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Harris Yudin analyzes the best MLB pitchers who are viable waiver wire pickups because of September call-ups. These sleeper pitchers can add value down the stretch.
Now that rosters have expanded to 40 players, teams are beginning to make their September call-ups. While we may not see the likes of Lucas Giolito, Archie Bradley, Noah Syndergaard or Jon Gray in the majors this year, there are a handful of sleeper pitchers expected to get the call that could potentially have some sort of fantasy impact over the final month of the 2014 season. In this week's column, I will be talking about three young arms who could provide help to your fantasy team down the stretch, but have even more value going forward in dynasty leagues.
Marco Gonzales - SP/RP, St. Louis Cardinals
Owned in 1% of Yahoo! Leagues
Gonzales was taken in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft, and made his major league debut just one year later for the Cardinals. He struggled mightily in his first two outings, allowing 11 earned runs over 14 innings pitched, but posted a 2.43 ERA over 122 innings pitched in three different minor league levels.
The 22-year-old lefty was given another opportunity on Saturday to pitch in the second game of a double-header against the Rockies. Gonzales was able to earn his first career win, tossing six frames of three-hit, one-run baseball. With the news of Justin Masterson's move to the bullpen, Gonzales should be finding himself on the mound at the beginning of every fifth game the Cards play. Gonzales doesn't throw incredibly hard, topping out around 91 mph, but he possesses a deep repertoire of pitches, which he mixes up nicely. He does an excellent job locating his pitches and hitting his spots, leading to an impressive 4.33 K/BB ratio in the minors this year.
Overall, Gonzales is pretty polished, and he could be a key piece in that St. Louis rotation as they close out the season and attempt to lock up the NL Central. He could be a solid NL-Only and very deep mixed league option for the stretch run.
Carlos Rodon - SP/RP, Chicago White Sox
Owned in 0% of Yahoo! Leagues
The top college pitcher in the 2014 MLB Draft is expected to rise to the Major Leagues just three months after being drafted. While he has only thrown 24.2 innings of professional baseball, most of which has been in lower levels of the minors, his 2.92 ERA and 13.9 K/9 ratio are undeniably impressive. His two plus pitches, a mid-90s fastball and a devastating wipeout slider, form a 1-2 punch that has a lot of fellow lefty Clayton Kershaw in it and allow Rodon to send countless batters back to the dugout without putting any wood on the ball.
Chances are Rodon spends most of the upcoming month in the bullpen, but don't be surprised to see the young lefty make a few spot starts for a struggling White Sox team that could look to get its future ace some major league experience. He will need to prove himself before being worthy of a pickup in many leagues, but with one impressive start, he could become an intriguing option down the line in AL-Only leagues. Most importantly, owners in keeper or dynasty leagues should view Rodon as an immediate must-add, as long as it doesn't come at the expense of a key contributor.
Daniel Norris - SP/RP, Toronto Jays
Owned in 1% of Yahoo! Leagues
Alex Anthopolous and the Blue Jays found a gem in the second round of the 2011 draft in Norris. Currently Toronto's top-rated prospect, Norris has been absolutely dealing for most of this year, with two significant blemishes on an otherwise excellent 2014 game log. He has posted four double-digit strikeout performances, despite never having pitched seven full innings in a single game.
Norris' 11.8 K/9 ratio and his 3.79 K/BB ratio should catch the attention of fantasy owners, regardless of what level he has done it at. None of his pitches look to be guaranteed plus pitches, but he throws all of them well, and has really improved his overall command. Like Rodon, Norris will likely spend most of his time pitching out of the bullpen, but it is not outrageous to believe that he can find a spot start or two, whether it be due to an injury or the struggles of one of their back-end starters.
Norris is only worth any consideration in the deepest of AL-Only leagues for an owner looking for some additional strikeouts or a possible spot start. He is also an interesting, under-the-radar option in a keeper or dynasty league.
Even if your fantasy team is out of postseason contention, you are going to want to monitor the transactions being made in order to grab some of the talent being called up to the big leagues. All three of these pitchers may be able to help in both the short- and long-term.
