Andrew Cashner (RP-SD) - Cashner is a former first-round draft pick, so it's not a surprise that when he's healthy, he's good. Watching him Saturday, Cashner was in the 98-100 mph range with his fastball. He mixed in an 88 mph slider a couple times, but when you're touching 100, you need not mess around with secondary offerings. He supposedly has a knuckle-curve in his repertoire as well, but I didn't see one. Cashner had a stellar spring, allowing just one run in 10 innings with an excellent 16:3 K:BB. He's looking good this year as well, and could be on track to take over as closer should Huston Street get hurt or be traded later in the year. Cashner has tossed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts on the year, but true to form, he's also walked a pair. In 54.1 innings for the Cubs in 2010, Cashner walked 30 for a 5.0 BB/9, a number that will need to drop dramatically should he want to close many games in the big leagues.
Andre Ethier (OF-LAD) - Ethier, like the 3-0 Dodgers, is off to a solid start, batting .273/.385/.636 with six RBI through three games. This after an excellent spring has Ethier poised for a huge 2012 as he looks towards free agency after the season. Ethier also batted .385 last April before a knee that eventually required surgery slowed him down and resulted in his worst year as a regular. Through his first three games, Ethier is 2-for-3 versus lefties, and while the sample size is miniscule, it also underscores one area that can take him to the next level. Over his last three seasons, Ethier is just a .215/.279/.329 hitter versus a .313/.398/.537 mark versus righties. Getting his OPS versus lefties into the .750 range would inch him towards top-10 fantasy outfielder status and is an area of his game worth monitoring. In those three years, Ethier also has a 6.5% BB% and 22.8% K% versus lefties against 12.0% and 15.8% (respectively) rates versus right-handers. Narrowing those games will be key to Ether becoming an elite outfielder.
Ricky Nolasco (SP-FLA) - If you try and put together a list of the league's more frustrating pitchers, make sure you have Nolasco on it. He did have a solid 2012 debut, holding the Reds to three runs over eight innings to pick up the win. Joey Votto and Zack Cozart did take him deep, but Nolasco didn't walk any hitters while striking out five. He has seen his K/9 rate trend as follows over the last three years - 9.5, 8.4, and 6.5 while allowing at least 20 homers a year and minimizing the damage via a BB/9 that has averaged just south of 2.0. Still, this is a guy who has seemingly always had component numbers that would seem to lead to a sub-4.00 ERA, but don't. Perhaps this is the year that things turn around for him.
Carlos Zambrano (SP-FLA) - Making his Marlins debut Sunday, Zambrano allowed four runs over six innings in a no-decision against the Reds. He walked two and struck out six and appears to be locating his stuff pretty well for most of the game. Zambrano was generally in the 87-89 mph range with his sinking fastball versus the 90 mph average he's showed the last couple years, but we probably shouldn't be too concerned considering it's early. It seem as if Zambrano has been around forever, but he's still just 30. Over the last four seasons, Zambrano has failed to top 200 innings, with the low point being last year's 4.82 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. The Marlins took him on as a reclamation project, and despite the 6.00 ERA after one start, they have to be encouraged by the 6:2 K:BB. Less favorable was his performance this spring - 21:21 K:BB in 21.2 innings. He's worth a flier, but unless Big Z can start missing more bats (6.2 K/9 last year), he's probably going to settle in as a back of the rotation type starter for the rest of his career.
Ruben Tejada (SS-NYM) - Tejada has the inevitable task of "replacing" Jose Reyes as the Mets' shortstop and leadoff hitter, but so far so good. Sunday, Tejada was 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBI. Tejada ends the season's first week batting .363/.462/.545. Tejada has offered very little in the way of power or stolen bases recently in the minors, but he did post a .360 OBP and 0.70 EYE in Triple-A last year, so there is some upside here. Just don't expect much outside of NL-only leagues.
