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Michael Pineda 2021 Fantasy Outlook: Decent Late-Round Source Of Strikeouts, Wins
4 years agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher Michael Pineda only made five starts in 2020, but do not overlook the fact that he posted a 3.38 ERA with a 2.22 FIP, although the 4.46 xFIP is a little high. But his strikeout rate was over 22 percent for the fifth straight season and his walk rate continues to sit below seven percent. That means he will give you a good amount of strikeouts – nearly one per inning – but he also does a good job of limiting the free passes. And if you are still skeptical, just know that his 86 mph exit velocity and 32.1 percent hard-hit rate were both the lowest he's posted in the Statcast era. For years, the long ball was what would doom Pineda, but in 26 2/3 innings pitched in 2020, he did not allow a single home run. That could just be due to a small sample size, but perhaps less-frequent hard contact is helping Pineda, who also sports a near 40 percent ground-ball rate. The best part is you can get Pineda outside of the first 200 picks, as he currently has an ADP around 223 overall. He may not surprise anyone and win the Cy Young this season, but he can definitely provide strikeouts, innings and even some wins while pitching for the Twins in the American League East, all while not blowing up your ERA or WHIP.
