Looking at stats in tandem is a crucial lense that many fantasy players sometimes ignore. Three of my favorite pitching metrics are strikeouts per nine innings, ground ball percentage, and hard hit rate. Excelling in one of these metrics is a good indicator of success. Strength in all three areas will usually equate to excellence, however. Here are the qualified pitchers with a K/9 over 8, a GB% above 47%, and a Hard% (almost all) below 40%.

Name

Team

K/9

GB%

Hard%

Charlie Morton

Rays

11.11

48.6 %

33.2 %

Luis Castillo

Reds

10.77

55.1 %

36.1 %

Yu Darvish

Cubs

10.77

47.0 %

29.6 %

Stephen Strasburg

Nationals

10.54

49.0 %

28.7 %

Sonny Gray

Reds

10.15

53.3 %

38.1 %

Aaron Nola

Phillies

10.09

49.6 %

38.5 %

Jon Gray

Rockies

9.06

50.0 %

39.9 %

German Márquez

Rockies

9

50.5 %

37.3 %

Max Fried

Braves

8.98

52.9 %

36.4 %

Eduardo Rodríguez

Red Sox

8.92

47.1 %

30.4 %

Joey Lucchesi

Padres

8.86

47.6 %

34.6 %

Adam Wainwright

Cardinals

8.85

49.0 %

41.9 %

Noah Syndergaard

Mets

8.82

49.2 %

28.3 %

Kyle Gibson

Twins

8.77

50.4 %

35.8 %

Aaron Sanchez

Astros

8.08

47.4 %

38.4 %

 

  • Charlie Morton and Luis Castillo have been two of the best pitchers in baseball. They miss plenty of bats and when they don’t the contact is weak and the ball is on the ground. This is the prototype we’re looking for.

  • What a surprise Yu Darvish has been (to some). First, the strikeouts came back. Then he got rid of the walks. Now the blow ups are thinning, though not gone. If he can keep the 4+ run outings limited he’s a very valuable pitcher.

  • Sonny Gray always seems to have good peripherals so it’s nice that the stats we care about are matching up this year. I don’t love that he still pitches in a hitters park. Nevertheless, he’s become a dependable rotation piece with the effectiveness of his offspeed pitches.

  • It’s so hard to take shots on Colorado pitchers. German Márquez and Jon Gray can be brilliant at times, however. They make great GPP plays or darts if you’re chasing pitching categories.

  • I did not expect Adam Wainwright to ever be fantasy relevant again but here we are. Waino’s in a groove and getting ground balls. Enjoy it while it lasts with that Hard%.

  • Thor almost can’t achieve poor metrics with how hard he throws. It would have been nice if the Mets traded him and allowed him a fresh start. Focus seems to be an issue with the Norseman at times.

  • The Kyle Gibson experience is a rocky one. He’s figured out how to strike people out in the last two seasons, though. That pairs well with his ability to get grounders. Just know there will be blow ups.

  • The latest Astro reclamation project is Aaron Sanchez . Both outings with his new team have been encouraging, with only one run given up between the eleven innings. People think the Astro find pitchers and make them good. Not true. They identify pitchers who already have skills they value and emphasize their use. Sanchez’ inclusion here shows he’s had the tools all season.

  • Aaron Nola has really turned his season around. Earlier this year I posited that his struggles are due, in part, to a drop in first pitch strikes. He’s lugged that 55% F-strike rate up to 61%. For a guy without big velocity or devastating movement it’s crucial for Nola to have the upper hand in an at-bat and get to an 0-1 count.