Sleeper of the Week

Before you get too excited about Shawn Chacon saying good-bye to Colorado and heading for the Bronx, keep one thing in mind: Chacon hasn’t pitched any better on the road than at Coors Field this year. His ERA was indeed nearly two points lower away from home (3.12, compared with 4.97 in games played in Colorado), but his WHIP was actually worse on the road at 1.50, compared with 1.39 at home.

Chacon’s K/BB ratio on the road was particularly ugly at an even one-to-one. The one stat where Coors Field reared its hitter-friendly head was home runs allowed; six of the seven blasts against the right-hander came in the thin air of the Rocky Mountains.

That said, there may be reason to be cautiously optimistic about Chacon’s prospects with the Yankees. Many feel that trying to adjust to pitching at Coors also affects moundsmen when they play on the road, and it’s possible that Chacon’s overall mechanics will improve now that he’s found a new home. He undoubtedly has talent; posting a 1.33 ERA over a full season in Colorado, as he did in 2003, is no mean feat. Pitching for the Bronx Bombers won’t hurt his wins total, either.

Chacon looked impressive in his Yankee debut, allowing just one unearned run in six innings of work against the Angels, yet he remains a very risky pitcher to add to your fantasy roster. If you’re looking for a high-risk, high-reward arm to help jump-start an ailing team in a deep league, or if you have a bench slot to spare while you watch his next starts, he might be worth a shot. If you’re looking for a sure thing, look elsewhere.