This Bud's For You

Scout Hoffman www.profantasybaseball.com Bud Norris has probably seen more than one artilce written about him with that title, and with his hot start to his career, this one may not be the last. Of course pitching in Texas with a last name of Norris there will probably be a few Chuck Norris references too. Norris was listed as the number two prospect in the Houston Astros system and was given his first Major League start when Roy Oswalt was skipped due to injury. He held the Cardinals hitless into the 6th inning and fanned five while earning his first victory. His next start he held the Brewers in check allowing only two runs through six innings. Through 16 innings Norris has 16 strikeouts and those numbers are in line with his career Minor League stats so look for those K's to continue over the last two months of the seasons. He has also allowed only eight hits and three runs, so from the surface there appears to be no downside. The real concern with Norris so far is the ten walks issued, and that can be expected with younger pitchers. As long as Norris has a rotation spot and can continue to improve his control, he is worth a pick-up in deep mixed and NL-Only leagues.