Jon Garland - San Diego Padres
Garland spent most of the offseason without a job, as he was signed by San Diego just a few weeks before Spring Training. After a shaky first couple of stars with the Padres, Garland has found the stuff that twice made him an 18-game winner in the big leagues. Online betting knows that in his last four starts, the 30-year old has gone 3-0 with a 0.72 ERA, and has held opponents to a minute .176 batting average. Garland is a fly-ball pitcher, which fits brilliantly in his home field, the spacious Petco Park. With an improving defense and emerging lineup back him up, Garland is a sure bet for 10-12 wins this season. With a little luck, he could surpass the 15-win plateau.
Livan Hernandez - Washington Nationals
Yes, that Livan Hernandez. The 14-year vet is having an outstanding year so far in Washington, yet nobody outside of the capital has really seemed to notice. In four starts, Hernandez has gone 3-1 with an under-1.00 ERA and WHIP. His strikeout numbers are low and his walks are high, but it'd be foolish not to take a chance on Hernandez this early in the season. He is pitching better than he has in a long time, and there's a very good chance he'll keep it up for the near future. The outstanding numbers probably won't last all year, but his early-season numbers have garnered at least a waiver-wire pickup for fantasy teams.
Ricky Romero - Toronto Blue Jays
It's rare for a Top-10 draft pick to ever be considered a 'sleeper,' but an silent start to one's career, like Romero had, will do that. After a three-year stint in the minors, Romero broke into the bigs last season and went 13-9 with a 4.30 ERA. Hardly mind-boggling numbers, but there were flashes of brilliance during last year that indicated something more for the lefty. So far this season, Romero has gone 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA and a strong 0.94 WHIP. This could be the breakout year for Ricky Romero, and should be watched by all whobet on MLB.
