Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
We are in the midst of the third week of the 2013 Fantasy Baseball campaign and fantasy owners have a pretty firm idea of which players are helping and which are hurting their chances of claiming fantasy gold. Some under the radar players are starting the season off red hot, while the familiar faces are struggling to get going a bit. So, fellow fantasy baseball columnists will partake in a little Over/Under game, providing a final stat line for a certain player, then debating whether they will eclipse that number or fall short. Whether you agree or disagree, feel free to let us know below.
Dexter Fowler hits 25 home runs
OVER: My fantasy man crush on Fowler is more than evident by now. Off to a fast start here in 2013 (.298/6/9), Fowler is making me love him more and more. But, after breaking out as a hitter last season, does he possess the power to eclipse 25 homers? Of course, I have to take the over on this. Batting at home in one of the more home run friendly ballparks in baseball, Coors Field’s altitude should give Fowler a bit of an advantage with his long ball. However, the guy can still hit it out of the park away from home, in fact four of his six dingers have come on the road this year. Also, many players are either good against left handed pitching or the opposite, hardly ever both. Well, last season, Fowler batted .315 against lefties and a solid .293 against rights. The 27-year old is hitting the prime season of his career and has tremendous balance and should see even more progression in power. He has the offensive talent around him to produce a career season, one that includes more than 25 home runs.
Yu Darvish finishes with 210 strikeouts
OVER: In his first year pitching in the United States, Darvish struck out 221 batters. So why the heck can’t he do it again, if not, more? With one season already under his belt, Darvish is already off to a strong start, striking out 28 batters in three starts (1st in AL). Darvish is adjusting to the American way, becoming much more of a control pitcher, a more balanced one as well. After last year’s All-Star break, Darvish cut his walk rate from 4.65 down to 3.65. In his second year, the 26-year old can only get better. He has a very strong array of pitches in his arsenal, including an improved cutter. I mean, the dude was one out away from a Perfect Game in his first start this season. Are you really going to bet against him?
Andrew McCutchen steals 30 bags
UNDER: Before the season started, McCutchen predicted he would swipe at least 20 bags. Well, he is already off to a strong start, posting five steals in 13 games. I really love McCutchen and believe he has the skill and speed to swipe this many bags, but 30 is a pretty high number. The Pirates star center fielder has only stolen 30 bases or more once in his four-year career, that was back in 2010. The problem won’t be whether or not “Cutch” gets on base, posting a career on base percentage of .373. I think he finishes slightly under 30, posting 26 homers and 24 steals. Still, a terrific season from your fantasy center fielder.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Addison Reed posts 35 saves
SLIGHTLY OVER: Reed is off to a strong start here in 2013, posting four saves and even a win. He has yet to surrender a single run and has struck out six batters. I think Reed is posed for a breakout year in his third season. The 24-year old is one of the few clear-cut, go-to guys in the bullpen and should see plenty of opportunity for saves, seeing as the White Sox offense hasn’t been scoring a boatload of runs, ranking 24th in the league with 45 runs. Guys like Chris Sale and Jake Peavy have been pitching well thus far, and should continue to keep the Sox in games, despite the often offensive scarcity. I’m a believer in Reed and think he finishes the 2013 campaign barely over 35, but over, nonetheless.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
