in 2010.”
Tags: fantasy baseball, Stephen Strasburg
November 10th, 2009 at 1:05 am
I’m in this Dynasty league where we can keep all our players. Finished first last year, so won’t be able to claim Strasburg. But should I trade for him somewhere in May? For a package like a SP(Shields, Weaver..) and a bat(Snider, Soto)? Or even a three for one…? Does Strasburg has Lincecum-like upside in 2011?
November 10th, 2009 at 5:10 am
Anybody who only looks at ERA results can be safely ignored
Hint: Look at his K/BB and GB #’s in Arizona. look at scouting reports.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:16 am
@Quintero:
talent like lincecum doesn’t come down the pike every day
November 10th, 2009 at 5:39 am
and now this , from the vacation paradise know for it’s steroid-fed athletes :
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/12493072/victims-family-asks-judge-to-drop-villalona-case
some questions :
a) what’s the value of life down there ?
gotta be some “prospect” money changing hands .
b) there’s a fire-arms manufacturer on the island ??
c) no “c”
November 10th, 2009 at 5:50 am
@ Grey :
point well made , young man .
david price was drafted in all 7 of my leagues , last year .
only 2 of those were keeper-leagues .
house of strasburg ?
are those the guys with the spike helmuts ??
November 10th, 2009 at 6:03 am
maybe my memory is failing .
if not drafted , price was waiver picked-up as soon as he came available .
what year is this ??
whatever the case , i don’t hear of anyone drafting price this time around .
and he was a world series hero !
November 10th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Isn’t there a chance he will only be a sept. call up? t
@Quintero: Lincecums come around once in a while. You saw the list of players that were number one picks. Mark Prior was the greatest pitcher in the world before actually pitching for the Cubs. Strasburg is supposed to be great, but you never know. If you can trade him in May for someone who is already great, but Shields and Weaver and Snider or Soto aren’t the type of guys you should trade him for.
@big o: Ha, they should have the spike helmets. Yeah, David Price and Joba Chamberlain were locks last year.
@Jimmy Ray: He might be, but I’d guess June.
EDIT: Word.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:24 am
@Grey Is there any chance of Oliver Perez / Manny Parra being sub 4.3 ERA pitchers next year, are they worth drafting at all in a later round, or likely to be on the waiver wire by the end of the first month anyway. Is David Price likely to get closer to fulfilling his potential next year or drift off.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:58 am
I would love to take the under on a June call up.
The house of Strasburg idea resulted in tea all over my desk. thank you
PS – don’t they have mannywood in LA? as a Philly fan I figured those fan tribute sections weren’t so rare but I’m struggling to think of many. that’s weird how I use proper capitalization only half of the time.
PPS – I loved your triple parenthetical comment yesterday. Didn’t seem worthwhile to make a post about it, but since i’m here i want you to know that i was blown away by that.
@Old Reino: I wouldn’t touch Perez in any league. I like Parra more, but he’s still very risky. Late round flier? Sure, but I’d bail at the first sign of trouble. I think Price will get closer to fulfilling potential.
@Critter Nagurski: If the Nats value their golden ticket, I think they’re going to baby him. But (game, not golden) tickets need to be sold, so he might come up sooner. Glad you like the Strasburg idea and the parentheticals.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:41 am
grey you love Mike Aubrey and his HGTV show dont you….?
@Tony: Ha! Yeah, it’s top five for my favorite shows.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Yeah, as soon as Strasburg strikes out a couple of guys in the minors and a Washington starter struggles Nats fan(s) will be clamoring for him. It’ll be interesting to see how Nats decision makers react.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
I hink the Nats should devote food to him: Stras-burger…will be a big hit!
November 10th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
think*
@GopherDay: Ha!
November 10th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
2 days running , now , this site has discussed players that i have vowed to never , EVER , roster ….. richie weeks and oliver perez .
maybe tomorrow , you guys can try for 3 in a row .
that would be just perfect .
November 10th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
@big o: I think you have been around long enough to know that you should never, EVER, say never
I had forgotten about Weeks, but when he went down, he left a hole in my team(s) that I never fully recovered from.
Ollie, of course, is another story…
November 11th, 2009 at 10:58 am
@Grey:
Grey, I found a mock that had some recogizable pundits. Used that to line up a first draft list. Most interested in if I am following strategy correctly (more so than individual picks).
1. Hitters at top.
2. First pitchers, rounds 7 & 8.
3. First RP, round 11.
4. First 2B round 18
5. CI, round 16, Laroche
6. Bench RP: Feliz, Rauch, Thornton
Of course, I have back-ups aligned.
Seeing maybe Heyward or E. Yound Jr. in lieu of R.Davis (which seems high at round 13)
Any glaring strategy changes?
rnd dft# pos mock2
1 1-4 3B Arod
2 2-7 SS Tulowitzki
3 3-4 OF Upton,J
4 4-10 1B Morales
5 6-4 OF Cruz
6 8-3 OF Hunter
7 8-10 SP Kershaw
8 10-1 SP Peavy
9 10-3 SS/2B Bartlett
10 11-7 OF Jones,G
11 12-4 RP Aardsma
12 12-8 C Montero
13 12-10 UT Davis,R
14 15-7 SP Harden
15 17-3 OF Rivera
16 18-6 1B/3B Laroche,Adam
17 18-8 RP Nunez
18 18-10 2B McGehee
19 19-9 SP Sanchez
20 22-2 B-RP Feliz
21 22-7 SP Pineiro
22 23-1 B-RP Rauch
23 u SP Arroyo
24 u SP Duchscherer
25 u B-RP Thornton
26
DL
@Simply Fred: Are you being cheeky with the recognizable pundits line? Is this the mock draft that I participated in?
This:
1. Hitters at top.
2. First pitchers, rounds 7 & 8.
3. First RP, round 11.
4. First 2B round 18
5. CI, round 16, Laroche
6. Bench RP: Feliz, Rauch, Thornton
Of course each draft is different, but that sounds pretty right on. I’d be willing to take, say, Lincecum if he fell to the third round or a top closer if one was there in the 9th or 10th rounds. But more or less that makes sense. I wouldn’t worry about your 4th, 5th or 6th points though. Just take value that late.
@Simply Fred: Actually, I think I might be more inclined to take a pitcher in the 6th, depending on how stacked my offense was. So I don’t mind the first three rules with amendments.
November 11th, 2009 at 11:14 am
@Grey: No, not cheeky. Link to your draft? (I must have missed it.) The one I was referring to had Ambrosius, Flowers, etc. who did one on Couch Managers.
Thanks for the feedback, Just what I was looking for!
You would drop J-Up for Greinke (Lincecum was a 1st rounder).
This one had Bell in the 11th. Who to drop for him?
Off for snorkeling.
@Simply Fred: Oh, there might not be a link to our draft, they may want it under wraps since it was for the Y! Fantasy Baseball Magazine that goes on newstands. I wouldn’t have dropped Upton for Greinke. I’d lose Garrett Jones for Bell (and for a lot of other people too probably).
November 11th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
I get J-Upton, he gets Greinke, McCutchen. Who wins? Dynasty league.
@GopherDay: It’s a bit much to give up, but I’d take Upton.
November 11th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
@Grey: Not quite understanding your lack of love for Garrett. 21HR and 10 SB in 81 games seems to more than fit your preference for outfielder with “30 homers and 10 steals.” I am really curious because when you don’t like someone, it is almost always with good reason.
@Simply Fred: Not that I don’t like him but the tenth round seems high for him. He was pretty mediocre for almost five years in Triple-A. His numbers in Pittsburgh show a guy who was playing above his head. Think Ludwick in 2008 and what he did in 2009.
November 11th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
@Grey: @Simply Fred: I don’t like Garret cause I never nabbed him in any of my leagues…
November 11th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
@Grey: Gotcha. Gold. Thank you!
November 11th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
@Simply Fred: C’mon Grandpa – we want to go to the pool!
November 11th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
@Grey: OK. You alluded to dropping Hunter @6 for a pitcher. Beckett was available. Also, Cruz. Which one @ 6? (If I go with the pitcher it will bounce down another OF (already dropped G.Jones.) ??? (Realize this is all speculation, but a learning process.)
@Steve: Ha!
@Simply Fred: All things being equal, I’d prefer Cruz to Hunter.
November 11th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
@Grey: @Simply Fred: Moved house today, boys. I’m bushed.
November 11th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
@Steve: Am fighting for time against Nick Jr. and Playhouse Disney. “Grandpa, can I type after you get done?”
November 11th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
@Grey: I guess I agreed with you–already had Cruz @#5 in the original list in #20. Beckham or Cargo as high as #6 (in lieu of Hunter)?
November 11th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
@Simply Fred: #20 meaning comment 20.
November 11th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
@Simply Fred: Ha! Playhouse Disney is huge in these parts too. Club Penguin starting to dominate though.
Sorry Grey – but this is the environment you’ve created here
November 12th, 2009 at 12:04 am
@Grey:
i have set up a custom mock draft over @ http://www.couchmanagers.com
this will be a slow draft .
12 teams
5×5
24 rounds
12 hours / move
my intent is to start the week of thanksgiving ,
so as to allow razzball readers plenty of time to visit the site , establish accounts , and aquaint themselves with their early pre-season rankings .
last year , we did this same draft .
it’s a nice way to get together ,
and really doesn’t take as long to finish , as one might think ,
once people understand how to use the “queue” system , effectively .
November 12th, 2009 at 12:04 am
@Steve: OK. Checked out Club Penguin. You are on a mission to limit my Razzball time, aren’t you?
Looks like toooooo much fun. A must for the kids–tomorrow.
November 12th, 2009 at 12:09 am
@big o: Thank you. I would like to be considered for a spot. Am already registered with Couch Managers, but see that the draft requires a “password”. Next step???
November 12th, 2009 at 12:15 am
@Simply Fred:
GABAZ
November 12th, 2009 at 12:19 am
@big o: Only ten spots left. Had wondered who this “Chata” guy was and what was he up to running all these mocks against the computer. I tried once and failed. Will need to get up to speed on how to use maneuver the site.
@Steve: Congrats on the move. Actually moving is always the worst part of moving, if that makes sense. You hire some people to help?
@Simply Fred: CarGo’s nowhere as high as 6. Beckham seems like a reach there too.
November 13th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Grey-
You forgot the best philly fan club ever: Sal’s Pals. They were fans of Sal Fasano, and even used to rock “Grey-esque” mustaches to match Fasano’s. He used to send them pizzas when he hit home runs.
@Griff: Ha! That’s right, they were great.