ESPN Projections

I don't play roto anymore (boring story), but I happened across the ESPN fantasy preview  which, I discovered, could be sorted by team.  So I did it for you: http://games.espn.go.com/flb/tools/projections?&display=alt&proTeamId=12

And I'll just toss out a few of the tidbits that I found of general (not just roto) interest.  FWIW.  These are all direct quotes sorted in order in which I found them interesting.

Bullpen (upbeat on 4 guys):

-- Aardsma: Expect some regression this year, but the real key will be showing he can keep his control in check for another season. Backsliding there could have some big consequences, but part of his '08 control problems were because of trying to pitch through injury and then coming back too early from the disabled list. There's a good chance he can remain at his current level.

-- League's development of a split-change went so well that he wound up throwing it a third of the time last season and started putting things together in the second half, posting a strikeout-to-walk ratio of more than 5-to-1. He is now a pitcher with an average 95-mph fastball, a nasty off-speed pitch, an ability to throw strikes and an extreme ground ball profile (62 percent for his career). What's not to like?

-- Lowe: He should probably be striking out more than 7.8 batters per nine given his stuff.

-- Kelley: there are at least seeds of a solid relief arm here

Rookies (not so much):

-- Saunders: The Mariners' offseason moves seem designed not to ask too much of the 23-year-old Saunders this season unless absolutely necessary. . .  Saunders' raw strength gives him good power potential down the road, but he's likely a year away.

-- Tui: has been playing some second base to increase his versatility, but he's not a good defender, hurting his chances to ever be a regular unless his bat is above average, which it's not going to be.

--Carp: kind of a 'tweener at the position

Rotation (favorable at the top):

-- If Jarrod Washburn put up big numbers with this team last year, imagine what Lee can do

-- RRS: His marginal strikeout rate is a concern, but he might have some upward movement there given his stuff and full health. He showed sharp control gains down the stretch last year, and he's likely going to have a rotation job coming out of camp.

-- Fister: He doesn't keep the ball down in the zone enough to project sustained big league success as a starter, so even if he wins a job, there's no safe bet that he will keep it.

-- Petit: there's some mild upside here

-- Vargas/Olson/French: no

-- Snell: Snell's strikeout rate has declined four years in a row, from 8.2 batters per nine in 2006 to 6.2 last season, and that is not a good sign for the diminutive right-hander. . . Good defense and a good park can do only so much.

Offense (mixed):

-- Ichiro is still going to be plenty valuable, but the level of risk is now elevated

-- Figgins' growth in his walk rate, which has consistently risen the past five years to 101 walks last year, has made him an on-base machine

-- Gutierrez: might be the new Randy Winn, a player that never seems to get his just due

-- MB: will likely get a lot of right-handed at-bats in a home park that hurts righty power

-- Lopez: showed a bit more power as the season went along last year, slugging 70 points higher in the second half. That means there might be a touch more growth to be had. The numbers are fully supported by his peripheral stats, and he has shown the capability to hit .285-.295 in the past.

-- Kotch: there's no breakout coming with his latest change of scenery

-- Jack Wilson: What little power he once had has been AWOL for a couple years now, and is not coming back.

 

 

Comments

1
RockiesJeff's picture

Thanks for the comments SpecTator!  MB is a switch hitter.  I can't remember his splits. Does he have more line drive power from one side versus the other?

2

This one deserves to be savored, like a quad grande mocha at Starbux... back atcha Spec...

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