I have Kelly Jansen in my roto league for a $1 which is a great deal if he becomes the Dodger closer. What are his chances this year of winning that job?
Kenley Jansen is one of the great unknowns in MLB. He's a converted catcher. In fact, he was the catcher for Curacao's national team, but he failed as a hitter, so the minor league scouts switched him over to pitcher and he's been drawing gasps from spectators ever since. He's only 24 and he's been a pitcher for a little more than two years, so he's still learning his trade. His raw potential is off the charts. His fastball is routinely clocked on the high end at 97-98mph. I don't remember him throwing a fastball under 93mph. He's a high octane flamethrower for sure. The big question is when will his knowledge catch up with his ability and the most recent answer is, maybe right now. Last year he looked raw and wild early in the year. He'd pitch a two-inning stint and walk five, while striking out everybody. Then he got hurt. When he returned in June, he came back as Koufax: almost unhittable. http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/dodger-thoughts/post/_/id/16829/dont-make-kenley-jansen-the-closer Kenley Jansen will pitch somewhere on the Dodgers roster. He could very well be the closer and that's where I'd like to see him; in the ninth inning, bases empty, nothing to think about, and crank the heater meter all the way up to full-crank boogedy-boo. That would make Javy Guerra the setup man, but nobody is sure if he's for real either. Both of them were forced up the ladder sooner than expected, because of the team's financial problems. Last season, they finished the schedule with Jansen setting up for Guerra, but it might wind up the other way around this time. Jansen could also be a starter, but he's so valuable at the end of the game, that I believe they'll keep him there. One thing is for sure: you got a good one who has the potential to be a great one, maybe as soon as this year. He won't even be 25 until the end of the season and every day, he gets a little better. The combination of his catcher's knowledge and blazing arm give him a great opportunity. My best guess is that Mattingly will use him as the closer right now or before the All-Star break.
A young Dodger pitcher to watch is Nathan Eovaldi. Every once in awhile, a prospect who wasn't supposed to be here barges in and refuses to leave. Don Sutton was like that. So was Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser. Keep an eye on this kid Eovaldi. (Pronounced "Eee-vald-ee.") He's a starter who throws upper 90's with a good curve and he doesn't rattle. He just turned 22 and may make the opening day starting rotation... http://www.truebluela.com/2011/8/6/2345872/nathan-eovaldi-prospect-ranking-review
Jo Co, thank you for the taking the time to writing such a detailed response. A fair portion of the baseball analysis one sees on the web are from stat guys who know how to crunch numbers and make projections from past performance. But, in contrast to you, they never played and coached the game and lack your expertise to examine a player and offer insights as to a player's strengths and weakness. Again, many thanks. Bob
Bobda...how much is Carlos Lee worth in your Roto League? He's way over paid as an Astro that's for sure!