Starting Pitcher Sleepers: Waiver Wire Pickups for Deep Leagues

Mathew Vazin analyzes the top three starting pitcher waiver wire pickups. These fantasty baseball sleepers can have an immediate impact and should be owned.

Three Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Sleepers

Editor’s Note: RotoBaller's famous fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups list is another great resource for your fantasy baseball teams, and is updated every single day. Our awesome writers bring you analysis on hot or emerging starting pitchers, and also all other fantasy positions. You can download our waiver wire iPhone app as well for free, and easily stay updated on the run.

Clay Buchholz - SP, BOS (45% Owned)

Is the Clay Buchholz that was the AL Cy Young front runner for the first 2 months of 2013 back? Maybe not, but Buchholz has been fantastic lately for the Boston Red Sox. He pitched 9 shutout innings on Sunday while only allowing 3 hits and striking out a career high 12 batters.

Over his last four starts, all since coming back from his DL stint, Buchholz has gone 29.2 innings and given up 9 earned runs (2.77 ERA). His strikeout total has been sporadic as the 12 strikeouts on Sunday was very surprising, but he has seemed to regain the control that he lacked earlier in the season.

Since regaining a spot in the rotation on June 25^th, Buchholz has allowed more than 1 earned run just twice. Most importantly perhaps, Buchholz is throwing a lot harder than he was prior to his DL stint. This gives us some hope that his new found control and his recent special-K game is for real.  He should be considered in all formats at this point.

Chris Young - SP, SEA (38% Owned)

The Seattle Mariners find themselves holding the 2^nd wild card spot in the American League heading into the All-Star break and a major reason is because of the re-emergence of Chris Young.

Since June 16^th, Young has gone 38 innings and allowed only 9 earned runs (2.13 ERA). Out of his past six outings, five have been quality starts. Although he has pitched well this season, Young is not someone who pitches deep into games as he has only gone 7 innings or later once all season.

For this reason, fantasy owners should not count on big strikeout games, but he has been more than reliable in producing quality starts. With the Mariners producing run support for the most part, Young is a great option for those in need of another starting pitcher on their staff in deep leagues.

Miguel Gonzalez - SP, BAL (3% Owned)

Back to back fantastic starts by Miguel Gonzalez against AL East competitors has likely further showed the Baltimore Orioles that he can be relied on in the 2^nd half of the season as the team looks to win the division. In his starts against the Yankees and the Red Sox, Gonzalez went 8 innings in each start while allowing a combined 3 earned runs and walking only 2 total batters.

The Orioles did not provide him with much run support and he did not a record a win in either start, but regardless of that, it is very encouraging that he was able to pitch so well against the divisional competitors. For now, he should be considered in deep leagues only.