Kris Medlen’s Long Awaited Return
By Brad Kelly
Back in 2012, Kris Medlen came out of nowhere to post an unbelievable 10 Wins, 1.57 ERA, and 7.8 SO/9 season that really shocked the entire fantasy community.
He went from a largely undrafted free agent, to emerging as a fantasy ace that paid huge dividends for owners that snagged him off the waiver wire. Going into 2013 it seemed as though Medlen would continue his success and he largely did while notching 15 Wins, a 3.11 ERA and a 7.2 SO/9.
Unfortunately, as is the case with a lot of young and upcoming pitchers, an elbow injury derailed his career and fantasy momentum, thus costing him the 2014 season.
More from Fantasy Baseball
- 5 fantasy baseball waiver wire pivots to replace Triston McKenzie
- Fantasy baseball mock draft 2023, 12-team: Aaron Judge over Trea Turner?
- 3 fantasy baseball sleepers being drafted too late
- NBA DFS picks December 25: Merry Bucking Christmas
- Fantasy Baseball: Hot pitchers worthy of starting this weekend
The Braves decided to cut ties with Medlen since this would mark his second such elbow injury, but he was still one of the more intriguing free agent arms in the offseason.
Kris Medlen did not struggle to get offers, but he finally wound going to the Kansas City Royals. This screamed a Royals-like type of move, as they bought low on a high upside arm that could pay dividends not only this season but in 2016.
It seems as though the Royals were right on again, as Medlen has retuned back from his elbow injury and has been a nice add out of the bullpen this season. Today however, should make some waves in the fantasy community as the Royals have decided to finally hand over a rotation spot to Medlen.
Even with the huge success the Royals have had this year, they still have one big hole, the starting rotation. Edinson Volquez has been stellar this season, and Johnny Cueto is a stud, but the 3-5 spots of the rotation have been shaky to say the least.
This inconsistency of the backend of the rotation allows Kris Medlen to come right in and be an immediate improvement. He is replacing the largely ineffective Jeremy Guthrie, who has given up so many home runs this season that I am surprised he does not have permanent neck issues.
At the height of his success Medlen was never a guy that was going to overpower opponents, as he used his devastating changeup to get batters out. As Medlen profiles as more of a pitch to contact kind of approach, he has posted decent K numbers over his career, another positive sign.
From a fantasy perspective, Medlen is in a prime situation to succeed, as he has the best offense and defense he has ever played with behind him. He has been effective already out of the bullpen posting a 2.51 ERA and an 8.8 SO/9 in his seven appearances.
The Royals should have a long leash with Medlen as well, because they really lack any other alternatives that may offer them decent innings. The Royals have the pitching equivalent of murderers’ row in the bullpen, so all Medlen has to do is go about 5 innings every start.
I am a Kris Medlen fan and I think the Royals made a sneaky yet valuable move to insert him back into the rotation. After watching his appearances this year, he seems to still showcase his changeup well and I do not see a lot of drop off anywhere velocity wise.
He does get a good test tonight against the Orioles and their still potent lineup. He does get a break that the game is in Kansas City, but I think it should serve as a good barometer of his success going forward.
Owners should monitor his start and if you have the ability to watch it live, look more at how Medlen’s stuff looks rather than his final stat line. This is his first start in two years, so it will be important to see if fatigue comes into play or if his stuff starts to fall off quickly.
If he looks solid, and the stuff look sharp, act fast and pick him up. There are only a handful of weeks left in the fantasy regular season, so it is possible the Kris Medlen could be your playoff run hero as he could regain his 2013 form and carry owners once again.