Back from the DL - John Smoltz

This is going to be a relatively short post, but today I'm going to look at John Smoltz (SP in yahoo game).

Basically, he's an ageless wonder (he is 40, in case anyone forgot). He continues to produce at an incredible level, making himself one of the most consistent starting pitchers in fantasy baseball. Right now, he's 39th overall on ESPN's player rater & the 21st rated pitcher (20th out of the starters), but I rank him higher than that, mainly for his consistency (and I live in Atlanta, so I'm a fan of him - both as a player and as a person).

Full Season Stats:
9-5
2.88 ERA
1.22 WHIP
107 K
24 BB
.257 BAA

Pre-DL Stats:
9-5
3.07 ERA
1.23 WHIP
96K
22 BB
.260 BAA

Post-DL Stats (all after the all star break):
0-0
0.00 ERA
1.00 WHIP
11 K
2 BB
.200 BAA

What to Note:
OK, it's only been one start, but his velocity was strong & his K level was high. This tells me that he's fully healthy, and ready for a strong 2nd half.

Summary:
Expect another "Smoltz-esque" 2nd half this season. This means consistency, strong K levels, a good win total (I expect him to finish around 16 wins on the year), and attractive ERA & WHIP. One of the best parts about having Smoltz in your rotation is you know what you're going to get:

-He has lasted 6 or more innings in 14 of his 17 starts this year
-He has allowed 5 or more runs only 2 times in his 17 starts

There is none of that Daniel Cabrera inconsistency here...he's a rock, and if you've got him, play him.