EFB DRAFT RANKINGS

Monday May 5th, 2008

Shootin' the Bull: Old Guys on the Rise

by Tarrell Graham

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Overall Top 25 Drafts

Top 10 rankings by Scoring Category

League by League Breakdown

This week I’ll be covering older middle relievers having mini-resurgences, and even though it is unlikely to continue for all of them, surely one or two will be viable options for your fantasy team for a few weeks at least. The purpose of this article is to highlight small trends that you may have missed and I always try to focus on relievers that are probably on waivers – do you really need me to write about how good Broxton is? All of these guys are fringe options and you need to proceed with caution. In other words - add these guys at your own risk.

NOTE: Due to some technical glitches "The Morning After" will not be posted till this afternoon. We are having some problems with the links and are working to correct this problem. Thanks.

Scott Schoeneweis – I am not sure how he has been able to pull it off, but Scott has notched 3 holds in the last 2 weeks while posting a 1.06 WHIP and a low 1.96 ERA. Odds are Schoeneweis is a free agent in your league and while he is hot he makes a good add. I don’t think there is any way he continues to pitch at this level, but as long as you are aware of the dangers, and keep your mouse pointer hovering over the drop button, he can probably provide some good ratio and hold numbers in the short term. Just keep in mind that his BABIP is a very lucky .212, he has a 3.86 K/9, and hasn’t posted a WHIP under 1.39 in 4 years.

Kyle Farnsworth – Don’t look now but it seem Kyle has remembered he has a fast ball and the ability to strike hitters out. I ragged on Farnsworth last week and in response he went out and registered 2 holds and struck out 5 in 3 IP without walking a single batter. It is easy to forget that Farnsworth, though erratic, was once a pretty dominant reliever. It’s pretty obvious that he was atrocious last season, but I think a lot of that had to do with a drop in K% and an increase in BB%. This season Farnsworth has corrected those trends and managed to get his K/9 back over 10, dropped his BB/9 to 3.14, and has a .310 BABIP. There are some warnings signs – his strand rate is ridiculous at 97% and he is still a head case, but in the meantime he is worth a flier.

Pedro Feliciano – Feliciano start the season off pretty rough, but he has really stepped it up over the last week putting up a 0.38 WHIP and not walking a single batter while recording 2 holds. During the 2006 and 2007 season’s, Pedro was a very solid middle relief option and it appears that he is rounding into form after a month of disappointing stats. His peripherals are all over the map right now, so it is difficult to say whether or not his newfound success will continue. His BABIP is an unlucky .330, but his strand rate is an absurd 100%. His K/9 has stayed steady at 8.38, but his BB/9 has increased and now stands at 5.59 per nine. When everything evens out I think that he will probably put up very similar numbers to last season – 3.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 15+ holds. If you need some holds you can do a lot worse.

Chad Bradford – Sticking with a theme here – Bradford is another older pitcher that has had some pretty solid seasons in relief and has found himself in a great situation in Baltimore. The O’s don’t have many pitching options of any kind and with the mess they have created I am actually surprised they haven’t resorted to picking people out of the stands to help bolster their meager bullpen. Bradford isn’t overpowering, but he has a deceptive submarine style delivery and doesn’t hurt himself by issuing many free passes. Reality is that he isn’t going to provide any help at all in Ks and very little in ratios, but in a Baltimore pen devoid of real talent he will probably continue to collect holds and post decent numbers across the board.

 Jorge Campillo – I am going to keep this one short. I read several bullpen related articles recently that gave glowing reviews of one Mr. Jorge Campillo. The righty works out of the Atlanta pen and so far has put up some surprisingly good numbers - through 13.7 IP he has a .66 ERA and a .66 WHIP. On the surface Campillo is doing some things right, he has posted a 12/4 K/BB and has only a 44% strand rate, but the other secondary numbers say stay away, far away. Jorge has a .159 BABIP and has never demonstrated the kind of command that is allowing him to be successful this season. I know that you may see him notch a few holds in the coming weeks, but I beg you do not jump on the band wagon. It is possible that he will be the shock of the year, but it is much more likely that he will flame out as his numbers adjust.

(Daily)- The box scores don't always tell the whole story, but you don't have to miss out on he inside scoop. Check in everyday as Tarrell Graham highlights the previous days MLB action from a fantasy perspective.

(Mondays)- Get the latest insight on bullpen situations for each MLB team. Tarrell Graham will cover the ever-changing world of relief pitching, highlighting potential closer changes and valuable middle men.

(Tuesdays)- Cory Channell brings Wall St. to the fantasy baseball world as he gives you the scoop on when to Buy Low, Sell High and Hold tight.

(Wednesdays)- Walking the waiver wire isn't always graceful but it is vital to a teams success. Check in every Wednesday for Waiver Wire Wasteland with John Thornton.

(Thurdays)- Keeping an eye on the farm leagues isn't only important for Keeper and Dynasty leaguers. Grabbing those key mid-season call-ups can be the push your team over the top.