Today's Fantasy Rx

Welcome our weekly LPR rankings, our primary method to identify highly skilled and/or consistently effective pitchers. Please refer to the end of the article for a complete description of the codes. We've included the five most recent 2004 QA scores for each starter, along with the 10 most recent QA scores for each reliever, tabulating all data through August 25th. Pitchers with no QA scores have not pitched this year, so don't roster any of them unless you see someone ready to return to the majors.

1
A - Bronson Arroyo(44433)

With Freddy Garcia slumping and hurting, not to mention Mulder's relative mediocrity in recent weeks, Arroyo stands alone as the AL starter with the best all-around skills this season. Of course, Schilling only needs to allow a couple fewer flyballs to join his teammate, and I also don't consider Arroyo a $20 pitcher. However, he also hasn't registered a disaster since June, making him a very safe bet in any league.

23abcxyz - Mariano Rivera(4513545544)
abcxyz - Tom Gordon(3445534423)
abcxyz - Mike Timlin(0442024324)
Kevin Gregg(3544543132)

Harper falls down while no pitchers either reach or return to this level, leaving us with surprisingly few top options. Timlin isn't even a good pick given his increasing disasters, although at least Gregg seems solid again.

2
3ABCXYZ - Pedro Martinez(44423)
3ABCYZ - Roy Halladay(52530)
3ABXYZ - Mark Mulder(13333)
3bcyz - Byung-Hyun Kim(400)
ABCXYZ - Tim Hudson(24443)
ABCXYZ - Curt Schilling(42254)
BCY - Kevin Brown(45132)
BY - Esteban Loaiza(23320)
CY - Sidney Ponson(33520)
B - Mike Mussina(23204)
c - Scott Schoeneweis(24040)

3bcyz - Alan Embree(4543344433)
3acz - Arthur Rhodes(2354212433)
Baxz - Scot Shields(3455225325)
bcz - Jeremy Affeldt(324124543)
a - Travis Harper(2334544433)

3
abcxyz - Keith Foulke(3443443452)
abcxyz - Francisco Cordero(5333433434)
abcyz - Chad Bradford(3544424344)
bcxy - Damaso Marte(44334302305)
cxz - Ricardo Rincon(5542334033)
cyz - Buddy Groom(3223432334)

A
ABXYz - Johan Santana(44545)
AX - Freddy Garcia(43403)
Terry Mulholland(40244)
Nate Robertson(20045)

Robertson returns as Mulholland continues to amaze me.

b - Dennys Reyes(4451325521)

B
C - Javier Vazquez(22313)
Y - Joel Pineiro(23404)
Jose Contreras(34442)
Cliff Lee(02404)
Eric DuBose(32300)

C
XZ - Mark Buehrle(44333)
YZ - Tim Wakefield(32342)
Z - Derek Lowe(23452)
x - Rodrigo Lopez(04412)
b - Mickey Callaway(000)
Miguel Batista(21202)
Bartolo Colon(33134)

X
Zach Greinke(34144)
David Bush(03433)
Wil Ledezma(03333)

Ledezma joins two other promising youngsters who won't hurt you now but also don't possess obvious immediate upside.

Y
cz - Jose Jimenez(3345134024)

Z
Orlando Hernandez(35332)

a
bcxyz - Octavio Dotel(21145555444)
bcxyz - Scott Williamson(2235545454)
bcxyz - Eddie Guardado(3534443310)
bcxy - Brendan Donnelly(5442534535)
bcxy - Brian Shouse(3343443343)
bcyz - Jason Grimsley(5353254322)
bcx - Jim Mecir(3444532435)
cxz - Bob Wickman(3425553533)
cxz - J.C. Romero(4552334444)
bx - B.J. Ryan(3322444531)
xy - Francisco Rodriguez(2454442334)
xz - Jorge Julio(3443434444)
c - Mike Myers(4345445450)
x - Joe Nathan(4555341433)
x - Frank Francisco(4553334325)
x - Matt J. Miller(3243544333)
x - Rafael Betancourt(0433325435)
x - Bob Howry(4534354512)
x - Carlos Almanzar(4534442421)
x - Shingo Takatsu(2342341355)
x - Jason Kershner(5353434515)
John Halama(2454334154)
Juan Rincon(4434325222)

Halama returns to relief, Takatsu flips with Mendoza, and Yan drops off in a surprisingly quiet week given the diminishing number of pitcher at the top tier.

b
c - Kelvim Escobar(35503)
y - Jake Westbrook(33424)
Kirk Saarloos(43030)

cxz - Ugueth Urbina(4334334541)
cyz - Paul Quantrill(4433002344)
cz - Troy Percival(0545332444)
xy - Danys Baez(4323313334)
c - Jeff Nelson(5443023422)
c - Scott Sauerbeck
y - David Riske(5322233434)
y - Curtis Leskanic(5321330335)
y - Derrick Turnbow(3334)
y - Rafael Soriano(424332)
y - Mike MacDougal(50522)
John Parrish(2232332224)
Bobby Seay(0134433453)
Mark Malaska(3332411433)
Jack Cressend(4243121113)
Chris Mears

c
x - Ron Villone(02022)
z - Brian Anderson(04321)
z - Mark Hendrickson(30300)
Carlos Silva(33044)

xyz - Terry Adams(4533345333)
z - Chris Hammond(3353345344)
z - Cliff Politte(5235234343)
z - Rick White(2344314203)
z - Ben Weber(3244323211)
z - Steve Karsay
z - Omar Daal
z - Jayson Durocher
z - Jason Middlebrook
z - Britt Reames
z - Carl Sadler
Justin Speier(3424530334)
Julio Mateo(4252443221)
Kelly Wunsch(532)
Kane Davis
Hansel Izquierdo
Jose Santiago
Mike Thurman

x
Jesus Colome(3435433434)
George Sherrill(1253443344)
D.J. Carrasco(43323424330
Jason Frasor(3333233352)
Jamie Walker(3453242244)
Ramiro Mendoza(4335232143)
C.J. Nitkowski(32344400430
Erasmo Ramirez(3334341334)
Chad Gaudin(3233331435)

Not only do Nitkowski and Walker all return, Carrasco and Sherrill make their first appearances of the year here.

z
Jaime Cerda(4244512153)
Mike Jackson(4235033322)
Brandon Puffer(2332242224)

AL starters I recommend despite their failure to appear above include Ryan Drese(43450), John Lackey(13333), Jon Lieber(40434), Ted Lilly(33143), Bobby Madritsch(5434), Gil Meche(34332), Brad Radke(25553), Mark Redman(44043), and Barry Zito(32435).

Other decent relievers include Grant Balfour, Shawn Camp, Vinnie Chulk, Neal Cotts, Justin Duchscherer, Ron Mahay, Trever Miller, J.J. Putz, and Todd Williams.

1 - K/9 of 6.0+, BB/9 of 3.0-, H/9 of 9.0-, HR/9 of 1.0-,
     and G-F of 1.0+ in 25+ IP in 2004.
2 - K/9 of 6.0+, BB/9 of 3.0-, H/9 of 9.0-, HR/9 of 1.0-,
     and G-F of 1.0+ in 25+ IP in 2003.
3 - K/9 of 6.0+, BB/9 of 3.0-, H/9 of 9.0-, HR/9 of 1.0-,
     and G-F of 1.0+ in 25+ IP in 2002.

QA score for starts: up to 5 total points, one for each statistical goal, to any starter who pitches at least 5 innings and fulfills any of the following skill qualifications: K>=IP-2, BB<=IP/3, H<=IP, HR<=1, and G-F>=1.00. Any starter who doesn't reach any of the required statistical goals or fails to pitch 5 innings earns a 0 QA score. Scores of 5 and 4 qualify as DOMinant outings, a 3 is DULl, and anything below 3 ranks as a skill DISaster.

QA score for relief outings: up to 5 total points, one for each statistical goal, to any reliever who retires at least one batter and fulfills any of the following skill qualifications: K>=IP, BB=0, H<=IP, HR=0, and G-F>=1.00. Any reliever who doesn't reach any of the required statistical goals or fails to retire a batter earns a 0 QA score. Scores of 5 and 4 qualify as DOMinant outings, a 3 is DULl, and anything below 3 ranks as a skill DISaster.

Note: Starters must pitch in five games before earning any of the following DOM or DIS ratings; relievers must appear in no less than 10 games before earning DOM/DIS consideration. All pitchers are evaluated as relievers aside from those who reached both 5 starts in a given season and qualified for DOM or DIS ratings.

A - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2004 starts
B - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2003 starts
C - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2002 starts

X - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2004 starts
Y - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2003 starts
Z - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2002 starts

a - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2004 relief outings
b - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2003 relief outings
c - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2002 relief outings

x - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2004 relief outings
y - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2003 relief outings
z - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2002 relief outings

We'll continue tomorrow with this week's NL LPR article.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Relatively unheralded or underrated AL middle relievers with strong current QA logs and an excellent chance to stabilize your qualitative stats include Chad Bradford, Brendan Donnelly, Jim Mecir, Frank Francisco, Chris Hammond, Jesus Colome, George Sherrill, and Grant Balfour.