Streaming Pitchers: May Recap

May 31, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher

(30) pitches the ball against the New York Yankees during the first inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Streaming pitchers is hit or miss. You look at your league’s waiver wire and see which starting pitchers are available and have a great matchup. While I didn’t pick as many pitchers as I did in April, I liked my selection for May. The record may not show it, but there were some good outings mixed in there. The pitchers finished with a 2-7 record with four quality starts. Here are how those pitchers fared last month.

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The Good

Jesse Chavez had a good outing his first start in May. He went 7.1 innings with four hits, one walk, one earned run and seven strikeouts. Unfortunately for most owners, he did pick up the quality starts. Jon Niese pitched seven shutout innings with a 0.86 WHIP and, obviously, picked up the win and quality start. This New York Mets rotation is one of the best in the league. Nick Martinez didn’t go as long as the other two, but his five innings of one-run ball earned him a win. He’s been a bright spot for a team without their ace.

The Bad

The second Chavez start wasn’t as pretty. He did last 6.2 innings and struck out seven, but allowed four runs on five hits and two walks with 103 pitches. The control wasn’t there and he was shaken up by the Seattle Mariners. Regardless, Chavez is a must-own pitcher. Hector Santiago didn’t start my month on the right step. He was rocked by one of the league’s hottest teams, San Fransisco Giants. Nine hits, two walks and four earned runs is a recipe for a horrible outing. He’s been good since this start, so this shouldn’t worry you too much.

The Ugly

Chris Heston‘s 2015 has been a bit of a rollercoaster. This start was a drop. He pitched just two innings and gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks, 22.50 ERA and 4.50 WHIP. Heston was his next two starts, but gave up six runs in one of them. I would avoid using him if possible. Miguel Gonzalez burned me again. I trusted him during opening week, but has let me down ever since. He gave up five runs in four innings, 79 pitches. Gonzalez is a spot start with the right matchup in deep leagues.

It was a less-than-stellar month for me with my streaming picks. Hopefully things turn around in June, I haven’t picked anyone yet, but it’s still early. Let me know some of your streaming strategies in a year-long league.