I’m writing a column (unpaid) for a baseball web site. And we want to start answering fantasy baseball questions regarding prospects and players new to the majors.
I’ve asked our benevolent mods if I could attempt to ‘prime the question pump’ so to speak and get some questions here. They have graciously agreed.
Note that this is NOT an ‘Ask the XXX’ thread as I have to answer the questions for another site and therefore can’t answer them here. Serious questions, that is. I’ll be glad to answer oddball questions here.
So if anyone has any questions about baseball players in the minors or new to the majors please zing them my way at nwooley atsign pur period com and I’ll answer them to you directly and any that my editors think meet our rigorous standards (most of them as our standards are: can we print what they’ve written) we’ll run on the other site.
I notice Cleveland has a player named Milton Bradley. I so much want to add him to my fantasy team based on his name alone, but need to be able to justify this decision. So what are his prospects.
I’m doing my first season of fantasy baseball and keep running into issues. Here are a couple dealing with prospects/rookies:
if a player is new and unlisted (not having any professional career), do you schedule a supplemental draft after the season opens?
there are limits to the number of times players can be demoted to the minor leagues in MLB; are there any limits to waivers in the fantasy league?
if a player ends up on the injured reserve or disabled list, what does a fantasy league team do?
any extra points for Rookie-of-the-Year award or getting to All-Star game?
deb2world – there are lots of baseball sources to find out about Milton Bradley, who the Indians acquired to replace free-agent CF Kenny Lofton last year. For a range of analyses of Bradley, I’d recommend the Indians discussion board at www.fanhome.com
I’ve been in a roto league for 10 years with little success to show for it. My question is: what are good predictive stats to look at for pitcher prospects.
Ah shite, I was sure I had posted to this thread like a week ago. Must have been that day I was having troubles with the ravenous post-eating hamsters. I knew I should have emailed it instead.
PatrickM, I’ve heard that the best way to evaluate pitching prospects, and a way that remains useful whether applied to minor or major league stats, is simply the K/BB ratio. The guys over at TSN, anyway, seem to love it.
Jonathan Chance, my questions have mostly to do with recent arrivals to the majors.
Mark Prior – when will he be coming up, and is he as good as they say he is?
Carlos Pena – yes or no? And what is going on with these 4 HRs; is this for real?
The recent crop of much-heralded young third basemen. Burroughs, Ensberg, Blalock (I know they aren’t all exactly ‘prospects’), will any of them live up to the hype?
Prior will be up in early May – at the latest. We may see him sooner. He’s at least as good as they say he is. He may be better.
Pena – yes. He’s been working out the kinks. He may slump now and then, but he’s the best bet for AL Rookie of the Year. And he will be a productive first baseman for a long time. He’s for real.
[ Hi Opal] Ensberg has the best chance of producing this year (20 -25 HR, 70 -80 RBI), simply because his home field is such an extreme hitters’ park.
Blalock is capable of similiar numbers this year, but he won’t do it; he will produce them next year if Texas hasn’t traded him for pitching.
Any more than 10 HR from Burroughs this year would be a bonus. He average should start to climb soon. He hasn’t walked yet this season. If he starts to draw walks and, as a result, raise his OBP, we may see him moved into the two spot in the order – which might be a better place for him than sixth, which is where he has been hitting. In fact, moving him to the two spot might help his hitting. At sixth, he may be pressing because he feels he has to drive in runs; hitting second would allow him to relax and just try to get on base.
In the terms of career stats, Burroughs and Blalock should both blow away Ensberg. Blalock is close to producing a decent to high OPS now, and Burroughs will develop power over the next few years which will raise his OPS. In five to six years these guys will be two of the best offensive third basemen playing.
Be well,