Ok, here we go...
If you got burned on Yankees SP Kei Igawa last season, raise your hand...yeah my hand is raised too. The NYC hype machine claimed another victim in '07 as highly-touted Japanese import Kei Igawa came to the majors...and FLOPPED...BIG TIME!
Yes, he of the 6.25 ERA and 1.67 WHIP is getting a second chance with the Bronx Bombers that many other guys with similar numbers wouldn't dream of. But its true, Kei Igawa is back in the bigs with some fresh minor league seasoning under his belt. He'll start at Detroit on Friday night.
The question remains...which Kei Igawa will we get? Will we get "K" Igawa? Or will we get "Less than OK" Igawa? A study of his minor league numbers this year suggests we'll get more of the former than the latter. In 7 starts with Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre, the 28-year-old was 3-3 with a 3.86 ERA and 40 Ks in 39.2 IP. A .233 opponents batting average suggests he's become less and less hittable, but we at Sliding Shorts aren't so sure that'll translate over to Yankee Stadium.
The Yanks don't really have a choice at this point. With Phil Hughes on the DL and Ian Kennedy pitching more like Ian Ziering (see Beverly Hills 90210) than the 1st-round draft pick that he is, Igawa seems to be the only logical alternative.
As for my fantasy advice, keep a close eye on his progress. You won't be able to judge too much from his first start, but be wary. We're not convinced he's a lost cause...but the other alternative doesn't sound too enticing either.
Yuck.
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