Matt Shoemaker (SP, TOR) - Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups

Jamie Steed profiles Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker as a waiver wire pickup and add in Week 3 of the 2020 MLB season.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 20% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Toronto Blue Jays Matt Shoemaker made a triumphant return to the mound on the season's opening weekend, hurling six innings and giving up just one run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts. After tearing an ACL in April 2019, Shoemaker missed the remainder of last year but had an impressive 1.57 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in the five starts he made before his injury. Importantly, his velocity in his first start of 2020 was very similar to what he had in 2019 so he looks like he's over his knee injury completely, albeit that's based a very small sample size of one start.

Shoemaker isn't a flashy add from waivers and in his three seasons prior to this, he's totaled just 137.1 innings due to various injuries. But in a 60-game season, he only needs to stay healthy for another month and he'll have provided fantasy value. Since his first full season in 2014, Shoemaker has had a sub-10% BB% which has helped him to a career 1.18 WHIP and a 3.79 ERA. Going six innings in his first start also makes him a rare commodity who could go deep enough into games to qualify for a win or quality start. Pitching in the Eastern Division, Shoemaker will have rough matchups but also should have enough good ones to be started more often than not and should find his way on rosters in leagues with twelve or more teams.