Francisco Liriano was brilliant in his 10th minor league start of the season on Tuesday night. Facing the Tampa Bay affiliate, Durham Bulls, Liriano took the ball for six innings, allowing only one earned run while scattering six hits (none for extra bases) en route to his second victory of the 2008 season.
By racking up seven Ks, Liriano collected more strikeouts than innings pitched for the third consecutive start to improve his K/9 ratio to 7.71. Probably the most promising statistic for the Twins is Liriano’s walk totals. The former phenom has limited his opponents to just one base on balls in 5 out of his last 6 starts.
With the depth the Twins have in their starting rotation, they can afford to leave Liriano in Rochester so he can fine tune his arsenal and fully regain his confidence. If they do decide that they need the extra arm, Liriano is ready to contribute for the big club right now. He will surely contribute down the stretch as the Twins compete for first place in the American League Central.
If he is available in fantasy leagues, he is absolutely worth stashing on your bench until he officially gets the call from the Twins. While he won’t be the dominant figure we watched in awe back in 2006, he will be a valuable fantasy contributor in the second half of 2008. Barring any setbacks, look for Francisco Liriano in a Twins uniform by late June or early July.
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