Jul 17, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Robbie Ray (38) throws during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been a couple of weeks since I picked a daily streaming option. With the All-Star break and starting rotations being moved around, I figured I would wait until things settled. Now that we are there, my streaming pick for July 22 is Arizona Diamondbacks‘ starter Robbie Ray. He’s been a little up-and-down this season, but with the favorable matchup, you can’t pass on Ray.
Ray has pitched better in the majors compared to his time in Triple-A. In nine MLB starts, Ray has a 2.29 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 2.57 FIP. In nine Triple-A Reno Aces starts, Ray finished with a 3.67 ERA and 1.70 WHIP (Baseball Reference does not list FIP for minor-league pitchers).
Ray has made a lot of improvements with the move to the majors. He had a 57:27 K:BB rate in Triple-A. This season with the Diamondbacks, he has a 46:12 K:BB rate. While the strikeouts are low, the walk rate has decreased greatly. He had 12.31 K/9 with Reno, but just 7.32 in Arizona. However, his walk per nine rate dropped from 5.83 to 1.96.
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Leading up to the break, Ray suffered three straight losses before picking up the win against the dangerous Texas Rangers on July 7. He had a no decision in the first start after the break, five innings with two earned runs and eight strikeouts.
Robbie Ray’s next start will be against the Giancarlo Stanton-less Miami Marlins. Despite having the seventh-best batting average in July, the power numbers just aren’t there. The offense ranks 24th in home runs, 16th in RBI and 17th in slugging percentage this month.
Ray does a good job preventing the home run, only two allowed in 55 innings. While Ray struggled in home starts, those were against top offenses. With the Marlins power quickly draining, Robbie Ray should have a good start. He is available in about 80 percent of ESPN.com leagues. If you are looking for a cheap SP5, Ray is your guy.