Yu Darvish (SP-TEX)

Injury He suffered from inflammation in his elbow and was shut down. 

2014 Season – It was a lost season for the Texas Rangers, but despite their woes Darvish once again performed like an ace before he was shut down.  Darvish finished the season with a 10-7 record and a 3.06 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and BB/K ratio of 49/182 in 22 starts.

Reason For Optimism

  • Darvish is still only 28-years old and has proven to be one of the most dominant fantasy pitchers in the league for three straight years.
  • Being shut down for the final couple months of the 2014 season could have been a blessing in disguise by giving him much needed rest after being a perennial workhorse.
  • He was able to avoid surgery and has already begun a normal throwing program before spring training even begins.
  • Darvish is still a fantasy ace with a dominant 11.2 K/9 ratio over the past three years.

Reason For Concern

  • While months of rest and treatment have relieved the inflammation in his elbow, it is possible that he could re-aggravate the injury.
  • Darvish also dealt with a back injury in 2014 so any tweaks to his mechanics could impact the strain placed on his arm.
  • Be on the lookout for a decrease in velocity as Darvish enters his fourth season in the big leagues, this time coming off an injury.

2015 OUTLOOK Despite the injury, Darvish still remains one of the top fantasy pitchers in the league.  He is a dominant pitcher in four of the five major roto categories and is always at or near the top of the rankings in strikeouts.  It is good news that he has started a normal throwing program and is on track to enter spring training without any restrictions.  The Rangers should be vastly improved in 2015 simply by being healthier, so Darvish’s win totals should be back into the mid-teens.  You should feel comfortable drafting him as one of the first five starting pitchers to go off the board.

If you are wondering the best way to evaluate players such as Darvish so that you can be prepared for your draft, then be sure to check out the 2015 Fantasy Alarm Draft Guide which will be available soon on newsstands and online at Fantasy Alarm. 

Michael A. Stein, Esq. is the Chief Justice of Fantasy Judgment, the industry's premier dispute resolution service, and co-host of the Fantasy Alarm Podcast.  You can contact him at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com or on Facebook and Twitter (@FantasyJudgment),