Today's Fantasy Rx

Please check our key for a complete description of these rankings. We have included the five most recent 2003 QA scores for each starter, along with the 10 most recent QA scores for each reliever, tabulating all data through May 28th.

123
ABCYZ - Pedro Martinez(33445)

12
None.

13
ABCXZ - Roger Clemens(44232)
AX - Mike Mussina(50433)

While Mussina looks a little down over his last few starts, his overall skills still rank with the best pitchers in the majors.

23
ABCXYZ - Roy Halladay(35545)
ACXY - Mark Mulder(44544)

bcxyz - Buddy Groom(4330433224)
bcxyz - Arthur Rhodes(3423353445)
abcxyz - Mariano Rivera(3555442433)

I like the improvement here as Mulder and Rivera max their DOM & DIS marks; we would rather own Halladay and Mulder right now than Clemens and Mussina, and Rivera should bump up the chart in no more than another week or two.

1
ABX - Sir Sidney Ponson(45335)
AX - Esteban Loiaza(23524)

abcxyz - Jason Grimsley(5343423444)
ac - Aaron Fultz(2423443043)
ay - Scot Shields(3235424044)
Travis Harper(2544333433)

Lidle and Ponson exchange the top spot here again while Grimsley and Fultz hold their place and Shields and Harper return to this level. All six of these hurlers rank among the best pitchers to own in AL-only leagues.

2
Abcyz - Byung-Hyun Kim(52523)

Although his role remains undecided, Kim should see success regardless of how the Red Sox employ him.

abcxyz - Keith Foulke(4330445332)
abcxy - Chad Bradford(4335335535)
abxy - Francisco Cordero(4453354454)
abxy - LaTroy Hawkins(3345443442)
bcyz - Ricardo Rincon(5305353435)
abx - Damaso Marte(5453455243)
bcy - Alan Embree(0254423445)

3
ABCXYZ - Tim Hudson(44443)
C - Kevin Appier(02404)
C - John Burkett(14133)
Joel Pineiro(34253)
Freddy Garcia(30424)

bcyz - Steve Karsay
bcyz - Bob Wickman
by - Cliff Politte(3234431433)
cz - Ramiro Mendoza(3044242412)

A
X - Gil Meche(44345)
X - Jason Johnson(44042)
Kyle Lohse(24435)
Adam Bernero(05044)
Joaquin Benoit(45040)

We see some intriguing surprises at this level as Lohse rejoins Meche and Johnson. I never expected to see Bernero and Benoit here right now. Both pitchers lack consistency, however the two own solid minor league track records and should succeed under the right circumstances. View both as high-risk, high-upside selections.

B
XYZ - Tim Wakefield(23444)
Ycz - Derek Lowe(00343)
Y - Mark Buehrle(32034)
Y - Jeff Weaver(22213)
Z - Andy Pettitte(02305)
Casey Fossum(02454)
Bartolo Colon(22434)
Rodrigo Lopez(03130)

Mickey Callaway(244531 in relief)

C
Z - Chan Ho Park(03330)
Z - Jon Lieber
ab - Kelvim Escobar(040 as starter)
Cory Lidle(32334)
John Thomson(30242)
Jake Westbrook(23030)

Z - Brandon Lyon(5354251542)
Rick Bauer(3435323235)

X
Y - David Wells(43233)
Z - Barry Zito(33434)
Jamie Moyer(32344)

I expect Moyer to bounce on-and-off this ranking much of the year. More importantly, Zito's beginning to show some dominance.

Y
cz - Victor Zambrano(433232 in relief)

Z
Jon Garland(23435)

a
bcxyz - Tom Gordon(5045533444)
bcxyz - Troy Percival(43434533442)
bcxyz - Kazuhiro Sasaki(1344555334)
bcxz - Jeff Nelson(3332435315)
bcyz - Billy Koch(1243444444)
bcyz - Mike Timlin(3335235354)
bxy - Eddie Guardado(3355434344)

Gordon and Koch are rebounding nicely for the White Sox; your window to acquire Koch cheaply may have closed. Timlin, while still not dominant, continues to pitch effectively in middle relief as he compiles another excellent WHIP.

bc - Kelly Wunsch(2354444303)
bx - Brendan Donnelly(4434425533)
cx - David Riske(2445545344)
xy - Jorge Julio(4243322355)
xz - Mike Venafro(0553324443)
b - Juan Acevedo(3144330233)
b - Scott Schoeneweis(2535505543)
x - Danys Baez(4534443452)
x - Mike MacDougal(2533344444)
x - B.J. Ryan(5043003544)
Mike Neu(5444422452)
Franklyn German(3445232535)
Aquilino Lopez(4341243354)

Lopez steals Steve Sparks' spot, but we are impressed by the short relief performances of all of these dominant relievers. Donnelly, Riske, Julio, Baez, MacDougal, German, and Lopez all look quite strong right now.

b
y - Mark Hendrickson(44333)
y - Omar Daal(20424)
y - Brian Anderson(20414)
y - Jeremy Affeldt(03224)

cyz - Ugueth Urbina(4144345431)
cyz - Rick White(4234122020)
cz - Jim Mecir(234554)
yz - Ben Weber(5244331433)
yz - Gary Glover(4521322331)
yz - Mike Fetters(43344)
x - Brian Shouse(4424533243)
y - J.C. Romero(5434344414)
y - Chris Hammond(2323352343)
y - Albie Lopez(4422021212)
y - Brian Bowles(02)
Julio Mateo(3344214303)
Travis Driskill(22301)

c
yz - Jeff Tam(3335523433)
z - Al Levine(4253353253)
z - Kris Wilson(2342332435)
z - Willis Roberts(2403305034)
z - Rudy Seanez(3332)
z - Chad Fox(2413455332)
z - Danny Patterson
z - Jeff Zimmerman
Giovanni Carrara(3430342232)
Tanyon Sturtze(432423)
Bobby Seay(544442023)

x
z - Shigetoshi Hasegawa(5234555345)
Jesus Colome(3452234444)
R.A. Dickey(2342355533)
Francisco Rodriguez(4524313135)

Colome continues to impress us, and as we believe Carter's more valuable in middle relief, Colome still could net you a dozen saves, and his current skills suggest he even would help your qualitative marks now.

y
Johan Santana(4323133224)
Dave Elder(4401)

z
Jay Powell(2324224222)
Sean Lowe(31424424)
Mark Wohlers

AL starters I recommend despite their failure to appear above include Jeremy Bonderman(43424), Dewon Brazelton(34224), Jeremi Gonzalez(433), John Lackey(52334), Mike Maroth(42240), Rick Reed(40424), Kenny Rogers(33324), C.C. Sabathia(42235), and Jarrod Washburn(43434).

Other decent relievers include D.J. Carrasco, Lance Carter, Robert Person, Juan Rincon, and Chris Spurling.

We modified these ratings slightly since posting our team-by-team LPR scores in January. Reworking the A-Z and a-z ratings allowed us to easily identify effective starters rather than looking only at truly dominant performers of whom we only found a handful in any of the previous few seasons.

1 - K/9 of 6.0+, BB/9 of 3.0-, H/9 of 9.0-, HR/9 of 1.0-,
     and G-F of 1.0+ in 25+ IP in 2003.
2 - K/9 of 6.0+, BB/9 of 3.0-, H/9 of 9.0-, HR/9 of 1.0-,
     and G-F of 1.0+ in 25+ IP in 2002.
3 - K/9 of 6.0+, BB/9 of 3.0-, H/9 of 9.0-, HR/9 of 1.0-,
     and G-F of 1.0+ in 25+ IP in 2001.

QA score for starts: up to 5 total points, one for each statistical goal, to any starter who pitches at least 5 innings and fulfills the following skill qualifications: K>=IP-2, BB<=IP/3, H<=IP, HR<=1, and G-F>=1.00. Any starter who does not reach at least one of the required statistical goals or fails to pitch 5 innings earns a QA score of 0. Scores of 5 and 4 qualify as DOMinant outings, a 3 is DULl, and anything below 3 ranks as a skill DISaster.

QA score for relief outings: up to 5 total points, one for each statistical goal, to any reliever who retires at least one batter and fulfills the following skill qualifications: K>=IP, BB=0, H<=IP, HR=0, and G-F>=1.00. Any reliever who does not reach at least one of the required statistical goals or fails to retire a batter earns a QA score of 0. Scores of 5 and 4 qualify as DOMinant outings, a 3 is DULl, and anything below 3 ranks as a skill DISaster.

Starters must pitch in five games before earning any of the following DOM or DIS ratings; relievers must appear in no less than 10 games before earning DOM/DIS consideration. All pitchers are evaluated as relievers aside from those who reached both 5 starts in a given season and qualified for DOM or DIS ratings.

A - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2003 starts
B - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2002 starts
C - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2001 starts

X - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2003 starts
Y - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2002 starts
Z - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2001 starts

a - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2003 relief outings
b - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2002 relief outings
c - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2001 relief outings

x - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2003 relief outings
y - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2002 relief outings
z - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2001 relief outings

We will continue tomorrow with this week's NL LPR article.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Due to their movement relatively early in the year, yesterday's Kim-Hillenbrand deal might have involved the two most valuable fantasy players that will change teams this season. Take advantage of this opportunity to acquire a $20+ player in either league by spending a significant portion of your FAAB if you need any pitching help in AL leagues or require a hitting boost in NL-only contests. I do not believe we will see any objective increase in either player's value unless Kim closes on a regular basis, but grabbing someone now will give you twice as much help as anyone you acquire following the July 31st MLB trade deadline.