Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The waiver wire can be a goldmine for fantasy baseball players who are looking to boost their pitching stats. On most days, there is sure to be a starter (or three) just waiting to be scooped up who can help lead a fantasy team to riches. In today’s slice of fantasy advice, let’s take a look at some hurlers who should be in for a strong day on the hill on June 26 and are quite possibly available on a waiver wire near you.
Now hurry up and grab one of these pitchers before some other sly owner gets to them first. (Ownership percentages based off ESPN standard leagues)
Wily Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers (60.1 percent):
This right-hander was quite underwhelming last season, but is following that up with a strong 2014. He sports a solid 8-5 record to this point, plus owns a friendly 3.02 ERA. His matchup with the second-highest scoring offense in baseball today will probably set off a few red flags in your head, but it’s not quite the doom-and-gloom scenario that it seems to be.
While the Colorado Rockies are second to just the Oakland Athletics in runs per game this season, a large portion of that damage has come at Coors Field. The Rockies have put up an eye-popping 6.38 runs per contest at home this season, but that number is a significantly less threatening 3.69 away from that thin Rocky Mountain air.
Peralta is already coming off a strong effort against these guys at Coors Field in his last start, and even better results are certainly a possibility today.
Jarred Cosart, Houston Astros (8.0 percent):
It was quite the rocky start to the season for this youngster, as he managed a terrible 7.36 ERA over his first four starts. He’s settled in nicely since, however, as he’s posted an tidy 6-3 record to go along with a solid 2.86 ERA in his last 11 outings. He has an excellent opportunity to improve on all of those numbers today, as he has an excellent matchup with one of the league’s most inept offenses.
These guys may not be “San Diego” bad, but the Atlanta Braves do rank just 29th in the league in runs per game this season. Cosart will also face a Braves lineup that has managed to bat just .235 against right-handed pitching this year, and have put up a meager 3.36 runs per game over their past 14 played.
Vance Worley, Pittsburgh Pirates (9.2 percent):
This fellow has just two starts under his belt this season, but has performed admirably in both. It’s a small sample size, but his 1.98 ERA and 0.80 WHIP are both strong nonetheless. We’ve seen Worley pitch at a high level before, so there is a possibility he can keep this up. I like his chances of a third consecutive quality start today when he takes the hill for the first time in his new home park.
He’ll take on the New York Mets this evening, and though they’ve actually put up 26 runs over their past three games, don’t let that scare you off. The Mets offense is actually quite strong against left-handed pitching, and the majority of that damage came off of southpaws. Worley isn’t a lefty however, and New York is batting a paltry .231 versus right-handers this year. Plus, they rank just 21st in the league in runs per game overall.
Brian Davis is a fantasy writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @SportsGuyBrian, ”Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
