By Dan O’Shea
Who will be this year’s Zack Greinke?
Who among all the young, supposedly talented head-cases out there will suddenly shake his inconsistencies to have a Cy Young-worthy season?
Could it be Matt Garza?
The 26-year-old Tampa Bay starter has been not quite living up to his billing since his days in Minnesota. Despite supposedly killer stuff, his best year so far was 2008, when he had a strong finish to carry him to an 11-9 record with three complete games and two shutouts. His record regressed to 8-12 last year, but 189 strikeouts in just over 200 innings seemed like a positive sign.
This April, he’s looking like an elite pitcher pulling everything together at the same time, with a 3-0 record, a 0.75 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 24 innings. Plus, the Rays’ offense looks like it’s back to 2008 form, and assuming Garza can keep it together, a season better than Greinke’s 2009 isn’t too hard to imagine.
And Greinke?
Unfortunately, right now, he looks more like his old self, a little shaky and winless.
It’s Week 3 of the fantasy baseball season, and still not time to pick up Jeff Samardzija.
Fantasy Find of the Week: Jose Guillen, OF, Kansas City. Three home runs and five RBIs last week suggested a former 20 HR, 90 RBI threat returning to form. Just 62% owned in Yahoo! leagues.
Fantasy Stud of the Week: Shin Soo Choo, OF, Cleveland. Those who believed in his top 50 pre-season billing are being rewarded handsomely. Last week, he was on fire, unfortunately against the White Sox, to the tune of 2 HRs, 10 RBIS and a .500 batting average.
Fantasy Dud of the Week: Grady Sizemore, OF, Cleveland. Choo’s outfield mate was expected to have something of a comeback season as a multi-category threat, but it hasn’t started yet. Last week’s .176 average, 0 HRs, 0 RBIs and 0 SBs is pretty emblematic of the story for him so far.
Fantasy Match-up of the Week: Chris Coghlan, OF, Florida. The 2008 National League Rookie of the Year has been hobbled by injury and hitting poorly, but I like his chances to break out with a week’s worth of games in two hitter-friendly parks in Houston and Colorado.
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Expert Wire
* ESPN has must-see TV for fantasy baseball enthusiasts: The network’s nifty 30 for 30 series this week features “Silly Little Game,” a documentary on the history of fantasy baseball and the hobby’s original Rotisserie league. The premiere was set for Tuesday night, so will have already aired by the time you read this, but it will air several times on different branches of ESPN’s family tree of channels over the next nine days or so.
* There’s apparently another Fantasy Fix in Alabama and this guy likes Chris Coghlan, too! What are the chances?
* Yahoo! MLB Skinny has some notes on farm-fresh Ike Davis, who hit well against the Cubs the other night (though what does that prove?) Davis reportedly has power and contact skills in abundance and should be playing regularly after the Mets dumped Mike Jacobs.
* Bleacher Report says to keep a waiver wire watch on Texas pitcher Matt Harrison. Remember when Rangers pitchers were strictly for batting practice? Now, the ones that aren’t getting drafted in fantasy leagues are hot waiver wire items.
* And finally, from ESPN, look who’s just come off the DL: Fat Elvis. (That would be Lance Berkman).
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Dan O’Shea’s Fantasy Fix appears in this space every Wednesday. He welcomes your comments. You can also read his about his split sports fan personality at SwingsBothWays, which isn’t about what it sounds like it’s about.
Posted on April 21, 2010