Braves Mike Soroka sticking in the rotation: Waiver Wire Add

Mike Soroka is sticking in the Braves’ rotation and has been solid through his first two starts. Should he be a waiver wire add moving forward?

The Braves sit atop the NL East and are looking to continue their success. One of the keys to their division lead is the mix of veteran and young talent. While they certainly have plenty of young offensive talent, Mike Soroka is one of the Braves’ lauded pitching prospects. Now that he is sticking in the rotation, should be a waiver wire add?

Soroka entered the season as Atlanta’s top pitching prospect, and one of the top-40 prospects in all of MLB. The Canadian righty is just 20-years-old, yet has flown through the minors with great results. He posted a 3.02 ERA over 24 starts in 2016 at A ball, and then followed that with a 2.75 ERA over 26 starts at AA.

He started this season at AAA, but it only took four starts for him to show that he was ready for the show. With Julio Teheran and Anibal Sanchez missing in the rotation as well, the time was perfect for Soroka to debut.

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His first major league start was stellar as he only surrendered one run over six innings while striking out five versus the Mets. He walked none, showing the command and quality pitch mix that made him a stud prospect.

His arsenal includes a four-seam and two-seamer that sits in the mid-90s, topping out around 96 mph, combined with a hard breaking slurve. He rarely throws anything straight, and his stuff plays well off each other, allowing him to be tough on righties and lefties.

Soroka ran into trouble during his second start versus the Giants, giving up seven hits and four earned runs. He lost his command, and the Giants made him pay.

Throughout the minors, Soroka’s command was never in question and it is not as though it is a liability now. He posted a 7.3 K/9 in his two minor league campaigns, so it was not as though he was posting ace type of numbers, yet solid nonetheless.

Soroka should stick in the Braves’ rotation and the team recently decided that Anibal Sanchez is headed to the bullpen. With a starting spot in the rotation, Soroka turns into an intriguing waiver wire add.

He has the pedigree and results in the minors to believe in his status as an up and coming talent. His first two starts have been opposites, yet one would fall on the side of thinking that he will find his command the next time out and shine again.

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Fantasy owners should at least using Soroka for now as a streaming add as he faces the Marlins in Miami for his next start. Make the move.