Alex Wood, Atlanta Braves - Wood was a tough luck loser Tuesday after allowing just three runs over 6.2 innings, but he fell victim to the worst hitting team in baseball right now as they could only score two runs to help him out. He'll get one more start in the last game of the season against Philadelphia as he tries to finish his breakout 2014 on a high note. Wood went neck and neck with Julio Teheran as the ace of the staff, posting a 3.25 FIP over 171.2 innings with 8.91 strikeouts per nine. Compared to 2013. He was able to maintain his K/9 while shaving off nearly one walk off his BB/9 rate (2.35). Wood is an excellent option for fantasy owners next season as he will be in the rotation full time next year.
David Hale, Atlanta Braves - With Mike Minor being shelved for the season with shoulder inflammation, David Hale will replace him in the rotation for Minor's last turn on the hill. Hale has pitched primarily out of the bullpen in 2014 after making two starts down the stretch in 2013. He's made five starts in 2014, and over 44 appearances he has a 4.17 FIP but a 3.27 ERA. A very alarming stat is in his time in the majors in 2013 (SSS), he struck out over 11 batters per nine but in 2014 it's dropped down to just 4.5, with his walk rate jumping to 3.8 per nine combined with a jump in his walk rate. His minor league numbers say he sits somewhere in between the two season, but I can't say I'd add him for a spot start. He may have a spot in the rotation in 2014 as Julio Teheran and Alex Wood are the only two starters that can be considered locks for the rotation.
Michael Taylor, Washington Nationals - Taylor has a pinch hit RBI double Tuesday, giving him three for the season in just 30 plate appearances. He has posted a 95 wRC+ in his stint, and he has hit one homer but has yet to steal a base. Taylor's brief time in the majors has been a struggle overall, and a lot of it has to do with his 15% SWST rate. Taylor has the tools to put up 20/20 season if he gets playing time, but in a crowded Washington Nationals outfield there's no way of knowing when that will happen. With Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth entrenched in the corners and Denard Span posting near a career high in WAR (3.6), it would take a trade for Taylor to become fantasy relevant next season. If he or another is dealt, he's worth a target late in drafts as he has averaged 12 homers and 32 steals a season in the minors.
Mike Fiers, Milwaukee Brewers - Fiers tied his shortest start of the season against the Reds lasting 5.0 innings while allowing just two runs, each via a full count homer to Devin Mesoraco and Todd Frazier. He allowed just four hits overall and struck out three, giving him 69 K's in 65.2 innings. He has a 2.95 FIP over those innings and has walked just 2.19 per nine. Right now, he has just a 33% GB rate and a 7.8% HR/FB rate, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him get tagged with a few more homers here and there as he's gotten lucky that more batted balls off of him haven't left the yard. Overall though, this is the second season he's pitched a significant amount of time and his numbers very similar across the board amount to a 3.1 WAR in just 127 innings. If he stays in the rotation next year, he's a solid option in league but there isn't too much room for growth as he will turn 30 just a few months into 2015.
Devin Mesoraco, Cincinnati Reds - Mesoraco just keeps rolling in 2014 as he launched his 25th homer of the year, raising his wRC+ to 150 which is tops among catchers. Every number across the board is a career high for the catcher, as he has gone from relative unknown to possibly receiving a couple of MVP votes for his performance. A downside to Mesoraco though is the fact the most games he's played in a season is 120, and that was in AAA in 2011. His 110 games this career are a major league career high, which can be viewed as exciting or scary depending on how you want to view it. The fact he has put up the numbers he has in so few games is very enticing, but at the same time it makes you wonder if he'll be hit with a big injury soon that'll cut his game totals even more. The upside with Mesoraco though will get him rightfully drafted among the top five catchers in 2015, right behind the Buster Posey's and Yadier Molina's at the position.
Josh Sperry - @jsperry1991
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