Fantasy Baseball Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups: Pitchers
By Bill Pivetz
The waiver wire is a good place to add depth to your pitching staff. Here are the top-five starters to add in Week 4.
It’s been an interesting first few weeks of the baseball season. Some starting pitchers have pitched up to expectations while others have disappointed to start. There are a lot of starters that can be added in a one-off situation. However, the pitchers I list should be owned for longer than that.
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My criteria for this list is simple. These pitchers are available in at least 40 percent of ESPN leagues. I apologize if you don’t use that website. That is the only one I have accurate numbers to. It doesn’t make sense to write about a player that is 80 percent owned. The pitchers also need to be productive, obviously. These five starters have been pitching well to warrant a spot on this list.
What does “pitching well” mean? I don’t care about wins. It’s not a statistic that can be predicted. I am looking for pitchers that have multiple quality starts. And that means at least six innings with three or fewer earned runs. I also don’t care too much about strikeouts. While they do help, it isn’t the be all end all for starters. You’re not going to find a strikeout machine on the waiver wire. That’s what your No. 1 and 2 guys are for.
I will also not be writing about the pitchers I or any one of my colleagues have written about as a waiver wire pick up. If there is a starter I didn’t mention, take a look at our website earlier in the week, and he might be there.
Here are the top-five starting pitchers to add off the waiver wire in Week 4.
Next: No. 5: Bartolo Colon
Owned: 16.8 percent
I will never not love this man. Bartolo Colon can be 50 and will still lug his big body out there and pitch a good game. This season has been more of the same. In three starts, 17.1 innings, he is 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA, 1.096 WHIP and 16 strikeouts. He also made a relief appearance on Opening Day, going 1.1 innings with a hit and strikeout.
Colon is not a strikeout pitcher, averaging just over a strikeout per inning. Like I said, I don’t mind that, but it means that he relies heavily on the seven fielders behind him. However, he does have good command of his pitchers as he has only allowed two walks.
Two of his three starts were quality starts, including his most recent one. He will make his next start against the Cincinnati Reds. The same Reds offense that was shutout by Jake Arrieta last week.
There is a question of Colon moving to the bullpen when Zack Wheeler returns from Tommy John surgery. He could be just as valuable if that were to happen. Until then, Colon sits pretty as the No. 5 starter for the New York Mets.
Next: No. 4: Robbie Ray
Owned: 17.2 percent
Robbie Ray‘s 2015 season had some ups and downs. He went 5-12 with a 3.52 ERA, 1.332 WHIP and 8.4 K/9. He looks to be making big strides this season. He is 1-0 with a 1.96 ERA, 1.309 WHIP and 8.3 K/9. All three of his starts this season have been quality starts.
Ray has increased his strikeouts in each of his starts, going from three in his first one to eight last Tuesday. He also lowered his base on balls. If he can continue to limit the walks, then his WHIP will take a dive too. The fewer base runners, the fewer opportunities to score runs.
The Arizona Diamondbacks offense is a little stagnant. The loss of A.J. Pollock affects the run support Ray and the rest of the pitching staff receives each start. If he pitches like he did against the San Francisco Giants, then one run is all the Diamondbacks need.
He is scheduled to face the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. As of this writing, the game has yet to start. I expect him to pitch well. He will likely allow a run or two, which is to be expected against the Pirates. He will post another quality start and that is what’s most important.
Next: No. 3: Hector Santiago
Owned: 38.4 percent
Hector Santiago had his breakout season last year, going to his first All-Star game. He looks to be continuing that success this season. He has a 2-0 record, 2.70 ERA, 0.938 WHIP and 9.1 K/9.
His last two starts have been amazing. On April 18, he faced the Chicago White Sox. He went seven innings and gave up two hits and three walks while striking out a season-high 10 batters. The following start, he went six innings and gave up two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven.
He now has 27 strikeouts in 26.2 innings and is riding a two-game win streak.
Santiago’s next start will be on Friday on the road against the Texas Rangers. That could spell some trouble for Santiago, but he pitched well the last time he faced Texas. In his first start of the season, he went six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven.
Santiago is the complete opposite pitcher of Colon. He limits his base runners, mostly by strikeouts. If you need help in that department or need help lowering your WHIP, then Santiago is the pitcher you want to add.
Next: No. 2: J.A. Happ
Owned: 32.7 percent
The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the best teams in the league. The lineup, the bullpen and rotation. Individually, you may be able to find some holes, but as a unit, the team is unstoppable. One reason is because of the success J.A. Happ has had so far.
He’s made four starts this season. He is 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 4.5 K/9. He is on a three-game win streak and all four of his starts have been quality starts.
The only thing that makes me wary about Happ is his WHIP. He allowed seven hits in three of his four starts. Luckily, he was able to limit the damage, only six earned runs in those games. His season high in strikeouts is only four, accomplished three times.
Happ’s next start will be against the Tampa Bay Rays. The offense ranks 29th in batting average (.221), 29th in OBP (.286) and T-26 in runs scored (57). Suffice it to say, Happ should have another good start on Saturday.
Next: No. 1: Jason Hammel
Owned: 58.3 percent
The other team that can compete with the Blue Jays is the Chicago Cubs. Their offense and pitching rotation has been very dangerous so far this season. Jason Hammel is one of those pitchers. His most recent start proves why he is my No. 1 starting pitcher to add this week.
Against the Reds, he pitched six shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven on his way to his third straight win. On the season, he has a 0.75 ERA, 1.042 WHIP and 8.25 K/9 (including Sunday’s start). There is just one thing that worries me with Hammel.
He just doesn’t pitch far into games. He’s pitched six innings in all four of his starts. While that is long enough to get a win and quality start, it does affect those owners that use innings as a stat or need a minimum innings pitched on a weekly basis.
However, the second qualifier shouldn’t hold you back. Most leagues use a reachable number that, even with his six innings, the rest of your pitching staff should get you there.
Hammel is listed as the No. 4 starting pitcher. He is pitching well enough to be a No. 2 starter for this or any other team. After his start on Sunday, go add him before it’s too late. His next start will likely be over the weekend against the Atlanta Braves.
Next: Wrap Up
To be honest, I’m surprised these pitchers aren’t owned in more leagues. They are pitching well on a consistent basis and show no signs of slowing down. Like I said in the previous slides, each pitcher has his downside, but it’s not enough to hold you back from picking them up.
Surprisingly, most, if not all, of the pitchers have favorable matchups this week. This is something you need to take advantage of, regardless of what league you play in.
If you were only able to go after one of these pitchers, because of a FAAB budget or a limit on transactions, I would go after Hammel, Happ or Santiago. The other two are waiver wire adds in deeper leagues or teams looking for a streaming option.
Next: Top 5 Hitters to Add in Week 4
I hope you guys can get at least one of these pitchers and wish you luck next week and for the rest of your season. Keep checking back here throughout the week for waiver wire updates and other news throughout the baseball world.