Second Half Players

[gatorgreenwell]

Aubrey Huff-a notorious 2nd half climber. Hang onto him if you've got him, buy low if you don't.

[Drunken Rhino]

Tru is a 2nd half player. (Probably the biggest of the bunch)

Who said Zito? Why is he rostered on anything but an NL-only 14 team league?

To borrow from Rob Neyer and Keith Law of ESPN

If Zito were pitching just decently -- say, as well as he pitched last season with the A's -- he would have better statistics, because he's in a pitcher's ballpark in a pitcher's league. Instead he's been horrible. His 4.70 ERA ranks 41st in the National League. He's struck out 4.70 batters per nine innings, which is easily the lowest rate of his career. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is essentially 1:1, which is 1) easily the worst of his career, and 2) the ratio of a pitcher who belongs in the minor leagues.

When Zito hit the free-agent market last fall, here's what Keith Law wrote about him:


Zito is a third or fourth starter with the reputation of a one or a two. In fact, over the last three years, he's struggled badly when facing the two premier offenses in the AL, posting a 6.59 ERA against Boston and the Yankees while walking 47 men and allowing 18 homers in 83.3 innings. His control is below-average; only Daniel Cabrera has walked more batters in the last two years than Zito has. And should Zito's stuff slip at all, he becomes a fifth starter or a guy who needs to head to the National League, the current destination for asylum-seekers who fear AL persecution of their fringy fastballs.
I wasn't wild about Zito's prospects, but I thought Keith was selling the lefty a bit short, and wrote as much in my comment about him in "Baseball Prospectus 2007." Of course, now it looks like Keith was exactly right: Zito's stuff does seem to have slipped, and he's pitching like a fourth starter in the National League.

[penguin1318]

Brad Penny is a TERRIBLE 2nd half player. SELL HIGH.

[Shock6822]

Konerko, Markakis, Teix

[Garilla]

Beltre is a notorious 2nd half producer.

[BJSFAN123]

Abreu is usualy good in the 2nd half, and June is always his best month.

[Omaha Red Sox]

Anybody mention Morneau? If I recall his HRs were a little down after the All-Star break last year, but his BA was much higher and other cats were pretty comparable.

I liked the Delgado mention. I expect Soriano to have a much better 2nd half as his team gets healthy and finds some consistency.

Has anyone mentioned the best second half pitcher in the game?

[The Artful Dodger]

Tru is a 2nd half player. (Probably the biggest of the bunch)

Finally, someone said the only 2nd half player that matters: Adrian Beltre.

[Omaha Red Sox]

Tru is a 2nd half player. (Probably the biggest of the bunch)

Finally, someone said the only 2nd half player that matters: Adrian Beltre.

What about Tex?!

[intodeep]

Aubrey Huff-a notorious 2nd half climber. Hang onto him if you've got him, buy low if you don't.

This is the person who came to mind for me. For whatever reason the guy turns in on in the second half.