RADIO
Keith Hernandez profiles Phillies starting pitcher Zach Eflin as a waiver wire pickup and add in Week 2 of the 2019 MLB season.
BALLER MOVE: Add in all leagues
OWNED IN: 33% of leagues
ANALYSIS: Eflin was fantastic in his season debut on Tuesday against the Nationals, allowing three hits in five scoreless innings while walking only one and striking out a career high-tying nine for his first win of the 2019 campaign. The right-hander, who will turn 25 on Monday, went 11-8 with a decent 4.36 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 123 K's in 128 innings (24 starts) in 2018. He has above-average command and control, walking 2.6 hitters per nine innings last year and striking out a healthy 8.6 per nine frames. Eflin can be an effective innings-eater, but he might not go deep enough for quality starts on a consistent basis.
The nine strikeouts were a real treat, and Eflin could experience a breakout in his second full season in the Philly rotation. One thing to watch is his slider usage; Eflin had five swings and misses on the offering in his first start, and it's a pitch that has become a real weapon for him. He threw the slider 25.2 percent of the time in 2018 and almost 40 percent on Tuesday. More strikeouts this year would make Eflin even more attractive in mixed leagues, and he'll have a better offense backing him as well. Start him this Sunday at home against the Twins.
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