The frustration is fresh for Johan Santana once again. You may recall a few years ago, the greatest issue for Santana was that the ace southpaw pitched brilliantly, but a lack of run support limited his wins. Once again, this is the main frustration for Santana, as the injuries are finally a part of the past, and the greatest complaint is how he can offer just an 0-1 record despite a stellar 0.90 ERA through his first two starts of the season.
The greatest surprise for Santana is that he looks like the strikeout machine of past years with 13 K’s in 10 innings. In his more recent years with the Mets, Santana pitched to contact and while his ERA and WHIP were still fine, he was not the dominant Cy Young award winner that we remembered in Minnesota.
Before fantasy managers get too giddy for Santana, consider that he will have a strict innings and pitches count this season, so his value will be limited and a lack of offense could plague him too. On the other hand, if he continues to pitch well, he could end up getting traded to a contender mid-season if the Mets are willing to eat some of the salary.
Of course, for now fantasy managers should just take Santana start-by-start and appreciate the fact that he is finally healthy and effective.
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