Joe Blanton has pitched well over the past two weeks and certainly merits a look in deeper leagues.
Analysis: Joe Blanton’s ERA may be 4.87 but it doesn’t tell the complete story. Blanton’s xFIP is 3.43 this year, well below his career average. His HR/FB rate is up and his LOB% is down a bit, but these are things that will work themselves out by season’s end. Blanton is pitching deep into games and striking out 7.5 batters per nine innings pitched. His velocity is fine and his walk rate is just 1.19BB/9IP, good for second best in all of baseball.
I can see why the 4.87 ERA may scare away casual fantasy owners but the hardcore ones in deeper leagues have to love Joe Blanton. His strikeout rate and walk rate are solid and as soon as his HR/FB rate(seventh worst in MLB) comes back down to earth he will be a hot waiver wire commodity. Blanton is available in tons of leagues and you might as well grab him up now before the hype machine works its magic. Blanton’s 1.24 WHIP is better than David Price, CC Sabathia and Felix Hernandez, so why isn’t he a bigger deal?