Troy Taormina-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 30 and are quite possibly available on a waiver wire near you.
Now hurry up and grab one of these pitchers before some other cagey owner gets to them first. (Ownership percentages based off ESPN standard leagues)
Alex Wood: Atlanta Braves (80.4 percent)
This left-hander’s ownership has skyrocketed the past few days, but he can still be nabbed in about a fifth of fantasy leagues. Wood returned to the starting rotation in grand fashion last Wednesday by shutting out the Houston Astros over seven strong innings. Though he struggled at times as a relief pitcher this year, he sports an impressive 2.60 ERA in eight starts and should be universally owned going forward.
He’ll get another outstanding matchup today when the Braves host the New York Mets. The Metropolitans haven’t been able to get their bats going through most of the season, as they rank a lowly 22nd in the league in runs per game. Their offense has especially struggled in June, as they’ve put up six runs or more just five times in 27 games played.
Collin McHugh: Houston Astros (33.3 percent)
This fireballer continues to impress for the Astros. Though he doesn’t have enough starts to qualify yet, his 2.86 ERA would rank in the top 20 among all starting pitchers this season, his sparkling 1.05 WHIP would sit among the top 10 and his eye-popping 10.08 Ks per nine innings would place him in the top five. It’s never going to be easy for him to put up wins with such a weak offense backing him up, but McHugh will give it another go today.
The Seattle Mariners will be in town to start a series in Houston today, and I like McHugh’s chances of keeping those bats at bay. The Mariners have struggled to generate offense for most of June, as they’ve averaged just 3.6 runs per contest over their past 20 games. Seattle also struggles against right-handed pitching, as they’ve managed a paltry .239 average facing righties as a team this season.
Danny Duffy: Kansas City Royals (23 percent)
This southpaw has been quite dominant this season, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at his win-loss totals. Despite an impressive 2.69 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, Duffy has managed just a 4-7 record to this point for the Royals. Those aren’t even his most impressive numbers though. So far this season opponents are batting a microscopic .189 against Duffy in 67 innings pitched, which is a number bested by only Johnny Cueto among all starting pitchers in baseball.
Perhaps the Royals’ lefty can get back in the win column today when he faces the Minnesota Twins on the road. Though the Twinkies have had a decent offensive season overall, they have really had issues scoring runs of late. Over their past 14 games they’ve put up a paltry 3.07 runs per contest, and that has translated into a poor 5-9 record. When you combine that with Duffy’s sparkling 1.88 road ERA, it makes sense to give this fellow a go today.
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.
