Notes From Yesterday: Clayton Kershaw, Johan Santana & Lastings Milledge

by faketeams on Aug 8, 2008 10:17 AM EDT in Baseball

Has anyone noticed how well Los Angeles Dodgers' rookie LHP Clayton Kershaw has pitched lately? Over his past three starts, he has thrown 19 innings of one-run ball. That is more than enough to grab him and hope his four walks in last night's game have become the aberration. There is not enough time left in the season to hope for representative sample sizes.

ESPN Fantasy-predicted 22-game winner, Johan Santana, had his sixth win blown by the Mets' bullpen yesterday afternoon. With a 2.85 ERA on the season, one would hope he'd have more than 9 wins. After all, Brandon Webb of the Diamondbacks has 16 Wins to go with his 2.93 ERA.

Am I the only one more concerned about his drop his Ks more than his inability to see his bullpen wrap-up a Win? Or should I be more concerned about the Mets' bullpen?

Lastings Milledge hit his 10th and 11th HRs of the season. Based on his Spring Training talk of 30 SBs, one would have expected more from him by this point. Those two HRs get his totals into the "interesting' category. He leads the Nationals in that category and has 14 SBs to go with them.

So far, he has played in just 93 of the Nationals 115 games to date. With 47 games left, he could end-up being a surrpisingly good fantasy player with a 15+/15+ HR/SB season. Given his age and a projection over 162-games in 2009, I won't be surprised to see him projected to be a 20/20 player in 2009. That will be enough to get him selected in the 9th-11th rounds of fantasy drafts.

Poll

Which 2009 fantasy prediction is most believable?

Johan Santana wins 20 games

7 votes

Lastings Milledge goes 20/20

17 votes

Clayton Kersahw has a WHIP under 1.30

15 votes

39 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Two aces

do the Dodgers have 2 aces in Kershaw and Billz going into 2009? Billz is already there with his 3.01 era, 1.25 whip and 151 K’s in 143 innings.Billz is on pace for 200+ k’s and 15 wins in only his 2nd year.
Milledge shold become a 20/20 performer as he matures.
I think all Met fans, and Mets mgmt HAVE to be concerned with Johan’s loss in velocity and K’s. The bullpen resembles the Braves and Brewers in 2007.
Does Omar make it to next year after doing NOTHING at the trade deadline?

raygu

by Ray Guilfoyle on Aug 8, 2008 10:56 AM EDT reply actions

Mets

Maybe Omar got some of the black magic J.P. Ricciardi has used to keep his job in Toronto and uses it on the Wilpons?

I am having a hrd time seeing a bullpen-mess Mets team making the play-offs.

Fake Teams - a proud member of the SB Nation

by faketeams on Aug 8, 2008 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions

+1

Omar will be lucky to keep his job after missing the playoffs two years in a row. Will he get another job??

raygu

by Ray Guilfoyle on Aug 8, 2008 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Jon Weisman on Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw’s past three starts:
19 innings
72 batters faced (3.78 batters per inning)
283 pitches (14.8 pitches per inning)
180 strikes (64 percent)
103 balls
27 groundouts (one double play)
13 air outs (one double play)
15 strikeouts (7.11/9 IP)
6 walks (2.84/9 IP)
8 singles
2 doubles
1 triple
[11 hits (5.21/9 IP)]
1 run (0.47 ERA)
20 years old

not bad for a 20 yr old.

Next year’s rotation will be Billz, Kershaw, Kuroda, possibly Penny-maybe not, McDonald(?). Lowe leaves as a FA, and LA has an option on Penny. The next mont

raygu

by Ray Guilfoyle on Aug 8, 2008 5:09 PM EDT reply actions