Is Barry the fantasy ace to grab?
The short answer is no. Here are the reasons why. There is no question that Barry Zito has tremendous qualities as a pitcher. First and foremost is the fact that in his career up to date he has rarely missed a start. His youth and consistency in taking the mound every fifth day are among the biggest reasons that he was awarded such a lofty contract. Indeed the move from the AL to the NL will also contribute to a statistical increase as will the friendly lineups of the Padres, Dodgers and Dbacks, all of which he will most surely face more than once throughout the season. There is no denying that Barry may even have the best curveball in the game. All that being said, is Barry Zito the ace that your fantasy staff needs? Sure he is a fine option to round out your pitching staff after you already have an established ace to tote the rock, ie. Chris Carpenter, Jake Peavy. But Barry is no more than a 3rd option at best in a fantasy lineup. While his fantastic curveball allows his pitching arm to stay off the Disabled List, it also prohibits him from ranking among the top strikeout pitchers in the game. Additionally, the price that a fantasy GM will have to pay to obtain this winter's big free agent acquisition will most assuredly rise now that he has received the big dough. To the novice fantasy GM he will look, feel and smell like an ace. His CY Young award will add even more lore to take a chance on him earlier than necessary. Do not make the same mistake that Giants GM Brian Sabean by paying top dollar for Barry. An ace pitcher must provide you with top numbers in every statistical category including strikeouts. His potential to obtain 15 plus wins with that Ginats lineup is also a major question mark. As a 3rd tier option he is great value that cannot be denied, but an ace he is not.
The short answer is no. Here are the reasons why. There is no question that Barry Zito has tremendous qualities as a pitcher. First and foremost is the fact that in his career up to date he has rarely missed a start. His youth and consistency in taking the mound every fifth day are among the biggest reasons that he was awarded such a lofty contract. Indeed the move from the AL to the NL will also contribute to a statistical increase as will the friendly lineups of the Padres, Dodgers and Dbacks, all of which he will most surely face more than once throughout the season. There is no denying that Barry may even have the best curveball in the game. All that being said, is Barry Zito the ace that your fantasy staff needs? Sure he is a fine option to round out your pitching staff after you already have an established ace to tote the rock, ie. Chris Carpenter, Jake Peavy. But Barry is no more than a 3rd option at best in a fantasy lineup. While his fantastic curveball allows his pitching arm to stay off the Disabled List, it also prohibits him from ranking among the top strikeout pitchers in the game. Additionally, the price that a fantasy GM will have to pay to obtain this winter's big free agent acquisition will most assuredly rise now that he has received the big dough. To the novice fantasy GM he will look, feel and smell like an ace. His CY Young award will add even more lore to take a chance on him earlier than necessary. Do not make the same mistake that Giants GM Brian Sabean by paying top dollar for Barry. An ace pitcher must provide you with top numbers in every statistical category including strikeouts. His potential to obtain 15 plus wins with that Ginats lineup is also a major question mark. As a 3rd tier option he is great value that cannot be denied, but an ace he is not.
Auction league value range: $10 - $15 (at most)
Snake Draft range: round 6 - 9
No comments:
Post a Comment