Mike Soroka (SP, ATL) - Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups

Brady Grove profiles up and coming Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Soroka as a potential waiver wire acquisition of value for fantasy baseball leagues in Week 5 of the 2019 MLB campaign.

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ANALYSIS: 21-year old Mike Soroka is one of the many current and former highly-touted prospects that grace the Atlanta Braves roster, and he came into this season with plenty of hype from glimpses he gave in 2018.

Last year he finished with a 3.51 ERA and rather high WHIP of 1.44 in 25.2 IP across five starts. His sub-par WHIP was mostly a product of the 10.5 hits per nine innings pitched that he gave up, as his other peripheral figures of just 0.4 HR/9, 2.5 BB/9, and 7.4 K/9, paint a productive picture and culminate in a supportive FIP of 2.85.

Two starts and 10.2 IP into his 2019 rookie campaign, Soroka has thrived with a 1.69 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. Soroka still has a high WHIP due to 7.6 H/9 and a temporarily-regressed BB/9 figure of 4.2, but he still has a fantastic FIP of 2.64 behind an impressive 11.0 K/9 and zero allowed HR.

Evidence suggests that he has been a little lucky and unlucky at the same time, with an 87.5% LOB rate (with his strikeouts helping him get out of jams) and a BABIP routinely north of .300 despite forcing 10% more soft contact so far this season than last. Despite some learning curves, the 6-5 Soroka has been slinging his fastball at 94.1 MPH, and looks like a competitive force to be reckoned with out of a Braves rotation that has already resorted to demoting Sean Newcomb.