RADIO
Pitching is so deep these days I'm not sure why anyone in the fantasy community is focusing on the prospects to be honest. Sure, you may be lucky and catch the next Jose Fernandez. However, there's a reason Fernandez is so special. It's not often prospects pan out as well as he has, and even he fell victim to the feared Tommy John surgery.
You get the gist. Pitching is deep at the major league level, and it's very volatile. However, there are still some prospects that should pique your interests. Guys like Lucas Giolito, Noah Syndergard, and Archie Bradley are all worth paying attention to. I'd argue so is Dylan Bundy.
Bundy was once such a highly thought of prospect that he went fourth overall in the 2011 amateur draft. So why aren't we hearing more about him? It probably has something to due with his over usage in high school which led to Tommy John surgery in 2013. Lost development time and injury are among the fastest ways to bring your stock down as a minor league player.
It also makes Bundy hard to evaluate because he's only pitched 152.2 innings in his young career so far. However, across the minors he has a 2.38 ERA, 9.72 K/9, 2.68 BB/9, and 1.03 WHIP. For comparison sake, Jose Fernandez at the major league level has a 2.25 ERA, 10.31 K/9, 2.85 BB/9, and 0.97 WHIP in 224.1 innings pitched. The two stat lines were achieved at very different levels of competition, but if Bundy can replicate his stats in the majors he'll be among the most successful starters.
Bundy still has a long path ahead to the majors, just probably not as long as you think. If the Orioles stick to their plan, his innings will be limited in the minors this year to 100 innings. Be that as it may, it's easy to see a situation where the Orioles call Bundy up in the middle of this year if they are in the playoff race. No disrespect intended to Chris Tillman, but it's no secret that the Orioles are sorely lacking a power arm that can be their true ace.
There's another positive working in favor of Bundy's time table as well. He's out of minor league options out of this year. So unless he is truly terrible in the minors this year, he will be up with the team next year.
Let's get to the real meat and potatoes of this article. Do I really think Bundy can be as good as Jose Fernandez? No, that ceiling is a little high for him in my opinion. His potential would put him just a notch below Jose Fernandez, and that's certainly still intriguing.
Why then was Bundy ranked so low in my dynasty pitcher rankings? The risk of re-injury to his arm and the fact that he could flat out bust has me worried about his long term potential. I'd roll the dice on Bundy in the later rounds of a start-up draft. Just be prepared in case the floor falls out from under him like so many pitching prospects before him.
