Set Up Men: Baseball's Anonymous Stars!
Everyone knows the big bombers, the strikeout kings and the shut 'em down closers. That's with good reason, as they.5?re the game's biggest stars. But there's another group that draws little recognition, yet without them doing their jobs well, no team is going to have much of a shot at having a great season.
The same actually holds true in fantasy baseball, even in leagues that don't count holds as a category. Far too many owners get hung up on filling their pitching lineup with only starters and closers. The problem is that in deeper leagues of 12 or more teams, there just isn't a way to garner that many top starters and closers without sacrificing offense. That's why set up pitchers can often be the perfect remedy for that lack of production at the end of the roster that afflicts so many owners.
Most quality leagues have a maximum innings pitched restriction. For instance, the default setting in Yahoo! Leagues is 1,250 innings pitched. Once a team reaches that number, the show's over and they accrue no further pitching statistics. That being the case, carrying more than five starters is unadvisable. Since owning four closers is unlikely, filling those last couple of pitcher slots is pretty important. Moreover, carrying a weak fifth or sixth starting pitcher will actually do more harm than good. The owner might generate a few more wins and Ks in his 5x5 league, but his ERA and WHIP will suffer as the innings keep getting eaten up. The better strategy is to get three really top quality SPs, perhaps two more that fall into the solid if unspectacular category and find two top closers but a lower tier saver. That should leave between one and three pitching spots, and that's where the top setup men can be of great use.
Here.5?s a rundown on some of this year's best likely grabs for the setup roles on your fantasy team.
Scott Linebrink, Padres: The likely heir apparent to Trevor Hoffman if that future Hall of Fame first ballot entry ever slows down. Linebrink is 15-4 the last two years, with a 1.99 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 153 Ks in 154 IP.
Scott Williamson, Cubs: The Cubs spent a bundle on Bobby Howry and Scott Eyre, and they're both solid. But Williamson, if healthy, is the best bullpen denizen on the team. Whether or not Williamson can stay healthy is always a big question, but he's worth owning till he breaks down. Nasty, nasty stuff, he's allowed a LIFETIME batting average of .199!
Takashi Saito, Dodgers: Who wants a 36 year old rookie? You should! When Eric Gagne went down, Saito.5?s value went way up as Danys Baez took over closing duties. Like many of the Japanese imports, Saito hides the ball well and has a peculiar delivery, which will make him very puzzling for even the best hitters for at least one year. Also, LA plays a ton of low scoring, close games at home, making the eighth inning pitcher even more valuable.
Scot Shields, Angels: He's won 18 games the last two years with 207 Ks in 197 IP. He's also likely to grab a handful of saves as he can go more often than closer Francisco Rodriguez, who needs the occasional day off.
Justin Duchscherer, A's: The likely best of the whole bunch. Look for ERA that could be less than 2.00, a terrific WHIP, and at least one K per IP. Personally, I like his stuff better than Huston Street's and feel he ought to be closing for the A's. But at least this way, there's a chance he may not be owned in your league. He should be.
The bottom line is that these five setup pitchers and a handful of others are better options than a mediocre SP or even a bottom tier closer that can adversely impact your peripherals.
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