Something has clicked with Kendall Graveman.
The Oakland Athletics right-hander was brutal in his first four starts of the year, when he posted an 8.27 ERA with a 4.96 BB/9 and a paltry 59.8 left-on-base percentage. He couldn’t throw strikes, he was giving up home runs… it wasn’t pretty.
Since returning from triple-A on May 23, Graveman is 5-2 with a 1.72 ERA and a noticeably higher groundball rate. Graveman just out-duelled Felix Hernandez over the weekend, and manager Bob Melvin said it was “maybe the best mix (of pitches) we’ve seen out of him.” Graveman says that he’s feeling more comfortable with catchers Stephen Vogt and Josh Phegley, and that he’s feeling more confident in expanding his repertoire.
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He has now gone at least seven innings in his last six starts, allowing a grand total of six runs. His sinker-cutter combination has turned him, for the time being, into the groundball pitcher that makes him worthy of owning in deeper formats. Not many strikeouts here — that’s no surprise — but mixing and matching Graveman’s matchups the rest of the way is certainly an option that’s available. He’s available in 78 percent of Yahoo! Leagues and gets the Cleveland Indians in his next start. As long as the sinker stays effective, he’s worth a pickup.
Here are some more names worth watching:
Nick Castellanos, 3B (14 percent owned)
This spring, Castellanos was one of my sleepers at third base. I figured he could be a cheap source of 20 home runs with a decent batting average but boy, has it ever been a struggle through the first three months. The power was gone and he was just striking out way too much.
Now, Castellanos may be turning a corner. Since June 23, he’s slashing .365/.389/.577 and he’s hit homers in each of his last two games. Castellanos said he tried everything to regain his form this year whether it be changing his batting stance or changing the grip on the bat, but whatever adjustments he’s made over the last few weeks appear to be working. Castellanos only factors in super-deep formats right now but in shallower leagues, keep an eye on his progression.
Jedd Gyorko, 2B (13 percent owned)
Well, here’s my latest stab at Gyorko being a viable, power-hitting middle infielder. He’s burned me before many times, but here I am, right back on the Gyorko train. He hit 23 home runs in 125 games just two years ago. Could it have been a career year, even though he’s still only 26? It’s possible.
But I want to believe Gyorko still has more to offer. He batted just .210 in his opening 131 plate appearances this season before being demoted, but with Cory Spangenberg suffering a left knee contusion, the door has once again been opened for Gyorko to take the job and run with it. Since returning from triple-A. Gyorko is 9-for-29 with a home run and a double. Don’t make me look silly again Jedd!
Andrew Heaney, SP (20 percent owned)
The good times continue for the Halos southpaw after holding the Rockies to two runs in 7.1 innings pitched at Coors Field on Tuesday. He fanned five and walked nobody. In his three starts since getting called up from the minors, Heaney has a 17:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just over 20 innings.
After failing to impress in his stint with the Marlins last season, Heaney was dealt twice on the same day of the off-season and wound up with the Angels. Right away, the organization knew something was off with his delivery. With some tweaks to his mechanics, the Angels have noticed a huge difference, even though his numbers in triple-A to start the year didn’t necessarily suggest that he was becoming more effective on the mound. Now that he’s up with the big club Heaney is impressing, and I’m not worried about his rotation spot. The Angels can send Matt Shoemaker to the bullpen when Jered Weaver comes back. Heaney is worth a look in just about all fantasy leagues.
Jason Motte, RP (22 percent owned)
It’s been a relatively quiet season for closer news, hasn’t it? There haven’t been too many job openings but the back-end of the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen has been in flux pretty much since day one.
For the time being, at least, Joe Maddon is calling Jason Motte’s name in the ninth inning. Motte earned two saves on Tuesday, closing out both games of a double-header against the St. Louis Cardinals, even though he allowed a run on three hits in the nightcap. Still, Motte – who saved 42 games with St. Louis in 2012 — has coughed up just two runs in his last 22 appearances and he’ll get the shot for the time being with Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop pitching in setup roles. Motte isn’t missing as many bats, which is concerning, but if you’re chasing saves, give him a shot.