It almost seems like every week there’s a new rising star going on a tear; however, most of these guys still remain free agents in a fair number of fantasy leagues. In some cases a few of these guys are merely on brief little hot streaks, while others are finally starting to shake off the cobwebs. Either way, it would be to your advantage to make some moves and utilize them while their stock is still going up.
Bartolo Colon Oakland Athletics SP
Once again another Oakland Athletic finds himself on the list. This time it’s one of the hottest current pitchers, Bartolo Colon. He has been dealing mightily in his last four starts, only allowing five earned runs including back-to-back shutouts and a complete game against the Chicago White Sox on May 31st. In this time frame Colon’s ERA has dropped from 4.56 to a respectable 3.33. Colon only relies upon two pitches, a two-seam and a four-seam fast ball; however, both pitches have been vapor locking batters left and right. The fact that he has only walked four batters this entire season is another testament to his dominance, not to mention the biggest reason why his 1.05 WHIP is one of the best in the league amongst anyone taking to the hill. Colon is currently owned in roughly 33 percent of all leagues, but not for long.
Jason Bay Seattle Mariners OF
This may seem like a joke, but it’s really not. Jason Bay has been quite impressive at the plate over his last few games. With the recent loss of Michael Morse Bay has been getting more starts and taking advantage of every at-bat. In his last seven games he’s hitting .291 with four home runs and five RBI. It may not seem like much; however, he’s been able to accomplish this while just starting cold. Another thing which may persuade you is that he’s been effective as a base stealer. He only has three at the moment, but he has yet to be caught. It’s a bit of a risk, yes, but it may be one you could use in your outfield or utility spot. Bay is currently owned in roughly three percent of all leagues.
Justin Wilson Pittsburgh Pirates RP
In the longstanding history of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball there has been a level of consistency that has come from anyone with the last name Wilson. Add Justin Wilson to that list AND your fantasy team. Wilson has been near lights out all season, serving as a premier set-up guy for Jason Grilli to follow. In only 33 innings pitched Wilson has four wins, no losses, five holds, 31 strikeouts, a 1.36 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. With the way the Pirates have been playing lately, expect Wilson to log a lot more innings down the stretch. He’s currently owned in roughly 13 percent of all leagues.
Tanner Scheppers Texas Rangers RP
Tanner Scheppers is probably one of the best relief guys currently in the game who could potentially be a starter with a majority of ball clubs. In 27.1 innings this season Scheppers has only allowed 15 hits and 8 walks with translates to a 0.84 WHIP. He also only allowed two earned runs, both of which came off of home runs. Who hit them you may be asking; Adam Dunn and Miguel Cabrera during his three-home run game. With that in mind, Scheppers is certainly no slouch. He is currently owned in roughly 10 percent of all leagues.
Travis Blackley Houston Astros RP
This is really more of a dark-horse pick, but not a bad one at that. Travis Blackley got rocked in his first appearance with the Astros, which also came at the hands of his first game back from a stint on the DL. After that game his ERA ballooned to 27.00. Since then, Blackley’s ERA has deteriorated (in a good way) to 3.43. In 21 innings pitched thus far Blackley has struck out 18, nearly one punch out per inning pitched. He currently has eight holds on the year, a number which will only continue to rise as he is one of the only few pitchers in the Astros bullpen being utilized properly. It’s a bit of a risk, but the end result might be worth it. Hs is currently owned in roughly three percent of all leagues.