There is a lot of excitement that comes with the start of the baseball season, and watching the first day of games hasn’t lessened that at all. Baseball is back, and so is fantasy baseball. And it feels good.
The values of Opening Day pitchers in Draftstreet daily leagues were much less values than they were the least expensive good options. But that’s what happens when teams are able to set their rotation however they’d like as the season gets underway. That won’t hold true for long, though. And we’re already seeing that a bit today, with a few worthwhile value options.
Drew Hutchison $10,389 – Hutchison is making his return to the Blue Jays after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2012. He was only able to make 10 minor league appearances last year. The 23-year-old’s Major League experience is also limited, with just 11 starts under his belt, in which he had moderate success. But, thanks to a great spring, he earned his way into Toronto’s rotation. In 15 innings in March, he allowed eight hits and three runs while striking out 19. Opponents hit just .157 against him. His matchup against the Rays may look tough on paper but there is reason to be optimistic. Tampa struggled to score this spring, finishing in the bottom third of all teams in runs and hits. While you can only put so much stock into spring performances, when you’re looking for value two games into the season, you can only rely on what you have. And what we have points to a potential sleeper.
Erasmo Ramirez $9,000 – Ramirez comes as the cheapest starting pitching option in DraftStreet’s rankings but he shouldn’t be. He has become Seattle’s number two starter to start the year because Hisashi Iwakuma is on the disabled list. So the youngster was forced to the front of the rotation. It could be worse for Seattle, though. Ramirez had an excellent spring. In 23.2 innings over six games, he was 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA. That ERA was the second-lowest of any pitcher in baseball with more than 20 innings this spring. His 20 strikeouts also ranked in the top 25 for the spring. His matchup with the Angels isn’t quite ideal, though it could be worse. Among these value play options, he actually has the most Major League experience at 31 games.
Alex Wood $12,154 – Wood spent two-thirds of the last season pitching from the bullpen and did it well. He expected to compete for the fifth spot in the Braves rotation heading into this year, but the lefty came out of March in the second slot. He really was Atlanta’s best pitcher in spring training. He gave up one earned run in 20 innings of work. Pair that with 16 strikeouts and a 0.95 WHIP, and you’ve got a pitcher who is throwing well. He’ll face the Brewers on the road, which is promising. In limited action against Milwaukee in his career, he has fared well. He has made three appearances against them totaling 2.1 innings, and has kept them scoreless while holding them to only two hits. He also picked up four strikeouts.
