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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 13 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 13 Waiver Wire Pickups for Holds
Peter Moylan, Kansas City Royals
9 Holds, 6.48 ERA, 25.0 IP, 24 K, 1.56 WHIP
In a case of a couple bad outings making a reliever look bad, the Kansas City Royals' Peter Moylan is repairing three bad appearances in 35 games. With an unorthodox motion and a 90.1 mph sinker with a 78.4 mph slider, Moylan generates ground balls on 57.3 percent of batted balls. Despite getting above league average swings out of the zone, Moylan also generates below league average contact so his pitches get swing-and-miss out of the zone. The Royals are maintaining relevancy in the competitive Central division. The offense of the Royals has been underwhelming this year so look for plenty of opportunities for Moylan and the bullpen to secure close wins.
Tyler Duffey, Minnesota Twins
6 Holds, 3.69 ERA, 39.0 IP, 41 K, 1.10 WHIP
The Minnesota Twins have taken the league by surprise early on so holds are coming to the contending team. Reliever Tyler Duffey is one reliever benefiting from the opportunity to hold leads down. Primarily used in the sixth or seventh inning; Duffey also finds himself getting multiple innings of work sometimes. With a 92.1 mph sinker and an 81.4 mph curveball, Duffey is keeping the ball low. Generating a ground ball on 52.8 percent of batted balls, opponents are hitting to a .223 batting average against Duffey. The Twins are doing their best to exceed expectations so their relievers will need to do their job of holding a lead for the win.
Jorge De La Rosa, Arizona Diamondbacks
8 Holds, 3.77 ERA, 28.2 IP, 26 K, 1.26 WHIP
The Arizona Diamondbacks are trying to keep up with the ignited Los Angeles Dodgers so reliever Jorge De La Rosa will prove to be valuable in helping secure crucial wins. The starter turned reliever has embraced the role with added velocity. His fastball now reaches 94.0 mph and his changeup sits at 84.7 mph. Despite the added velocity, De La Rosa still stays close to his career average, generating ground balls on 51.3 percent of batted balls. Opponents are hitting .217 against De La Rosa this year with a stronger showing against left-handed batters. The Diamondbacks are in the thick of a division race and they will need all the wins they can secure.
Pat Neshek, Philadelphia Phillies
1 Save, 9 Holds, 0.59 ERA, 30.2 IP, 29 K, 0.78 WHIP
The Philadelphia Phillies are trying to figure out who is the right piece in the bullpen so veteran Pat Neshek may get his chance. The veteran is having a career year with the Phillies. With a 90.1 mph sinker and 83.4 mph slider, opponents are hitting .192 against Neshek. Opponents are swinging above league average at pitches out of the zone and is getting above league average contact but its outside the zone. While he is averaging just under a strikeout per inning, Neshek is pitching with efficiency that lets him make numerous appearances without fear that he will need a day off for rest. Neshek may be a strong candidate for holds but his value could increase to saves if he is given the chance.
Jacob Barnes, Milwaukee Brewers
2 Saves, 14 Holds, 4.04 ERA, 35.2 IP, 40 K, 1.32 WHIP
Like the Twins, the Milwaukee Brewers are surprising teams and reliever Jacob Barnes benefits from the success. With a 96.5 mph fastball and 90.7 mph cutter, Barnes is averaging over a strikeout per inning. Opponents are hitting .233 against Barnes this year and keeping batted balls on the ground 52.7 percent of the time helps. Barnes has had a strong showing lately, recording seven holds in the month of June. One rough outing, in which he did not record an out and surrendered four runs, have had a tremendous effect on his numbers so do not shy away from picking up Barnes if you need holds.
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