J.A. Happ: Another Successful Start in Pittsburgh
By Bill Pivetz
I look at starting pitching like tight ends in fantasy football. You can always find a good one late. Whether it’s in the draft or off the waiver wire, there is always someone serviceable to pick up and put in your starting lineup. I use this as a set up to talk about recently acquired Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher J.A. Happ. He’s been good since joining the NL Central division race. If you are looking for some late-season wins, Happ is someone to look at.
J.A. Happ spent the first part of 2015 with the Seattle Mariners. Before being traded, he finished with a 4-6 record, 4.64 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 10.7 K-BB percentage. He was an average back-of-rotation pitcher for the Mariners, but he wasn’t going to progress any further than that.
In his first start with the Pirates, Happ struggled a bit. He went just 4.1 innings with four earned runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out six batters. He’s been improving ever since. After a no-decision in the next outing, he’s won three straight games.
More from FanSided
- Joe Burrow owes Justin Herbert a thank you note after new contract
- Chiefs gamble at wide receiver could already be biting them back
- Braves-Red Sox start time: Braves rain delay in Boston on July 25
- Yankees: Aaron Boone gives optimistic return date for Aaron Judge
- MLB Rumors: Yankees-Phillies trade showdown, Mariners swoop, India goes to Seattle
Since that first game, J.A. Happ pitched 23 innings with a 0.78 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. He has 18 strikeouts and five walks as well. He has a 15.1 K-BB percentage and 3-1 record in five starts with the Pirates. He has also improved on his K/9, BB/9 and HR/9 in those five games.
While his next outing may be a struggle, he faces the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept. 4, he is good enough to pitch a quality start. This game could be the deciding factor for the NL Central title.
I used J.A. Happ in my August 29 DraftKings lineup for two reasons. One, the offense can give him plenty of run support. And two, the Colorado Rockies are not good on the road. While the second one won’t happen every time, the offense is always there which leads to a high win probability.
Happ could give you a boost in the ratio stats and add an extra win to your total. If you play with quality starts, you may want to look elsewhere. He has just two in the last 30 days. Happ is the fifth-most added pitcher over the last seven days, 18.8 percent increase. With a little over a month left in the season, he is worth a pickup in all league formats.