2015 Pitcher Profiles: F – J

by
February 9, 2015

Jeurys Familia

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 10/10/1989 | Team: Mets | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 1 10 6.8 7.6 1.7 4.22 1.97 6.52 -0.0 -0.3
’14 2 5 5 77 8.5 3.7 0.3 2.21 1.18 3.07 1.1 0.5
’15 3 3 6 55 9.0 3.6 0.7 3.55 1.28 3.41 -0.0 0.1

Profile: Jeurys Familia underwent successful hernia surgery in October: he and fellow Mets reliever Jenrry Mejia had similar surgeries. Familia is expected to be fully healthy by spring training while Bobby Parnell and Mejia will probably fill the closer role. Familia has the outcomes to remain an effective set-up man. He will only be 25 next year and is projected to improve his strikeout and walk rates. His sinker-fourseam-slider repertoire induced close to a 60% grounder rate, which was top 30 for relievers over 30 innings pitched. The “luck” statistics (5.2% homer-to-fly ratio and .264 batting average on balls in play) are likely to regress, which should knock his actual ERA (2.21) up closer to his expected rates of 3.21 (SIERA) or 3.49 (xFIP), but top 20 velocity could keep these outcomes grounded. (Dan Schwartz)

Quick Opinion: With Mejia, Carlos Torres, Vic Black, Josh Edgin, and a hopefully healthy Bobby Parnell, the Mets have an interesting, relatively cheap pre-arbitration eligible (outside of Parnell) bullpen complemented by Familia. That might also make it tough on owners hoping for saves out of Familia. 

Buck Farmer

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 2/20/1991 | Team: Tigers | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 1 0 9 10.6 4.8 1.9 11.57 1.82 5.81 -0.5 -0.1
’15 3 3 0 58 6.7 3.2 1.2 4.61 1.38 4.59 -0.1 -0.1

Profile: What a name. Buck Farmer. Seems like he should be a guest on Duck Dynasty.You should throw his name out at your live AL auction so you can say his name out loud. Buck Farmer. Try saying it out loud. Fun isn’t it? Now, what kind of pitcher will you get for one dollar in those deep leagues? It is a little tough to get an exact read on Farmer since he was at four different levels in 2014. Overall, most people expected worse. There are some positive traits to like. The 23-year-old righty has had a decent strikeout rate in 2014 as he moved from Single-A to the majors. His fastball is at 93 mph with a bit of sink. He was able to keep his walks under control until he reached Triple-A, and in the majors they went over 10%. Additionally, he was able to keep the ball in the park until Triple-A — between that level and the majors, though, he allowed three home runs in under 17 innings. The small sample results may scare some owners off. Don’t let it. Think about him as a reserve round buy in AL-only leagues. It would be nice for him to be able to go to Triple-A and get a few starts under his belt against some better hitters. Maybe find the strike zone more and keep the ball in the yard. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: For now, deer ranching is not in Buck Farmer’s future. He looks like he may have some talent after making the jump from Single-A to the majors in 2014. He could be a useful pitcher if he can tighten up his game.

Kyle Farnsworth

Debut: 1999 |  BirthDate: 4/14/1976 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 1 2 38 6.6 2.3 1.2 4.70 1.38 4.14 -0.2 -0.1
’14 0 3 3 28 5.7 4.7 0.6 4.40 1.64 4.35 -0.0 -0.2
’15 0 0 0 1 6.9 3.0 1.1 4.20 1.35 4.22 -0.1 -0.0

Profile: Kyle Farnsworth went to college near where I’m from. That’s kind of all I have for ya. Farnsworth is Farnsworth. No matter where he’s at, if he’s anywhere near the big leagues, he’s probably going to pitch to a mid-four ERA and not miss many bats in the process. Sure, he might be able pick up a save or two if someone needs a day off, but other than that, his days of being a go-to option or an injury stash are long gone. In today’s game, Farnsworth just doesn’t stand out as much. Hard throwing, intimidating relievers are plentiful, and most of them don’t have as many miles on the odometer as Farnsworth. And if he doesn’t catch on, it’s been a nice ride for Farnsworth — posting an ERA over four as a reliever and lasting in the bigs as long as he did is impressive in its own right. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Farnsworth shouldn’t be an option in most leagues. We’ll always have highlights of him fighting on YouTube, though.

Danny Farquhar

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 2/17/1987 | Team: Mariners | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 3 16 55 12.8 3.6 0.3 4.20 1.19 1.86 -0.2 1.9
’14 3 1 1 71 10.3 2.8 0.6 2.66 1.13 2.86 1.1 0.9
’15 3 2 0 55 9.4 2.8 0.8 2.97 1.15 3.20 0.6 0.5

Profile: A year after serving as the second-half closer for the Mariners, Danny Farquhar settled nicely into a fireman role in 2014, tossing 71 sparkling innings and picking up 13 holds. Sadly, as a member of The Best Bullpen in Baseball, Farquhar has plenty of competition for late inning action, even if closer Fernando Rodney takes a tumble. With a sick cutter and a nasty hook, Farquhar is likely the Mariners best reliever, but expect another season with a sub-3.00 ERA and 15 holds. If Farquhar can manage to pick up even five saves, you’re going to want him around as a cheap option in mixed leagues. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Farquhar may very well be the Mariners best reliever, but he’s stuck as the fireman and isn’t likely to see save opportunities. Don’t bet on Lord Farquhar in standard leagues, but he’s a nice AL-only relief arm.

Scott Feldman

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 2/7/1983 | Team: Astros | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 12 12 0 181 6.5 2.8 0.9 3.86 1.18 4.03 2.0 2.0
’14 8 12 0 180 5.3 2.5 0.8 3.74 1.30 4.11 1.9 1.6
’15 9 12 0 173 5.7 2.6 1.1 4.85 1.39 4.49 0.0 0.8

Profile: Scott Feldman does not strike out enough hitters to ensure value for your fantasy rosters. In fact, for pitchers with more than 90 innings pitched, Feldman had the sixth-worst strikeout rate in baseball last year. A top-60 walk rate and an extensive enough repertoire enables Feldman to have ERAs less than 3.90. Somehow he’s managed lower batting average on balls in play rates thus far in his career including a .258 in 2013. Luck and defense exacerbates the effect, but his extensive repertoire and command prevents damage. With that said, all of his pitches are below average from a swinging-strike standpoint. If we use 100 pitches as a qualifier, his cutter had the fifth worst rate and his changeup had the 12th-worst rate. This is even sadder when we consider that changeups have the highest league SwStr%. (Dan Schwartz)

Quick Opinion: If your league somehow omits any categories related to the strikeout, Feldman could be of value to you, otherwise his peripherals are not valuable enough to make his lack of strikeouts palatable.

Neftali Feliz

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 5/2/1988 | Team: Rangers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 4 7.7 3.9 0.0 0.00 1.50 3.26 0.3 0.1
’14 2 1 13 31 6.0 3.1 1.4 1.99 0.98 4.90 1.3 -0.1
’15 3 3 34 65 8.0 3.2 1.3 3.80 1.31 4.34 0.3 0.1

Profile: Coming off a mostly lost 2013, Neftali Feliz put up some impressive numbers in his 30 appearances last year — on the surface, anyway. Feliz’s sub-2.00 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP rank among the league’s best, but all signs point to an aberration. Feliz’s strikeout rate sat at an all-time low, and while his walk rate improved, it’s still nothing to write home about. Feliz has always limited hits when balls are hit into play, but with his fastball now averaging 93 instead of 96, those days could soon be behind him. Feliz’s saving grace is that he induces pop-ups at an otherworldly clip, a skill that could continue even with a slower fastball. Feliz will open the 2015 season without much competition for saves, but he’s not one of the better fantasy closers. Feliz is more than a late-round flier, but paying more than $4 for him in mixed leagues is not recommended. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Feliz is no longer the dominant closer of old — his fastball has lost a few ticks — but he should still hold down the ninth inning role for Texas this year. Feliz still has value, but he’s not worth betting more than $4 on.

Jose Fernandez

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 7/31/1992 | Team: Marlins | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 12 6 0 172 9.7 3.0 0.5 2.19 0.98 2.73 5.7 4.2
’14 4 2 0 51 12.2 2.3 0.7 2.44 0.95 2.18 1.0 1.6
’15 9 6 0 125 10.4 2.9 0.7 2.94 1.12 2.82 2.7 2.8

Profile: Fernandez’s 2014 season began spectacularly. A year after having recorded the most wins above replacement (WAR) among all rookies, Fernandez produced the highest WAR among all major-league pitchers through six starts in March and April. He experienced pain during his first start of May, however, which he elected not to relate to the club. In his next start, over the course of which he conceded six runs in five innings, he exhibited considerably diminished velocity. It would prove to be his last of the season before undergoing a Tommy John procedure a week later. The club is calling for an early June return, while recent work by Jon Roegele at The Hardball Times indicates that the typical recovery time for pitchers of Fernandez’s age is around 12-13 months, which supports the Marlins’ estimated timetable. Traditionally, the effect of elbow reconstruction has been observed most notably in diminished control. Work submitted by Kevmo10 to FanGraphs’ Community blog confirms that notion, also adding that, during the second year, pitchers actually improve upon their pre-surgery numbers while also throwing slightly less hard. Given his dominance, Fernandez has some definite margin for error in every aspect of the game. Despite the relative gravity of Fernandez’s injury, the most likely outcome appears to include him once again dominating hitters by the beginning of July. (Carson Cistulli)In

Quick Opinion: Indications both from the data and also the Marlins themselves suggest that Fernandez will return from Tommy John surgery in early June. If he’s not entirely himself, command will likely be the culprit — as it is for other TJ returnees.

Josh Fields

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 8/19/1985 | Team: Astros | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 3 5 38 9.5 4.3 1.9 4.97 1.29 5.10 -0.2 -0.3
’14 4 6 4 54 11.5 2.8 0.3 4.45 1.23 2.09 -0.3 1.5
’15 2 2 2 45 9.9 2.8 1.1 3.10 1.17 3.49 0.5 0.4

Profile: Josh Fields quietly had a solid season in Houston. The power right-hander significantly improved both his command and control, and solved his home-run issues despite his heavy-fly-ball tendencies. Although he posted a 4.45 ERA, FIP suggests he was much more effective than that… With a big uptick in strikeouts and the diminished walks, the 29-year-old Fields could be in line for another outstanding season in 2015 and should be considered the favorite for save opportunities over the likes of the aging Chad Qualls as well as the new imports Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek. With all the noise in the bullpen, and the dollars committed to the new guys, it’s possible that Fields could end up buried on the depth chart in terms of save opportunities early in the season. Keep the faith, though, and you could be rewarded later in the season. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: The talent has always been there for Fields, who is a former top draft pick, but it took until his late 20s for everything to click. Relievers are typically volatile by nature, but the ERA estimators suggest this reliever was even better in 2014 than he appeared to be. Look to Fields as a potential sleeper candidate for saves.

Casey Fien

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 10/21/1983 | Team: Twins | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 2 0 62 10.6 1.7 1.3 3.92 1.02 3.16 0.4 1.0
’14 5 6 1 63 7.2 1.4 1.0 3.98 1.17 3.43 0.2 0.9
’15 3 3 2 65 8.2 2.1 1.1 3.31 1.18 3.67 0.6 0.5

Profile: Some of the luster wore off Fien in 2014, but considering the Twins signed him as a minor-league free agent, they’re still playing with house money. Fien’s strikeout rate dropped from 10.6 per nine to 7.2, and a furtive glance at his PITCHf/x profile suggests, well, nothing really changed for him execution-wise. The swinging strike rates on each of his pitches remained relatively stable, but the strikeout percentage dropped across the board — in most cases precipitously. Essentially, it looks as though Fien’s stuff remained the same, but he wasn’t catching hitters looking as often. If 2014 remains his true-talent level as a reliever, he’ll be an asset. But then he’s more “the new Jared Burton” rather than “stealth closer in waiting.” It’s still a pretty good spot to be in, considering his history. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Fien is a great fit for Target Field, and the Twins still control him rather cheaply for the time being. He is probably the number two option for saves, and worth watching considering Glen Perkins’ injury problems last September. Fien was also eighth in holds across the MLB, so there’s some value here in those sorts of leagues.

Mike Fiers

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 6/15/1985 | Team: Brewers | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 4 0 22 6.0 2.4 3.2 7.25 1.52 7.17 -0.5 -0.6
’14 6 5 0 71 9.5 2.1 0.9 2.13 0.88 2.99 2.3 1.6
’15 11 10 0 173 8.8 2.5 1.3 3.68 1.20 3.90 2.2 2.0

Profile: Mike Fiers was here again, gone again, and back again over the last three years. And yet, if you look at his pitches by movement, velocity, and average location, there’s not a lot of change. Well, okay, maybe there was an ill-advised move on the rubber early in 2013, and a few too many low fastballs late in 2013. Because when Fiers is going right, he’s using his rising fastball (his fastball has two inches more ride to it than average) up in the zone to set up his excellent combo of changeup (16% whiffs) and curve (10% whiffs) with a decent cutter mixed in (8% whiffs). For his career, Fiers gets more whiffs than average on his fastball, too (8%). This, despite averaging around 89 mph on the pitch. It’s cool, he’s got command and that arsenal. The risk still comes from that fastball, though — when he was bad, it was the pitch that went for home runs more than twice as often as his other pitches. And he works in Milwaukee. If the price is right (and since he’s burned his owners before, it might be), take a chance that his strikeouts and walks can overwhelm the home runs. Remember the good times, but try not to pay for them. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Because his arsenal depends on throwing 88 mph fastballs up in the zone while playing in Milwaukee, there’s considerable risk surrounding the smoke-less Fiers. The rest of his arsenal, and his command, says he’s worth taking a shot on in any league, though.

Brandon Finnegan

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 4/14/1993 | Team: Royals | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 1 0 7 12.9 1.3 0.0 1.29 1.00 0.70 0.2 0.3
’15 1 1 0 25 8.5 2.6 0.8 3.05 1.17 3.42 0.3 0.2

Profile: Finnegan probably couldn’t have asked for a better first season in the big leagues. He only spent 27 innings in the minor leagues before coming up to pitch out the bullpen for the American League champion Royals. In his seven regular season appearances, he was dominant. He sported a 1.29 ERA, a 59% ground-ball rate, and struck out almost 13 batters per nine. And all of that came after such a limited amount of minor league track record. The Royals plan to move him back into the rotation to start the 2014 season. Their bullpen is loaded and unless there is a rash of injuries, they need him in the shallow starting rotation. Best case scenario is a May call up to help the rotation. Worst case is he spends the entire season in Double-A honing down his starting skills. Because of his uncertainty, he’s best left for deeper mono leagues or mixed leagues which allow minor league slots. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Brandon Finnegan’s early major league success will be put on hold as he moves into the rotation from the bullpen where he excelled. He will start 2015 in the minors, stretching out to become a starter.

Doug Fister

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 2/4/1984 | Team: Nationals | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 14 9 0 208 6.9 1.9 0.6 3.67 1.31 3.26 3.7 4.5
’14 16 6 0 164 5.4 1.3 1.0 2.41 1.08 3.93 4.3 1.3
’15 12 10 0 182 6.2 1.8 0.8 3.78 1.24 3.68 1.7 2.1

Profile: In both real and fantasy life, Doug Fister has largely been underrated throughout his career. He is likely the fifth starter on the Nationals, but don’t let that sway you come draft day as he still is a valuable commodity. However, there are still some troubling signs. Fister’s 2.41 ERA is less impressive when you see his 3.93 FIP and 3.85 xFIP. Additionally, while Fister was never known as a strikeout artist, he at least posted strikeout percentages near league average in 2012 and 2013. Last year his K% of 14.8% was well below the league average 20.4%, and his swinging strike percentage (6.1%) was his lowest since 2010. He never worked with speed to begin with but Fister’s average fastball velocity dropped from 88.8 to 87.9 mph. He missed the start of last season due to elbow inflammation and a strained lat muscle in his shoulder. It’s likely that Fister will still help your team with ratios in 2014 but decreased velocity, swinging strikes and a few issues with his elbow and shoulder aren’t signs you like to see out of 31 year old starting pitchers. I wouldn’t let all these issues preclude you from drafting Fister entirely, as Fister has always remained undervalued due to his un-flashy appeal, but I would tread water carefully. (Ben Pasinkoff) 

Quick Opinion: The warning signs are there for the 31-year-old Fister, but he has also been perennially underrated through his career. Your draft position will tell you which side of that argument is more compelling. 

Yohan Flande

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 1/27/1986 | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 6 0 59 5.2 2.4 0.8 5.19 1.20 4.00 0.2 0.8
’15 4 5 0 77 5.7 3.5 1.0 4.82 1.50 4.51 0.4 0.7

Profile: Evaluating Yohan Flande’s 2014 season is a matter of the prism in which you view him through. If you are looking at the baseball population as a whole, you’re likely to be underwhelmed. If you’re looking through the prism of minor league free agents signed for the 2014 season however, you would be more optimistic. Flande was a rare effective minor league free agent, though you wouldn’t know it from his 5.19 ERA. Overall, his 4.00 FIP was slightly better than league average. As a starter, he had a similarly effective 4.08 FIP. He’s the type of guy who is valuable on a real life pitching staff. He’s not someone you want to be in the Opening Day rotation, but having him around in reserve is a good thing. With Jorge De La Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin, Tyler Matzek and Jordan Lyles all but cemented as the front four, and with Eddie Butler and Jon Gray waiting in the wings to quickly join the major league team, there will likely be no room in the 2015 starting rotation for Flande. But teams need more than five starting pitchers to get through a season, and Flande will likely get the call at some point. When he does, he’ll mix his effective sinker-slider-changeup combo, and perhaps have the chance to build up some consistency. In his brief 2014 trial, he generated an above-average number of first-pitch strikes, and saw batters swing at his pitches in the strike zone at a below-average rate. He needs to find a way to miss more bats, but for where he is slotted on the depth chart, the Rockies could do much worse. His fantasy value is limited, but if you are in a deep NL-only league, he is someone to keep an eye on. (Paul Swydan)

Quick Opinion: Yohan Flande is an easy pitcher to overlook, and in traditional 5×5 leagues, you should do just that, but if you are in a deeper NL-only league, he might be someone to watch as the season unfolds.

Gavin Floyd

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 1/27/1983 | Team: Indians | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 4 0 24 9.2 4.4 1.5 5.18 1.60 4.61 0.0 0.2
’14 2 2 0 54 7.5 2.2 1.0 2.65 1.25 3.79 0.7 0.5
’15 6 7 0 105 6.9 2.8 1.0 4.27 1.32 4.16 0.5 0.8

Profile: Gavin Floyd was a pleasant surprise for the Braves this past season, albeit briefly. In nine starts he recorded a 2.65 ERA before he suffered a truly disgusting injury to his pitching elbow while on the mound. Despite how grotesque the injury to his olecranon was, he is expected to be ready to pitch at the start of the year. The Indians should be a quality squad next season so his win total could impress if he manages to stay healthy for the first time in three seasons. Prior to his Tommy John surgery in 2013, Floyd was a model of consistently boring performances. Last year he was pitching well, but not as good as his ERA suggested. The move back to the American League will likely see his ERA jump back up closer to his career norms. Even worse is that the Indians will probably have a very poor defense once again, which should only cause pitchers like Floyd to suffer even more, since he lacks high strikeout potential. There is too much risk and too little reward to rely on Floyd next season. He is pretty much guaranteed a spot out of spring, but the Indians have a lot of starting pitcher depth, and if he struggles he could be removed. As a backend pitcher with two serious elbow injuries the past two years, and pitching in the American League in front of a poor defense, Floyd is a guy to avoid on draft day. (Ben Duronio)

Quick Opinion: Floyd is expected to be healthy to start the year despite his grotesque elbow injury last year, but the combination of the bad defense behind him, the American League lineups he will face, and the last two seasons of being shut down with elbow problems makes him too risky an option for most fantasy leagues.

Mike Foltynewicz

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 10/7/1991 | Team: Braves | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 1 0 18 6.8 3.4 1.4 5.30 1.61 4.85 -0.2 -0.0
’15 4 6 0 82 8.1 4.6 1.1 4.44 1.45 4.54 -0.4 -0.2

Profile: Foltynewicz got an 18.2 inning taste of the big leagues late in 2014 and started 18 of his 21 minor league appearances, but is far from a finished product. He sits 95-98 mph as a starter with a curveball that flashes plus sometimes, but his lack of command of the pitch makes it fringy to average most of the time. Foltynewicz has thrown enough innings and has the lack of feel and type of delivery that you can no longer project a pitch to be a future 60 when you only see it once or twice per start. He also has an average changeup, so the raw stuff is here to start but the command projects for 45 at best due to the lack of feel; his delivery isn’t really that bad, though. His ceiling is a number four starter, but he could also develop into a useful reliever. He should see some time in the majors this year. (Kiley McDaniel)

Quick Opinion: Foltynewicz brings a blazing fastball, but that’s about it right now. He has the raw stuff (and the opportunity in Atlanta) to start, but needs to work on commanding his secondary offerings.

Frank Francisco

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 9/11/1979 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 0 1 6 8.5 4.3 0.0 4.26 1.11 3.05 -0.0 0.1
’14 0 0 0 3 12.3 7.4 4.9 12.27 2.73 9.95 -0.3 -0.1
’15 0 0 0 1 8.2 3.0 1.2 3.98 1.29 4.11 0.1 0.0

Profile: Francisco threw eight scoreless innings in the minors and 3 2/3 disastrous innings for the White Sox in 2014. He was released in May and no one picked him up. On the bright side, he hasn’t made an error since 2011. (Jeremy Blachman)

Jason Frasor

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 8/9/1977 | Team: Royals | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 3 0 49 8.8 3.7 0.7 2.57 1.14 3.37 1.3 0.8
’14 4 1 0 47 8.7 3.4 0.6 2.66 1.23 3.28 0.7 0.5
’15 2 2 1 45 8.2 3.0 0.8 3.44 1.23 3.62 0.3 0.2

Profile: Jason Frasor entered the league in 2004, and since then he has appeared in more games than all but four pitchers. Since 2009, he’s been a quality late-inning reliever, posting a 3.19 ERA and 3.51 FIP while striking out a batter per inning. Last year was one of his best (2.66 ERA. 3.28 FIP) and got even better after a move to Kansas City, when he cut his walk rate nearly in half. But Frasor is also entering his age-37 season, has lost a tick off his fastball in the last two years, and will have a hard time finding any save — or even hold — opportunities in a stacked Kansas City bullpen which features Greg Holland, Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, and Luke Hochevar. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: Frasor has been a steady relief workhorse for the past decade and is still pitching as well as ever, but will be more of a middle relief option in perhaps baseball’s best bullpen.

Christian Friedrich

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 7/8/1987 | Team: Rockies | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 4 0 24 10.0 3.7 1.1 5.92 1.44 4.00 -0.3 0.3
’15 0 0 0 1 7.6 3.3 1.1 4.35 1.39 4.31 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: There is no greater indictment of a pitcher’s future than being bypassed on the Colorado Rockies’ depth chart. Christian Friedrich was once a top prospect in the Rox’ system but now finds himself on the outside looking in at a job as a long man. He was actually quite good out of the Rockies pen in 2014, striking out 13 batters in just 11 innings. But with Rex Brothers and Boone Logan ahead of him on the lefty reliever depth chart, it is tough see too many high leverage chances coming his way. It’s likely only Lefty One Out GuY duty for him in the future, but Friedrich throws hard enough and he can make his fastball/slider mix very tough on left-handed batters. (Drew Fairservice)

Quick Opinion: No longer a starter, Christian Friedrich might provide some decent bullpen depth as a hard-throwing LOOGY.

Ernesto Frieri

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 7/19/1985 | Team: Rays | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 4 37 68 12.8 3.9 1.4 3.80 1.24 3.72 0.6 0.7
’14 1 4 11 41 10.4 3.0 2.4 7.34 1.46 5.41 -1.7 -0.8
’15 2 2 2 40 9.8 3.2 1.1 2.99 1.18 3.71 0.5 0.2

Profile: What a nightmare. After pitching terribly, Ernesto Frieri was traded for another struggling reliever — Jason Grilli — and then he pitched even worse in Pittsburgh, ultimately getting released before the Pirates made their stretch run. Frieri’s command has never been good, and while his walk rate dropped in 2014, hitters barreled his pitches better than ever before. Missed spot after missed spot led to a staggering 11 home runs allowed in roughly 41 innings (2.38 per nine innings). Frieri’s velocity wasn’t an issue, but everything else was. Hitters chased fewer of his pitches, and therefore got themselves into better situations. And they made far more contact, upping their overall contact rate nearly 10 percentage points. Unless he starts missing bats again and commanding better overall, we might have seen the last of Ernesto Frieri. He has an uphill battle to fight to even make a difference in a wide-open Tampa bullpen. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Frieri’s struggles were well documented. Command was never his strong suit, and it finally caught up with him. Unless he’s able to refine it, which seems unlikely given his track record, his struggles seem likely to continue.

Kyuji Fujikawa

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 7/21/1980 | Team: Rangers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 1 2 12 10.5 1.5 0.8 5.25 1.08 2.80 -0.2 0.2
’14 0 0 0 13 11.8 4.2 1.4 4.85 1.85 4.36 -0.1 -0.0
’15 2 1 0 30 7.6 2.7 1.0 3.84 1.27 3.97 0.1 0.2

Profile: The volatility of relievers is a tragic yet steadfast reality. That Kyuji Fujikawa could have an unparalleled career in Japan and then have two forgettable, injury-filled season in America should surprise no one. After sustaining a forearm just a month into his major league career, Fujikawa was easing back into full time relief duties when blammo, his tendons exploded or whatever medical thing happens that precedes Tommy John surgery. The TJS took him out of the remainder of the 2013 season and most the 2014 campaign. After twirling nearly 700 innings of 1.77 ERA ball in Japan, Fujikawa now finds himself a 34-year-old reliever with only 25 innings and a 5.04 ERA stateside. That’s all the bad stuff; the good stuff is that the Rangers liked what little they saw and gave Kyuji a major league deal. Also, despite his bad numbers, Fujikawa was missing bats like crazy. His 12.7% swinging strike rate is good enough for 54th of 624 pitchers who’ve completed at least 20 innings since 2013. That’s a tick above Clayton Kershaw and tick below Mark Melancon. In other words: His 27.2% strikeout rate is legit. And his 2.59 SIERA might be too. The only real obstacle to his success is his health. If he can pitch at least 50 innings, it would be no surprise if he manages to outperform his Steamer projection of 3.83 ERA and 3.97 FIP. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: There’s a chance Fujikawa’s career may just be a rollercoaster of injuries from here until the end. But if he can stay healthy, he should be a legit relief ace for the Rangers. If volatility is your thing, then Fujikawa is a great low-risk, high-reward reliever — if any reliever can truly offer a high reward.

Yovani Gallardo

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 2/27/1986 | Team: Rangers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 12 10 0 180 7.2 3.3 0.9 4.18 1.36 3.89 1.1 1.8
’14 8 11 0 192 6.8 2.5 1.0 3.51 1.29 3.94 2.3 1.7
’15 10 11 0 182 6.5 2.9 1.1 4.62 1.38 4.26 1.0 1.7

Profile: Yovani Gallardo was an excellent fantasy starter for four years. Between 2009 and 2012, he never struck out fewer than nine batters per nine or had an ERA over four. When his strikeout rate plummeted to 7.2 batters per nine in 2013, some hoped it was a fluke and that he could rebound in 2014. That was not the case. Instead, Gallardo’s strikeout rate fell further to 6.8 per nine. Despite a slight rebound in his fastball velocity, to 2012 levels, and a 3.51 ERA that was a career best in a full season, his peripheral numbers were uninspiring. And Gallardo continues to give up a lot of home runs, a problem that will likely not be remedied with a return to Milwaukee. Gallardo is draftable in most formats, but you should not expect him to perform as a top-60 starter. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: A few things like an increase in velocity and a drop in walk rate suggested a rebound for Gallardo in 2014, but his strikeout rate fell even further from his sharp decline in 2013. Couple that with his traditionally high WHIP and home run tendencies, and Gallardo is a bench starter with limited upside in standard formats.

Onelki Garcia

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 8/2/1989 | Team: White Sox | Position: P
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 1 6.8 27.0 6.8 13.50 3.75 20.30 -0.1 -0.2
’15 1 1 0 15 9.0 4.2 1.0 3.91 1.37 4.07 0.0 0.0

Profile: Onelki Garcia’s reportedly minor elbow surgery in the fall of 2013 ended up eating his entire 2014 season, save for a late-season minor-league cameo. He’s pitched just 66 professional innings since defecting from Cuba, but managed to see the bigs in 2013 and should get back there in a low-leverage role in at some point if he can stay healthy. He’ll likely have a better shot with the White Sox, who claimed him off waivers in November, than the Dodgers. (Mike Petriello)

Jaime Garcia

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 7/8/1986 | Team: Cardinals | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 2 0 55 7.0 2.4 1.0 3.58 1.30 3.72 0.4 0.5
’14 3 1 0 43 8.0 1.4 1.2 4.12 1.05 3.82 0.4 0.3
’15 1 1 0 19 7.8 2.4 0.6 3.30 1.19 3.20 0.2 0.3

Profile: Well there’s Garcia back on the disabled list with another shoulder injury. This time, thoracic outlet syndrome was the culprit. The team was a bit peeved with how he handled the injury, but he’s under contract for at least one more season at $9.25 million (with a couple option years to boot). Garcia was solid in his return to the majors after missing part of 2012 and most of 2013. He featured good control with 1.44 walks per nine and decent swing-and-miss stuff with 8.04 strikeouts per nine and a 12.2% swinging strike rate. Fantasy owners will have to tread lightly in order not to break their fragile play toy, especially in keeper leagues. If you’re in a deep league, there are probably worse ways to spend your last dollar or pick. He has a nice, deep arsenal when he’s out there. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: For the Cardinals, Garcia’s shoulder is an enemy of the state. If he ever manages a full season, he could be a useful innings eater for St. Louis and fantasy owners alike. He’s good during the rare times he is healthy.

Matt Garza

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 11/26/1983 | Team: Brewers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 10 6 0 155 7.9 2.4 1.2 3.82 1.24 3.88 2.2 2.2
’14 8 8 0 163 6.9 2.8 0.7 3.64 1.18 3.54 1.6 2.5
’15 10 11 0 182 7.4 2.7 1.2 4.27 1.31 4.15 1.0 1.4

Profile: It has now been three years since Matt Garza teased us with the potential he showed on the Rays and Cubs. Since 2011, Garza has failed to reach 28 starts or 170 innings in a season, and his strikeout rate has declined in step with a declining fastball, which hit a career low of 92.5 mph in 2014. The 2.5 strikeout-to-walk rate that Garza produced in 2014 and can be expected to produce in 2015 is not bad, but it does not make him a top-50 starter, especially when coupled with his recent health problems. He makes the most sense as a streamer option in standard formats; do not expect him to reach 30 starts. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: Garza’s recent health problems seem to finally have caught up with him with a lesser fastball and strikeout rate in 2014. His decent strikeout-to-walk rate makes him a streamer option in standard formats, but his recent health problems limit him to that.

Kevin Gausman

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 1/6/1991 | Team: Orioles | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 5 0 47 9.3 2.5 1.5 5.66 1.34 3.99 -0.2 0.4
’14 7 7 0 113 7.0 3.0 0.6 3.57 1.31 3.41 2.0 2.1
’15 10 10 0 163 7.3 3.0 1.2 4.19 1.31 4.27 1.4 1.4

Profile: The pieces are there for greatness. A 95 mph fastball. A history of good command. A diving, fading splitter of death. Kevin Gausman has not yet, however, been great. The first problem is that he hasn’t been able to show a good breaking pitch. An 8% whiff rate on his slider is well below the 13% average, and he gives up more homers per pitch on the slider than any other pitch he throws. A .225 isolated slugging percentage allowed… very little horizontal movement… very little velocity (82 mph)… the slider’s probably not going to be any good as it is. Another problem is that his team won’t let him learn a cutter, which might his best option going forward. There’s a chance that he could just ditch the slider altogether and be the rare fastball/change/splitter pitcher, though. His regular change is flatter and harder, and if he figured out how to use two fastballs and two changeups correctly, he could still be great. Perhaps more high fastballs could do the trick. The problem is that his overall swinging strike rate and standard peripherals were underwhelming last year, and you may end up having to bid against others that fell in love with his velocity. If you can pay sleeper prices, go ahead. The pieces are there. But if you have to pay as if this puzzle has been put together, maybe it’s best to pass. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: If you can pay prices that assume that Kevin Gausman is a puzzle that is not yet put together, go ahead and do so. Those puzzle pieces are intriguing. But if you’re asked to pay the price for a completed puzzle, this pitcher is a few hundred pieces short of being a known quantity.

Dillon Gee

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 4/28/1986 | Team: Mets | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 12 11 0 199 6.4 2.1 1.1 3.62 1.28 4.00 2.3 1.1
’14 7 8 0 137 6.2 2.8 1.2 4.00 1.25 4.52 1.2 -0.1
’15 5 6 0 86 6.6 2.5 1.1 4.38 1.32 4.27 -0.0 0.2

Profile: Prior to the 2013 season, many thought Dillon Gee was a sleeper based on the fact that he had induced two grounders to every fly and three strikeouts to every walk coming into that season. His contact and swinging-strike rate backed up those outcomes, too. The components and outcomes reversed in 2013, and he wound up with a 3.62 ERA, 1.28 WHIP so some continued to think he would be a 2014 fantasy asset. The changeup and curve are still good, but he relies most on his fourseam and sinker, which prevent contact the least. His contact rate jumped to 84% last season, which is the 26th-worst rate for starting pitchers over 90 innings pitched: 0.1% better than Jon Niese. The Mets will probably look to fill in their roster requirements by trading Dillon Gee. (Dan Schwartz)

Quick Opinion: 6.16 strikeouts per nine do not earn you a spot on your fantasy rosters outside of NL-only leagues. If Gee increases the changeup and curveball usage without impacting his health, he should remain effective in those formats.

Gonzalez Germen

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 9/23/1987 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 2 1 34 8.7 4.2 0.3 3.93 1.40 2.90 0.0 0.5
’14 0 0 0 30 9.2 4.2 2.1 4.75 1.45 5.57 -0.3 -0.7
’15 1 1 0 15 7.5 3.2 1.3 3.99 1.31 4.48 0.0 -0.1

Profile: Owner of the changeup with the highest whiff rate in baseball last season, Gonzalez Germen still has a long way to go to fantasy relevance. Having been cut and picked up by half the league before pitchers and catchers report, you can comfortably say that he’s on the fringe — and yet still has the whiff of talent about him. (Eno Sarris)

Kyle Gibson

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 10/23/1987 | Team: Twins | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 4 0 51 5.1 3.5 1.2 6.53 1.75 5.17 -0.6 -0.0
’14 13 12 0 179 5.4 2.9 0.6 4.47 1.31 3.80 1.4 2.5
’15 9 10 0 153 5.7 3.0 0.8 4.55 1.43 4.18 0.5 1.4

Profile: Gibson’s first full season was one of opposites, though one could argue it was more positives than negatives. And while that seems odd to say about a pitcher who fanned just 5.4 per nine and had a 4.47 ERA, it’s worth noting that simply throwing that many innings means his arm held up in his first full year back from Tommy John surgery. Gibson had been pounded in 2013, but 2014 offered some promise, especially as the season went on. Gibson’s arsenal — powered by a heavy sinker — induced a 54.4% ground-ball rate that ranked seventh across the MLB among qualified starters. Gibson’s best months came towards the middle of the season, perhaps signaling a bit of fatigue as the season wore on, but he managed to come out of it injury-free in a season where the Twins had nothing to play for down the stretch. A weird phenomena for Gibson was how when he was on, he was really on, but when he was off, oh boy was he off. In wins, Gibson had a 1.42 ERA. In losses, he checked in with an 11.04 ERA. For a bit of reference, the AL averages in both situations from last year were 1.90 and 7.63 respectively, lending some credence to the idea that Gibson was among the uneven performers in all of baseball last season. Gibson has pretty good stuff, but unless his slider develops a bit more tilt or his change or seldom-used curve pick up any added oomph, he’s likely to stay under the league-average mark for strikeouts, and be more of a back-end guy than a mid-rotation guy. For fantasy purposes, that makes him a streamer. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Gibson has first-round pedigree and mid-round stuff. For now, he’s a streamer candidate on the cusp of fantasy relevance, though that leap won’t happen unless he bumps that strikeout rate up just a bit.

Ken Giles

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 9/20/1990 | Team: Phillies | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 3 1 1 45 12.6 2.2 0.2 1.18 0.79 1.34 1.8 1.7
’15 3 3 7 65 11.6 3.8 0.7 2.80 1.16 2.97 0.8 0.7

Profile: With a fastball that averaged 97 mph as well as a 38.6% strikeout rate (31.9% strikeout minus walk rate, 15.7% swinging-strike rate) in 45 2/3 innings, plus a largely peripheral-supported 1.18 ERA, in 2014, Ken Giles appears to be the Phillies’ “closer of the future” and to have the goods to be the closer of the present. As a pitcher who isn’t eligible for arbitration until 2018, he looks like a low-cost bullpen ace for years to come. Alas, Philadelphia is already stuck with a high-cost “bullpen ace” for, likely, much of 2015 and perhaps most, if not all, of 2016 as well. Giles, for all his talent, might need to use that interim to stare down some of the adversity he has yet to see in his budding career, however. He walked 6.6% of the hitters he faced as a big leaguer in 2014 but never issued free passes to less than 10% of them in a full minor league season. His 41.9% zone rate would have placed him in the bottom 30 among qualified relievers last season. The firer of a lethal fastball-slider combo undoubtedly has the stuff to get away with that approach (38.3% chase rate) but, until he demonstrates it for longer than an abbreviated rookie season, not necessarily the control to maintain it. Given his distance from the traditional fantasy-friendly role, he could be overvalued in 2015. Otherwise, he’s an enticing end-game talent in mixed leagues, low-dollar choice in NL-only formats, and mouthwatering target in holds leagues – but don’t forget that he could bust. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Giles has all that’s necessary to induce swings and misses, rack up strikeouts, and be a formidable saves man. He could be overvalued in 2015 fantasy leagues, though: His team already has a tough-to-move, well-compensated closer, and Giles has to prove that he can sustain an advantageous walk rate, or at least that he can overcome it should his balloon like it did on the farm.

Brandon Gomes

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 7/15/1984 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 1 0 19 13.5 3.3 1.9 6.52 1.29 3.82 -0.6 0.1
’14 2 2 0 34 6.4 2.9 1.3 3.71 1.15 4.60 0.2 -0.3
’15 0 0 0 1 7.7 2.8 1.1 3.60 1.25 4.10 0.1 -0.0

Profile: Brandon Gomes has a boastful resume of making mincemeat out of minor league opponents. Over eight minor league seasons, he has amassed a career ERA of 2.99 with a strikeout per nine inning rate of 10.4. Groomed for several years as a closer of the future, the shine simply didn’t stick at the major league level where his go-to splitter remains effective, just not the strikeout-inducing pitch it was versus the kids on the farm. He managed a 3.71 ERA (4.60 FIP) over 34 innings in 2014, used mostly in mop-up duty or lower leverage situations while bouncing between the major and minor league levels. He doesn’t stand to see much in the way of late-game work, and as such is someone who can be largely ignored unless the Tampa Rays decide to move the four other relievers who are likely ahead of him on the closer depth chart. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Brandon Gomes has a solid minor league track record and has a nice little splitter in his repertoire, but he enters 2015 without a guaranteed role in the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen and even if he sticks out of Spring Training, he’s not likely to be used when the game is on the line. 

Jeanmar Gomez

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 2/10/1988 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 0 0 80 5.9 3.1 0.7 3.35 1.15 3.85 0.5 0.1
’14 2 2 1 62 5.5 3.3 0.9 3.19 1.50 4.37 0.3 -0.5
’15 0 0 0 1 6.2 2.7 0.8 3.96 1.33 3.84 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Jeanmar Gomez has been an exactly replacement level pitcher over his five seasons in the big leagues. He is a mediocre middle reliever and has no value in fantasy formats. (Ben Duronio)

Marco Gonzales

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 2/16/1992 | Team: Cardinals | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 4 2 0 34 8.0 5.5 1.0 4.15 1.53 4.75 0.2 -0.1
’15 5 5 0 93 7.6 3.1 1.0 3.60 1.28 3.97 0.4 0.2

Profile: The Cardinals selected Gonzales with the 19th overall pick in the 2013 draft. He ascended quickly through the minors, never really struggling at any level, and pitched well enough to be named the Cards’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2014. The 22-year-old climbed all the way from High-A to the majors last season, pitching as a spot starter and long reliever for the major-league club to close out the year. Heading into Spring Training, Gonzales is in the running with Carlos Martinez for the fifth starter’s job — a battle he’s not expected to win. If he fails to make the rotation, the Cards could put him back in the major-league bullpen, but the smart move would be to let him continue to hone his craft as a starter in Triple-A. Neither of those scenarios leads to a ton of fantasy relevance on draft day in most leagues. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: His future is bright in dynasty formats, but it seems Gonzales is still an injury or two away from fantasy relevance in re-draft leagues.

Miguel Gonzalez

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 5/27/1984 | Team: Orioles | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 11 8 0 171 6.3 2.8 1.3 3.78 1.23 4.45 2.3 1.7
’14 10 9 0 159 6.3 2.9 1.4 3.23 1.30 4.89 3.5 0.6
’15 8 9 0 134 6.2 2.9 1.5 4.56 1.36 4.95 0.6 0.4

Profile: Miguel Gonzalez turned in an almost cookie-cutter version of his 2013 performance — his first full year of service in the major leagues. In 2013, Gonzalez posted a 3.78 ERA (4.45 FIP), 1.23 WHIP, 16.9% strikeout rate, 7.4% walk rate, and a 38.9% ground-ball rate. He followed that up with a 3.23 ERA, (4.89 FIP), 1.30 WHIP, 16.5% strikeout rate, 7.6% walk rate, and a 37.3% ground-ball rate. The major difference was in his strand rate, up about 12% at 85.5%, and probably represents the majority of that dip in ERA. Given his repertoire and profile as a fly ball pitcher who doesn’t miss bats, he’s been rather surprisingly effective for over 400 innings of major league service. Most projection systems see him replicating that strikeout and walk rate but few are likely to suggest an ERA south of four. He’s a back-end option in most formats. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Miguel Gonzalez has had a nice little run as a starter after acting as an emergency fill in during the 2012 season. The predictors would lead you to believe his success is a bit of a mirage, and the prognosticators mostly anticipate a repeat of underwhelming strikeouts, oodles of fly balls, and a degree of regression in the earned run department. As such, you should probably strive to do a little better on draft day.

Gio Gonzalez

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 9/19/1985 | Team: Nationals | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 11 8 0 195 8.8 3.5 0.8 3.36 1.25 3.41 3.2 3.1
’14 10 10 0 158 9.2 3.2 0.6 3.57 1.20 3.03 2.3 3.1
’15 11 9 0 163 8.7 3.3 0.8 3.70 1.27 3.59 1.8 2.0

Profile: The Nationals deserve a ton of credit for making tweaks to Gonzalez’s already solid skill-set after acquiring him back in 2012. Since joining Washington, Gonzalez has seen his strikeout rate take a small step forward. More importantly, he’s improved his walk rate, which had been an issue at other stops in his major league career. He’ll never be regarded as an elite control pitcher, but walks are far less of a problem than they were in Oakland. Gonzalez missed some time with shoulder issues in 2014, but they didn’t appear to be serious. He was able to return, and didn’t show any ill effects from the injury. There’s really nothing in his profile that suggests Gonzalez is in for regression, so expect more of the same in 2015. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Gonzalez has been pretty darn good for five straight seasons. A shoulder issue limited his innings last season, but he bounced back with no issues. Expect more of the same going forward.

Miguel Gonzalez

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 9/23/1986 | Team: Phillies | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 1 0 5 8.4 5.1 1.7 6.75 2.25 5.38 -0.2 -0.1
’15 4 5 0 73 8.4 4.0 1.1 4.22 1.37 4.23 -0.2 -0.0

Profile: The jury is still out on Miguel Gonzalez, the Cuban right-hander Philadelphia signed prior to the 2014 season. That’s because he’s barely begun to present a case: He missed most of his first campaign stateside because of shoulder inflammation that clearly sapped his slightly above-average velocity initially. That development may ramp up concern about his long-term health, because issues with the shoulder were detected in the medicals after his initial contract agreement and forced him to take a much lesser deal. Nonetheless, the Phils hold out hope that he’ll start. Red flags for health aside, he may not be exciting anyway. From FanGraphs prospect guru Kiley McDaniel (2014-12-9): Gonzalez “sits 91-93 mph as a starter and a tick better in relief, mixing in a slurve, cutter and splitter that all grade around average, while the command is a bit below.” Still, some albeit extremely limited statistical data of his work in relief suggest that he shouldn’t simply be dismissed, and some scouts like him more than others. All told – there isn’t much yet – there’s probably some upside, but how much is unclear, and it’s probably limited, if not by his ability, then his capacity to last, either by choice (in the bullpen) or not (the disabled list). He’s probably okay as a low-cost flier in NL-only leagues. Anything more than that will require more encouraging news that could just as easily be dismissed as noise, but a lot is still TBD. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: A lingering shoulder issue resulted in an “incomplete” for Gonzalez’s first MLB assignment, emphasizing concerns raised by his questionable medical records to hold up in a fantasy-relevant role. He seems to have the tools, however, to be better than league average, with some strikeout upside, so at least a low-cost NL-only gamble seems justifiable.

Tom Gorzelanny

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 7/12/1982 | Team: Tigers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 6 0 85 8.8 3.3 1.2 3.90 1.27 3.94 0.4 0.7
’14 0 0 0 21 9.9 3.4 0.4 0.86 1.43 2.99 0.5 0.2
’15 2 2 1 45 7.4 2.7 1.0 3.73 1.27 3.97 0.2 0.1

Profile: Gorzelanny missed the first half of 2014 with a shoulder injury, but the left-hander was effective out of the bullpen upon his return. He’s a free agent entering his age-32 season. While he worked exclusively out of the ‘pen last season, he’s historically been used as a swingman. Over his career, he’s posted a tolerable 4.62 ERA in 669.2 innings as a starter compared to a strong 2.88 ERA in 171.2 innings as a reliever. His flexibility and success in the middle innings should ensure interest his services. One cause for concern is is velocity, which declined two mph between 2013 and 2014. In the past, he worked around 89 mph as a starter and 91 mph as a reliever. In 2014, his relief work ticked in at 89 mph, which may mean his days as a useful spot starter are behind him. Perhaps a healthy offseason will remedy the velocity decline. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: The swingman is hitting free agency after missing chunks of 2014 due to a shoulder injury. There is some cause to worry about his viability in future seasons, but his track record as a reliable middle innings arm should ensure a job in 2015.

Sonny Gray

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 11/7/1989 | Team: Athletics | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 3 0 64 9.4 2.8 0.6 2.67 1.11 2.70 1.5 1.5
’14 14 10 0 219 7.5 3.0 0.6 3.08 1.19 3.46 4.3 3.3
’15 12 10 0 192 7.4 3.2 0.7 3.83 1.31 3.62 1.9 2.5

Profile: Gray doubts have been cleared up, go ahead and get Sonny Gray! In his first full season as a major leaguer, Gray was impressive in all facets. From starting 33 times to 219 innings pitched — both team highs — as well as an outstanding 55.9% ground ball rate. A shiny 3.08 ERA comes doesn’t quite match his 3.56 SIERA, but even if he posts a mid-3’s ERA, Gray is still a strong fantasy pitcher. He dispatches both left and right-handed hitters evenly, keeping both hitters below a .290 wOBA and above a 20% strikeout rate. Playing in his age-25 season, Gray is the de facto ace of the Oakland staff and figures to build on his 2014 success. He has made the jump from projectable prospect to strong fantasy starter. Don’t count on Gray leading the league in strikeouts, though he is certainly no slouch there, tallying 186 K’s last season, as he gets enough whiffs to get by but relies on his ground ball rate and defense to get hitters out.

Quick Opinion: If Gray ends up being the first pitcher you take in your fantasy league you could be in a jam, but as a SP2, he shines. His mix of enough strikeouts, low home run rate and GB% make him a great fantasy option in the early-mid rounds. 

Shane Greene

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 11/17/1988 | Team: Tigers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 5 4 0 78 9.3 3.3 0.9 3.78 1.40 3.73 1.1 1.2
’15 8 8 0 134 6.6 3.4 1.0 4.60 1.40 4.37 0.5 0.9

Profile: Take a first look at Shane Greene and all you see are sinkers and sliders. With what has traditionally been meh control on the way up through the minors, that seems like the recipe for lots of homers from left-handed hitters. Greene avoided that problem last year mostly by walking lefties — his strikeout rate halved and his walk doubled against southpaw batters — but it’s still a weakness of his. If you take a further look at what Greene threw last year, there’s hope that by growing further, he can avoid what looks like the inevitable harsh regression. There’s the 94 mph sinker — a strong pitch that will keep him a major leaguer no matter what — and just a little bit more. For instance, his cutter is three inches different from his slider horizontally on average (and five mph faster), and that might just be enough of a difference to give him two breaking balls. And then there’s the movement of his change. Seven miles per hour slower than his four-seamer, with an inch more horizontal movement and two inches more drop than his sinker, it’s not one of those changeups that looks exactly like a sinker. And if Greene starts throwing more high four-seamers, as he did late last season, he may just finagle himself into a five-pitch mix despite the change being average-ish. The move from New York to Detroit will only help, and there are plenty of people that will be suspicious of them. Perhaps you should zig while they zag and pick up Greene for your final mixed league spot, and for less than five bucks in your deep league auction? (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: At first glance, Shane Greene is just a sinker/slider righty with mediocre control that got lucky last year. At second glance, Greene has two breaking balls, two fastballs, and a changeup that might grow into something useful. Give him a chance on a small investment.

Luke Gregerson

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 5/14/1984 | Team: Astros | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 8 4 66 8.7 2.4 0.4 2.71 1.01 2.70 0.7 1.0
’14 5 5 3 72 7.3 1.9 0.7 2.12 1.01 3.24 2.0 0.9
’15 3 3 24 65 7.6 2.3 0.9 3.65 1.22 3.68 0.2 0.3

Profile: Gregerson’s 7.34 strikeouts per nine innings rate in 2014 was his second lowest mark, but his 1.87 walks per nine rate was his best. His slider is still his primary pitch, even as it dropped to an all-time low average of 80.9 mph last year. Gregerson managed to post a strong 13.3% swinging strike rate, though that mark is below his 14.3% career average. His 30 shutdowns tied for 24th-most in the league and was right in line with his his 29 in 2013 and 34 in 2012. Coming in at 22 holds was good enough for Gregerson to crack the top 20 as well, and while his slider continues to lose velocity — this was the fourth year in a row that it dropped — he remains an effective high leverage reliever. (David Wiers)

Quick Opinion: The 30-year-old reliever is still a great source for holds, though he may not continue his high strikeout rates. His declining velocity in his slider isn’t cause for concern yet, but be careful you don’t over-reach for a reliever that may not get saves in Houston.

Zack Greinke

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 10/21/1983 | Team: Dodgers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 15 4 0 177 7.5 2.3 0.7 2.63 1.11 3.23 4.8 2.9
’14 17 8 0 202 9.2 1.9 0.8 2.71 1.15 2.97 4.4 3.9
’15 13 9 0 192 8.5 2.1 0.8 3.05 1.12 3.17 3.3 3.1

Profile: Perpetually overshadowed by teammate Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke’s second season as a Dodger was even better than his first, no doubt helped by the lack of assaults from Carlos Quentin. Always tinkering with his game, Greinke reduced his curve usage and lost his cutter entirely in favor of more changes and sliders, and it paid off with the second-highest fly ball percentage of his career and his third-best strikeout rate, the latter a nearly five percent increase from 2013. Throw in a career-low 5.2% walk rate, and you’re left with a pitcher who was easily one of the top 15 or so starters in baseball, even if he wasn’t the best starter on his own team. Oh, and he’s not only one of the best fielding pitchers around, he’s also hit .255/.314/.372 over the last three years. Greinke isn’t just one of the most unique players in the game. He’s one of the best. (Mike Petriello)

Quick Opinion: If anyone considers Zack Greinke “not an ace” simply because he’s the number two pitcher on his own team, that’s completely missing the point, because Greinke remains easily one of the elite starters on the planet.

A.J. Griffin

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 1/28/1988 | Team: Athletics | Position: P
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 14 10 0 200 7.7 2.4 1.6 3.83 1.12 4.55 2.7 1.5
’15 3 3 0 48 7.0 2.5 1.3 4.00 1.27 4.38 0.4 0.2

Profile: A.J. Griffin threw exactly zero major league innings last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April. The right-hander was coming off of a decent 200 inning, 32 start season in 2013, though his 3.83 ERA was betrayed by a 4.55 FIP/4.18 xFIP/3.94 SIERA. Griffin was the beneficiary of some good batted ball fortune, posting a .242 mark in his 200 innings, the second-lowest mark of any qualified starter. Presuming he is healthy enough to make an early to mid season return, Griffin does have value. With a spacious home park, Griffin’s natural pitching profile of tons of fly balls — his 32.2% ground-ball rate was the lowest in baseball — is mostly safe. Count on him getting a decent amount of strikeouts while posting a strong strikeout to walk rate, but his rates aren’t impressive enough to warrant a mid tier pitcher ranking. He will give up more than his share of long balls, but when at home or on the road in a roomy ballpark, Griffin makes for a solid stream candidate. (David Wiers)

Quick Opinion: A better than average stream option, Griffin’s home run rate is what hurts him the most and keeps him from being a cheap roster option in standard leagues. He’ll gather some strikeouts and some wins but beware the blowup inning where he serves up back-to-back dingers.

Jason Grilli

Debut: 2000 |  BirthDate: 11/11/1976 | Team: Braves | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 2 33 50 13.3 2.3 0.7 2.70 1.06 1.97 1.1 1.5
’14 1 5 12 54 9.5 3.5 0.7 4.00 1.33 3.37 -0.3 0.3
’15 3 3 2 65 10.3 2.7 0.9 2.69 1.12 3.15 0.9 0.7

Profile: Jason Grilli was a journeyman reliever until his age-35 season in 2012 with Pittsburgh. As someone who had always struggled with command and hard contact, the key for Grilli was a major boost in his velocity and then strikeout percentage, which sat close to an astounding 37% in 2012 and 2013. Well, the K% dropped back to where it was before, and those other problems are still there. Add in a second trip to the disabled list, his age (now 38), and the fact that he just signed with the team that has Craig Kimbrel as their closer, and Grilli’s days as a closer sure look numbered. Besides Kimbrel, though, there isn’t much else in the Braves bullpen, and as long as Grilli doesn’t implode — it’s not like he was completely terrible in 2014 — he could be in line for a number of holds in Atlanta. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: After two dominant strikeout-fueled seasons in Pittsburgh, Jason Grilli’s late-career revival came crashing to a halt with a second trip to the disabled list in as many seasons that cost him is job. He still might serve an important role in the Atlanta bullpen, but as long as Craig Kimbrel is still on the team, Grilli is limited to holds rather than saves.

Justin Grimm

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 8/16/1988 | Team: Cubs | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 7 9 0 98 7.0 3.1 1.4 5.97 1.57 4.59 -0.8 0.8
’14 5 2 0 69 9.1 3.5 0.5 3.78 1.25 3.20 -0.0 0.6
’15 2 1 0 30 8.6 2.6 0.8 3.31 1.20 3.36 0.2 0.2

Profile: Grimm was once a promising starting pitching prospect in the Texas system, but since arriving in Chicago in 2013, he has come strictly out of the bullpen. And though he appeared in a bullpen-high 73 games in 2014, the competition for bullpen spots will be more fierce heading into 2015, and Grimm might end up back in Triple-A. That’s not to diminish his performance thus far from the bullpen — he has a career 23.5% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate as a reliever. But he will be facing competition from Edwin Jackson and whichever pitchers lose in the rotation competition — potentially any four of Travis Wood, Tsuyoshi Wada, Jacob Turner, and Felix Doubront. Add in the signing of Jason Motte and the ascension of Neil Ramirez, and Grimm’s battle for a bullpen spot looks uphill and over a bridge. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Grimm is not a bad reliever, but the Cubs figure to have a plethora of newer out of options starting pitchers. He could be a good reliever for the Cubs in 2015, but he has options, which means he’ll probably start in Triple-A. If he’s in the majors, though, he might be worth watching on the waiver wire.

Javy Guerra

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 10/31/1985 | Team: White Sox | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 10 10.1 5.1 0.8 6.75 1.97 3.99 -0.4 -0.1
’14 2 4 1 46 7.4 3.9 0.6 2.91 1.32 3.95 1.0 0.2
’15 2 2 1 45 7.3 3.6 1.1 4.47 1.41 4.49 -0.2 -0.2

Profile: Don’t look now, but it’s a White Sox reliever who didn’t immediately vomit on his uniform when taking the mound. Guerra turned in a solid season, though there’s a chance he’ll see some regression in 2015. He isn’t an elite strikeout guy, and walks more batters than one would prefer, but got outs, which is more than most of the team’s bullpen can say. Despite his success, Guerra only recorded one save last season. With David Robertson in town, it’s safe to say that the jump-stepping Guerra isn’t going to improve on that number this season. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Guerra turned in a fine season, but doesn’t have a big role in the team’s bullpen. He could pick up some holds, but isn’t likely to see any save opportunities.

Jeremy Guthrie

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 4/8/1979 | Team: Royals | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 15 12 0 211 4.7 2.5 1.3 4.04 1.39 4.79 2.9 1.0
’14 13 11 0 202 5.5 2.2 1.0 4.13 1.30 4.32 1.9 1.5
’15 10 12 0 192 5.2 2.4 1.2 4.50 1.35 4.62 0.8 0.8

Profile: Guthrie is back for another season of being himself. He may be one of the easiest pitchers to predict, which isn’t a good thing. He’s had an ERA between 4.04 and 4.76 each of the last four seasons. His strikeout totals have been between 101 and 130. His WHIP oscillated between 1.30 and 1.41. Win totals came in between nine and 15. I am going to go out on ledge and he will have a 4.40 ERA, 115 strikeouts, 1.35 WHIP and 12 wins. His biggest draw back is the lack of strikeouts. Of the pitchers with 500 innings pitched over the past three seasons, his 5.1 strikeouts per nine is the lowest rate in the league. He really has no use unless your fantasy team is streaming for wins or your league is so deep that warm bodies are coveted. Otherwise use a pitcher who will at least get a few more strikeouts. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Jeremy Guthrie is back for another season of being consistently useless. He can’t strike anyone out and is another year older.

Juan Gutierrez

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 7/14/1983 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 5 0 55 7.3 3.3 0.8 4.23 1.37 3.73 -0.3 0.2
’14 1 2 0 63 6.2 2.3 1.0 3.96 1.19 4.03 -0.3 -0.3
’15 0 0 0 1 7.0 2.5 0.9 3.80 1.26 3.88 0.1 -0.0

Profile: Based on the mere fact he played in pitcher-friendly San Francisco and in front of the strong San Francisco defense, Juan Gutierrez had at least marginal value. But now J.C. Gutierrez takes a career 112 ERA- and 103 FIP- to a home stadium other than AT&T Park, which means his ERA is just about guaranteed to increase. And since his strikeout rate has never impressed and his prospects of closing have never existed, he’s just about as null a fantasy option as any other reliever out there. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Gutierrez isn’t terrible. That concludes the positive report on J.C. Gutierrez’s pitching. You can probably find a better reliever out there. Somewhere. Anywhere.

Jesse Hahn

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 7/30/1989 | Team: Athletics | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 7 4 0 73 8.6 3.9 0.5 3.07 1.21 3.40 1.4 0.8
’15 9 9 0 144 7.0 3.6 0.9 4.33 1.38 4.23 0.6 0.9

Profile: Sometimes you just fall in love with one pitch and everything else just follows suit. Only five pitchers threw their curve as often as Jesse Hahn last year and still got more whiffs per curve than the former Padre, so let’s say this writer isn’t telling his wife about Hahn’s breaker. She might get jealous. Though Hahn’s velocity (around 91 mph) is below average, his command is decent to good. Though his change hasn’t gotten average whiffs (6.5% whiffs), it goes eight miles per hour slower than his fastballs, and moves very differently from his four-seamer, and moves mostly differently from his two-seamer. Sonny Gray has already shown us what this kind of pitcher can do in Oakland, so it’s worth taking a shot on Hahn. Even if his health isn’t great and his change isn’t great and you haven’t heard these same violins yet. Hahn absolutely owns the upside to be relevant in leagues of every size. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Just doing what Jesse Hahn has done so far with his fastballs and beautiful breaker makes him interesting in all leagues. If your league-mates think Hahn was a product of PetCo, then pay some pesos to produce this pitcher for your own profit.

David Hale

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 9/27/1987 | Team: Rockies | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 0 0 11 11.5 0.8 0.0 0.82 1.09 0.78 0.6 0.6
’14 4 5 0 87 4.5 4.0 0.5 3.30 1.47 4.31 0.5 -0.2
’15 3 3 1 55 6.0 3.1 0.9 4.41 1.43 4.29 0.0 0.1

Profile: It almost doesn’t matter that, as of this writing, David Hale is not listed as a starter on the Rockies depth chart. With the names ahead of him — Jordan Lyles, Tyler Matzek, and Yohan Flande — he could be a useful arm in deeper leagues even if the Rockies start him out in the pen. Teams use ten starters on average, and as many as seven get real innings. So let’s assume that Hale will get over 100 innings this season. His bad walk rate (10.2% last year) and mediocre swinging strike numbers (8.7% last year) suggest he’s not a great bet. But! He has a balanced arsenal. His change (18% whiffs) and breaking ball (15% whiffs) are both above-average pitches by pitch peripherals. His four-seam is not really good, below average on whiffs and grounders, but his sinker gets 62% grounders and gives him a complete set. Can he demonstrate better command? He’s no Wild Thing, and we’re not asking for him to be completely different. Just a minor improvement in command would make Hale mixed-league relevant in spurts and spot-starts. There’s something here worth watching, if not drafting. Even if the curve has a harder time in Denver. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Especially until his role is set in stone, it’s probably not worth drafting Hale except in the deepest of leagues. But with a sinker, slider, and change that all rate as above-average by pitch peripherals, he has an arsenal worth watching out for. By dropping the four-seamer and making command improvements, Hale could Kluberize.

Cole Hamels

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 12/27/1983 | Team: Phillies | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 8 14 0 220 8.3 2.0 0.9 3.60 1.16 3.26 3.0 4.1
’14 9 9 0 204 8.7 2.6 0.6 2.46 1.15 3.07 6.0 3.8
’15 11 11 0 192 8.7 2.4 0.9 3.48 1.17 3.45 2.6 2.6

Profile: The Phillies may have found it difficult to move Cole Hamels, but that’s more so because of the money he’s guaranteed, not his ability. His 7.1% walk rate in 2014 might hint at some skill deterioration, but he reined it in after a shaky first month and didn’t look back. The baby-faced southpaw is now on the wrong side of 30, but he still boasts clean mechanics and a four-pitch mix that’ll help him to age well thanks largely to an outstanding changeup. He’s been top-20 in strikeout minus walk rate among qualifiers in every campaign of his nine-year career (and five times top-10), except that rookie season – just because he didn’t qualify. Is he truly an ace, though? FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan compiled some quick and dirty research which suggests that Hamels has generally faced lesser competition, in part because of his heavy National League East schedule, than the average Senior Circuit starter in recent years. Even if he’s no longer the cream of the crop, however, he’s still very good. His track record in the health department has holes but, so far, no major structural injuries. Hamels’ performance is about as reliable as you can get, even if the offense backing him is far from it, so fantasy owners can bid confidently. If he does move to the American League, perhaps he should be discounted, but that bridge seems to be well down the road. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Hamels has been one of the more reliable pitchers of the past decade and possesses a pitch arsenal and delivery that should help him to age gracefully. The 31-year-old isn’t a fantasy ace anymore, but he should continue to be a very good number two in mixed leagues.

Jason Hammel

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 9/2/1982 | Team: Cubs | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 7 8 1 139 6.2 3.1 1.4 4.97 1.46 4.93 0.4 0.6
’14 10 11 0 176 8.1 2.2 1.2 3.47 1.12 3.92 3.1 1.7
’15 10 9 0 153 8.0 2.6 1.0 3.90 1.25 3.76 1.4 1.7

Profile: Hammel’s 2014 season conveniently is divided into two parts: the 17 starts he made with the Cubs, in which he was one of fantasy’s surprise success stories thanks to a high strikeout rate and a sub-three ERA, and the 13 appearances he made for the A’s after coming over in a blockbuster midseason deal, where he seemed to fizzle with a 2-6 record and a 5.01 FIP. The truth, as one might imagine, lies somewhere in between. In Chicago, a heavy reliance on his slider improved his ability to punch out hitters early in the season, but as the pitch’s velocity dropped over time, so did its whiff rate. Meanwhile, Hammel’s impeccable location over the season’s first three months faded in July and especially August, and together with the diminished effectiveness of his slider, the pitch that had become his best strikeout weapon, what was an above average strikeout rate became merely an average one. As it happens, however, Hammel’s stay in Oakland wasn’t nearly as bad as the numbers would have one believe; his 4.06 SIERA and 4.15 xFIP were much more tolerable, and aside from three lousy performances, he didn’t pitch all that badly there. Fortunately, he finished the season on a strong note, and as he heads back to the Cubs with a two-year deal, he’ll look to make good on Steamer’s basically rosy projections: a 3.86 ERA, 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings and 2.6 walks per nine innings, numbers that would give him plenty of value in many mixed leagues. The biggest caveat, however, lies in his ability to stay healthy; the 176.1 innings he pitched last year were his most in four seasons, and his newfound dependency on the slider begs the question of whether he’s a DL candidate in the near future. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: Hammel’s upside is that of a near top 40 starting pitcher, though his inconsistency over the past few years and his health risks will diminish his price tag on draft day.

Brad Hand

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 3/20/1990 | Team: Marlins | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 1 0 20 6.5 3.5 0.9 3.05 1.02 4.02 0.3 0.1
’14 3 8 1 111 5.4 3.2 0.8 4.38 1.36 4.20 0.4 0.3
’15 1 2 0 30 7.5 3.6 0.8 3.93 1.36 3.83 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Brad Hand’s 2014 didn’t quite match up to his short, limited 2013. After posting an adjusted ERA well below average that year, he posted an adjusted mark of 19% worse than average last year. It’s difficult to see where he’ll get better, because he hasn’t shown the ability to put major league hitters away, posting a 15% career strikeout rate. Among starters with at least 100 innings pitched in 2014, only nine pitchers posted a lower strikeout rate. He was better in the second half than in the first, thanks to his improved control, but until he’s able to get right-handed batters out more effectively his production doesn’t seem likely to kick up a notch. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Hand seems likely to be delegated into streaming duty. His current makeup doesn’t present enough upside in the form of strikeouts to outweigh the risks of runs crossing the plate frequently.

J.A. Happ

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 10/19/1982 | Team: Mariners | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 7 0 92 7.5 4.4 1.0 4.56 1.47 4.31 0.4 1.2
’14 11 11 0 158 7.6 2.9 1.3 4.22 1.34 4.27 1.5 1.3
’15 10 9 0 163 7.6 3.1 1.1 4.01 1.30 4.13 1.3 1.2

Profile: All the sudden, J.A. Happ became a bit interesting. Being traded to Seattle can do that for a pitcher. But let’s be fair: Happ did show signs of improvement in 2014. His strikeout rate went a bit up from 2013 and, more significantly, he cut into his walk rate. His rate of swinging strikes went down a bit, but his fastball velocity increased for the second year in a row. Happ throws the occasional sinker to get ground balls, but he is generally a fly ball pitcher with a pretty standard fastball, curve, and changeup mix. For his career, he does not have much of a platoon split. He is not a terribly exciting pitcher, but unless you are in the very rare league that utilizes park adjustments, the trade to Seattle makes him a decent back-of-the-rotation bet in deeper leagues. His WHIP will not be good, but as a fly ball pitcher in Seattle an ERA under four is not only reasonable, but possibly likely. He’ll get you a good number of strikeouts. Happ is not exactly an innings eater — anything over 160 innings is a stretch. But he is a good low end option now, and might be flying under the radar in leagues where people do not take park switches into account. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: J.A. Happ made some improvements in 2014, but the main reason he is not a decent back end starter in AL-only leagues is that he will now be pitching home games in the Mariners’ park.

Aaron Harang

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 5/9/1978 | Team: Phillies | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 12 0 143 7.1 2.5 1.6 5.40 1.35 4.79 -0.8 0.2
’14 12 12 0 204 7.1 3.1 0.7 3.57 1.40 3.57 2.5 2.5
’15 7 12 0 163 6.9 3.2 1.3 4.73 1.39 4.65 -0.3 -0.0

Profile: Where did the Aaron Harang 2014 comeback come from? It is hard to tell. While the run environment is lower now than it was for the majority of his career, it is still quite impressive that Harang posted the lowest ERA of his 13 year career. It looked like Harang was all but finished entering the year, as he was cut by the Indians in spring training and was initially only expected to pitch a few weeks for the Braves since Ervin Santana and Mike Minor were not ready to pitch at the outset of the season. Instead, Harang pitched like a league average pitcher all year and was able to throw over 200 innings and strike out 161 batters. Headed into next year, there is little reason to look at Harang as anything but rotational depth in fantasy formats. He should not be expected to repeat his comeback 2014 as he will pitch at age 37 and has only one season with an adjusted FIP better than league average since 2010. With the Phillies now, he won’t even get the benefit of the doubt from his own home park. Not to mention that wins might be hard to come by. Pass on Harang in most leagues. (Ben Duronio)

Quick Opinion: Harang enjoyed a very nice rebound and was valuable to the Braves and to some fantasy owners this past year, but at 37 years old, there will be a good deal of risk in owning Harang this year in normal formats. He is likely someone you should pass on or leave on the wire until you see some reliable results.

Dan Haren

Debut: 2003 |  BirthDate: 9/17/1980 | Team: Marlins | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 10 14 1 169 8.0 1.6 1.5 4.67 1.24 4.09 0.3 1.5
’14 13 11 0 186 7.0 1.7 1.3 4.02 1.18 4.09 -0.3 1.0
’15 10 10 0 163 6.8 1.9 1.1 3.92 1.23 3.92 1.4 1.6

Profile: Dan Haren’s very good second half in 2013 for Washington raised hopes that his one-year, $10 million contract to return home to Southern California would be among the best bargains of the winter. Unfortunately, his age-33 season looked a lot like his age-31 and -32 campaigns, with continued home run problems and stuff that just doesn’t miss bats like it used to — his strikeout rate was down six percent from his 2009 peak — conspiring for a third straight year with both ERA & FIP over 4.00. After seven straight years of four wins above replacement or close enough to say that it was, Haren has been worth just 4.2 WAR in the last three years combined. Serious velocity issues, with his fastball sinking to just 88 mph in 2014, also don’t bode well for the future. However, since his 2015 option vested when he hit 180 innings late in the year, he’ll still have a job for another season. It just won’t be with the Dodgers, who paid the Marlins every last penny of the deal just for the ability to move on. (Mike Petriello)

Quick Opinion: Haren is still capable of occasional bursts of life, but at 34 and with more than 2,700 innings on his arm, declining velocity, and problems with homers make him a back-end starter at best.

Matt Harrison

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 9/16/1985 | Team: Rangers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 2 0 10 10.1 5.9 1.7 8.44 1.97 5.20 -0.3 0.0
’14 1 1 0 17 5.2 6.2 0.5 4.15 1.85 4.98 0.3 0.1
’15 1 1 0 20 6.1 2.9 1.0 4.30 1.38 4.23 0.1 0.1

Profile: This 29-year-old lefty doesn’t have much going for him in 2015. First, Harrison barely threw in 2013 and 2014, putting up a total of 28 MLB innings due to back injuries. He was finally able to return in 2014 after having a couple bones fused together. I am going to lean on just a small amount of recent information to paint a gloomy picture. From 2011 to 2012, his fastball averaged around 92.4 mph and his strikeout minus walk rate was 8.7% — the 13th-lowest value in the majors (min 300 innings). In three games at the end of the 2014 season, he averaged 89.4 mph on his fastball — and fastball velocity stabilizes in about three games. His strikeout rate will probably not improve with his velocity down that much. He was one of the worst starters in the league before the injury and will likely get even worse. If he starts the spring throwing around 89 mph, I would just stay away based just on his past production at that velocity. Also there is a good chance his back could cause him to miss some more time. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Matt Harrison is nearly unownable in 2015. First he has to healthy enough to play and if playing, his production could be barely usable.

Chris Hatcher

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 1/12/1985 | Team: Dodgers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 1 0 8 7.3 4.2 1.0 12.46 1.96 4.32 -0.8 -0.1
’14 0 3 0 56 9.6 1.9 0.6 3.38 1.20 2.56 0.4 0.7
’15 2 2 0 40 8.5 2.7 0.9 3.40 1.20 3.47 0.1 0.0

Profile: Hatcher rode mid-nineties heat and a good slider all the way to a solid season. One in which he posted a FIP below three and pumped his strikeout percentage well above his career average. And maybe most importantly, he quit hurting himself. Walks have been an issue throughout his career, he fixed that, walking only 5% of the batters he faced in 2014. His zone percentage didn’t increase, though, so if a few of those extra swings outside of the zone don’t show up again, he could issue a few more free passes. As it stands, though, improvement is improvement. Using his three pitch arsenal, Hatcher was able to keep left-handed and right-handed batters in check pretty well, which is important if the Dodgers are going to trust him in pressure situations going forward. If Hatcher’s command is still there in April, he could be a nice back end piece for Los Angeles. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Hatcher isn’t likely to see many save opportunities, but if he continues pitching well and earns more late inning work he could become an asset in deeper leagues that count holds.

LaTroy Hawkins

Debut: 1995 |  BirthDate: 12/21/1972 | Team: Rockies | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 2 13 70 7.0 1.3 0.8 2.93 1.15 3.06 0.5 0.8
’14 4 3 23 54 5.3 2.2 0.5 3.31 1.20 3.39 0.7 0.8
’15 3 3 28 65 6.6 2.0 1.0 3.96 1.29 3.87 0.3 0.4

Profile: Before we talk about Hawkins’ 2015 season, let’s be clear that what he has accomplished in his career very much makes LaTroy Hawkins the man. One thousand games pitched. One thousand. Think about that for a second. Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2000, Hawkins has failed to pitch at least 50 games in a season only twice. Only 15 pitchers have appeared in more games, and if he’s healthy in 2015, he’ll walk right into the top 10. In a time when pitchers routinely have Tommy John surgery before they graduate high school, that’s unfathomable. If you’re looking for a pitcher who racks up the strikeouts on the other hand, Hawkins is not the guy you’re looking for. And given that the Rockies have ignored their porous starting rotation thus far this winter, he may not exactly rack up the saves in 2015 either. His 23 saves last season placed him 23rd in the game, so he may once again be lacking in the two categories you want most from a reliever. But Hawkins is not to be overlooked. The Rockies are generally very loyal to their closers, and such will likely be the case in Hawkins’ final season. Part of the reason is because Hawkins is reliable. In his 15 seasons as a reliever, he has posted an above-average ERA- in 13 of them, and his 77 ERA- last year was good once again. You don’t want Hawkins to be your first choice at closer, but when you get to the stage of your draft where people are snatching up high-strikeout set-up guys, do yourself a favor and grab Hawkins as that extra closer. He’ll be a nice security blanket to have. (Paul Swydan)

Quick Opinion: Hawkins shouldn’t be one of your first choices at closer because he doesn’t rack up the strikeouts, but he is a reliable option and snatching him up at the end of your draft should pay dividends.

Andrew Heaney

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 6/5/1991 | Team: Angels | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 3 0 29 6.1 2.1 1.8 5.83 1.33 5.45 -0.3 -0.3
’15 4 4 0 67 7.0 3.0 1.0 4.16 1.33 4.18 0.3 0.4

Profile: So… 2014 didn’t quite go as planned for Mr. Heaney. After slicing his way through the minors, missing a ton of bats in the process, Heaney’s first go around at the major league level had its fair share of speed bumps. Heaney’s struggles came down to two things: allowing too much contact and home runs. Scouts have long predicted that Heaney’s stuff, while good, isn’t of the swing-and-miss type. And when that’s the case, missing spots can become deadly. He missed a ton of spots. We’re dealing with a small sample size, but there are still some good signs to go along with the bad ones: Heaney’s slider produced a 27% swinging strike rate; His change-up generated a 73% ground-ball rate; His fastball, though, registered a whopping 30% home run to fly ball ratio; that should come down. As with any young pitcher, Heaney is going to have growing pains. His changeup is well thought of in scouting circles, so hopefully it allows him to keep right-handed batters in check going forward, allowing him to miss a few more bats in the process. His recent move to the American League dampers things a bit, but his new home park is still rather friendly towards pitchers. Heaney should grow in 2014, but he must limit hard contact a better to become a useful option for fantasy owners. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Heaney’s learning on the fly, and his minor league track record suggests he should be at least serviceable in short time. But for 2015, it feels best to take a wait-and-see approach in most leagues, rather than investing too heavily on draft day.

Jeremy Hellickson

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 4/8/1987 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 12 10 0 174 7.0 2.6 1.2 5.17 1.35 4.22 -0.4 1.4
’14 1 5 0 63 7.6 3.0 1.1 4.52 1.45 4.15 -0.0 0.3
’15 9 10 0 163 7.1 2.6 1.1 4.15 1.28 4.17 1.2 1.1

Profile: After tantalizing Tampa fans with his potential and ultimately falling considerably short for the last several seasons, Jeremy Hellickson gets the proverbial change of scenery in Arizona as a member of the Diamondbacks. Having either vastly under- or over-performed his predictors, Hellickson takes his career 3.78 ERA (4.36 FIP), 1.26 WHIP, and ho-hum 17% strikeout rate to discover just what kind of defense Yasmany Tomas might provide. Hellickson should discover an uptick in strikeouts simply with the league switch, but then again he might also suffer from the park adjustment. His career ERA- is 99 where 100 is average, and that pretty much tells the story for how he should be viewed in fantasy circles. Although he has two pretty excellent seasons under his belt, they were very dependent on a high strand rate (yay Tampa defense) and an awfully low average on balls in play. Once those two things normalized, Hellickson didn’t look too special with an ERA- of 137 and 125 over the past two seasons, respectively. In NL-only formats, Hellickson might be useful to have around for two-start weeks or spot starts against the bottom-feeders. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Hellickson was really good and then he was really bad and now he’s pitching for a new team. He probably shouldn’t be pitching for yours, although under new tutelage, maybe lightning could strike and he’ll return to fantasy relevance. Don’t bet on it.

Heath Hembree

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 1/13/1989 | Team: Red Sox | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 7 14.1 2.3 0.0 0.00 0.78 0.70 0.3 0.2
’14 0 0 0 10 5.4 4.5 0.9 4.50 1.60 4.73 -0.0 -0.0
’15 1 0 0 10 7.6 3.4 1.0 3.98 1.35 4.18 0.0 0.0

Profile: Hembree has a great track record of striking batters out in the minor leagues. In his time at Triple-A, he has struck out 154 batters in 139.1 innings. That’s the good news. The bad news is that he’s a relief pitcher who has spent the better part of three seasons in Triple-A. He has often been tabbed as a future closer candidate, but that won’t be his role with the 2015 Red Sox. In fact, with Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa, Edward Mujica and Anthony Varvaro all good bets to make the team, as well as at least one lefty and probably two, the odds on Hembree having any role on the major league team at the season’s outset are relatively thin. He will likely compete for one or two spots with Steven Wright, Matt Barnes and Brandon Workman, all of whom have much longer histories within the Red Sox organization. If he does emerge with a spot, it is unlikely that it will be in a high-leverage role. If he wins a job and earns manager John Farrell’s trust, he may find himself in a more notable role by the end of the season, or perhaps leading into 2016, but it’s unlikely that he will be a difference maker this season. (Paul Swydan)

Quick Opinion: Heath Hembree has long been tabbed as a closer candidate, but it’s unlikely that will happen this season. In fact, the odds are stacked against him having a meaningful role at all in 2015.

Jim Henderson

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 10/21/1982 | Team: Brewers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 5 28 60 11.2 3.6 1.2 2.70 1.13 3.58 1.5 0.3
’14 2 1 0 11 13.5 3.2 2.4 7.15 1.59 4.63 -0.6 -0.1
’15 3 3 11 65 10.0 3.1 1.0 3.29 1.19 3.46 0.5 0.5

Profile: Henderson entered 2014 with a shaky hold on the Brewers’ closer job. He flopped with a 7.15 ERA in 11.1 innings before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. His status for 2015 is unknown. Before the injury caught up to him, Henderson actually posted strong peripherals — 13.50 strikeouts per nine, 3.18 walks per nine, and a 2.39 xFIP. The fly ball pitcher allowed an unusual quantity of home runs — three in his limited work — along with a .423 batting average on balls in play. A healthy Henderson could return as a relief ace, but shoulder injuries are always a concern. The 32-year-old isn’t well suited for Milwaukee’s Miller Park, which is among the most home run friendly in the league. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: Henderson lost his job and his arm health last season, but he maintained strong peripherals through the worst. The bigger issue is rehabbing his way back from injury.

Kyle Hendricks

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 12/7/1989 | Team: Cubs | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 7 2 0 80 5.3 1.7 0.4 2.46 1.08 3.32 2.4 1.5
’15 8 8 0 134 6.4 2.4 1.0 4.20 1.30 4.10 0.7 1.2

Profile: Hendricks made a great first impression in his major league debut, but the 2.46 ERA concealed a major down-tick in his usually decent strikeout rate. His prospect status ensures he’ll get a chance to correct that in 2015. Kyle is just about a lock for the number four spot in the rotation, and there is little reason to think he can’t at least perform at a league average capacity. The telltale sign will be his strikeout rate. He showed a capacity for suppressing home runs in the minors, but his strikeout rate was always at least average. His low rate in 2014 does not forecast great success, but he’s a young pitcher with the potential for improvement. There is of course a chance he’s a Triple-A one-trick pony (his excellent changeup) whose control and low velocity only works in the minors, but that risk should be worth exploring given his early success. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Hendricks should start the season in the Cubs rotation, but it’s unlikely he’ll be able to repeat his stellar success (2.46 ERA and 3.32 FIP) from 2014. That said, he could very well perform at league average, with the potential to develop into more. Watch the strikeout rate, though, if he can’t make major league hitters miss, consider that the canary in the coal mine and cut bait.

Felix Hernandez

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 4/8/1986 | Team: Mariners | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 12 10 0 204 9.5 2.0 0.7 3.04 1.13 2.61 4.9 5.8
’14 15 6 0 236 9.5 1.8 0.6 2.14 0.92 2.56 7.5 6.2
’15 14 8 0 192 9.3 2.0 0.6 2.94 1.08 2.75 4.2 4.6

Profile: With over 1800 innings on his arm, Felix Hernandez somehow managed to have a career year in 2014, setting an MLB record in the process. King Felix set career bests in ERA, strikeouts, and WHIP, and a decent Mariners team gave the King his highest win total since 2009. The King possesses perhaps baseball’s nastiest pitch — his changeup — and still has a devastating sinker and the ability to throw the Royal Curve for strikes on the corner, making him relatively unhittable. Felix has never had a serious injury in his career, but while just 29 years old, has over 2000 innings under his belt. Felix is going to get hurt or break down one of these days, but until that day comes, he’s a fantasy ace who constantly meets or exceeds expectations. Don’t be afraid to throw out $30 dollars for the King in standard leagues. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Felix Hernandez may not have taken home the AL Cy Young award, but he’ll compete for the trophy again this year while leading your roto rotation. Trust in the King.

Roberto Hernandez

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 8/30/1980 | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 13 1 151 6.7 2.3 1.4 4.89 1.34 4.63 -0.2 0.2
’14 8 11 0 164 5.7 4.0 1.0 4.10 1.39 4.85 0.6 -0.5
’15 8 10 0 153 5.7 3.2 1.0 4.69 1.43 4.48 -0.1 0.5

Profile: The right-hander formerly known as Fausto Carmona split time between the Phillies and Dodgers in 2014, coming over to Los Angeles in an August trade. Hernandez, 34, managed to produce a 3.87 ERA during his stint in the City of Brotherly Love despite unfavorable peripherals, but whatever luck he had ran out upon going west, where he was tattooed with a 4.74 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in nine starts. The ground ball ways for which he’s been known over the years stayed intact, evidenced by a 49.7% rate, but coming off a season in which he set a new career high for strikeout percentage, he lost an entire punchout per nine innings thanks in part to losing a full mile off his average fastball velocity. Meanwhile, his first-pitch strike rate slipped more than six percentage points after climbing for three straight seasons, and the subsequent rise in his walk rate conspired to leave him with an abhorrent 4.4 strikeout-minus-walk percentage, dead last among qualified starters. In case you didn’t think things could get worse, all this was based on a .266 batting average on balls in play, well below his career norm and just a little more foreboding for 2015 given the other hints of a declining skill set. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: Hernandez, a free agent entering the offseason, had not signed with a team as of this writing, but even with a rotation spot in 2015, he likely won’t have much value beyond mono leagues.

David Hernandez

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 5/13/1985 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: P
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 6 2 62 9.5 3.5 1.4 4.48 1.19 4.36 -0.4 -0.2
’15 1 0 0 10 9.6 2.8 1.0 3.07 1.15 3.51 0.1 0.1

Profile: David Hernandez has been a pretty good reliever for the Diamondbacks in the past, but he’s coming off an injury year that followed a down year. It’s not fair to expect he’ll return to his peak form, but he is only just now 30 years old and even in his recent bad year, he was still missing bats and limiting walks. His ability to induce week contact and create a lot of shallow fly balls has also been a key component in his success. It may be a bit early to pencil Hernandez into your bullpen as a good source for holds and strikeouts, but he is worth considering on the waiver wire when he returns mid season. Odds are, if his velocity is fine, and his swinging strike rate is around 12% and he’s healthy, he could be a solid late-season addition to your roster. Both of those stats stabilize quickly and will tell you a lot about how Hernandez is feeling. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Hernandez is overcoming more than just his recent Tommy John surgery in his bid to reclaim the setup role in Arizona. He also has to contend with his poor performance in the 2013 season, his last year of action. Under the surface, though, Hernandez still looked like a good pitcher then. That makes him worth watching closely when he returns to action in June or July.

Kelvin Herrera

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 12/31/1989 | Team: Royals | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 7 2 58 11.4 3.2 1.4 3.86 1.18 3.70 0.3 0.6
’14 4 3 0 70 7.6 3.3 0.0 1.41 1.14 2.69 2.8 1.4
’15 3 2 1 55 9.0 2.9 0.6 2.91 1.16 3.10 0.7 0.7

Profile: Herrera’s results were outstanding in 2014, not the least of it being his 1.41 ERA. The 25-year-old flame thrower locked down the seventh inning for the Royals, but his results were better than his underlying stats. First, he didn’t allow a single home run. While he has had good ground-ball rates (~50%) and low career home run numbers (.6 per nine innings), he will likely allow a few more home runs in 2015. The biggest issue for Herrera was the drop in strikeout rate from 30% in 2013 to 21% last season. I could see his strikeouts go up because a 12.3% swinging strike rate usually leads to a strikeout rate around 25%. Going into 2015, he should get a decent number of holds and be third in line for the Royals closer job behind studs Greg Holland and Wade Davis. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Kelvin Herrera is a good reliever, but is not in the same class as his teammates Wade Davis and Greg Holland. Be careful not to overvalue him because of a miniscule 2014 ERA.

Luke Hochevar

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 9/15/1983 | Team: Royals | Position: P
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 2 2 70 10.5 2.2 1.0 1.92 0.82 2.96 2.2 1.2
’15 3 2 2 55 8.4 2.2 0.9 3.09 1.13 3.42 0.6 0.4

Profile: Hochevar is coming back from 2014 Tommy John surgery and could start the season with the Royals, but is more likely to return mid-May. When he moved to the bullpen in 2013, he finally became a productive pitcher after struggling for years as a starter. There are just so many unknown outcomes possible with Tommy John surgery, but we can take a stab at it by using past outcomes as a guide. If he keeps up the 3 mph velocity spike from starting to relieving, a strikeout per inning is not out of the question, paired probably with a 3.00 to 3.50 ERA. The one issue with Hochevar is is role. The Royals are currently four deep in the bullpen (Holland, Davis, Herrera and Downs). Right now Hochevar would be the fifth inning guy. Not much of an opportunity for holds or saves. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Luke Hochevar showed the ability to be an elite relief pitcher in 2013, but Tommy John surgery and his possible role in the Royals bullpen will minimize his 2015 value.

John Holdzkom

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 10/19/1987 | Team: Pirates | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 1 0 1 9 14.0 2.0 1.0 2.00 0.67 2.13 0.2 0.2
’15 3 2 0 55 10.2 3.1 0.6 2.81 1.15 2.95 0.6 0.7

Profile: The right-handed Holdzkom made his debut last year as a 26-year-old, representing not the first time a pitcher has debuted at 26. Nearly all the rest of his resume is unusual, however. Selected originally by the Mets in the fourth round of the 2006 draft, he proceed to record just 126 innings through the 2010 season before the Mets released him. Following a brief turn in the Cincinnati system, Holdzkom proceeded to pitch for multiple indy league teams without overwhelming success. A minor alteration to his fastball grip at the beginning of 2014, however, allowed him a degree of control he’d lacked basically forever. The Pirates noticed and signed him. After two months in the minors, Holdzkom made his debut with the Pirates, producing strikeout and walk rates of 43.8% and 6.3%, respectively, over nine appearances and the same number of innings. It’s unlikely that Holdzkom will match those figures in 2014, but between a 95 mph fastball and palmball — the only one in the majors — with unpredictable break, he has the repertoire (and now, it seems, the control) to survive as a high-leverage reliever. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: Holdzkom doesn’t throw a billion mph — mostly because humans are incapable of producing that sort of arm speed. He <i>does</i> throw in the mid- to high-90s, though, and has gradually developed a sense of where it’s going. And he has a palmball.

Derek Holland

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 10/9/1986 | Team: Rangers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 10 9 0 213 8.0 2.7 0.8 3.42 1.29 3.44 4.5 4.8
’14 2 0 0 37 6.1 1.2 0.0 1.46 1.05 2.19 1.7 1.3
’15 12 11 0 192 7.3 2.7 1.1 4.17 1.31 4.15 2.1 2.1

Profile: Derek Holland missed most of the 2014 after a freak injury — his hitman dog took him out at the knees — but the left-hander was excellent upon his return. Holland improved his swinging strike percentage for the third straight season, walked just five batters in five starts, and did not give up a home run. Holland’s 1.46 ERA and 1.05 WHIP were by far career bests, and while he won’t be repeating such a spectacular stint, career bests aren’t usually bad indicator. Holland enters his age-28 season playing for a team that should be better than last year, so even as pitching in the Texas heat may harm some stats, it could help keep wins on the table. Don’t expect to be smitten with Holland’s performance, but you can count on him as a relatively durable starter with a decent strikeout rate, and a solid ERA and WHIP; combine all that, and you’ve got yourself a guy worthy of a mid-round draft pick in standard mixed leagues. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Holland was excellent in his return from a freak injury last season. Don’t expect the same sterling production, but expect enough to be worthy of a mid-round selection in mixed leagues.

Greg Holland

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 11/20/1985 | Team: Royals | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 1 47 67 13.8 2.4 0.4 1.21 0.87 1.36 3.5 3.1
’14 1 3 46 62 13.0 2.9 0.4 1.44 0.91 1.83 2.5 2.3
’15 4 2 34 65 11.6 2.8 0.6 2.22 1.02 2.41 1.5 1.3

Profile: A case can made for Greg Holland being the top closer over the past two seasons combined (minimum 100 innings). His 1.32 ERA and 1.59 FIP are best in the league. His 93 Saves are second to to Craig Kimbrel’s 97. His 39% strikeout rate is second to Chapman’s. He had the third best WHIP behind Koji Uehara and Sean Doolittle. If he hasn’t been the top reliever in the game, he is at least at home among the top three. Chapman and Kimbel will probably get treated as the top guys. Let them go early and feel happy picking up Holland. For the 2015 season, the only item which could bring him down is his health, which as been good so far. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Greg Holland is a top three reliever in the league. Value him as such and be rewarded.

J.J. Hoover

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 8/13/1987 | Team: Reds | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 5 3 66 9.1 3.5 0.8 2.86 1.11 3.47 1.3 0.6
’14 1 10 0 62 10.8 4.5 1.9 4.88 1.39 4.97 -0.8 -0.6
’15 3 3 1 55 9.6 3.4 1.3 3.31 1.23 4.07 0.4 0.0

Profile: After a pretty solid 100 inning start to his major league career in 2012-13, 2014 was a rough year for Hoover. Some of it was his fault and some of it was bad luck, but he certainly blew his chance to pick up saves in Aroldis Chapman’s absence early in the season. The part that was Hoover’s fault was his walk rate. He got that number under 10% in 2013, which a reliever can get by with if he has strikeout stuff, but his walk rate rose back to 11.3% last year. That won’t cut it. The part that wasn’t his fault was a 14.9% home run per fly ball rate that led to Hoover allowing an atrocious 1.87 home runs per nine innings. To some degree the extra home runs were regression for abnormally low home run rates in his first two years in the league. But this regression was harsh. Since we now know he doesn’t have an above average ability to keep balls in the park and he can’t limit his walks, he’s unlikely to get anymore opportunities to close out games. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Hoover will most likely not be getting a chance to close out games in 2015 if Aroldis Chapman misses more time. Hoover failed pretty spectacular with those chances last year and doesn’t deserve more.

T.J. House

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 9/29/1989 | Team: Indians | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 5 3 0 102 7.1 1.9 0.9 3.35 1.32 3.69 1.7 1.1
’15 6 6 0 96 6.3 2.9 0.7 4.09 1.36 3.80 0.6 1.0

Profile: That T.J. House didn’t garner more buzz for his second half speaks volumes to just how dominant the Indians rotation was in the later months of 2014. House carried a 3.35 ERA, 3.69 FIP and 3.10 xFIP over a solid stretch of 18 starts, but was overshadowed by the likes of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. A look at House’s minor league track is grounds for suspicion — he was solid, but not great in 148 Double-A innings (3.42 ERA, 3.40 FIP) and regressed once he hit Triple-A (4.17 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 199 innings). But his major league numbers are what they are, and they’re backed by sound underlying stats. House’s success is built on the ground ball. There were 140 pitchers who threw more than 100 innings last year — House’s 61% ground ball rate ranks second in that group. That House would get ground balls was known. That House would get strikeouts (19%) and limit walks to the extent he did (5%) were the surprising parts. Despite his pleasant surprise of a debut, it appears he’s destined to begin Triple-A in the minors after Gavin Floyd was given a guaranteed major league deal. When the Indians come looking for a starter, though, House will be the first to receive the call. (August Fagerstrom).

Quick Opinion: House was the forgotten man in the greatness that was the Indians second-half rotation, and it appears he’ll be the forgotten man to start the season as well. House and his soft-tossing, groundballing ways exceeded expectations in 2014, but the Gavin Floyd signing likely makes House the sixth option in Cleveland, though an exciting sixth option he is.

Daniel Hudson

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 3/9/1987 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 1 0 2 6.8 0.0 0.0 13.50 1.50 1.63 -0.3 0.1
’15 2 2 0 40 8.8 2.2 0.9 3.12 1.14 3.29 0.4 0.3

Profile: That we’re even discussing Daniel Hudson in a baseball-related sense is something of a minor miracle, because he’d missed more than two full years of baseball while recovering from two Tommy John surgeries. Hudson finally made it back to the bigs as a reliever in late 2014, and while he pitched only 8.2 professional innings, the D-Backs chose to exercise his option for 2015. It’s still uncertain whether he will be considered as a starter or a reliever going forward, but despite all the missed time, he’s only going to be 28 in 2015 and put up a star-level season before being injured. Though his role isn’t clear, he’s one to keep an eye on, if for nothing more than his story. (Mike Petriello)

Quick Opinion: Daniel Hudson missed more than two years thanks to two Tommy John surgeries, yet he’ll have a job with Arizona in 2015 if he’s healthy. That’s among the biggest “if”s in baseball, obviously, but don’t forget how good he once was.

Tim Hudson

Debut: 1999 |  BirthDate: 7/14/1975 | Team: Giants | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 8 7 0 131 6.5 2.5 0.7 3.97 1.19 3.46 1.3 1.8
’14 9 13 0 189 5.7 1.6 0.7 3.57 1.23 3.54 1.2 1.7
’15 10 11 0 182 5.8 2.1 0.7 3.94 1.28 3.68 0.6 1.3

Profile: Tim Hudson has always been somewhat of an undervalued fantasy asset; sure, he doesn’t strike many guys out, but he doesn’t give up walks, and his ERA and WHIP are generally average or better. Hudson was his usual self last season: he struck out only 120 batters, but had a WHIP five points better than the league average, and an ERA 5% below league average. Despite only winning nine games in 31 starts, all of that added up to a replacement-level mixed-league starting pitcher. In what is likely to be his last season, it’s hard to expect a repeat of fantasy relevance, but he’s still easily going to be owned in NL-only formats. If you’re in a standard mixed league, there’s no reason to spend a pick on Hudson; but, if you’re in an ottoneu SABR points format, Hudson isn’t a bad one-year rental based on his homer suppression. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Even with his inability to generate strikeouts and only amassing nine wins, Hudson was still a replacement-level fantasy starter last year, a tribute to workload and WHIP. Don’t expect quite the same value this year in his age-39 season.

David Huff

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 8/22/1984 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 1 0 37 7.4 2.2 1.7 5.50 1.12 4.61 -0.1 0.0
’14 4 1 0 59 5.9 3.5 0.8 3.36 1.42 4.13 0.3 -0.1
’15 0 0 0 1 6.7 2.4 1.1 3.72 1.25 4.09 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: For the second time in as many seasons, David Huff latched on with the Yankees after being cut by the team upon which he opened the year. Huff had a shiny 1.85 ERA in 39 innings with New York, but there was nothing in his underlying peripherals to suggest any real changes; the ERA was largely a factor of an extreme batting average on balls in play and strand rate. Now 30 years old, Huff is a free agent as of this writing. He’ll latch on with a club somewhere, but isn’t much more than depth at this point. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: After flaming out as a starter in Cleveland, Huff has experienced moderate success in short spurts out of the Yankees bullpen, but isn’t anything more than a long or middle relief guy.

Phil Hughes

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 6/24/1986 | Team: Twins | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 14 0 145 7.5 2.6 1.5 5.19 1.46 4.50 0.0 1.3
’14 16 10 0 209 8.0 0.7 0.7 3.52 1.13 2.65 3.6 6.1
’15 12 11 0 192 7.5 1.6 1.2 3.89 1.20 3.90 2.4 2.5

Profile: When Hughes hit free agency, it was hard to imagine a better fit than Minnesota. Even coming off a rough season in the Bronx, the Twins needed him far more than he needed them. Target Field was perfectly suited to his skillset; left-handed hitters are effectively neutralized and the park plays very big, which is extremely accommodating to a flyball guy such as Hughes. So while Hughes having a solid season with the Twins wasn’t such a big surprise, the lengths to which he took it certainly qualify as such. Hughes set the all-time strikeouts-to-walks ratio at 11.6, as the right-hander pounded the strike zone with far more frequency than his contemporaries. Hughes famously missed a contract incentive calling for an extra $500k to be paid out had he simply recorded one more out, but he shook off the Twins’ overtures to get him an extra appearance in relief over the final weekend, simply stating his season was “done.” And what a season it was. Even if it isn’t the real Phil Hughes, it appears to be a guy who was in need of a classic change of scenery. Worth watching: Hughes actually pitched better on the road (2.78 ERA) than at home (4.25). So while there is room for regression on other fronts, he can still show improvement at Target Field moving into the future. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Here’s a fun tidbit: Phil Hughes had 93 strikeouts and eight walks on the road in 2014. He also had 93 strikeouts and eight walks at home. As long as Hughes stays healthy, he seems like a good bet to retain solid fantasy value moving forward even with some regression in that walk rate. The Twins outfield is only going to get better as Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario ascend on Minneapolis.

Jared Hughes

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 7/4/1985 | Team: Pirates | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 3 0 32 6.5 4.5 0.6 4.78 1.66 4.11 -0.3 -0.1
’14 7 5 0 64 5.0 2.7 0.6 1.96 1.09 3.99 1.0 -0.4
’15 2 2 0 45 6.4 2.8 0.6 3.65 1.32 3.63 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Hughes had a nice ERA last season but his peripherals suggest he was rather fortunate to have recorded such a quality mark. This is the second season Hughes has outperformed his peripherals, bookending a 4.78 ERA over 32 innings in 2013. Hughes will not provide the strikeouts necessary to make him a reliable reliever in even the deepest leagues. (Ben Duronio)

Tommy Hunter

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 7/3/1986 | Team: Orioles | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 5 4 86 7.1 1.5 1.1 2.81 0.98 3.68 1.9 0.7
’14 3 2 11 60 6.7 1.8 0.6 2.97 1.10 3.15 1.0 0.8
’15 3 2 1 55 7.7 1.8 1.0 3.27 1.15 3.56 0.5 0.3

Profile: Hunter is another in a long line of failed starters who have jumped to a relief role and taken to it with aplomb. Through 2012, Hunter made 98 appearances (75 starts) with a 4.77 ERA, 5.03 FIP and just 5.0 strikeouts per nine. Hunter’s average heater routinely checked in around 90-91 mph, and he failed to distinguish himself in that role both in Texas and in Baltimore after being moved as part of the Koji Uehara-Chris Davis trade. The Orioles shifted him to the pen full-time in 2013, and the results have markedly improved: 2.88 ERA, 3.46 FIP and 6.9 K/9. Hunter is now routinely throwing in the high 90s, with a great two-seamer and a good curveball that comprised over half the pitches he threw in 2014. He’s not entirely dissimilar from deposed Orioles closer Jim Johnson in that he doesn’t get as many strikeouts as you’d expect from someone who throws hard, but he gets fewer grounders, more strikeouts, and throws a bit harder yet than Double J did when he was with the Birds. Hunter is listed as the No. 2 option for saves in Baltimore behind Zach Britton, making him a big-time watch list guy as the season wears on. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Hunter appears to be the number two option for saves in Birdland. That alone is reason to keep an eye on him in fantasy leagues for 2015.

Drew Hutchison

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 8/22/1990 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 11 13 0 184 9.0 2.9 1.1 4.48 1.26 3.85 1.8 2.6
’15 12 9 0 173 8.6 3.0 1.2 4.07 1.28 4.13 1.9 1.9

Profile: There is a lot to like about Drew Hutchison. He’s still quite young, he throws hard and racks up strikeouts when things are clicking right. After suffering through an up-and-down 2014, Hutchison stands poised to make good things happen in 2015. Good things within reason, of course. This is a league-average pitcher with a chance — if he can manage the longball — to be a little bit above average. In his first full big league season, Hutchison posted good strikeout rates (23% compared to 20% league average) while walking batters right at the league’s average rate (7.6%). As far as underlying stats go, his numbers are not unlike those of Julio Teheran — it’s just the results Hutchison lacks. The biggest barriers between Hutchison and much better numbers remains left-handed batters. Lefties battered the Jays right-hander for 17 homers this year — only three starters allowed more. There is no better way for a right-handed pitcher to keep lefties off-guard than a reliable change. Better mastery of the changeup will keep the ball out of the seats and on the ground and could also help his slider get under the hands of lefties. With a full season under his belt and some refinement, 2015 could be Hutchison’s breakout year. (Drew Fairservice)

Quick Opinion: Drew Hutchison could be a huge factor in 2015, with a full year under his belt and some clear areas of improvement identified.

Phil Irwin

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 2/25/1987 | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 4 7.7 7.7 0.0 7.71 2.14 3.90 -0.2 0.1
’14 0 1 0 4 4.5 4.5 2.2 6.75 2.00 7.63 -0.1 -0.1
’15 0 0 0 1 6.4 3.8 1.2 4.98 1.47 4.97 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Returning in 2014 from an elbow procedure that ended his 2013 season early, Irwin was less effective than he was previously. Designated by assignment by Pittsburgh in May, he was claimed by Texas, for which organization he pitched mostly at Triple-A before being released at the end of August. He signed a one-year contract with KT Wiz of the Korean Baseball Organization. Too bad we won’t get to see his big curve stateside any more. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: Neither real nor fantasy General Managers have cause to give Irwin much thought in 2015, on account of how he’ll spend most of the year employed by a Korean baseball club.

Hisashi Iwakuma

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 4/12/1981 | Team: Mariners | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 14 6 0 219 7.6 1.7 1.0 2.66 1.01 3.44 6.6 4.0
’14 15 9 0 179 7.7 1.1 1.0 3.52 1.05 3.25 3.3 3.2
’15 13 10 0 192 7.3 1.8 0.9 3.53 1.17 3.43 2.7 3.0

Profile: Hisashi Iwakuma has quietly been one of the better starters in both real and fantasy baseball for the past three seasons. His career numbers as a major leaguer include a 3.07 ERA (3.59 FIP), 1.09 WHIP, with a respectable 21% strikeout rate and stingy 5% walk rate. He doesn’t blow hitters away with his speed, but relies on command and a repertoire of sinkers, sliders, and splitters to induce weak contact and high ground ball rates. Health has long been a concern of Iwakuma owners as he’s had a balky shoulder in the past, but he has been relatively healthy over the past two seasons and it should be all systems go for “Kuma” in 2015. He should help you in ERA and WHIP, he’s no slouch with his strikeouts, and with the Seattle Mariners seemingly putting a respectable product on the field, it’s possible he could be a plus in the wins category to boot. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Iwakuma is one of those rare players who is a bigger bargain in real baseball than he even is in fantasy baseball. Coming back to the Seattle Mariners on a $7 million dollar option, Iwakuma can be expected to once again be the complement to Felix Hernandez in 2015. Most think he can repeat as a three to four win player in 2015, providing an exceptionally low WHIP, and a respectable ERA with a solid strikeout rate.

Edwin Jackson

Debut: 2003 |  BirthDate: 9/9/1983 | Team: Cubs | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 8 18 0 175 6.9 3.0 0.8 4.98 1.46 3.79 -1.0 1.9
’14 6 15 0 140 7.9 4.0 1.2 6.33 1.64 4.45 -2.5 0.5
’15 3 4 0 58 7.3 3.2 1.0 4.34 1.35 4.03 0.2 0.5

Profile: Edwin Jackson was always an elusive projection — he long possessed elite power but iffy control — but his disparity between peripherals and production narrowed in 2014. His walk rate worsened (from 7.6% to 10.0%), but his strikeout rate did not improve enough to make up the difference. From 2009 through 2013, Jackson had better-than-average FIP numbers (a 94 FIP-), but noticeably worse ERA numbers (a 101 ERA). That trend exaggerated in 2014 when his usually high batting average on balls in play jumped even higher and his strand rate dipped lower. He finished the year with a 170 ERA- and a 119 FIP-. Both are pretty much career worsts. Don’t even bother trying stash Jackson away as a rebound candidate. If you like his potential, then put him on a watchlist. Chances are, he will be a long man in 2015. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Jackson’s career has been in a nosedive since joining the Cubs. If you want to take a chance on him, don’t. If you still want to take a chance on him, then just watch him on the waiver wire. His volatility is not worth wasting a roster spot for early in the season.

Kenley Jansen

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 9/30/1987 | Team: Dodgers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 3 28 76 13.0 2.1 0.7 1.88 0.86 1.99 2.8 2.2
’14 2 3 44 65 13.9 2.6 0.7 2.76 1.13 1.91 1.4 2.0
’15 4 2 32 65 12.1 2.4 0.7 2.04 0.96 2.39 1.3 1.1

Profile: For all the reminders that relievers are volatile and shouldn’t be counted upon for more than a year at a time, Kenley Jansen is now five seasons into one of the most dominant starts to a career we’ve seen. He still throws one pitch, his cutter, nearly 90 percent of the time, and yet that knowledge hasn’t helped hitters catch up to it at all, especially since his velocity actually increased this year. With a 30.6% strikeout minus walk rate, Jansen was the equal of Wade Davis & Greg Holland this year; that his runs allowed don’t reflect that is thanks to some seriously atrocious batted ball luck that was wildly out of character. At worst, Jansen is a top-five closer. At best, he’s in the conversation for the truly elite closers around. (Mike Petriello)

Quick Opinion: Kenley Jansen usually throws only one pitch, but he throws it really, really hard and with outstanding movement. He’s been one of the best relievers in baseball for several years, and there’s nothing to indicate that’s going to change any time soon.

Casey Janssen

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 9/17/1981 | Team: Nationals | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 1 34 52 8.5 2.2 0.5 2.56 0.99 2.74 1.5 1.3
’14 3 3 25 45 5.5 1.4 1.2 3.94 1.18 4.14 0.1 0.1
’15 3 3 4 65 6.9 1.9 1.0 3.54 1.21 3.72 0.2 0.2

Profile: When looking at a player’s performance for the purposes of projection, how heavily should one weigh a really nasty case of food poisoning? Seriously. Casey Janssen apparently got a brutal case of food poisoning over the All-Star break, losing eight pounds in 10 hours at one point. Delicious. His numbers did get worse in the second half, with his walk rate in particular shooting up. Even if one buys food poisoning as the explanation of Janssen’s second-half collapse, that would not explain why his strikeout rate was pretty constant throughout the season, and was not up to his pre-2014 standard. His fastball velocity was actually higher in August and September than earlier in the year. Obviously, movement, release point, and other things could have been changed by the food poisoning, but again, there were issues before the incident. Janssen is a free agent as of this writing, and despite the down 2014, will obviously get a job somewhere. However, given what was said above about his 2014 performance (and his fastball velocity has been dropping for a few years), do not consider him among the top fantasy relievers any more. Clearly, in the event he gets handed a closer job, his value in category leagues will jump up. Moreover, even if he is given a lesser role, teams still love “closer experience,” so that might put him in line for saves if other relievers falter. Janssen is definitely to be watched in leagues where relievers are useful, but even among the setup men, he is probably not among the elite unless he is in line for saves. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: It might be easy to say put Casey Janssen’s struggles in 2014 down to a mid-season bout of food poisoning. However, problems with velocity and his strikeout rate were apparent before it. Watch him on draft day, but without save opportunities, he should not be considered an elite fantasy reliever.

Jeremy Jeffress

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 9/21/1987 | Team: Brewers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 0 0 10 10.5 4.4 0.9 0.87 1.26 3.43 0.4 0.1
’14 1 1 0 32 8.2 2.8 0.3 2.81 1.41 2.85 0.7 0.4
’15 2 2 0 40 8.9 3.6 0.7 3.51 1.29 3.39 0.2 0.2

Profile: The Brewers drafted Jeremy Jeffress 16th overall way back in 2006 but, despite a power fastball, he has yet to spend a full season in the big leagues. Now 27, he has a total of 81 innings in parts of five big leagues seasons. If there is a silver lining to be found, it’s that his career high 32 innings (in as many games) came in 2014 — split between the Blue Jays and Brewers. Milwaukee has made very few adjustments (or improvements) to the club that was surprisingly good in 2014… and it remains to be seen if this is a good move or not. On paper, the bullpen looks like a major weak spot with Jeffress potentially appearing as high as third on the depth chart. If his control improvements are for real — as well as the increased command of his curveball — then the Brewers may have finally struck gold with the former first round pick. If it was a small-sample size mirage, though, Milwaukee (and Jeffress’ fantasy owners, however many there are) could be in real trouble. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: Buying into Jeffress’ small-sample breakout is extremely risky. Your best bet on this hurler is to avoid him early in the season but monitor him closely to see A) If the improvements in 2014 were for real, and B) If he’s going to pitch meaningful innings at the back end of that bullpen.

Kevin Jepsen

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 7/26/1984 | Team: Rays | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 3 0 36 9.0 3.5 0.8 4.50 1.53 3.38 -0.5 0.3
’14 0 2 2 65 10.4 3.2 0.6 2.63 1.05 2.78 1.4 0.9
’15 3 2 3 55 9.6 2.9 0.8 3.01 1.16 3.18 0.6 0.4

Profile: It took a while, but Jepsen finally turned his high octane fastball into a correspondingly high strikeout rate. Despite possessing a fastball that has always averaged in the mid-90s, he has surprisingly posted pedestrian strikeout rates, right around the league average for American League relievers. But a bangin’ new changeup that induced tons of whiffs and ground balls galore fueled his breakout. Because there’s a clear explanation here, you have to figure that he should be able to hold onto most of his gains, assuming of course he continues throwing that change as frequently. With Jake McGee expected to open the season on the disabled list recovering from elbow surgery, the back of the Rays bullpen is wide open for someone to stake claim. With no obvious candidate to run with the closer gig, Jepsen stands as good a chance as any and makes for a worthy purchase in AL-Only and even mixed leagues. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: Plus fastball velocity and increased usage of excellent changeup finally translated into high strikeout rate. If he could sustain skills surge, could be first in line to close games with Jake McGee expected to open the season on the disabled list.

Ubaldo Jimenez

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 1/22/1984 | Team: Orioles | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 13 9 0 182 9.6 3.9 0.8 3.30 1.33 3.43 3.4 3.3
’14 6 9 0 125 8.3 5.5 1.0 4.81 1.52 4.67 0.6 0.5
’15 6 6 0 107 8.0 4.1 1.1 4.27 1.38 4.39 0.1 0.0

Profile: In 2013, Jimenez briefly rekindled hopes that he hadn’t completely lost the all-star touch of his Rockies heyday, compiling 3.3 wins above replacement and pitching well enough to convince the Orioles to hand him a four-year, $50 million contract over the offseason. By August, he had been demoted to the bullpen. Think the Orioles regret that signing? Jimenez’s control, which has always been an issue for him, completely went off the rails in 2014, as his walk rate soared to 13.9%, highest among hurlers who pitched at least 120 innings. Meanwhile, his four-seam fastball’s average velocity lost nearly a mile and a half from 2013, and his swinging strike rate plunged two full percentage points, all of which contributed to a plunge in his strikeout rate. And judging by his FIP, xFIP and SIERA, Jimenez deserved every bit of his 4.81 ERA. Jimenez, 31, still managed to punch out hitters at an above-average rate in 2014, and he had cratered similarly in 2012 before his solid 2013 campaign. But his role in Baltimore is unclear given the team’s crowded rotation, and fantasy owners should rightly be frightened by his inconsistency. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: Jimenez’s fantasy value rests on the extent to which he can generate strikeouts, and if the velocity drop and subsequent decrease in his ability to miss bats are real, the Dominican is no more than a deep mixed-league option for 2015.

Jim Johnson

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 6/27/1983 | Team: Braves | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 8 50 70 7.2 2.3 0.6 2.94 1.28 3.45 1.5 0.9
’14 5 2 2 53 7.1 5.9 0.8 7.09 1.95 5.08 -1.9 -0.7
’15 3 3 1 55 7.6 3.1 0.5 3.51 1.30 3.43 0.1 0.2

Profile: You could say 2014 was a bad year for Jim Johnson, until you remembered he made $10 million. After the Oakland Athletics traded for Johnson despite his uncharacteristic contract for the organization, Johnson did everything he could to make them regret it, pitching to the tune of a 7.14 ERA, 5.29 FIP and 4.57 xFIP over an astounding 38 appearances. The Athletics finally cut bait on August 1st and swallowed the rest of his salary. He eventually latched on with the Tigers and, technically, things got better. But only by default, as his 6.92 ERA, 4.44 FIP and 5.20 xFIP in Detroit could hardly be considered a bounceback. He got a second chance worth $1.6 million in Atlanta and will likely open the season on the roster as a middle reliever, but with a short leash and not much in the way of upside, as his strikeout numbers were never impressive even when he was racking up 50 saves for the Orioles. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: After consecutive 50+ save seasons in Baltimore, Johnson was arguably the worst pitcher in baseball in 2014, splitting time between Oakland and Detroit. Now with Atlanta, Johnson hopes to revive his career at 32 years old, and has a guaranteed major league contract to aid him. He’s still not someone to have much faith in until he starts to show something.

Erik Johnson

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 12/30/1989 | Team: White Sox | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 2 0 27 5.9 3.6 1.6 3.25 1.55 5.40 0.1 -0.1
’14 1 1 0 23 6.8 5.7 0.4 6.46 1.77 4.32 -0.3 0.2
’15 3 5 0 68 5.7 4.4 1.3 5.55 1.58 5.33 -0.7 -0.4

Profile: It was a rough season for Johnson. After opening the season in the rotation, Johnson pitched his way to the minors after just five starts. His numbers were atrocious. In 20 starts at Triple-A, Johnson posted a 6.73 ERA. Turns out, he was pitching with shoulder issues most of the year. Johnson wound up on the minor-league disabled list in August with shoulder soreness, ending his disappointing season. It doesn’t seem like the White Sox are depending on Johnson for much in 2015. Once upon a time, he was considered a possible back-end starter. If healthy, it’s possible he regains some of that promise. If not, he’ll probably spend the whole year in the minors. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Johnson had an awful season, and enters 2015 with little to no expectations. There’s a chance he regains some of his old promise, but it’s clear the White Sox aren’t depending on him for anything this year.

Josh Johnson

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 1/31/1984 | Team: Padres | Position: P
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 8 0 81 9.2 3.3 1.7 6.20 1.66 4.62 -1.2 0.6
’15 5 6 0 86 7.9 2.8 0.8 3.96 1.28 3.63 0.4 0.8

Profile: After dealing with various forearm and elbow injuries in 2013, Johnson needed his second Tommy John surgery early in the 2014 season. Because it is his second surgery, his earliest return would be in mid 2015, but the time frame could be pushed back and he may not pitch at all. If he returns and pitches for the Padres, it will likely be in the bullpen where he put up okay numbers in 2013 with the Blue Jays (9.2 strikeouts and 3.3 walks per nine). He did allow 1.7 home runs per nine which led to a high ERA (6.20) and FIP (4.62). In leagues with unlimited disabled list spots, he could be picked up and stashed. Otherwise, there isn’t a great reason to own him after the draft. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Josh Johnson may not pitch at all in 2015 and if he does it will probably in the bullpen. There is little reason to own him this year.

Nate Jones

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 1/28/1986 | Team: White Sox | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 5 0 78 10.3 3.0 0.6 4.15 1.22 2.64 0.1 2.0
’14 0 0 0 0 0.0 27.0 0.0 36.00 5.00 12.13 0.0 0.0
’15 1 0 0 10 9.7 3.1 0.8 3.21 1.20 3.25 0.1 0.1

Profile: Well, that didn’t go as planned. Jones — who was a preseason sleeper for saves last winter — pitched in two games, but failed to record a single out in 2014. It was quickly discovered that he was pitching with a bulging disc. Jones had surgery on his back in April, and was expected to miss most of the season. Things would somehow get worse. While rehabbing from back surgery, Jones tore a ligament in his elbow and had Tommy John surgery in late July. In a best case scenario, Jones could return for a late season run. Given his injury situation and the fact that David Robertson is now in town, Jones would likely be eased back into action before taking on a major role in the pen. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Jones will spend most of the season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He could make an appearance with the major-league club at the end of the year, but likely wouldn’t take on a big role down the stretch.

Taylor Jordan

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 1/17/1989 | Team: Nationals | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 3 0 51 5.1 1.9 0.5 3.66 1.35 3.49 0.2 0.7
’14 0 3 0 25 6.0 2.8 1.1 5.61 1.64 4.50 -0.5 0.1
’15 1 1 0 20 6.4 2.1 0.8 3.79 1.26 3.74 0.0 0.1

Profile: It’s been a pretty precipitous fall for Taylor Jordan. Last offseason, he was competing with Tanner Roark for a spot in the Nationals rotation. A Doug Fister injury would give both players a shot to prove themselves, and Jordan faltered. Once Fister got healthy, he was sent to the minors. Turns out, Jordan pitched most of the season with elbow issues. He had surgery to remove bone chips in September, but he’s expected to be fully healed by spring training. That doesn’t matter all that much, as Roark’s performance pushes Jordan out of the team’s rotation plans unless an injury occurs. Even if Jordan gets a couple starts, he stuff suggests he doesn’t have a ton of upside. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Tanner Roark’s breakout makes Jordan a spare part in Washington. Even if he were to find his way into the rotation, he lacks the upside needed to be a useful fantasy asset.





 

3 Responses to “2015 Pitcher Profiles: F – J”

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  1. Louis says:
    February 9, 2015 at 8:45 pm
    FanGraphs Supporting Member

    Are we missing Matt Harvey?

  2. Andrew says:
    February 17, 2015 at 10:47 am

    How about Charlie Furbush?

  3. Jon L. says:
    March 15, 2015 at 1:46 am
    FanGraphs Supporting Member

    A fireman is a closer, as in “Mariano Rivera won The Sporting News’ Fireman of the Year in 1997 and 1999.” It’s weird to read that Danny Farquhar is only in line for holds because he’s being used as a fireman.

    Maybe it would make sense if set-up men were actually putting out fires more often (instead of also starting innings most of the time), but the historical meaning makes it hard to interpret the term another way.