Welcome back, FA Nation! Get ready for this week’s edition of Category Impact! If you’re new to the site or just forget how this article works since last week, let me offer a quick refresher.

Category Impact will offer up anywhere from four to six players that can help you out in a certain category, whether it is stolen bases, home runs, or strikeouts. Some weeks, there will be an added focus on a specific categories, while others will be just players that you will want to pick up, but there will be in-depth analysis detailing exactly what category, or categories, a certain player will be of added benefit.

This week’s featured category is…. STRIKEOUTS!

Freddy Peralta , MIL SP – He’s baaaack! After last seeing Peralta in May, Peralta is back with a full head of steam. His last start in May saw him walk six Twins in just four innings of work. However, since his return, he’s posted a 17:1 K/BB ratio in 13 innings of work against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals. Furthermore, he’s allowed just three hits in that span.

The right-hander relies heavily on his four-seam fastball, throwing it over 80-percent of the time, while mixing in a curveball and occasionally dropping a changeup in the zone. Can he continue this sort of success as a starter, considering that he’s practically a one-pitch pitcher? In a limited sample size, it seems so. Peralta is generating a whiff rate of 30.8-percent (via Baseball Savant) on his fastball, limiting batters to a measly .086 batting average against his heater.

He’s had success to the date throughout the minors, posting a K/9 mark above 12 at Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A, so there is some confidence with Peralta moving forward. What he’s done at the big league level to date cannot be ignored, so scoop him up before it’s too late.

Ryan Tepera , TOR RP – Don’t look now, but Tepera is racking up the strikeouts of late. Despite two blown saves within the past few days, Tepera has recorded at least one strikeout in six of his last seven appearances, four of which were multi-strikeout innings for the 30-year-old right-hander. It may not be the smoothest of roads for Tepera recently, but there’s no ignoring the strikeouts. He’s on pace for a career high K/9 mark, as well as ERA, FIP and the second-best BB/9 of his career. Tepera’s swinging strike rate is up from previous years, while he’s also forcing hitters out of the zone.

Tepera is owned in under 30-percent of ESPN fantasy leagues, and for a guy that can strikeout over a batter per inning, and has the opportunity for saves, he’s worthy of a roster spot at this juncture.

Matt Strahm , SD RP – To be frank, Strahm is flat-out dealing right now. Over his last 10 innings, he’s posted a 16:2 K/BB ratio, while allowing just one earned run on four hits. In 22 innings at the big league level with the Royals, Strahm posted a 12.27 K/9, but that mark fell to 9.61 in a disastrous 2017 season. With the Padres this season, Strahm has been highly effective and his numbers this season are closely resembling his 2016 numbers.

Strahm is allowing less hard contact than year’s prior and the opposition is struggling against his secondary pitches. Compare the results of his slider and changeup over the past few years.

PITCH

2016 BAA

2017 BAA

2018 BAA

Slider

NA

.276

.083

Changeup

.000

.294

.077


The right-hander’s fastball continues to be a reliable option in his arsenal. Strahm is owned in under two percent of ESPN fantasy baseball leagues but he can be a valuable strikeout arm for your fantasy team.

Nathan Eovaldi , TB SP – Just a few years ago, Eovaldi was a 14-game winner for the New York Yankees. A year before, he was a 14-game loser for the Miami Marlins. Despite a 2-3 record and a 4.08 ERA on the season, Eovaldi is worth owning in more than just eight percent of ESPN fantasy baseball leagues. His .178 BABIP and 4.85 WHIP indicate that he’s been a bit lucky, but there’s plenty of room for optimism with Eovaldi moving forward. His K/9 for the 2018 campaign sits at just 7.64 on the season, but that would be a career-high for the well-traveled right-hander.

The key to his success is splitter. After his most recent start, a gem against the Washington Nationals, Eovaldi mentioned that he felt that his splitter was solid. When that pitch is on, he’s a different pitcher on the mound. When the splitter is off and not dropping off the table, he’s prone to blowups. In his 14-win season, the opposition hit just .208 off Eovaldi’s splitter. This season, batters are hitting just .148 against that pitch, with 11 at-bats ending by means of a strikeout via the splitter.

Eovaldi has three pitches (fastball, slider and splitter) that have a whiff rate over 20 percent on the season, and he could push for a K/9 in the low 8s this season. He’s an upside play at this point.