Sleeper of the Week

Sidney Ponson was once considered the most likely eventual successor to Mike Mussina as ace of the Orioles’ staff, but his stock has dropped considerably after several lackluster seasons in which he never posted an era below 4.00 or a winning record. This year, however, the 27-year-old righthander is off to a solid start and just might be worth another look.

The 2002 season already showed some encouraging signs for Ponson even though he was hampered by injuries and wound up spending a month on the shelf. His era dropped from 4.94 to 4.09, and he brought his whip down to 1.34, while his k/bb ratio was nearly 2-to-1. His start into the 2003 campaign is even better: in 38 innings of work, Ponson has struck out 32 batters while walking only nine, and is on pace to win roughly 15 games. In the last month of play, Ponson surprisingly ranks among the top fantasy pitchers, with 3 wins and 31 k’s to his credit and a very stingy whip of 1.01.

Has Ponson finally turned the corner? Or are his numbers simply inflated by two victories against Tampa Bay? It’s a bit too early to be certain, but his eight-inning effort against Kansas City, in which he allowed only one earned run, struck out nine, walked one and allowed five hits, was a very good sign. If you’re in need of one last pitcher to round out your staff or a quick injury fill-in, Ponson, who is available in a surprising number of leagues, is worth serious consideration. At the very least, keep a close eye on his next two or three starts. If his control is sharp and his curveball shows good movement, grab him and hope that this truly does turn into a breakout season.

One further thing to keep in mind is that Ponson is only signed through the end of the season, meaning that a trade to a contender (presumably in exchange for prospects to stock Baltimore’s barren minor league system) is a distinct possibility. While a change of scenery - if a trade were to happen, which so far is merely speculation- might help Ponson’s numbers, it makes him somewhat risky in AL-only leagues.