The Z-mann Cometh
By Todd Gold
ProFantasyBaseball.com
While the Nationals' late inning woes have left D.C. area sports fans thinking this season is more of the same, the truth is that the Nats feature a solid farm system with young talent on the way. For fantasy owners, the future is now, as today the struggling Nationals announced that their top prospect, RHP Jordan Zimmermann has been called up from AAA Syracuse and will take the ball for his Major League debut tomorrow night against the Braves.
Zimmermann was all the buzz in fantasy circles this spring when he started out with 14+ shutout innings in Spring Training. Zimmermann's spring performance was impressive but the Nationals brass felt that the 22-year old who started 2008 in A-ball would benefit from a cup of coffee at the AAA level. After a disastrous start to the season, Washington has decided that one AAA start is sufficient.
Zimmermann's minor league track record is solid; 15-5 with a 2.74 ERA with 205 K ( 10.1 K/9) to 65 BB (3.15 K/BB) over 187 innings. There is the obvious question to consider: are the Nationals rushing him? Perhaps, Zimmermann made just 35 starts in his first three professional seasons. But that does not necessarily mean he can't be a productive fantasy player as soon as tomorrow night.
Having not seen the guy pitch, I will defer to the scouting reports. Here is what Baseball America's 2009 Prospect Handbook has to say about Zimmermann:
"Zimmerman is a rare pitcher who projects to have four average or better offerings in the majors. He attacks hitters with a 90-94 mph four-seam fastball that occasionally touches 95. It's a heavy fastball with riding action, and he commands it very well to both sides of the plate, evoking Curt Schilling. Zimmerman also mixes in a sinking two-seamer around 90 mph. He holds his velocity very deep into games, works quickly and pounds the strike zone. His slider was his No. 2 pitch in college, but the Nationals wanted him to focus more on tightening his curveball early in his pro career. As a result, he has added power to the curve, which now sits at 75-78 mph and rates as a fringe-average offering, projecting as a solid-average or a tick above. His tight, hard-breaking 84-87 slider is mostly average now but has its moments as a plus pitch, and his straight changeup isn't far from being average."
What this scouting report and Zimmermann's track record (especially this spring) tell us is that while he is raw, he has the natural ability and versatility to get out of difficult situations, even when he does not have his best stuff. In deep leagues Zimmermann is worth a speculative pickup right now, though in shallow leagues it is perhaps wise to wait and see how he fares against big league hitters. At this point Trevor Cahill (OAK), Brett Anderson (OAK), Rick Porcello (DET) and Ricky Romero (TOR) all look like better options among rookie SPs, but if they are all unavailable and you are in the market for a starter, Zimmermann could be a nice addition.
Todd Gold is a first-year professional baseball scout and sports junkie who enjoys taking his friends' hard earned money in fantasy leagues and helping his readers do the same. You can contact him here.
While the Nationals' late inning woes have left D.C. area sports fans thinking this season is more of the same, the truth is that the Nats feature a solid farm system with young talent on the way. For fantasy owners, the future is now, as today the struggling Nationals announced that their top prospect, RHP Jordan Zimmermann has been called up from AAA Syracuse and will take the ball for his Major League debut tomorrow night against the Braves.
Zimmermann was all the buzz in fantasy circles this spring when he started out with 14+ shutout innings in Spring Training. Zimmermann's spring performance was impressive but the Nationals brass felt that the 22-year old who started 2008 in A-ball would benefit from a cup of coffee at the AAA level. After a disastrous start to the season, Washington has decided that one AAA start is sufficient.
Zimmermann's minor league track record is solid; 15-5 with a 2.74 ERA with 205 K ( 10.1 K/9) to 65 BB (3.15 K/BB) over 187 innings. There is the obvious question to consider: are the Nationals rushing him? Perhaps, Zimmermann made just 35 starts in his first three professional seasons. But that does not necessarily mean he can't be a productive fantasy player as soon as tomorrow night.
Having not seen the guy pitch, I will defer to the scouting reports. Here is what Baseball America's 2009 Prospect Handbook has to say about Zimmermann:
"Zimmerman is a rare pitcher who projects to have four average or better offerings in the majors. He attacks hitters with a 90-94 mph four-seam fastball that occasionally touches 95. It's a heavy fastball with riding action, and he commands it very well to both sides of the plate, evoking Curt Schilling. Zimmerman also mixes in a sinking two-seamer around 90 mph. He holds his velocity very deep into games, works quickly and pounds the strike zone. His slider was his No. 2 pitch in college, but the Nationals wanted him to focus more on tightening his curveball early in his pro career. As a result, he has added power to the curve, which now sits at 75-78 mph and rates as a fringe-average offering, projecting as a solid-average or a tick above. His tight, hard-breaking 84-87 slider is mostly average now but has its moments as a plus pitch, and his straight changeup isn't far from being average."
What this scouting report and Zimmermann's track record (especially this spring) tell us is that while he is raw, he has the natural ability and versatility to get out of difficult situations, even when he does not have his best stuff. In deep leagues Zimmermann is worth a speculative pickup right now, though in shallow leagues it is perhaps wise to wait and see how he fares against big league hitters. At this point Trevor Cahill (OAK), Brett Anderson (OAK), Rick Porcello (DET) and Ricky Romero (TOR) all look like better options among rookie SPs, but if they are all unavailable and you are in the market for a starter, Zimmermann could be a nice addition.
Todd Gold is a first-year professional baseball scout and sports junkie who enjoys taking his friends' hard earned money in fantasy leagues and helping his readers do the same. You can contact him here.Labels: Jordan Zimmermann, KC Scouts, prospects
