In the first real game of the season (it was real, right? I looked for highlights, but ESPN was showing a Red Sox split-squad game instead). From the box score, I heart Brandon McCarthy. His line was 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 baserunners and 3 Ks. Yeah, the Mariners aren’t very good at hitting, but a quality start is a quality start. Brandon McCarthy celebrated by taking out a Tokyo girl with red streaks in her hair who lives on the other side of the tracks. Sorry Peking Ducky! I tried to get Rudy to draft McCarthy in one of our leagues on Tuesday night, and was disappointed to see he went to someone else for $9. I have his projections down as 8-11/3.50/1.17/140. Last year, his home ERA and WHIP was 2.65 and 1.11. He may not strike out many hitters, but there’s not many pitchers late I’d trust to actually help my WHIP. Anyway, here’s what else we saw in spring training (and real baseball) for 2012 fantasy baseball:
Justin Smoak – 0-for-5. That two day pick up has worked out well so far! While he’s at it, maybe he can hit a line drive into Florida and injure Anibal Sanchez.
Ichiro Suzuki – 5 ABs, 4 singles, 2 balls out of the infield. That’s a .800 AVG in baseball and .400 AVG in sumo.
Dustin Ackley – Home run and steal for the first official slam & legs of the season. Back in November, I went over my Dustin Ackley fantasy. I wrote it while beating Steve Wiebe at Donkey Kong.
Felix Hernandez – 8 IP, 1 ER, 5 baserunners, 6 Ks. With the week layoff between the second and third Mariners game, is he gonna start twice in the first four games of the Mariners season? Cause that would be kinda awesome…If I owned him anywhere…which I don’t… Sticking with the dot, dot, dot theme:
Michael Morse – His collagen injection paid wonders and was able to secure a sugar daddy may make it back for Opening Day. If not, he shouldn’t miss much time.
Drew Storen – Expected to start the year on the DL. Of course he is. He’s only thrown 2 innings this spring. As I mentioned in our fantasy baseball podcast, Henry Rodriguez is looking to me like one of those middle relievers that comes out of nowhere and Ks a shizzton and ends up being more valuable than your number three fantasy starter that you were crazy about in March and wanted to kill in May. Think Venters instead of Liriano last year. Actually, think of Venters instead of Liriano last year as long as you don’t have any sharp objects around. No, a comparison to Venters isn’t completely apt. Rodriguez’s WHIP might be more in line with a Marmol. But he gets Ks, should get innings and may get saves. Who’s standing in his way? Lidge? Oy. If I wanted straight saves, I’d go Lidge first. He will probably be the first guy to see ninth inning looks. It doesn’t mean he will be the last guy to see saves in Storen’s stead.
Justin Morneau – The 2nd best Canadian 1st baseman is starting to heat up as spring training comes to a close. He’s hit 3 HRs in the past couple days. Hopefully, he doesn’t rub it in to Brian Roberts at the next Concussion Anonymous meeting.
Brian Wilson – His beard must be itchy because the Giants scratched him from Wednesday’s game. If you drafted him, hope you enjoy wild rides. Follow his gimp’s lead and handcuff him with Sergio Romo and/or Santiago Casilla. (For saves, I’d go Casilla first.)
B.J. Upton – Headed to the DL to start the year as B.J.’s back is still Upton-o-good after colliding with Desmond Jennings in the OF. They are just too fast. The Rays have to regulate them like NASCAR to avoid this stuff in the future. Steals ain’t got no face, but they require a functioning back. Upton said he could miss only a few games (three), and doesn’t expect to miss more than a few weeks. Gulp. Hopefully it’s the former if former means the first one. Brandon Guyer should get some playing time in the mean’s while. Take note those of you in 30-team MLB leagues.
Jed Lowrie – Jammed his thumb. Thumb up the jam, thumb it up! Sorry, that always gets me. Lowrie said he should be back in a few days. Sounds like a stereotypical Sparky Anklebiter injury. So a player with too much can’t-put-your-finger-on-it-ness needs to put his finger on ice.
J.J. Hardy – Received a cortisone shot in his shoulder yesterday, which is a steroid (tomato-potato, I guess). I didn’t like Hardy going into the spring, but the one thing he offered was power. How you think the power’s gonna be with a sore shoulder? Yup.
Chris Carpenter – Having a bone spur removed, will be sidelined a couple of months. No, this is not the Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter, it’s the Red Sox’s Chris Carpenter. What a jinxed name. This is a warning to anyone underage getting a fake ID. Don’t go with Leo Nunez or Fausto Carmona. The authorities will be all over you.
