Pitcher to Watch: Zach Greinke

Lost in Dice-K mania yesterday was the performance of Zach Greinke in yesterday's Red Sox/Royals matchup. Greinke scattered 8 hits over 7 strong innings, struck out 7 (including Big Papi 3x) to one walk, and gave up 1 earned run. We all know Greinke missed virtually all of last season dealing with anxiety disorder problems, and the Royals deserve props for giving Greinke time and privacy to figure things out. What you may have forgotten is that Greinke is still only 23 years old, and it wasn't too long ago that he was being called a young Greg Maddux. In 2004 as a rookie, Greinke posted 8 wins, 100 K's, and an ERA of under 4.0 in 24 starts as a 20 year old. He digressed severely as a sophomore in 2005, adding almost two full runs to his ERA. He was out of baseball for the first half of 2006, but pitched most of the second half in the minors before a late cup of coffee in September. Greinke had a great spring, and based on yesterday's performance, he should already be on your radar in mixed leagues. His porous team will suppress his win totals, but he could be a great bargain to snatch off the waiver wire and stick at the back of your rotation. 12 wins/135 K's/4.00 ERA/WHIP under 1.25 certainly looks feasible.