Post-Season Influence

Every year most fantasy baseball fans are watching post-season baseball. We see the outstanding performances and store them in the back of our minds for the next draft day. Sometimes we overrate players though. Even though it's the post-season, you're still judging a player on a handful of games. Players get on hot streaks and cold streaks, yet every year I see a player going higher in the draft than they should because they performed well when it mattered. Let's review a few post-season performances that influence draft day.

The Past

John Lackey

The Angels won the 2002 World Series partially because of the arm of Lackey in the decisive Game 7. He went in the 5th round of my league's draft in 2003. I sighed. The manager that picked him said "Did you not see the World Series?" Everybody forgot that Lackey lost the first game of the series, and only pitched 5 innings in game 7 to get the win. Hardly stellar numbers. He's been a mediocre pitcher ever since.

Josh Beckett

Josh actually did pretty well this season after his 2003 World Series performance. However, he wasn't good enough to earn a pick in the 3rd or 4th rounds we saw him go in. He didn't even get to double-digits in wins and only pitched in 156.2 innings.

Mark Prior

Prior was dominant in the post-season for the Cubs in 2003. People would talk and say how Prior would never get injured because of his fluid delivery style. Well, the workload from 2003 took its toll on Prior in 2004 and he ended up missing a good part of the season. Thus making owners that picked him in the first round this year wish they had picked Johan Santana instead.

Kerry Wood

See above, but leave out the part about his fluid motion.

This Year

Carlos Beltran

Beltran went on an absolute tear in the post-season for the Astros. I think Beltran should be a #1 pick in fantasy leagues in 2005. His playoff performance just reinforces that opinion.

Derek Lowe

After his performance in Game 7 against the Yankees in the ALCS, people are thinking this guy can get back on track and have a sub 3.00 ERA again someday.

Curt Schilling

His bloody socks have made us all forget that Schilling is an aging starter with a lot of innings under his belt. Will fantasy managers keep in mind that he's injured and may have problems with that ankle in 2005? Or will we just choose to remember his superb performances against the Yankees and Cardinals?

Mark Bellhorn

Bellhorn has come up big for Boston. Watching his heroic post-season home runs, it's hard to believe this is a guy with a .242 lifetime batting average in 7 seasons. I will steer clear of him personally, but I am sure somebody will grab him higher than deserved.