Josh Tomlin: The Pitcher You Need Right Now
By Bill Pivetz
The Cleveland Indians have made a surprise push for the second Wild Card spot over the last few weeks. While the young hitters are driving in a lot of runs, I think the performance of one pitcher is what is helping the Indians win these crucial games. If you are in need of pitching help, rush to the waiver wire and pick up Josh Tomlin.
In his first four seasons, Tomlin wasn’t a pitcher you would feel happy about owning. Even with his career year, he still owns a 4.61 ERA. In 21 games in 2012, Tomlin finished with a 6.36 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. After a surgery on his AC joint, he made his 2015 debut on August 15 and has been very consistent in eight starts.
This season, Josh Tomlin has a 2.43 ERA and 6-2 record. Digging deeper, he has 8.41 K/9 and 0.97 BB/9, both career bests. His 0.74 WHIP is helped by his lack of walking batters.
In five of his eight starts this season, he hasn’t walked a single hitter. The most recent was his two-run complete game against the Kansas City Royals. He has two complete games this month, the other coming against the Detroit Tigers on Sept. 4.
Tomlin has a 37.2 ground ball percentage, around his career average. The improvements seem to be in his strikeout numbers and ability to limit baserunners. This kind of control can make for a very dangerous pitcher down the stretch.
There is some downside to owning Tomlin, though. He has a 47.3 fly ball rate, which attributes to his 11 home runs allowed in his eight games. His 4.28 FIP is something to be wary about, because one bad inning can ruin an otherwise good outing.
Tomlin’s next outing will be against the Royals on Saturday. The Royals offense is on a bit of a power surge this month, 28 home runs (T-4) and 102 RBI (T-3). The team isn’t striking out either, only 129 strikeouts (fourth).
With the playoffs midway through, fantasy owners need anyone that can propel them into the championship round. Owners are jumping on the Josh Tomlin bandwagon. He has been picked up in 12.2 percent of ESPN.com leagues over the last week. He is currently owned in a little under 70 percent of leagues.
With the waiver wire void of legitimate, and consistent, pitching options, Josh Tomlin is a pitcher you need to pick up if available.