Blanton for Real?

[Sour Masher]

He has pitched a lot better lately (6 of his last 7 starts have been QS). Legit turn around or mirage?

Edit: Would you cut Brandon Crawford for him if you didn't really need Crawford in a 16 team mixed league? I don't really need him either right now (we have deep benches) but I worry that my all young SP staff will have to sit down the stretch. I have Miller, Fernandez, and Wheeler all in my rotation. So while I don't need Blanton now, I sure would like to pick up a semi-reliable arm, and Blanton seems to be the best bet available.

[revo]

It's definitely for real.

Since May 8th, he has an astounding 59-to-5 K/BB ratio, despite a 4.82 ERA. I think the high ERA is being driven by a high BABIP . He's still prone to flareups, so I'd use caution. If you don't need Crawford, I think that's not a bad move.

[cavebird]

As someone who drafted him in multiple leagues thinking a return to a ballpark that suppresses home runs would make him a valuable pitcher this year and then proceeded to start him all throughout April, I can state, that at least to me it is a mirage. Given that he has been dead to me since the start of May, I just don't buy it. A corpse cannot continue to pitch well.

[Erik]

It's definitely for real.

Since May 8th, he has an astounding 59-to-5 K/BB ratio, despite a 4.82 ERA. I think the high ERA is being driven by a high BABIP . He's still prone to flareups, so I'd use caution. If you don't need Crawford, I think that's not a bad move.

The low BB and high number of hits are related, as they always have been with him. When he misses, he misses within the zone.

[Moonlight J]

pre-June: .351/.384/.537
June: .203/.231/.453

pre-June: 14% K rate, 4% walk rate
June: 30% K rate, 4% walk rate

pre-June: 20% swing & miss rate, 66% strikes, 48% pitches put in play
June: 30% swing & miss rate, 66% strikes, 36% put in play

Threw more fastballs in June and his GB% went down 7% while his flyball % went up 6%.

Some of this is matchup related as he's faced Houston twice (who is not that good vs RHP), Pitt, Seattle, & Boston. In terms of weighted On Base Average, vs RHP, only Boston is in the top 15 teams of the league. Astros 2nd worst at .282, Seattle at .302, Pittsburgh at .305, and Boston leads baseball at .357

[overkill94]

He has always had a great K:BB that resulted in a higher than you would expect ERA. This hot stretch you speak of has come against the worst offenses in the league (Houston twice, KC, Pitt, Seattle, and pre-Puig LAD) with the one blow-up predictably being against the Red Sox. If you can spot-start him then he could be useful, but his year-end ERA will still be at least in the high-4's.

[Moonlight J]

He's a fatter Dave Bush

[cavebird]

He's a fatter Dave Bush

Bush, if he is still pitching anywhere, is a corpse to me as well, so the comparison is apt. These guys always sucker me. You would think that I would have learned my lesson by now.