Kevin Jairaj-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 glory. 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 July 3 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)
Phil Hughes: Minnesota Twins (60.4 percent)
It’s been quite the resurgence this year for Hughes after sporting a terrible 4-14 record and 5.19 ERA in 30 appearances last season. After a sluggish start to 2014 he’s managed an solid 8-4 record to this point with an outstanding 2.85 ERA over his last 12 outings. Though he’s been roughed up in each of his last two starts, both came against pretty strong offenses. He won’t have that issue facing him today.
Hughes will take on the New York Yankees this evening, and it will be the second time he’s faced his former team this season. The first meeting went quite well as he held them to two runs over eight innings while allowing just three hits, and an encore performance may be in store. The Yanks have really struggled of late with a 2-9 record over their past 11 games and have scored a paltry 2.91 runs per contest over that stretch.
Vance Worley: Pittsburgh Pirates (19.4 percent)
Injuries have allowed Worley to once again get a shot at the big league level, and boy has he taken advantage. In his three starts since being called up from Triple-A, he’s 2-0 with an outstanding 1.74 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. Now don’t be fooled into thinking he’s some sort of ace in the making, but with another solid matchup tonight, I think he can keep the train on the tracks for at least one more game.
That solid matchup will come in the form of the Arizona Diamondbacks. While the D-backs rank just 20th in the league in runs per game, they’ve been especially futile at the plate recently. On top of losing four of their past six contests, Arizona has managed to score just 10 total runs over that stretch.
Matt Shoemaker: Los Angeles Angels (9.6 percent)
Shoemaker got tenderized like a pork chop in his last start against the Kansas City Royals, as he was lambasted by an eight-run, 11-hit attack over four long innings. We all have our bad days at the office, however, and considering Shoemaker owned a strong 3.00 ERA in seven starts heading into that nightmare outing, I think he deserves another shot from fantasy owners today.
You have to like his chances at a bounce-back outing considering the opponent and the venue. The Angels will host the hapless Houston Astros this evening, and the 27th ranked offense in baseball has been terrible as ever of late. To go along with a 4-12 record over their past 16 games, the Astros have managed to put up a minuscule 2.94 runs per contest over that stretch. To top it off with a cherry for you, Shoemaker is the proud owner of a slick 2.54 home ERA on the season.
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.
