We are now into August. This is typically the time I try to sort through my pitching staff and take a good, long look at any underperformers. Two-thirds of the way through the season, meaning most starting pitchers have taken about 25 turns. That should be long enough for the majority to work through any mechanical issues or get healthy or build up normal arm strength/endurance. There are exceptions, so every dog might not get the heave-ho, but I am at that point in the season where I need a viable reason to accept poor performance. And, is this a competitive situation, or wait 'til next year?
That said, I'm featuring a few pitchers who have made us wonder, "what was I thinking" as we reflect on draft day. Yes, injuries are ridiculous – did you know there were more Tommy John surgeries in 2023 than in the entire decade of the 1990s? Now that is ridiculous. So, are these pitchers who should hit the waiver wire? Or is there some hope; making them possibilities to still help in the title chase? Or, at the very least, could they be favorable contract keepers in a keeper/dynasty format?
Let's take a look at some significant 2025 underperformers:
Yu Darvish (Padres, 3-3, 5.36 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) – Competition was fierce for this top spot on the disappointments list, even though they aren't really in any specific order. I have been on his bandwagon for a long time. I watched him several times
We are now into August. This is typically the time I try to sort through my pitching staff and take a good, long look at any underperformers. Two-thirds of the way through the season, meaning most starting pitchers have taken about 25 turns. That should be long enough for the majority to work through any mechanical issues or get healthy or build up normal arm strength/endurance. There are exceptions, so every dog might not get the heave-ho, but I am at that point in the season where I need a viable reason to accept poor performance. And, is this a competitive situation, or wait 'til next year?
That said, I'm featuring a few pitchers who have made us wonder, "what was I thinking" as we reflect on draft day. Yes, injuries are ridiculous – did you know there were more Tommy John surgeries in 2023 than in the entire decade of the 1990s? Now that is ridiculous. So, are these pitchers who should hit the waiver wire? Or is there some hope; making them possibilities to still help in the title chase? Or, at the very least, could they be favorable contract keepers in a keeper/dynasty format?
Let's take a look at some significant 2025 underperformers:
Yu Darvish (Padres, 3-3, 5.36 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) – Competition was fierce for this top spot on the disappointments list, even though they aren't really in any specific order. I have been on his bandwagon for a long time. I watched him several times in 2022, and he genuinely looked like he was experiencing a breakout year. Good stuff, good location, good mound presence. The past couple seasons have been different. The basics still seem alright, but the results have been anything but. I have come to the conclusion that Darvish got out of sync – it happens – and as he tried different things to fix it, the problems multiplied. Now he's healthy, and I do believe he'll come out of it. Yes, he's 39 years old, and I still believe. Verdict: Hold onto him.
Sandy Alcantara (Marlins, 7-11, 6.04 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) – What a long, strange trip it's been. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2022, struggled to stay healthy in 2023, then missed all of 2024 following Tommy John surgery. He had been off for 14 months this past spring, The velocity was back, but the command was less consistent, and the movement wasn't so crisp. My concern is that his command still comes and goes, and by now he should be back in sync but he can look horrible one inning and untouchable the next. I know it's in there, somewhere. Verdict: Hung jury.
Aaron Nola (Phillies, 2-7, 6.52 ERA, 1.53 WHIP) – I wanted to make sure I included Nola or someone transitioning from a power to a finesse pitcher like him (the Angels' Kyle Hendricks fits here, too) because pitchers of this ilk almost always rely on two things. Without overwhelming stuff, they require pinpoint command: being able to throw any pitch, in any count, to an exact location, and since, there will be contact, a superior defense is imperative. I love Nola, but he falls short on both counts. His command used to be pretty good but it can be spotty now, and the Phillies defense isn't great. With a lower strikeout rate, these guys have limited fantasy value even when things are going well. Verdict: Pull the chute.
Walker Buehler (Red Sox, 7-7, 5.45 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) – I remember Buehler being a top of the rotation starter for a very good team (the Dodgers). In 2021 he went 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA, an 0.97 WHIP and had 212 strikeouts in 207 innings. Numbers like that get you included in Cy Young discussions. That pretty much ended the good. He struggled with arm problems in 2022, culminating in Tommy John surgery at the end of the season. He missed all of 2023 then had a rough time when he came back in 2024. He did look great in the 2024 playoffs, which probably got him a contract for this year, but he's been a huge disappointment. I honestly believe he'll be back to those great years; it's only a matter of time. Verdict: Hold onto him, but not for this year, this is for 2026.
Shane Baz (Angels, 8-10, 5.22 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) – True believers always think an arm will come along to lead them to the promised land. Baz is not a true ace, even though he acts like he is sometimes. He has the stuff to lead an Angels pitching staff but it hasn't been consistently good in longer than I can remember (and that's a looong time). He doesn't miss enough bats – although it appears he could – and he has always been vulnerable to the long ball. His stuff is pretty good, and he has a repertoire that should allow him to fare better, but when he gets in trouble, he tends to overthrow and everything straightens out. I'm sure you can see from my description, it's hard to put a finger on. Some days I still like him, but … Verdict: Pull the chute.
German Marquez (Rockies, 3-11, 5.67 ERA, 1.53 WHIP) – I've been watching Marquez for a long time, but Coors Field kept me from jumping on board. This year, with the Rockies being awful, he started showing up in trade rumors. Unfortunately, as the deadline approached, he suffered through both shoulder and biceps issues. That ended the trade talks, but if he proves healthy, I think they might come back during the offseason. IMHO his stuff is good enough to help a fantasy team if he gets out of Colorado. He's not ever going to be an ace, but he can give you innings. I just want to see him getting regular work for the rest of this year. Verdict: Not in Colorado.
Miles Mikolas (Cardinals, 6-10, 5.17 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) – This is my own personal favorite enigma. In my analysis, his stuff and repertoire should make him one of the more reliable pitchers in the game. Some days we see just that, a virtually unhittable, dominating figure on the mound. Some days. Then there are "those" days. He still throws strikes, better than most, but he actually may be filling the strike zone a bit too full, resulting in a lot of hard contact. That, and he too has experienced some bad luck (often heightened by that frequent hard contact). It's all there, I can't in good faith write him off, but his track record suggests you may get that clinker sometimes. He was so steady just a couple years ago. Verdict: Hold onto him.
This list is far from complete, as there are many more flops. In fact, there are plenty of those who, if included in the list above, would result in a list beyond compare. How about Zach Eflin? He may qualify on some lists, as do Justin Verlander, Charlie Morton, Lance McCullers, Cal Quantrill, Eduardo Rodriguez, Spencer Strider, and, well, you get the idea. The list goes on and on.
Some Notable Rotation Ramblings:
- After missing a year and a half, and changing uniforms, Shane Bieber returned like he never missed a turn. His new team, Toronto, is leading the AL East, so him looking sharp (one run in six innings with no walks and nine strikeouts) was all the more important with the likely playoff implications.
- I haven't mentioned him in the past couple weeks, so it's time. I admit it, I'm hooked. Paul Skenes is the best pitcher in the game, and there hasn't been anyone better in a good number of years. So how bad are the Pirates? Pitching for them, Skenes has a losing record (8-9) despite a 2.07 ERA.
- Most folks would say I am fairly patient and perhaps forgiving to a fault. That said, I'm nearing the end of my rope with the Tigers' Jack Flaherty. I understand pitchers can have an off day. It happens. They might even have a short string of off days, but IMHO, off innings are a lack of focus. That can, and should, be fixed.
- The Reds' Brady Singer is one I have watched for quite some time, and he looks better almost every time I see him. His command is still sometimes spotty, but it is improving, and that improvement has brought about more strikeouts. He is now on a better team, so his fantasy value could increase dramatically.
- The Rangers got devastating news earlier this week when it was announced that Nathan Eovaldi is suffering from a rotator cuff strain. Nothing official as of yet, but the team is saying he is likely to miss the rest of the regular season. As you would expect, missing the regular season sheds doubt on the playoffs, too.
- Jonah Tong was just recently promoted to Triple-A Syracuse, but it's going to be brief. He will make his first MLB start Friday. It's always a challenge making the jump to MLB, but I think he has the stuff to make it work. Missing bats is the key to his game, and he leads the minor leagues in strikeouts.
Endgame Odyssey:
With Josh Hader expected out for the rest of the regular season with a shoulder injury, the Astros have turned to Bryan Abreu. He has had three save chances, and he has converted all three. Randy Rodriguez was held out earlier this week because of general arm soreness, and it eventually put him on the IL. Ryan Walker has stepped in and will probably get the call in save situations going forward. It was of concern the Orioles might have sacked closer Keegan Akin after he blew a couple saves, but he got another chance and converted a five-out save, so he is probably back in the picture. It looks like Justin Topa is securing the closer's gig in Minnesota. He just recorded his fourth save, but all four have come in the month of August. Will Vest was serving as Detroit's closer before they acquired Kyle Finnegan from Washington. Since then, Vest has been shaky while Finnegan has been lights out. Tanner Scott returned from the IL (again) and appears to have reclaimed his closer's job. In Milwaukee, Trevor Megill has blown three of his last four save chances, leading to an IL trip, and with Shelby Miller now healthy, don't be surprised if he picks up some ninth-inning work.
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