Steven Matz (+35.6%) was the most added player in fantasy baseball this past week. The Mets decided to roll out the welcome matz last week and promote the impressive young prospect to the big league club, joining a starting rotation that already featured Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard. Yikes. That would be a scary group for any team to face in a playoff series. Of course, the Mets would have to provide at least some run support for their young studs in order to eventually reach the postseason, but Matz might even be able to contribute in that area as well. He just became the first pitcher to drive in 4 runs in his MLB debut, which gave him the same amount of 4 RBI games as Mike Trout, Anthony Rizzo, and Josh Donaldson this season. I thought that looked like Jeff Gillooly hanging around Michael Cuddyer’s locker the other day. Hmmm… maybe the rumor that Matz could see some time in left field on his non-pitching days has some teeth after all. Or maybe I just made that up.
Anyhoo, you’re probably more interested in reading about Matz’ abilities on the mound rather than at the plate. JB just broke down his first start here, which I suggest you check out if you haven’t already done so. Here’s the Cliff’s Notes version of his repertoire: 94-96 mph fourseam fastball, high 70s curveball, and mid-80s plus change-up, all of which he throws for strikes and are capable of generating swings and misses. That’s a spicy Matzo ball! Ok, I’m finished. Just had to get that out. Matz is probably long gone in most leagues, but if not, grab him now. He looks like a future ace who is capable of being a fantasy asset immediately.
Here are a couple of other significant adds and drops in fantasy baseball over the past week:
Marco Estrada – 31.7% owned (+24.9%)
Estrada has been on quite a roll over his last two starts, allowing just 1 ER and 7 baserunners while striking out 16 across 15 2/3 IP. He even carried a no-hitter into the 8th inning against the Rays his last time out, and surrendered just one hit to the Orioles in his previous outing. Very impressive.
Let’s take a look at Estrada’s numbers as a starting pitcher over the past year and a half:
| Season | Team | GS | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | K/BB | HR/9 | FB% | HR/FB | WHIP | ERA | xFIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Brewers | 18 | 107 | 7.74 | 2.94 | 2.63 | 2.27 | 49.70% | 17.30% | 1.27 | 4.96 | 4.25 |
| 2015 | Blue Jays | 10 | 62.1 | 7.51 | 2.6 | 2.89 | 1.01 | 45.90% | 8.20% | 1.14 | 3.9 | 4.24 |
Estrada has been effective at times throughout his MLB career even though the hitter-friendly confines of Milwaukee’s Miller Park and now Toronto’s Rogers Centre haven’t done him any favors. As a fly ball pitcher, his results are largely tied to his ability to limit his HR allowed, which is no easy feat in those ballparks. With his career 1.45 HR/9 and 12.4% HR/FB landing in between his somewhat unlucky 2014 season and his early results this season, expect a few more fly balls to leave the yard in the near future, with ratio regression to follow. TRASH.
Eduardo Rodriguez – 57.2% owned (-15.2%)
Rodriguez was the lede in this very post as the hottest add in fantasy baseball just a few short weeks ago. Ah, rookie nookie. How quickly the tide can turn. Rough outings against the Blue Jays and Orioles in two out of his last three starts have owners jumping ship. There’s still a lot to like here though. E-Rod has allowed only three homers in six starts. His 93.8 mph average fastball velocity is well above average for a starting pitcher, particularly a left-handed one. He’s striking out almost a batter per inning (32 Ks in 35 1/3 IP), and his 66.1% LOB% and 3.69 xFIP indicate that his 4.33 ERA is a bit on the unlucky side. While I wouldn’t recommend starting him in Toronto tonight (.377 wOBA vs LHP is the best in MLB), his next outing against Houston is a solid matchup, especially considering the Astros’ swing-and-miss tendencies (23.3% K% vs LHP). TREASURE.
