Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Before you say anything, yes, the fantasy baseball season is still going on. There is about a month left, and it is the most important month of the season. Owners are prepping their rosters for the playoffs and making those late additions that could help win a championship. One player owners should be picking up is Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker.
With teammate Garrett Richards done for the year, Shoemaker will be an important part of the rotation for the rest of the season. He has stepped up greatly this month, going 5-1 with a four-game winning streak, a 1.57 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. In those six outings, he has allowed just six earned runs and a 25:4 K:BB ratio.
For his 2014 season, Shoemaker won 13 games with a 3.33 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. He can win two or three more games before the season ends, which could help a few fantasy owners.
While many ace pitchers deal with injuries and could be unavailable for the rest of the season, Shoemaker has been one of the best. Shoemaker ranks fourth on ESPN’s Player Rater over the last 30 days and second over the last 15. Facing a lowly Boston Red Sox team twice in two weeks definitely helps.
Shoemaker is still available in 19.2 percent of ESPN.com leagues, with a huge jump of 47.5 percent over the last two weeks. His next start will be on Sunday against division rival Oakland A’s.
If you need, or want, an underrated pitcher who can give you six or seven innings and one earned run, then Shoemaker is your guy.
Bill Pivetz is a fantasy sports writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @BPiv_Sports.
