RADIO
Jared Jones Becoming a Must-Add After Solid Start
Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Jared Jones allowed four hits and two walks while striking out four over five scoreless innings to earn the win in Thursday's 5-1 victory over the Houston Astros. He is back in the majors after missing the 2025 season following internal brace surgery on his elbow, and he remains a high-upside speculative add in most leagues. Jones has made a couple of starts since returning in late May and has shown flashes of the plus stuff that made him one of the Pirates' top prospects. He owns a 4.82 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts through 9 1/3 innings in 2026. While his early results have been mixed in a small sample, the 24-year-old has the kind of swing-and-miss ability and strikeout upside that can pay off quickly if he can stay healthy and build up his workload. With the Pirates' rotation still taking shape and Jones getting a chance to prove he's ready, he's worth a look as a stash in deeper formats or for managers willing to be patient with a young arm coming off injury. If he can regain the form he showed in 2024, when he had an 18.5 K-BB% across 121 2/3 innings. The payoff could be significant for fantasy managers looking to take a chance.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
