BY ROB SHAW

Twitter: @RobShawSports and @BloombergSports

The Philip Humber perfect games reminded us that sometimes it takes even first round picks a little while to blossom at the Big League level.  Humber was selected with the third pick of the 2004 draft, but it wasn’t until seven years later and on his fourth franchise with the luster of his amateur career diminished that he stuck as a starter.  He is now a part of MLB history and a player with some fantasy value.

The 2007 draft was stacked with pitching talent.  David Price was the top selection out of Vanderbilt and has been one of the best hurlers in baseball over the last few years.  Madison Bumgarner came in at number 10 and has already made an impact in the Big Leagues.  However, four other pitchers were drafted between Price and Bumgarner.  Daniel Moskos was the fourth overall pick, but he has been converted into a relief pitcher and is currently pitching in the minor leagues after mixed results with the Pirates last season.   The eighth pick Casey Weathers is also a reliever, but has yet to make it past Double-A.

Then there is Ross Detwiler and Jarrod Parker, the sixth and ninth picks respectively.  Detwiler had a bumpy ride to the Major Leagues, but is finally taking hold of a starting spot in the Nationals rotation.  The 26-year-old rotated between the starting rotation and bullpen last season, and at the end of the season had an impressive 3.00 ERA.  Perhaps the best fifth starter in the game, Detwiler calls home to a pitcher’s park and with Nationals sluggers Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche coming back to life, he should have some run support as well.  It’s looking like tough luck for Chien-Mien Wang, who is currently out with an injury.  With a 1.64 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, Detwiler has been one of the best hurlers in baseball this season.

The ninth pick out of the 2007 draft, Jarrod Parker is the top prospect in the A’s system and they couldn’t hold him out any longer.  After four solid starts at Triple-A, the A’s are ready for Parker in the Big Leagues.  It’s time to get to know the 23-year-old right-hander.

Parker was acquired for Trevor Cahill this off-season.  In his one Major League start with the D-Backs last season, Parker did not allow a single run to score in 5.2 innings of work.  Parker was a tad hittable this season in the minor leagues, but this isn’t about the short-term.  This is supposed to be the start of something special and with the pitcher-friendly confines of the Oakland Coliseum, Parker should be picked up in all formats.

In his American League debut, Parker was brilliant allowing just one run to score while pitching into the seventh inning.  Parker scattered seven hits and fanned five batters, and while he did not get a decision, the A’s did win 5-4 over the White Sox.  On Tuesday, Parker tries on a different group of Sox, as the A’s host Boston.  It should be safe for fantasy managers to try out their brand new fantasy phenom.

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