2015 Fantasy Baseball: Chris Sale Or Madison Bumgarner?
By Adam McGill
@adammcgill83twitter.com
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The 2015 fantasy baseball drafts all around the country are about to be underway. As always, starting pitchers will be crucial to competing. Two starters being widely considered in the early rounds of the draft are Chicago White Sox SP Chris Sale and San Francisco Giants SP Madison Bumgarner. To help you make the final decision, here is a breakdown of which pitcher would be the better pick this season.
The Case For/Against Chris Sale:
Sale has quickly emerged as one of the top strikeout artists in all of fantasy. The southpaw struck out an impressive 10.92 K/9 in 2014 and finished with a 3.13 ERA. He has earned a spot among the top-10 fantasy starters.
Unfortunately, Sale spent time on the disabled list in 2014, and he has already been nursing an injury throughout the spring. The starter sprained his ankle and broke a bone in his foot earlier this month. He has already been ruled out of the Season Opener, which only clouds his fantasy value more heading into the new season.
The Case For/Against Madison Bumgarner:
Bumgarner threw 216 innings in the regular season. He struck out 219 batters and compiled a 2.92 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP. The right-hander was even better throughout the MLB postseason. In seven starts, the big southpaw posted an incredible 1.03 ERA through 52.2 innings of work.
Bumgarner has been a workhorse throughout his career, but the fact that he threw an unthinkable 268.5 innings throughout the regular season and postseason is extremely alarming. The extra innings may take a toll on his body at some point in 2015.
The Final Verdict:
It is a tough decision to make, especially considering Sale’s injury and Bumgarner’s workload. If left to pick one of these fireballers in the second round, though, my advice would be to go with the World Series MVP.
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
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