Drew Thorpe - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 13)

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 26% of Yahoo Leagues/9% of ESPN Leagues/42% of CBS Leagues

ANALYSIS: It's been a whirlwind week for Chicago White Sox rookie starting pitcher, Drew Thorpe, as he made his MLB debut against the Seattle Mariners. Thorpe was on the road a lot this offseason, which saw him get traded in two separate blockbuster deals. First, as the centerpiece of the Yankees package to the Padres for Juan Soto, then a few months later the Padres flipped him to Chicago in the Dylan Cease trade.

In his first-ever game, the White Sox unleashed Thorpe to the tune of 98 pitches (61 strikes), which is a good sign for fantasy managers in leagues that count quality starts. He pitched well, in five innings, he struck out four, walked two, allowed two runs (one earned), and left the game with a no-decision.

Drew Thorpe made a big impression in his debut, utilizing an elite changeup to provide the White Sox with fantastic pitching support!

📊 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO#RideHighhttps://t.co/V2F2hCblfr

— Cal Poly Baseball (@CalPolyBSB) June 13, 2024

While Thorpe has immense talent and incredible potential, currently the #54 prospect on MLB Top 100, fantasy managers should temper expectations for him this year. The White Sox are really bad. Thorpe will have no run support as Chicago is last in baseball with only 215 runs scored, a number that may only get worse if the rumors are true and White Sox deal outfielder Luis Robert Jr. However, he should provide a significant boost to fantasy teams in the strikeouts category but it's always difficult to trust a rookie pitcher's ratios.

He should be owned in all dynasty leagues, and deeper 12+ team leagues for now, while being monitored in 10 team leagues. The expectations are low on the South Side at the moment, the pressure will be minimal, and Thorpe can continue to mature at the major league level.

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