I’m writing in from my bubble in Los Angeles. The crazy thing is with living in a bubble, you still have to dust. If I’m the only man left when the curtain rises on The New World, and everyone’s CV has the special skills, “Had CV,” I will get my PhD on, “Why people in bubbles need to dust?” By the by, every time I take off my glasses I have an irrational fear that I’m going to break them like Burgess Meredith and there will be no eye doctors willing to see me during the quarantine, and if you get this reference, you’re old. So, the top 40 starters for 2020 fantasy baseball were updated with new projections for a 100-game season. With this series, I will take a look around the 2020 fantasy baseball rankings to see if there’s any differences now that we might only play a 100-game season. Projections have been updated on all my positional rankings. Anyway, here’s thoughts on the top 40 starters for 2020 fantasy baseball with the new Corona timeline:
23. Trevor Bauer – This is going to be a tough post for me, because I kinda like all the guys I like in my top 40 and hate all the guys I hate, so not much has changed. With that said, a 100-game season, as I’ve been saying, is a lot like a full season’s, uh, half season. You get as many IP or ABs as you might see before the All-Star Break. So, I could go back to Bauer’s 1st half in 2018, and say: 8-6/2.24/1.08/1.75 in 136 1/3 IP, which would be the best starter in a shortened season, or at least top three. Maybe a little low on wins, but they’re a useless stat. But, okay, 2018 may not be fair to quote. Where am I going back to on Jake Arrieta? 2015? Fair point! Stop making the same point repeatedly! How’sever, Bauer’s 1st half last year: 8-6/3.61/1.17/149 in 132 IP. Okay, wins and losses might be useless, but Bauer’s 8-6 record in one half is the “Khris Davis .247” of pitchers. Seriously, though, Bauer’s half season numbers aren’t, uh, half bad. My 2020 projections for him are 8-5/3.61/1.16/160 in 133 IP. Obviously, I’m low on losses! C’mon, Grey, get it together! (The crazy thing, and you have to take my word for it, but I didn’t look at his 1st half numbers from last year when I projected him this year in 100 games, and those ERAs and WHIPs are crazy close. *blows on knuckles, wipes knuckles on shirt, realizes there was ketchup on knuckles* NOOOOOOO!!! I don’t have any paper products to clean up!
29. Zac Gallen – Since Gallen is actually set to play in Arizona vs. purported to play in Arizona, I wanted to address the elephant in the room with pitchers. Hitters will get a bump if they’re in Arizona. The ball jumps there. My lovely lady humps. Sorry, went from bump to jumps to humps. You can ask any pre-humidor Diamondbacks player. Arizona isn’t bad; even if the dimensions in spring training parks don’t necessarily scream tiny park. That is not to say pitchers will be bad. Diamondbacks have had a ton of great pitchers, and Arizona hasn’t killed all of them (maybe a few). It’s not the same as Coors, at least. Speaking of which, Rockies pitchers, namely Jon Gray and Marquez could see a boost, but more on them in the next post. Gallen is good, and other pitchers can be good in Arizona. Don’t fear the reaper, and don’t fear the desert. (Fear the dessert in the quarantine. I’ve gained an extra 45 pounds, and will be bedridden by July. By the way, you know those 600-pound guys who are bedridden? Who is bringing them food? Maybe those people stop.)
32. Shohei Ohtani – Yes, his rehab should be over by the time the season starts, which means he can begin throwing at once. Good, bad or indifferent? Honestly, I’m indifferent. This doesn’t mean Ohtani will now start up immediately in the rotation every fifth day. The Angels are still going to use him once a week and limit him. In weekly leagues, he’s still death. Here’s the scenario to spell it out: Ohtani gets a juicy matchup, and you decide to start him as a pitcher. Welp, that didn’t work out as he only threw 5 IP and got a no decision, allowing three runs. Now you’ve lost him as a hitter too. In daily leagues, he’s better. The Angels have said Ohtani won’t hit the day after he starts. What if he’s sore after throwing for the first time in a while and can’t hit for two days? What if it becomes he can’t hit the day before either? So many factors in Ohtani besides just slotting him into your lineup. I know it upsets Ohstanis that I don’t love him, but he needs to choose a vocation and run (or throw) with it.
