Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups recommendations for Week 27 of the fantasy baseball season (September 25 - October 1). I'm Dawn Tepper, and I'll be digging through the waiver wires this week to see how I can help you during one of the season's last weeks.
With football season kicking off, it's easy to get caught up in all the excitement, but remember your fantasy baseball team! There's still a bit of time left to make some tweaks and improve your roster for the playoffs.
Today, we'll be taking a look at some promising recent prospect call-ups, some veteran arms who may be improving, and the best pitcher in the minor leagues to stash to help fantasy managers. Good luck on the waiver wire this week!
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Pitcher pickup recommendations for leagues of any size
Brandon Pfaadt, Arizona Diamondbacks (12% Rostered)
Like many others, Pfaadt will probably take the mound for the last time this season next week. The right-hander faces the White Sox next week in a decent matchup on the South Side of Chicago. Arizona has been fine versus righties, slashing .253/.325/.420, but they aren't quite as good on the road, slashing just .242/.314/.395.
Post-All-Star break, Arizona hasn't continued the way they began at the beginning of the season and are now batting .242/.314/.395. Pfaadt has been a bit better on the road, striking out 40 in 44.1 innings pitched. Roster him with a fair amount of confidence at the White Sox next week.
Miles Mikolas, St. Louis Cardinals (41% Rostered)
Right-hander Mikolas has a good matchup next week versus the Brewers in Milwaukee. There is barely a difference in Mikolas's splits, but the Brewers are not quite as good versus right-handed pitchers, slashing .237/.318/.380. Mikolas has a 4.95 ERA this season, but his FIP is a bit lower at 4.41, and in 16 games on the road, Mikolas has a 4.25 ERA. Milwaukee currently has a .147 ISO with a 92 wRC+ and a 24% strikeout rate. They shouldn't give Mikolas too much trouble at home Wednesday night.
Sawyer Gipson-Long, Detroit Tigers (31% Rostered)
Gipson-Long will be home next week, facing the Kansas City Royals. The Royals are batting .226/.282/.373 on the road this season, and versus righties, they aren't much better with a .242/.300/.396 slash line. Kansas City has won nine of their last ten games yet sit fifth in the AL Central. This will be a great matchup for the rookie Gipson-Long in what will most likely be his last start of the season, and he can be rostered with confidence.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Pitcher pickup recommendations for deeper leagues
Reese Olson, Detroit Tigers (26% Rostered)
Right-hander Olson earned the win last Wednesday over the Dodgers, allowing one run, two hits, and two walks while striking out five. He is pitching twice next week, once at home versus Kansas City and at home later in the week versus Cleveland. We covered Kansas City's record versus righties above, so let's take a look at Cleveland.
The Guardians have lost five of their last seven games, and during that time, they are slashing .237/.308/.360 with a .667 OPS. They are slashing .259/.321/.388 for the season versus righties. Olson's matchups next week are good ones, and he can be rostered confidently.
Alec Marsh, Kansas City Royals (1% Rostered)
Right-hander Marsh will face the fourth-place AL East Yankees next week. The Bombers have lost four of their last six games, slashing .219/.282/.403 with a .685 OPS during that time. Marsh earned his first big league win on September 14, allowing one run and three hits with five strikeouts. The Yankees are slashing .221/.298/.384 versus righties, making this a great opportunity for the rookie pitcher to end the season on a high note.
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