Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Live Blog 6: Can you trust Blanton?


Will the real Joe Blanton please stand up?

If ever there was an enigma when it comes to a fantasy pitcher, Blanton fits the bill.

Do you like him? Do you hate him?

More important, can you trust him?

Blanton has thrown five shutout innings so far this morning, is one of the reasons why the Athletics felt they could get rid of their Big 3 of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito.

But consistency has not been his middle name. (It happens to be Matthew, if you're wondering)

  • In 2005, he showed major promise: a 3.53 ERA and 1.22 WHIP.
  • In 2006, he was a popular sleeper pick, only to reward owners with a 4.82 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. Many owners, present company included, sweared to never own Blanton again.
  • In 2007, Blanton did another turnabout, and turned in solid numbers of 3.95 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP and a career-high 140 K's.

So, what can you plan on if you draft Mr. Blanton?

Solid numbers, but nothing more. Pitching for Oakland, he probably won't win more than 12 games. His strikeout numbers will be below average at best.

And with Blanton in constant trade rumors this offseason, if he's dealt to a team with a smaller park, which is almost every other team in the majors, his ERA and WHIP numbers will surely take a hit. There's a reason Oakland pitchers have such sterling stats and it has a lot to do with the huge outfield and a plethora of space in foul territory.

I'm staying away from Blanton on all my teams, but if he's there late, you could do worse.

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