One good start and one very bad one yesterday. Ground Chuck went 7 innings and picked up the win, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out three. Nathan Eovaldi had a terrible outing, making it through just 0.2 innings while giving up eight runs off of nine hits, walking none and striking out none. It’s just as we worried with him. Batters can sit back and wait on that straight fastball, even if it’s the fastest one in the league, since he doesn’t have any good offspeed or breaking stuff to keep hitters honest. He needs to keep developing those other pitches to succeed in the majors, but for right now it doesn’t look like he’s a good starter. Now, on to tomorrow’s streaming pitchers!
Streaming Pitchers: 6/18/2015
Clay Buchholz RHP BOS (@ ATL)
Clay has been good, despite his ERA. Just ask Ryan Ram (http://old.lastwordonsports.com/2015/06/16/ignoring-era-carrasco-buchholz-may/). Clay has had good stuff mostly all year, and has just had his share of bad luck. A 9.23 K/9, 2.39 BB/9, and a 49.3% ground ball rate all points to ace-level stuff, or at least close to an ace. You just have to squint at that stuff and ignore the .344 BABIP and the 67.0 LOB%. The hope is that with a good matchup, he can dominate. The hope is that this is a good matchup with the Braves, who hit a 97 wRC+ at home and a 98 wRC+ against righties. This should be the kind of matchup he can take advantage of. Stream away and don’t be afraid to hold him if you want to take a chance on him pitching to his skills and becoming an ace.
Jaime Garcia LHP STL (@ MIN)
Jaime Garcia has a career 89 FIP- and 87 xFIP-. Since returning from the DL, he’s been outstanding, posting a 6.17 K/9, 1.29 BB/9, and a 65.3% groundball rate, good for a 2.06 ERA, 2.91 FIP, and a 2.92 xFIP. If you need a starter off the wire, even for more than streaming pitchers or a spot start, you need to get him. As long as he’s healthy, he’s one of the better pitchers of the National League. Give him a whirl against the Twins in Minnesota. Even though they hit a 105 wRC+ at home, the Twins only hit a 98 wRC+ against lefties, and, as stated before, he’s pretty much a must go against just about anybody.
