Tanner Roark was shelled as he allowed 10 hits in just 4.2 innings while being fortunate to allow just 5 ER. Roark offers minimal fantasy value in all but the nicest of matchups; his K% is down over 2% YOY, making him a below-average ERA and below-average K option.
Luis Castillo was dominant, going 6.1 innings while allowing 1 ER with 9 punchouts. His ERA was lowered to 4.66, which shows how poorly his season as been. Castillo was my bet for breakout candidate this season, but unfortunately he's taken a decent step back as his K% decreased 3.5% and his GB% decreased 14%(!). His numbers aren't as bad as they suggest, but he allowed hitters to square up far too often this season. I'm tempering my expectations but he's a nice sleeper for 2019 given his 14% SwStr% and age.
Michael Conforto hit a double and his 24th HR on the season. Conforto experienced a massive falloff this season, but it's worth noting that he's having a very respectable second half. After batting .216 with 11 HR in the first half, he's batted .261 with 13 HR in 30+ fewer games. Ironically he has struck out more in the second half, but he's pulled the ball significantly more, which has led to a higher Hard%. Conforto is still a tough nut to crack, but this second half is encouraging for a more reasonable 2019 season. He turns 26 next year.
Trevor Story's first inning double brought in his 100th RBI on the season. Story was a great sleeper this season, and has still surpassed all expectations. His 25 SB were completely out of nowhere, as were his HR and RBI pace. Story remains an elite SS option as long as he plays half his games in Colorado. 2017 looks like it will be an outlier as a lost season for him.
Jose Urena was effective through 6.1 innings, allowing just 1 ER with 5 strikeouts. Urena has been about average this season, as his SIERA has flirted just about the 4.15 mark most of the year. However what is encouraging is his year-over-year improvement, as his SIERA is down over 1 full run, while he's increased his GB rate and SwStr%. If we see remotely similar improvements next year, Urena is a breakout candidate for 2019. He turns 27 next year.
