In most fantasy baseball leagues you want to draft a lot of hitters and worry about pitching a little later. Some people would disagree with this strategy but overall is probably the right thing to do. Either way you need to have good pitching to have a chance to make the playoffs, little lone win your fantasy league. Over the past month there has been a lot of spectacular pitching from both the American League and the National League. Below is the five best pitchers over the past month.
5. Jose Fernandez, Starting Pitcher, Miami Marlins
The best pitcher on the Marlins is easily this guy. On July 31 he could legally start drinking but has been legally dominating the league all year. In the past 30 days he has went 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA and the second most strikeouts in baseball at 46. Over this time period he has only allowed one home run and walked only eight. If those stats aren’t enough for you to believe this guy is the real deal than I can keep going. His .172 opponent batting average is eighth best over this time period. His season numbers have been phenomenal as well.
His 8-4 record along with a 2.45 ERA and 149 strikeouts has him buzzing as the potential rookie of the year. The wins are not as high as you would expect but you have to remember he is playing for the Marlins. Looking ahead to next season it seems very clear that you would want this guy on your team due to the huge strikeout numbers and low ERA. Let’s all see if he has anything left in the tank for the final month of the season. I know one thing's for sure; no one in the NL East wants to face this guy.
4. Max Scherzer, Starting Pitcher, Detroit Tigers
This guy is not only having a great month but an amazing season. Before we even get into the monthly numbers we have to talk about what this dude is doing overall. 17 wins and we are only halfway through August! “Okay, 17 wins is good and all but how many losses does he have Travis?” The answer to that is the same as the jersey number of the greatest shortstop of all time, Ozzie Smith. For those of you don’t know, his number is one; so yes he is 17-1! For whatever reason he is still not considered the overwhelming favorite for the Cy Young, but that is for another article.
Over the past 30 days he stands at a record of 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA. Those numbers are good and all but it is his opponent batting average that has really put him on this list. A .137 batting average against over 34.2 innings pitched is the best in baseball. This guy has been consistent all year and has never shown any signs of slowing down. I for one did not see this coming.
3. Mat Latos, Starting Pitcher, Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have been playing a little below expectations but are still in line for the second wild card spot. The best pitcher on their team has been Latos and he is having a great month. A 4-0 record with a 1.32 ERA is what he holds to his name. His 1.32 ERA is the fifth best in baseball. Latos has been very consistent, not striking out a huge number of men but still getting the job done. He has only allowed two home runs over 34 innings pitched but the walks have been slightly up at ten. Overall this man has been a great fantasy option all season and I mistakenly traded him. Latos will likely be the starting pitcher if the Reds do indeed play in the Wild Card game.
2. Yu Darvish, Starting Pitcher, Texas Rangers
Oh Yu... Talk about having a great year. Darvish has proven that he is worth the 60 million dollars that the Rangers are throwing at him. He has arguably been the most exciting pitcher in baseball this season. The main reason is because of how many strikeouts he accumulates throughout any given game. He has struck out a league high 50 batters over the past 34.1 innings pitched. Not only does he strike out men at a ridiculous rate but he has a low ERA to go along with it. His 1.31 ERA is the fourth best in baseball. He does give up the long ball a little more often than the other names on this list at four.
Overall this guy is having a Cy Young like season and is one of the reasons why Scherzer is not the undisputed top Cy Young candidate. The only question left is does he have what it takes to get through September and continue into October. Remember this is only his second season in the MLB even though he is 27.
1. Clayton Kershaw, Starting Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers
The greatest pitcher on the face of the earth is Kershaw and I will argue that till my face turns blue. I do not believe that Matt Harvey should win the Cy Young because it most definitely belongs to this man right here. In 37 innings he has struck out 35 men while accumulating a 1.46 ERA which ranks eighth among MLBers. His WHIP has been ridiculous as well at 0.70 which is the second best in baseball.
Not to mention Kershaw has the most devastating curveball I have ever seen in my life. This guy may not take home a Cy Young but he is certainly helping your fantasy team if you own him. Come the playoffs the Dodgers are going to be very tough to beat with Kershaw and Zack Greinke as the one and two.