“It means no worries for the rest of your days. It’s our problem free…philosophy! Ha Kenta Maeda!”
That’s how the song goes, right? You know, the one by Timon and Pumba in The Lion King? Am I really referencing a Disney movie in a fantasy baseball post? You bet your bottom dollar I am. Just look at em swayin above. That’s swag, son! Truth is, Hakuna Matata or Kenta Maeda, they’ve basically been the same thing in 2016 for fantasy owners of Maeda. Whenever the rookie SP takes the mound good things are surely to come.
However, I, personally, would be looking to sell him high over the next few weeks. Do I think he can’t sustain his pace? Well, perhaps? Listen, you can’t argue with a 2.30 ERA and a 3.71 K/BB ratio, but his batters have a .237 BABIP against him (that’s low), and his peripherals are a little scary. When I think of Maeda more visions of Daisuke Matsuzaka pop into my head than Yu Darvish. I’m afraid that come the summer time we’re going to see hitters figure him out. And when they do, that ERA will balloon, the 89.7% runners left on base number will drop, and the value will decrease. So, how in the world is it all Hakuna Matata? Because this week he pulls the hapless Angels and the Padres…in Petco. It doesn’t get any better than that! Ok, wait…yes it does. It could be the Padres and Braves. That’s alright, though. This is a happy post. And clearly he’s still doing something right! Get the solid starts out of him now while you still can, but after he mows downtime Padres it may be the perfect time to Ha-Kenta Ma-sell high.
Pitchers are listed in order by rank. And, of course…tiered by lions.
‘Aslan‘ (The Best) – Trolling the Lion King post better than anyone ever could, Aslan far and away takes the crown. ‘Is he safe? No, but he’s good.’ The just screams fierce. When you’re the central allegorical character of a seven-book allegorical series of literature you top what any animators may have created int he early 1990’s. It’s Jesus! No one can stop the Lord Almighty. He wins. And if I ever owned a cat, even if it looked like Mr. Bigglesworth, I would totally name it Aslan. Just sayin. Shoot, I may even name my next dog Aslan. It’s that good. Thanks, Clive Staples.
| Player | Opponents | ERA/FIP | K9/BB9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton Kershaw (LAD) | LAA, @SD | 1.74/1.48 | 11.18/0.58 |
| Madison Bumgarner (SF) | @SD, CHC | 2.72/3.20 | 10.87/3.26 |
| Noah Syndergaard (NYM) | WSH, MIL | 2.53/2.21 | 10.68/1.75 |
| Max Scherzer (WAS) | @NYM, @MIA | 4.15/4.23 | 11.42/2.60 |
| Kenta Maeda (LAD) | LAA, @SD | 2.30/3.82 | 7.95/2.51 |
| David Price (BOS) | @KC, CLE | 6.00/2.53 | 12.19/2.44 |
| Player | Opponents | ERA/FIP | K9/BB9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Stroman (TOR) | TB, @MIN | 3.54/3.42 | 6.59/2.41 |
| Kyle Hendricks (CHC) | @MIL, @SF | 3.03/2.48 | 7.82/1.77 |
| Jaime Garcia (STL) | COL, ARI | 2.58/2.61 | 9.53/2.98 |
| Jordan Zimmermann (DET) | MIN, TB | 1.50/3.43 | 5.25/2.06 |
| Drew Smyly (TB) | @TOR, @DET | 3.63/3.41 | 10.48/1.61 |
‘Mufasa‘ (The Standards) – Of course he’s the standard. It’s Diddy Lion King. He led the way, striding ahead of his son Simba to show him the way to be king. If only he could have stripped a little faster than the wildebeests. Too soon? It’s a mark on the record that keeps him a tier under what his son would become. Just a tad lower.
| Player | Opponents | ERA/FIP | K9/BB9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Porcello (BOS) | @KC, CLE | 3.11/3.64 | 8.94/1.94 |
| Joe Ross (WSH) | @NYM, @MIA | 2.29/3.04 | 6.88/2.80 |
| Jerad Eickhoff (PHI) | MIA, ATL | 4.43/3.59 | 7.97/1.77 |
| Adam Conley (MIA) | @PHI, WAS | 3.72/2.48 | 9.41/3.72 |
| J.A. Happ (TOR) | TB, @MIN | 2.05/3.92 | 5.59/2.42 |
| Carlos Rodon (CWS) | HOU, KC | 4.99/4.33 | 9.06/3.63 |
‘Scar‘ (The Knockoffs) – A little good and a little bad. On one hand…he ruled the Pridelands. Clap. Clap. On the other hand, he was such a pure biatch. Simba may sing, ‘Oh, I just can’t wait to be king,’ and invoke something warm in our hearts, but Scar saying those words led to the tragic stampede that scared (yep, intended) my childhood. Ok, he’s just a lotta bad, but these pitchers manage to provide one good start this week.
| Player | Opponents | ERA/FIP | K9/BB9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Keuchel (HOU) | @CWS, TEX | 5.58/4.04 | 7.56/3.96 |
| Juan Nicasio (PIT) | ATL, COL | 4.34/4.14 | 8.92/3.62 |
| Josh Tomlin (CLE) | CIN, @BOS | 3.72/3.89 | 5.90/0.62 |
| Derek Holland (TEX) | @OAK, @HOU | 6.09/4.12 | 5.29/3.18 |
| Robbie Ray (ARI) | NYY, @STL | 4.84/4.40 | 10.44/4.84 |
| Nathan Eovaldi (NYY) | @ARI, @OAK | 4.85/4.13 | 8.44/2.11 |
| Jonathon Niese (PIT) | ATL, COL | 5.63/6.25 | 6.52/3.38 |
| Sean Manaea (OAK) | TEX, NYY | 11.37/7.04 | 7.11/3.55 |
| Michael Pineda (NYY) | @ARI, @OAK | 6.28/5.24 | 9.54/3.03 |
‘The Cowardly Lion‘ (The Trash) –Yeah, I’m afraid to start any of these guys! Now, read that with the same inflection as Drunk Uncle when talking about his wife. (You’re welcome!) Cowardly is the perfect adverb for this group.
| Player | Opponents | ERA/FIP | K9/BB9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Berrios (MIN) | @DET, TOR | 6.28/5.96 | 11.93/5.02 |
| Yordano Ventura (KC) | BOS, @CWS | 4.62/5.45 | 6.32/6.81 |
| WIlliams Perez (ATL) | @PIT, @PHI | 3.54/4.72 | 4.43/3.54 |
| Phil Hughes (MIN) | @DET, TOR | 6.44/4.83 | 6.44/1.98 |
| Aaron Blair (ATL) | @PIT, @PHI | 4.05/4.70 | 3.15/4.95 |
| Tyler Wilson (BAL) | SEA, @LAA | 2.93/4.17 | 4.40/2.05 |
| John Lamb (CIN) | CLE, SEA | 1.80/4.20 | 6.30/3.60 |
| Wade Miley (SEA) | @BAL, @CIN | 4.91/4.60 | 6.95/1.84 |
| Colin Rea (SD) | SF, LAD | 4.24/4.53 | 6.69/4.02 |
| Matt Shoemaker (LAA) | @LAD, BAL | 9.12/6.22 | 6.20/4.01 |
| Chase Anderson (MIL) | CHC, @NYM | 6.11/5.98 | 6.88/3.31 |
| Jered Weaver (LAA) | @LAD, BAL | 6.10/5.42 | 5.63/2.11 |
| Alfredo Simon (CIN) | @CLE, SEA | 8.67/7.76 | 8.00/4.33 |
All players listed are projected for two starts, and this list is subject to changes after the article is posted.
So, there you have it! Hopefully you can sing a little diddy to make you happy while you insert these two-start guys into your lineups for Week 6! Drop a comment below, and good luck! Check back next weekend for Week 7!
