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Welcome to the second half of the MLB season! While holds are even tougher to predict than saves, the players we’ll highlight today include some elite setup men to target off the waiver wire for Week 15 of the fantasy baseball season.
The more likely an MLB team is to win, the more likely these pitchers will be eligible to earn the holds that could be the difference between winning or losing in your fantasy league.
Let's get to it.
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Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups for Holds
Jared Hughes, Milwaukee Brewers
1 Save, 7 Holds, 2.92 ERA, 37.0 IP, 30 K, 1.19 WHIP
Jared Hughes has secured a number of holds for the first place Milwaukee Brewers and he looks to have a strong second half of the season as they attempt to maintain the unlikely lead. Sporting a 93.6 mph sinker and 86.3 mph slider, ground balls are expected. Hughes does not disappoint as he generates a ground ball on 62.1 percent of batted balls. While he does not strikeout a batter per inning, Hughes regularly finds himself in the game in the seventh inning. As long as a win is in sight, Hughes will likely see time in that game, securing a hold and making him a quality candidate for holds in a holds league.
Danny Barnes, Toronto Blue Jays
5 Holds, 2.31 ERA, 39.0 IP, 45 K, 0.90 WHIP
The Toronto Blue Jays are in one of the more competitive divisions in baseball so secured wins are important and Danny Barnes can help hold wins and carry them to the end of the game. Barnes currently averages more than a strikeout per inning. Barnes consistently pitches in the strike and still gets below league average contact. Utilizing a 92.1 mph fastball and 79.5 mph changeup, Barnes relies on the noticeable speed differential for his success. With about a third of his appearances coming in the seventh inning, Barnes usually sees late-game opportunities and he has been reliable so expect him to get more holds as the season moves into the second half.
Josh Fields, Los Angeles Dodgers
1 Save, 4 Holds, 2.93 ERA, 30.2 IP, 36 K, 1.08 WHIP
After a rough June, Josh Fields can still hold down leads for the hottest team in the majors. With a 95.1 mph fastball and 78.5 mph curveball, Fields averages well over a strikeout per inning. Opponents are hitting .209 against Fields this year and he's getting above league average swings with below league average contact. Fields was successful entering June but the rough month briefly reduced his role but he will return to prominence in a strong Dodgers bullpen and is a worthwhile holds candidate.
Jose Leclerc, Texas Rangers
8 Holds, 3.42 ERA, 26.1 IP, 40 K, 1.18 WHIP
After an injury slowed his great start to the season, Jose Leclerc has picked up right where he left off for the Texas Rangers. Relying on a 95.8 mph fastball and an 83.6 mph changeup, Leclerc averages well over a strikeout per inning. Leclerc generates above league average swings outside the zone but significantly below league average misses outside of the zone too. Contact is below average against Leclerc this year as opponents are hitting .160 this year. While usually pitching in the seventh inning, Leclerc has started seeing work in the eighth inning recently. Look to him as a waiver wire pickup as he does well across all statistics and will notch holds in the second half of the season.
Blake Treinen, Washington Nationals
4 Holds, 5.73 ERA, 37.2 IP, 32 K, 1.62 WHIP
After a poor showing as the closer, Blake Treinen will contribute to the floundering Washington Nationals as a setup reliever. The role as closer is not made for everyone and Treinen could discover what it takes to be a closer down the line but for now, he can retrieve his value as a middle reliever, securing holds for the division leading Nationals. Treinen lives on a 96.9 mph sinker and 88.5 mph slider. With these pitches, he does not average a strikeout per inning but does generate 60.5 percent of batted balls on the ground. The Nationals need a reliable presence in the bullpen and Treinen was that once and he can be that again.
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