Pitching is the backbone of every fantasy team. If you don’t have good pitching then you won’t win. It’s as simple as that. Next year will be a bit interesting in terms of seeing how early some pitchers get drafted. Will Johan be the first pitcher? Will it be Webb? Will it be Lincecum? Who knows. What I do know is this week Johan was absolutely brilliant and a huge reason for the Mets trying to hang onto playoff hopes (will they win the Wild Card or choke again?). Roy Oswalt has had a transformation and suddenly looks like an ace again after being horrible at the beginning of the season. Last, but certainly not least, is Gil Meche. The Royals gave him a huge payday and he’s looked as if he’s been worth every penny, at least to a team that needed pitching as badly as the Royals. These three pitchers deserve recognition and praise for their solid performances.
Gold Medal:
Johan Santana (SP - New York Mets) - Santana has ended the season with a bang. He’s had some rough times this year, mainly because the bullpen blew so many leads for him, but the Santana of old has finally showed up. He’s finally starting to strike more guys out, his ERA and WHIP are miniscule, and he’s even going the distance. He’s once again looking like the best pitcher in the league now and the Mets couldn’t be any happier. If they clinch the Wild Card (as of this time the finale is delayed), then Santana will hands down be their MVP and rightfully so.
2 wins, 0 losses, 1 complete game, 1 shutout, 17 IP, 19 K, 1.06 ERA, 0.88 WHIP
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Silver Medal:
Roy Oswalt (SP - Houston Astros) - Oswalt has been a huge surprise this season. Earlier in the year it appeared he was done, but suddenly he went on a hot streak and got his numbers under control. His ERA does look a bit high, but it’s inflated due to his bad starts earlier when he had a hip problem. Take away a few bad starts and the overall numbers are just terrific. He’s racked up wins this season and has been an innings eater, as usual. Who knows how much longer Oswalt will go. The Astros have a few question marks, but suddenly Oswalt doesn’t seem like such a big one.
2 wins, 0 losses, 12 IP, 7 K, 1.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
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Bronze Medal:
Gil Meche (SP - Kansas City Royals) - The Royals invested a ton of money in Meche. At the time it looked like a joke and that the Royals were just stupid. Apparently they knew something that nobody else knew; Meche is a good pitcher. He may not have the best numbers of any pitcher out there, but he’s really got some good stuff. If the Royals actually had an offense, and better defense, then Meche would be good enough for 19-20 wins, and a handful of less losses. Yes, I’m 100% serious on that. Meche has some terrific stuff, but there’s no denying that the team behind him is far from great. Meche put up some solid numbers this week and hopefully he’ll continue to do so in the future.
2 wins, 0 losses, 12 IP, 11 K, 2.25 ERA, 1.33 WHIP
Other Top Performances:
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