Top Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 10

Starting Pitchers to Target off the Waiver Wire

This weekly column will examine some good starting pitchers you should look to add over the next month. The quality of the pitchers will range from shallow to deep leagues, and  each pitcher will be analyzed with sabermetrics to truly see their value and show if their hot streaks are likely to continue or not. With that in mind, let’s get into the Week 10 edition of the starting pitcher waiver wire column.

Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians

At 23 years old, Trevor Bauer has not yet reached his true potential as a starter. That said, he has plenty going for him in the right direction that make him a nice add for your team. After struggling in his first major league stints in 2012 with Arizona and last year with Cleveland, Bauer has had a decent run so far in his limited starts.

In 22.1 innings and 4 starts he has racked up a 3.63 ERA with a 1.34 WHIP and 29 K with 9 BB. The strikeouts are what are really eye-popping, as his 11.69 K/9 and 3.22 K/BB rate are showing he might be on the rise. He has also cranked up the radar gun since last year, with all of his pitches increasing in velocity, most notably his fastball at 94.6 MPH after previously topping out at 92.8 MPH. All this good stuff leads to a 2.95 SIERA, which is a clear sign he is heading for a nice run with Cleveland’s at times erratic rotation. At only 34% owned and rising, he should be added soon before somebody else takes him.

Ryan Vogelsong, San Francisco Giants

With the San Francisco Giants back to their winning ways, a lot of their success can be attributed to the starting pitching, including Ryan Vogelsong. Now in his 11^th year, Vogelsong has had a nice recent run after getting off to a rough start in 2014 with 3 wins, a 3.45 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 51 K’s in 66.2 innings.

Before his last start, he allowed only 6 runs in his last 6 starts, making his ERA the last 14 days 1.83 and ranking him the 6^th most effective pitcher in that timeframe. His velocity has also picked up after dipping in 2013, with his fastball going from 89 to 90.2 MPH since last year. Finally, he has been using his pitches more effectively, dropping his cutter usage and utilizing his curveball and changeup more. Even lower than Bauer at 24% owned, he's another good candidate to own in deeper leagues.

Jorge De La Rosa, Colorado Rockies

Just like Vogelsong, Jose De La Rosa did not start out 2014 too great, yet he has been solid since his little hiccup. He was won his last 6 starts and dropped his ERA to a 3.66 with a 1.17 WHIP and 48 K’s in 59 innings. While his K’s won’t be wowing anybody, he hasn’t had more than 6 all year, his 1.94 GB/FB rate and 3.87 SIERA shows he is commanding his pitches well and not letting too many batters get away from him.

At 33 years old and in his 10^th year in the league, you would expect his velocity to be decreasing as most pitchers do. Yet since 2012, his fastball has increased in speed from 90.5 to 92.8 MPH, along with steady increasing in all his other pitches. According to Fangraphs, he has also starting using a cutter that he has not used since 2006, throwing the pitch 22.5% of the time. It has been his most effective pitch, and he is clearly throwing batter offs with the new pitch. At 30% owned, he should definitely be added in deep leagues so you can ride out his  hot streak.

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