Fantasy baseball: 3 starting pitchers who could be valuable adds

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There are a handful of pitchers having good seasons who face real tough challenges this weekend. These big-league arms aren’t exactly the aces on their teams but if they come through for your fantasy baseball team you’ll be dancing like Tom Cruise in Risky Business.

Let’s take a look at some of these risky fantasy baseball plays that could pay off huge dividends

Bryce Miller, Seattle Mariners

Bryce Miller was called up from Double-A Arkansas at the beginning of May and one might say he’s settling in rather well. Heck, never mind one might say, all are saying that! The young righty is off to an historic start in the Bigs. Miller has only allowed eight baserunners in his first three starts, the fewest allowed to start a career (minimum 15 innings pitched) since 1901 back when William McKinley was President. Just five years after Ford invented the car! Wow!

With a record like that, it’s no surprise Miller’s numbers are quite impressive. Through three starts the Mariners wunderkind is 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA and an equally minute 0.42 WHIP. He’s only given up seven hits and one walk (hence the record) and has 18 strikeouts. Opponents so far are hitting just .111 against him while slugging just .143 off two doubles. His only earned run thus far came off one of those doubles in his first start versus Oakland, a six-inning, 10-strikeout, no-decision on the road. Miller has simply dazzled Mariners fans while helping get Seattle back to the brink of .500, something I felt to be inconceivable just a few weeks ago.

After facing the likes of Oakland and Detroit with the Astros sprinkled in between, Miller got surely his biggest test yet Friday night in Atlanta when he faced the NL East-leading Braves. After a funky four-game skid that included a three-game sweep in Toronto, Atlanta rebounded in Texas grabbing two of three from the Rangers and outscoring them 25-9 highlighted by a 12-0-win last Friday.

Miller held his own against the Braves, allowing four hits and three runs in 6.1 innings. If he’s still available, after passing yet another test, add him to your squad.

Apr 17, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) pitches in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies

I had veteran lefty Kyle Freeland on my team briefly in April. I picked him up off the waiver wire but soured on him after a 2.2-inning, seven-run outing versus the Pirates and I didn’t have the patience to stay with him after his next outing, a six-inning, four-run affair in Philly. Well shame on me because since those two outings the seven-year Rockies starter has been pretty darn good. Over his last four starts, Freeland is 2-2 with a 1.875 ERA. On the season, the four-game stretch has dropped his ERA from 4.32 to 3.16 and he hasn’t exactly been pitching against creampuffs.

Aside from his most recent outing against the Phillies, a six-inning, four-hit, eight-strikeout win, Freeland has faced real NL contenders in Arizona, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh. The most impressive of those outings was the road game against the Pirates where Freeland went seven innings, giving up just two runs on 100 pitches, albeit in a loss.

The Rockies have the highest runs against total (223) in the entire National League, sit in last place in the NL West and possess a -25 run differential, yet they’ve been playing well of late, having won six of their last 11. The Rockies and Freeland will certainly have their hands full this weekend in Texas against the Rangers, a team with the second highest run differential (+87) in the entire league and have scored the second most runs (266) in the league. I’ve raved about the Rangers repeatedly this season and dropping two out of three to the Braves at home earlier this week isn’t going to change my feelings about where the Rangers are headed.

It’s a tough task for the Rockies Saturday but a solid Freeland outing could land you a nice chunk of fantasy points.

May 9, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Michael Wacha (52) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports /

Michael Wacha, San Diego Padres

At first glance, playing Padres starter Michael Wacha at home Sunday versus the Red Sox doesn’t seem to be that risky of a play. Wacha, who went 11-2 with a 3.32 ERA for Boston last year, has the most wins (four) of any Padres starter, including two wins in his last two starts … and the fun doesn’t stop there. The 11-year veteran has had a stellar month of May. In three starts this month, his ERA is an impressive 0.47 over 19 innings pitched, giving up just six hits. What’s not to like?

Well, here’s the risky part about Sunday’s start at Petco Park. Even though they’re in last place, the Red Sox have scored the third most runs (248) of any team this season and possess the second-best team batting average (.272) in the entire league. Boston is 10-9 on the road and 6-9 versus National League teams. Again, seems favorable for Wacha and the Padres, but San Diegois 2-8 over their last 10 games. Even more worrisome is a five-game losing streak in that stretch of games and the Padres just dropped two of three to Kansas City at home. Yikes. All of it adds up to the heat really being on Wacha in Sunday’s risky matchup against his former team.

Well, that’s it. Have fun living dangerously this weekend and good luck out there.

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