Mound Musings: Revisiting My 2022 “Home” League Pitching Staff

We're nearing the halfway point in the season, so I thought I would take a look at the performance of my "Home" league pitching staff, which now includes four starting pitchers who have been at the top of my kid's list. Overall, the numbers have been great – maybe even better than my ever-optimistic head could have expected. It's a good thing too, because if I was compelled to talk about my hitting, anti-nausea medication would be in order. Hitting has been an epic failure. 

A little background:

This league has been in existence for a very long time. This will be my 30th season, and most of the league's owners have been members for 20-plus years. It started in my hometown, but owners have gradually dispersed all over North America, and we all came back for draft day. However, with travel restrictions and distances, etc., we now hold the draft online. These guys are savvy, experienced, and they are pretty familiar with the tendencies of the other owners. It's a challenging group, but that makes it fun!

With 15 teams, it is a mixed league keeper with deep rosters (33 players per team with no minor league or disabled list slots). Standard scoring categories, five hitting and five pitching, with a lineup consisting of 12 hitters and nine pitchers (with a minimum of five qualified starting pitchers and two qualified relief pitchers). One thing that makes roster management more challenging – picking up a free agent requires a "move" usually from a player being sent down or put on the injured list. You can then release that player and pick up someone on the waiver wire (order is determined by reverse order of the current standings). Since you probably won't want to cut a key player who goes on the IL for a short time, you really need versatility and some productivity on your bench.

So, let's look at my pitching staff, and discuss:

Overview: I am in first (W and WHIP) or second (ERA, SO, and S) in the five pitching categories. That's the good news. But, the hitting has been so bad, the team is in sixth place overall. There is still time to make a run, but I'm starting to believe the position players really are this bad. A big part of the pitching success has been good health. With few exceptions, I have sent out my top seven starting pitchers and top two relievers. Hopefully that continues, but I did make a few moves to bolster my bench just in case. So, let's take a look at the staff:

• SP1 Julio Urias (81.2 IP, 6-6 W-L, 2.64 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 76 K) – Urias is one of several on this staff who occupied the penthouse suite of my elite kids list. He has worked through injuries that delayed his development, but he put it all together last year, going 20-3 with a 2.96 ERA. This year, so far, he's 6-6 but with a slightly better ERA of 2.48. That's what happens when your team averages seven runs a game in your starts to just two per start. There are a couple minor concerns – his walk rate is up slightly, his strikeout rate is down slightly, and his velocity is down a tick – but overall, he still looks very dominant most of the time, and if the offense picks up, the wins will certainly come.
• SP2 Alek Manoah (94.2 IP, 9-2 W-L, 2.09 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 85 K) – This is a keeper league, and I was very happy with the nucleus of my starting rotation, but I felt I needed to add one more top-of-the-rotation starter. I was looking for a very specific type. In short, I wanted a workhorse who could pile up a lot of quality innings, pitching for a solid team giving him a chance to win each time out. After evaluating the possibilities, Manoah was at the top of my list on draft day. So far, he has checked all the boxes, leading my starters in innings pitched, ERA. WHIP, and wins (tied with Taillon), and he's still getting better. I'd love a slightly higher strikeout rate, but I guess you can't always have it all. I'm satisfied.
• SP3 Shohei Ohtani (74.0 IP, 7-4 W-L, 2.68 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 101 K) – Ohtani could be my best starter on any given day, his stuff is often that good. Just look at the shape and location of his splitter. When he's on, it could be the most un-hittable pitch in the game. The Angels' six-man rotation blunts his overall impact somewhat – fewer starts, so fewer innings. Given his hitting workload, it is understandable that the team wants to keep him as fresh as possible. I'm not greedy – okay, well maybe a little bit – so I can overlook the fewer innings and be satisfied with the 17 home runs, 49 RBIs and eight steals he has chipped in. His contributions on the mound and at the plate probably make him the most valuable player in fantasy, and if the Angels could stay healthy enough to give him more protection when hitting and run support when he's pitching, that value could still increase.
• SP4 Carlos Rodon (86.0 IP, 7-4 W-L, 2.62 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 105 K) – I have been a big Rodon fan since he arrived in MLB, although I've had to wait patiently as he overcame a laundry list of injuries, so getting him last year at a significant discount was a bonus. He went 13-8 with a 2.37 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 133 innings for the White Sox in 2021. I was a little concerned when he wasn't signed by the Sox given his past health issues, but he hasn't missed a beat. He hasn't missed a turn, and easily leads my squad in strikeouts. A southpaw with his stuff, and excellent command isn't easy to find. Rodon has one of the best sliders in the game, and even though it can be hard on the arm, he uses it regularly.
• SP5 MacKenzie Gore (59.1 IP, 4-3 W-L, 3.34 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 65 K) – This spot belonged to Logan Webb until last week when I traded him for Gore. At face value it looks like a pretty iffy deal, but I had a feeling I might not have many more chances to acquire him, and this was the only league where I didn't own him. My rationale was that I could take a minor potential hit to my pitching this year – if my guys don't start hitting, it won't matter – to gain a lot in future seasons. Gore has a slightly cheaper contract, with an extra year of control, and I believe offers more upside than a very competent Webb. Sometimes, you just have to roll the dice looking for a higher ceiling.
• SP6 Jameson Taillon (84.0 IP, 9-1 W-L, 3.32 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 69 K) – Here's yet another kid's list alumnus. I mean it stands to reason. I first saw Taillon when he was in high school, and I immediately decided he was destined to pitch for me. I have had to be patient. His injury resume reads like a medical reference book. This season, he's been taking the ball every fifth day, and he's doing a pretty good job, helped tremendously by the juggernaut Yankees' offense. He keeps them in the game, and they typically explode for some runs along the way – they have won 13 of his 15 starts. Now that Taillon is 30 years old, I'm not sure he will ever achieve the promise he once showed, but you can do worse in your rotation.
• S7 Noah Syndergaard (65.1 IP, 5-6 W-L, 3.86 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 47 K) – He's the fourth of my seven primary starters to have formerly been atop my kid's watch list. I suppose Thor has probably been a mild disappointment, but with him having missed almost all of the last two seasons, it's hard to find too much fault. His fastball has been down a couple ticks, and he throws more off-speed stuff with fewer sliders, but he just seems to be pitching more within himself. It's a bit like watching a finesse pitcher, which is pretty strange. All this has resulted in him missing fewer bats, and he still struggles with runners on base, but he seems to be building everything back. I'm betting on him being completely back to the old Thor next year and beyond, but he's contributing in 2022.
• RP1 Kenley Jansen (32.2 IP, 20 S, 3.58 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 47 K) – Jansen has been on practically all of my various fantasy teams since he first arrived in 2010. I love the guy, and I certainly love the 370 career saves he has contributed to my teams over the years. I know he's getting older, and he's not quite the beast he once was, but he still gets it done on most nights. If anything, I think he lacks some of the old stamina. His cutter is still pretty nasty, but he is mixing it up a bit more. The guy is very talented and very smart. Jansen was just placed on the IL with an irregular heartbeat. The Braves are hoping for a short stay.
• RP2 Jordan Romano (28.0 IP, 17 S, 2.89 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 31 K) – Jansen is listed as my No. 1 RP, but in reality, he and Romano are pretty much even, and the younger Romano still has room to grow. His overall numbers are actually a bit misleading. I'm one of those guys who believes most closers need regular work with the game on the line to maximize their performance, and he hasn't been getting that. He began June with 21 straight days without a save chance, and he has had just two for the month. That's not nearly enough. They give him an inning now and then, but it's not the same. Like most things, save opportunities come in streaks. He'll get more, and he has the tools to make the most of it.
• RP3 Mark Melancon (26.1 IP, 11 S, 5.47 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 15 K) – I know, Melancon is a pseudo-closer, a graybeard with just average stuff. He has 11 saves – certainly not terrible – but his peripherals aren't too pretty. Of note, he has just two blown saves. Most of his ugly numbers have been generated in those dreaded nonsave appearances. Arizona isn't very good, and save chances are often spaced out, so "innings of work" are inevitable. He actually hasn't been in my active lineup yet. I haven't needed him. He serves as nice low-cost insurance against injuries or if teams behind me in saves close the gap.
• FLEX – This could be a SP7/8 or RP3/4 – Danny Duffy, Johnny Cueto, Aaron Civale, Seranthony Dominguez and Andres Munoz – So. this is what I considered the Achilles heel of my pitching staff, so I worked to bolster it as best I could. The two key guys are Cueto and Dominguez. I was able to add Cueto as he got close to his 2022 debut and I was very happy to do so. He provides insurance and is good enough to be a viable alternative in case a very bad matchup comes along. I'd like to see Dominguez serve as the Phillies primary closer, and I still think that could happen. As for the others, Civale was someone I took a flyer on when he returned from the IL, Munoz is a project that I like quite a bit, and it looks like Duffy won't be back in time to help as a SP. The cast is certainly not perfect, but I feel better about it than I did on opening day.

Some Notable Rotation Ramblings:

• With Baltimore's Grayson Rodriguez hurt, Miami's Max Meyer is the next top ranked pitcher on my kids list, and I have a feeling his call to the majors is imminent. Young pitchers always come with some risk, but he looks ready. The Marlins typically time their promotions pretty well, so he's worth a shot.
• Houston's Cristian Javier has often tossed hints that there is still some upside to discover despite some minor flaws holding him back. That may have changed when he and two relievers no-hit the Yankees. He struck out 13 over seven innings and was literally untouchable. I'm watching for a follow-up.
• I was hoping to see the Cardinals' Jack Flaherty building up stamina and shaking off rust, but instead, he left his most recent start after two innings with "shoulder stiffness" and missing more time is in the cards. At his best he's a true ace. St. Louis and fantasy owners need him, but you know, shoulder woes.
• A pitcher I wanted to watch this year, Minnesota's Sonny Gray, has been hindered by minor injuries including a pulled hamstring and a pectoral strain, but he looks healthy now and ready to shine. His last start against Cleveland was a gem, as he tossed seven shutout innings of nothing but soft contact.

Endgame Odyssey:

One of the better teams in baseball may be facing a major challenge. Craig Kimbrel of the Dodgers continues to struggle, and their best internal option, Daniel Hudson, was just lost for the season with a torn ACL. Brusdar Graterol is probably next in line, but don't be surprised if they look outside. Are we getting close to being able to predict who will get the ninth inning for the Reds? Hunter Strickland looks like he is the guy right now. He's not ideal, and saves won't be plentiful, but if you're desperate. The Braves' Kenley Jansen has been placed on the IL with an irregular heartbeat, a problem he has dealt with most of his career. The team is hoping for a minimal stay, while Will Smith and A.J. Minter fill in to cover the ninth inning. The Yankees anticipate getting back longtime closer Aroldis Chapman this weekend. He'll probably get some lower-leverage work initially, but what about once he's up to speed? Clay Holmes has been exemplary, and my guess is Chapman may only get occasional save chances.