Judgement Day and the ensuing apocalypse are reportedly imminent, and the CDC has released its official guidelines for surviving a zombie horde. But in the world of baseball, players previously believed to have contributed their last are now rising from the scrap heap and resurrecting their careers. Here are the best of them:
Bartolo Colon (2-2, 3.16 ERA, 1.13 WHIP)
He showed up in Tampa looking like Hideki Irabu reincarnated, but has done nothing but impress with his performance. He has been the Yankees best pitcher, and I’m not forgetting about CC Sabathia (although he seemed to finally get it going last night).
Likelihood of Continued Survival: Very High. His K:BB ratio is nearly 4:1, and he’s done it with nothing but fastballs. The only question is his long-term health, but his much-talked-about stem-cell treatment seems to have set his biological clock back a few years.
Philip Humber (3-3, 3.18, .949)
He was the biggest piece of the package that convinced the Twins to trade Johan Santana. He spent the next few years bouncing around the Twins and Royals organizations. The White Sox took a flier on him, and he has been solid over the course of his seven starts, including a 1-hit gem in the Bronx.
Likelihood of Continued Survival: Moderately High. He’s not exactly justifying the status he achieved in that deal, but he’s showing that he can have a solid career. And that WHIP is microscopic.
Dustin Moseley (1-6, 3.40, 1.30)
His cult hero status among Yankees fans notwithstanding, he’s a 1st round pick from 2000 who has never spent a full season in the majors. But here he is, posting 6 consecutive quality starts to open the season. Another example of a W-L record not backing up performance.
Likelihood of Continued Survival: Low. His last three starts have fallen short of 6 innings, that WHIP is a bit concerning, and he’s only struck out 25 batters. That’s before we even get to the Performance Enhancing Ballparks issue.
Russel Martin (.268 AVG/.371 OBP/.480 OPS)
A few years ago, he was the face of a new generation of catchers. Athletic, durable, and consistent. But he took a nosedive in his last two years in LA, and was signed to be the stopgap between Jorge Posada and Jesus Montero. But he has instead returned to form, showing the speed that his hip injuries supposedly robbed him of and the passion that was lacking the last few years.
Likelihood of Continued Survival: Moderate. He’s cooled off a bit, and the injury history is troubling. But he should be able to land on his feet elsewhere when the Yanks promote Montero.
Todd Helton (.323/.375/.548)
I’m not sure anybody thought his career was quite over yet, but he’s been showing weakness over the last few years. The OBP isn’t quite at the remarkable levels of his prime, but his OPS is 5th among major league first basemen, and his defense is still exceptional.
Likelihood of Continued Survival: Moderately High. He’s got a sore back right now, and at his age that can become a major concern. But the skills have not gone anywhere. He should stick around another few years.
Carlos Beltran (.285/.377/.555)
Remember when he could barely walk this March? It’s hard to now. His production is right in line with what he was doing before the injuries started piling up. His fielding may be a bit suspect, and it may not be 2006 again, but he’s far from finished.
Likelihood of Continued Survival: High. It’s hard to ignore such a devastating rash of injuries, but at 34 he should have a few years left in the tank.
Alex Gordon (.275/.335/.444)
He was the next George Brett, the third baseman who would carry Kansas City back to respectability. Now he’s the left fielder on a team with even greater future stars. But this year, he has finally started garnering some recognition, nearing 50 hits to this point.
Likelihood of Continued Survival: High. Now, I’m not declaring him a star. He is merely repeating his solid performance from 2008. He may never put up the numbers that were expected of him. But he should be in the majors for a solid decade.
And I give Jason Giambi credit for his one night back. If he does it again, he gets on the list.
Did I miss anyone? Do you disagree with any of my assessments? Let me know in the comments.
The Truest Yankee 
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