Philadelphia Phillies Jerad Eickhoff: Two-Start Pitcher in Week 3

By Bill Pivetz | Apr 17, 2016

Apr 13, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jerad Eickhoff (48) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

If you are looking to exploit a cheap starting pitcher with two favorable matchups in Week 3, Jerad Eickhoff is your man. Pick him up now.

We all know about the struggles the 2016 Philadelphia Phillies are going to go through. There do seem to be some bright spots though. I highlighted on the breakout closer in Jeanmar Gomez and we saw the pitching performance from Vince Velasquez last Thursday. One other bright spot is starting pitcher Jerad Eickhoff. He has two good matchups this week and is worth adding as an SP5.

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Eickhoff’s first start this season was alright, nothing special. He allowed two runs to the New York Mets on five hits and two walks while striking out three in five innings. His next start was a big improvement. He pitched seven shutout innings, giving up four hits and striking out nine San Diego Padres hitters.

His two matchups in Week 3 are two to exploit. He faces the Mets again on Monday, but this time at home. His start against the Padres was at home as well. His second start is scheduled to be next Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers on the road. While there are some power hitters on both teams, the lineups as a whole are not too dangerous.

The Brewers are tied for sixth for most strikeouts this season, 105. The Mets, on the other hand, don’t strike out, but they don’t get on base either. The team ranks 21st with a .301 on-base percentage. If Jerad Eickhoff can pitch like he did in his second start instead of his first, just 48 of his 87 pitches for strikes, then he will have great value in Week 3.

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Jerad Eickhoff is owned in just 15.1 percent of ESPN leagues, up from 5.3 percent last week. The 25-year-old has shown great promise in his young career. He finished 3-1 with a 0.96 ERA and .170 BAA in his final four starts. He looks like he carried that over into this season. With many pitchers struggling or going down with injury, Eickhoff is a great fill in, especially for this week.

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