Fantasy Baseball: Put Up Your Zach Duke

READ MORE: Fantasy Baseball, Zach Duke

It seems every year there’s one major call up in the major leagues that has a huge impact for fantasy baseball owners. This year that little fella is the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Zach Duke. Those owners out there lucky enough to grab him have enjoyed him immensely. Those who passed on him because he plays for the Pirates feel like drooling mongoloids.

ESPN’s fantasy baseball’s lovable scamp Tristan Cockroft says Duke has the make-up to keep up his outrageously successful performance the rest of the year:

It’s tough to precisely forecast pitching performance, and even tougher to forecast a rookie’s performance, but if any first-year hurler can rack up a Zito- or Willis-like hot streak, this is the guy. Assuming the Pirates remain on a set five-man rotation and Duke doesn’t miss any turns, he’ll make 13 more starts this season. Of course, four of them will come against the National League’s two highest-scoring offenses, the Cardinals and Reds, and he’d get two more against the red-hot Astros. But even on a poor team with a challenging schedule, he still has the ability and poise to win five or six with solid ERA and WHIP numbers.

So, those who got in early on the waiver wire should celebrate the fact they own him. Although, those Duke owners in last place in their leagues should consider trading him. And possibly Chicago Cubs’ pitcher Mark Prior. For say, perhaps, the powerful bat and thunderous thighs of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s Vladimir Guerrero? We need pitching. We won’t lie.

Out of the Box: Just a Good Ol’ Boy [ESPN]
Previously: Should You Marry Zach Duke? [Oddjack]