Ubaldo Jimenez (SP, BAL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper leagues

OWNED IN: 24% of Fleaflicker leagues

ANALYSIS: Yes, that Ubaldo Jimenez. Once a Cy Young candidate and one of the most feared pitchers in the game, Jimenez has since turned that reputation into one of the most inconsistent pitchers in the game. He quickly fell off a cliff after his tremendous 2010 campaign but enjoyed a surprising statistical resurgence in 2013. Then following a poor 2014 year, he’s rebounded quite nicely here in 2015. Now with one scoreless seven-inning outing and one three-inning no-hitter on his résumé, Jimenez is looking to regain his once supreme status. For those asking why the no-hitter only went three innings, he was prematurely ejected with no warning after hitting Pablo Sandoval. The two have no prior history.

Through the aforementioned starts, Jimenez has looked absolutely in charge. These were no fluky starts as he repeatedly kept batters off the paths. His 10:4 K:BB ratio isn’t quite what owners would feel entirely comfortable with but throwing a three-inning no hitter to arguably the best lineup in baseball patches up any concerns. An ERA of 0.00 and one hit allowed in more than ten innings is enough to kill any doubt for now.

I’ve received many fantasy add/drop inquiries lately and when they revolve around pitching, Ubaldo Jimenez has been my recommendation. If one of your guys is being sent to the DL or you’re unhappy with the way a late-round guy is panning out, you may be in the market for a new pitcher. The way Jimenez has been performing, he’s more than a viable option. The run support will often be there in the talented Orioles lineup so the wins column should be plentiful. He’s only owned in 24% of leagues so go search the wire and grab the guy with one of the highest ascending arrows, Ubaldo Jimenez.