NL Player Roundup: May 29th, 2013

Hyun-Jin Ryu - Ryu continues to defy expectations, throwing a complete game, two-hit shutout last night, striking out seven while walking zero. His 8.6 K/9 (and of course the 2.89 ERA) is the thing that really sticks out considering the kind of stuff Ryu possesses. The stuff we've seen has aligned perfectly with the scouting reports coming into the year, which suggested Ryu was more of a 7 K/9 pitcher than a near-9 K/9 kind of guy. If we look closer, we'll see that the regression has already begun; Ryu has posted a 5.6 K/9 over his last five starts, so if the shiny overall numbers are still fooling any of your leaguemates, now may be your last chance to capitalize. Expect the K/9 to fall down to 7 and the ERA to balloon up around 4.00.

Michael Wacha - It was announced yesterday that Michael Wacha, St. Louis' first-round pick last year, would be called up to make his major league debut tomorrow against the Royals. The team also said that he would be limited to 150 innings, which would leave him roughly 22 starts if he sticks with the big club. Wacha has a great pitcher's body with good, if not knockout, stuff, and projects to be a mid-rotation fixture for St. Louis for years to come. He lacks experience at the upper levels beyond 8 innings at Double-A last year and 52 at Triple-A this year, so he's better left for NL-only players until he proves that he can handle big league hitters; a 5.8 K/9 at Triple-A doesn't necessarily inspire confidence that he's there yet.

Neil Walker - Dragging a .246/.351/.362 triple-slash into the night, Neil Walker went 3-for-5 last night with a home run and a steal--his second and first of the year, respectively. Walker was a favorite play of mine this year as a solid, not-too-flashy yet underrated draft pick this year, but he's been a terrible disappointment to this point. I expect him to bounce back with his trademark mix of solid-but-not-quite-great batting average, power, and speed whilst batting in the heart of Pittsburgh's order, so if he's been dropped in your league, I'd recommend picking him up.

Tyler Lyons - Tyler Lyons followed up an impressive debut last week with 7 innings of one-run ball yesterday, striking out 5 while walking just 1. Lyons isn't as highly regarded or as well-known as St. Louis' big name prospect arms (like Miller, Rosenthal, Martinez, and Wacha, to name a few), but he's a good bet to remain quietly effective for NL-only and deep mixed leaguers thanks to his groundball tendencies and plus control that plays up decent stuff. With great offensive support, Lyons could be an underrated play going forward.

Hanley Ramirez - Word yesterday indicates that Hanley Ramirez could be activated from the Disabled List as soon as Monday's game against the Padres. After starting the season on the DL, Hanley played just four games for LA before returning to the trainer's room, and the Dodgers are surely hoping he'll be good to go this time around. If he can avoid another relapse, Hanley figures to be one of the more valuable shortstops in fantasy over the remainder of the year given his elite power/speed blend (for the position) and primo spot in a potent Los Angeles batting order (or at least a potent top-half of the order, which is what will matter most for his RBI and run potential).

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