June is the time of year when temperatures rise and prospects get called up. It’s a beautiful time of year in that fantasy owners are finally rewarded for stashing players on their rosters in hopes of them getting a big league roster spot, oh and you get to go to the beach! Last week we had a look at some rookie hitters who were called up and got their shot to prove they belong at the highest level and how their managers were handling their usage.
This week is for the pitchers. We’re going to investigate a few pitchers and see how their respective managers are handling them in the early going. Are they giving them a short leash or letting them pitch through adversity? Are their teams putting an innings limit on them? Is it a temporary promotion or long term? We find out now.
Walker Buehler , Los Angeles Dodgers- Manager Dave Roberts has a future ace on his hands in rookie Walker Buehler . He could very well be the best young pitcher in the game, although an innings limit will likely delay full realization of potential until next year at the earliest. Buehler has an injury history and hasn’t pitched many innings professionally with just over 100 innings in the Dodgers system. For the next two months or so, Buehler is a very intriguing pitcher to have with his 27.2% strikeout rate and only a 6% walk rate.
On May 4th, Buehler pitched six innings of no-hit ball against the San Diego Padres before being pulled after 93 pitches so the innings limit is a real concern for Dave Roberts and the Dodgers this season. The Dodgers are struggling and need wins so it remains to be seen if they’ll decide to shut Buehler down for the season. Giving up two earned runs or less in six of his eight starts this season is going to make it quite difficult to explain if the Dodgers shut him down in the middle of a playoff race. No fantasy owner wants an innings limit attached to a pitcher they have on their roster, especially one this talented. For all of you Buehler owners out there we say, let him pitch Dave!
Jack Flaherty , St.Louis Cardinals- Another future superstar pitcher, Flaherty is showing immense potential with an approach to each hitter well beyond his years. Manager Mike Matheny isn’t known for making the best decisions when it comes to his lineup but has shown that he trusts his young pitcher Jack Flaherty so far this season. Flaherty has pitched at least five innings in every start and even pitched into the eighth in his start against the Phillies. Matheny is letting Flaherty determine how deep he goes into games based on efficiency, a great sign for fantasy owners who are lucky enough to roster him.
Flaherty is making it impossible for Matheny to pull him. Flaherty has 36 strikeouts and only 9 walks through 34.1 IP is just the tip of the iceberg for what the 22 year old can do on the mound. If that wasn’t enough for you how about his performance against the Phillies on May 20th. The future ace of the staff went 7.2 innings allowing two hits, one walk, one earned run and struck out thirteen batters. His current level of pitching, the Cardinals mess of a bullpen and Matheny’s willingness to keep him in the game make Flaherty a great option this season. His future outlook is even brighter.
Nick Kingham , Pittsburgh Pirates- Kingham is a different case than the first two on this list as he’s 26 years old, some would say a late bloomer. A solid yet unspectacular right hander, Kingham was the number eleven prospect in just the Pirates organization entering the 2017 season. Again, unspectacularly, Kingham finished his Triple-A campaign with a 4.13 ERA and a 3.21 K/BB ratio. After lighting it up at Triple-A to start the 2018 season the Pirates decided to give him a shot and he hasn’t disappointed.
A 6.25 K/BB ratio and a xFIP of 3.42 are well above expectations but there’s nothing to suggest he can’t sustain it. An average strand rate of 72.1% and a .270 BABIP doesn’t scream regression and he’s never been a guy that’s put himself in bad spots by walking many hitters. Manager Clint Hurdle needs pitchers like Kingham to efficiently get through games with the 4.28 bullpen ERA being a huge detriment to this team. Kingham’s professional experience and him being a little more mature at 26 years old make for a guy that can stick in this rotation and give this team quality start after quality start for many years to come.
His upside may not be what some of the others in this article have but he should be more reliable and consistent than them THIS season. In 2018, Kingham is averaging six innings, just over six strikeouts, one walk and 2.5 runs allowed per start. I think anyone in seasonal leagues or daily fantasy would take those numbers from a guy who is available in almost 80% of leagues and is fairly priced in DFS.
Mike Soroka , Atlanta Braves- What were you doing when you were 20 years old? All Soroka has done is dominate Triple-A competition and show that he’s well equipped to handle major league hitters even in a small sample size of 14.2 innings pitched. Manager Brian Snitker has kept tabs on his young starter by keeping him at 90 pitches or less in all three starts this year before Soroka went down with a minor injury.
Pitching against three sub par offenses in the Mets, Marlins and Giants, Soroka had a 21.7% strikeout rate and a very promising 5.8% walk rate. Although his ERA isn’t anything to write home about at 3.68, he’s been rather unlucky proven by his xFIP of 2.89. When Soroka comes back he’s likely going to be put back into the rotation so if he’s available in your league now is the time to stash him. Snitker has a solid bullpen and he isn’t afraid to get into it evidence by their 210.2 innings pitched so far (ranked 11th in MLB), which could limit Soroka’s ability to pitch deep into games.
Soroka is a long term piece of this rotation and with better efficiency with his pitch count even Snitker won’t be able to hold him back from reaching his full potential. His fifteen strikeouts in just under fifteen innings with only four walks before he’s legally allowed to buy an alcoholic beverage is all you need to know about him and his immediate value.