Shaun Marcum - Marcum was brilliant this weekend against the Braves, fanning 12 in 7 innings of work but still failing to pick up his first win of the season. You can tell Marcum isn't right when he's issuing walks and failing to miss bats, and as Marcum has been a favorite of mine for quite some time I'm pretty familiar with him. It was very apparent to me that he wasn't ready when he rejoined the Mets, and for the first three starts he was all over the place. For starts number 4 and 5 he had his control back, issuing only 1 walk in 11 1/3 innings against PIT and STL, but he still wasn't missing bats with any frequency with only five K's. The past two outings against the Reds and Braves have been vintage Marcum, as while he did allow six runs over 13 innings, he only walked one man while fanning 19. Marcum's huge FB rates make him tough to trust every time out, but I would utilize him more often than not when he's healthy, as he appears to be once again.
Mike Leake - Last night's 7 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 7 K outing gives Leake three QS in a row, although he was unable to pick up his 5th win of the season. Leake has been much improved this season, showing increased velocity, GB rate, and K rate to go along with his typically solid control. He has also faced 7 bottom-10 offenses in his 10 starts, and the only top-10 offense that he has had to deal with was last night against Cleveland, and that was with the Indians having the pitcher hitting instead of a DH. Yes, the schedule has been ridiculously favorable for Leake thus far in 2013...perhaps more so than for any other starter to this point. Combine that fact with an FIP ERA that is already 3.79, over three-quarters of a run higher than his actual ERA, and you've got a pretty solid recipe for a "sell high" candidate. I think Leake is a solid bet to perform at a #4 or #5 starter level the rest of the way, so it isn't like I expect him to fall apart, but you may be able to get more out of him via the trade market.
Francisco Liriano - Well, Liriano finally had to pitch against a decent offense, and he wasn't able to keep the magic going as the Tigers knocked him around for eight hits and four runs in five innings of a 6-5 loss. Still, I'm not sure that means that you should expect him to turn back into a pumpkin in short order. Liriano still managed 10 swinging strikes in just 90 pitches yesterday as he continues to post his best figures in that category since his stellar rookie season way back in 2006, and his velocity has continued to rebound so far this year. Liriano has proven himself a useful starter in every single season that he has been able to walk fewer than four men per nine, and he's off to a good start on that front here in 2013. That more than anything else will indicate his likely value for me, and although I would be a tough apprehensive about starting him this weekend against the Reds, I'd still feel pretty comfortable about having him on my roster regardless of the league size right now.
Zack Greinke - Greinke allowed ten hits and six runs (four earned) over four innings last night against the Angels in an 8-7 loss. Greinke, to me, is clearly not 100%, as his swinging strike% since coming off of the DL is just 5.7%, his GB rate is barely better than half of his typical level, and his velocity is still down significantly. I expect that he will gradually return to normal over the next 2-4 weeks, as he was initially supposed to be on the shelf until mid-June, but for the time being I would be very reticent about putting him in my lineup.
Josh Rutledge - Rutledge was sent down to AAA last week, making room for the punchless duo of Jonathan Herrera and DJ LeMahieu to share 2B for the Rockies. Rutledge has been struggling to be sure, making much better contact than last season but hitting the ball on the ground a ton more, limiting the power that made him such an appealing option at 2B. The Rockies are always very quick to send down players that meet two criterion: hitting for a low AVG regardless of any other offensive production, and below average defensive contributors. The fact that Rutledge remained a top-10 2B for fantasy purposes is irrelevant to them, and rightfully so, but that doesn't change the fact that it leaves a pretty sizable hole in your lineup. I would have a hard time dropping Rutledge in most formats, but then again I would have said the same thing about Chris Iannetta numerous times, so it might turn out to be a waste of a spot. Still, he's a 24 year old 2B with power, speed, and the ability to hit for average in an organization with a solid lineup and no viable productive alternatives at his position. I'll certainly be looking to swipe him cheaply if possible.
