Are you ready to dominate your drafts? It's time to find those hidden gems and outsmart the competition. To do that I'm going to help you find some 2023 Fantasy Baseball undervalued pitchers.
The value of a player is subjective, and the key to your success is in locating those undervalued assets.
Below I uncover five pitchers who are flying under the radar and ready to deliver big results.
2023 Fantasy Baseball Undervalued Pitchers
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Aaron Ashby, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
SPs (min. 750 pitches) w/fastest pitch tempo inside the top 250
Logan Gilbert
Brady Singer
Aaron Ashby
Miles Mikolas
José BerríosThey’ll experience the fewest detriments of the pitch timer, affording improvements elsewhere rather than a focus on pacepic.twitter.com/LPR3B9mWyI
— Crump. (@jakecrumpler) January 30, 2023
A glance at the pitching stats for Aaron Ashby makes you hesitate to consider the young right-hander for this season. However, a deeper dive promises that Ashby will be an excellent value for Fantasy managers.
Ashby struck out batters at 26.5 percent and produced an elite 56.1 percent ground ball rate. In addition, he doesn't allow much hard contact with a below-league-average 34.7 hard-hit rate.
Control issues and bad luck have Ashby viewed as a bust last season. However, fantasy managers should realize the extreme value of involving Ashby and grab him before his breakout season.
Alex Cobb, SP, San Francisco Giants
Who is starring for your favorite team in '23? pic.twitter.com/EFdHfTbsCX
— MLB (@MLB) January 30, 2023
Alex Cobb enjoyed a resurgent season in 2022, even though he faced injury concerns throughout the first half of the season. After the All-Star Break, Cobb rebounded and produced a 3.40 ERA and a 9.4 K/9.
Cobb proved to love the cozy confines of Oracle Park, where his numbers were drastically different than his road starts. In his 16 home starts, the veteran right-hander produced a 2.68 ERA and 1.157 WHIP, while opposing hitters only hit .230. Conversely, Cobb yielded a 5.20 ERA, 1.518 WHIP, and opposing batters hit .303.
His 2.80 FIP across 149.2 innings suggests some tough luck last season which should result in more success In 2023. His ZIP projections a similar statistical season which would result in a steal with his ADP 227.
Luis Garcia, SP, Houston Astros
9 pitches
9 strikesLuis Garcia with an immaculate inning 🔥
📹 @astros pic.twitter.com/QZ9jWhKDgS
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) June 15, 2022
Despite losing veteran ace Justin Verlander, the World Series Champion Houston Astros still have one of the best starting rotations in baseball. Luis Garcia opened the 2022 season as the team's fifth starter and exceeded expectations.
In 28 starts, Garcia produced a 15-8 record with a 3.72 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. The young right-hander held opposing hitters to a .222/.279/.399 slash line and struck out 157 batters across 157.1 innings.
Garcia ended up as one of the best waiver wire additions for Fantasy managers and is still undervalued. However, he is entering his third season as a starter. And his numbers and secured spot in the Astros rotation should move up way beyond his current ADP 511 and #74 ECR among pitchers.
Nick Lodolo, SP, Cincinnati Reds
Nick Lodolo is the first Red and fourth LHP in MLB since 1901 with 11+ strikeouts and 0 walks in consecutive starts.
(h/t @jluckhaupt) pic.twitter.com/iShzluxnUl
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 14, 2022
There were very few positive lights for a 100-loss campaign for the Cincinnati Reds, but rookie southpaw Nick Lodolo emerged as a potential ace for the Reds. Unfortunately, the left-hander didn't have a great start to his MLB career. Lodolo was just three games into his career before a lower back strain injury forced the rookie on the IL for over two months.
Lodolo returned to display his pinpoint control and polished command, making him a top-ten MLB draft pick by the Reds. He ascended through the Reds farm system and established himself in the second half of the season to display his immense potential.
Lodolo closed out his rookie season by producing a 2.92 ERA, 1.065 WHIP, and a 10.9 K/9 in the second half. He finished with a 3.66 ERA and 29.7 K% across 103.1 innings.
Lodolo and fellow rookie starters Hunter Greene and Graham Ashcraft should have the Reds organization and fans excited for their future. Selecting the future ace with an ADP 124 is a steal and is the value that helps Fantasy managers contend for Fantasy championships.
Charlie Morton, SP, Atlanta Braves
Charlie Morton, Wicked 83mph Curveball. 🤢
3,191 RPMs pic.twitter.com/e1TXX46l61
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 15, 2022
Plenty of Fantasy managers are enamored with finding the brand new toy when they are on the clock. However, you must grab consistent producers that you can set and forget when you insert those players in your Fantasy lineups. One of the best examples of these consistent performers is veteran Atlanta Braves right-hander Charlie Morton.
Morton has produced double-digit wins and strikeouts per nine in four of his last five seasons. Last season, Morton was coming back from fracturing his leg during the 2021 World Series. He came back to lead the team in starts, although his overall performance was concerning. Morton finished with a 4.34 ERA, and his 3.30 BB/9 was his worst in the last four seasons.
On the plus side, Morton displayed that he was healthier as the Braves headed into the dog days of summer. During July and August, Morton produced a 3.28 ERA and 3.74 FIP while allowing only .193/.276/.343 slash line.
The most promising end of last season and arrival fully healthy for the 2023 season lends to Morton being a valuable middle-of-the-rotation option for fantasy managers. Another double-digit win output and expected strikeout totals make Morton a value at his current 60 ECR.
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