We are almost four months into the season which means that whatever players did back in April and May is pretty much irrelevant in terms of what you can expect the rest of the way. Plenty of players like Marlon Byrd, Wily Peralta, and Felix Doubront were terrible in the first month or two of the season and have since become must-own players. Meanwhile, players who dominated April like John Buck, Mark Reynolds, and Trevor Cahill have become irrelevant. Let’s take a look at who’s on the rise in this week’s waiver wire rundown.
Wily Peralta (Owned in 14% of Yahoo Leagues): Peralta has had one of the biggest turnarounds of the season, putting up a 6.08 ERA over his first 15 starts and putting up a 0.87 ERA and .181 BAA in six starts since. Over that stretch, Peralta has seen four scoreless outings while striking out 32 and walking 15 over 41.1 IP. He seems to finally be living up to the promise we saw last season when he went 2-1 with a 2.48 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 23 K/11 BB over his first 29 big league innings.
Matt Adams (11%): Adams has been great off the bench but with Matt Holliday hitting the DL and Allen Craig sliding into the outfield, Adams will have first base all to himself until Holliday is healthy. On the season, Adams owns a .301/.359/.517 line with seven homers, 26 RBI, 19 R, and 10 2B. Over his last 16 games, Adams has added three homers, 10 RBI, and nine runs. He’s a must-own in every league until Holliday returns.
Chris Archer (36%): Archer continues to put up stellar numbers, most recently holding the Blue Jays to one run over seven innings. On the season, Archer is now 5-3 with a 2.76 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 41 K/25 BB over 58.2 IP. Even better, over his last six starts, Archer is 4-0 with a 1.62 ERA, .194 BAA, and 23 K/11 BB over 39 IP. Rays pitchers always seem to do well as soon as they make the Majors and Archer is no different.
Rex Brothers (37%): With Rafael Betancourt hitting the DL with appendicitis, Brothers will once again step into the temporary closer role for the Rockies. The former first-round pick has been untouchable this season, owning a 1.30 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, five saves, and 43 K/21 BB over 41.2 IP. He should be owned universally until Betancourt returns.
Felix Doubront (21%): Much like Wily Peralta, Doubront had a rough start to his season, putting up a 6.03 ERA over his first seven games. In 11 starts since, Doubront is 4-2 with a 2.51 ERA and 56 K/24 BB over 68 IP. He’s allowed just two runs over his last two starts against the Yankees and Mariners and continues to improve as his second full season moves along.
Marlon Byrd (36%): Byrd has a .277/.322/.519 line with 17 HR, 56 RBI, and 42 R so how he’s available in most leagues is lost on me. Byrd isn’t a flash in the pan, he’s been hot since May, hitting 16 of his 17 homers in just 54 starts since May 3. Until he stops hitting, he should be owned in every league.
Brad Miller (9%): The rookie infielder had a slow week getting acquainted with the league but has been hitting like he’s back in the minors since. Over his last 13 games, Miller owns a .296/.387/.537 line with two homers, 13 RBI, 10 R, and seven XBH. He’s always been a great hitter in the minors, putting up a .334 career batting average and he showed the ability to be a 15-15 guy with a ton of extra-base hits. I would take a shot on this kid in most leagues.
Tony Cingrani (45%): In a year filled with impressive rookie performances, Cingrani has been as good as anyone else – which is why I’m baffled he’s available in more than half of Yahoo leagues. On the season, Cingrani is now 3-1 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 77 K/26 BB over 64 IP. If you count just his numbers as a starter, Cingrani owns a 3.02 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 66 K/19 BB over 56.2 IP. The guy strikes out a ton of batters and has given up more than three runs in a game just once this season, surrendering four runs back on May 4 against the Cubs.
Chris Carpenter (20%): Carpenter has thus far struggled in his first two rehab games, giving up fifteen hits, four walks, and six earned runs in six innings. He also hasn’t played all season so let’s cut him some slack. Carpenter was able to return last September after missing the entire season and is going to be back in the Majors in the next few weeks. Last season, he managed to start just three games, putting up a 3.71 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 12 K/3 BB over 17 IP. The previous year, Carp had a 3.45 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 191 K/55 BB. He may no longer be the 2.24 ERA guy we saw a few years ago but he’s worth a stash in deeper leagues.
