Roto Riteup: May 12, 2016

The new Modern Baseball album is out and it is terrific. I mention this because the band’s name is what it is, and because, to get cheeky, Noah Syndergaard was playing the exact opposite kind of ball on Wednesday. He saw Bartolo Colon’s home run and raised it one more, becoming the first pitcher to homer twice in a game since 2007.

What can’t he do?

#HRDerby with @Mets pitchers … who you got?https://t.co/Kmv2E5YmvR #PitchersWhoRake‌https://t.co/WKEQErjbOu

— MLB (@MLB) May 12, 2016

Oh, and I guess that elbow he quietly had examined two weeks ago is just fine for hitting.

On the agenda:
1. What do you even say about 20 Ks?
2. I think it’s safe to buy in to Drew Pomeranz
3. Various News and Notes
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

What do you even say about 20 Ks?
I mean…Max Scherzer was awesome last night. Like, sneak the game on your laptop in press row of the NBA playoffs kind of awesome. “It’s sexy,” as Scherzer put it. I guess there’s not much fantasy spin to put on it beyond recognizing how a singularly amazing night can change things in a hurry – Scherzer jumped from 468th in fantasy value to 209th on the season, so here’s hoping you didn’t have him sitting. He’s now the owner of a 4.15 ERA with a 31-percent strikeout rate, and aside from his home run per-fly ball rate, things have normalized quickly.

I think it’s safe to buy in to Drew Pomeranz
Drew Pomeranz was an arm I really liked in draft season for his potential to grab on to a rotation spot or, worst-case scenario in deeper formats, provide value out of the bullpen. He’s carried over his late-2015 relief success to the Padres’ rotation, and he threw six shutout innings against the Cubs on Wednesday, striking out 10. He’s now looking at a 1.80 ERA over 40 innings. More notably, he’s posting a 31.9-percent strikeout rate, and that metric is one of the quickest to stabilize. Pomeranz has a 12.7-percent swinging strike rate, and while you’d surely like to see his walk rate come down some (always a concern with him), he’s keeping the ball in the park thanks to an improved ground-ball rate. Look, the peripherals don’t scream that he’s quite this good, and his fastball is sitting just north of 90 without much separation from his change-up, but he’s shown enough to warrant an add, and that’s possible in 40 percent of leagues.

Various News and Notes
Steven Matz will be skipped in the Mets rotation due to a flaring up of his left elbow. The discomfort surfaced Monday and is, in a word, terrifying for New York. He’s set to be evaluated when the Mets come off the road, and while Matz can try to downplay it, forearm/elbow issues don’t leave players with the benefit of the doubt. He’s already had Tommy John surgery, for whatever that’s worth to you, and his velocity is down slightly.

Two days after hitting a pair of home runs with six RBI and one day after knocking in two more, Todd Frazier was at it again with a solo blast Wednesday. And then he ran into the wall, busting open his lip and requiring five stitches. He reported after that he could stick his tongue through his bottom lip, which is gross. Somehow, the White Sox expect him ready for Friday, but check your lineups carefully that day.

The Braves pulled Jhoulys Chacin before his start in order to trade him to the Angels for a minor leaguer (Adam Mccreery). The Angels were in desperate need of rotation help with four starters on the DL, and Chacin will give the team the option to return Cory Rasmus to the bullpen or Matt Shoemaker to Siberia.

Lance McCullers will make his season debut Friday. He’s still available in a quarter of leagues, likely those with prohibitive DL rules, and he’s worth an add, though he lands in a tough spot at Fenway Park for his season debut. The 22-year-old fashioned a 3.22 ERA and 3.26 FIP over 125.2 innings as a rookie, striking out just shy of a quarter of batters, and his stuff was apparently electric in two rehab outings.

Quickly: Bryce Harper was suspended one game for being too real. Sam Dyson earned his first save in support of Shawn Tolleson. David Wright is battling shoulder soreness. Corey Dickerson hit a grand slam, and it feels like there have been a ton of those the last few games. Jason Kipnis didn’t have one, but he did have five singles. Jung Ho Kang hit a home run to push his wRC+ to 237, and it’s time to look at my dude Eric Thames, KBO god, a little more closely.

Streaming Pitcher Options
If you enjoy streaming pitchers or play DFS, tune into the Roto Riteup for recommendations each and every day.

A pitcher for today: Nathan Eovaldi vs. KC (Ian Kennedy)
It’s a really thin day for low-ownership starters (only six below 60 percent), and Nathan Eovaldi provides the most upside. He’s striking out nearly a batter an inning and visits the Royals, who own a 91 wRC+ and take fewer walks than any other team in the league.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Brandon Finnegan @ PHI (Jeremy Hellickson)
Thought long and hard about about dialing up Nicholas Tropeano against the Mariners before realizing I’ve recommended him in this space a couple of times now. Brandon Finnegan has a safer play opposite the 29th-ranked Phillies offense, and their collective inability to take a walk should help mute one of Finnegan’s bigger issues. You hope, anyway, because he needs a good start pretty badly.