Remember this ad for ESPN Fantasy Baseball? Before the season started, ESPN released this genius add. They could have replaced Vicente Padilla with any number of perpetual bad pitchers, such as Livan Hernandez, Carlos Silva or Jamie Moyer. However, in the year of the pitcher, whoever wrote this add might not be feeling so clever today.
I mention this because of my AMAZING prediction of Vicente Padilla's spot start Wednesday agianst the San Diego Padres. I mean, most people could realistically predict a decent start, but who would have thought this? Let's recap my Start and Sit predictions.
Start Vicente Padilla LAD, Wednesday vs San Diego
Padilla threw an absolute gem, a 2 hit complete game shutout. He actually had a no hitter going into the 7th inning, until new Padre Ryan Ludwick finally broke it up with an opposite field single. This kind of outing was fluky and probably wont ever happen again, but if you took my advice, run with it and rub it in whosever face you want! This might be the best Spot Start of the year (unless someone managed to spot start Dallas Braden's no-hitter).
Sit Kyle Kendrick Phi, Wednesday vs Florida
It seems as though any name I mention in my Pitchers to Target as Spot Starts column does well, regardless if they are a "Start" or "Sit." At any rate, I someone predicted this properly. Allow me to refresh your memory.
This is what I wrote as the closing sentance for my prediction, and it somewhat came true. Kendrick posted a 3.00 ERA, and a 1.25 WHIP, not bad, but not stellar either. Combine that with the fact that he won the game, and you might regret sitting him. Still, I would consider this fluky and not worry about it too much.Now for news from around the league from last night and early this morning.
A-Rod finally hits #600
Does anyone outside of New York even care? I certainly don't. The only way this affects A-Rod's fantasy value is that now that he finally has this out of the way, he won't worry about it and maybe will go back to hitting homeruns at a normal clip.
Aroldis Chapman's debut nears
According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Cincinnati Reds are close to calling up Aroldis Chapman, and unleashing his 103 MPH fastball on the league. Chapman is a guy I was very high on at the start of the season, but after reading various scouting reports and looking at his minor league stats, I'll back off a little. The potential is definitely there, he has amazing stuff when he's on. The problem is his inexperience and his lack of control. He'll strike out tons, but walk alot also. He won't get more than 5 starts this season, and probably will start out in the bullpen, so if your considering adding him, be cautious.
Phillies acquire Mike Sweeney from Seattle
After Ryan Howard went on the DL, the Phillies appear to have panicked. It's just that simple. Why else would you sign a washed up guy like Sweeney. It's very concerning that Charlie Manuel already says that Sweeney is his guy at 1B while Howard is out. Sweeney has a history of back problems, and he's 37 years old. I would only consider adding Sweeney in a deep NL-only league, or if you are absolutely desperate.
Braves lose Kris Medlen with UCL injury
The Braves got some bad news last night, when promising young starter Kris Medlen came out of the game with what appeared to be an elbow injury. The Braves later confirmed that Medlen injured his ulnar collateral ligament, and has an MRI scheduled for today. The injury appears to be serious, and it's very possible Medlen has thrown his last pitch of the season.
This is, however, good news for Mike Minor, the pitching prospect called up to replace Medlen on the roster. Minor, drafted 7th overall last season (1 pick ahead of Cincinnati's pitcher Mike Leake, and 3 above National Drew Storen) out of Vanderbilt University, has posted a 144:44 SO:BB ratio in 118.2 IP, good for a 3.49 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. These aren't amazing numbers, but they are solid. He has good strikeout potential, and is a speculative add in deeper leagues. The Braves will likely limit his innings pitched, however, as he is only 22 years old with less than a full season under his belt.
That does it for todays Instant Replay, stay tuned for another post later today.
