Mound Talk

Nick Markakis— Nick may be a fantasy sleeper this year but my no means is he a sleeper in the eyes of the baseball world. After being selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the first round in 2003 he has done nothing but hit. He improved his numbers at every minor league level he stopped at before making it last year with Baltimore. His numbers were down from what he produced in the minors but it would still be a fairly successful season for most outfielders. This year he is being slated as the number 3 guy in the Baltimore lineup with Tejada and Huff expected to back him up. He already has decent on-base numbers but with Tejada batting behind him expect Markakis to see more strikes and more pitches to hit. This should be the season where we really get to see the potential everyone knows he has. Expect him to contribute in every category except stolen bases but his lack in that department will be made up for by the rest of his production. He will make a good third outfielder for most fantasy teams with the balance he brings and could be had much later in your draft.

John Maine— Maine is expected to be the 3rd , possibly 4th starter for the Mets this year which should give him some favorable match-ups against other starters and with the expected run support from the Mets lineup 15 wins should not be out of the question. If he has a year similar to last year’s he will be one of better starters out there considering the wins he should rack up. Expect an ERA under 4.00, a WHIP less than 1.20 and around 160 strikeouts. His home/away stats are very similar so what you see is what you get. That consistency can be very nice to have week in and week out as you won’t have to worry about whether he is a good start from week to week.