Dillon Peters (SP/RP, LAA) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

Brady Grove profiles Los Angeles Angels arm Dillon Peters as a potential waiver wire acquisition of value for fantasy baseball leagues in Week 21 of the 2019 MLB campaign.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 7% of leagues

ANALYSIS: While his humdrum showing at Triple-A in 2019 didn't necessarily warrant a major league promotion, the Los Angeles Angels found themselves in need of a starting pitcher, and Dillon Peters has been a pleasant surprise in response. He has a 3.38 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 37.1 IP across nine games (including four starts) in total this year, and he has recorded just five earned runs, two walks, and an impressive 14 strikeouts over his last two starts (12.0 innings).

A 21.2% strikeout rate and meager 5.8% walk rate reflect an astute control of the strike zone, but by allowing 40% hard contact on batted balls for the season, Peters has struggled with the long ball as evidenced by an 18.4% HR/FB rate and 1.7 HR/9. His pitching repertoire won't blow past anyone in the box, but he's a big curveball/changeup kind of guy (he tosses them for a combined 43% frequency), and the same tactics that lead to an influx of home runs has also allowed Peters him to force 18% soft contact on batted balls and a 1.34 GB/FB ratio off of 46.4% grounders. If you can stomach the impending threat of moonshots in each start, Dillon Peters has the wonderful safety net of few free trips to first for the opposition and high-volume strikeout potential to make it worth your while.