Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 2

July 26, 2020

Ben Holmes identifies starting pitchers to add or claim on the waiver wire who can help win week two of the 2020 fantasy baseball season.

Whether your league has a week one that runs for eleven days, or a week two that starts on Monday, there are plenty of arms on the waiver wire just waiting to help your team contend for a title.

Most of these players won’t single-handedly win a week but they are all capable of going out, going relatively deep, and potentially providing a win or even a quality start.

Given the shortened season, the ability to work the wire is going to be paramount this year and the savviest of fantasy baseball managers will make sure they are actively searching for the best possible players for their lineups week in and week out.

Staying Power

Dylan Cease, Chicago White Sox - 20% rostered

There is a certain sleeper appeal with the Chicago White Sox entering the 2020 season. If they do manage to surprise people with a playoff push, the advancement of Dylan Cease will be a big reason why. He has a tremendous pedigree, named pitcher of the year by MLB pipeline in 2018 and his 9.99 K/9 last season was the highest by a rookie in White Sox History.

In 14 starts last season Cease exhibited the good and the bad. His 4.42 XFIP makes his 5.79 ERA more palatable but his 21.4 HR/FB rate and .326 BABIP will have to come down. Not to mention his way too high 10.7 BB% that lead to an unsustainable 1.55 WHIP. But the stuff is there, he just needs to control it.

In an intrasquad game on Thursday the 16^th of July, Cease allowed one run, struck out eight and walked one in four innings. Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times quoted Cease as saying “I feel as confident as I’ve ever been right now.” That’s a great sign for a 24-year-old with such promise.

He’s scheduled to be a two-game pitcher in week two, facing the Cleveland Indians on Monday and the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. Show some guts, hope he continues his “pre-season” form, and start him in both games. The Indians weren’t what they used to be, especially not until Jose Ramirez proves he is all the way back to his old MVP caliber self. And the Royals have already shown us that opposing pitchers are going to have massive strikeout upside against them (see Bieber, Shane).

Nate Pearson, Toronto Blue Jays - 41% rostered

Nate Pearson’s rostered rate keeps climbing and climbing. There’s a decent chance that by the time this article is read he is above the 50% threshold. But just in case he isn’t hit the add button and don’t think twice. Pearson should essentially be universally rostered. Especially if a fantasy team is stacked enough that it can afford to carry a pitcher who won’t start for a little while.

He’s 23-years-old, eighth overall on MLB top 100 prospects, and has been clocked at 104 MPH. What more is there to say. He is was left off the Jays 30 man roster, but he is on their taxi squad and will likely be called up to the team on July 29. That’s the first day he can play for them where the Jays get another year of eligibility before he hits free agency. Jays fans are all too familiar with that process after the Jays waited to call up Vlad last season.

He’s too good to not start games for a Jays team with playoff aspirations, and if he isn’t picked up before week two, it’ll be too late. The flamethrower posted a 2.30 ERA in 25 starts in the minors last season. Sixteen starts coming in Double-A, three in Triple-A. He’ll most likely take the fifth spot for the Jays when he is eligible, and whoever has him on their fantasy roster when that happens will be greatly rewarded.

Jordan Montgomery, New York Yankees - 22% rostered

What a start Montgomery had to his career in 2017. A 3.88 ERA, 8.34 K/9, and 1.23 WHIP. His last two seasons were a wash after having Tommy John surgery six starts into a 2018 season in which he picked up where he left off, posting 3.62 ERA. If he can come anywhere close to his rookie form he will be a great fantasy asset in 2020.

The 6’6” lefty has been awarded the fifth rotation spot, meaning the Yankees are comfortable that he is completely recovered. The first start will be a tough one against the Phillies, it may not be wise to start him in his first start of the season against such a loaded lineup. However, grab him now because if he does ball out against the Phillies he won’t be available in leagues with any semblance of depth.

He’s in line for a tasty two-start week in week three against the Orioles and the Rays. Grab him now and have patience be rewarded next week. Even if he doesn’t do great against the Phillies don’t panic. It’ll take Montgomery a few outings to feel comfortable and the Phillies on their day can beat up on anyone.

One-Week Rental

Pablo Lopez, Miami Marlins - 7% rostered

Pablo Lopez is slated to be the fourth starter in the Marlins rotation entering the season. However, all projections have him leading the team in ERA ad WHIP this season, as he did last year.

He is a two-start pitcher, lined up a start against the Orioles on July 27^th and the Nationals on August 1^st. He is an automatic start against the Orioles and in daily leagues managers will have the luxury of knowing whether they need to start him by the weekend. In a weekly league, Lopez should start. Washington doesn’t have the lineup they had last year, especially with the unfortunate news about Juan Soto testing positive for COVID-19. He also has the luxury of not facing one of the Nationals big three starters, instead, he’ll face Anibal Sanchez, dramatically increasing his likelihood of getting a win.

There is also a little breakout appeal with Lopez this season. Entering this season Marlins pitching coach Mel Sottlemyre Jr. has said that Lopez has added a cutter and enhanced his sinker and other breaking balls. Also, last season he was dealing with a right shoulder hat he hit the IL with on June 15^th. He wasn’t the same after, leading to his season-long numbers being a little unfair. Giving up 10 ER in 3IP against the Mets on May 15^th didn’t help his case either.

With that being said the Venezuelan had a 3.39 ERA and 3.23 FIP last season. As luck would have it, both his matchups in week two are at Marlins Park.

Austin Voth, Washington Nationals - 5% rostered

Austin Voth has been confirmed as the fifth starter for the defending World Series champions. He beat out last year starter Erick Fedde, which granted isn’t the highest of bars to clear. The 28-year-old has earned his spot based on the numbers he put up last season

Voth doesn’t go deep into games, he only went 6 innings in three of eight starts last season. However, in those starts, he put up a 9.07 K/9, 2.68 BB/9, 3.30 ERA, and most impressively a 1.05 WHIP. Now those are ratios that are going to help a fantasy team. The universal DH may help him go deeper into games.

He throws his four-seamer 60% of the time, but it makes sense considering how effective it is. Opponents hit .190 against his heater, in fact, righties only hit .165 against him all season. Not only that, but opponents also hit .177 off him the first time through the order and only .210 the second time through.

There is likely regression coming but it likely won’t come to light in his first two starts. He faces the Blue Jays on the 28^th of July and the Miami Marlins on August 2^nd. Start him and if he impresses in his first two outings, he may be on a fantasy roster beyond week two.

Zach Davies, San Diego Padres - 7% rostered

Zach Davies has quietly put together a nice little career for himself so far, including a stellar 2019. He may not be a household name but the San Diego Padres certainly noticed acquiring him in a trade this offseason. They traded second-base prospect Luis Urias and former first-rounder Eric Lauer so they clearly intend to have him be an important part of their 2020 season.

His K/9 has always been low and last season was no exception, but even with a 6.36 K/9, he finished with a 3.55 ERA. The 5.20 XFIP shows that maybe he got a bit lucky, but that was by far the highest of his career. Trading Miller Park for Petco Park will definitely help his numbers across the board.

What he does best is eat innings, which may be a bit harder to come by in a shortened season. In three out of his five seasons, he has gone at least 159.2 IP, maxing out at 191.1 IP in 2017. The Padres will hope he can do that in fantasy week 2 home against the Diamondbacks and away at Coors Field.

The D-backs don’t exactly strike fear into their opponents, MLB.com ranks them 15^th, ESPN 16^th, and Rotochamp has them going 31-29. It doesn’t get much more average than that. They do have quite a lot of pop throughout their lineup but Davies has a comfortable 1.03 career HR/9.

Like with the majority of pitchers, it isn’t the wisest idea to start him at Colorado, but he definitely deserves the start versus Arizona. In a weekly league don’t start him unless all other waiver wire options are already taken or you’re really desperate.

Anibal Sanchez, Washington Nationals - 19% rostered

This is purely a matchup play and the 36-year-old shouldn’t be as highly rostered as he is. With that being said he has the same matchups as Austin Voth, Blue Jays on the 27^th, and the Marlins August 1^st.

Last season his K/9 dipped to 7.27, his BB/9 jumped to 3.14, and his 5.10 XFIP and 5.07 overshadows his 3.85 ERA. Heck, the Jays offense is young, electric, and could be a lot better than people think, but let’s see it for at least a week before we believe it. The Marlins shouldn’t be an issue for the 13-year veteran either, he gave up 9 ER against them in four starts last season.

In his last “spring/summer training” game Sanchez gave up three runs, seven hits, struck out eight and walked two. That lines up with what our expectations for him should be.

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