Getting off to the right start in the second half of the fantasy baseball season can make all the difference in generating the best seed for the playoffs. These two pitchers are hot and available on the waiver wire for fantasy baseball owners’ stretch run.
Tommy Milone
Minnesota Twins pitcher Tommy Milone had to be afraid when Ervin Santana returned from his suspension. It’s not that he didn’t believe Santana could offer the Twins assistance in their hope to still be in contention in September, but Santana was possibly slotted in Milone’s rotation spot.
However, Milone has taken the challenge and been one of the best ERA pitchers in Major League Baseball during the last month.
Since the beginning of June, Milone hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs. He’s logged 44 innings during that time and allowed nine earned runs. During his last five games, he owns the fifth-best ERA in MLB with 1.41. He’s 3-0 during that five-game stretch.
His WHIP of 1.13 in that span also is ranked in the top-40 in MLB.
Milone is likely still siting on the waiver wire because of his inability to blow away fantasy baseball owners with strikeouts. Since June 4, he has 32 strikeouts, good enough for 4.6 strikeouts per outing. Despite those depressing numbers, he has shown the ability to record high strikeouts in individual outings with eight and seven strikeouts respectively in two starts.
The problem is that he also has shown an inability to record strikeouts in games, with marks of zero and two since the beginning of June.
Milone can offer wins, a quality WHIP and one of the best ERAs in MLB. If he’s still available he’s worth a look on the right fantasy baseball team.
Jose Quintana
There’s likely a frustration for fantasy baseball owners regarding Jose Quintana’s win/loss record.
Quintana is 4-8 on the season. But the win/loss record doesn’t tell the whole story.
Quintana may still be available on the waiver wire, and as of late, he’s showcasing the ability to record strikeouts, something coveted on the waiver wire.
In his last six games, Quintana has 39 strikeouts, good enough to be ranked 10th in Major League Baseball during that time span. That’s not all. He has a respectable 3.12 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP.
The only issue for Quintana is his win/loss record. He hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs since May 24. Since then, he’s 2-4. During his last three games, he’s allowed three, two and one runs respectively, and gone 1-2. In those three starts, he’s logged 21 1/3 innings and struck out 25.
Eventually fantasy baseball owners are going to pick up on Quintana’s ability to tally strikeouts and maintain a respectable ERA. And possibly in the future, he may start to garner some run support to aid in his win/loss record.
