Investing & Maybe Fantasy Baseball

Top 75 Starting Pitchers: April 8-14

1. Justin Verlander (DET) – Sat @OAK
2. Yu Darvish (TEX) – Fri @SEA
3. Clayton Kershaw (LAD) – Fri @ARI
4. Stephen Strasburg (WSH) – Sat ATL
5. Cole Hamels (PHI) – Sat @MIA
6. Madison Bumgarner (SF) – Mon COL, Sat @CHC
7. Cliff Lee (PHI) – Tue NYM
8. Mat Latos (CIN) – Mon @STL, Sun @PIT
9. Gio Gonzalez (WSH) – Tue CWS, Sun ATL
10. Jered Weaver (LAA) – Sat HOU
11. Max Scherzer (DET) – Fri @OAK
12. Alexi Ogando (TEX) – Mon TB, Sat @SEA
13. Jake Peavy (CWS) – Tue @WSH, Sun @CLE
14. Matt Harvey (NYM) – Mon @PHI, Sun @MIN
15. Johnny Cueto (CIN) – Sat @PIT
16. Matt Cain (SF) – Fri @CHC
17. Jeff Samardzija (CHC) – Fri SF
18. C.J. Wilson (LAA) – Tue OAK, Sun HOU
19. Jordan Zimmermann (WSH) – Wed CWS
20. Adam Wainwright (STL) – Sat MIL
21. Felix Hernandez (SEA) – Th TEX
22. Chris Sale (CWS) – Sat @CLE
23. Zack Greinke (LAD) – Th @SD
24. Hiroki Kuroda (NYY) – Mon @CLE, Sat BAL
25. David Price (TB) – Sat @BOS
26. Kris Medlen (ATL) – Tue @MIA
27. R.A. Dickey (TOR) – Sat @KC
28. Paul Maholm (ATL) – Mon @MIA, Sun @WSH
29. Andy Pettitte (NYY) – Tue @CLE, Sun BAL
30. Lucas Harrell (HOU) – Mon @SEA, Sun @LAA
31. CC Sabathia (NYY) – Fri BAL
32. Brett Anderson (OAK) – Sat DET
33. Matt Harrison (TEX) – Th @SEA
34. Ian Kennedy (ARI) – Sat LAD
35. Mike Minor (ATL) – Wed @MIA
36. Yovani Gallardo (MIL) – Sat @STL
37. James Shields (KC) – Sat TOR
38. Matt Moore (TB) – Wed @TEX
39. Clayton Richard (SD) – Tue LAD, Sun COL
40. Homer Bailey (CIN) – Wed @STL
41. Doug Fister (DET) – Th TOR
42. James McDonald (PIT) – Tue @ARI
43. Shelby Miller (STL) – Fri MIL
44. A.J. Burnett (PIT) – Sat CIN
45. Edwin Jackson (CHC) – Mon MIL, Sat SF
46. Jorge De La Rosa (COL) – Mon @SF, Sun @SD
47. Marco Estrada (MIL) – Mon @CHC, Sun @STL
48. Jon Lester (BOS) – Sat TB
49. Derek Holland (TEX) – Wed TB
50. Wade Miley (ARI) – Wed PIT
51. Jhoulys Chacin (COL) – Sat @SD
52. Chad Billingsley (LAD) – Wed @SD
53. Jarrod Parker (OAK) – Tue @LAA, Sun DET
54. Trevor Cahill (ARI) – Mon PIT, Sun LAD
55. Anibal Sanchez (DET) – Tue TOR, Sun @OAK
56. Lance Lynn (STL) – Tue CIN
57. Clay Buchholz (BOS) – Mon BAL, Sun TB
58. Trevor Bauer (CLE) – Th NYY
59. Wily Peralta (MIL) – Tue @CHC
60. Kyle Lohse (MIL) – Wed @CHC
61. Brandon McCarthy (ARI) – Tue PIT
62. Tim Hudson (ATL) – Sat @WSH
63. Josh Johnson (TOR) – Th @DET
64. Chris Tilllman (BAL) – Fri @NYY
65. Jon Niese (NYM) – Fri @MIN
66. Ryan Vogelsong (SF) – Th @CHC
67. Joe Saunders (SEA) – Mon HOU, Sat TEX
68. Brandon Morrow (TOR) – Tue @DET, Sun @KC
69. Josh Beckett (LAD) – Tue @SD, Sun @ARI
70. Jeremy Hellickson (TB) – Mon @TEX, Sun @BOS
71. Tim Lincecum (SF) – Tue COL, Sun @CHC
72. Alex Cobb (TB) – Fri @BOS
73. Ross Detwiler (WSH) – Fri ATL
74. Michael Fiers (MIL) – Fri @STL
75. Roy Halladay (PHI) – Mon NYM, Sun @MIA

Notes

If Roy Halladay didn’t have his second start against the Marlins he would not have made the top 75. Like I said three days ago, I don’t believe he’s any better than a spot starter until he proves he can consistently get hitter’s out.

After a shaky first two innings, Brad Peacock settled down looked like a solid pitcher, retiring eight Athletics hitters in a row before being pulled in the 5th inning. At the beginning of the game he was only throwing a curveball and fastball, which allowed hitters to sit dead red on a pitch. However, at the start of the 3rd inning, also when he began his hitless streak, he started throwing his changeup, which allowed his fastball to play up. His fastball sat in the low 90s and the curveball sat 73-75 mph. By utilizing the changeup, which sat 79-81 mph added a wider separation in the velocity of all his pitches. If he’s going to be successful he’s going to need the changeup. His next three starts are at Seattle, at Oakland and home against Seattle. In 12+ team mixed leagues, Peacock should be picked up.

Dan Straily did not pitch as well as box score would suggest. He missed a lot of bats, but 7 out of the 11 strikeouts came from Brett Wallace and Rick Ankiel, both of which are struggling on fastballs high in the zone. Despite the great performance the A’s optioned him to Triple-A to make room for Bartolo Colon, who will pitch today. Straily should be owned 12+ mixed leagues because he’ll be the first one called up when there’s an injury.

Wade Davis’ couldn’t locate his pitches in his brief outing against the Phillies last night. When he missed, he missed in the middle of the zone. The average velocity of his fastball and its other variations were down compared to 2011, the last time he was a starting pitcher, 90.6 mph and 91.4 mph respectively. I’m not sold on Davis as a starter because all of his pitches are thrown with the same velocity except for the curveball, which he only threw four times. If there’s no separation in velocity hitters will gear up for one speed the entire game, making the pitches more hittable.

Ivan Nova stayed at the “in” yesterday as he was inefficient and ineffective. He looked in bursts but he was unable to go for the jugular, instead trying to be cute by hugging the corners. Checkout the Nova’s heat map for the game yesterday.

Brandon Mauer has miss bat stuff, but he learned a valuable lesson: if you make a mistake, big league hitters are going to punish those mistakes. He throws a low 90s fastball and knockout slider. His control of his changeup and curveball is still pretty loose, especially the curveball. I unfortunately started him in all my NFBC leagues so my ratios are going to be the dumps the next couple of weeks and I’m still on up in the air if I’ll start him again. Next week he’s scheduled to play against Houston and Texas at home next week.

Jose Valverde signed a minor league deal with the Tigers yesterday. Valverde is the pitcher you want to own in the Tigers bullpen if you’re looking for saves. Valverde is not a good pitcher, but the closer position is a fantasy position bred out of opportunity and the Tigers will give him every opportunity to succeed.

Kris Medlen looked nothing like the Medlen we saw at the end of last year; he had trouble commanding his pitchers (only 62% of his pitches were strikes) and left some balls up. The biggest thing I noticed was the lack of a feel for the changeup, his best pitch; too many times it was thrown out of the zone. Medlen doesn’t overpower hitters, but instead relies on movement to generate outs. If his changeup doesn’t improve his upside will be limited. The cold and wet conditions could have contributed to his poor performance, but I think this performance is more of an indication of who he is than what he did last year.

No timetable for Jason Motte to come off the DL. Mitchell Boggs is the pitcher you want now, but I believe Trevor Rosenthal will have the most saves for the Cardinals this season.