Bruce Chen: Chen is putting up decent numbers, 5-4 with a 4.38 ERA, along with impressive dominance, 7.5 K/9. However, his is also sporting the deadly combination of poor control, 4.3 BB/9, and a high FB%, 52%. If his luck runs out, .218 BHIP% and a 7% HR/FB%, Chen will damage your team ERA.
Scott Baker: You would be hard-pressed to find a 5.00+ ERA pitcher who has better skills than Baker, 7.6 K/9 and a 1.7 BB/9. He has even improved on his tendency to give up the longball, 2008/2009/2010 FB%’s 46%47%/41%. The major cause of the high ERA is bad luck, 65% S% and a 13% HR/FB%. Expect some ERA upside, but with a .259 BHIP% and 54 extra-base hits allowed in 113.2 innings, Baker is also getting hit hard, so a big bounce is unlikely.
Cliff Pennington: While his contact skills can still use some work, Pennington is showing growth in his approach at the plate, 2009/2010 BB%’s 8%/10% and Ct%’s 78%/80%. With below league average power, 3 HR in 307 AB, Pennington will need to make better contact to be a productive major leaguer. If the contact skills do improve, he can combine it with his good plate patience, to get on base to take advantage of his really good skill, the ability to steal bases, 15 steals, while only being caught twice.
Ben Zobrist: While Zobrist’s power is way down, 2009/2010 AB’s 501/405, HR’s 27/5, and doubles’28/18, he is running more with greater success, 17 steals in 23 attempts last year vs. 19 steals in 21 attempts this year. His GB% rate, 2009/2010 GB%’s 42%/46%, says that the power last year was probably a fluke, but his HR/FB%, 2009/2010 #’s 18%/5%, says that his power potential lies somewhere in between 2009 and 2010’s output.
Adrian Beltre: Beltre’s hot .339 BA, is part luck, .298 BHIP%, and part skills, 16 HR, 27 doubles, and an 84% Ct% in 348 AB. There should be some BA downside with his BHIP% likely correcting, but the rest of his skills are good enough to maintain a nice power/BA combo. The real risk is his power trending down to last year’s weak output, 8 HR and 27 doubles in 449 AB.
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