Here we are; the home stretch. For fantasy many teams you’ve all ready locked up your free pass for the playoffs. For others, a few more wins this week might help you squeak in. In any case, it’s time to stack your rosters and get the best out of your pitching staff. At this stage in the game your offense is pretty much set, but it’s in these last few weeks when a select cache of pitchers will dazzle and help you win the spoils of a championship trophy and bragging rights for the next year. While a fine crop of pitchers have shown their dominance all season, it’s truly in this last month when all of the hype and dominance matters most. Without further ado, here are the best five pitchers to watch out for through the remainder of the season.
5. Cole Hamels Philadelphia Phillies
Throughout the 2013 campaign Cole Hamels hasn’t really had much of a reason to be, well… Cole Hamels. He was signed to an amazing six-year $144 million contract last July which would give any player a reason to just play the bar minimum. This is just not the case for Hamels. On the season he’s 6-13 with a 3.50 ERA and 174 strikeouts; however, over the last 30 days Hamels has produced six quality starts with a 2.25 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP and 40 strikeouts. Granted, he’s 2-2 in his last 10 starts, but with the way most leagues have adjusted scoring only losses are the true downside here. Due to the fact that the Phillies will most likely not be making the playoffs there really is no incentive to rest Hamels, especially if the Phillies want to get their full dollar’s worth out of the young pitcher. His contract is really your gain in this department as he still has about four to five starts left in him.
4. Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw is a bit of a freak when it comes to dominating games. In his short career he’s all ready won a Cy Young award, which he did in 2011 with triple crown numbers. So far this season he is back on pace for his second, leading the National League in strikeouts (201), ERA (1.89), innings pitched (209.0) and games started (29). The only thing that eludes him is the win mark in which he currently has 14, one behind four pitchers: Adam Wainwright, Francisco Liriano, Jordan Zimmermann and Jorge De La Rosa. In the last 30 days Kershaw has produced four quality starts, a 1.99 ERA, 40 strikeouts and a 1.16 WHIP. Kershaw’s only problem is getting roughed up in the first inning. If he’s able to escape any run damage within his first three outs, you and he shouldn’t have any problems.
3. Charlie Morton Pittsburgh Pirates
Most people have been unaware of Charlie Morton’s work on the diamond this year, which may work to your advantage especially if he’s still a free agent in your league. Why has he gone unlooked? Simple, he’s only been pitching since June 13th this season. The Pirates all ready had a pretty stacked rotation going into the season, but due to the loss of A.J. Burnett for a bit of the season and Wandy Rodriguez the Pirates looked to their minor league system and pulled up fresh faces like Morton to fill in until those two came back. What did the Pirates get out of it? A kid with a few years prior experience having a breakout year. Morton has gone 7-3 on the season with a 3.00 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP and 63 strikeouts. In his last 10 starts he’s gone 6-1 with six quality starts, a 1.74 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. Oh, and he also helped the Pirates shake their 20-year winning season-less drought. This kid is for real.
2. Mat Latos Cincinnati Reds
Love him or hate him, Mat Latos is the kind of guy any fantasy owner would love to have on their team. He works fast, plays with a lot of heart and emotion and rarely gets rattled. Like Kershaw, he’s tied for the second-most wins in the National League at 14, and with only five losses compared to Kershaw’s eight. In his last 10 starts Latos has produced five quality starts, going 6-3 in the process with 1.79 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP and 30 strikeouts. Latos rarely walks batters and plays the pitching game with a little more finesse, rather than trying to overpower batter. In the end, his tactical maneuvering will translate into more innings pitched with fewer pitches thrown. In the end, and especially since the Reds are still fighting for a playoff spot, he’s the kind of guy who will take the mound any chance he gets, and not leave until his team wins in the end.
1. Zack Greinke Los Angeles Dodgers
Remember when everyone shunned the massive contract the Dodgers gave Greinke at the start of the season? Well, who’s laughing now? Even after missing a few games due to a broken collar bone, Greinke has been arguably the best pitcher in the National League next to his teammate, Kershaw. Greinke is currently 14-3 with a 2.78 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 119 strikeouts. Just imagine where he’d be had it not been for his tussle with San Diego Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin. Over his last 10 starts Greinke has been especially frightening to rival batters. He’s produced six quality starts, struck out 37, kept his ERA at 1.24 and has a WHIP of 0.92. If there has been anything to learn from the Dodgers this season it’s that they love to win. And when they win, they love to do it in as much of a dominating fashion as possible. What does this mean for you? Greinke and Kershaw shouldn’t be missing any starts, even after they clinch a playoff spot in the next two weeks.
Wild Card: Jarrod Parker Oakland Athletics
There are two reasons for this decision: 1. The Athletics will be fighting until the end of the season for a playoff spot and will get every start they can out of Parker. 2. The five names listed above all represent the National League; a little American League love was needed. Parker started the season with high expectations, especially coming off a brilliant rookie campaign in which he led all Athletics pitchers with 140 strikeouts.
Even though he hasn’t lived up the high expectations of the ball club and fans, in a matter of speaking, what Parker has accomplished over the last 30 days has. Parker has produced five quality starts, going 4-0 in his last ten games with a 2.11 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 28 strikeouts. Most of the runs given up by Parker have come off of home runs; however, he is not the kind of pitcher to let mistakes like that get to his head. He also doesn’t let a lot of baserunners on, which ultimately means that the few runs he gives up are via solo home runs. With a full month to go, expect Parker to get at least four more starts. Also, expect Parker to have some “out of his mind” performances to boot.