Joe Biagini (RP, TOR) - Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups

June 15, 2019

Brady Grove profiles Toronto Blue Jays reliever Joe Biagini as a potential waiver wire acquisition of value for fantasy baseball leagues in Week 12 of the 2019 MLB campaign.

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ANALYSIS: The Toronto Blue Jays might not be doing a lot of winning in 2019, but with Ken Giles recently on the ten-day IL, the potential high-leverage bullpen situations have to go to somebody. With a 10.13 ERA and 1.88 WHIP to start the month of June, it may seem like a strange time to buy on Joe Biagini, but being named as the interim closer makes him ripe for the picking. He is coming off a fantastic run for the month of May with a 2.70 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and only four walks allowed in 13.1 IP, and that isn't the only thing that should indicate that his early-June woes will cease.

Biagini is striking batters out at a career-best clip of 24.1%, which does a big part to suppress his slightly inflated 7.8% walk rate. Also, while it is a prevalent issue that he is allowing a career-worst 40.5% hard contact rate, he has been forcing the opposition into 21.5% soft contact. When applied to a much more Rogers Centre-friendly GB/FB ratio of 1.65 and a 21.7% IFFB rate, it makes for a good formula for consistent success. Though it may not end up being an extended stay on the IL for Giles, getting the keys to the ninth inning kingdom is still a big deal, and Joe Biagini can start to turn things around while getting the chance to net some saves (when the Jays give him a shot).