Fantasy Baseball Buy-Low Candidates: Pitchers

We’re a month into the season and some fantasy owners may start to get uneasy about their team’s slow starts. Where there’s panic, there is opportunity.  I’ve identified some players who are Buy Low candidates because of their slow starts. 

I’m not going to list any Closers because they are so hard to come by.  I doubt you’ll be able to land one on the cheap.

CC Sabathia - CC has struggled out of the gate, but that’s nothing new for the big fella.  His March/April ERA for his career is 4.53 with a 12-12 record.  After April he’s 106-64 with a 3.55 ERA. 

The book is out on CC, so it typically would be hard to snag him.  However, the way the ball is jumping out of the new Yankee Stadium might scare some owners into dumping him off.

 

Jake Peavy - Peavy is not typically a slow starter, but perhaps he’s feeling the effects of the World Baseball Classic.  His strikeout total is nice and his WHIP isn’t bad.  I see no reason why he wouldn’t turn it around. 

If he ever gets dealt to a contender, his value will skyrocket.  He’s probably a tough one to get, but his price tag is lower now than at the beginning of the season.

 

Cole Hamels - After pitching out of his mind in the last year’s postseason, Cole has had nothing but injuries and bad outings.  He hasn’t picked up a Win yet and his ERA is a ridiculous 7.27 with a WHIP of 1.79.  Historically Cole is 21-16 with a 3.90 ERA before the All-Star break and 17-9 with a 3.08 ERA after the break.

 

Francisco Liriano - Liriano just picked up his first Win of the year.  He’s not the same Pitcher he once was, but with Joe Mauer back behind the plate, he can make great strides. Historically he’s 1-7 in April with a 6.45 ERA and 19-6 with a 2.66 ERA after it. 

He could be one of those guys who take a little longer to heat up.  Teammates Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey are also candidates as they have struggled early.  They should also benefit from Mauer’s return.

Josh Beckett - Aside from a brilliant first start, April was rough for Beckett.  His four other starts saw him post a 8.13 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP.  He looked OK in his first May start allowing three runs over six innings.

He gave up just one Walk after allowing multiple Walks in his first five starts.  He’s been brutal, but worth taking a chance that he’ll turn things around.

 

Roy Oswalt - Roy is another WBC Pitcher that has started off slow. He has yet to win a game and has an ERA of 4.26.  His WHIP isn’t bad at 1.34 though.  He hurt his finger on Tuesday so his value could be at an all-time low.  His career record before June is 33-32 and 96-34 from June on.

 

Jon Lester - May/April is a slow time for Lester as evidenced by his career 2-4 record with a 4.78 ERA.  Going forward he’s 27-6 with a 3.75 ERA.  He’s got 43 Ks already, and one would think the Wins will come.

Carlos Zambrano- The Big Z just went on the DL so now is a good time to strike.  He’s off to a slow start, but he always struggles in April.  His career ERA for the month is 4.18 compared to 3.37 the rest of the way.  Unfortunately, he’ll miss most of his best month, but he remains a good target.

 

Ricky Nolasco - This could be a sneaky one.  He’s once again off to a terrible start, which holds true to his historic data.  His April ERA is 6.27 compared to 4.01 in the other months.  His WHIP lowers significantly in June.

 

Scott Kazmir - Kazmir is off to a horrific start with a 6.00 ERA and 1.58 WHIP.  He is also a constant injury concern.  Couple those factors together and you might be able to land him and hope he gets back on track.

 

Injured Pitchers like Brandon Webb, Daisuke Matsuzaka, John Lackey, and Ervin Santana aren’t likely available.  They’re stashed in the DL slot and are pretty much out of sight, out of mind until they return.

Originally published at LestersLegends.com.