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Here’s what I said almost two years ago, “Dylan Bundy’s A-Ball numbers were insane.  He was too good for A-Ball.  A-Ball called a press conference and said, “You’re embarrassing us.  Please leave”  In 30 innings, he had 40 Ks and 2 walks.  Only giving up 5 hits and zero earned runs.  High-A wasn’t quite as bonkers, but wasn’t far off — 57 IP, 66 Ks and 18 walks with a 2.84 ERA.  The Orioles also told him to stop using his cutter.  They said go with your 99 MPH fastball, i.e., I Can’t Believe It’s Not A Cutter.  So he’s adjusting.  Even without the cutter, he’s going to be an ace.”  And that’s me quoting me!  Unfortunately, while rookie pitchers are making plans, God laughs, saying, “I’m gonna draft some rookie hitters.”  Not too long after I posted that, Bundy was sidelined by the doctor with the infamous hook.  No, not Dr. Richard Kimble, but Dr. James Andrews, as Bundy needed Tommy John surgery.  Fun fact!  A cheap, yet effective surgery is being performed on high school pitchers, where coaches smack their players’ arms with luggage.  It’s called Tumi John surgery.  I saw it on Dateline.  After about 14 months, Bundy was back on the mound in High-A last year, making hitters look foolish.  They were looking dumb because they were swinging a few seconds early since Bundy’s 99 MPH fastball had suddenly become a 93 MPH.  After about a hitter or two, they stopped looking foolish and started pounding the ball.  Bundy had a 5.1 K/9 and a 4.78 ERA in High-A last year, and looks like he’s on the path to return, assuming said path is a ten-year journey where he gets to throw one ceremonial pitch in the major leagues and gets an article written about him in Sports Illustrated about what could’ve been.  Anyway, what can we expect of Dylan Bundy for 2015 fantasy baseball?

I was playing down Bundy’s prospects in the opening paragraph by being down on him in the non-sexual way.  You have to throw out 2014’s stats.  Not for everyone, you still got your batting title, Morneau.  You just have to throw out Bundy’s.  What a pitcher does when he first returns from Tommy John surgery doesn’t really mean anything.  He did look like hot garbage under Carnie Wilson’s bucket seat, but he was prolly just getting a feel for his pitches again.  He was only throwing in the low-to-mid 90’s last year after topping out at 100 MPH pre-surgery, but maybe the Orioles asked him to dial it back, maybe he wasn’t comfortable yet throwing that hard, maybe you’re gonna be the one to save me.  Unfortch, we have no idea where Bundy is in his progress for next year until he goes out and dominates minor league hitters again or gets pounded.  At this point, I’d put his chances of helping in 2015 fantasy leagues at about 10%.  Seems likely that the O’s will give him the better part of the year in the minors to work his way back, since he’s still only turning 22 years old in November.  Could he work on his stuff this offseason and blow the world away in Spring Training and make the Opening Day rotation?  Sure, and I could pass as Matthew McConaughey with my shirt off.  All right, all right.  You see it now, right?  Slightly more likely, but improbable is we see Bundy by June.  Most likely, he gets the call in September, sees two or three starts and mostly works out of the bullpen.  Then in 2016 he’s in the rotation.  For 2015, I’ll give him the projections of 1-1/4.21/1.30/14 in 20 IP.  Is a draft flyer on him as bad as letting Carrie Mathison babysit your newborn?  Prolly not, but not a chance I’d take in mixed leagues for next year.