2007 MLB Fantasy Sophomores
How the Best MLB Fantasy Rookies of 2006 Will Perform in 2007
Last year, a record number of rookies had huge impacts on fantasy baseball teams. Here's a look at five of the best rookies from the 2006 season and their 2007 values.
2006 Fantasy Baseball Rookies
The 2006 season saw a big influx of high-impact rookies in Fantasy Baseball Leagues. Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins and Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers won the Rookie of the Year awards in 2006, but they were the just the beginning of the story. Here’s a look at five of the best rookies from the 2006 fantasy baseball season.
Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers - Starting Pitcher
Verlander had a brilliant rookie season, going 17-9 with a 3.63 ERA and 128 Strikeouts. Verlander had a pretty brutal initiation to fall baseball, however, when he went 1-2 with a 5.82 ERA in the 2006 postseason. You have to wonder which part of the season will stick in his mind the most. Considering that the kid has gotten absolutely shelled this spring, to the tune of a 0-2 record and an 8.31 ERA, it's possible he still hasn't forgotten October. He is still a good bet for the 2007 fantasy baseball season. That much talent doesn't just disappear overnight.
Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins - Shortstop
This speedy shortstop hit .292 with 46 Doubles, 11 Triples, 17 Home Runs, and 119 Runs scored. Oh, and he stole 51 bases. This kid is dynamic. Just 23 years old, he has the skills and the brains to keep this thing going. This 2007 spring training, he is picking up right where he left off last season. Ramirez is hitting .317 with 4 Doubles, 1 Triple, 3 HR, 9 RBI and 13 Runs, and 6 SB in just 63 AB. Look for Ramirez to turn in a Jose Reyes-like 2007 fantasy baseball season.
Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels of Wayne, NJ - Pitcher
Imagine this. You are a twenty-three year old minor league pitcher who is about to get your first shot in the majors. Except if you pitch well, you might just put your brother out of a job. That’s what Jered Weaver faced in 2006.
After a May 27, 2006 call-up, Jered Weaver went 5-0 with a 1.35 ERA and 35 strikeouts in his first five starts. Veteran older brother Jeff Weaver had less luck over the same period with the Angels. Between his May 30th outing and his eventual finals start for St. Louis on June 17, 2007, Jeff Weaver saw his record drop to 3-10 and his ERA rise to 6.29. The Angels made the easy baseball decision: Jeff was shipped out in a trade to the St. Louis Cardinals.
It must have been tough, but Jered persevered, going 11-2 with a 2.56 ERA and 105 strikeouts in just 123 innings. This spring, Weaver has been on the shelf with biceps tendonitis. But his most recent outing on March 27th showed that he is back and will be ready to start by April 16. The Angels better hope that’s the case.
Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox - Pitcher
This big man from Baton Rouge had perhaps the greatest ever fantasy baseball debut season for a closer. Before going down with a sore shoulder on September 1, 2007, Papelbon had 35 saves, a 0.92 ERA and a WHIP of 0.776. Those are some pretty crazy numbers.
Papelbon has shown that his shoulder is just fine during the 2007 spring baseball season, striking outs 17 batters in 12 2/3 innings, and posting a 2.13 ERA. Most second year pitchers give cause for worry. The old sophomore jinx. It’s not going to happen with Jonathan Papelbon. The man is too good. Now that he is back in the closer role, Red Sox fans can bask in the eternal sunshine of the eight inning game. And fantasy baseball owners who drafted him should ecstatic.
Anibal Sanchez, Florida Marlins - Pitcher
Sanchez hit the ground running in 2006. His 10-3 record and 2.83 ERA in 2006 made him a fantasy baseball standout, and also will make him the number two starter after Dontrelle Willis. This spring Sanchez has enjoyed continued success, going 2-1 with 3.12 ERA. It will be very interesting to see if he can keep it going through the 2007 fantasy baseball season.
