My Babies grow into unsure toddlers who hopefully won't soil themselves

One thing my devoted readers (which judging by the comments on my posts is no one) will notice about my two teams is the presence of Phil Hughes and Jason Heyward. I paid for both, not knowing if either would have a job. Hughes I was banking on being the Yankees' fifth starter, Heyward on simply being in the majors.

In the past week, my risks have paid off as well as I could have even dreamed. Hughes beat out Joba Chamberlain for the Yanks' fifth spot, and it's been reported that there will be no repeat of the infamous "Joba Rules" for Hughes this year. He's expected to log about 170 innings, which means paying $2 and $8 for him in my leagues, with his talent, could be a dastardly bargain.

On Friday, the Braves made it official that Heyward, only 20 years old with only 50 career at-bats above Single-A, will be the Braves' starting right fielder. I excreted several different types bodily fluids when I heard this news, because he's that good and I get him for the next three years. He's been projected for anywhere from 10-25 homers and around 10-15 steals this year with an average hovering around .280. Modest numbers, but he's been called the surest hitting prospect since A-Rod or Ken Griffey Jr. So I can wait a year for a Hall of Famer, I think.

These examples are why you take risks in fantasy baseball, why you don't always play the sure thing and sometimes need to push all in when you need runner-runner. Sometimes it works, and you make ridiculous amounts of money.

Before I get too caught up, there is an enormous caveat with these two: everything. Hughes has never started effectively in the majors (except for pitching 6.1 innings of a no-hitter, pulling a hamstring, and missing the rest of 2008), compiling an ERA north of 5. He has the stuff (a mid-90s fastball, cartoonish curveball, and is developing a changeup, which effectively won him the job) and the experience, after winning the World Series, to put it all together. Here's hoping he will.

Heyward is even less of a sure thing...this year. I don't believe that he can fail, simply because I trust baseball people. I literally have read everything I could find on this kid (who is actually my age), and nothing had a negative word to say. His parents were Ivy Leaguers, he's never tried any sport but baseball, he has more understanding of the game than most veterans, he looks like a linebacker and destroys cars with his homers. However, 20-year-old hitters don't have excellent track records in their first year. Last year Elvis Andrus, another member of a team of mine, was 20 and struggled at the dish. Even Griffey and A-Rod had some trials and tribulations in their first years. It comes with the territory.

Luckily, he doesn't even have to start for me this year. In fact, he probably will be on my bench most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (days when every team plays). That's okay. I don't need/want him for just this year. Next year and especially the year after, everyone will be jealous because I have one of the best young players in baseball, and I'll have him for less than $10. That's something worth excreting over.