Today's Fantasy Rx

Twenty-eight pitchers earned a 1 for their performance this season as of last week. Seven more joined the list this week while two dropped off, bringing our total of LIMA-quality 2002 AL pitchers with at least 15 IP to thirty-three AL pitchers.

Pitchers who joined the list include Jorge Julio, Jason Johnson, Alan Embree, Tim Wakefield, Casey Fossum, Eddie Guardado, and Ted Lilly.

Pitchers who dropped off the list include Bartolo Colon(K/9, trade) and Tim Hudson(H/9).

Please refer here if you'd like to take another look at some of our methodology.

LPR Code Description
1 - K:BB of 2.0+, K/9 of 6.0+, HR/9 of 1.0-, and H/9 of 9.0- thus far in 2002
2 - K:BB of 2.0+, K/9 of 6.0+, HR/9 of 1.0-, and H/9 of 9.0- in the second half of 2001
3 - K:BB of 2.0+, K/9 of 6.0+, HR/9 of 1.0-, and H/9 of 9.0- in the first half of 2001
4 - K:BB of 2.0+, K/9 of 6.0+, HR/9 of 1.0-, and H/9 of 9.0- for all of 2000

a - DOM of 55% or more in 2002
b - DOM of 55% or more in 2001
c - DOM of 55% or more in 2000
x - DIS of 20% or less in 2002
y - DIS of 20% or less in 2001
z - DIS of 20% or less in 2000

(Note: I used the PQS logs from Baseball Forecaster to create these ratings, and I strongly recommend that you purchase a copy if you haven't already.

Here is the eighth set of 2002 in-season AL LPR ratings which include all games played through June 27th. We ranked pitchers by the highest LIMA rating and then by the best PQS rating. Starting pitchers, if necessary, are ranked by their performance over their last five starts, which I include after the pitchers name in chronological order, ending with his most recent appearance.

1234
abcxyz - Pedro Martinez(34454)

Arthur Rhodes
Mariano Rivera

123
abcxyz - Roger Clemens(55202)
abxy - Roy Halladay(44454)

Eddie Guardado
Troy Percival

124
Chad Bradford
Ugueth Urbina

134
Billy Koch
Cliff Politte
Paul Shuey

234
Keith Foulke

12
b - Joel Pineiro(13434)

Matt Ginter
Ricardo Rincon
Kaz Sasaki

13
Tim Wakefield(453)

Buddy Groom
Steve Karsay

23
abcxyz - Mike Mussina(54124)
abxyz - Tim Hudson(45542)
bcxyz - Chan Ho Park(30434)
byz - Kevin Appier(30005)
x - Danys Baez(45253)

24
cx - Paul Wilson(20432)

Dan Miceli
Todd Van Poppel

34
xy - Joe Kennedy(23422)

Randy Choate
Rich Garces
Mike Holtz
Bob Howry
David Riske
Mike Stanton

1
acx - David Wells(55345)
x - Ted Lilly(33025)
z - Jason Johnson(53505)

John Halama(5240)
Johan Santana(4050)
Juan Acevedo
Francisco Cordero
Alan Embree
Casey Fossum
LaTroy Hawkins
Roberto Hernandez
Jorge Julio
Damaso Marte
J.C. Romero
Ben Weber

2
abcxyz - Barry Zito(245550)
abx - Rolando Arrojo(35550)
axy - Freddy Garcia(45550)
by - Mark Mulder(35335)
z - Kelvim Escobar

C.C. Sabathia(04243)
Matt Anderson
Lorzeno Barcelo
Shigetoshi Hasegawa
Antonio Osuna
Lou Pote
B.J. Ryan
Rudy Seanez
Victor Zambrano

3
bxy - John Burkett(12335)
yz - Rick Reed(41250)
y - Andy Pettitte(00002)

Gary Glover(15003)
Al Levine
Jim Mecir
Jeff Nelson
Travis Phelps
John Rocker
Bob Wickman
Kelly Wunsch

4
ax - Derek Lowe(34254)
y - Luke Prokopec(02542)

Jerrod Riggan

a
xy - Mark Buehrle(34242)
xz - Chuck Finley(54535)
x - Travis Driskill(45251)
x - Aaron Harang(43055)
z - Orlando Hernandez(53440)
Rob Bell(05534)

b
y - Cory Lidle(02033)
Brandon Lyon(20300)
Matt Wise

c
x - Mark Redman(53333)
Sterling Hitchcock(00)

x
yz - Ramon Ortiz(43453)
yz - Jarrod Washburn(25245)
y - Jeff Weaver(20554)
y - Tanyon Sturtze(23534)
y - Dave Burba(22043)
y - Paul Byrd(02024)
y - Jeff Suppan(22332)
z - Frank Castillo(40233)
Ryan Rupe(44250)
Adam Bernero(03543)
James Baldwin(50433)
Rodrigo Lopez(24341)
Miguel Ascencio(33331)

y
z - Jamie Moyer(44053)
z - Kenny Rogers(41004)
z - Todd Ritchie(43033)
z - Aaron Sele(34210)
z - Brad Radke(15300)
z - Pat Hentgen
Eric Milton(34500)
Jon Garland(43033)
Scott Schoeneweis(32030)
Erik Hiljus(40200)
Josh Towers(121)
Esteban Loiaza(00230)
Doug Davis(12120)
Paul Abbott(02300)
Joe Mays(000)
Rick Bauer

z
Sidney Ponson(43401)
Steve Parris(104)
Blake Stein(02)
Jim Parque

AL pitchers I recommend despite their failure to appear here include Jeremy Affeldt(33050), Brendan Donnelly, Travis Harper, Matt Kinney(43202), John Lackey(5), Kyle Lohse(20053), Ramiro Mendoza, Jay Powell, Shawn Sedlacek(45), Scot Shields, Ismael Valdes(43035), Pete Walker(044), Danny Wright(33523), and Esteban Yan. Please recognize that these are fairly risky or unproven players, but most aren't missing much to at least pick up a 1 rating fairly soon.

Other pitchers who you probably shouldn't deploy right now include Wilson Alvarez(05031), Chris Carpenter(0013), Ryan Drese(04330), Scott Erickson(21424), Tony Fiore(22), Ryan Franklin(33), Hideki Irabu, Mike Maroth(3420), Darrell May(22134), Justin Miller(35300), Jose Paniagua, Dan Reichert(01231), Willis Roberts, Rafael Soriano(44410), Steve Sparks(02003), Anthony Telford, and Mark Wohlers.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Bartolo Colon was the second best American League pitcher and one of the top roto contributors this season. If you need pitching in an NL league, now is when you should spend as much FAAB as necessary to secure his services.