Each week, we’ll look at a handful of players who fantasy managers should consider picking up in deeper fantasy baseball leagues. Many of these players will have the most value in larger leagues where waiver wire options aren’t as plentiful. Still, they could also occasionally be useful additions in other, more standard-sized leagues, depending on your options at each position.
All roster percentages mentioned in this column are via FantasyPros as of Friday afternoon.
Miles Mikolas – 8%
Mikolas is logging his lowest strikeouts-per-nine-inning rate (5.36) and strikeout rate (14.2%) of his career, at least if the season were to end today.
And while the veteran has always logged lower strikeout rates in his major league career, he’s been able to keep both his ERA and FIP on the lower side of things this year due to a general lack of home runs allowed.
It remains to be seen just how long Mikolas can keep that home-runs-per-nine-innings rate down, considering opposing batters have turned in a 9.6%, but he’s worth a look in the right matchups, particularly while that home run rate is still low.
Assuming the Cardinals’ rotation continues as is without any interruptions or changes, Mikolas’ next three starts will come at Baltimore, at home to Kansas City, and then at home again to Toronto.
All three clubs entered play on Friday ranked in the bottom third of the league in runs scored. The Orioles, in particular, have outscored just five other major league teams this season and have the league’s fourth-lowest walk rate and third-highest strikeout rate.
One of the five teams they’ve outscored so far? That would be the Royals, who also have the league’s lowest collective walk rate at 6.6% and the sport’s fourth-lowest wRC+ with an 83 metric.
Taijuan Walker – 7%
While teams like the Orioles, Royals, and Blue Jays have struggled to score runs at times this season, the Philadelphia Phillies, well, they have not, to put it plainly.
Entering play at the beginning of the day on Friday, the Phillies were ranked sixth in the league in runs scored (with 243 runs to be exact, for reference), with top-10 rankings in each of the following statistical categories: wRC+, wOBA, on-base percentage, batting average, walk rate, RBI and stolen bases.
Which is all to say that Walker (while he continues to start) and the rest of the Phillies rotation should have plenty of pitcher win opportunities in the weeks and months ahead. Philadelphia entered Friday tied with the Detroit Tigers for the most rotation pitcher wins (21) in the league.
Walker, who was mentioned in this column last month, has accounted for two of those pitcher wins and should be a strong bet to see plenty more for as long as he’s in the Philadelphia rotation.
The veteran has pitched to a 2.97 ERA and a 3.76 FIP in 39.1 innings, nine appearances, and seven starts this season. For the season, his strikeout rate sits at 19.2% while his walk rate is at 9.3%. While he was pitching out of the bullpen, Walker also logged a three-inning save.
With Aaron Nola on the injured list and Mick Abel thriving in a recent spot start, Walker might only be a short-term addition for fantasy managers, but he makes for a solid rotation addition in deeper leagues.
Kyle Hendricks – 1%
Speaking of pitchers on teams with quality run support, few teams have received the type of run support that the Angels have lately.
In the last two weeks, only the Dodgers have outscored the Halos. In the process, Ron Washington’s team has also connected on more home runs in the past two weeks (24) than any other team.
Enter veteran starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks, who has a 4.07 ERA and a 5.13 FIP in 24.1 innings this month. And while the FIP could certainly be better – so too could a 1.85 home runs allowed per nine innings during the month of May – the combination of a strong lineup supporting him and lower-scoring oppositions on the schedule set to face him make Hendricks worth a look as a short-term streaming option for fantasy managers in deeper leagues with 14 or more teams.
Assuming the Angels’ rotation stays as is and on schedule, Hendricks will get a start against the Miami Marlins at home this Sunday before taking on the Cleveland Guardians on the road in his next outing.
Both teams rank in the bottom third of the league in runs scored, wRC+, and on-base percentage.
After that, the schedule gets a bit trickier with series against the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, and New York Yankees in the first half of June, but Hendricks is worth a look in the short term for fantasy managers looking for pitcher-win production.
Graphic by Carlos Leano.
