Brandon Beachy is a fantasy baseball stud
By Editorial Staff
I took particular interest in this post over at Roto Hardball because I was a Brandon Beachy owner last season and I felt that he was an underrated, unheralded, dependable option who consistently offered the high K/9 rates that I was looking for. He became part of a well-crafted fantasy team which was probably my favorite of all-time despite finishing 4 out of 12.
The author of the post states the following:
Brandon Beachy has the potential to be the best starter on your fantasy team next year, and that isn’t hyperbole. Beachy did not reach the innings limits under normal qualification standards, but for pitchers with at least 140 innings he had the highest strikeouts per nine ratio at 10.74. To go along with the eye-popping strikeout numbers, Beachy walked under three batters per nine, good for a 3.67 K/BB ratio.
In my opinion, K/BB ratio is the best simple (one without a large and sometimes confusing formula) stat in the sport to evaluate pitchers, and Beachy is already one of the best in the game at striking batters out while not offering up many free passes.
His ERA of 3.68 and 7-3 win-loss record do not do him justice. Beachy started 25 games, so the fact that he had 15 no decisions is just extremely odd more than anything. He will be a good bet for substantially more wins next year, I’m thinking double the total he had this year. The low amount of wins he earned this year will likely lower his value a tad next season for fantasy purposes.
Even if you’re not one who partakes in fantasy baseball, those statistics are enough to allow the take home message to be this: Brandon Beachy has HUGE potential and while being a guy who may grab a few less headlines than Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens, he might have the best flat out stuff of anyone on the Braves staff.
With the postseason David Freese just had–and a reminder of Beachy’s pretty power strikeout numbers and exhibited control supported by the K/BB ratio–I might have a few keepers on my roster to reconsider before next year’s draft.