Ted Lilly: Lilly missed his start yesterday due to inflammation in his left knee, but may start tomorrow in Philadelphia. He always had the dominance to succeed, 2006/2007/2008/2009 K/9’s of 7.9/7.6/8.1/7.6, but it was not until Lilly improved his control, BB/9’s of 4.0/2.4/2.8/1.8, that he found consistent success, 2007/2008/2009 ERA’s of 3.83/4.09/3.18. When his control was shaky, the high amount of fly balls that he gave up was a problem, but being able to make hitters miss and keeping the walks down limits the damage from the high amount of home runs that he surrenders, 17 allowed in 119 innings this year. He is a top option as a pitcher in all formats.
Tim Stauffer: After an impressive first start, 2 ER, 7 K’s, and 1 BB in 7 innings, Stauffer will get a second start on Monday against the Marlins. Before suffering injuries, the 27-year-old was considered a top prospect. Now healthy, he was pitching well in the minors this year, 2.35 ERA, 6.3 K/9, and a 1.6 BB/9 in 4 Triple-A starts. If you are desperate for pitching in NL-only leagues, you may want to roll the dice and use him especially when he has a home start in spacious Petco Field.
Scott Olsen: After missing his last start, a trip to the DL for a sore shoulder is a possibility for Olsen. As a 22-year-old rookie in 2006, Olsen had exciting skills, 8.3 K/9 and a 45% GB%. At that time all he needed to do was curb the walks, 3.7 BB/9, to become a top starting pitcher. Now at 26 years of age, he is still struggling with control, 3.6 BB/9, but no longer has the impressive strike out/ground ball package, 6.0 K/9 and a 37% GB%. With the team going nowhere, if Olsen is healthy, the Nationals will most likely give him a chance to see if he can reclaim his 2006 skills, but that doesn’t mean he should be on your roster, 6.03 ERA in 11 starts.
Yovani Gallardo: Despite being barely above .500 with an 8-7 record, Gallardo sports a 3.22 ERA and a fantastic strike out/ground ball package, 9.7 K/9 and a 45% GB%. While that package helps limit the potential damage from his poor control, 4.3 BB/9, if his luck begins to run out, .244 BHIP% and an 81% strand rate, the walks could become a much bigger issue. Don’t be surprised if his ERA goes up during the second-half of the season.
Pedro Martinez: Of all the teams to sign with the Phillies are among the poorer fits for Martinez’s skills. Age and injuries have caused his dominance to decline, 2006//2008 K/9’s of 9.3/7.2, and with his control getting worse, 2006/2008 BB/9’s of 2.7/3.6, if Martinez’s FB% returns to previous levels, 2004/2005/2006 FB%’s of 43%/45%/44%, things could get real ugly in the Phillies’ homer-happy home park.
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