Phil Hughes-Twins-SP
Phil Hughes went 7 innings and gave up 1 ER on 5 hits and 8 strikeouts in the win against the Indians. Hughes has a 3.65 ERA over 165 innings with 148 strikeouts. Hughes has a 3.23 x FIP, which means that he has pitched better than traditional stats indicate. Hughes has used his cutter a career high 22% of the time. While the use of a good cutter does lead to more success, it also increases the likely hood of an injury. Pitching at Target Field will help keep Hughes relevant the rest of the way.
David Price-Tigers-SP
David Price went 8 shutout innings on 1 hit and 9 strikeouts in the loss to the Rays. Price has a 3.00 ERA over 201.1 innings with 221 strikeouts. Price has been dominant over his last two starts. Price has a 2.75 xFIP, which means that he has pitched better than his traditional stats indicate. Price is your typical ace that pitches deep into games and gives your team a fighting chance every time out. He also racks up the strikeouts to put the cherry on top.
Alex Cobb-Rays-SP
Alex Cobb went 7 shutout innings on 2 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts in the win against the Tigers. Cobb has a 3.01 ERA over 122.2 innings with 116 strikeouts. Cobb has been excellent recently, stringing together 8 straight starts of 2 ER or less. Cobb has a 3.25 xFIP, which suggests that this success is legit.
Brandon McCarthy-Yankees-SP
Brandon McCarthy threw a complete game shutout with 8 strikeouts in the win against the Astros. McCarthy has a 4.01 ERA over 161.2 innings with 144 strikeouts. McCarthy has a 1.90 ERA since joining the Yankees. McCarthy has credited his success with the increased use of his cutter and this is hard to deny. McCarthy has done a complete 180 since leaving Arizona.
Matt Shoemaker-Angels-SP
Matt Shoemaker went 7.1 scoreless innings on 1 hit and 9 strikeouts in the win against the Red Sox. Shoemaker has been a pleasant surprise for the Angels and will need to step-up to help fill the shoes of Garrett Richards. He is sporting a 3.56 ERA over 103.2 innings with 5.41 K/BB ratio. Shoemaker's xFIP (3.19) and SIERA (3.13) suggest that Shoemaker has been better than his traditional stats suggest. Shoemaker does not have an overpowering fastball, but makes up for it with an above average splitter that keeps hitters honest and creates a lot of ground balls. If he is available by chance in your league pick him up.
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