Today's Fantasy Rx

Welcome our weekly LPR rankings, our primary method to identify highly skilled and/or consistently effective pitchers. Please refer to the end of the article for a complete description of the codes. We've included the five most recent 2004 QA scores for each starter, along with the 10 most recent QA scores for each reliever, tabulating all data through July 21st. Pitchers with no QA scores have not pitched this year, so don't roster any of them unless you see someone ready to return to the majors.

1
23ABXYZ - Mark Mulder(43334)
2ABCXYZ - Curt Schilling(52444)
AX - Freddy Garcia(33544)

23abcxyz - Mariano Rivera(5454443554)
abcxyz - Tom Gordon(5543334555)
abcxyz - Mike Timlin(4333435352)
ax - Shingo Takatsu(4345223553)

Mulder flips with Halladay for the third straight time, although the Toronto ace may not return to this level barring a quick recovery and nearly immediate success upon his return.

2
3ABCXYZ - Pedro Martinez(32544)
3ABCYZ - Roy Halladay(52530)
3bcyz - Byung-Hyun Kim(400)
BCXYZ - Tim Hudson(34522)
BCY - Kevin Brown(30330)
BY - Esteban Loaiza(02324)
CY - Sidney Ponson(32341)
Xc - Scott Schoeneweis(43224)
B - Mike Mussina(03232)

3bcyz - Alan Embree(2252333302)
3acz - Arthur Rhodes(4423542124)
Baxz - Scot Shields(3333434332)
bcz - Jeremy Affeldt(432412454)
Travis Harper(2435314144)

3
abcxyz - Keith Foulke(5324342334)
abcxyz - Francisco Cordero(5522435355)
abcyz - Chad Bradford(3443225354)
acxz - Ricardo Rincon(3045355232)
bcxy - Damaso Marte(4440524343)
cyz - Buddy Groom(1243431334)

A
ABXYz - Johan Santana(44554)
Nate Robertson(24044)
Rich Harden(03243)
Bronson Arroyo(42455)

b - Dennys Reyes(2245551)

B
C - Javier Vazquez(23203)
Y - Joel Pineiro(52340)
Jose Contreras(33244)
Cliff Lee(24340)
Eric DuBose(32300)

C
YZ - Tim Wakefield(24530)
Z - Mark Buehrle(55324)
Z - Derek Lowe(20402)
x - Rodrigo Lopez(45332)
Miguel Batista(24234)
Victor Zambrano(23404)
Bartolo Colon(40032)

b - Mickey Callaway(5)

X
by - Jake Westbrook(33253)
Zach Greinke(23340)
Justin Miller(53413)

Y
cz - Jose Jimenez(3345134024)

Z
Orlando Hernandez(32).

Considering him as more than an intriguing short-term solution looks like a mistake, but given the apparent fragility of the Yankees' rotation, Hernandez could remain surprisingly valuable through September.

a
John Halama(33040)

bcxyz - Eddie Guardado(4323353444)
bcxyz - Octavio Dotel(3524323544)
bcxyz - Scott Williamson(2235545454)
bcxy - Brendan Donnelly(5332444452)
bcxy - Brian Shouse(4443421353)
bcyz - Jason Grimsley(5453122434)
bcx - Jim Mecir(4055234414)
bxy - Danys Baez(5434351443)
bxy - Danny Patterson(3404342354)
bx - B.J. Ryan(5533435435)
by - David Riske(2522342232)
xy - Francisco Rodriguez(4533143535)

The big news here is that Donnelly reached 10 games, immediately qualifying for an ax rating in addition to his previous marks. Feel free to employ him in any league. Also, while David Riske lost the Cleveland closer job again, B.J. Ryan appears destined for Orioles' saves soon with Jorge Julio very available in trade talks.

b - John Parrish(4043443454)
x - Joe Nathan(4444444345)
x - Juan Rincon(3325544344)
x - Carlos Almanzar(4534244455)
x - Jason Kershner(5353434515)
Rafael Betancourt(3353341444)
Esteban Yan(34524444430
Doug Brocail(3434243243)
Matt J. Miller(3540430433)
Justin Lehr(4525125433)
Kerry Ligtenberg(3543420532)

Yan and Lehr replace Franciso and Putz, although the only guys worth much attention at the bottom of this ranking look like Betancourt, Yan and perhaps Miller.

b
c - Kelvim Escobar(24334)
Kirk Saarloos(430)

cxz - Ugueth Urbina(3323325343)
cyz - Paul Quantrill(3422442434)
cz - Troy Percival(3224323551)
c - Jeff Nelson(4405443023)
c - Scott Sauerbeck
y - Curtis Leskanic(3344553213)
y - Derrick Turnbow(3334)
y - Rafael Soriano(424332)
y - Mike MacDougal(50522)
Mark Malaska(2133324114)
Bobby Seay(03301)
Jack Cressend(4243121113)
Chris Mears

c
x - Ron Villone(02)
z - Mark Hendrickson(00404)
z - Brian Anderson(30003)
Carlos Silva(22324)

xz - Rick White(4423343345)
yz - Terry Adams(2524542343)
z - Bob Wickman(42442)
z - Cliff Politte(5345253233)
z - J.C. Romero(3024345034)
z - Chris Hammond(2431435333)
z - Ben Weber(3244323211)
z - Scott Stewart(3425334510)
z - Steve Karsay
z - Omar Daal
z - Jayson Durocher
z - Jason Middlebrook
z - Britt Reames
z - Carl Sadler
Mike Myers(5540344504)
Julio Mateo(3353442142)
Justin Speier(2413324225)
Kelly Wunsch(532)
Kane Davis
Hansel Izquierdo
Jose Santiago
Mike Thurman

x
z -Jaime Cerda(3333343354)
Jason Frasor(4435523215)
Rudy Seanez(3423414334)
Jamie Walker(5320333345)
Jesus Colome(2534353332)
Chad Gaudin(3233331435)
Erasmo Ramirez(2333343413)

Seanez and Colome replaced Chulk and Adkins, although the latter still seem like safer plays than anyone as inconsistent as Colome.

z
Jorge Julio(4334412344)
Mike Jackson(2322345224)
Brandon Puffer(2332242224)

AL starters I recommend despite their failure to appear above include Erik Bedard(33332), Daniel Cabrera(32443), Ryan Drese(30434), Jason Johnson(42355), John Lackey(32443), Mike Maroth(33353), Kaz Tadano(44), Josh Towers(43034), and Mike Wood(3304).

Other decent relievers include Grant Balfour, Ryan Bukvich, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Felix Heredia, Bobby Howry, Ron Mahay, Ramiro Mendoza, and Scott Sullivan.

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 2004.
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 2003.
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 2002.

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 any of the following skill qualifications: K>=IP-2, BB<=IP/3, H<=IP, HR<=1, and G-F>=1.00. Any starter who doesn't reach any of the required statistical goals or fails to pitch 5 innings earns a 0 QA score. 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 any of the following skill qualifications: K>=IP, BB=0, H<=IP, HR=0, and G-F>=1.00. Any reliever who doesn't reach any of the required statistical goals or fails to retire a batter earns a 0 QA score. Scores of 5 and 4 qualify as DOMinant outings, a 3 is DULl, and anything below 3 ranks as a skill DISaster.

Note: 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 2004 starts
B - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2003 starts
C - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2002 starts

X - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2004 starts
Y - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2003 starts
Z - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2002 starts

a - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2004 relief outings
b - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2003 relief outings
c - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2002 relief outings

x - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2004 relief outings
y - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2003 relief outings
z - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2002 relief outings

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

Today's Fantasy Rx: Dealing for almost any starting pitcher right now qualifies as a relative risk. Only Johan Santana, Mark Mulder, Freddy Garcia, and possibly Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez qualify as true aces right now based on their historical skill, consistency, and recent performance. I see no reason to consider any other AL starter as more than a $20+ value.