Chuck James

I took Chuck James in my NL draft because I loved his minor league numbers, in particular the 193 strikeouts in 161.1 innings, and the fact he kept his k-rate up even as he rapidly advanced (33.2 K in 33 AAA innings and 5 in 5.2 major league ones) and his hit rates stayed low (21 hits in those 33.2 AAA innings and 4 in the 5.2 major league ones.)

This did not stop me from being slightly alarmed after his few couple appearances, though. Four walks in six innings cautioned that the difference between the minors and majors is a lot more than the middle three letters.
The hit rate was still excellent, but I figured the walks would eventually lead to more hittable pitches as James compensated by throwing the ball over the plate more frequently. At that point, he’d be relegated to the minors or bullpen interment. In Roto terms, I’d be waiting for something better to come along on the waiver wire or into the free agent pool.

But, Chuck James surprised by keeping those 4 walks unchanged over his next 5 innings. (He did get roughed up in his 4th appearance though. Maybe he overcompensated as I expected?)

He now has a WHIP under one albeit in 11 innings, but the recovery from the shaky start is encouraging.

If his k-rate recovers over the next few outings, I will lock him down as a likely 2006 success.