Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Friday 5/27/11

Thursday Starter's Stats - Ryan Vogelsong - 8.0 Innings Pitched - 3 Strikeouts - Loss - 1.13 ERA - 1.13 WHIP

Week Eight Starter Stats - 24.2 Innings Pitched - 13 Strikeouts - 4.74 K/9 - 1 Win in 3 Starts - 2.19 ERA - 1.18 WHIP

Cumulative Starters' Stats - 420.2 Innings Pitched - 304 Strikeouts - 6.50 K/9 - 26 Wins in 66 Starts - 3.53 ERA - 1.20 WHIP

Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

Vogelsong makes three straight days of very good starts.  Kyle McClellan and Erik Bedard each went six innings with no earned runs over the last two days, and Vogelsong went eight innings here on Thursday and let up just one earned run.  The strikeout numbers haven't been there this week, but the ERA and WHIP have been great, and sometimes you have to be careful with the spot starters to avoid getting beat up chasing strikeouts.  The deep league players WHIP didn't get hurt too bad by Dickey's 2.2 scoreless innings before he left the game with a heel injury covering first base, but it wasn't a great use of a start for those in start limit leagues.

Friday's recommendations coming up right here...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Thursday 5/26/11

Tuesday Starter's Stats - Kyle McClellan - 6.0 Innings Pitched - 4 Strikeouts - No Decision - 0.00 ERA - 0.33 WHIP
Wednesday Starter's Stats - Erik Bedard - 6.0 Innings Pitched - 4 Strikeouts - Win - 0.00 ERA - 1.17 WHIP
Week Eight Starter Stats - 16.2 Innings Pitched - 10 Strikeouts - 5.40 K/9 - 1 Win in 3 Starts - 2.70 ERA - 1.20 WHIP
Cumulative Starters' Stats - 412.2 Innings Pitched - 301 Strikeouts - 6.56 K/9 - 26 Wins in 65 Starts - 3.58 ERA - 1.20 WHIP
Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

Was never able to re-update yesterday's post, so I'm going to just talk about McClellan's stats on Tuesday here.  And it was a great start.  He let up a two run home run, but it was in an inning extended by an error, and wasn't charged to his ERA.  Other than that he only let up just one hit over the six innings he was in there.  He didn't catch a win, but it was an otherwise great six innings to add to your team.

On Wednesday, I had a good day with everyone i talked about.  Bedard delivered six innings of actual shut out ball (even though that doesn't matter in fantasy) but scattered six hits in a walk over that time so the WHIP was just good, not amazing like McClellan's Tuesday.  Luckily he did pick up the win that McClellan didn't.  If you couldn't get Bedard and went with Ervin Santana, you still got a win in six innings, but he let up an earned run over that time.  Deep league players got good ERA and WHIP from Mike Minor, but he didn't pick up the win in a game that went to extra innings.

No Pickup/Drop column today, as I have work early tomorrow and it's four AM as i write this.  I'm not just dodging Denard Span's hot week, as Brantley has been nearly as good.  Just very late at night.  Thursday's travel day starter coming up....

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Saturday 5/21/11

Thursday's Spot Starter's Stats - Chris Narveson -7.1 Innings Pitched - 4 Strikeouts - No Decision - 0.00 ERA - 0.68 WHIP

Fridays's Spot Starter's Stats - Ryan Vogelsong - 6.0 Innings Pitched - 5 Strikeouts - No Decision - 1.50 ERA - 1.00 WHIP

Week Seven Starters' Stats - 27.1 Innings Pitched - 12 Strikeouts - 3.95 K/9 - 0 Wins in 4 Starts - 2.31 ERA - 1.06 WHIP

Cumulative Starers' Stats - 370.1 Innings Pitched - 278 Strikeouts - 6.76 K/9 - 22 Wins in 59 Starts - 3.72 ERA - 1.22 WHIP

Starter Stats Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

First, I'd like to apologize for Friday's lack of a column.  Didn't get it done before work, and couldn't gut it out after work.  I'd understand if you weren't confidant in the prediction, even though it worked out.  But first lets talk about Thursday's spot starter, Narveson, who delivered a gem.  7.1 innings of no run ball with a 0.68 WHIP is great for a free agent pickup.   The four strikeouts weren't anything to write home about, but nothing to complain about either, and he just didn't luck into the win.  The same thing happened with Friday's starter, Vogelsong, who went six innings but let up a single earned run leading to him not earning a decision.  The early spot starts in the week by Joel Pineiro and Brandon McCarthy weren't great, but they were good enough for Vogelsong and Narveson to bring the ERA and WHIP to great numbers.  You'd like more strikeouts, but there's always the new day.  As always, the recommended starters are available in more than fifty percent of ESPN leagues.  Saturday means the weekend, and the weekend means a pair of spot starters....