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Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 18 (July 29 - August 4). 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.
One thing I would like for all readers to consider: the bottom part of your roster, especially in deeper leagues, should see some churn. This week we look at some young pitchers who could help you, like Drew Thorpe, Max Meyer, and Spencer Schwellenbach. There are also the boring veterans, like Andrew Heaney and Paul Blackburn. Acquiring players like these and adding to your pitcher mix for the second half could help you win your league.
Every player on my list has a flaw. It could be low strikeout rates; it could be a walk rate that is too high. Every player listed here can provide some level of benefit to your fantasy team. I look for guys who can contribute to my bottom lines; a win perhaps (although chasing them is foolish and tricky), maybe some strikeouts, while not destroying my carefully manicured ratios.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo!
Luis L. Ortiz, Pittsburgh Pirates (rostered in 41% of leagues)
Ortiz will not be a secret much longer if he keeps this up. He wasn't as sharp Friday night, going five innings and surrendering three runs with four strikeouts and three walks. However, he's got a win in four July starts, to go with a 1.75 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts in 25 innings. Ortiz will not wow you with big strikeout numbers, but he is controlling ratios and giving the team some much-needed innings for the 52-51 Pirates, fighting for a playoff spot. Below is Ortiz's pitch distribution this year. Note the offerings are all above league average in terms of velocity.
Max Meyer, Miami Marlins (rostered in 39% of leagues)
It's happening! It's happening! Meyer is coming. Add him now. Meyer should get some runway with the Marlins, but it is unknown if they plan to continue to limit his pitches and innings. We will watch that, but he is a pitcher worth rostering with this skill set.
Drew Thorpe, Chicago White Sox (rostered in 38% of leagues)
Thorpe had a horrible outing Friday night, coughing up eight runs in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners. Many teams will likely drop him moving forward, but I think that represents an opportunity for you in deeper leagues. Thorpe should have an extended run with the 27-79 White Sox, who are going to be sellers this week. We cannot erase that last start, but Thorpe had gone six innings in five consecutive starts before this dud, never surrendering more than two runs in any of those outings.
He will not get many strikeouts at this point, although that could be coming down the road, despite the fastball being a weak offering. He's limiting hard contact with an 87 MPH exit velocity, which puts him in the 86th percentile in MLB. Thorpe can fit in nicely at the back end of a successful fantasy rotation and provide mostly worry-free innings. Thorpe is adjusting to life in MLB with a below-average fastball, leaning on his plus changeup and adding a sharper cutter to his pitch mix. The guy knows how to pitch.
Andrew Heaney, Texas Rangers (rostered in 33% of leagues)
Many fantasy players have a love-hate relationship with Heaney, and I get it. Maybe we are missing the boat on a very usable starting pitcher here. He was not great Friday night, giving up four runs on seven hits while not factoring into the decision. Heaney has gone at least five innings in seven consecutive starts, earning two wins and piling up 43 strikeouts in 38 innings. With the Rangers rounding into shape and getting healthier, Heaney is a sneaky pick-up to your fantasy team rotation, especially in deeper leagues.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered less than 30% on Yahoo!
Spencer Schwellenbach, Atlanta Braves (rostered in 30% of leagues)
I have been touting Schwellenbach for weeks here, and he more than paid back that trust on Saturday afternoon: 11 strikeouts and no runs surrendered in seven innings against the New York Mets. He's gone six or more innings in four straight starts and struck out eight in his last start last weekend. The splitter is turning into an excellent pitch for him against left-handed batters. Look at the chase percentages below for Schwellenbach; he's in the 98th percentile for chase percentage in MLB. Grab him now.
Michael Lorenzen, Texas Rangers (rostered in 27% of leagues)
Same old story with Lorenzen: the boring veteran who pitches five innings every time he goes out there. Last weekend, he got the moribund White Sox, and he struck out eight hitters even though he did not get the win. See his numbers below. A great balance for the back of your rotation.
Hayden Birdsong, San Francisco Giants (rostered in 22% of leagues)
Birdsong should get an opportunity in San Francisco now, with the movement of Jordan Hicks to the bullpen. Alex Cobb returns soon to a rotation that could look different soon with the pending trade deadline. While there might not be an open spot for Birdsong right now, that could change soon. You can see that he has been effective in his last couple of starts, including winning his last one while collecting 12 strikeouts. This is a skill set that could be worth rostering no matter the role.
Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies (rostered in 15% of leagues)
Yes, I know: never a Rockies pitcher, right? Less than spectacular Friday night, Freeland gave up six runs in four innings against the San Francisco Giants. What I like: the development of the higher K rate; in his last three games, he has games of nine and eight strikeouts. The knuckle curve seems to be really helping him; see the chart below to note the improved strikeout percentage using the pitch more this month. The purple line shows the knuckle curve K%.
Paul Blackburn, Oakland Athletics (rostered in 9% of leagues)
Blackburn has been forgotten about in many leagues due to his injury status. He made his first start Friday night since early May, and the results weren't especially inspiring: five innings, four earned runs on five hits and a walk while nabbing only two strikeouts. However, he did earn the win for the upstarts and suddenly exciting Oakland Athletics. The veteran is worth keeping tabs on and adding at the back end of your rotation, especially if you are looking for some stability with innings and ratio help.
Other Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Options
- Trevor Rogers, Miami Marlins (rostered in 6% of leagues)
- Marco Gonzales, Pittsburgh Pirates (rostered in 5% of leagues)
- Justin Wrobleski, Los Angeles Dodgers (rostered in 4% 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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