Griffin Canning (SP, LAA) - Waiver Wire Pickups

Andrew Ericksen analyzes Los Angeles Angels SP Griffin Canning as a waiver wire pickup or add target for Week 10 of the 2019 fantasy baseball season. The rookie pitcher has shown a lot of potential so far.

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues

OWNED IN: 38% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning has excelled in his first month in the majors. Over 32.1 innings, he’s maintained an ERA of 3.06 and a WHIP of 0.96 with 34 strikeouts and nine walks. Over his last three starts, he has allowed a combined two earned runs across 20 innings. There are some indicators that suggest his ERA may not stay this low for long as he currently has an xFIP of 4.40 and a high strand rate of 89%, but he’s been so good across the board this past month that even a little negative regression would permit him to remain a solid fantasy contributor.

For short-term rotation help, he needs to be added in all leagues. It’s rare to find a pitcher on the waiver wire who has strung together as many solid starts as Canning has recently, without a track record of extended failure. The biggest question is how much Canning is going to be able to help during the latter months of the fantasy season. He’s 23 years old and threw just 113.1 innings last year, so you’d imagine the Angels don’t want him too much higher than that this year, especially in a year where the team is unlikely to make a playoff push. With his 16 innings pitched at Triple-A this year, he’s up to 48.1 innings on the year.

Definitely add him for now, but don’t be surprised to see his starts more spread out late in the season. Canning has two home divisional matchups coming up next with the Athletics on Tuesday and the Mariners on Sunday.