Comeback Seasons in the Making
Friday, May 30th, 2008 by smitchell
If you took a chance on in your fantasy draft on a veteran with recent struggles, it may be paying off handsomely. There are a slew of veterans who, because of injury, bad karma or bad attitude, had a rough 2007 but are getting it done in 2008.
Some of these guys you figure will keep it going, others may not, and others may end up on the DL for long stretches. Take a look at this list of former All-Stars who are having a great start to 2008.
Jason Bay: In 2007, fantasy owners saw Bay, a second round fantasy pick, drop his batting average 40 points, and lose 14 home runs, 25 RBI’s and 23 runs from the season before. Not only that, but his 21 steals in 2005 dropped to 4 in 2007. Bay is making up for that this year. His batting average is up, and he is on pace for 40 home runs and 125 runs scored.
Miguel Tejada: A change in scenery and some lineup protection in the name of Lance Berkman seems to be just what the doctor ordered for Tejada. Tejada’s 2007 wasn’t that bad (.296, 18, 81, 72), but it was not what you have come to expect from the former MVP. This year he is hitting .329, and though he is on pace for only 17 home runs, he is in line to score 124 runs and produce 108 RBI’s.
Rafael Furcal: Some injuries slowed Furcal in 2007; even when he was on the field though, he did not look like his old self. Furcal is now on the DL, but is ready to come back soon. He began the season on fire and currently has a .366 batting average and 5 home runs in only 134 at bats. That tells you that his 20 homer potential is back. Furcal lost so much fantasy respect after last year, that I was able to draft him in my fantasy league with the 150th pick.
Cliff Lee: I’m not even sure if it is the real Cliff Lee on the mound in Cleveland this year. He was excellent in 2005 with an 18-5 record and serviceable in 2006, but he was putrid in 2007. Can this guy really be the best pitcher in baseball? He even had a stint in the minors and finished 2007 as a middle reliever. You probably didn’t draft him in your fantasy league, so he may have been the biggest prize in your free agent pool.
Brad Lidge: His ERA is under 1.00 and his WHIP is 1.00. Lidge has 12 saves and is once again dominating with 26 K’s in 22 innings. Lidge began getting his stuff back last year, finishing the season with a 3.36 ERA and 19 saves. It was his 2006 that was awful as he compiled 32 saves but had an ERA over 5.00.
Troy Percival: Percival, who’ll turn 39 at the end of the season, is once again a very dependable closer on a winning team. His outings were ugly in 2006 with Detroit, and though he pitched well for St. Louis in 2007, it was limited middle relief duties. In 2008, he is once again relevant in the fantasy world. Of course, he did just land on the DL with hamstring issues.
Ervin Santana: Santana was never your fantasy ace, but he was a decent fantasy pitcher in 2005 and a good one in 2006. This year he is 7-2, which matches his win total from 2007. He is dominant at home and is pitching better on the road than in 2007. His wins and ERA are nice, but that WHIP of 0.99 is really helping your fantasy team.
Jose Contreras: Contreras was 10-17 with an ERA over 5.00 last year, and many thought the Julio Franco of pitchers was ready for the retirement bin. He has been excellent this season going 5-3 with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. There is a good chance Contreras was not drafted either, but I bet he is on a roster in your league now.
There are a few others to mention as well. Mariano Rivera, after a relatively sub par season for him, is back to his old dominant ways. Kerry Wood seems to be coming around to his role as a slam the door closer. Mike Mussina is pitching much better than last year. Scott Rolen is looking pretty good in Toronto, but the DL is always looming over his head.
I don’t see all of these guys continuing to perform the way they have started the season. Several of these guys are bound to hit the DL and others, such as Cliff Lee, are just simply on fire and will cool down.
My prediction is that Tejada, Bay and Furcal continue their hitting with the contingency that Furcal must avoid the injury bug. As for the pitchers, Santana and Lidge should keep right on trucking, Percival is risky for several reasons, Contreras will slow down and be decent and Lee will slow down and be very good.
This just serves as a reminder to keep on eye on the veterans that slipped in fantasy status the year before. Many times they are your draft and free agent steals.
