Saturday's value pitchers were difficult to find. Any MLB DraftKing players that want to spend the salary cap cost on Corey Kluber or Max Scherzer should do it. Kluber and Scherzer are the only A pitchers stepping to the mound on Saturday, Sept. 2.
I'm even considering adding Kluber or Scherzer first. Second, I'll go for one of my to add pitchers. When it comes to the pitchers I'm avoiding. I won't even consider adding them to any MLB DraftKings Teams.
Pitchers to Add
1. Drew Pomeranz, Boston Red Sox
Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that Drew Pomeranz would end up Boston's second most consistent starting pitcher? Chris Sale is likely to win the AL Cy Young this season. Pomeranz would be the ace on any other team with a 3.23 ERA and a fantastic 14 and 4 record.
Pomeranz last faced the New York Yankees on August 12. He allowed 7 hits in 6.2 innings. He struck out 5. The Yankees hung 3 earned runs on Pomeranz. He could throw much better on Saturday. I think he's worth a look.
2. Lance Lynn, St. Louis Cardinals
Lynn has a sweet ERA of 3.14. His 1.17 WHIP isn't bad either. The 10 and 6 record? Not terrible. The key for Lynn is that he faces the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. From 46 at-bats, the Giants have 13 hits against Lynn. The BA is .283.
I'm not too worried about the batting average because 46 at-bats isn't enough of a sample to become concerned. AT&T Park is the hardest place in MLB for hitters. The average BA is only .253. Only 94 home runs have been hit at AT&T Park. That makes adding Lynn more attractive.
3. Charlie Morton, Houston Astros
Morton takes the mound for the Stros in the first of a double-header this Saturday between the New York Mets and the Houston Astros. Morton's 3.88 ERA isn't bad. His 10 and 6 record and 1.22 WHIP aren't bad either.
The real key is that Morton pitches against the New York Mets. The Mets aren't hitting very well. It got so bad on August 31 that their best pitcher, Jacob deGrom, took a loss. The Mets bat .382 versus Morton. They've only seen him 38 times, though. He might be worth a shot.
Pitchers to Avoid
1. Jon Lester, Chicago Cubs
Lester hasn't thrown since August 17. The Cubs confirmed that they're activating Lester from the DL to have him start against the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 2. How well should Lester pitch? I have no clue. Right now, his ERA is 4.83. Also, it's hard to see manager Joe Maddon not putting JL on a pitch count since he hasn't seen MLB action in so long.
2. Masahiro Tanaka, New York Yankees
Tanaka's form has been much better lately. In fact, the Yankees are 2-0-1 straight up in Masahiro's last 3 starts. Tanaka's been particularly effective in his last 2 starts. Still, I want to see more before taking the plunge. The last time Tanaka pitched 2 great games in a row, he bombed with a 4 inning stinker against Toronto where he walked 5 and allowed 2 earned runs off 2 hits.
3. Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays
Stroman hasn't faced Baltimore, Saturday's opponent, since June. He's been a shining light for the Blue Jays this season. I'm not sure he shows his best on Saturday, though. In Marcus' last road start, he allowed 5 earned runs off 8 hits in 5.1 innings pitched. Stroman's salary cap hit is going to be much more than pitchers like Pomeranz, Lynn, and Morton.
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