We are entering week 4 of the season and in the blink of an eye, 10% of the season is gone. Baseball has traditionally been broken down in thirds. The first third is to identify what the team has. The second third is to re-tool and fill holes. And the final third is to implement the tweaks and make a run.
Fantasy baseball doesn’t afford you that luxury. Usually, Memorial Day falls within week 8 and week 10 and is the most important marking point in a season. If you don’t fix your team by Memorial Day, your fate will be sealed. We are entering the halfway point to Memorial Day.
This is also the time of year when available players are getting more and more scarce. This is for two reasons…first, players are getting hurt and put on the IL with free agents getting snagged to replace them; and second, because some undrafted players start out hot and get picked up.
This is now the case with starting pitchers. The pool of starters who are available and worthy of being on a team is shrinking by the day. And finding two-start pitchers who are available and worthwhile to grab is even more difficult.
I have found and identified four starters this week making two starts who could not only help you in the short term this week but also for the rest of the season:
Cody Bradford, Texas Rangers:
Bradford was supposed to be a spot starter, installed for a few games while the slew of injured starters recovered. Based on Bradord’s start to the season, Bradford may have pushed himself into the rotation for the long haul. Michael Lorenzen is due back this week, but there’s no way Bruce Bochy can bump Bradford. In three starts he’s 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 0.62 WHIP. And he’s struck out 17 batters in 19.1 innings.
Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals:
The converted reliever is blossoming in Kansas City and one of the main reasons for the Royals hot 9-5 start. In three starts Lugo is 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. He faces a cupcake White Sox team on Monday.
Joe Ross, Milwaukee Brewers:
Ross has only pitched in one of the last four seasons. He made 20 appearances in 2021. The 30-year-old has been mired with injuries in his career, but when he’s been able to get on the mound, he’s serviceable. The No. five starter for the Brewers is having a nice and healthy start to the year. In two starts Ross is 1-0 with a 1.30 WHIP and 1.80 ERA. He’s struck out a batter per inning and is on pace to make 27 starts and throw 135 innings. Both would be career highs.
Martin Perez, Pittsburgh Pirates:
There are certain guys who are constantly under the radar. Typically they are guys who have been around for a while with solid, serviceable numbers year after year…yet always overlooked. A pitcher like Wade Miley comes to mind, as does a hitter like Carlos Santana. Perez is another poster child for this phenomenon. The 33-year-old has made 246 starts in his career and is above .500 with an 86-81 record. He’s made 20 or more starts seven times over his career and is a classic innings eater. Over three starts this season, he’s 1-0 with a 1.21 WHIP and 1.89 ERA.