Today's Fantasy Rx

Twenty-six pitchers earned a 1 for their performance this season as of last week. Six more joined the list this week while four dropped off, bringing our total of LIMA-quality 2002 AL pitchers with at least 15 IP to twenty-eight AL pitchers.

Pitchers who joined the list include Bartolo Colon, Roberto Hernandez, Johan Santana, David Wells, Tim Hudson, and Francisco Cordero.

Pitchers who dropped off the list include Jarrod Washburn(HR/9), Jason Johnson(H/9), Mike Stanton(K:BB, K/9), and Pete Walker(K:BB, K/9).

Please refer here if you'd like to take another look at some of our methodology.

LPR Code Description
1 - K:BB of 2.0+, K/9 of 6.0+, HR/9 of 1.0-, and H/9 of 9.0- thus far in 2002
2 - K:BB of 2.0+, K/9 of 6.0+, HR/9 of 1.0-, and H/9 of 9.0- in the second half of 2001
3 - K:BB of 2.0+, K/9 of 6.0+, HR/9 of 1.0-, and H/9 of 9.0- in the first half of 2001
4 - K:BB of 2.0+, K/9 of 6.0+, HR/9 of 1.0-, and H/9 of 9.0- for all of 2000

a - DOM of 55% or more in 2002
b - DOM of 55% or more in 2001
c - DOM of 55% or more in 2000
x - DIS of 20% or less in 2002
y - DIS of 20% or less in 2001
z - DIS of 20% or less in 2000

(Note: I used the PQS logs from Baseball Forecaster to create these ratings, and I strongly recommend that you purchase a copy if you haven't already.

Here are the seventh set of 2002 in-season AL LPR ratings which include all games played through June 21st. We ranked pitchers by the highest LIMA rating and then by the best PQS rating. Starting pitchers, if necessary, are ranked by their performance over their last five starts, which I include after the pitchers name in chronological order, ending with his most recent appearance.

1234
abcxyz - Pedro Martinez(43445)

Arthur Rhodes
Mariano Rivera

123
abcxyz - Roger Clemens(45520)
abxyz - Tim Hudson(44554)
abxy - Roy Halladay(44445)

Troy Percival

124
bcxyz - Bartolo Colon(44034)
Chad Bradford
Ugueth Urbina

134
Billy Koch
Cliff Politte
Paul Shuey

234
Keith Foulke

12
b - Joel Pineiro(01343)

Matt Ginter
Ricardo Rincon
Kaz Sasaki

13
Buddy Groom
Steve Karsay

23
bcxyz - Mike Mussina(35412)
bcxyz - Chan Ho Park(03043)
byz - Kevin Appier(23000)
x - Danys Baez(34525)

Eddie Guardado

24
cx - Paul Wilson(42043)

Dan Miceli
Todd Van Poppel

34
xy - Joe Kennedy(12342)

Randy Choate
Rich Garces
Mike Holtz
Bob Howry
David Riske
Mike Stanton

1
cx - David Wells(55345)

Juan Acevedo
Francisco Cordero
John Halama
LaTroy Hawkins
Roberto Hernandez
Damaso Marte
J.C. Romero
Johan Santana
Ben Weber

2
abcxyz - Barry Zito(45245)
axy - Freddy Garcia(44555)
by - Mark Mulder(43533)
b - Rolando Arrojo(3555)
z - Kelvim Escobar

C.C. Sabathia(04243)
Matt Anderson
Lorzeno Barcelo
Shigetoshi Hasegawa
Antonio Osuna
Lou Pote
B.J. Ryan
Rudy Seanez
Victor Zambrano

3
bxy - John Burkett(12335)
by - Tim Wakefield(453)
yz - Rick Reed(40412)
y - Andy Pettitte(50000)

Gary Glover(20150)
Al Levine
Jim Mecir
Jeff Nelson
Travis Phelps
John Rocker
Bob Wickman
Kelly Wunsch

4
ax - Derek Lowe(53425)
y - Luke Prokopec(02542)

Jerrod Riggan

a
xyz - Ramon Ortiz(44345)
xy - Mark Buehrle(53424)
xz - Chuck Finley(55453)
yz - Jamie Moyer(14405)
x - Travis Driskill(54525)
x - Rafael Soriano(22444)
x - Aaron Harang(54305)
z - Orlando Hernandez(53440)
z - Sidney Ponson(04340)
Rob Bell(41055)

b
y - Cory Lidle(30203)
Brandon Lyon(20300)
Matt Wise

c
x - Mark Redman(45333)
Sterling Hitchcock(00)

x
yz - Jarrod Washburn(55252)
y - Jeff Weaver(52055)
y - Tanyon Sturtze(22353)
y - Paul Byrd(43020)
y - Jeff Suppan(02233)
z - Frank Castillo(44023)
Rodrigo Lopez(52434)
Ryan Rupe(44250)
Adam Bernero(30354)
Miguel Ascenio(33331)

y
z - Kenny Rogers(41004)
z - Aaron Sele(23421)
z - Todd Ritchie(34303)
z - Brad Radke(15300)
z - Pat Hentgen
Jon Garland(44303)
Eric Milton(03450)
Scott Schoeneweis(53203)
Dave Burba(12204)
Erik Hiljus(40200)
Esteban Loiaza(30023)
Josh Towers(121)
Doug Davis(12120)
Paul Abbott(02300)
Joe Mays(000)
Rick Bauer

z
Jason Johnson(05350)
Blake Stein(02)
Steve Parris(10)
Jim Parque

AL pitchers I recommend despite their failure to appear here include Jeremy Affeldt(33050), Brendan Donnelly, Ryan Drese(40433), Casey Fossum, Travis Harper, Jorge Julio, Matt Kinney(34320), Ted Lilly(53302), Kyle Lohse(22005), Ramiro Mendoza, Justin Miller(35300), Jay Powell, Scot Shields, Ismael Valdes(34303), Pete Walker(044), Danny Wright(03352), and Esteban Yan. Please recognize that these are fairly risky or unproven players, but most aren't missing much to at least pick up a 1 rating fairly soon.

Other pitchers who you probably shouldn't deploy right now include Wilson Alvarez(40503), James Baldwin(55043), Scott Erickson(02142), Tony Fiore(22), Ryan Franklin(33), Hideki Irabu, Mike Maroth(342), Darrell May(52213), Darren Oliver(30200), Jose Paniagua, Dan Reichert(01231), Willis Roberts, Shawn Sedlacek(4), Steve Sparks(02003), Anthony Telford, and Mark Wohlers.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Interleague player ends for the year a week from Sunday. You have a little over one week to trade for part-time and full-time DHs before they begin to play again every day, likely driving up their prices.