To submitt your own question to the GNUru staff either email the GNUru at or fill out the "Ask the GNUru" form.  Submitted questions may be featured in the GNUru Mailbag section. 

Hey gnuru, yahoo h2h 5x5. Youkilis is my #4 of, should i keep him or pick up one of these fa?

D. Roberts

Thanks,

Chuck

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The GNUru realizes that just about every fantasy sports publication has some magic formula to predict this year’s crop of breakout players.  For some it’s the 27-year old benchmark, 3^rd year of MLB experience, or even the number of games played or innings pitched.  At first glance these ‘trends’ may appear to hold some weight, however, many  of the players that fall within those categories, fail miserably.  While there are always a handful of players that do break out and fill their fantasy team owner with glutinous pride, the majority of players become prime candidates for the plague known as Sexy Pick Syndrome (SPS).  So what’s to make of all the hype?  Nothing.  Predicting a pitcher’s success has little to do with arbitrary age class or magic innings pitched.  It is all about talent.  Talent includes both stuff (the ability to make hitters look silly at times) and guile (the pitchers craftiness).  As such, the GNUru will attempt to breakdown the fantasy baseball hype machine in a 2 part series of both pitching and hitting breakout trends.   Today, the GNUru will take a look at pitching trends and how it will affect player values this spring.  First let’s have a look at last years cream of the breakout crop: Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Erik Bedard, and Aaron Cook. While those pitchers had respectable seasons, their success is not enough to compensate the major whiffs- Noah Lowry, Rich Harden, Jorge Sosa, Daniel Cabrera, and Zach Greinke. In fact, if you targeted 3^rd year pitchers, you success rate is no different than if you ignored MLB service time all together. The GNUru is not going to claim the ability to predict who will breakout and who won’t (no one should), but knowing how players are valued (relative to draft position) among other owners can help you put together a winning combination.  So without further adieu, here is the GNUru’s Top 10 over-hyped breakout candidate pitchers heading into the 2007 season.

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To sumbitt your own question to the GNUrustaff, please email the GNUru at or fill out the Ask the GNUru Form.  Submitted questions may appear on the GNUru Fantasy Baseball's GNUru Mailbag. 

Please Help!  I can protect one pitcher: Kazmir, Papelbon, or Jered Weaver?

While the GNUru has little sympathy for your little keeper problem, the GNUru will attempt to guide you in your upcoming decision.  Before attempting the clarify the situation, let's first take a look at the numbers of the three young potential fantasy aces. 

Scott Kazmir - Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Jered Weaver - Los Angeles Angels

  Jonathan Papelbon - Boston Red Sox

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