Fantasy Baseball Scouting Report: Can Jeanmar Gomez Be a Viable Option?

With Mitch Talbot headed to the DL, the Cleveland Indians are forced to dig into their farm system for an extra starting pitcher against Kansas City tomorrow.  The lucky pitcher is Jeanmar Gomez, who made his Major League debut in 2010.

He was impressive in his debut (7.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 K, W vs. Detroit on 7/18), though it wasn’t all roses, as he posted the following line:

4 Wins
57.2 Innings
4.68 ERA
1.65 WHIP
34 Strikeouts (5.31 K/9)
22 Walks (3.43 BB/9)
.330 BABIP

Yes, there was some poor luck at play with the BABIP, but there are significantly bigger problems.  The strikeout rate is poor, and his minor league numbers don’t give us much hope that he can make significant improvements.  Entering 2011, the 22-year-old right-handed, non-drafted free agent had a K/9 of 6.64.

His control also was somewhat in line with what he did in the minors (2.88 in his minor league career).  Of course, in 116.0 innings in Triple-A in 2010, he posted a BB/9 of 3.25. So don’t expect him to suddenly be able to post elite walk rates.

Gomez has looked good at Triple-A in 2011, going 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 11 K in 12.2 IP.  However, it isn’t all positive. He's also allowed 15 hits and three walks in that span, meaning there has been an awful lot of base runners.  A batting average against of .319 just doesn’t mesh with a 1.42 ERA.

A minor league ERA of 4.24 and WHIP of 1.36, coupled with his lack of success in a brief Major League stint in 2010, tells us that he has little potential impact for fantasy owners.  If you are in an AL-only format, he is worth monitoring, but that’s about it.

What are your thoughts of Gomez?  Is there any chance that he can be a viable option?  Why or why not?

Make sure to check out these other great articles from Rotoprofessor:

• Fantasy Baseball’s Top 9 Under 27-Year Old First Basemen
• Sell High Candidates: Which Breakout Pitchers Can Continue To Excel (Gio Gonzalez & More)
• Around the Majors: April 17: Ryan Franklin, Edinson Volquez & More
• Injury Report: April 18: Victor Martinez, Jayson Werth & More

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