As we detailed on Monday, this is the final stretch in fantasy baseball. A few teams in your league are locks for the playoffs, a few are out, but there are probably a few teams vying for even fewer spots. This is where the waiver wire comes in. On Monday, we listed a few options at each position for hitters, so today is a look at the pitching side of fantasy baseball. Depending on how many innings you have logged in rotisserie leagues, adding pitchers for the last few weeks could make or break your season. In standard leagues or points leagues, one good start helps and a few good starts can go a long way. Be sure to keep this in mind when scavenging the waiver wire in these last few weeks.
Whether it is a free agent pool, a budget-based system, or weekly waivers, playing the wire is a key element to winning your fantasy baseball leagues.
Without further ado, let’s play the waiver wire:
This week, we will present a few options at starting pitcher and relief pitcher with their recent statistics. Each one of these players has been hot, so add them if you need immediate help.
Starting Pitcher
Collin McHugh, Houston Astros
Since returning to the Astros, McHugh has been one of the better pitchers in the division. He has allowed three earned runs combined in his last three starts and has lowered his ERA to 3.08 on the season. If there is an Astros pitcher to own, it’s McHugh.
Vance Worley, Pittsburgh Pirates
Worley has taken his new job by storm so far, going 5-1 with a 2.30 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He is the jolt the Pirates rotation needed, and he could be the jolt for your fantasy team as well. Add him now, as he is one of the more-added players in the last week.
Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs
Since coming up, Hendricks is 4-1 with a 1.73 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP to go along with five straight quality starts. Add him now before your league mates realize how good he’s been.
Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays
Hellickson is 1-1 with a 2.03 ERA this season, but he has a very small sample size. Why should you add him right now? He held the Athletics to just two hits in seven innings two starts ago and has allowed just one earned run in his last 13 innings of work.
Relief Pitcher
Jake Petricka, Chicago White Sox
The White Sox closer is still available in a lot of leagues. It’s not often that you can add saves this late in a season, so scoop him up before someone else does. Petricka has eight saves on the year to go along with a 2.30 ERA.
Brad Boxberger, Tampa Bay Rays
How often do you see a non-closer on a waiver wire list? If you are in leagues where holds are a scoring option, he is likely gone. But even if you’re in a standard league, Boxberger is worth an add. He has 81 strikeouts in 50 innings this year, including 28 in his last 14 innings of work. Boxberger will help your ERA and WHIP as well with a 1.95 and 0.81, respectively.
Hector Rondon, Chicago Cubs
Rondon is the other closer in Chicago, and he is also available in a few leagues. Check the wire to see if he is available and if you need saves for the home stretch. Rondon has 15 saves on the season for the Cubs.
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