Watching Felix Hernandez on television last nite, I saw some great pitching. Throwing curves with Sandy Koufax-like snaps. Incredible dominance. Amazing movement. Flashes of brilliance which make you think this has got to be the year he blossoms and wins big time.
One warning. The guy is doing this, ever so obviously, on a very bad, sore ankle, and that is a very bad, sore thing for a pitcher to go lame with. You have to push off, throw off, and move hard on that ankle. Look at his wind up. The follow through. Everybody knows how good he can be; how many times he has shown himself to be this stellar. He played through lots of pain last nite.
You can win softly like Joe Saunders, Jamie Moyer, and you can win with awe and lightning. King Felix is the latter. And even in Seattle, even in the AL West, he is a pitcher you enjoy watching on the mound whether or not it is for a fantasy team. But if you are going to land an ace this year, he might be one whose numbers blossom. Just barely above .500 for his career, with about 600 strikeouts in 700 innings, he is clearly a rising star who has yet to crest. Hardly unknown to fantasy leaguers, and for good reason.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iTzUHNIipw3BTYIuFJNfJf7d2_YAD97DC3U81
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