During the New York Yankees postgame show on YES, manager Joe Girardi announced that Freddy Garcia will make the start in game 3. A.J. Burnett will come out of the bullpen, likely in long relief situations. This move comes as no surprise to Yankee fans as they know all too well how inconsistent Burnett is as a pitcher. With the Yankees playing against Justin Verlander twice in this 5-game series, every start will be critical.
Category: MLB
Have Some Faith In Colby Lewis
Despite a 9.3 ERA over his last three starts, Colby Lewis is a perfect guy to pick up off the wire.
Analysis: Colby Lewis is being dropped in nearly twenty percent of fantasy leagues and it is somewhat understandable. An 0-2 record with a 9.3 ERA in his last three starts is awful but two of those starts were against Boston. Lewis is going through some command issues and when you keep the ball up in the zone to the sluggers the Sox have… you are in big trouble. But, Lewis does have a few things going for him. Texas gives him tons of run support usually and he’s pitched at least six innings in thirteen of his last fifteen starts. Besides his recent struggles over the last week and a half, he hasn’t allowed more than four runs in a ball game since June 11th. He is by no means an ace but he is a 4-4.2 ERA starter who will rack up the wins and strikeouts. His velocity has been down a bit this year but when he locates his fastball and slider it really doesn’t matter.
Capitalize on impatient owners dropping this useful fantasy starter.
Keep An Eye On Zach Britton
Baltimore lefty Zach Britton has been pitching extremely well as of late and it might be time to put this guy on your radar.
Analysis: Zach Britton is 3-0 in his last three starts with fifteen strikeouts while only allowing three earned runs and fourteen hits. Britton has been a streaky pitcher this year but he has been great over the last two weeks against the Twins, Yanks and Rays. His next start is another game against the Yanks and if he pitches well in that contest- he is a must add. Even if he only pitches average against New York you have to keep in mind that their offense is top notch. Britton is still young and developing and must be more consistent to become a legit lower tier SP but he has all the tools to do so. Pitching in the AL East is no small task especially with the little run support the O’s provide but he has three solid pitches. His low 90s fastball is above average, his change is major league caliber and his slider is certainly a plus pitch. Time will tell with this lefty but you have to keep an eye on him for the time being.
Strasburg Joins Nationals
Stephen Strasburg is set to make his first start of the season September 7th against the Dodgers. There has been much speculation on whether Strasburg would start on the sixth, however, what really matters here is picking this guy up off the waiver wire.
Analysis: Strasburg is still available in about twenty percent of leagues nationwide and in two days time it will be virtually impossible to own this guy. Strasburg’s average fastball velocity last year was a shade over 97 MPH and this year he’s averaging about 95-96 in his minor leagues appearances. He has command, break and velocity on all his other pitches and he looks the part of an ace once again. He’s a great addition for any fantasy squad and he will provide ERA, WHIP and strikeout help but he won’t be going deep into games to get as many wins as you would like.
As for next year, you have to consider Strasburg a second tier SP1. He does have all the tools to be the best pitcher in the game but we need to see him eat some innings like a Halladay or a Verlander to be considered a first tier SP1.
Shin-Soo Choo Is Available
With Indians’ outfielder Shin-Soo Choo likely to return to the Cleveland lineup early next week, it’s time to snag the slugger up off the waiver wire before it’s too late. All indications are that his left thumb is healing better than expected as his presence is much needed in that Cleveland lineup.
Analysis: Shin-Soo Choo is hitting just .244 on the year and only slugging .353 but his injury may be just what he needs to jump start his season. Choo is widely considered one of the few real five category threats in fantasy baseball and the fact that he is available in over twenty percent of fantasy leagues nationwide is certainly interesting. Choo is a lifetime .290 hitter coming off of three consecutive .300 seasons. He’s also coming off of back to back 20/20 seasons and if he is doing as well as Cleveland manager Manny Acta is suggesting, we should expect Choo’s absolute best.
Projection: If Choo returns early next week as the reports from Cleveland are suggesting than Choo becomes a must pick up in all formats. Assuming Choo plays in 40-45 games you can expect a .280 plus batting average with five homers and five steals.