Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Has the Doc healed himself, ultimately salvaging his fantasy value?
After an absolute atrocious Spring and start to the 2013 regular season, Roy Halladay appears to be coming around as of late. Over his last three outings, Halladay is sporting an ERA of 1.71 with a 16/5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He’s currently holding a record of 2-2, and could have had his third win of the season, hadn’t the Phillies bullpen collapsed in the late stages of Wednesday’s night game. So, is Halladay back?
Well, define “back”. If you are looking for the fantasy ace we have seen from Halladay in the past, keep looking. The fastball velocity issues are still present and he does not appear to be a frightening force on the mound anymore. Simply put, there just seems to be less zip on his fastball. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t salvage his fantasy value. The Phillies offense has seen it’s fair share of struggles this season, ranking 21st in baseball in runs scored (76). That team has a handful of viable run producers and it is only a matter of time before they begin firing on all cylinders, which will ultimately help Halladay secure more wins.
At 36-years old, perhaps this is simply Halladay reaching the downhill stage of his career. I mean, the guy has notched over 2,500 innings in his career and has had significant injuries over time. Still, the former NL Cy Young winner can still go out there and pitch for a while, having already tossed one complete game this season. With an offense that will eventually get it going, and an improved defensive unit with the acquisitions of Ben Revere and Delmon Young, Halladay will wind up finishing as a top 30 fantasy starting pitcher, with the potential to finish a tad bit higher. The problem with Halladay is that there is no upside whatsoever. Opposing batters don’t fear him like they did in year’s past, which automatically gives them the advantage. Until Halladay regains that force on the mound (if he ever does), he won’t be anything more than an average pitcher in this league. Still, it’s hard to walk away from a guy with the name recognition of Halladay, but perhaps it’ll be much smarter and less frustrating to do so.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
