Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The waiver wire can be a goldmine for fantasy baseball players who are looking to boost their pitching stats. On most days, there is sure to be a starter (or three) just waiting to be scooped up who can help lead a fantasy team to riches. In today’s slice of fantasy baseball advice, let’s take a look at some hurlers who should be in for a solid day on the hill on June 20 and are quite possibly available on a waiver wire near you.
Now hurry up and grab one of these pitchers before some other sly owner gets to them first. (Ownership percentages based off ESPN standard leagues)
Henderson Alvarez: Miami Marlins (35.9 percent): Where’s the love? On top of a strong 2.56 ERA on the season, this guy has been lights out in his past five starts with a microscopic 0.82 ERA and excellent 1.06 WHIP. Despite those dynamite numbers, you can see how widely available Alvarez remains. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss out any longer; go get this guy and plug him in today.
It’s an outstanding matchup to take advantage of too, as the Marlins host the New York Mets. The New Yorkers have had trouble scoring all season as they rank just 25th in the league in runs per game, but they’ve been exceptionally bad of late. The Mets have managed to put up a measly 2.75 runs per game over their last 16 contests and not surprisingly own a terrible 5-11 record over that span. In two starts against these guys this season, Alvarez has held them to two runs in 15 innings while striking out 11.
Charlie Morton: Pittsburgh Pirates (25.3 percent): This right-hander has been shaky at times this year, but he’s in a groove of late. In his last five outings he’s managed a 4-1 record and sports an excellent 2.40 ERA. On top of that he’s missing a lot of bats recently with 36 Ks in his last 37 innings pitched. Look for this trend to continue when Morton takes on one of baseball’s weaker offenses.
The Chicago Cubs will be his opponent today, and while they aren’t quite inept offensively, they do rank just 23rd in the league at 3.86 runs scored per contest. They have struggled mightily against right-handed pitching this season too, as they sport a minuscule .225 average when facing it to this point. Morton has already faced the Cubbies three times this season with plenty of success, as he’s posted a 2.84 ERA with 18 Ks in 19 innings pitched.
Brad Mills: Oakland Athletics (0.0 percent): This lefty was just traded to the A’s on Tuesday and will make his 2014 MLB debut today. His big league track record is far from enviable with a 7.76 ERA in 53.1 innings pitched since 2009, but he’s looked pretty good on the mound this year. In 12 starts for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, Mills has managed to dominate with a 1.56 ERA, and exceptional 0.92 WHIP.
Perhaps those numbers will translate into next-level success when he takes on the struggling Boston Red Sox today. The Sox rank 24th in baseball with 3.84 runs scored per game, but they have been far more inept of late. The month of June has been cruel to Boston bats as they’ve put up just 2.94 runs per contest, and things have gone from bad to anemic in their last six games with only 11 total runs scored.
Brian Davis is a fantasy writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @SportsGuyBrian, ”Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
