Crooked Pitch

We just looked at the hitters, now it’s time for another installment of the biggest risers from an Average Draft Position standpoint; the pitcher edition. This data, as always, is tabulated over at Mock Draft Central.

1. Homer Bailey | Cincinnati Reds | +50.6% - The Reds are asking the Yankees for either Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher, but talks are stalling as the Yanks want Homer Bailey in return. This is causing a frenzy of mock draft participants grabbing Bailey, just in case this trade comes to fruition. Bailey’s ADP has risen in the last week from 412.57 into the 23rd round at 274.01.
2. Jason Isringhausen | Free Agent | +21.9% - Isringhausen is looking into signing with four teams. At each destination he’d have an opportunity to close. Are people desperate enough to draft a relief pitcher who isn’t currently on a team and who doesn’t have a closer job 100% locked up? Apparently the answer is, “Yes.”. Isringhausen’s ADP has risen from 339.98 into the 23rd round at 274.01.
3. Barry Zito | San Francisco Giants | +19.3% - Zito is living proof of the old baseball addage, “you can be a bad left-handed pitcher and still pitch it in the big leagues”. Seriously guys??? Zito was 10-17 last season with a 5.15 ERA and led the majors in walk rate. Why has he risen in the last week from a 23rd round ADP of 257.47 to an 18th round ADP of 215.74? Zito should be undrafted in mixed-leagues until he can assure you he won’t start the season 0-8 again. And by assure, I mean pitch his ass off!
4. Brian Fuentes | Los Angeles Angels | +18.4% - Fuentes made last weeks list at the #2 spot. This week he’s still climbing. People are really starting to dig on Fuentes in the closer role in LA. He moved from the 15th round (172.67 ADP) to the 12th round (141.72 ADP).
5. John Lannan | Washington Nationals | +17.8% - Lannan, the Nationals ace, is starting to get some love from the mock draft world. He’s up into the 23rd round at 272.89 ADP from 321.57.

Other notables: Fernando Rodney (+17.0%), Masahide Kobayashi (+15.8%), Pedro Martinez (+14.6%), Manny Delcarmen (+13.3%), Todd Wellemeyer (+11.3%), Jeff Samardzija (+10.5%), and Tommy Hanson (+10.1%).

I’ve spoken to a lot of people about Tommy Hanson lately. Finally someone agrees with my crazy notion of him making the ball club out of Spring Training. Dave O’Brien, while writing about the Vazquez deal today, says that Hanson should be up by mid-summer, maybe even earlier.

And if the Braves land an ace of the A.J. Burnett or Jake Peavy ilk, then this rotation looks pretty solid with one of them at the top and Jair Jurrjens and Vazquez in the 2-3 slots in either order, particularly if top-rated pitching prospect Tommy Hanson is in the back of the rotation by mid-summer, which I think he will be (and it won’t surprise me if he makes it out of spring training).

Atlanta Braves pitching prospect Tommy Hanson is only 22-years-old, but he’s showing why it’s going to be tough for the Braves to keep him in their minor league system for the duration of the 2009 season. In Arizona Fall League play Hanson’s made five starts for the Mesa Solar Sox and won three while not losing at all. In 18.2 innings he’s struck out (pay attention here!!!) 30 batters while only walking four. He’s only given up six hits and one earned run to sport a 0.48 ERA.

These numbers aren’t completely unfounded either. In 25 combined Single-A and Double-A starts in 2008, Hanson went 11-5. He struck out 163 batters in 138 innings and walked 52. He had an ERA of 2.41. Batters seemed dumbfounded as they only managed a measly .175 batting average against him.

Most people familiar with the Braves farm system feel that Hanson has an anticipated Major League promotion date some time in August of 2009. But, if Hanson finishes AFL play strong and continues to shine in Spring Training, couldn’t the Braves find a spot for him in April?

Fantasy leaguers who utilize a minor league system should already have Hanson on their radar. It’s also time for NL-only owners to keep an eye on the young, rising star.