BALLER MOVE: Buy: Jack Flaherty
The Jack Flaherty renaissance is something some members of the fantasy community bet on when he landed with the Detroit Tigers at the pitcher-friendly Comerica Park for home games and the soft AL Central this past offseason, but even the biggest optimists probably weren’t expecting this level of success.
Injuries, particularly throwing shoulder issues, plagued Flaherty following his 2019 Cy Young Award-contending campaign, but he looks completely rejuvenated in 2024 while leading MLB in strikeout-to-walk ratio with a scintillating 50:5 K:BB as well as K’s per nine innings (12.5) over 36 innings (six starts).
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(via @MLBStats)
pic.twitter.com/0xKvsmh4ce— Flippin' Bats Podcast (@FlippinBatsPod) April 30, 2024
Many may have jumped on the Flaherty bandwagon during his sharp spring training, but he’s still available in nearly half of Yahoo leagues. The only blemish on his fabulous start is a mediocre 4.00 ERA, but a 3.04 xERA as well as a 2.83 FIP mean Flaherty might be throwing even better than it appears. Riding a one-year prove-it deal, the 28-year-old former ace is playing for the bag this offseason and could be ready to spike for another Cy Young-caliber season a la Blake Snell a year ago.
Flaherty has a rough bill of games upcoming, tentatively lining up for the Guardians, Astros, and Diamondbacks in his next three starts, but he absolutely needs to be rostered in all leagues at this point. With his value at its highest right now, perhaps a buy-low window could open up if he stumbles a bit during this difficult stretch.
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