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 advice, let’s take a look at some hurlers who should be in for a strong day on the hill on June 25 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 (43.4 percent):
This guy may not have the most dominant arm in the league, but good luck finding many hurlers that are pitching better right now. In his last six starts Alvarez owns a microscopic 0.69 ERA, and he’s allowed exactly zero runs in six of his last 12 outings. He’s even missing a fair amount of bats recently, as he’s managed to whiff 21 batters over his last four starts.
He’ll take to the road to square off against the light-hitting Philadelphia Phillies today. While Philly has often struggled to put up runs this season, their bats have been especially cold at Citizens Bank Park, as they rank just 27th in baseball in runs per game at home. When you also take into consideration the Phillies’ .236 team BA versus right-handed pitching, Alvarez seems like a smart bet for another quality outing.
Alex Wood, Atlanta Braves (45.6 percent):
As a relief pitcher this season, Wood has not impressed with his 4.77 ERA. Back at the beginning of the season when he was starting however, domination was his middle name. In his seven starts this year, Wood allowed two earned runs or fewer on six occasions, and if you take away a forgettable seven-run blowup against the Marlins, his ERA was a sparkling 1.80.
Due to injuries Wood is back in the starting rotation, and he’ll be greeted with an outstanding matchup. The Braves will once again take on the Houston Astros this evening, and those guys have really found the going tough of late. On top of being the fourth-lowest scoring team in baseball, Houston is 2-8 over their past 10 games, and have managed just 2.8 runs per contest over that span.
Collin McHugh, Houston Astros (28.8 percent):
Coming into this season, McHugh had a very poor MLB resume. He’s been quite the breakout arm this year though, as he sports an outstanding 2.76 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 11 starts. On top of those strong statistics, opponents are batting a minuscule .192 versus this right-hander, and McHugh’s 9.92 K/9 places him sixth among all starting pitchers in baseball.
Expect a pitching duel today as McHugh will be the one taking on the aforementioned Wood and the Braves. The Braves’ offense has plenty of kinks that are yet to be worked out as they rank 29th in runs per game this season. Atlanta has especially struggled of late, as the Braves have lost eight of their last 13 games, and have scored just 3.31 runs per contest during that streak.
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.
