This time around I’ll give you some pitchers who are off to slow starts. It’s only a matter of time before they turn it around, so go after these guys while their value is relatively low. Once again, I’m leaving off the overly obvious names, such as Johan, Peavy and Carlos Zambrano.
Andy Pettitte: He didn’t figure to match his career-best ERA of 2.39 last year, but Pettitte’s current 6.35 ERA may have his owners overly concerned. He got a late start to spring training and is just a little behind most pitchers at this point. Remember, Pettitte is another year removed from surgery, so it’s still advised to expect a solid season on the way.
Jeremy Bonderman: Bonderman has a career ERA of 5.02 with a 1.39 WHIP. This year his ERA is all the way up to 6.23. Use all of this to your advantage as the peripherals say he is much better, and a brighter future lies ahead. He has a 20/3 K/BB ratio in 17 1/3 innings and only a 1.15 WHIP. After the recent shelling at the hands of the Indians, see if Bonderman’s owner realizes that his value could be quite high by year’s end, especially with such an improved Tigers offense.
Tim Hudson: Someone who never greatly contributes in strikeouts or WHIP, Hudson is not a superstar in fantasy. Still, he can be quite the asset in wins and ERA when he’s on. Hudson, however, has been far from “on” thus far as his ERA stands at 9.20 with a 2.11 WHIP. It’s poor command that is the major culprit because his velocity has been fine. Although it’s hard to like how he’s been throwing, it’s something Hudson figures to be able to correct in time, see if owners are ready to give up on him.
Barry Zito: Zito, who has an ERA of 7.53, also got off to a poor April last year (6.60 ERA and 1.43 WHIP) before turning in a solid campaign. He has been hit hard by the Yankees and Rangers powerful lineups; it happens. The 1.19 WHIP and 15 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings are good signs. And don’t forget, Zito is playing for a big contract when he becomes eligible for free agency this winter, giving him extra motivation.
Felix Hernandez: Maybe he’s not worth the trouble of going after with all the hype, but it might not be a bad idea to at least try. King Felix sat out the end of spring, so early command issues are to be expected. There is a lot of talk about getting “only” 180 innings out of him this year, just make sure his owner realizes how dominant those 180 are going to be.
Odalis Perez: The ugly 5.28 ERA and 1.50 WHIP stem mainly from a terrible first start against the Braves. That whole series featured tons of runs and poor pitching conditions. Since then, Perez has only given up two runs total in two starts. He is perennially underrated because of the always-positive WHIP contribution. The poor early season numbers combined with the injury-marred high ERA from last year might make it relatively easy to net you a solid starting pitcher in disguise.
Jon Lieber: Gotta love going after pitchers with inflated numbers because of starts in Coors Field. In this case it’s Lieber, who also has a shelling at the hands of the Cardinals on his early season resume. A 9.18 ERA and 1.74 WHIP is uglier than Henry Gale after Sayid gets a hold of him, but remember that Lieber had a 3.28 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in the second half of last year. Don’t let two poor early season starts change your view of him.
David Bush: Forget about the 5.54 ERA and rough outing against the Cardinals. The 1.88 ERA in spring and current 1.00 WHIP are more telling. Bush, a great sleeper going into the season, also plays for a Brewers team that figures to score an ample amount of runs. Get him while he’s still reasonably affordable, as Bush will take the switch to the NL to his liking.
Dan Haren: It will be a lot tougher to get him after an impressive performance against the Rangers on Sunday. Still, Haren does currently sport a 5.40 ERA. The 17/2 K/BB ratio and 1.10 WHIP suggest strong numbers are on the way.
Zach Duke: Although his ERA is 4.50 and WHIP 1.39, it’s the result from only one poor outing versus the Dodgers. Duke has looked sharp in his other two starts, so talk up the rough spring combined with the poor overall numbers and see if you can get him for cheap.
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