Fantasy Baseball: 8 Available Pitchers to Grab Cheap Wins from

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The 2012 fantasy baseball season has been unpredictable at best thus far. The most prominent culprit causing fantasy baseball participants issues is pitchers, but lucky for them there are a variety of cheap options available that can turn a fantasy season around in a hurry.

Injuries and an utter lack of consistency has fantasy owners reeling for upgrades, and there are several pitchers currently flying under the radar that most owners won’t even consider.

There are always pitchers available that can grab an owner cheap wins, but owners just have to know where to look. For example, pitchers that are great, but have little to no run support fit in this category perfectly.

Here are eight widely-available pitchers to grab cheap wins from right away: 

Jake Westbrook, St. Louis Cardinals

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Jake Westbrook has been flying under the radar as of late, but it’s hard to figure out why. He’s got one of the best offensive teams in the league backing him, and he’s also pretty good.

Westbrook has an impressive 4-2 record to start the season and an even more impressive 1.76 ERA. He’s struck out 27 batters thus far, and that number is likely to keep climbing.

Westbrook will pile up wins in fantasy baseball with ease through a combination of skill and location. 

Jason Hammel, Baltimore Orioles

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Jason Hammel is currently dealing with a slight knee injury which could really drive down his fantasy stock. Given his results this far into the season, it shouldn’t deter fantasy players.

Hammel is pitching magnificently thus far with a 2.09 ERA while running his record to 4-1. He’s yet to give up more than two earned runs in an outing.

Hammel also has some decent bats backing him up, so don’t hesitate to add Hammel. 

Matt Harrison, Texas Rangers

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Matt Harrison is a major gamble for fantasy owners, but he’s smart play. He’s started off the season horribly but is rebounding in a big way.

To date Harrison has a 5.11 ERA but a 4-2 record. He’s been on fire his last couple of starts, so owners shouldn’t let the big ERA scare them off.

Harrison is back on a winning trend and is on one of the best teams in baseball. Pick him up while he’s heating up because soon he’ll be a hot commodity in most leagues. 

Joe Blanton, Philadelphia Phillies

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Joe Blanton is another risk at this point in time as he’s been a bit inconsistent. However, he is on a great team and is sure to turn things around sooner rather than later.

Blanton currently has a 3-3 record with a 3.24 ERA. He doesn’t give up a lot of runs at one time and is a workhorse on the mound. His production will only improve as the season wears on toward its conclusion. 

Wade Miley, Arizona Diamondbacks

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Wade Miley is quickly starting to gain attention in leagues, so it would be a good idea to pick him up fast. He’s been great so far and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.

With an impressive 3-0 record accompanied by a 2.33 ERA Miley has simply dominated his opposite while being backed by solid run-support.

Miley isn’t a big name, but he will be in fantasy leagues soon. Be sure to beat other fantasy owners to the punch when it comes to Miley. 

Jeff Samardzija, Chicago Cubs

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Jeff Samardzija has spent the majority of his career as a reliever, but now he is beginning to shine as a starter. That’s nothing but good news for fantasy owners looking for a steal.

Samardzija has an outstanding 4-1 record coupled with a 3.03 ERA. He’s simply unbeatable at home and is almost as good on the road.

Samardzija isn’t the biggest name out there right now. His quiet 39 strikeouts to 12 walks ratio is something that should be catching the eyes of owners everywhere soon. 

Ricky Nolasco, Miami Marlins

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Ricky Nolasco has been a joke in fantasy baseball the past few seasons, but he’s becoming a hot commodity now that he is finally turning things around.

Nolasco is currently sitting pretty with a 4-0 record and a sound 2.72 ERA. He doesn’t have the most impressive run-support behind him, which makes his current run all the more worthy of picking him up in as many leagues as possible. 

Henderson Alvarez, Toronto Blue Jays

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Henderson Alvarez started the season a bit sluggish but he’s rebounded recently to become a viable fantasy option.

His record at 2-2 and ERA at 2.83 are fine. It’s his low strikeout count (12) that could worry some owners.

Even with the low strikeout number Alvarez is going to go fast in most leagues. He’s backed by great run support and doesn’t give up many runs. 

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