Fantasy Baseball: Can Doug Fister Produce for Detroit?

Ryan Lester

Jun 5, 2018

Okay, so his 3-12 record leaves plenty to be desired, but as you know wins are not always a good indication of the type of pitcher you are. Doug Fister’s ERA of 3.33 indicates that he did his part for the Mariners. His 1.17 WHIP indicates that he’s not even letting very many base-runners on. His offense just let him down. That shouldn't be the case in Detroit.

It’s not just this year, though that Fister has been snake bitten. In his rookie year he was 3-4 with a 4.13 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. Things went downhill for Fister last year as he went just 6-14. He still had a solid 4.11 ERA and matching 1.28 WHIP though.

Unfortunately for Fister, he leaves the confines of Safeco Field where he was 2-6 with a 3.00 ERA. Again the record is terrible, but it’s still a decent performance. He’s 1-6 with a 3.71 ERA on the road. He experienced a similar phenomenon last year when he went 4-8 with a 3.61 home ERA and a 2-6 with a 5.06 ERA on the road. The same goes for 2009 when he was 3-2 with a 3.76 ERA at home and 0-2 with a 4.76 mark on the road. If you’re keeping track at home that’s 9-16, 3.42 in Safeco and 3-14, 4.40 elsewhere.

To make matters worse, Fister is 0-2 with a 6.39 ERA in two starts at Comerica Ballpark. He’s also a combined 0-10 with a 3.91 ERA lifetime against the Indians, White Sox, Twins and Royals. Not exactly the reinforcements you’re looking for.

If Fister has a decent match-up I’d give him a start, but don’t expect his trade to a contender to suddenly boost his fantasy value dramatically.