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Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 12 (June 10 - June 16). In this weekly piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo! leagues. These are SP options to consider that might be good additions to your fantasy roster, especially for streaming.
Last week, we recommended some starting pitchers to scoop up whose rostership was lower than they should be. For those of you in deeper leagues, we will split that into another section, looking at starting pitchers rostered in less than 30% of Yahoo! leagues. We also look at pitchers beyond this coming week and look for tasty matchups a bit further down the road. One consideration for many fantasy players is that the bottom portion of your roster in deeper fantasy leagues should be churned frequently. That means you are playing matchups and looking for pitchers who can exploit weak-hitting teams. Start anybody pitching against the following teams: Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, and Colorado Rockies.
Another caveat here: you are unlikely to find guys on the waiver wire that will strike out tons of hitters or be extremely exciting in most instances. What I look for are guys who can contribute to my bottom lines: a win perhaps (although chasing them is foolish and tricky), while not destroying my carefully manicured ratios. Keep your expectations modest; think it will do no harm and hope for the best. Let's get after it.
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Let's take a look at some pitchers who could help you over the next few days.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo!
Cole Irvin, Baltimore Orioles (rostered in 49% of leagues)
Irvin has a clear opportunity in front of him with the injuries to Tyler Wells and John Means in the Baltimore rotation. See his compiled May numbers here as well as his first start in June. You won't get many strikeouts, but you will get some ratio controls and some wins; he has six on the year. Irvin is the perfect guy to either spot-start or add to the back of your rotation. There are far worse options to roster than Irvin.
Zack Littell, Tampa Bay Rays (rostered in 36% of leagues)
Littell continues to defy expectations, with a 3.56 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 68 innings. Littell has 66 strikeouts in 12 starts. One issue: he only has two wins. But Littell has pitched into the sixth inning in each of his last three starts, and posted quality starts. Littell benefits from not hurting himself with walks, with a 3.8% BB% putting him in the 94th percentile of all MLB hurlers. Even as the Rays expect to get some of their starting pitching back late this summer, Littell can give them (and you) worry-free innings most of the time.
Jake Irvin, Washington Nationals (rostered in 34% of leagues)
Another Irvin in nearby Washington is also paying dividends for the Nationals. Irvin has four wins, a 3.12 ERA and minuscule 1.03 WHIP. He won't wow you with strikeouts, but 64 in 75 innings will work. He's rostered in only 34% of leagues and should be far more widely on teams. His last victory was over Atlanta, where he went six scoreless innings and gave up only four hits while nabbing four strikeouts. Irvin can definitely help in most leagues.
Michael Lorenzen, Texas Rangers (rostered in 30% of leagues)
Lorenzen is exactly the kind of pitcher we look for in this weekly article: a guy who gives his team a chance to win most days while not posting the kind of numbers that warrant being rostered in most leagues. For players like me, Lorenzen has been a godsend as I wait for the return of Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer. Lorenzen has three wins, a tidy 3.05 ERA, and 1.24 WHIP in 10 starts this season. The veteran limits hard contact and has outpitched his peripherals this year. He's the perfect guy to have at the back end of your fantasy rotation.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for deeper leagues rostered between 30% or less on Yahoo!
Max Meyer, Miami Marlins (rostered in 26% of leagues)
This is a pure speculative pick as Meyer is not even on the major league roster. But manager Skip Schumaker suggested earlier this week that Meyer would be back "soon." Meyer did make his scheduled start for AAA Jacksonville on Friday night; could his next start be in the major leagues? With starters Ryan Weathers, Edward Cabrera, and Sixto Sanchez on the injured list, the Marlins might need Meyer sooner rather than later. You should add him now before your league mates wake up. All the stuff registers as above league average; see the chart below. He might not ever be this cheap again.
Frankie Montas, Cincinnati Reds (rostered in 18% of leagues)
Montas beat the Colorado Rockies last week, striking out nine over seven scoreless innings. He has three wins, a 4.00 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts in 54 innings. Montas is not the near-ace he once was, but he is a serviceable starter in most fantasy leagues. You can see that he is using the four-seamer and the cutter more, mixing in the splitter too. It's a little misleading comparing 2023 to 2024 since he only threw 25 pitches last season. Montas gets the Chicago Cubs today and then the Milwaukee Brewers next week.
Patrick Sandoval, Los Angeles Angels (rostered in 7% of leagues)
People are sleeping on Sandoval. Look below; he's on the cusp of the blood-red Statcast data we love! Sandoval has had two horrific outings in May, where he surrendered four and eight runs. In three of his last four starts, Sandoval has allowed less than two earned runs. I like the 71 strikeouts in 66 innings. Wins have been scarce, that is true. He gets Houston today and the San Francisco Giants next. Look at the chart below, and you will see a guy with the potential to help your rotation.
Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta Braves (rostered in 11% of leagues)
Waldrep will be a popular addition this weekend, and rightfully so. Drafted in 2023, Waldrep has 18 career starts in the minor leagues, going 3-6 with a 2.50 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 100 strikeouts in 84 innings. He will make his debut on Sunday against the Washington Nationals. The Braves need a fifth starter, and Waldrep will be in line to keep that spot after the team has seemingly soured on Bryce Elder. Waldrep focuses his arsenal on a fastball, slider, and splitter. There is some thought that Waldrep might end up as a closer, but at this time, he is getting a chance in the rotation.
Other Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Options
- Luis Medina, Oakland Athletics (rostered in 10% of leagues)
- Hogan Harris, Oakland Athletics (rostered in 2% of leagues)
- Adam Mazur, San Diego Padres (rostered in 7% of leagues)
Happy hunting for starting pitchers this weekend! If you have questions, you can always message me on X @mdrc0508. You can even tell me you hate these picks. Remember that fantasy baseball is supposed to be FUN above everything. Enjoy it!
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