2021 Aries Pitchers

One theme that I’ve noticed more than anything else while doing this project is the cyclical nature of Fantasy Astrology Baseball. For example, today’s Aries player pool includes several of the top closers in the league, whereas in the mid-1980’s, the Rams often struggled to field even three relief pitchers who reached my 700-point threshold for database inclusion. Of course, Aries’s low placing in the standings is yet another reminder that innings are more valuable than saves, and this year, Aries lost their two former co-ace’s for most of the season.

Hard-throwing A’s ace Frankie Montas lost half of his 2019 season to a PED suspension, but in a full, healthy, and clean 2021 season, all he did was lead Aries starters in fantasy points and points-per-game (minimum 10 appearances). Not far behind the Dominican right-hander in both categories is Anthony DeSclafani, the only member of the Rams starting five born in the USA, who just re-signed with the Giants. Hyun-Jin Ryu signed with the Blue Jays prior to 2020, but he couldn’t keep up his pandemic-shortened dominance over the full 2021 season. Eduardo Rodriguez enjoyed a nice bounceback from a season he missed entirely after complications from COVID-19, earning himself a nice free agent payday from the Tigers.

Kenta Maeda also changed teams before 2020, although he went from the Dodgers to the Twins as part of a trade rather than a free agent signing, and he also struggled in ’21 after a dominant pandemic-shortened showing. Jake Odorizzi was signed to eat innings for the Astros, and that’s exactly what he did, even into the playoffs. Zach Eflin has been a quietly solid performer for the Phillies in recent years, even if he couldn’t manage a full season in 2021. Lefty Martin Perez spent a significant chunk of his 2021 pitching out of the bullpen, which is reflected in his depressed points-per-game average.

Now we get into the co-aces of the last Aries dynasty from 2013-18. Corey Kluber won two Cy Young Awards in that timeframe, but his two seasons since since being traded away from Cleveland have been greatly abbreviated due to injury. Chris Sale underwent Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2020 and most of his 2021, but the lanky lefty was able to return to the Red Sox for their playoff push this season. Two more former ace-caliber pitchers had unsuccessful comeback attempts with new teams this year: Matt Harvey with the Orioles and Carlos Carrasco with the Mets.

The future looks promising for Aries starters with five pitchers showing up on their respective teams’ Top-30 prospect lists (according to MLB.com) as of the end of the season. Edward Cabrera is at the top of the heap, clocking in as Miami’s #2 prospect. Tucker Davidson is next, as Atlanta’s #7. Keegan Akin falls in at #15 on Baltimore’s list. Kutter Crawford was further towards the bottom of Boston’s list, finishing the season at #23. And Brent Honeywell Jr. was #22 on Tampa Bay’s list, although he was traded to Oakland shortly after those rankings were finalized.

The 2021 Aries bullpen features a three-headed closer monster that would the envy of any fantasy team where saves matter. Josh Hader won his third real-life NL Reliever of the Year award, although he had to play second fiddle to Aquarian Liam Hendriks in the Positive Polarity of the Fantasy Astrology Baseball League. Veteran Mark Melancon led the NL in saves, but his peripherals don’t necessarily back up his counting stats, as evidenced by the modest two year deal he signed in free agency with the Diamondbacks. Edwin Diaz hasn’t been able to replicate his otherworldly 2018 season (57 saves and an ERA under 2), but few relievers reach those heights even once in their careers, and he’s still cemented as the Mets closer. I might have overlooked Kirby Yates, since he missed the entire 2021 season, were it not for his super high player rating in MLB The Show 21.

Cristian Javier began his career as a starter (way back in 2020), but he’s settled into long relief/spot starting duty for the Astros. Lucas Luetge came out of nowhere to blossom into a shutdown lefty for the 2021 Yankees at age 34, after having last pitched in the majors in 2015. He became real-life teammates with Clay Holmes after the latter was acquired from the Pirates during the season. Jose Cisnero had a similar career trajectory to Luetge, returning to the majors in 2019 after a four-year gap. Deolis Guerra put in some heavy work for the A’s last year, and he’ll be an important (read: cheap) part of their future as they embark on a roster overhaul.

Phil Maton is one of those relievers whose stuff far outshines their fantasy point totals, as evidenced by the Astros targeting him in a midseason acquisition for their most recent playoff push. Richard Bleier is a solid lefty on a Marlins team that has no need for shutdown relievers at this time, so he could be a trade chip heading into his final year of arbitration. Alex Vesia came to the Dodgers FROM the Marlins prior to 2021, and he was an important left-handed weapon out of their bullpen in the playoffs. Boston signed Hirokazu Sawamura out of his native Japan, and he made a solid stateside debut at age 33. John Curtiss was part of that incredible 2020 Rays bullpen, but hasn’t been able to recapture the magic with the Marlins and Brewers.

Looking down the depth chart, the Rams have some extremely accomplished hurlers who had basically lost seasons in 2021. Joe Smith is the active leader in games pitched (with 832), even despite opting out of the 2020 pandemic-shortened season. Brad Brach has a ways to go to reach smith, but 531 career games is still an impressive total. David Robertson caught on with the Rays late in the season after proving he’s still got it with Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics over the summer. At one point Keone Kela looked like a star closer in the making, but he hasn’t been able to stay on the field consistently. John Axford has 144 saves under his belt - second all-time among Canadians to Capricorn Eric Gagne. And Dellin Betances is another example of an ill-fated Mets free agent deal, as he pitched just 16 innings over the life of a two-year, $13.5 million contract.

I hope everyone reading this (and everyone else, for that matter) has a safe and fun and Omicron-free New Years Eve celebration! Next time, for my first post of 2022, I will take a look at a very special year in my personal history: the 1986 Fantasy Astrology Baseball League season!