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Mike looks at three sneaky fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for starting pitchers in Week 9 (2024) who are off to hot starts and sees if they can sustain their success.
Finding viable starting pitching options in fantasy baseball continues to be a grind. Injuries have dominated the headlines. One of the bigger names to recently land on the injured list is Zach Eflin (back).
Streaming pitchers with favorable matchups is a good way to help offset injuries to your fantasy squad. Are Taj Bradley, Alek Manoah, and Sean Manaea just viable streaming options, or could any of them be worth rostering for the long haul?
Let’s dig into the stats for these three starters and discuss if they can sustain their early-season success.
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Taj Bradley, Tampa Bay Rays
Given his first opportunity to be a regular starter in the majors, Bradley finished with a 5.59 ERA and a 4.79 FIP last season. His problem was keeping hitters inside the ballpark, allowing 2.0 HR/9. On the plus side, he finished with a 28.0 percent strikeout rate.
After beginning this season on the injured list, Bradley has made three starts since making his return. Facing the Yankees and Red Sox (twice), he gave up eight runs and recorded 23 strikeouts over 18 innings. The strikeouts were great, but after not allowing a home run to the Yankees in his first start, the Red Sox hit three home runs against him over his last two starts.
Taj Bradley's 6th, 7th and 8th Ks.
Thru 3. 😲 pic.twitter.com/NDDMYReZEv
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 20, 2024
Home runs could always be an issue for Bradley. Over 107.2 career innings at Triple-A, he was taken deep 20 times. However, his strikeout upside is noteworthy. He has also shown improved control with a 4.2 percent walk rate this year. Bradley is worth rostering in most leagues and is more than just a streaming option.
Alek Manoah, Toronto Blue Jays
Manoah lost command of the plate last season. He had a staggering 14.2 percent walk rate that contributed to his 1.74 WHIP. He lost his spot within the Blue Jays' starting rotation and began this year on the injured list because of a shoulder injury.
When Manoah did finally make his debut for the Blue Jays this year, it looked like his troubles followed him from last season. Over four innings against the Nationals, he issued four walks and allowed two home runs.
Manoah has rebounded his last two starts, allowing a combined three unearned runs over 14 innings against the Twins and Rays. In all three of his starts this season, he has finished with at least six strikeouts. We’ve seen the upside that Manoah can bring in fantasy. In 2022, he posted a 2.24 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. He still has a long way to go to become that pitcher again, but don’t be afraid to take a chance and add him now. If you wait for him to string together a couple of more good outings, it might be too late.
Alek Manoah, Filthy 82mph Slider. 😷 pic.twitter.com/alzEYY3sOJ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 19, 2024
Sean Manaea, New York Mets
The Mets mark the fourth team that Manaea has played for since the start of the 2021 season. He worked mostly in relief for the Giants last year, starting just 10 of his 27 appearances. His 4.44 ERA left a lot to be desired, but his FIP was more encouraging at 3.90.
Back to starting for the Mets, Manaea has a 3.11 ERA and a 3.43 FIP over nine starts. Opponents have a 6.8 percent barrel rate and a 39.4 percent hard-hit rate against him, which are both in line with his career marks.
An interesting change for Manaea this year has been the use of his sinker. A pitch that he used often earlier in his career, he had mostly abandoned it the last two seasons. He has thrown it 38.7 percent of the time this season. Opponents only have a .217 wOBA against the pitch.
Manaea doesn’t bring a ton of strikeout upside to the table, but him relying so much on his sinker has contributed to him giving up just two home runs over 46.1 innings. As far as streaming options go, he is one of the more appealing ones. He doesn’t provide enough strikeouts to take a chance on starting against difficult opponents, though.
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