Jake Arrieta was obliterated for seven runs against the Pirates Wednesday as he limps to the finish line. He’s just not right folks. Over his last six outings Arrieta has gone 2-3 with a 5.30 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. He’s struck out 32 in 35.2 innings, but he’s walking 3.53 batters per nine and has a 1.26 HR/9 rate. I’d be a bit concerned if I was looking for him to dominate in the playoffs.
Clay Buchholz has made five starts since returning to the rotation. He’s the owner of a 3.14 ERA and 1.15 WHIP while going 3-0. He’s looked excellent in four of those outings but he’s still Clay so the other outing was a six run allowed while getting only nine out effort against the Blue Jays. You know I don’t trust him.
Tyler Chatwood is 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA. He’s been solid for the Rockies for sure, but rather boring in fantasy baseball… unless you used him wisely. In Colorado he was awful with a 4-8 record, a 6.12 ERA and 1.64 WHIP over 14 starts. Horrific. However, when on the road he channeled his inner Johnny Cueto going 8-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 1.11 WHIP which is rather remarkable.
Anthony DeSclafani made 20 starts this season after struggling with an oblique issue forever. He was very good with a 9-5 record, 3.28 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. The 7.66 K/9 rate is solid but the 2.19 BB/9 rate is even more intriguing. I don’t like the loss of grounders, he posted a 45 percent rate last season and was down at 42 percent this season, but it’s well within the realm of the expected so it’s not something to really worry about.
Sonny Gray came back and tossed an inning. Good for him to end a horrible season on a high note. After three impressive seasons he flat out blew chunks all over himself in the crapper, ran into the bar, and tried to sweet talk the ladies with the vomit dripping down his chin. I won’t even bother trying to break it down (5-11, 5.69 ERA, 1.50 WHIP). I will just say that I’m buying Gray next season given that his price will be rock bottom. Probably half of what it cost for him this season, maybe less.
Cole Hamels did it again. He is just good. Don’t know why people doubt that. He won 15 games, his largest total since 2012 with a 3.32 ERA (career 3.31). Hamels also struck out 200 batters, a seventh straight season with at least 194, a remarkable run in this day and age of injury. He also tossed 200.2 innings, a 7th consecutive season with 200-innings pitched. Yes his walk rate was up to 3.45 per nine, a career worst which caused his WHIP to climb to a career worse 1.31, but this is still a guy you can count on.
Mike Leake posted a 4.17 K/BB ratio, the best of his career. He posted a 1.02 HR/9 mark, just off his 1.10 career mark. He posted a 1.32 WHIP, just off his 1.28 career mark. Somehow he went 9-12 with a 4.69 ERA despite basically pitching the same way as he always does.
Francisco Liriano tossed 12.1 shutout innings his last two games to end his tumultuous season on a high note. The soon to be 33 year old left went 8-13 with a 4.69 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. He’s just not trustworthy. Great arm, but no consistency at all.
Look who finished the year on a high note. Shelby Miller didn’t allow a run in either of his two starts. Of course, he was dreadful all season long. Worth a dollar or a 29th round flier next season, nothing more, but keep an eye on how he looks in spring.
Bryan Mitchell has made five starts for the Yankees with a 3.24 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. He’s not allowing runs, but not much else. He somehow has had success with a deplorable 0.92 K/BB ratio thank to less than four strikeouts per nine and 4.32 walks per nine. #Dreadful
James Paxton has made 20 starts with a 6-7 record, 3.79 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. Big fan of the skills (1.60 GB/FB, 8.70 K/9, 1.79 BB/9), but they just rarely seem to come together. That BABIP never came down, did it? The .347 mark is amazingly high.
Robbie Ray will end the year with a 11.25 K/9 mark, one of the 25 best marks in league history. Seriously it was 21st. Other than the 215 punchouts in 169.2 innings, and the 1.44 GB/FB ratio, what else is there here? He went 8-14 with a 4.77 ERA, 3.55 BB/9, 1.46 WHIP. I keep thinking Mr. Liriano...
Ervin Santana quietly made 30 starts with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He’s just solid.
Chris Tillman is 16-6 with a 3.77 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with a 7.33 K/9. Other than the record, that’s a lot of just solid work, nothing more. From June 1st on he made 19 starts with a 4.28 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and struck out just 6.62 batters per nine. Almost certain he will be over drafted next season.
Jameson Taillon has been tremendous in his first run through the bigs with a 5-4 record, 3.38 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 7.36 K/9 and a 1.47 BB/9 ratio. Add in his impressive 52.4 percent ground ball rate leading to a 1.92 GB/FB ratio, and you have yourself a potential All-Star next season. The bidding will be hot and heavy.
Ray Flowers can be heard Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday, 8 PM EDT, Wednesday 7 PM EDT on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 9 PM EDT PM on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.
Endy Rodriguez (finger) had his splint removed this week.
Rodriguez suffered a lacerated right index finger on April 14th. Now that he is out of his splint, he “is playing catch and doing a slightly modified swing.” Once he can progress to taking full swings, we’ll have a better sense of the timeline for his return.