Anibal Sanchez - After a rainout on Tuesday, Anibal Sanchez took his turn in the rotation for the Tigers against the Nationals on Wednesday. The right hander tossed 6 innings and yielded 2 ER to go along with 8 strikeouts. Sanchez now owns an impressive K/9 of 11.43 against just a 2.17 BB/9. While it's unlikely Sanchez can maintain his current K/9, keep in mind that he owned a 9.26 K/9 in 2011 with the Marlins so it's not crazy to think he can post a similar rate in 2013. Additionally, his swinging strike % of 11.7% is just a little bit higher than his 10.9% mark in 2011. This is a pitcher who has also posted excellent xFIP marks of 3.25 and 3.60 the past two seasons while limiting HRs to less than one per game and maintaining ERAs in the mid-3.00s. His ERA is too low to be sustainable at 1.97, but Sanchez also has an xFIP of 2.36 through 45 2/3 innings this season, so he hasn't been especially lucky. Sanchez remains a must-start and looks to be a great value play for those who took him in auctions and drafts heading into the season.
Ricky Romero - Ricky Romero made his second start of the season on Wednesday and only recorded 1 out before getting yanked. He allowed 3 ER on 4 hits and walked 2 against the Rays. Romero was really awful in 2012, as his whiff rate dropped, his walk rate jumped and he dealt with a .311 BABIP (compared to .242 and .289 marks the previous 2 seasons). In his first start this season, Romero's fastball velocity was down to just 89 mph and he's now walked 5 batters in 4 innings, so he's facing the same issues as last season. My theory on Romero is that people have unrealistic expectations for his performance based on him posting a 2.92 ERA in 2011. His xFIP was 3.80 that season and he's recorded as many seasons with an xFIP under 4.00 (2) as he has with that mark over 4.00. The lefty was a decent starting pitcher, who seems to have lost his ability to miss bats and limit the free passes. He's not worth consideration until he can figure out how to turn things around, which may never happen at this point.
Matt Moore - Matt Moore faced the Blue Jays on Wednesday and allowed 2 ER over 5 innings. He whiffed 2 against 4 walks. While Moore entered yesterday's start with a 9.97 K/9, he was actually inducing swinging strikes much less often this season compared to 2012 (11.8% in 2012 vs. 8.6% in 2013). He's also seen his chase rate drop by 4% compared to 2012, and his first-pitch strike % is just 48% (compared to 60% in 2012). I say all that to point out that Moore may not be able to sustain such a high whiff rate moving forward. Additionally, because he's falling behind more than half of the batters he's faced, Moore isn't likely to see his 4.93 B/9 drop anytime soon. It's clear that Moore is a solid fantasy pitcher, but when you couple his strikeout and walk peripheral stats with an xFIP that's 4.22, I'd expect some regression soon from the southpaw. Just something to keep in mind as you value Moore through the first few weeks of the season.
Jake Peavy - After having his start pushed back several times due to back spasms, Jake Peavy finally got back on the hill Wednesday against the Mets. The right hander allowed 1 ER on 3 hits over 6 2/3 innings while striking out 6. He owns a 10.47 K/9, 1.86 BB/9 and 1.63 HR/9 through 38 2/3 innings in 2013. Last season, Peavy's ERA was excellent at 3.37, but his 4.00 xFIP indicated that he was pretty lucky. He enjoyed a high strand rate (76%) and overcame a 1.11 HR/9. This season, Peavy's GB rate is slightly up (42% in 2013 vs. 36% in 2012) and he is, once again, benefiting from a high strand rate (87%). However, Peavy's been able to miss a lot more bats this season, which has pushed down his xFIP to 2.94. As long as his back doesn't act up, Peavy should be a solid starting pitcher, especially with his current high strikeout totals.
Justin Masterson - The Tribe's Justin Masterson faced the Athletics on Wednesday and allowed 3 ER on 4 hits to pick up the win. Masterson now owns a 3.67 ERA and 3.76 xFIP for the season. I'm encouraged by Masterson's improved ability to miss bats in 2013, upping his strikeout % from 17% in 2011 and 2012 to 22% entering last night's start. However, the right hander's swinging strike % is down from 8.0% to 7.2%, so I'm not sure about the sustainability of the increased number of strikeouts. Aside from strikeouts, I always look at how well Masterson is handling southpaws, who have owned the Indians' pitcher during his career. Prior to yesterday's start, Masterson's xFIP versus lefties was 4.58 while his mark against righties was 2.85, indicating that he still can't figure out a way to limit the damage from southpaws. All told, Masterson remains a back end starter in deeper leagues.
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