Fantasy owners are smart and savvy in lots of ways. Fake GMs understand stats and trends as well as anyone, and they appreciate the merits of rising stars before the public spotlight finds them.

But, they are also naturally out of touch with reality and heap unrealistic expectations on players. Take Detroit Tigers RHP Rick Porcello, for example.

Poll baseball people everywhere, and they will give all kinds of praise to a 20-year-old kid who not only survived an entire season in the Tigers’ rotation, but pitched well enough to win 14 games. Porcello showed maturity beyond his years this past season, John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press said after Porcello finished behind Oakland A’s RHP Andrew Bailey and Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Porcello was the AL’s youngest player, according to Lowe, and he also dealt with the highest expectations of any rookie in the league. From start to finish, he was a heavily relied upon part of a Detroit rotation that had more than its fair share of struggles. Porcello was on strict pitch counts throughout the season, throwing more than 100 pitches just four times, but made the most of his limited work.

Porcello’s rookie season, by most accounts, was a rousing success in reality, but he barely jumped onto fantasy owners’ radars. As the strikeout rate (89 Ks in 170.2 IP) improves, his advanced approach and moxie will translate into some serious results, probably during the 2010 season.

The soon-to-be 21-year-old has a great deal of ‘controlled upside’ next year and is a prime candidate to perform well-beyond expectations.