With the start of the MLB season comes the start of the fantasy baseball season. As is always the case, injuries, trades and lackluster performances have opened the door for younger players to supplant older ones.
For example, the Cincinnati Reds dealt outfielder Josh Hamilton to the Texas Rangers in return for top pitching prospect Edison Volquez, who allowed one earned run through 5.1 innings in his first major league start to notch a win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Reds pitching phenom Johnny Cueto, who is only owned in 9.1 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues, has been solid. He held the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks to just six hits and three runs in 13.1 innings.
In case those two have already been snatched up, look no further than within the same division for more potential stars. In his first start for the Brewers, Manny Parra went 5.1 innings with seven strikeouts. He 's a legitimate prospect who pitched a perfect game in AAA last year, and Milwaukee won't be sending him down again; there's a reason they released Claudio Vargas earlier in the year.
Move to the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals, where there's another hidden gem in Todd Wellemeyer. He's allowed only three runs in 12 innings pitched while striking out 13. He's no fluke either; in 63.2 innings with St. Louis last year, he compiled a 3.11 ERA with 51 strikeouts.
In the NL East, Mike Pelfrey started in place of an ailing Pedro Martinez for the New York Mets Wednesday in the Mets' 8-2 rout over the Philadelphia Phillies and allowed two runs and five hits over five innings. He's one of New York's best prospects but hasn't yet been able to put it together on the major league level. Nevertheless, keep an eye on him.
For those in the market for a few bats to complement their young starters, there are plenty available. Mark Reynolds, the Diamondbacks' third baseman who hit 17 homers in 366 at-bats last year, leads the majors with five already this season. In addition, Milwaukee third baseman Bill Hall seems to have regained his 35-homer stroke from 2006, as he's blasted four this season.
Those looking for a blend of power and speed need to look no further than leadoff hitters Corey Patterson of the Reds and Nate McLouth of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Patterson won the starting center field job in spring training and seems to be a favorite of Cincinatti skipper Dusty Baker, who also managed him in Chicago. He's hitting .278 with four homers and a steal so far this year, and an average of around .270 with some decent power and speed is not an unreasonable expectation.
McLouth, however, is the one with more potential. He's hitting .390 with a homer and two steals, and he was voted by his teammates as the most likely Pirate to have a breakout season. Patterson could be a nice fill-in until Jay Bruce takes his job, but McLouth is a star in the making.
In deep leagues, spot starting is essential. Spot starting is the strategy of adding pitchers who are scheduled to start the following day and replacing them with other pitchers the next day. By carefully picking the right pitchers, this can be a very powerful strategy.
For instance, yesterday Adam Eaton of the Phillies was scheduled to start against the Mets. Eaton, who has a mediocre career ERA of 4.69, has fared particularly well against the Mets, allowing just 14 runs and 34 hits in 43.2 innings. Picking up a starter in such a situation would be a solid move, assuming he is available.
The most important thing to note about fantasy sports is that even with the utmost preparation and intense thought, nothing is guaranteed. Brett Myers could win the Cy Young while Johan Santana finishes the season with a career-high ERA of 5.40. A-Rod could bat .245 with 19 home runs or .350 with 65 homers. Take nothing for granted, but have fun - it's only a game.
