Sigh. I suck. Now onto this week’s recommendations….
Here are the totals halfway through week 17 (with updates from previous listing):
26-44 record (2-3)
4.87 ERA (+0.24)
6.7 K/9 (no change)
2.2 K/BB (no change)
1.46 WHIP (+0.04)
Here’s a look at this week’s recs, with (A CHANGE, SO TAKE NOTE!) team wRC+ in parentheses. Y! ownership numbers pulled courtesy of twitter pal @PandapPete21, whom you should give a follow:
RHP Raisel Iglesias – 7.4% ESPN/5% Y! – v. KCR (101), v. ARI (98)
It’s pretty simple for me with Iglesias, a pitcher whom I think is criminally underowned. And yet, I think I get it, as nobody really wants to own a guy with a 4.70 ERA even if he is fanning a batter per inning. He’s on a pretty solid, though short stretch of pitching really well, as he’s allowed just six earned runs over his last three starts (2.89 ERA). He’s fanned 19 batters and walked just four in those 18.2 innings, including stymying a really good Diamondbacks offense at Chase Field. This is a good chance to get in on a guy at ground level, and he could prove worth keeping for the long haul. But for now, I really like him this week.
RHP Nathan Eovaldi – 42.1% ESPN/34% Y! – v. MIN (91), v. CLE (99)
Like Drew Hutchison last week, I like Eovaldi’s chance to steal a couple cheap wins. And beyond that, he’s pitched semi decently since July 1 (3.28 ERA in eight starts). Of note is that he’s coming off facing both of these teams in recent weeks. He dominated the Twins with eight strong innings to take home his 10th win, and he beat Cleveland last time out with a subpar effort for his 12th. He’s now 12-2, something I wouldn’t usually care about, but I think when you’re 18 games under .500 for the season, you gotta dig out somehow.
RHP Kevin Gausman – 15.6% ESPN/23% Y! – v. NYM (90), v. MIN (91)
Between Eovaldi and Gausman I feel like I’m playing with matches, and don’t get me wrong I don’t love it because they’ll provide the gas. And with Gausman, who has burnt me numerous times before, the talent is there to just be so, so much better than his 4.48 ERA indicates. Heck, that was under 4.00 after his first August start, before he allowed nine earned runs over his last two starts, spanning 12.2 innings. I think he can get back on track, especially against two of the shakier offenses in the game. But make no mistake, both offenses have made additions that make them better — specifically, Miguel Sano for the Twins and some of the Mets’ trade deadline acquisitions — but I still like Gausman’s chances of turning in a good start or two.
Also considered: Kyle Gibson, Carlos Rodon and Aaron Nola
