Today's Fantasy Rx

Note: The beginning of most stat lines includes the following data: H/AB for BA/OBP/SLG.

Anaheim: Derrick Turnbow, RH Reliever
1-0 on a 12:3 K:BB in 13.1 IP over 10 G
with 7 H, 0 HR, an 18-10 G-F, and a .68 ERA for Anaheim.
1-2 and 2 Saves on a 63:24 K:BB in 55 IP over 35 G
with 68 H, 5 HR, and a 5.73 ERA for AAA Salt Lake(PCL).
1-0 and 3 Saves on a 19:5 K:BB in 14 IP over 7 G
with 4 H, 0 HR, and a 0.00 RA for Arkansas.

The 25-year-old finally began justifying Anaheim's yearlong investment in keeping him on the 2000 roster following his selection in the previous Rule 5 draft. Injuries and control problems kept Turnbow in the lower minors the past two seasons, but other than a poor AAA ERA this year, his skills now look fantastic. A 34554554 QA log since his return to the Angels at the beginning of September indicates his potential to dominate hitters in 2004. He doesn't suffer from any platoon split, and with Anaheim's perpetually solid defense behind him, expect Turnbow to emerge as a valuable component of a bullpen that will pace the AL for the third straight year. Not every owner will want to acquire Turnbow, however he should earn a nice profit next year on a minimal investment now.

Previous Overachievers: April: Brendan Donnelly; May: Scot Shields; June: Ramon Ortiz; July: Ben Weber; August: Gary Glover.

We'll continue tomorrow with National League overachieving pitchers.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Some youngsters with intriguing potential barely have played this year yet could break camp in the majors and approach double-digit value in 2004. Among the active AL pitching prospects meeting that definition who should be available in many leagues for last-minute minimum FAAB bids are Anaheim RP Derrick Turnbow, Baltimore SP Matt Riley, Boston SP Bronson Arroyo, Seattle RP Brian Sweeney, and Tampa Bay SP Jon Switzer. Also, while he pitched decently earlier in the other league, Kurt Ainsworth likely wasn't available in many leagues until his return from the DL this week. He still looks like a future ace to me, so definitely target him now if possible.