You remember Michael Caine's last line in The Prestige, right before it cuts to black?
"You want to be ... fooled."
Here we go again with Mike Fiers, who's up to his old tricks.
Maybe we should know better. Maybe we've gone down this path a couple times too many already. But as he showed during that 12-start (13 appearances) stretch in 2012 when he had a 1.80 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings and that 10-start stretch in 2014 when he had a 2.09 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings, he can do some special things with that 90-mph fastball when he's spotting it correctly and has a full complement of secondary pitches.
And they're complementing as well as ever right now.
So maybe don't get too invested in him. Understand how low the floor is and be ready to pull the plug when the freefall begins. But given Fiers' history, it makes all the sense in the world to add him and take it start by start.
No tricks.
| last five starts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mike Fiers
HOU SP
| 1.72 ERA | 1.10 WHIP | 31 1/3 IP | 29 K |
The threat of moving to the bullpen was apparently the kick in the butt he needed because since having that transition interrupted by Charlie Morton's lat injury, Fiers has put together four quality starts in five, making better use of his best two swing-and-miss pitches, the changeup and the curveball, the latter of which has actually gained a couple miles per hour. We've seen Fiers pitch like an ace for extended stretches in the past, so while the track record is spotty, the supporting cast and pitcher scarcity make picking him up right now a pretty easy call.
| with Braves | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Matt Adams
ATL 1B
| .294 BA | 11 HR | .993 OPS | 119 AB |
Matt Adams has made numerous appearances in this space over the last couple weeks, but he's still only 66 percent owned and his situation continues to improve. Word of Freddie Freeman gearing up to play third base when he returns from the DL makes Adams more than just a short-term investment and shows that the Braves believe he's legit. They wouldn't mess around with their franchise player otherwise.
| Wednesday vs. Giants | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sean Newcomb
ATL SP
| 6 IP | 3 H | 1 ER | 3 K |
Speaking of legit Braves, Sean Newcomb continues to distance himself from his minor-league control issues, going the six innings required for the quality start on just 80 pitches Wednesday. His fastball-curveball combo is generating swings and misses, as the scouting reports always said it would, and the only reason he's still just 57 percent owned in CBS Sports leagues is because he hasn't had the good fortune of securing a win yet. He keeps pitching like this, and they'll come.
| 2017 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Trey Mancini
BAL LF
| .314 BA | 12 HR | .924 OPS | 194 AB |
Trey Mancini collected another three hits Wednesday and is doing his best to ensure he remains a regular even after Chris Davis returns from a strained oblique. The performance doesn't make total sense. He has a .383 BABIP despite a low line-drive rate and 12 homers in 194 at-bats despite a low fly-ball rate, but if you need an extra bat, sometimes it's best not to overthink these things, especially when you're getting it for free. Mancini has done it consistently for 2 1/2 months now.
| 2017 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tommy Pham
STL LF
| .286 BA | 9 HR | .374 OBP | 140 AB |
Tommy Pham took the next step toward ensuring Randal Grichuk would never get his job back in St. Louis, not only hitting the home run to send Wednesday's game to extra innings (one of two on the day) but also gunning down a potential walk-off winner at the plate in the ninth inning. He's on pace for nine home runs now in just 140 at-bats, walks a ton and has the kind of BABIP (.333) that suggests he's not completely performing over his head. Outfield is deep and all, but Pham is criminally underowned at 25 percent.
| Wednesday vs. Cardinals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Nick Pivetta
PHI SP
| 6 IP | 4 H | 3 ER | 10 K |
When Nick Pivetta struck out nine over seven innings in his previous start June 15, it was intriguing. When he struck out 10 over six innings Wednesday, it was a call to action in today's pitcher landscape. He doesn't have a long history as a bat-misser, but he did have a 1.41 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings in five starts at Triple-A before his promotion this year, and his late-breaking slider is impressive to watch. If you play in the type of league where Newcomb and Fiers are already owned, Pivetta is absolutely worth a flier.
